Councilman Friend Accepts Position with Gail Riecken Campaign

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    Yesterday 5th Ward City Councilman John Friend, CPA has confirmed to the City County Observer that he will not seek another term as 5th Ward City Councilman. The prominent but sometimes out spoken Democrat is not retiring from local politics, though. He will be serving as Treasurer of State Representative Gail Riecken’s campaign for Mayor of Evansville.

    His skills as a CPA and past successful political fundraiser skills make him a welcome addition to the “Riecken For Mayor” campaign committee. Many well-known Democrats are hailing Mr. Friend’s decision to join the “Riecken for Mayor” campaign as a major step toward solidifying the level of party unity that they believe will sweep them to victory in November. Political insiders also consider Councilman Friends announcement to be a positive political bomb shell for the “Gail Riecken For Mayor” campaign.
    Mr. Friend has assured the City County Observer that he will continue to use his forensic accounting background to continue to monitor the City of Evansville deficit spending habits in his last year on City Council. He also will be working to pass an ordinance that will assure proper vetting of firms who receive public funding, in order to prevent more problems for the City of the kind that arose from failure to vet EarthCare and, more recently, the City and HCW failed Downtown Hotel project.
    In addition to that effort and fulfilling his City Council duties, he shall be undertaking the Herculean task of handling the finances of what promises to be one of the hardest-fought and historic Mayoral contests in this city will ever see. Political insiders in both parties have acknowledged that the Winnecke campaign has amassed an impressive political war chest, and it holds the fundraising advantage because of incumbency. Many Riecken supporters acknowledge that Mayoral candidate Gail Riecken Campaign Chairman, attorney Mike Woods and Councilman John Friend, CPA have their work cut out for them, but are optimistic about the prospects of them funding a winning campaign, based on initial reactions from both large and small donors.
    Mr. Friend stated “he is extremely pleased that he shall be in a key position to help raise campaign funds needed to help elected Evansville first female Mayor in the 200 plus year history of Evansville”.
    This is developing story and we shall bring any updates as they happen.
     
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    45 COMMENTS

    1. Mr. Friend has turned to ” The Dark Side ”

      🙂

      Run to Illinois together, Run Gail and John !!

      • Is that all you got. I’m damn proud of Gail and her team mates for doing everything in their power to stop the Stupid Union Busting Legislation. We already had the right to work before they passed the Union Busting Legislation. She did the right thing trying to stop that legislation from becoming law. And I hope that that law will be over turned or changed sooner rather than later.

        • Just wait and see what Winnie’s Party has in mind…the elimination of the prevailing wage provisions i.e. “the final nail in the Union’s coffin”… it is disguised as the “Self-Certification” and guess who will be fighting to see it’s defeat…you guessed it…Ms Gail….sure hope Mr. Green, Mr. Russell, and Mr. McNally will appreciate her devotion…kinda like the faithful wife keeping the fires burning at home and her husband is cheating on her…Please Gail, keep on fighting for what is RIGHT and do not allow Winnie’s Party to reduce working families to the classification of the working poor….

          • Keep on Gail, keep on riding on the backs of the poor and disabled. Keep on helping the unions send decent paying jobs to Mexico. Those poor Whirlpool workers lost their jobs, families and homes, but not the big union bosses and democrat politicians. Help the democrats and unions rob the people of Evansville. The CC vote for the water meter fiasco was 7-2 against, Jack showed up and talked to the CC and the vote changed to 9-0 for the waters meters. The original 2 votes for the water meters was Missy and Weaver, they were smarter than the rest, they knew the union fix was in.

        • Running to Urbana was not in her power. It was the kidnapping of our Constitution. I would have thought you to be one who supported the rule of law.

          • The constitutional lawyer speaks!!!

            Oh mighty IE, who knows all! We await your next Fatwa! Tell us all what to do next Oh might one!

            The same mighty IE who said judges couldn’t use the equal protections clause to uphold same sex marriage, only weeks before virtually every single judge cited to the equal protection clause to uphold gay marriage.

            The mighty sage and erudite IE who claimed there was no harm in our streets and public lands being littered with christian symbols of torture, that there was no harm in littering our courthouses and town squares with bronze age decrees and portraits of the baby Hesus and now we have muslims attempting to have calls to prayer at our schools and colleges and devil worshippers opening govt meeting wit prayers.

            The wise and scholarly IE who cites satirical sites as evidence for his case(s) because of his massive confirmation bias and lack of any skepticism on his part.

            The same mighty wonder who wants to hire or conscript millions of Americans to monitor the sex lives and pregnancies of all the women in the US.

            The clueless wonder speaks!

            • We will see if all those judges are right now that SCOTUS is taking the case; one would have to wonder if all those judges were right in their decision why the SCOTUS is taking up the case.

            • So Brains, our Constitution does not require legislators to for a quorum? I know, you don’t care. The great Brains has spoken. Whew, Brains called me a clueless wonder. Oh I’m so hurt.

              Your diatribe only serves to validate what I said.

      • Speaking of “The Dark Side” wonder how Sinister Schaefer’s newly established male only chapter of “Focus on the Chicks” is working out for him since he was forced to step down as the local leader of John Dobson’s “Focus on the Family” did not work out so well….heard that he has a new member…Mr. Weaver…

    2. A good move by Friend. He is probably weary of the thankless job that is the City Council. John knows where all the skeletons are buried . . . . many of which he would not reveal or investigate as a City Councilman. All of that will give him the chance to redeem himself in the eyes of the public, whilst helping Gail get elected !

      Bully, Friend !

      • “Other than their large war chest there is little reason to think they can prevail in anything resembling a fair fight.”

        +1! That’s the way I see it, in a nutshell.

        • More problems with this unfamiliar computer. That was meant for Bandana, but I agree with 10-4, too. This is a great step on John Friend’s part. Bravo!!

    3. Judging from the current administration’s stewardship of Evansville, it will indeed be a filthy campaign. If the Commodore is one of the last ones standing after it’s over, standing next to Mayor Riecken, it will be a sign the healing can begin.

      The Winnecke Mob has shown an ineptitude heretofore unseen. Other than their large war chest there is little reason to think they can prevail in anything resembling a fair fight. However, money being the mother’s milk of politics we shouldn’t take anything for granted. Don’t turn your backs on these people for a second, they do their dirtiest work when no one is looking.

    4. Gosh Almight! With both SBR and John off the city council, it will be most interesting to see who emerges as the direct leaking line from the council to the City County Observer for all those private emails, secret caucuses, and confidential meetings with the state auditors.

      But wait! If Gail wins, looks like Friend is setting himself up to be city controller. Pays more than council finance chair. And then he can be the CCO’s direct line into the new administration’s financial finagling. Wonder how long Gail will stand for that crap?

      • “looks like Friend is setting himself up to be city controller”. Bingo, exactly. Looking in and crunching real data and statistics daily that’s squarely the set up. Bad, good who knows? Your local political fielding “is” a readable data base. “now.” Work with it, that’s a simple advisory from those looking in. Develop the metro thought to advance your little spot towards the expectations of those who first dreamed them.

        That sometimes takes a slight kick in the tail. Your community still has it look for new thoughts and new primary candidates.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG-mLawoxrs

      • Evansville would be a lot better off with John Friend as City Controller than it is with Russ Lloyd in the position, but Friend has an apparently successful CPA firm. I can’t imagine that he would give that up for a city job, and I don’t think he could do both. I suppose he could sell the firm, with an eye toward retiring whenever he wants, but I’m doubtful about that.

        • I’m sure you remember when Walt Lowe was city controller and still managed to hold on to his extensive property management business.

        • Evansville would be better as Mayor, but Democrats don’t get to choose. Of course neither will Republicans.

      • Let’s see….Friend owns and is the President of a well known CPA firm and has interest in the Friend Financial Group….sure think his earnings are greater than $85,000 per year…why would Gail ever consider appointing someone who would give up an apparent successful CPA/Wealth Management practice which would demonstrate stupidity on the part of Friend and her lack of wisdom….IMHO….

    5. And John Friend solidifies Gail’s standing in the same old, same old local Democrat political non-inclusive power structure. Winnecke in a pant suit with a passport to Illinois. Or, maybe she’ll be boozing on the lake with her treasurer? Gail’s campaign isn’t even trying to fool the Evansville voters by acting independent.

      Surely there is a resident of Evansville willing to try to save it before it deteriorates to the point of being unsalvageable.

      Run, Cheryl, run!!!

    6. Good! Another puff of fresh air being breathed into the Evansville political system! Not. :-\

      It would be nice if somebody other than the same 15-20 families/folks would have a fighting chance at getting elected to something in this town. A ‘family tree’ for local politicians (including actual family ties, what offices they have been appointed to/elected to/run for, business affiliations, political affiliatons and boards, political friends and enemies, etc.) would make for fascinating reading…

    7. About a year ago John Friend led the councils charge to stop the hotel deal unless some changes were made. His praises were sung by LKB and her group. there was talk about him running for mayor and being the only one who could save the City. That lad could do no wrong. Fast forward a few months and things changed. I don’t remember what started it (Ms Riley maybe) but he turned into the most low down dog on the street. He was called John Nobodies Friend and was given no chance of being Mayor or being reelected council and was asked to leave town and live at the lake. Now that he has signed on with the Riecken team something tells me that LKB and her group will elevate him to hero status. Who said politics was fickle ?

      • You are absolutely wrong, as usual, Cowbozo. When Friend announced that he was considering running for mayor, I said clearly, without stuttering, that if Friend was the candidate we’d have a second term of the Poop. I never, ever said anything akin to the things you ascribe to me. Either you spoke from a very bad memory or you are an out-and-out liar, or both. I did respect some of the things he’s done on City Council, but I never made him out to be any sort of hero. He was doing what he was elected to do.
        My take on his motivation to not seek another term is that he is trying to make amends and unify the Democratic party. I do think he will do a good job as treasurer of Gail’s campaign, and wouldn’t be surprised to see him become Democratic County Chairman after Rep. Riecken wins the mayor’s race.

        • My post was on how fickle politics are. Hero one year, nobody the next. It’s heightened on a site like this where daily emotions rule the postings. I didn’t say all those statements were yours.

        • Sort of what you said. You said you would vote for Friend but not support him with your time or money.

          P

      • My Dear Cowbozo….as some may recall, the Poo spent over six months in so-called negotiations with the clowns from Branson starting at 38.5 million (actually 44 million, like always “The Poo” never gives us the rest of story) and after that long period the only thing that changed was the fact that the overall project went from $86,000,000 to $74,000,000 but “The Poo” still had the City in for $38.5 million (44 with the extras) and of course “The Poo” blows sunshine up the asses of labor convincing them that the City had the resources to build both the hotel and the IU Med…remember the “Build em Both” buttons…thank God that we had a finance chairman with the fortitude to stand up against “The Poo’s) onslaught and propaganda and of course as one of bloggers has coined him “Sinister Schaefer”…

      • Guess what was once said “A prophet is never honored in his home town”…. may stand true…

            • You should talk bovine youth. Deep ends? Youth, and swimming is a early childhood human trait. They’ve been teaching babies to swim for decades. The first in value on that stuff I know of was indeed at an Evansville pool. Those water babies were swimming at a pool adjacent too Boeke road near Washington avenue.

              Can’t recall the name of the place but a very young relative was swimming just fine under the guidance of some locally hired swimming interns from a local university or High school. Something you creep assed politicos throw too the dogs and , today can’t sport because your downtown pocket cronies revenue bleeding focus doesn’t allow the pool to even be open or sustain clean water for the swimming or the instruction, mind you “creep.” Deep ends, ok as of now a minor recalibration is laid in onto our overhead . What’s the new sectioned focus point? Take a guess.

              Asshole, we know you what else do you want sported?

    9. Mr. Friends knowledge of the “dark internet” may be useful to the Riecken campaign.

      • I vaguely remember something about Captain Friend and the dark internet. Does anyone have the information? V?

    10. During Friend’s tenure as chairman of the common council’s finance committee the financial ledgers of the city of Evansville were never reconciled.

      Therefor, he would seem to be the natural choice for treasurer of Gail Riecken’s upcoming campaign for mayor of Evansville. Tracking the money in/money out and cash flow should be a breeze for him. It all depends on which set of books you want to look at.

    11. Heck, dark energy is proven universal expansive. Of course we knew all those who are scientifically balanced today knew that. So yes, “everybody knows that.”
      Ions sometimes have respectable recovered indications. dark light is a relative projection supposed by those whom seek those relative scores, for something? If they’ve seen it its a past event.

      Those my fellow are the recovered past, verses the chaos and relative balanced change to come.

      And so, the locally recovered values from your area don’t mean nothing when based, or compared inside the realm of any percentage recovered for the actual balancing into the planets future recoveries, as what’s considered to be a possible livability rated geophysical location on planet earth, as of today. Its a progressive there.
      Stupid is as stupid does, and your politics there seem to mark that’s continued false perceptions. That machine is obsolete. We have the crapola scored, so you cannot touch the truth.
      With your current political bents you are failing everyone who you strain a pennies value from,. That’s planet applied standards. Period. They don’t deserve the screw down you live with. Defend it, show the citizen revenue base where all they’re work becomes relative to their progress as a unit. You can’t, science is truth, and you’re BS just won’t fly anymore.
      Go on , concoct a response. Where ever it comes from, we’ll score its faux smoke home start point.. So.

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