IS IT TRUE APRIL 14, 2016

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IS IT TRUE when the Regional Cities Initiative Grant project was originated five (5) local entities (Posey County, Gibson County, Warrick County, Vanderburgh County, and the City of Evansville) signed a mutual agreement document  with the State by each of the above legislative bodies?

IS IT TRUE four of the five local governmental entities (Posey County, Gibson County, Warrick County, and the City of Evansville) were included in the final plan and will receive $42 million dollars for their proposed projects from the State?  …Its alleged the citizens of the rural part of Vanderburgh County will get zero (0) dollars form the Regional Cities Initiative Grant project?

IS IT TRUE its alleged during the development stages of the Regional Cities Initiative Grant project no one from Vanderburgh County Commission were ever invited to a meeting or contacted by the committee to contribute in the Grant application process?

IS IT TRUE  its alleged when Governor Pence came to the Tri-Cities Airport a couple of months ago to tout his Regional Cities Initiative Grant program no one from Vanderburgh County Commission was invited to the his press conference?

IS IT TRUE when Governor Pence came to the Tri-State to sign the Regional Cities Initiative Grant bill last month, no one from Vanderburgh County Commission were invited to the signing ceremony?

IS IT TRUE we encourage members of the corporate media to interview the President of the Vanderburgh County Commission to see if information in the above posts are accurate?

IS IT TRUE  DMD Director Kelley Coures has found another million dollars languishing in the City coffers?… he has found a couple million dollars over the last year or so?

IS IT TRUE  the City had to borrow  millions of dollars from the Tropicana rent advance and the Water and Sewer fund to make ends meet, but none of the “leftovers” that Kelley Coures keeps finding can be used to repay any of that debt?

IS IT TRUE  in the private sector , employees who were party to misplacing millions of dollars would have been fired?… we wonder why the same employees who overlooked the DMD State and Federal funds over the last several years are still handling money for that Department?

IS IT TRUE  wonder it DMD has had an audit or balanced their books in recent years?  …we also wonder if City Controller Russ Lloyd Jr ever took a look at the financial activities of DMD?  …if so,  they would had discovered the $2 plus unexpected million surplus find years ago?

IS IT TRUE at Monday night Council meeting 1st Ward City Councilman and Budget Chairman Dan McGinn assures us that everything is ok with City finances?  ,,, its alleged when McGinn was Mesker Park Zoo Director and the Amazonia project manager the project cost over-runs were around $300,000  plus?  …its alleged Zoo Director McGinn assured then Mayor Weinzapfel that everything was ok with the Amazonia project budget?  …Its alleged Zoo Director McGinn also estimated that the Amazonia project will put the Zoo in the black because people will flock to view this exhibit?  …its common knowledge the Zoo is losing about $900,000 a year? … we would like to remind City Council Finance Chairman Dan McGinn everything isn’t ok with city finances?

FOOTNOTE: todays “Readers Poll” question was: Do you feel members of the Vanderburgh County Commission should had been included in the planning of the Regional Cities Initiative Grant project?

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30 COMMENTS

  1. Poll should have an “I don’t care” option. There will always be rich white people fighting over taxpayer money. It’s becoming harder to care which ones get it.

    • (…it’s becoming comical reading your posts Bob. Incredibly hard work by you to make sure all of your comments are cliches instead of analysis or argument.)

  2. In 2007 Southwest Indiana received a $5.3 Million federal grant to accomplish some of these same kinds of goals. What were the outcomes associated with the spending of that $5.3 Million? Were there any outcomes at all other than $5.3 Million taxpayer dollars vanishing?

    • Is this a question for cynicism objectives? Or is there an actual question here – i.e., who was it awarded to, and which body was responsible for investing those funds? (Provide some direction here Joe…I mean is it the Economic Development Coalition of SW Indiana?….or whom?)

  3. I live in the county and I wonder if Winnecke is trying to do something similar to what he did with the Homestead Tax Exemption. I don’t see how he ever got elected to another office after that fiasco.

  4. I don’t know what anybody else thinks, but I think this new money is just more BS getting spread around by the big shots for the big shots. They promise the rest of us that this time it will be a big deal for the city, but it never is.

  5. Generally speaking, the outcomes of local government spending on projects of several million dollars or more have resulted in the construction of new buildings, ball fields, bike paths, and the purchasing of real estate for the wrecking ball. The majority of the kleptocracy takes place at the behest of the statutory arm of the local Chamber called the “Evansville Redevelopment Commission”. The associated continuation of debt for each individual project has never been given the consideration it deserves before these projects are launched, and as a consequence the city’s debt just keeps piling up. The Ford Center is a prime example, but the others are no less important, especially when taken in aggregate.

    If you are a card carrying member of the local establishment, life has been good. Your business and your bank account has prospered.

    If you are working for wages things are not so good. Major employers have left the city and workers are treading water or actually losing ground nowadays. To make things worse, local government is shifting more and more to the income tax to pay for their spending. In fact, there seems to be no interest in the city’s bond issues anymore UNLESS they backstop the debt with the local income tax.

    More spending is on the table with the med center and its associated housing and parking, and gambling is set to storm the shores, and you can just bet taxpayers will have to fork over for that move too.

    If this were the United States Treasury they would just print more money, but alas, this is Evansville Indiana, so another way of repaying debt must be found, for we all know the spending MUST continue, right?

      • Sure about that Classy? Fun to read, perhaps. Useful? No. Red meat comments for bony dogs? Yes, of course.
        Press’ comments appeal to the guy who doesn’t start a business, have his personal assets at risk over the success or failure of his business, doesn’t have to worry and work hard off the clock weeknights and weekends to make sure he can actually pay decent wages to his people and be profitable…..Press’ comments appeal to the guy who just wants to show up, do his job, be paid a lot…and go home and never have to worry about the health, success or failure of the business. “If you are working for wages, not so good.” That’s what Press contributed today….whoopee. Like I said…..red meat for bony dogs.

        • There is a picture of the Coliseum, apparently celebrating its 100th year on the CCO but no text when you click. I have some never before seen pictures of the joint taken in 1996. I thought it was going to let me post a couple of them, it acted like it was, but no.

          I’m not really hijacking your comment as a vehicle to put up one of them. Don, can you see why this picture is relevant?

          http://s26.postimg.org/62fdeolbt/BDog.jpg

          • Bandana:

            I remember seeing Itzhak Perlman perform there with the EPO when I was much younger than now. He took a white handkerchief from his pocket and placed it over his chin rest before starting the piece. Funny, the visuals that stick in one’s mind, like how many limos were waiting outside after the performance. Times change, people change, and the good music is ageless.

          • Press,
            You saw one of the best down there. I used to play the violin and I had seen others do that before, so… when was pretty young I put a handkerchief on my chin rest once and the instructor sort of laughed and told me I didn’t need it because I didn’t sweat. (He mentioned the joke about there being no spit valve on a violin). There were also no limos waiting for me when I was done. Nowhere to hide, 1st violin, right by the edge of the stage but I was no budding Itzhak. I stopped playing when I started getting older, before it did any permanant damage, but when I got rid of my albums several years ago I noticed I had quite a few by Scarlet Rivera and Jean-Luc Ponty.

            The guy who let me in to take pictures of that building, I think around 20 years ago, really loved it. I think he managed it. You could tell it was in good hands.

            Here’s another shot of the Coliseum from the bunch I took.
            http://s26.postimg.org/wxktfucxl/Coliseum1.jpg

          • Bandana

            Not maintaining the organ meant losing a real treasure. Those things are so rare. What a pity.

          • Bandana

            You are right per Wikipedia:

            In 1919 a 4,000 pipe concert organ was installed as a memorial to Prof. Milton Z. Tinker, for years supervisor of music in the local public schools. At the time of its installation it was among the largest municipal pipe organs in the world. In 2013, the University of Evansville purchased the pipe organ, dismantled it, and put it into storage. The University hopes to restore it to full operating condition sometime in the future.

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

            UE would be the most logical place for the second installation of the organ, owing to the fact that UE has a music program. I am sure the restoration would be demanding, after having watched a documentary of a restoration of one of the largest, if not the largest one ever installed in this country, I gained an appreciation for just what all is involved in one of those projects. Perhaps UE’s Engineering program could help out with the details of the restoration. Off the top of my head, I can not think what building one would put it in out there at the present.

          • This reminds me so much of the same situation with Mesker Amphitheater, which was second only to the Hollywood Bowl amphitheater, when it was opened here in Evansville.
            It to is in dire need of some TLC.

          • Press, great information and comments. The demise of Mesker Amphitheater is a tragic community loss that seems to be ignored.

  8. In regards to the Zoo that facility is costing the taxpayers’ of Evansville over $3,800,000 per year of which nearly $1,000,000 is associated with the Amazonian. Then Lisa Acobert, the city controller repeatedly requested from McGinn the maintenance budget for the Amazonian and never received any number only that the revenues would be a multiple of the cost. Mayor Wienzapfel was right in asking for his resignation as the Zoo Director. He failed us then and he will fail us now as the chief financial guy on the Council.

    • So, McGinn says everything is okie-dokie. If anyone has the oportunity to review the 2015 Annual Financial Report the General Fund indicates a balance nearly 6 million. The State Board of Accounts says that the beginning GF balance was negative by nearly 6 million. So, are we to believe that Winnecke and Company, Inc. ran a surplus of 12 million. Well the Annual Report discloses that Inc. took the Tropicana Advanced Revenues of 12.5 million and diverted those funds from the Riverboat to the General Fund without an authorization from City Council and in addition, Inc also failed to properly transfer nearly 4 million from the Gen Fund to pay hospital bills just like inc did in 2014 and like 2014 raided the Utility Dept of 1.4 million and increased the liabilities to the vendors from 2.3 million to 6.1 million within a 24 month period. So, with all of this said, the General Fund is actually in the NEGATIVE BY $12,000,000. My advise to Mr. McGinn is stay off the sauce and clear your mind.

  9. Well Ms Meter maybe McGinn needs to dawn his oxygen mask when he exceeds an altitude above 12,500 feet which he is most of the time. And of course having our brain trust a/k/a Ms Yellow Bird at the helm makes us feels so financially secure.

  10. Why would anybody be surprised that the Vanderburgh County Commissioner were denied participation to those meetings. Winnecke needs all of the money he can get his grubby hands on. He has project for his cronies and has very little time.

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