GOP Chairman Wayne Parke Makes Endorsements

1. Wayne looks like he’s in the middle of a strained bowel movement.

   • That can be life-threatening for people of a certain age, and I think Wayne is at that age.
     On the other hand, he could be straining to AVOID an involuntary BM. There’s OTC medication available for both conditions.

     • To “Just the Facts” and “elkaybee”:

       That is my picture and that is the way the good Lord made me.

       Please submit your picture and names like I did to the CCO so we can see how the Lord made each of you.

2. “UP TO $14 million”

   Signed:
   Marsha Abell
   Joe Kiefer
   Stephen Melcher

   https://city-countyobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Centre-Naming-Rights-Agreement.pdf.pdf

   • To Brad Linzy: Marsha Abell, Joe Kiefer and Stephen Melcher, Vanderburgh County Commissioners, did an outstanding job negotiating this naming right agreement with Old National Bank.

     The $14 million dollars investment by ONB in our Community is a lot of money that and is greatly appreciated by the progressive thinking people of Vanderburgh County.

     Thank you Brad Linzy for reminding everyone of a job well done by the Commissioners and ONB.

     • Keep playing dumb, Wayne. This deal was a giveaway with no guarantee beyond one red penny. The wording in the contract “up to $14m” is similar wording to the sweepstakes junk mail that gets sent to the elderly to cheat them out of their retirements.

       My guess is, you know exactly what junk mail I’m talking about.

       • To Brad Linzy: You are wrong. ONB is giving our Community $ 11.5 million for the Hotel project plus additional dollars for other items not to exceed a total of $14.0. All of this from ONB for the naming rights to the Centre.

         For whatever reason you are the one who is trying to mislead your readers. Why are you so negative about so many things?

         Thanks to ONB and the Commissioners and the Mayor, this is a win/win for everybody.

         • ONB giving the city $11.5 Million? That is a damn lie and you know it. ONB is buying a 25% stake in the downtown hotel for $11.5 Million. The other $2.5 Million is for free passes and naming rights. The only reason they are calling it naming rights is to try to mask the transaction from shareholders and the SEC.

           As a shareholder I have a real problem with both and plan to raise a ruckus about it at the next shareholder’s meeting. This is an inappropriate use of shareholder dollars and will have to be done in a particularly sneaky way (subsidiary or affiliate company) to avoid violating SEC rules. Expect some serious scrutiny to come to ONB (who was just fined $500,000) for this “gift” to the Winnecke-Weinzapfel debacle.

         • I don’t have to mislead anyone. They can read the contract for themselves. Due to the atrocious wording, there is no guarantee we will ever see a dime.

           “Up to $14m” is a cap on ONB’s liability, not a minimum; worse still, their benefits are guaranteed: naming rights, $1 million worth of tickets, and 2 free rent uses per year for 30 years.

           It’s in black and white…for those who are literate.

         • OldGuard,

           I have seen no written agreement between ONB and another entity promising $11.5m for a 25% stake in the hotel. I don’t believe one exists. I know thats what was said verbally in the City Council meeting to wring out $20m in taxpayer funds, but as far as i know, no formal contract exists. All that exists is the “up to $14m” pie in the sky agreement on the County naming rights contract. This was just smoke and mirrors – an attempt to deceive people into thinking there was an agreement in place and things were progressing along when, in fact, no private investors exist and the project will begin without full funding in place. Look for another solicitation of tax dollars in the future for this project.

         • To Brad Linzy/OldGuard:

           The City /County government is putting up $14.0 million less for the Hotel project because of ONB investment in the Hotel project. I call that a gift. I and almost everyone else in our community says thank you ONB for investing in our community.

         • Wayne, Brad has clearly shown this joke of a contract isn’t going to net $14 million. And I think he even showed a few days after the signing where ONB said it would be less.

           You just got beat (for the umpteenth time). Own up to it. You’re just making a fool out of yourself if that’s still even possible.

           This is why no one listens to you or any of the other city powers. You people screw something up and then come up with 5 million excuses to try to walk out of it and it never works. What a complete joke.

         • Thanks to Friend and the other five members on council who stood by their convictions and sanity, saving the taxpayers 18.5 million and placed in play the possibility of the downtown Med school. Wayne, once you raise about 12,500 feet, please remember to dawn your mask. What a noble idea, let private investment overrule taxpayers money!!!

3. and I care what this clown thinks because????

   • jbyrd: Who are you? I bet you are a Democrat? What is your name? I am Wayne Parke.

     What you do to make our County the best it can be?

     • Wayne why support spend and tax closet democrats! I know they are PAST political winners that have been real problems(cronies) not solutions!

       • To rk812: I do not know of any Vanderburgh County Republican officeholder that is a “spend and tax closet democrat”.

         • We have a Repub mayor who just wasted a perfectly fine building, spent $773,000 to tear it down, and now wants $8 mil for a park that isn’t even a park not to mention a road that used to be a road just months ago

           We also have a County Commissioner and County Council dominated by Repubs who voted for a ball field project that is going to go over $14 mil while not even giving a moments thought to the counter proposal that had organizations willing to go to MLB with local MLB athletes to cut that amount in half.

           And then there’s the good ole hotel dilemma on top of a $5 billion interstate. I think Winnecke should get his financial house in order before he takes another trip to Bloomington to pressure them into approving a financial disaster of an interstate.

           I mean really, what haven’t your people wasted money on?

4. Wayne, will Larry Buschon be at your filing event?

   • elkaybee: I do not know.

5. Can’t believe Marsha is running again and doesn’t see the writing on the wall. She is the biggest “old school” politician left in the Evansville system… backroom dealings, power-egos, bully, out of touch with reality, no “common sense” logic to her policies… she’ll get waxed!

   • To hootowl: Not only is Marsha running but she is going to win in November in the General Election because she is a bright, hard working person who stands-up for what is best for Vanderburgh County.

     Marsha Abell, Joe Kiefer and Stephen Melcher are a good team that have been looking after the best interest of our County. We need to keep the team together and re-elect Marsha Abell.

     • Dear _MR._WAYNE_PARKE_,

       We have exciting news! Our records show that your name has been randomly selected to receive a cash prize!!! That’s right, _WAYNE_, you and three other WINNERS will receive a prize of up to $14,000,000!!!

       That’s right, _WAYNE_PARKE_, you have already WON this amazing cash prize!!! All you need to do to claim your prize is fill out our short survey and return the postage paid envelope. Don’t forget to affix the gold sticker to confirm your prize claim!

       BUT WAIT!!! THERE’S MORE!!!

       If your prize claim is postmarked by _JAN._11TH, you will also receive a complimentary swift kick in the ass! That’s right, _WAYNE_, a swift kick in the ass can be yours, along with your share of up to $14,000,000!!! But you must act now!!

       • To Brad Linzy:

         As I stated above:

         You are wrong. ONB is giving our Community $ 11.5 million for the Hotel project plus additional dollars for other items not to exceed a total of $14.0. All of this from ONB for the naming rights to the Centre. Thank you ONB.

         For whatever reason you are the one who is trying to mislead your readers. Why are you so negative about so many things?

         Thanks to ONB and the Commissioners and the Mayor, this is a win/win for everybody.

         • Show me where in that contract $11.5m is mentioned.

           I won’t hold my breath.

           The fact that you acknowledge the agreement only gives an arbitrary total of $14m, which cannot be EXCEEDED, while failing to provide any minimum investment or mention any $11.5m figure tells me you are in on this scam.

         • Brad Linzy says: “…..you are in on this scam”????? There is no scam! ONB is investing big money in this project thanks to the leadership of our County and City officials led by Marsha Abell and Mayor Winnecke and the faith ONB has in our great Community to grow and prosper.

         • In one post you call ONB’s check “A gift” in others you call it an “investment” which is it? BTW if its a gift people are going to be looking for the quid pro quo and if its and investment, investors generally want a return on their investment and stock investors want and deserve a very high ROI for the additional risk they take.

           Which is it?

           And will the money be in the bank by the 27th?

6. Has Mr. Parke violated the “code of ethics of the GOP” by endorsing candidates before the primary? Wonder how the State GOP feels about that?

   • This is principally the same thing he chastised Brenda Bergwitz for. His endorsement of Abell is tantamount to a refutation of her challenger.

     https://city-countyobserver.com/2013/08/28/republican-chairman-caught-on-tape-strong-arming-precinct-committeewoman/

     http://m.soundcloud.com/cco-mole/130828_0005-wav/s-u8Q4R

   • Ethics? Surely you jest. The civic center is full of people who cover both bets in case the other guy wins.

   • zenarcher says: Has Mr. Parke violated the “code of ethics of the GOP” by endorsing candidates before the primary? THE ANSWER IS NO! As Chairman, I can endorse or not endorse at anytime.

     When the choice is clear as to who is the best candidate that will look after the best interest of our Community, it is my job to be a leader and let voters know my beliefs and encourage them to vote.

     Thanks for asking.

     • Forget the fact that Wayne endorsed before waiting to see if a primary challenger emerged. According to Wayne, it wouldn’t matter if Mitt Romney himself wanted to move to Vanderburgh County and run for Abell’s seat, Wayne is adamant – when it comes to Marsha Abell and a field of unknown candidates which could include anyone up to and including Jesus Christ Himself, Abell is the “best choice”.

       I’ve been giving Wayne Parke the benefit of the doubt and asking that he quit playing dumb, but now I’m not so sure it’s an act.

7. Old Guard/Brad

   There isn’t a 25% stake in the Hotel, that would be a loan, and I’m fairly sure it wouldn’t pass regulatory muster or else they would have structured the deal that way in the first place. But you would be right to bring it up at the shareholders meeting.

   Brad I don’t see your POV on the $14M as a bargain for ONB at all. To me It sure just looks like Bob Jones just flushing $14M down the drain for some minor perks and advertising and me that is a real headscratcher.

   What angers me is the impression Bob Jones/ONB/Winnecke and the rest gave the City Council and Evansville/Vandy County residents that the $11.5M was “in the bag” in cash setting in some escrow account at ONB or whatever so the votes would be there.

   AND how about Marsh Abell just turning this cash right back over to the city?

   AND how is selling the naming rights to a PUBLIC building even LEGAL.

   AND how do the commissioners have legal right to just do whatever they want with the proceeds? What’s to prevent public officials from selling the “naming rights” to any public property and just giving the money to their themselves, to their supporters or whatever?

   This deal smells to high heaven and seems to cross several legal and ethical boundries.

   • Dude, but ONB is not technically on the hook for any of it. I think you misread me.

     • Ahhh Yeah I get that. It seems Mr. Jones has his *** in a big ringer. No check then no Hotel funding. No Hotel funding no credibility.

       The groundbreaking is scheduled for the 27th or something like that? Will the cash be in the bank be then? Either from the REIT or ONB? Or will it be a combo of both. Now wouldn’t that be interesting!!

       And IF NOT will they still go forward on the groundbreaking? They sure seem determined to give
       Hizzoner his photo op.

       Also could you please address your impression of the REIT funding. Because the honorable and good councilamn Friend assured me that no escrow account or irrevocable letter of credit would mean a
       NO VOTE.

       Were you not also under the impression that the $11.5M was cash in the bank on the day of the vote and if the City Council had known the funding wasn’t there that the hotel vote would have been quite the opposite?

8. I’m still having a hard time trying to comprehend why anyone would care what Wayne Parke thinks or has to say. Nearly everything he has ever said on here has either been debunked or unsubstantiated. He’s always going to just regurgitate whatever the power elitists want him to say so trying to get an honest answer out of him is pointless.

9. I recall that Parks advised his elected people not to take a stand on the Reorganization of Vanderburgh County. Could it be that he did not want to lose donations from the Chamber of Commerce? That leaves me to belive that they are power hungry and not concerned for the citizens of Vanderburgh County and maintain behind closed door policies. Their pot has holes in the bottom and crediability is not there.

   • That was on the survey sent out by CORE to all office holders to get their stand “on record” on the merger issue. That is what Parks told them “not” to respond to. That action could had help put the “2 to 1” nail in that coffin.

     • For the record,go to the “Core 2012” web site and find who respond with a yes/no answer and who did not. There was plenty of “gutless” Demo’s that joined Parke’s “marching order” bunch as well.

     • Armstrongres – the CORE2012 web site has been updated, and now carries the results of the survey you referred to. Ask your friends to review it. Thanks,

10. C&P 1-07-14 issue, page 7a, “county”

    Asked if he would endorse Ungetheim in a general election if he wins the May 6 primary, Parke said, ” I will have to wait and see to answer that question. Just because you’re a Republican doesn’t mean you’ll get my endorsement.”

11. Wayne fancies himself as a “King Maker”,–snicker,snicker,ha, ha,ha, hysterical!

Comments are closed.