Open Forum March 17, 2015

43

Would you be so kind to tell us how you feel we can improve the CITY COUNTY OBSERVER.

The best 3 ideas will receive two (2) free tickets each for car washes at LUCUS OIL.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

43 COMMENTS

  1. Set goals
    For example: affect financial accountability in local governance – get a certain street repaved or as small as – getting a certain streetlight fixed.

    Take steps toward goal
    For example: broaden our scope by gathering evidence and offering solutions/suggestions to the right people/agencies that can take action.

    Utilize available talent
    For example: there are many who frequent these pages who are bright motivated and capable of getting things done … with a little leadership – encouragement – organisation – and support. Perhaps they have useful friends – connections – time – ideas or other resources.

    Keep in mind that we can build up this community without tearing anything/anyone down. Goodness/rightness has a momentum of its’ own. We will never accomplish anything until we get past the notion that “it can’t be done.”
    Evansville’s True Watchdog needs focus … that’s all. …

  2. IMO, expanding the CCO to take on investigative reporting. Organize groups of taxpayers to research a topic, go to the City Controller’s office as a group vs. an army of one; have the groups compile the data, and then CCO can report it. Most importantly, report when the City won’t divulge public information.

    Let’s face it: the City won’t disclose things (the first McGladrey report; the first State Board audit for 2012; the appraisals for real estate purchases on 4th Street) ; C & P will do absolutely nothing; and even our elected officials (City Council) look the other way on huge matters (State Board whitewash). This is a huge VOID which CCO, by getting organized and recruiting people who care, can make a remarkable difference.

  3. My suggestion might be similar to Bubba’s.
    First, there are no magic bullets, or three magic bullets. Asking for magic bullets screams to me that you have no vision for the CCO. You need a vision and a purpose for the CCO. Who/what is the CCO, who/what do you want to be? A good question is “What are you doing that if you quit doing it someone else would need to do it?” Once you know who you are you can set goals, action steps, to become who you want to be.

    You’re the “true watch dog?” Watch dogs only protect what is. Why not become an agent of change? Be a clearing house for those know the inside shenanigans of the city but also for those who have a vision. Find those who are city changers and become the place where they can safely express their ideas. Use your this resource bring us together for positive action. You have a resource of lot of talent posting on your forums.

    Things began slipping for the CCO when it became giddy for Gail. You can’t be objective when you’re to close to one side.

    Learn the power of asking “so what?” Wayne Parkes endorses Mosby and Weaver. Alex Button put out yard signs? So what? I already know about Wayne and yard signs tell me nothing about Alex.

    If by chance I shared anything worthy of a car wash, I am sorry you didn’t receive better suggestion, but I don’t need a car wash. Donate it to a charity.

  4. Make this site the new newspaper. Squash the courier and press and give us a reason to never open those biased pages again. I would love to read the news how it really is; good, bad or indifferent. I’m always looking here to get the edge and stay informed. Thank you.

  5. 1. The Publisher of the City County Observer is Ron Cosby.

    2. The former Editor of the City County Observer was Joseph Wallace.

    ****************
    How about the Publisher provide the name of the Editor of the City County Observer now?

    ****************

    Will Editor or Publisher please comment on this?

    • I have met Joe, Ron, & probably the new editor [s] and it really doesn’t bother me what their name is. It may weaken their effectiveness in how they do their job. The terrible accounting process of the city and county bother me much more. The water/ sewer dept. are even worse, nobody other than the ones “borrowing” the money
      has any idea how much and where it goes.

      • See, that’s the thing.

        Why is such a routine thing (“Our Editor is…..” ) not being done here?

        What is going on?

        It reinforces the perception of instability at the City County Observer.

        Maybe that’s not the case.

        Publisher is not providing some needed clarity. If it is currently unfilled, then say that.

          • ….it matters.

            The City County Observer site will not be taken seriously without it.

            It is a routine matter in all of journalism and news analysis (unless you are posting in the comments section)…but the content comes from and/or under the supervision of an Editor and Publisher.

            The number of viewers and posters engaged with the CCO is under serious decline.

            This lack of clarity is why.

          • SHEM:

            There was a time in the early years of this country when men, who would later be recognized as intellectual giants, bantered their ideas back and forth in the local press under pen names. They did so because they understood that it was the idea, not the name of its author, that was of primary importance.

            Why do you worry so much that some anonymous writer might have an agenda? I fail to make a distinction between such anonymous posters with agendas, and the very public posters, editors, and reporters with agendas.

            At some point you need to get past your phobia of trading ideas with an individual who’s name you may or may not ever know, and realize that that the true value exists in the ideas the person presents, or the information they bring to the discussion.

          • PRESSANYKEY,

            What you are talking about with those comments (turning the CCO into anonymous commentary) means changing the business model of the City County Observer.

            And that’s ok…if that’s the strategy.

            But if the City County Observer intends to maintain it’s hard-earned position as a credible and authoritative news and journalism source…..and an ostensibly unbiased news analysis source …..supported by local Evansville advertisers and readers…

            then it will have to meet some minimum standards of professional journalism.

            That means there is a name on the masthead for The Publisher and a name on the masthead for The Editor. Is this going to be a professional outfit or not?

            The City County Observer WILL fail………..FAST………unless some minimum professional standards are met. There is no authority and leadership for the City County Observer without a leader.

            The CCO is a valued institution. But if this anonymous/hacker type of business-model-commentary persists….any integrity is frittered away near instantly.

          • SHEM:

            You would have a difficult time convincing me, by the totality of your previous posts, that you are concerned about the welfare of the CCO.

            Where did anyone suggest: ” (turning the CCO into anonymous commentary)”? This is your invention. Currently there is a mix of posters who use actual and pen names. If this is such a bone of contention with you, why do you post under a pen name?

          • PRESSANYKEY, the distinction you are talking about is between the Publication – The City County Observer….and it’s readers. Of course readers deserve anonymity. But the Editor of the Publication? To do so means this is no longer a news, analysis and information site. It’s just unprofessional. It’s silly to think the Editor will remain anonymous.

            The City County Observer successfully established an authoritative, credible media position in the Evansville community under an established Editor’s leadership – Joe Wallace. To think the CCO suddenly abandons and fritters away that success to pursue a clandestine, anonymous editorial strategy is pure folly.

            Comments are dramatically down (and I am reasonably guessing unique page views) because there is an enormous vacuum in leadership at the CCO right now. This idea the Editor is anonymous? It’s unsustainable.

            The CCO seems to be spiraling out of control….the Publisher has to bring some clarity to The Editor’s position.

            Your other point that I’m suddenly interested in the welfare of the CCO? I like the CCO. You can tell cause I post here. But you’re confusing my often having critical disagreements with Editor as wishing the CCO to fail. That’s not the case, and the distinction is easy.

        • It does not project instability. It’s the safe thing to do. Would you also have all the people in the US Marshals Protective Custom be names as well? I don’t think so.

          Would you unmask the Lone Ranger, or Batman? I would not think that would be a good thing to do. They were much more effective with their identity hidden.

          Why do you think that Phillip Davis always makes a big deal out of knowing who everyone is in the CCO? Why do you think the CCO was hacked? Why do you think that the CCO publisher was harassed at his home according to what he posted a while back. The only names that should be published is the cowards that attacked the CCO and would do It again.

          • Well moveon, your comment is pure paranoia. (And that comment excuses no harassment.)

            We are talking about an Evansville institution intended to report and analyze the news as a media/journalism site that depends on advertising support right?

            Every news and journalism media website I know of has a masthead that puts forth the publisher, editor and reporters providing the reader the news. Moveon, you seem to think the CCO is something else, I guess (and you are not the Publisher, I get that…you’re just a CCO poster).

            The continued lack of clarity on this issue is killing this website.

            There is no authority and leadership for the City County Observer without a leader.

            The CCO is a valued institution. I hope the Publisher’s clarity is forthcoming.

          • The CCO is something else. It’s not our local paper who’s tied to the Mayor like a tick on a dog. The CCO needs to expose any and all corruption going on in the city or county. Like the 29 million dollars that had to be plugged into the budget. And I noticed in your second reply to me that you failed to even mention the harassment going on with the CCO. The hacking event and the personal threats that were announced. In that announcement a few weeks back it stated that the Sheriff was involved. I hope you don’t think that the Sheriff is also paranoid? Calling someone paranoid when they are not and are only suggesting caution in the face of what’s been going on tells me a lot about someone’s character.

          • moveon, indeed I did mention the harassment…….”pure paranoia. (And that comment excuses no harassment.)”

    • So that more people can harass the editors at their home? Is that want you really want Shem? I don’t think that is a good idea at all. No one needs to know who’s who in order to give out information from the Moles as to what is going on inside city hall. That is the one thing that drew me to the CCO. The EC&P is either paid off or not interested in telling the general public what’s going on inside city hall IMHO. They went after SBR for doing her job of protecting the tax payers money by exposing what the State Auditors did behind closed doors. White washing should not be allowed but it happened right before our eyes and we were powerless to do anything about it. 29 Million dollar mistakes are not even noticed and just ignored.

      I don’t need a car wash so that’s not going to motive me and I doubt it would motivate many others. Saving the tax payers money and seeing the right things done for the city is what motivates me.

    • CAN WE STIPULATE SOMETHING? :

      The CCO earned a strong position in the Evansville media market…….. the hard way……under Joe Wallace’s leadership as Editor.

      Is that just gonna be pissed away?

      I STILL hope the Publisher’s clarity is forthcoming.

      • Over my years, I have found that so many of us feel that individuals are irreplaceable….nobody is irreplaceable…less than two weeks after the death of a person the deceased is rarely remembered….the exit of any qualified individual maybe a temp situation but the inconvenience is short lived…just like baseball there is alway another great pitcher in the wings!

      • No POV. It wasn’t rhetorical.

        That guy made this thing with Ron Cosby’s support.

        Whatever’s going on here at the CCO……it’s not good Publisher staying mum and going leaderless.

  8. Off topic as well, but has anyone been to the new restaurant “Toast” at the Helfrich golf course clubhouse? It’s supposed to serve Polish food and on weekends they have bands (Polka?) to 3:00 am. Too bad Mesker Amphitheater isn’t open for lack of basic repair. Dinner at Toast followed by an outdoor concert would be a fun evening.

  9. I wouldn’t change a thing about this site and I sure wouldn’t give names out so those folks could be harassed by the nut jobs that don’t like what they read on the CCO. If those who don’t like the way this site is ran let them start their own website with their own money and run it the way they want too. Everyone can’t be pleased and the newspapers comment section was a great example. From what I have seen of this website I think those who are in charge are doing a fine job. I find it a very interesting place to visit.

  11. Mr. Editor,
    I would really like an in-depth investigation of where we are in the CSO mess. Is there a deal between Evansville and the EPA so that work can start? And if so what is the final bill going to be to the taxpayer? If no deal is yet present who is working on it and how much longer do they expect to keep insulting the EPA by stalling. The longer this goes on the more expensive it becomes. Evansville needs to suck it up and accept responsibility. Then get to work!!

    • Martha, From what i have read, although the deal isn’t final, some of the work has been going on quite awhile. If you drove along the Lloyd and southeast last summer and fall your nose would have told you sewer work was going on. The CCO isn’t the the source for details on matters like this. It is here to comment on the matters. You should subscribe to the local paper. Who knows you might even help save a local job.

      • Don’t listen to Cowboy and please don’t subscribe to the paper. Cowboy has stated this several times which makes me think that he has an affiliation with the newspaper. Maybe the job he wants us to save is his?

        And every time I drive by the Sewage Treatment plant and smell that god awful smell on Riverside Drive it’s not because they are doing some new work on the CSO. That’s just how the treatment plant smells all the time. It’s been smelling like that as far back as I can remember. And there was an official report from the EEPA to the Mayor concerning that smell in years past which was initiated by the EEPA at the request of the Mayor at the time.

        • I know this may be late for you to read but what do you think all those sewer pipes were doing laying along the Lloyd back to Weinbach ? Why do you think Weinbach was closed at the Lloyd for a long period. Any idea why so many streets were closed south of the Lloyd to the Covert- Pollack area and what was causing the sewer smell to be so strong in the area. If you come to E-ville from time to time you will know those things. If you can’t do that buy a paper. All those projects were covered in it.

      • Oh, yes the projects are going forth….the administration, according to reliable sources presented to the EPA an affordability study in the attempts to lessen the overall cost of the CSO resolution but the administration excluded the county ratepayers in the mix…of course they earn far more in the county then in the city and the administration thought the EPA would miss this vital point. This PO’ed the EPA and now they are on the warpath. This 540 million dollar presentation will not play in Peoria so be prepared for the annie to greatly increase….of course it has been virtually months since anybody heard what is the situation but this is no surprise with an administration with such a non-transparency record as this one!!!

Comments are closed.