IS IT TRUE? February 1, 2011

IS IT TRUE that candidate for Vanderburgh County Auditor, Maura Robinson has corrected her campaign finance disclosure statement to reflect that she indeed received a $250 contribution from the Weinzapfel for Mayor Committee?…that now all of the discrepancies have been corrected and all of the checks and balances for local 2010 campaigns are in order?

IS IT TRUE that the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau is in the news again and that a new board of directors has been seated…that Steve Schaefer of the Chamber of Commerce was elected to be the president of the new board?…that Mr. Schaefer is known to be an honest and high energy man who works tirelessly for every mission he is given?…that he was welcomed to his first day on this volunteer job with yet another scandal involving the giving of gift cards to board members and employees during the Christmas season?…that this alleged practice has been going on for several years?…that both Mike Roeder and Kristin Tucker have returned the gift cards that they were given?

IS IT TRUE that there are also allegations that Christmas dinners are not the only extravagant spending soirees that the previous board of directors indulged themselves in?…that it is alleged that on several occasions bar bills al local establishments where the “beautiful people” gather have been the sites of some gatherings where the bar tab was nearly $800?…that Mr. Schaefer and the new board of directors needs to do their investigation, make full public disclosure, and put this entire chapter of excessive behavior behind this much needed entity?

IS IT TRUE that in today’s world that “you are what you Google”?…that right now when a candidate for the position of Executive Director of the ECVB that this job does not look like an attractive place to be?…that the country’s perception of Evansville based on the past year’s antics at the CVB do not make us look very good?…that Mr. Schaefer, his board, his acting Executive Director have a big job ahead of them to sanitize this perception?…that the City County Observer is supportive of the efforts of this agency and has confidence that given time, Mr. Schaefer will find a way to accomplish this task?

IS IT TRUE that the 5th Ward race for the Democratic nomination for Evansville City Council may just be having another hat thrown into the ring?…that a somewhat well known is considering making a run for this nomination and will let their intentions be known next week?…that this person is in favor of a comprehensive smokefree workplace ordinance?…that a door-to-door survey in the 5th Ward showed that 80% of the people who were surveyed support a comprehensive smokefree workplace ordinance for the City of Evansville?…that if the 5th Ward member of the Evansville City Council would have voted as his constituents wanted him to last March that Evansville would have a smokefree workplace ordinance now?…that the only discussion would be making it comprehensive?…that the 5th Ward is not the only Ward where the people of Evansville favor a comprehensive smokefree workplace ordinance?…that every vote against constituent wishes on this issue will have to be addressed over and over again by any incumbent that hopes to retain a seat on Council?

IS IT TRUE that Mayor Weinzapfel or some very skilled writer working on his behalf burned some serious midnight oil last weekend crafting a six page explanation about how VenueWorks came to be recommended to run the new Evansville Arena?…that this six page manifesto was quite critical of the performance of SMG?…that it even went so far as to disapprove of whomever SMG (a private entity) wanted to place in Evansville to do the general management?…that the Centre is owned and managed by the Vanderburgh County Commissioners?…that the Centre is still a state of the art venue and needs excellent management?…that in the event that SMG decides that the opportunities to manage non Arena venues is not large enough to meddle with, that once again the Centre and Vanderburgh County will suffer as a result of decisions coming from the City of Evansville?…that there was not one elected official representing the County Commissioners or the County Council appointed to the Advisory Committee by Mayor Weinzapfel?…that as the elected body responsible for the Centre that the County Commissioners should have been represented on this Advisory Committee?…that this sort of behavior on the part of the City of Evansville toward Vanderburgh County does not bode well for any unified government effort?

IS IT TRUE that it has now been 1,362 days since the announcement was made on May 14, 2007 that the McCurdy Hotel was to be refurbished into luxury apartments?…that it has now been 1,216 days since the Evansville Redevelopment Commission at the request of Mayor Weinzapfel approved the spending of $603,000 to purchase the parking lot?…that City Centre Properties and Scott Kosene the developers of the McCurdy project are both listed as contributors to the Weinzapfel for Mayor committee for 2010?

IS IT TRUE that there are now 648 days remaining in the two years that the EPA had given the City of Evansville to present an acceptable solution to the Combined Sewer Overflow problem?…..that this plan is an expensive and complex endeavor that needs immediate attention to avoid the embarrassment and expense of another round of fines?