IS IT TRUE August 28, 2013

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Mole #3 Nostradamus of Local Politics
Mole #3 Nostradamus of Local Politics

IS IT TRUE August 28, 2013

IS IT TRUE that the Facebook war for “likes” is being waged by the administrator(s) of the page called “Citizens of Evansville for Progress on a downtown Hotel”?…in the 24 hours after the City County Observer pointed out that the demographics of that particular page are old (35 – 54) as compared to the “Citizens of Evansville Against a Taxpayer Funded Hotel” are young (25 – 34) the old folks must have mobilized a telemarketer to get some more likes because their likes increased rapidly by about 50?…the admins for the “Against” group must not be as versed at gathering “likes” as the old folks are because the “likes” on their page only increased by a mere 4 during that same day?…this public funding of a downtown hotel issue is really turning traditional demographics on its head in Evansville?…it is odd that young people are supporting the conservative approach of being frugal with public support of a traditionally private project but the old folks are supporting giving HCW a gift of $37.5 Million to build a hotel in downtown Evansville?…it is also odd that the old folks seem to be much more adept at Facebook than the youngsters are?…we want to thank the old folks at the “FOR” Facebook page for allowing discussions to take place while the youngsters at the “AGAINST” Facebook page seem intent on taking down every challenging post to their position that is put up?…it seems as though the youngsters are practicing censorship while the old folks are allowing informed discussion to occur?…in this case we support the actions of the old folks at the “FOR” page?

IS IT TRUE that one of the discussions on the “For” page resulted in the City County Observer offering an audience to one of the people who are in favor of giving away $37.5 Million to make her case without being subject to editing, opinion, bias, or even a word limit as most publication hold onto till the death?…we were surprised to be declined on the basis that “the CCO is tearing our community apart”?…we would like to take a few lines to rebut that assertion as we have always been and shall always be a website that advocates for good public policy?…we would like to know how exposing the back room meeting to take away the Homestead Tax Credit called by Mayor Winnecke as a favor to former Mayor Weinzapfel tears this community apart?…we would like to know how exposing the sneaky back room way that Mayor Weinzapfel used GAGE to supplement the salary of Tom Barnett tears the community apart?…we would like to know how pointing out the failure of former Mayor Weinzapfel’s chosen developer to pay the property taxes for the McCurdy Hotel is tearing this community apart?…we would like to know how exposing the dilapidated state of the parks and the neglect of maintenance on nearly every publicly owned facility under the stewardship of the City of Evansville is tearing this community apart?…we would like to know how taking the bull by the horns to expose the underhanded and uniquely ignorant things that lead to the Earthcare Energy debacle is tearing this community apart?…that finally we would like to know how demanding and encouraging our elected officials to demand a business plan, a supportable job creation estimate, and an economic impact study based on reality for the hotel the “FOR” site wants to pass without VETTING so badly is tearing this community apart?

IS IT TRUE what we suspect is that there are indeed a small group of people who refer to their ranks as a “community” is perhaps being torn apart by the CCO’s rational requests for information?…if all we are tearing apart are the community of social butterflies that support this hotel so they can have another place to socialize and a few unions who are for anything that involves construction whether it is the right decision for the entire City of Evansville or not, then we are doing what we want to do?…thinking is good?…VETTING is good?…making informed decisions rather than catching a case of irrational exuberance at a tent revival is good?…if all of these things had been done from the start then downtown Evansville would probably already have a downtown convention hotel in place for much less that a public subsidy of $37.5 Million?

IS IT TRUE that “Our Times” newspaper published an editorial in support of giving away $37.5 Million to HCW to build a downtown hotel?…the article cited a few other cities who had done such things and then laid the words “Evansville is really a southern city” in at just the right time to send a subliminal message to her readers?…there was then a paragraph that cited what other cities are ended with “Who is Evansville”…that is a legitimate question that we would also like and answer to?…that the last part of the article was one of the most self serving and misinformed string of words ever put into print?…it stated “we are still smarting over Mayor Winnecke backing off of the Earthcare Energy deal” and then ended by stating that with the hotel we should be like Nike and “Just Do It”?…we applaud Mayor Winnecke for seeing the error of his ways and backing off of the Earthcare Energy deal?…that reversal from an idiotic sneaky start is his finest decision as Mayor?…we ask “Our Times” what other city has embraces Earthcare and where are they now?…with deals like that and avoiding VETTING of a hotel the answer to “Who is Evansville” may be answered as “the most gullible bunch of dopes on earth”, if every person that knocks on the door gets some of our tax money?…as for the “Just Do It” attitude, that works for shoes and hamburgers but it is no way to run a City?…we counter propose “Just VET IT” as a better slogan?

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19 COMMENTS

  1. As for the Facebook page, I also noticed that the “for” page had been a “sponsored” AD, that means someone is paying for the page to be promoted. All fair, but I wonder who is paying for the ads?

    • Will, there was one post that I sponsored for $15 to try to boost our exposure. But since you mentioned it, the opposition page was sponsored at its launch. There’s only one person that knows who sponsored it and he’s not telling anyone.

      • I can vouch for this. It is true. But our page no longer has this Admin with us.

        As for the CCO, I can perhaps see where some casual observers of this site might think it’s filled with “gotcha” stuff like you said below, but a lot of that stuff comes out in comments, not necessarily in the content.

        Of course, anyone who likes government waste will surely hate this site. It’s been pivotal in exposing a lot of it.

  2. What an outstanding IS IT TRUE. Let me add to your list what bad shape our city owned grave yards are in.

  3. Evansville should learn something from Owensboro…their riverfront ROCKS! Every time we go we enjoy ourselves, and you can tell by the masses of people they enjoy it too! Last night it was packed at 9 p.m. with families, live music, and even a wedding party enjoying the atmosphere taking pictures to capture their special day!

  4. Word in the Hood is that Connie Robinson (Mamma Doc) has traded her vote on the hotel for Chief Bolin’s badge on a silver platter. Watch and see.

    • Word in the bathroom is Connie will give the hotel her vote as soon as they select her company to provide all the toilet paper to the hotel guest in need of a good two-ply.
      She already provides the TP to the casino. Then she votes to allow them to permit smoking while telling everyone else they can’t.
      Something stinks about doing business that way. And it ain’t the used toilet paper. Wake up folks.

    • We don’t need her vote for the hotel . She should just sit there and keep her mouth shut.

  5. After Sherman Greer and this incident, it looks like the Reverend Al Sharpton needs to pay Mayor McClintock a visit.

  6. Since I’ve been called to the carpet about my response to Joe Wallace, let me reply. Most of the stories that I have read on this site are negative, “gotcha” articles. I’m all for calling out shady deals, but there has to be more balance. Several months ago, I anonymously created a Facebook page called City-County Celebrator. It is the yin to your yang. Balance. I have not been very active on it lately but it highlights the good in our community. Our great people, our great organizations, our great events. We have a fantastic community. I’m not saying I’m an expert, but even your catchphrase of “mole” has negative connotations. I would prefer an euphemism like insider. Judging by the comments on C&P and all of your ads on here, there’s obviously a market for your site.

    • Phyllip, as I have consistently written since I have been doing things for the CCO and in other publications, “all positive change starts with negative critique”. My academic background is control systems engineering so I learned that at Stanford. Think about it. It is true in every facet of life. The best athletic coaches are the ones who give negative feedback to improve people and teams. In electronics a negative feedback system is the only thing that can possibly lead to improvement. I agree with you that the CCO seems negative but I also assure you that the goal of the owner and I is to use negative feedback to effect better public policy. If no one pointed out the backroom sneaky deals that have been going on here for years there would not even be talk of transparency. Hopefully someday Evansville will get transparency. If no one pointed out needles in the park, sewer stench, parks not being mowed, etc. nothing would ever be done about it. Evansville has been a republic of pollyanna for many years with a small group of people in charge telling each other how great it is and either ignoring reality or hiding it. The results of these actions are population loss, brain drain, failed infrastructure, and yes massive debt for non essential things. If children were raised as Evansville has been managed they would never even learn to read. I welcome your Celebrator site. We tried this a few years ago with a “feel good” site. The result was minimal traffic and no paid ads. Evansville needs a negative feedback sensor and we are it. If that makes some of the leaders and their cheerleaders uncomfortable so be it. The one thing Evansville cannot afford is to keep doing what they have for the last 50 years. Putting all of the eggs in the tourism basket as they did with the Victory, the Centre, the Ford Center, and now the hotel is continuing to fuel projects that have been proven not to be the best bang for the buck. This did not work in Detroit and it won’t work here. Of course they are nice but so what if the population can’t afford to go there because the wage base and the job base do not match the temples to entertainment.

      All that aside, I hope to meet you someday. You want the same things we want for Evansville but are coming at it differently. And on gotcha articles, if those who are being got were doing the right thing in the first place the gotcha articles would not be so effective and unfortunately accurate.

      • Joe, I’m not one of the “stick my head in the sand” type of people and I realize that there needs to be improvements in our government from local to federal. I believe that we should all be active in improving the community in a hands-on manner. Our society has become cynical and we criticize everything. If you don’t like the way the mayor does his job, run against him or work on his opponent’s campaign during the election cycle. I’m not saying that the press should give him a pass, but all of the negative armchair quarterbacks need to give it a rest. They come on here and C&P with their clever screen names and make snarky comments with no solutions to the “problem” to which they are opposed. You also pointed out what I think is the biggest problem in journalism: money. You went to the material that generates the most money. This is why we, Americans, never get unfiltered news anymore. Just like there’s too much money in politics, there’s too much money in journalism. You cannot find unbiased news in our country since the Vietnam War. It’s disgraceful. Then you have the lemmings from both parties forming “informed” decisions based on false journalism and opinion pieces.

        • So in your opinion what should the priority be in getting Evansville competitive nationally. Here is a short list of things that either are being considered or or should be.

          Roberts Park, repair Mesker, SEWERS, sidewalks, roads, the hotel, dilapidated parks, abandoned homes, bicycle friendliness, graduate technology programs, tech transfer, job attraction, job creation, obesity, venture capital, electric rates, water pipes, water meters, etc. etc.

          Of that list do you really think a hotel and a dog park should be at the top of the list? Feel free to add to the list.

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