MUST READ IS IT TRUE October 15, 2014

1. We’ve been LIED to?

   • MEDIA MANIPULATION in full bloom over on C&P.

     Article: “ERC former member said to have violated release conditions before trial”.

     Reference is to Jay Carter, who did an admirable job as an ERC Rubber Stamp during the construction of the Fraud Center.

     This story is up without a ‘PayWall’, so when the machine wants to streamroll one its now former toadies, the C&P gladly opens up the smear for all to see !

     C&P is a disgusting and corrupt organization, should be forced to close its doors, IMO.

   • That’s an sustained process there.

2. I have been consistently amazed at how the CCO always gets the real and true stories that are going on with the mayor’s office that the rest of the mainstream media NEVER finds out about. But then again, I wonder how long it will be til Copy & Paste will be on this 4% property tax increase now that it’s already on the CCO.

   This is a good find and I sure hope this is brought back up this time next year. How many property tax blunders does one get before the decision needs to be made to find a different person for mayor?

   On the Ford Center issue, it’s not the Ford Center that was a lie. Rather it was the planning for the Ford Center that was a lie. Very few, if any, realize there’s a difference there. Many people, both advocates and opponents, think you can just slap facilities like these anywhere and the results will be the same across the board. That’s not true. Many also think the private sector alone is capable of planning for the development surrounding these type of facilities. That is incorrect as well. And many think arenas are a one size fits all. It didn’t take but a handful of years for that notion to be proven a myth as well.

   The Ford Center has done what it was designed to do given its design constraints. The decisions to move UE basketball downtown, to construct the facility on what will soon be a boxed in lot, to build only 9,480 seats, and to incorporate ZERO surrounding development into the surrounding area can not nor should it be blamed on the Ford Center. The Ford Center can still be a success, but it would take a lot of money and gutsy political moves to change its course. I have no faith in that happening.

3. Lies ? No big Deal, the public was “fed” a $29MILLION Dollar “Whopper” (2011 Audit) without any indigestion complaints from the Taxpayers.
   Lies are the Mother’s milk of Evansville’s Politicians.

   • Crash, + 1

     John Friend did not pursue the changed 2012 audit opinion, or the $ 29 Million plug into the opening balances to even allow that year to be audited. That spoke volumes about Mr. Friend’s credibility.

     But is this monthly cash deficiency just now sneaking up on Mr. Friend ? If the City is bleeding $ 445,000 a month, why was last year’s budget not cut ? How about 2013 budget ?

     Oh, I get it: the Council hasn’t received any financial information during the 2 years in which the bank recs weren’t even attempted. Blame this on that pesky MUNIS software implementation, and lets move on down the road.

     Ethel Merman believes “Everything’s Coming Up Roses”.

   • Yep. But that was a “big deal”.

4. And again, when will somebody on the council step up and ask Winnecke why he thinks it’s a good idea to spend $1.5 million mostly on nothing but building a road from Division Street to the back lot of Roberts that HE JUST RIPPED UP? I’m at a complete loss as to why anyone would think that belongs in a budget that needs at least $11 mil in cuts (Should be more. Would it really hurt for this city to operate on a surplus with the leftover funds stored away drawing interest?).

   I have yet to see anyone call Winnecke out on this in the past 12 months. I find that to be nothing but strange and odd to say the least. It’s about time this city started asking some tough questions (like the CCO just did) about how and why city hall is spending money on various boondoggles with its budget.

   This is reason numero uno as to why a lot of these departments should be zeroed out and minimized until we get a mayor who is capable of supporting projects that will actually do some good for the city and is capable of funding them debt free ala MAPS in OKC. This city can build, it can address all of its problems, and it can do it debt free. It just has needs a new leader who is capable of doing the right thing by adjusting the way the city finances its projects. There’s a time to tax and there’s a time to cut. Neither is being done here.

   It is completely unacceptable to spend $8 mil + on a phantom park instead of the reinstated proposal from 2007 to construct a park at 4th and John that would bring back the Wabash & Erie Canal, reinvigorate downtown, and spur growth around it. Likewise, it is incomprehensible for the Parks Dept, Wesselman Woods, and even the Zoo not to be taking sharp cuts when animal control is euthanizing animals due to lack of facility space. And that’s before you even dive into the sewer issue which I blame on those who contributed to urban sprawl more than I do anyone else.

   Too many future opportunities and problems to address to be a prisoner of the moment and waste valuable dollars on things that are a complete waste.

   • 3rd paragraph, ” a time to tax, a time to cut”.

     “Turn, Turn, Turn” by The Byrds

     • A time to be born/a time to die;

       A time to plant/a time to reap;

       A time to kill/ a time to heal;

       A time to laugh/a time to weep;

   • I completely agree that the expenditure for Roberts Park is unacceptable, but that’s where we stop agreeing. A park at 4th and John is ridiculous. Parks don’t spur growth, jobs do that. They don’t reinvigorate cities, either. That is done by commerce created by a middle-class with adequate disposable income. There are not enough history buffs to make the park you want any more sensible than the one that the Mayor In Fact (MIF), Carol McClintock is trying to hold us up for.

     • There are plenty of people in support of the 07 plan that also happens to be in the 2001, and current, downtown master plan (what evidence do you have that people would not support this?)…

       http://www.tristatehomepage.com/story/d/story/man-hoping-to-resurrect-plan-for-gateway-into-down/16249/p2ji1DnQLkSrTmT6ZiAo_g

       I talked to Steven Wozniak about his group’s plan. They are just a few feet away from having a canal sized waterway that would attract the necessary surrounding development that would make this more than a park. I’ve already listed the many advantages this type of development would have over a traditional park, much less one that doesn’t exist as it is merely a renovation of Wesselman Park & putting back infrastructure that was literally just removed.

       • Also, until Jeffersonville gets their canal built, the closest is Indy who has built hotels, apartments, museums, and they even have parkland along it. My favorite park is the green space that has two beams from the World Trade Center on it. Here’s a few photos I took of this amazing development…

         https://www.facebook.com/jordan.baer1/media_set?set=a.10101241573503670.1073741831.12913772&type=3

         Outside of Indy, Richmond, OKC, Omaha, and the most famous San Antonio also have canals. The best canal in a city the size of Evansville is in Pueblo, Colorado.

   • ” This city can build, it can address all of its problems, and it can do it debt free. It just has needs a new leader who is capable of doing the right thing by adjusting the way the city finances its projects.” Well said.

5. When I worked on that Arena job, I was in charge of the scaffolding/shoring towers set up, that supported the pan forms that created the concourse level. Beings we had a tight, “artificial” time deadline, we had to almost work 7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day to meet that day so a “geriatric” rocker could play, and the local elected could thump their chest and say “look what I did” During this time, having the chance to talk to some of the upper management which were on other projects of this nature , I had asked them this question. ** Does building a new arena/stadium increase the traffic of bigger acts, ect, to come to Evansville as we are being promise? It was said that it will at first, but in “two years” there will be no difference then what you already have!**

   Could it be true that the aprox $14 million was used to offset the operating cost and the yearly bond payments to this arena?

   It is true that out in Armstrong township, the difference between the 2013-2014 property tax difference was this? Tax rate went down .0464%, assessed value up 6.1%, with the total tax liability owed up 2.1% from 2013.

   It is true that the biggest expense is “school district”? We can only blame ourselves for some of this by voting yes on the referendum that brought North High School out to the county.

   • Armstrongers, I like you, but when this arena was just a gleam in Weinzapfel’s eye people like me were harshly criticized for saying it was pay back to unions and asking who had pie on their fingers. Meetings were packed by your brothers to push this bad idea forward. The same with North High School. You have pie on your fingers and I consider you part of the problem. You profited nicely from bad ideas that is costing the rest of us and netted far more than the 2.1% in property tax increase you have to return. So yes, voters need to deal with this good old boy networks, but you union guys need to start thinking long term for benefits the community as a whole rather than short term what’s good for your trade. You guys have more power than most to affect positive change for Evansville. Still luv ya man. 🙂

     • I’ll tell you, nothing needs the skilled trades more than “resilient” infrastructure growth. The building has to be at a notch that’s leveled for the climate migrations already known to be on the way.

       Cheap doesn’t make that mark with that aspect, never will. We know people who not only work the skilled trades, they also manage legacy agricultural resources, as well.
       For the most part, both heads of the household and their dependents all contribute by historical values inset with modern living balances. Hell, they have too to make work.
       So, good well balanced growth evolves if one strives to maintain the available pathways that produce revenue viability.
       That’s the real difference held in a legacy land owner, verses a real estate troll.

       • Training is a good thing the unions do. But that’s not my point. Did we need an arena or did the local unions?

         • I would venture to say it is those people/businesses wanting new skyboxes! Roberts were said to be inadequate. Now they have their own level, there own wet bars. They do not need to rub elbows with us peasants anymore!

     • Dang IE, where did you get that “huge” paint brush that you used on me? No commercial business carry that wide of a brush! Must had been one of those furnished by one of those organizations you belong to!
       Why am I part of the problem? Because I belong to a union? That would be like me saying you, as a “business person” is part of the problem with Evansville. The company I work for 38 years, is a business, are they part of the problem? With that wide brush, anyone here since 1812 can be painted with being part of the problem. In 1962, Evansville had a huge 150th anniversary celebration with corporations and residents alike. 50 years later there was a cake for the kids, supposed to had plant some bi-centennial trees, and a bi-centennial park downtown which never got past the artist concept stage? What changed in those 50 years? Taxes changed for business and the higher income people.
       Back then, you reinvest into the companies which could be wrote off because of the high taxes on higher earnings, since then, it is to milk every cent out of a business because there is no repercussion on money made, as in the past. This concept has left us with the have, and have not’s. Corporations didn’t care about Evansville’s bi-centennial, and city leaders heads were to far up their butts over the merger take over of the rest of Vanderburgh county! These people are the problem, not the daily wage earners who are trying to support their family.

       If you knew who I was, you would had known that I never care for working beyond 8 hrs a day, 5 days a week. Your painted picture of my “profit” is elusive. Had I bought that $128,000 “lot” downtown and then resold it within months to the city for $450,000, would you say that profit was a business transaction and the was fair? Back to the “profit” of mine. I never really seen it. It all went toward my son’s college tuition so he had no debt when he graduated this past May.

       And lastly, I wish you could had “shadow” me on that job. Your concept of me would be entirely different. You would had never done what I did for those wages.

       Have a good evening!

       Sorry for late response. I’m retired, but was call back by my past employer to help for the day.

       • Armstrongers, I am self employed and belong to no organization. What I say are my thoughts and I call it as I see it.

         Most of the union people I know have a great work ethic and are skilled. I am talking about the arena being a payoff to the unions and that you have some of the pie on your fingers through your wages. Part of the good old boy network and cronyism in this town are the unions. Those “daily workers” packed meetings at the beckoning of the good old boys. I saw it at the city council meeting when the last minute rescue of the hotel deal by the mystical investors was revealed. It was packed with union workers protesting in the hall and the meeting. And yes, there are business persons with pie on their fingers also. I would tell them the same thing to an ONB employee.

         I hope what you take away from my comments is that guys like you need to demand better of your unions for the sake of all of us.

         You are one of my favorite posters and my comments are more directed at the principal of you complaining about something from which you drew a wage than anything personal. But I do have another thing for you to consider, if you are retired, then why are you taking a job away from one of your unretired brothers by working part time?

       • “it is to milk every cent out of a business because there is no repercussion on money made, as in the past” I am “assessed” a training fee every year, yet I don’t qualify to access for my employees. I recently sent an employee to register for a class at Ivy Tech for which I am footing the bill. We were told to register on-line at 12:01 AM because Berry Plastics takes all the spaces. Big schools, big business, big nothing for me. There is no motivation for me to grow a business here or stay here except that my business won’t fit in a suitcase.

         “And lastly, I wish you could had “shadow” me on that job. Your concept of me would be entirely different. You would had never done what I did for those wages.” I don’t doubt that at all, but were you at meetings supporting the arena?

         • IE

           I was never at any of the arena “support meetings”. I have no use of attending anything that the old Robert Stadium and Ford Center had/has to offer! I did attend a ice race show the other year with several of old MX racing buddies from 30 years ago, but done it reluctantly. My main entertainment is the likes of that 1/4 mile dirt race track north of I-64 on Hwy41. I was never in favor of building a new stadium/arena, but knew the elite were not happy with their current skyboxes as was likely the driving force for a new one. That “paint brush” of yours is like saying if one voted for candidates from both/each parties, one becomes guilty by association.

           That arena job was just that, a “job” my employer picked up. In those 38 years I had to wear several hats. I had to satisfy my employer, the customer, the architects, and lastly, the work force that did the work.

           As far as working that “one” day, it is allowed. Don’t care for it, but it was for a former customer in which we did quite a bit of work for over the years.

           Have a good day!

   • “We can only blame ourselves for some of this by voting yes on the referendum that brought North High School out to the county.”
     That was Monster governance fail, largesse, absolutely no visible conception of what the future held, or will evolve through today.
     The same issues today. Look into the total scheme of things with more detail before one casts a ballot there. Might be time for some citizen sponsored referendums with scientifically designed pathways. Actual METRO COMMERCE DEVELOPMENT through balanced government. That feed line to the zombie failures in the downtown Evansville has to be broken off sometime.
     Work the eastern I-69 corridor gateways, balance that for growth on the Warrick side throughput commerce. The plethora of infrastructure availabilities are better, those can move forward without so much scheme conceived phantom funding from the commercial zombie patch down Evansville’s main street. The way west to Posey needs access throughputs from north and south to the main frame pathways, That’s unbalance is unresponsive when the strategic need arises.
     One accident, on one pathway such as the Lloyd or Riverside , Diamond Northside, your throughput is garbage. Completely unacceptable to productively move commerce on the scales needed for balancing regional Metro growth, or, even viable emergency response needed in the climate migrations your going to see forward.

     “Balanced Regional Metro Development” based on commerce availability for business growth, using strategic infrastructure sustainability, through resilience driven logistical throughput.
     Our global analytics consortium doesn’t see that’s existed there for at least 55 years. Need to break that cycle, or go just down with your pockets inside out, panting.

     http://www.thefreedictionary.com/scheme

     • Just in CASE someone with National leadership prominence might check in here today, the I-69 Ohio river crossing should be imagined created and engineered for evolved strategically focused climate change migrations. Our global analytics #1 focus being resilient and focused for sustainability with that. That means a tunnel, not another bridge EXPOSURE.
       We gleaned the set-up comments the fourier & suppressed mainstream sported about quake preparedness, logistically balanced underground infrastructure is engineered all over planet earth today in active geophysical tectonic regions. The balance is designed with resilient flexibility by engineered standards, as applied. Tunnels are more balanced per event horizons than the majority of bridge structures in the same regions, however they by design are not exposed to the commonly approached climatic elements as a bridge.
       They do not attack visual value such as preservation areas or natural resources such as parks and productive surface features . No incursion balance to the river commerce either.
       A barge will not hit a tunnels pylon, nor obstruct its passage.
       having structured value due the Corps of Engineers properties in Warrick county with that’s eastern approachable to the I-69 gateway is the actual revenue valued pathway.
       Engineering the logistical advantage is not really a challenge by todays standards. Funding that is a Federal logistical transportation resilience for strategically balanced sustainable infrastructure into the future. Exactly what the national leaderships focus is relative to today. So, Tunnel before bridges and real jobs for effective regional revenue growth.
       How many bridges do you have crossing the Ohio river within 200 nautical stream miles?
       How many are exposed to the elements? How many are viable throughput during winter season storm events ? When one of those is taken away by a accident and lanes become clogged how’s the logistical commerce indicators value? What if, forbid there was a strategic national emergency that required strategic balance in response timing?

       Call Secretary Chuck Hagel, ask’um what he would prefer you build there to advance that.
       a tad. Never mind the call, read it.

       “The Department of Defense Must Plan for the National Security Implications of Climate Change”

       Secretary Chuck Hagel
       Secretary Chuck Hagel
       October 13, 2014
       11:30 AM EDT
       Share This Post
       The responsibility of the Department of Defense is the security of our country. That requires thinking ahead and planning for a wide range of contingencies.

       Among the future trends that will impact our national security is climate change. Rising global temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, climbing sea levels, and more extreme weather events will intensify the challenges of global instability, hunger, poverty, and conflict. They will likely lead to food and water shortages, pandemic disease, disputes over refugees and resources, and destruction by natural disasters in regions across the globe.

       In our defense strategy, we refer to climate change as a “threat multiplier” because it has the potential to exacerbate many of the challenges we are dealing with today – from infectious disease to terrorism. We are already beginning to see some of these impacts.

       A changing climate will have real impacts on our military and the way it executes its missions. The military could be called upon more often to support civil authorities, and provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in the face of more frequent and more intense natural disasters. Our coastal installations are vulnerable to rising sea levels and increased flooding, while droughts, wildfires, and more extreme temperatures could threaten many of our training activities. Our supply chains could be impacted, and we will need to ensure our critical equipment works under more extreme weather conditions. Weather has always affected military operations, and as the climate changes, the way we execute operations may be altered or constrained.

       While scientists are converging toward consensus on future climate projections, uncertainty remains. But this cannot be an excuse for delaying action. Every day, our military deals with global uncertainty. Our planners know that, as military strategist Carl von Clausewitz wrote, “all action must, to a certain extent, be planned in a mere twilight.”

       It is in this context that today I am releasing DoD’s Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap. Climate change is a long-term trend, but with wise planning and risk mitigation now, we can reduce adverse impacts downrange.

       Our first step in planning for these challenges is to identify the effects of climate change on the Department with tangible and specific metrics, using the best available science. We are almost done with a baseline survey to assess the vulnerability of our military’s more than 7,000 bases, installations, and other facilities. In places like the Hampton Roads region in Virginia, which houses the largest concentration of U.S. military sites in the world, we see recurrent flooding today, and we are beginning work to address a projected sea-level rise of 1.5 feet over the next 20 to 50 years.

       Drawing on these assessments, we are integrating climate change considerations into our plans, operations, and training across the Department so that we can manage associated risks. We are considering the impacts of climate change in our war games and defense planning scenarios, and are working with our Combatant Commands to address impacts in their areas of responsibility.

       At home, we are studying the implications of increased demand for our National Guard in the aftermath of extreme weather events. We are also assessing impacts on our global operations – for instance, how climate change may factor into our rebalance to the Asia-Pacific. Last year, I released the Department of Defense’s Arctic Strategy, which addresses the potential security implications of increased human activity in the Arctic – a consequence of rapidly melting sea ice.

       We are also collaborating with relevant partners on climate change challenges. Domestically, this means working across our federal and local agencies and institutions to develop a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach to a challenge that reaches across traditional portfolios and jurisdictions. Within the U.S. government, DoD stands ready to support other agencies that will take the lead in preparing for these challenges – such as the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

       We must also work with other nations to share tools for assessing and managing climate change impacts, and help build their capacity to respond. Climate change is a global problem. Its impacts do not respect national borders. No nation can deal with it alone. Today, I am meeting in Peru with Western Hemisphere defense ministers to discuss how we can work together to build joint capabilities to deal with these emerging threats.

       Politics or ideology must not get in the way of sound planning. Our armed forces must prepare for a future with a wide spectrum of possible threats, weighing risks and probabilities to ensure that we will continue to keep our country secure. By taking a proactive, flexible approach to assessment, analysis, and adaptation, the Defense Department will keep pace with a changing climate, minimize its impacts on our missions, and continue to protect our national security.

       Chuck Hagel is the U.S. Secretary of Defense.

       • Psst——–> Lane restrictions on the twin bridges ….”Navigation lights work” ….. restricted “throughput commerce”…..”busted down logistics”……. “bridges on navigable waters need navigation lights.” Tunnels need redundant interior lighting, as well.
         Those can be changed during operational hours by resilient modern LED design standards. “Cheap last long time” low voltage, low watt, focused more effective energy efficient lighting.
         No blockage, better logistical throughput timing even for the barges passing over the waters surface……unrestricted, no need for surface structure lights.

         http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Navigable+Waters

       • “That means a tunnel, not another bridge” Well you be sorry when a barge falls though it. 🙂 Bet your team didn’t think of that.

6. I’m wondering if the taxes on the abandoned properties that we are trying to demolish are a part of the projection of revenues the new pie-in-the-sky budget, and if so, how much that amounts to. It appears that a city that already has so many property tax delinquencies will only grow more of them as a result of the increased assessment. So, I believe that even the highway robbery that the rulers are going to commit will again have a shortfall in projected revenue. What is wrong with those people? What is wrong with US if we elect them again?

   • Unfortunately very few legitimate locals want to throw their hat in this cesspool we call politics. It is too toxic for most. Someone commented before signs mean nothing to elections. I disagree. The signs work as an old mind trick while driving to the polls for some. The local circles do not help by praising one good cover up so we forget the past. It even happens here on the CCO on occasion. I met a couple while working the polls that actually wrote down who they wanted to vote for. They did their homework and wanted to make sure they voted exactly how they wanted without drawing a blank or distraction. There were others that had canidates written down but this elderly couple had been keeping track and mentally scoring every one of them!

     • Who allows the political signs on the abandoned or empty zombie properties? This is A-typical BS, what ever you might define the to capitol letters as. Where ever one sees that they should place a ballot in accordance with the “vista”, given.
       vis-ta
       [vis-tuh]
       noun
       r/.1. a view or prospect, especially one seen through a long, narrow avenue or passage, as between rows of trees or houses.
       r/.2. such an avenue or passage, especially when formally planned.
       r/.3. a far-reaching mental view:
       “vistas of the future.”

7. The Ford Center is a joke. I’ve been told they can’t bring in acts because of Aces and Icemen, Roberts Stadium didn’t have that is why they have no room to bring in more acts. Meanwhile making a mockery of themselves saying they were going to bring in all these big acts. Aces used to pack Roberts Stadium when I was young. As for Scott Schnoike (sp) comment at the council meeting re who they should bring in and his reply was “who do you suggest?” Well buddy, that’s your job! Do it. I once backed Ford Center, but there is nothing there now to back.

8. Editor, agree completely that the Downtown Arena was grossly (grotesquely ?) oversold !

   There is significant fraud associated with the construction of that facility (the moniker ‘The Fraud Center’ is well deserved).

   But our irrelevant City Council punted about a year ago (November 2013) when they decided to go against the recommendation of its St. Louis forensic accounting firm and NOT do a full forensic audit re: the purchase of the Executive Inn property.

9. e Ford Center is a joke. I’ve been told they can’t bring in acts because of Aces and Icemen, Roberts Stadium didn’t have that is why they have no room to bring in more acts. Meanwhile making a mockery of themselves saying they were going to bring in all these big acts. Aces used to pack Roberts Stadium when I was young. As for Scott Schnoike (sp) comment at the council meeting re who they should bring in and his reply was “who do you suggest?” Well buddy, that’s your job! Do it. I once backed Ford Center, but there is nothing there now to back.

   • I think the man’s name is “Schonike”, but whatever the hell it is, he needs to be fired. The Ford Center is an embarrassment to the people of Evansville.

     • __ord center…………………..! Embarrassment, yep.

     • If He shows up, ask for this one first.

       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrDbBMWRuOU

   • Honestly, they can take Shonike or whatever, and his whole crew and go. The cigar guy is rude as they come as well. They have no intentions of bringing anyone in, and then they close during the summer? Just makes no sense. How is that making money?

10. I fear Mayor Weinzapfel’s spending disease put Evansville on life support and Mayor Winnecke is pulling the plug. As Democrat voters put both in office, they will have to make the funeral arrangements.

    Thankfuly, the disease hasn’t spread outside of the city limits, although there was an attempt to infect the whole county.

    • You must be one of the luck west siders that sucessfully fought annexation. Good for you.
      Myself, not so lucky. Annexed w/ 40% tax increase & more increases promised.

      • Entropic mass affect, predicable.

11. All this and politicians wonder why the young & educated are flocking to other cities. Those staying in EVV & living w/ mom & dad (they called them slackers in the 1950’s) will be the new norm. Not a solid foundation for Evansville’s future 🙁 . I hate to think what Evansville will look like in another 50 years unless we right the cart FAST.
    Every few months I consider selling out & moving 2 counties away.
    If there isn’t a major change in the next election with a viable candidate (not another puppet) that has a true agenda & vision to make positive improvements then I will pull the trigger-if home values aren’t in the toilet again.
    Said candidate can be from either party but thus far nobody comes to mind. They may be out there but thus far unwilling to take a public office. While I don’t blame them I wish some 30 something with bold ideas would step forward. They would be well received by the masses if their message is strong no matter their political affiliation.

    • Yeah, be nice if that balance from zombie infrastructure downtown old combined sewers didn’t end up in the surrounding drainage basin too. Pick that county with some discretionary balance to its sewer and water intake, or discharge. In the long run that’s cheaper upstream from anywhere leading to Vanderburgh once the stuff inters there, things get a little cloudy, so too speak.

      dis·cre·tion·ar·y
      dəˈskreSHəˌnerē/
      adjective
      available for use at the discretion of the user.
      “rules are inevitably less flexible than a discretionary policy”
      synonyms: optional, voluntary, at one’s discretion, elective
      “a discretionary service charge”

    • Our 50 year master plan. https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=HN.608005586604853162&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0

12. The spending disease, Evansbola, shows no sign of abating.

    Only solution to our budget woes: sell the City to ONB.

    “Old National Bank Events City”

    • Spending disease? “Disease abatements?” Being a town with the most worthless combined sewer infrastructure in its poorest older sections you might want keep that fun your poking at a real looming deadly disease pandemic to a strategically muted level.
      That’s not a location viable for progressive development. Yet.
      Not exactly a marketable asset by TODAYS standards and public health actionable causes. That’s a availability problem that stands, as is. That hotel isn’t going to fix that anymore than the __ord center did. Those additions will just increase utilities loading on the already failed whole unit sectioned balance.
      Building a entertainment venue on the worse utility infrastructure known per section, accompanied and complimented with the poorest logistical throughput for miles.

      Mega fail, compounding forward.

13. Here’s an idea. What about hiring some competent people in the Controller’s Office? They spend $2 million a year on consultants like Big Dan from Umbaugh and Harding. Another idea would be to get rid of the Utilities CFO. That position was created for a political hack and serves no real purpose!

    • Hans, let’s start a list of savings plans:

      1) Fire Big Dan from Umbaugh (or, keep Big Dan and fire Rusty Lloyd);

      2) Fire Jenny, Jenny from Utilities CFO position (a created position);

      3) Stop paying lawyers to review Public Records requests–just give the citizens the public records, sheesh !;

      4) Run the City on 4-10 hour days. Always closed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday;

      5) No off-duty gasoline for police cars paid for by taxpayers/ eliminate the ‘take home’ police car program entirely;

      6) No Health Insurance or Pension for part-time City Councilmen;

      7) No subsidy for operating losses of the Ford Center or The Centre. If they can’t turn an operating profit, as was promised, then just lock the doors until some operator can make it rain;

      8) Sell those valuable stadium seats stored under the stage at Mesker Ampitheater–we are to the point of selling off assets for liquidity;

      9) Pick one (and only one) organization to promote economic development, and hold them accountable. Fire all other entities who claim to be involved in economic development;

      10) Cancel the $ 20 Million public subsidy for Downtown Hotel, and let private industry build that hotel if it is viable;

      11) Many more areas–add your items here

14. EDITOR:

    On the subject of job creation and growing Evansville wages and salaries organically rather than through public policy…..There is an excellent column in the WSJ today discussing how technology is in the front seat of the “creative destruction” of American jobs….the sign of an advancing society for sure, but the changes have an enduring negative legacy. – job losses for humans at a marginal rate lower than the increasing productivity of the business. No doubt, Editor is aware this creative destruction, and while I am not advocating technology is in any way bad…this is a big problem.

    Here is an excerpt:

    “It is well known that median household incomes are lower today than they were 15 years ago. But declining labor-force participation explains only a portion of this drop. Since 2000, corrected for inflation, the weekly earnings of full-time wage and salary workers at the median have declined slightly. And remarkably, average hourly wages adjusted for inflation are lower than they were 40 years ago.”

    And to help explain why ALL formerly strong American manufacturing cities (not just Evansville) are struggling:

    “Although opportunities are increasing for professional and high-skill technical workers, many mid-skill workers are being displaced and forced down the ladder to compete with low-skill workers, who are already a glut on the domestic and global market. This helps explain why labor’s share of national income has declined since the 1980s, not only in the U.S., but throughout the developed world.”

    And more:
    “The digital revolution, Mr. Avent concludes, is “opening up a great divide between a skilled and wealthy few and the rest of society.” This poses a political challenge for governments throughout the developed world. If they get it right, Mr. Avent says, they will be able to “channel technological change in ways that broadly benefit society.” If they get it wrong, they could be “under attack from both angry underemployed workers and resentful rich taxpayers,” generating a “bitter and more confrontational politics.”

    It is a terrific article. It has specific ideas on how to deal with it too…so it is not just complaining. Here it is:

    http://online.wsj.com/articles/william-galston-countering-techs-damaging-effect-on-jobs-1413328435?tesla=y&mg=reno64-wsj

    • I saw it and have written things with similar conclusions. Thanks for posting. My first encounter with this was a book called “The Work of Nations” by Robert Reich back in the early 90’s. Reich was quite the prophet of how the labor force has broken into silos since 2000. I even wrote about the book in a past IS IT TRUE.

    • “If they get it wrong, they could be “under attack from both angry underemployed workers and resentful rich taxpayers,” generating a “bitter and more confrontational politics.” That certainly explains the dpvide we see, but politics seems to thrive in that chasm.

      • Sounds like the occupy movement to me.

    • A little off topic, but have you seen that the sermon notes containing references to homosexuality or a discrimination bill of some Huston ministers have been subpoenaed? Told you that this is what marriage equality would morph into.

15. Reagan voodoo trickle down econ has failed before and it will fail again.

    • Obama’s magic debt bean isn’t going to grow a magic bean stalk to giant riches in the sky.

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