IS IT TRUE? August 17, 2011 Special Evening Edition

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IS IT TRUE? August 17, 2011 Special Evening Edition

IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer is proud to have been the first to report that the Ford Motor Company has acquired the rights to name the Evansville Arena?…that this was a good day for downtown Evansville and that the price of $420,000 per year ended up being about 20% higher than what outside estimates had thought it would be?…that having a national brand as the sponsor probably contributed to that premium?…that having the D-Patrick dealership right next door helped as well?…that the non-descript name chosen of Ford Center will be simple to remember and will provided worldwide recognition?

IS IT TRUE that the arena in Oklahoma City was called the Ford Center from 2002 – 2010 when it enticed the NBA’s Seattle Supersonics to town to become the Oklahoma City Thunder?…that it is reported that the cost to build the 18,203 seat arena was $109 Million in 2011 dollars?…that this works out to a construction budget of $5,988 per seat?…that the new Ford Center in Evansville has 10,000 seats for basketball but is projected to cost $127 Million or $12,700 per seat?…that we wonder just how on earth that the City of Evansville could manage to spend more than double the amount per seat than an arena that attracted an NBA franchise did?…that to be exact that the cost of the new Ford Center is 112% higher per seat than the now Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City?…that we are getting accustomed to expensive shenanigans from the Weinzapfel Administration that is known for spending $200,000 on houses that sell for $100,000, $240,000 on apartments that are only worth $20,000 on the open market, green brick alleys, and now an arena that could have been NBA quality for half the price?…that we like the idea of a new arena but are completely shocked by the price per seat as compared to the former Ford Center in Oklahoma City?

IS IT TRUE that the $109 Million arena in Oklahoma City receives a minimum of $3 Million per year for the next 12 years for the naming rights from Chesapeake Energy?…that it seems as though the dollars spent on construction per seat does not correlate to the amount that can be gotten for naming rights?

IS IT TRUE that Kristi Risk announced her candidacy for Congress today at Oaklyn library?…that she is planning to challenge Congressman Bucshon in the Republican primary of 2012, and accused him of giving President Obama “everything he wants”?…that she blamed, in part, the Vanderburgh County Republican Party for her loss, saying that they “refused” to let her “do anything” in the way of events?…that there were about 45 people in attendance and that they were mostly supporters of her last campaign?…that the media representation was one radio station?…that the national campaign for 2012 must have jumpstarted some local ambitions and that we are about to be treated to a 14 month campaign for congress?…that it has to start sometime and that today had just as well be the day?

IS IT TRUE that one of the comments posted in the CCO today has suggested that the editor of the City County Observer should commit suicide and even went so far as to suggest that a bus should be the weapon of choice to do the deed?…that we were thinking of the “David” just the other day when we posted the following paragraph and quote?

IS IT TRUE that the author of Gulliver’s Travels, Jonathan Swift has a very famous quote attributed to him regarding the recognition of people who are considered to be geniuses?…that this quote follows and is particularly relevant in this modern day when our political leaders or even their surrogates in the press seek to oppress those who speak out against them?

“When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign: that the dunces are all in confederacy against him.”
— Jonathan Swift

IS IT TRUE that Mr. Wallace has no intention whatsoever of committing suicide by bus and that the City County Observer won’t even violate our boy “David’s” first amendment rights by removing the post as has been known to happen on other comment sections when they wish to suppress certain content?

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

32 COMMENTS

  1. Your “moles” should all be fired or dismissed from their respective positions for leaking confidential information. I’m sorry – posting leaks is not “reporting”. I won’t suggest suicide for you Joe Wallace – but you are not helping Evansville by your actions.

    • Do you like your Homestead Tax Credit?

      Do you like the fact that the Director of DMD is now paid in an honest manner?

      Did you like learning that there are no little league fields in the country that cost $2 Million each?

      Did you think that the $3,079 Christmas dinner was okay?

      Are you glad that the bidders for the downtown hotel are being vetted by an outside firm finally?

      Do you like knowing the status of the McCurdy Hotel?

      Are you glad that the candidates for Mayor are aware of the problems with the upkeep of our parks?

      I could go on and on with things that were first reported here that have resulted in an improved Evansville. Today’s announcement was really just about marketing and games. It really did not matter whether the people of Evansville learned of Ford at 10 am or 1 pm. In the big picture it really does not matter. The other things above matter allot.

      Without moles, leaks, and the courage to post such things, you would not have a Homestead Tax Credit and those other things would still be someone’s dirty little secrets.

      • Your actions on this story were petty because you were not included in news releases…when you post articles citing “moles” as sources – why are you shocked that you are left off the Mayor’s news releases?

        Are you willing to reveal your moles to the Mayor if he were to ask?

        (And for the record – I am not in any way shape or form associated with the Civic Center.)

        I am sure you could go on & on about your “accomplishments” – but in my personal opinion you have a personal ax to grind with local politicians.

        Grind away – you have your string of followers on here. But Jim Jones had a string of followers as well – and look how well things turned out for all of them.

        • Breaking a news story that has had a year of anticipation is not petty, it is good investigative reporting. We were not precluded contractually by an embargo agreement from breaking it so we did. End of story. The Courier would have done the same if they were not part of the propaganda machine being controlled by the City Administration.

          I will not reveal our moles to any politician and the Courier, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, et al will not either. Would the Washington Post have handed the names of their informants over to Nixon? Not a chance. A free press is only free when politics does not determine the flow of the news.

          We have an ax grind with poor public policy. Political entities controlling the press through intimidation and embargo contracts is a first amendment violation. That is poor public policy. To the extent that this sort of behavior continues we will always have an ax to grind.

          Jim Jones was a politician. Better be careful who you follow and whose Kool-Aid you drink. You can choose the side of transparency and truth or you can choose the side of manipulation. Choose wisely my friend. Wouldn’t it have been great if Toyota or some other local entity would have been approached about naming the arena? Toyota has created many good local jobs. Wouldn’t you agree?

          • …we’re not friends…and I think folks would have fussed one way or the other no matter what the arena is named.

          • Rwtrax….

            Actually that isn’t true, the kool aid part anyway.

            “Given that reasoning, Jones and several members argued that the group should commit “revolutionary suicide” by drinking cyanide-laced grape flavored Flavor-Aid along with a sedative.”

            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Jones

        • Just based on the fact you say you are not “in any way shape or form associated with the Civic Center” screams that you are…why so bitter?

  2. Keep up your great investigative reporting and FOIA requests! Wile it may on occasion displease our City adminitration and their toadies like the bumbling ERC, the CCO provides an invaluable service to the community and taxpayers.

    • Agreed! 100%, Wallace and crew are making a dent in the old boy network, every post here makes the hair on the back of their necks raise and their blood pressure go off the charts, you can tell by the trolls showing up and posting that the CCO is making a difference.

      What’s that saying about the truth setting you free? 🙂

  3. Keep it up CCO!

    Dont listen to the jackass comments coming straight from the mayors office.

  4. Was the release of the arena’s name embargoed in a press release? Was such a media announcement sent to this site? If it was not, then any pronouncement of the arena’s name was not a transgression. Did it steal a bit of the Mayor’s thunder? Perhaps, but then one must recall the items listed above by the editor to realize that NEWS is called as such for a reason. I say you scooped it — well done.

    • We were not provided with the press release and were therefore not subject to any embargo. We never get any press releases from Mayor Weinzapfel’s office. We indeed did scoop everyone’s butt on this and are pleased to have done so.

      We have been told that the Mayor was literally beside himself over having his “Thunder” scooped. It was by his own deed that this happened. We have requested multiple times to be included on press releases from the Mayor’s office and we had just as well be talking to the dog. Audra Levy was quite professional and always sent us press releases. Since her departure we have gotten nothing through the official channel.

      If the Mayor would recognize us and send us press releases then he may embargo them and we will abide by the embargo. Until he does we shall continue to rely on our Mole Nation for information that the office of the Mayor of Evansville should be providing and will not be subject to any embargo.

      • How embarassing for the Mayor’s office — more so that they didn’t follow the number one rule of journalism for official annoucements – -something even a college intern would have known. It’s pretty obvious that office, perhaps even the Mayor himself, reads this site. Leaving it off the ‘distribution list’ in an effort to censor media is shameful and frankly, in this day and age, utterly stupid.

        • Stupid? you bet, and nothing new there, just what we have come to expect out of this Administration, the Worst in our city’s history.

  5. The Ford Center in Oklahoma City was completed in 2002, at a cost of $89 million.

    Ford Center was renovated in 2008 at a cost of $121.6 million.

    If you do the math and factor in 2011 dollars, you will find the cost per seat to be quite similar.

  7. Well done!! The ” JON” has been, and will continue to be, and embarassment to Evansvile!! When all of the dust settles, and that may take years, we will find out that, as I have posted on C&P, many times- The O’Daniel TRUST will reap the benefits!!! Look for the Bassemeir parking garage SOON!! LOL

  8. This is why the real Ford Center was built much cheaper…

    1. It was built bare bones just to get a facility up and running to attract the NBA. Once the NBA came they have now gone back and added restaurants, club seats, and a practice facility that had to be scaled back. The bathroom I went in there before the renovation was much worse than Roberts Stadiums. That has now been corrected.

    2. It was a part of their MAPS program therefore the projects were bidded as a package and there was ZERO debt to pay off due to the fact that the temporary (7 years) 1% sales tax was collected before ground could be broken.

    3. The city already acquired the land for the Cox Center next door.

    OKC also got a 1 mile canal for 20 million and a AAA ballpark for $32 million. Their MAPS program generated $52 million in interest revenue. So they got 2 facilities for free.

  9. Pardon my ignorance,but,is Joe Wallace the founder of this site?
    If that’s the case, then, kudos Mr. Wallace.
    Also, thanks a lot for creating a huge “time dump” for me.
    I guess it’s like blaming a liquor store owner for drunkenness but it’s just so much fun to see the powers that be quiver.

    I like the fact that I can’t really tell the bias of this site.
    I see Democrat ads but sense a Republican sentiment in content.
    Am I alone in this?

    Could it be that the site is just “pro-sense”?
    I’m thinking it is.

    In any case, I think the site is a winner and wish I’d thought of it.
    Maybe I could steal all the ideas and try to set it up in some other town.

    Man,you know, my first goal would be P’Oing some idiot off enough to complain about me in my competitor’s outlet.

    Baby, that’s success !

  10. Really? You’re a joke. That idiot mayor is a crook and the rest of media in this town is a joke. Thank God I’m out of here by the end of the year.

    • well …. good riddance. And make sure you sanitize the area stained by your bad attitide.

  12. Shine a Light and the King John Groupies scatter like Roaches,
    and complain, –it hurts their “image”,and that the Truth is, they are just plain ole’ dumb bugs, and I believe them.

  13. There was better than a good chance that all of this arena contention could have been avoided if the mayor had made any effort to take the public into his confidence. To his discredit, he did not choose that path and the public is not happy about that.

    Since we have been told many times in this forum by the mayor’s supporters that what is done is done, and now we must make the best of it, I wonder if we can also finally agree that Evansville and Vanderburgh county have reached the saturation point on publicly owned entertainment facilities?

    Regarding these facilities, the next several administration need only concern themselves with finding ways to make these facilities self supporting.

    The focus should shift from shiny new buildings to resurrecting the city’s crumbling infrastructure and an all out search for JOBS!

    __

  14. Nice job Joe..isn’t it fun to piss people in the pursuit of journalism? I have been targeted by similar bashings and I love it…it’s not your job to make everyone happy..in fact my motto is :If you don’t make a few people mad along the way you aren’t doing your job.
    Well done sir.

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