IS IT TRUE AUGUST 17, 2015

1. Speaking of “pork barrel spending”, don’t overlook the DOWNTOWN med school, which could have been sited elsewhere in this area saving Evansville taxpayers up to $60,000, 000 ( plus a boatload of interest) while the city reaped the same benefits.

   • The problem is that the current Mayor has no interest in parts of the city outside of the Dead Zone. Most Republicans are all for private enterprise handling big projects, such as the hotel and Med School, but not Winnie. He has cronies and donors to look out for, and to do that he has to be the one handling the finances. Besides, he needs to increase his own property values.
     Building the Med School downtown is the worst decision ever made in this city. It belongs on our “Medical Mile.”

2. Is it true that the North Main bike path fiasco will exhaust Evansville’s bonding capacity? Would Jacobsville benefit more from jobs and safe, affordable housing or bike paths? Is it true they probably can’t attract both without using some bonding ability? Is it true that the bike shop on North Main that stirred all of the ado about bike paths has quietly gone out of business?

   • There have been many millions of dollars spent on residential projects in the Jacobsville area. It still looks like a post apocalyptic war zone. What is the long term plan and what is it going to cost to finish the job? I would guess the total tab to make that area desirable would rival the Billion Dollar Sewers for a money spender.

     • All I’m saying here is that if my figures are correct, the lame bike lanes will preclude any spending on incentives for things that would make life a little better in the area. I think absolutely NOTHING needs to be done to further reduce our bonding capacity unless it has far greater impact on the quality of life here than freaking bike paths and beautification of one strip of one street.
       Call me a dreamer, but I think if we can find someone to start a manufacturing business here that has the potential of creating 150 or so living wage jobs, we should be prepared to entice them to do it.

       • 150 manufacturing jobs would do much more than the project that is proposed will. Of course there is no guarantee that $15 Million would interest any manufacturer in Evansville. Between the highest electrical power in the state, the looming water rate tripling, and a history of poor labor relations, Evansville is like kryptonite to manufacturing. Even the manufacturers who like SW Indiana go to Gibson County (Toyota), Spencer County (AK Steel), and Posey County (GE/Sabic). The reasons above have contributed to those decisions to stay out of Vanderburgh County. We had a list a GAGE with the manufacturing jobs that left town since the late 1950’s . Get ready for this, there have been over 40,000 manufacturing jobs leave Evansville in our lifetime. Prior to trying the enticement game perhaps doing something to eliminate the kryptonite would increase our chances for success.

         By the way, the reason this hasn’t been done is because it is difficult and will require some seriously contentious discussions. That is kryptonite to a politician. Until those big problems are eliminated we will see more painting of the front door to pretty up dilapidated houses programs. They are easy, offend no one, spread crony dollars around, and do no good whatsoever.

     • Looks like the plan is similar to that of the arts district: “AFFORDABLE HOUSING” of course “affordable housing” is the term for “government subsidized” projects. The big difference is that in the arts district they were building $200,000 homes and selling them to subsidized buyers for $90,000 and in Jacobsville they will build $110,000 homes and give them away – I mean sell them to subsidized buyers for $60,000. If we build it – they will come – especially if you give it away.

   • LKB. I didn’t know there was a bike shop on N. Main. What was the name of it?

     • From Facebook page
       Bob’s Bicycles and Repair
       May 16 ·
       Bob’s is closing today, for good on Saturday May 16th, 2015. Bob is leaving Evansville and Bob’s Bicycles and Repair is leaving with Bob.
       Bob want’s to thank y’all for your support and in the immortal words of Douglass Adams–“So long and thanks for the fish!”
       309 N Main

3. The City should forget the N. Main bike path project that no one wants, and work on reopening Mesker Amphitheater which everyone wants.

   • Oh. dear! We agree again!

4. Your Federal Tax Dollars At Work:

   https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=DOC_14211.pdf

   • Press. I’m speechless (almost). But this probably makes sense to the DMD director.

   • Press, I noticed code enforcement is one of the items listed as applicable for HUD dollars. We could actually be using those dollars to pay what little code enforcement we have and save the local dollars for something else. Many of the federal dollars could be used in place of the local money. The city has done that at times but usually looks at federal dollars as monopoly money.

5. This $15 Million Dollar Question before the Council is going to be an “open book” IQ test,–it’s going to be interesting to see the Grades handed out by the Voters on Election Day.

   • I don’t think the voters care, which is sad.

     • So far, viewing previous election voter turnout, you have to conclude Evansville Voters are getting the Government they deserve.
       In spousal abuse sagas, at some point if the Abused doesn’t leave, or change the dynamics, you have to ADMIT,- they are where they WANT to be, and There is No Rational for Sympathy, –that analogy is on the horizon for Evansville’s Citizens,–and that,–does bring Sadness to those who really Care about their Hometown and it’s Future.
       Weinzapful was the Worst Mayor ever– and Winnecke is his Clone!

6. “IS IT TRUE we you urge to drive by 109 East Iowa and 726 East Virginia Street to get an idea of the seemly “don’t give a care” attitude of our CODE ENFORCEMENT officials?”

   To be fair, Editor, you could simply urge people to drive ANY street located between St. Joseph Avenue, Weinbach Avenue, Diamond Avenue, and the Lloyd Expressway to see properties (usually numerous properties on each street) which are in some violation of city ordinances. I would further argue that you could drive ANY street located between the Ohio River, Green River Road, Bellemeade Avenue, and Riverside Drive / I-169 loop and do the same. Ditto large areas of North Park, most of what we call the center city, etc., etc…

   I don’t think it is as much that code enforcement “doesn’t give a care” as much as they are simply overwhelmed. I’ve lived here for 20+ years and have had a boots on the ground familiarity with our city through the EFD for 15 + years. I would conservatively estimate that 70% of Evansville’s residential areas qualify as ‘run down’ to at least some extent, meaning that the average person would drive down a street and instantly notice the shabbiness of the houses, the trash in the streets, junked cars in yards, sidewalks overgrown with weeds, etc.

   Not hard to see where an under-budgeted, understaffed, demoralized department (code enforcement) would start to feel under siege and completely overwhelmed.

   • Your observations are spot on correct. Litter and shabby houses are so prevalent in old Evansville that people don’t even see it anymore. Those who go away for a couple of months and come back are the ones who notice it the most. My wife never noticed the dilapidation much until we moved to California. Now when we go back and visit she wonders how she never noticed it. She also wonders how she ever stood living there.

   • Delta Bravo, Back in the spring I personally asked Ron Beane if he had positions that needed filled because I had heard a rumor that the city was not filling vacancies. I offered to lobby the mayor that Building Commission openings be filled. He declined my offer, indicating that all was well. But then today he uses unfilled positions as an excuse for poor performance. In addition he claimed to have the necessary funding and refused help on finding additional grant funds. Every city has its slum area but not 70%. You are right, code enforcement is overwhelmed but their management refuses to acknowledge and take action. It seems all resources must go to fund the special projects.

7. code enforcement without a doubt could care less………………….one person could drive through the city of etown in a weeks time and document all the trash………..junk………weeds……..buildings falling down……………this is not a budget problem this is a welfare city ran for and by liberals for over 50 years problem……………

   • Documenting the problem is far different than doing something about it. There are a lot of legislative roadblocks which prevent quick fixes of problems like these. I’m sure we could trim a little fat off the U.S. and Indiana constitutions and give the gubmint much more power to take care of private property if the owner can’t / won’t, but your inclusion of the word ‘liberals’ as a pejorative in your post makes me think that would offend your conservative values.

   • Nice point, Delta. Where’s your rabid defense of private property rights sharpie you hypocrite? Also, what’s that you say about liberals? Since when should the big bad gubment be able to tell me to mow my lawn? Take your building codes and go back to mother Russia you pantywaist pinko commie liberal.

8. Da GUBMENT. That is funny. Many of Evansville’s problems stem straight from independent thinking people with limited personal or civic pride. I am not a religious person but the so called 7 deadly sins ( sloth, lust gluttony, greed, wrath, envy, and pride) seem to be somewhat beyond the reach of GUBMENT efficacy. The bottom line is that if Darrell and his brothers Darrell and Darrell want to sit unbathed in their drawers on the broken down porch drinking beer and tossing the cans into the yard while reading porn and eating pork rinds, talking about them evil 1%ers and congratulating each other on being masters of their own destiny, there is little that our GUBMENT can do to change the situation.

   Now in Singapore where the laws are very different, change would come at the end of a cane whether the brothers Darrell liked it or not. I guess the beauty of freedom is that citizens can be as disgusting as they like but the bad side of it is they can ruin certain areas for others.

   Folks like me just vote with our feet and stay away from such places whether they are in Evansville or the forgotten neighborhoods of Southern California.

9. Better save that $15 million for the next time Billy Bolin gets Evansville sued.

   • The next suit is in the pipeline. Michael Flemming will be suing over the blatant misconduct of Officer Bryan Underwood and his son when Mr. Flemming was recording an arrest. The officer failed to even report that his son assaulted Flemming for exercising his rights as a citizen, and addressed Mr. Flemming as “dumbass” on the video.

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