IS IT TRUE that 4th ward City Councilwoman Connie Robinson was never contacted by DMD Director Phil Hooper to get her input concerning the Downtown Historical  matching grant to help fund the fancy street lights campaign? …we are hearing that Mr. Hooper has also taken on himself to award project loan/grants to assist select business in the Arts District to renovate or expand? …we were told that we would be surprised to learn what rational approach Mr. Hooper used to award  select Arts District business renovation loan/grant money?  …once again DMD Director Phil Hooper didn’t consult the 4th ward City Councilwoman Connie Robinson to get her input?
IS IT TRUE we hear that  the Evansville Redevelopment Commission (ERC) loaned a large amount of  taxpayers money to individuals and businesses to develop downtown condos and loft apartments are now in default?  … we predict once this information is made public it will cause a political fire storm?  …President Ronald Reagan had it right when he said that “government shouldn’t do for people what they should do for themselves”
IS IT TRUE that cronyism and protectionism is making headlines across America due to the fact that many states including Indiana have laws on the books that prevent automobile manufacturers from selling their products directly to customers?…the reason this is making front page news is because Tesla, the California based electric car company is using the same business model as Apple has with their iPhones and bypassing dealers so the company can make a higher profit AND so consumers can pay a lower price?…why on earth any state legislature would put protections in place to force consumers to pay thousands of dollars of markups to DEALERS as opposed to buying directly from the manufacturers at DEALER PRICES is just mind boggling?…Indiana, Texas, New Jersey, Arizona, and New York have made news recently as states that have laws to force an extra layer of middlemen onto the unsuspecting public?…Texas and Arizona are in a particular controversy because they are trying very hard to attract the Tesla Gigafactory to produce lithium batteries to their states?…how the economic development professionals from any state that prevents Tesla from selling direct to the public according to their business plan can sit in a room with a straight face and tell them “we want your factory but you can’t put a store here” is simply psychotic?…these states can forget about getting this factory?…the home of Tesla’s headquarters is California where a multitude of Tesla stores are already established?…California may have some silly laws that blunt progress but banning direct sales of automobiles is not one of them?…the prediction of this writer is that the Tesla battery factory will end up either in the Coachella Valley or Imperial County or both?
IS IT TRUE that Indiana takes this crony protectionists nonsense to a new level in a completely unrelated business?…unknown to many, in the State of Indiana beer and spirits must be sold through a distributor?…that liquor stores and grocery stores that sell alcoholic beverages are prevented by law from buying these products from a manufacturer?…to put this into a common man’s perspective, the State of Indiana is adding about $1 to every six pack of beer at the cash register from every darn one of us?…the same goes for wine and spirits?…we who enjoy such products are paying up to 25% more because our state legislature has granted a license to create profits out of thin air to an entire level of middlemen?…this is not in the best interest of the people of this state and our elected officials should have the sense to know it?…the CCO usually gives grief to local politicians for lining the pockets of their donors through overpriced construction projects?…if you compare that to the consumer dollars taken away by these crony laws written on behalf of distributors of alcohol and cars, the local graft is minimal?
IS IT TRUE while we are at it, Hoosiers should be able to buy alcohol and cars on Sunday like the rest of the civilized world?…the dark ages laws in place to prevent us from doing so only serve to send Hoosiers to another state to make these purchases and to pay taxes to the other states to do so?…sometimes it truly seems as though our elected officials are intellectually bouncing around down in the Gump zone?…you local officials got a reprieve today but there is a meeting of the City Council next week and an audit pending so enjoy your weekends, the fireworks in your drawers will start again on Monday?
