IS IT TRUE FEBRUARY 19, 2016

1. I recently polled a couple of council members on efforts to increase the funding for demolition now that the city is getting $25 million in casino money. I was disappointed in the excuse given. The unanimous response was that the mayor controls the spending and unless we package demolition funding with a gift to the Brownfields’ Land Bank there is nothing they can do. Really, last year we spend $300,000 on demolition for the whole city and the only way to increase cleaning up the neighborhoods is to gift money to the private Brownfileds? I wonder is we are getting a 16 million north main project. Maybe it is an $8 million project packaged with $8 million in gifts to private interest? I suspect a large special interest project comming – especially after County Commissioner (realtor) Joe Kiefer stated at the commissioners meeting that people in the neighborhood there should not own the vacant lots. He insisted they should be accumulated by the Brownfields for a large development. I wonder what large development our realtor leaders are planning. What ever it is you can expect the taxpayers to foot the bill and the realtors and their cronies to reap the benefit.

   • Kinda reminds me of the old Hawaii 50 starring Jack Lord . . we now have the equivalent of Evansville 90. Can’t wait until the Special IG for the treasury says “bookin Danno”

     • Of course the word in not Bookin but Book em

2. how could anyone justify the north main project…….tax dollars wasted as usual……

   • The people making the money on it can’t even make a good excuse for it. That’s bold.

3. Creative writing winner submissions. You may want to add your own candidates to the list.

   * * * * * * * *

   Chairman,CEO & President
   National City Bancshares
   October 1999 – December 2009 (10 years 3 months)

   Chairman, CEO, and President for a $3B+ regional bank, restructured and recapitalized the business, created a more valuable brand, and launched growth initiatives. Improved ROA from .4% to 1% and ROE from 4% to 19% pre-recession. Phases included assessment, consolidation and turnaround, then profitable growth through two niche initiatives. Leadership development-8 former executives now leading other organizations. Company sold to ONB Corporation in 2011.

   Active civic leader on numerous Boards with focus on Education, Healthcare, and Economic Development

4. Didn’t the state spend roughly 19 million total for the recently added full cloverleaf at 41 and the Expressway? The North Main project is costing about the same. Seems reasonable to me.

   • Think of the development it will spur in that ‘commercial corridor’ as the DMD Director calls it. And, as Coures further averred, ‘they (the Jacobsvillians) know that a lot of the redevelopment that can happen in the neighborhood can emanate out from that complete street. Plus, it’s the way we can connect the Jacobsville neighborhood to the rest of the city, to all of our cultural districts.’

     So many rationales, so little money. Complete Street Emanation, that’s the ticket. Cultural Districts, we’ll be hooking up with you soon. Yee-ha. One if by land, two if by bike.

     • Cultural districts? The river front is the drinking and gambling district, the Ford Center is the basketball and country music district, Haynies corner is the drinking and arts district. North Main is the blight and crime district.

       • Good descriptions, Alice O.!

         May I add:

         Franklin Street is the College Kids Yelling “Woo-hoo!” District.

         Lamasco and Boxtown is the “When Did This Area Become Such A S#%T Hole?!” District

         • Don’t leave out the south side, and the Bullets and Hip Hop District.

         • Don’the forget Jimtown!

     • “complete street”? The only way Main Street will be a complete street is,when they tear down the Civic Center and reconnect Main Street with North Main Street and build a correct interchange at Main Street and the Lloyd!

       • This is smartest comment about North Main Street that I have heard to date. Until Main Street is opened up at MLK, the downtown area will continue to need considerable efforts.

     • Comrade Bandana, do you not remember that practically our whole progressive program is based on the penumbras of emanations of hatred, envy, and anger against those who actually work instead of slack? Please do not abuse the sacred word “emanations.”

       J. Coddington “Comrade Hugo” Fetlock IV
       Maximum co-coordinator
       Organizing for Idiocy
       Evansville Cell

   • And the cloverleaf upgrade is a clusterf**k too. Too small and it didn’t eliminate a railroad crossing or incorporate the 41/Virginia Street intersection or the 41/Walnut Street intersection into the reconstruction. Oh well, INDOT can come back in a few years and spend some more money to rebuild it just like they’ve been doing to the Lloyd ever since it was “finished”.
     Evansville is still waiting for completion of the Lloyd intersections at Red Bank Road, St. Joseph Ave., Vann Ave., Stockwell Road, the Harrison HS exit, Burkhardt, and Cross Pointe Blvd.
     My God, how much longer do we need to wait for the upgrades to the St. Joseph Ave. and Burkhardt Road intersections?
     Hopefully they’ll be done before the I-69 bridges and Henderson by-pass is built. AND then maybe we can contemplate a westside Ohio River bridge!

5. Let me get this straight. VenuWorks manages the Ford Center. They negotiated with Ron Geary to try to keep the IceMen in Evansville, but the sweetest deal they could offer couldn’t keep the franchise here. The Mayor put out the call for an SPHL team to play at the Ford Center and Mike Hall steps forward in virtually no time to put together a team. Hall becomes the local hockey hero, taking the deal that Geary wouldn’t. Now, it turns out that he has a partner in the venture and that partner is VenuWorks. What is wrong with this picture?

   • Nothing. Greasy Geary is prick who’s only interest is his own bottom line. Look what he’s done to Ellis Park. He and Owensboro’s Ron Payne are twon of a kind. They’re both in bed together but it will be interesting to watch when one decides he wants to hog the sheets and blankets.

   • Venuworks will be setting the rental fees and deals for their own team? Conflict of Interest!
     I guess that is also one way to assure there is no bidding of the manangement contract for the Ford Center and Victory Theatre. You now have interest as an owner in the team they will be desperate to keep.
     You can bet the tax payers of this county will be paying for this new hockey team in more ways than one.

6. “IS IT TRUE we are hearing that the Evansville Fire Department Quartermaster program is moving forward in a positive way? …we congratulate Chief Connelly for being visionary?”

   Very true.

   This was a major investment by taxpayers towards the safety and long term health of their firefighters, with a substantial amount of money contributed by the firefighters as well. Chief Connelly (whom I have had major disagreements with on certain policy issues) has appointed VERY good people to administer the program, which really got it off to a good start. Gear repairs or replacements are being made promptly, and gear is being cleaned far more regularly then it ever has during my time in service. There are improvements which could be made, of course, but I think the program is considered an unqualified success by pretty much every firefighter I regularly interact with.

7. I’m glad to hear that!

8. Painting a portrait of Mike Hall as a “local hockey hero” is a little premature, don’t you think? A man with little experience in the business and limited capital is hardly expected to be the savior of Evansville hockey, however, I’m grateful that hockey will remain at the Ford Center and I wish him all the best in his endeavors. It seems blatantly obvious that Venuworks was ready to part ways with Mr. Geary, given the fact that they have now essentially agreed to mentor Mr. Hall through the process.

   • I still say this Hall fella is just a face. A buddy of Winnie’s who is putting up zero dollars of his own money. The taxpayers are going to fund this shitty busch league team. But isn’t that how capitalism works? Public risk, privatized profits.

     • Ghost of the Murderer, do you ever consider facts or truth before you spew your hate? I’m surprised the CCO still allows you to post on this blog.

9. The First Annual 5K Socialist Run For Equality

   (Brought to you by a generous grant from the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)

   * * * * * * *

   SATURDAY FEBRUARY 27th, 9:AM, Starting in front of the Civic Center

   The 5K Socialist Run For Equality

   Participation is free, T-shirts free, food and drinks free, transportation to
   and from free, everyone gets a free trophy!

   (Rules for the run):

   Everyone will start at the same time on the same starting line.

   No one is allowed to pass the slowest runner.

   Everyone will cross the finish line together.

Comments are closed.