“IS IT TRUE” August 19, 2020

IS IT TRUE the City-County Observer has always strived to serve as a “Community Watchdog” by sounding the alarm when our citizen’s rights are in danger of being violated by large Corporations, Federal, State, and Local Governmental agencies as well as elected or appointed officials?

IS IT TRUE we realize that a community can have no greater ambassador of goodwill than one which keeps its citizens informed about the accomplishments, failures, and triumphs of individuals, the business community, church, hospitals, and community groups, educational institutions, and elected and appointed officials?

IS IT TRUE that the Coronavirus pandemic and the deficit spending habits of elected officials have devastated future revenue sources to the point that the financial pain will be felt for several years?

IS IT TRUE that the City of Evansville has a “Rainy Day Fund” of exactly $3,092,861?

IS IT TRUE that the City Of Evansville Employees Hospitalization fund has a negative balance of  $3,025,865?

IS IT TRUE that the City Of Evansville will have to find a creative way to make up an $8.5  million dollar deficit in the 2021 budget?  …to continue to build a penguin exhibit at Mesker Park Zoo with the current budget restraints isn’t the answer?

IS IT TRUE that budgets rely on funding sources? …it’s obvious that the City and County governments don’t have the funding sources to pay for additional budget increases during times like these?

IS IT TRUE that one of the functions of all Convention and Visitors Bureaus is to promote financially successful community events and put heads in beds?…with large gatherings not feasible due to the coronavirus pandemic places like the Ford Center, the Old National Bank Plaza, and the Victory Theater are sitting empty most every night?…the only people in those buildings now are the skeleton crews assigned to do maintenance?

IS IT TRUE we wonder when was the last time that your boss gave you a 36% raise?  …we wonder when was the last time did any members of the current CVB Board of Directors receive a 36% increase in pay?  …we wonder if any elected official in local government ever received a 36% increase in pay?

IS IT TRUE when someone interviews someone for a job the most financially prudent thing for them to do is tell the prospective employee that you can’t pay him or her “what they think they are worth but only pay them what you can afford”?

IS IT TRUE the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau Board Of Directors is asking the Vanderburgh County Council to approve a $50,000 salary increase for their CEO during the time of a pandemic that has essentially shut down the convention business? …such a large increase of 36% is usually not even considered unless some performance has merited it?…with large gatherings forbidden, similar organizations all over the nation are seeing budget cuts of 50%, little or nothing to do, and layoffs of senior staff?…there are even cases where the CEO has taken 20%+ pay cuts?

IS IT TRUE we been told that the proposed $50,000 salary increase for the CEO (beginning his 2nd year of employement} of the CVB was agreed upon at the time he signed his employment contract?

IS IT TRUE we are also told that the CVB employee’s pay increases listed in the proposed 2021 budget request were misleading because longevity benefits were mistakenly included in the employee’s salary figures?  …we wonder why most of the employees of the CVB are scheduled to receive a  longevity check since the majority of them have been working there for less than a year?

IS IT TRUE we hope that members of the Vanderburgh County Council will ask someone from the CVB to explain what does the $15,000 of incentives request listed in the proposed budget cover?

IS IT TRUE we are told if someone in the mainstream media would get a copy of the employment contract of the CEO of the CVB they may find it an interesting read?

IS IT TRUE people in the know are predicting that after this pandemic, there may not be any new arenas or stadiums built for at least 2 decades?…the reality with the Ford Center is that the payments will continue whether a single event is held or not? …the Ford Center has been losing close to $10 million per year since the day it opened and it is about to get worse?

IS IT TRUE that yesterday United States Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said that “To avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail, I am suspending these initiatives until after the election is concluded”? …all we can say about this is “BIG RED TRUCK”?

IS IT TRUE we are extremely pleased with the way EPD Special Projects Coordinator Philip Smith is conducting himself?

Today’s “Readers Poll” question is: Do you think that the Vanderburgh County Council should approve the proposed 2021 budget request as submitted by the Evansville/Vanderburgh County Convention and Vistors Bureau?

Please take time and read our articles entitled “STATEHOUSE FILES, LAW ENFORCEMENT, “READERS POLL”, BIRTHDAYS, HOT JOBS”, EDUCATION, OBITUARIES and “LOCAL SPORTS”.

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