IS IT TRUE? February 19, 2011
IS IT TRUE that City County Observer Mole #3 has predicted for over a year now that lame duck Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel would not be making a run for either a 3rd term as Mayor or for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Indiana?…that the next career step for Mayor Weinzapfel may just be a position as a lobbyist in either Indianapolis or Washington D. C.?…that the 32 candidates who have put themselves forward to fill 10 elected positions will assume the collective leadership role for the City of Evansville on January 1, 2012?…that the problems that they will face are already legion?
IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer is pleased with the fact that VenuWorks has announced the intention to hire 25 full time workers and up to 300 part timers to service the new Evansville Arena?…that SMG has 32 full time employees in Evansville right now and employs and equivalent number of part timers to do the day to day things needed to manage events?…that we encourage VenuWorks to give much consideration to any SMG employees who may be let go as they have valuable knowledge of local markets and sponsorship opportunities?…that we hope that although the process was suspect that the transition will be smooth and that Evansville prospers as a result of opening the new Arena?
IS IT TRUE that moving 25 or 32 or even 300 jobs from one location within the City of Evansville to another location WILL NOT CREATE ONE JOB?…that the only way for any public official to claim credit for permanent job creation as a result of building the new Arena is to find a use way to use Roberts Stadium in a way that retains many of the jobs that are already depending on its events?…that if and we must say if some senior elected official like a Mayor finds and supports extending the life of Roberts Stadium that then and only then should that person be able to publicly congratulate themselves on creating a single permanent job by building a new Arena?
IS IT TRUE that the 11 elected offices that are up for grabs this year in the City of Evansville elections have drawn the interests of 32 candidates?…that the range of candidates run from high school grads to doctors, from rich to poor, and from populist charismatics to recluses?…that this is what a government of the people is all about?…that Evansville has never seen such a menagerie of people seeking elected office?…that most of these people have a chance?…that for the first time in perhaps 50 or more years Evansville, Indiana has a chance of having a balanced local government?…that good public policy emerges when different philosophies are forced to think together?…that maybe just maybe the groupthink that has paralyzed Evansville will go away forever and a true participative government will lead us to a level not seen since the early 1950’s from a national relevance perspective?
