IS IT TRUE August 20, 2011

IS IT TRUE that St. Benedict’s is not the only charitable organization to have been the unsuspecting recipient of counterfeit money this week?…that lower denominations than the fake $100 bill that was exchanged for $80 of real money in the nationally reported offering plate counterfeiter are showing up in Evansville?…that the latest charity to be the subject of counterfeiting was the Goodwill Industries Store at 4,600 West Lloyd Expressway?…that this time it was a fake $20 bill that was attempted to be used to purchase an ash tray?…that of course the person who tried this was more interested in the change than the ashtray but that the astute clerk used a marker that fingered the bad bill for what it was?…that when the clerk was contacting the store manager that the would be passer of a counterfeit Jackson grabbed the bill and ran off?…that someone within walking distance probably sold a $1 item later that same day?

IS IT TRUE that there are reports in the past week of counterfeit $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills right here in Evansville?…that it leads one to wonder if we have a new manufacturer that has set up shop here or if this is some criminal minded entrepreneurial attempt at Quantitative EASING?…that people in general are pretty good a survival and that in a rotten economy one survival trick would be to print counterfeit money?…that when one of our enterprising but lawbreaking citizens does this it is called COUNTERFEITING and brings the law arm of the law into sight very quickly?…that when the United States government prints money and quietly uses it to buy securities it is called QUANTITATIVE EASING?…that the net result is the same?…that both of these activities devalues our currency and makes us suspicious of our legal tender?

IS IT TRUE that it has been estimated that due to the collapse of home values that up to 50% of the homeowners in America are being over-assessed for property taxes?…that in states like Indiana that have mandated market value assessment that the only homes that are not over-assessed are the ones that were wrong to begin with or the ones that have changed hands in a recent transaction?…that if you are one of those homeowners whose home is assessed and taxed at a value that is higher than market value that you can appeal that assessment and correct it?…that savings of 20% or more are not unusual?…that the appeal process is very easy and that the staff of the Vanderburgh County Assessor’s Office can assist you with your appeal?…that City County Observer Mole #1 has made seven (7) appeals and has a 100% success rate?

IS IT TRUE that patent value gained broad national attention this week when Google paid $12.5 Billion for Motorola Mobility?…that over $7 Billion of those dollars were acknowledged to have been the value of Motorola’s patent portfolio?…that one of the largest holders of US Patents is the Federal Lab Consortium?…that GAGE has an agreement that makes the entire patent portfolio of the FLC available for preferred licensing to businesses in a 28 county region in 3 states in and around Evansville?…that this agreement was signed three (3) years ago in September of 2008?…that it is about time that this program became more than just a stack of paper?…that if the patent portfolio of Motorola is worth $7 Billion than it is not unreasonable to value the patent portfolio of the FLC to be valued at well into the TRILLIONS of dollars?…that this wealth of knowledge in pretty much free for the taking through GAGE and has been for three years?…that it is about time that GAGE and its sponsors like the City of Evansville did something tangible with this agreement?…that the HOW and WHO about doing something with this gift horse needs to be front and center in the upcoming campaign for Mayor of Evansville?