IS IT TRUE APRIL 21, 2017

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IS IT TRUE that during 2015 some of the elected officials in Albuquerque, New Mexico got a bee in their bonnet to propose an downtown arena to replace the perfectly good arena called The Pit where the University of New Mexico plays basketball? …the capacity of The Pit is 15,411 for basketball and 13,480 for concerts? …one of the assertions made by some of the council members who wanted a new arena bad is that The Pit is too small to ever get the good big concerts and that if they would build an arena with a capacity of over 20,000 for concerts that big bands like Rush and Metallica would sign up to play Albuquerque?

IS IT TRUE except for the claim that 13,480 was too small to attract the big bands the folks in Albuquerque were pulling the same hollow claims that the former Mayor of Evansville and his minions were claiming back in 2006 when they were cramming the new arena down people’s throats? …the Evansville arena folks said if the roof trusses were stronger that the big bands would come to Evansville even though the Ford Center will have less capacity than Roberts Stadium did? …to hear the Albuquerque group claim that they need a new arena for the big acts because 13,480 is too small sort of makes the Evansville arenaholics look like either liars or fools?

IS IT TRUE we will leave it up to our readers to decide if it is a scarlet letter of a liar or a dunce cap that is appropriate for the people that promoted building a new arena here in Evansville?

IS IT TRUE Louisville has proved that a 20,000+ seat arena in a metro area of over 1 million will draw the big acts?…what Albuquerque needs to decide is if it is worth $300 Million to see a couple of big acts per year?…in 2016 the project was put on hold by some people smarter that the cram down artists of Evansville?…there is still a posse that is pushing the same old line about new arena equaling big acts just like the did in Evansville?…it is a crony capitalist’s fantasy to have political leaders who have no sense of how to manage money?

IS IT TRUE we will leave it up to our readers to decide if it is a scarlet letter of a liar or a dunce cap that is appropriate for the people promoted building a new arena here in Evansville?

IS IT TRUE CCO poster called Meter Maid posted the following posts we felt worth repeating?   …he posted the following comments:

IS IT TRUE the balance sheet of City states that the City’s assets”. On January 1, 2011, the aggregate capital assets of Evansville as reported by the State Board of Accounts was $1,343,000,000 and as reported January 1, 2017 the aggregate total was $1,575,000,000 as increase of $232,000,000?

IS IT TRUE it looks like Mayor Winnecke increases our debt/lease obligations by $348,000,000 while only increase our assets base by $232,000,000. Question: what happened to the differences between the net increases of debt/lease and the corresponding increase in assets a mere $116,000,000.

 

IS IT TRUE we can’t wait for City Council Financial Chairman Dan McGinn (R) to give us an accurate breakdown concerning the status of financial condition of the City of Evansville during the upcoming budget hearings?  …we hope Mr. McGinn will be ready to defend the budget figures he presents to City Council because several financial experts will be there to verify them?

Todays “Readers Poll” question is a repeat from earlier this week that we felt worth reposting.  The question is; Do you feel that the City Council Finance Chairman Dan McGinn needs to sit the record straight concerning the true financial status of the City?

 

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15 COMMENTS

  1. @Meter Maid: what ? $ 116,000,000 in missing funds over a 6 year period ? That is less than $ 20 Million missing per year. The City Council and the SBOA are to be commended for keeping those City financial people in check !

  2. Is it true that if the people elected to run your city are incapable of recognizing a snake oil salesman when they meet one, that the city treasury will always be short of funds?

    It appears as if the same team of snake oil salesmen went all over the country selling these arenas. Of course you don’t sell the burger, you sell the sizzle, which in the case of arenas is…..your present one is not big enough or modern enough to attract top flight entertainers. Just think who great it will be when you build this new arena entertainers are vying to book a date to perform there.

    It seems like a profitable enterprise to me. Sight locations might even be picked by the likelihood of getting the local politicians to play ball with you. I can imagine some of those “salesmen” at home now counting their money. While you and I are forced to face the reality of increased taxation in order to keep the doors open on these new arenas.

    • Speaking of snake oil salesmen, you never hear any mention of the mayor’s $200,000.00 gift to Mr. Haney of Earthcare. I guess that has all been swept under the huge rug where all these deals will never see daylight again. It is a shame no one will step up and make these people accountable for their actions, but that is the norm for our fine city and the leadership.

      • He took the money and ran to Texas where he started a private air service. I hope he hires pilots who have enough sense not to show up for a flight blitzed, as he did.

  3. “arenaholics” Love it. But I am sure these “arenaholics” just curl their lips and hiss at the moniker.

  5. Hey now, there’s nothing wrong with the Ford Center. Other than it was built in the wrong location, too small, and with inadequate parking. But it’s right across the street from that 3rd floor corner office suite in the Civic Center and is the cornerstone for explosive growth in downtown Evansville. What could be wro g with that concept?

    • Yes, just ask the former owners of The Main Gate bar & grill. Two City Councilmen acting on insider information to set down a footprint first get their backsides handed to them . . .I hear it is a Korean restaurant now ?

  6. Maybe some of that “explosive growth” could be used to blast a hole thru the civic center to re-open and connect the two Main streets.

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