IS IT TRUE we have been told by reliable sources that Evansville Chief Police Billy Bolin has informed his men that the City will not be cashed out for earned comp time again this year?  …the police Department can’t afford to change the oil in police cruisers for rest of the year and now earned comp time owed to our outstanding men and women in blue for this year won’t be paid to them by the city because of budget issues?…the priorities of the Winnecke Administration are on par with a teenager on prom night?
IS IT TRUE that the Old National Bank’s $14 Million contribution for the downtown hotel hidden behind a nonsense naming rights deal for The Centre is coming apart at the seams a full year after all of the beautiful people danced around a golden shovel to celebrate what was a dubious decision to begin with?…AS THE CITY COUNTY OBSERVER HAS SAID FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR, the value of these naming rights is much less than $14 Million, ONB is a public company with shareholders and regulators, and they will not be allowed to pay more for naming rights than the advertising is worth?…the Ford Center which is a larger venue with more exposure got a naming rights deal for $400,000 per year for 10 years?…one thing is for certain and that is that the naming rights for The Centre is LESS THAN WHAT THE FORD CENTER NAMING RIGHTS ARE WORTH?…when we find out just how short the pile of cash is going to be, we will learn just how much more money HCW will be asking the City of Evansville for?…it is time to put a stop to this madness and forget about a convention hotel until a private company will build one?…maybe a medical school will make that happen and maybe it won’t?…WE TOLD YOU SO?
IT TRUE the attorneys for Mayor Winnecke and for the City Council disagree on how the so called “home rule” ordinance will apply when it comes to the Evansville Water & Sewer Utility Board?…that particular five member board are all appointed by the mayor and that right now four of them live outside the city limits and will not be eligible to serve according to the City Council’s interpretation of the rules?…Utility Board membership is governed by state statute, and there is no residency requirement period, in direct contradiction with the City Council’s opinion?…the Water and Sewer Utility has many customers who live outside the city limits, that are already incensed over being charged a 35% premium over what city residents pay?…in the case if this particular board, it is quite possible that seating a new board that is made up of only city residents may just set off some “taxation without representation” sentiment among the county dwellers who pay that 35% premium?…we are looking forward to seeing the opposing attorney’s opinions tested to see if sanity will prevail in the political appointment process?
IS IT TRUE that the revelations about the edicted increase in the assessments in the Orchard Parke neighborhood with a basis of comps from brand new homes targeting a different demographic is not the way to comply with the constitutional mandate for market value assessments?…assessments are easily appealed and any homeowner who has a solid argument based on recent sales or comps will prevail in the appeal process?…it is up to the homeowner to challenge any assessment that is out of line and the process to do so is quite simple?…we encourage any of our readers who believe their assessments are out of line to formally appeal their assessments?…this writer has done this several times with a 100% success rate?
IS IT TRUE public investment in projects like the Ford Center, the proposed downtown hotel, and the IU Medical School is dependent on the wealth created from private production and private profit?…what happens when governments large and small fail to inspire free market profits (the sources of taxes) while constantly increasing public spending is that you don’t have enough of the one to support the other?…when well intentioned TIF districts do not collect enough incremental taxes to pay for the projects they were asserted to have the economic impact to pay for, they cross what is respectfully known as the Thatcher Line?…British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher famously said in a radio interview that “the problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money to spend?”…this has been formalized as the Thatcher Line: the point at which the burden of government begins to overwhelm the ability of the private sector to pay for it?…dear readers, it seems as though Evansville’s Thatcher Line lies about $77 Million of additional debt from where we are right now and the City of Evansville’s bond counsel knows it?…it seems with the revelation that the downtown hotel is over budget again that a choice will have to be made in the near future on which project the City can afford to borrow money to give away for?…if logic prevails, and with the City of Evansville that is a stretch, it is time to admit this financial problem and put the hotel on indefinite hold?
IS iT TRUE we hear that an  extremely well known and highly respected business person has decided to run as Republican in the First Ward City Council seat  …that Councilman McGinn’s challenger has a great chance to upset McGinn because he is a bone fide conservative that shall have broad base appeal with the First Ward voters?  …that Councilman McGinn has lost a great deal of his broad support because he has turned in a political mouth piece for the Mayor and has lost his independent zeal?  …McGinn has of late been a one issue Councilman?  …all he talks about is spending millions of taxpayers dollars on Mesker Zoo.
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Holy smokes Robin, where is the story about Tri-State Towing calling 911 because Friend was snooping around their lot ? Why would Friend insert himself into a Safety Board matter, and stand to benefit his client, who is also in the towing business ?
EVANSVILLE TRANSPARENCY: your skill set is required, Captain John piloting a tow truck dubbed the ‘S.S. Hook & Hypocrisy’, and giving his client towing company a little pull out-the-ditch !
Friend’s client is Hamrick Towing ?
The 2013 Review Report for The Centre (prepared by Harding & Shymanski) called the facility the ‘Old National Events Plaza’.
No typing error–it really was for operations in 2013 ! Ya’ think they jumped the gun a tad ??
Butterfly McGinn earned his challenger.
He will flit away to spend more time in his true home, the Spencer County Cabin and his newly-remodeled “legal address.” His hubris is such that he refuses to campaign. He believes that he is giving Evansville a priceless gift by sitting on the City Council. If his opponent campaigns, he/she should win. The First Ward demographic is changing rapidly, though. It does not appear to be a cinch for the GOP, although the Republican will probably win in the general election.
He was borderline deified when he magnanimously took over the zoo. It apparently stuck, he doens’t seem able to shake it.
doesn’t.
There are always wildly optimistic claims about the financials by people with a vested interest in publicly financed construction projects.
Compare the claims that were made they were trying to sell the Branson Landing project. Then compare it to the current bond discription:
http://www.bondview.com/price-check/bond/60636CMW6
Is that where we wanted to go with this hotel project? I think not. I am glad we dodged this bullet.
Kudos to Councilman Friend for actually looking into a City contractor. Priceless they called the police on him.
Now the Mayor pulled the plug on the downtown hotel, will the City please fix and reopen Mesker Amphitheater.
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