IS IT TRUE? February 3, 2011

IS IT TRUE that the presentation by Dr. Neil Troost regarding the shameful condition of Evansville’s city parks is enough to infuriate the calmest people among us?…that for the City of Evansville to advertise itself as having a “high quality of life” and as being a “great place to raise kids”, takes on a whole new meaning when a six year old child is pricked by a hypodermic needle left by a drug addict in Sunset Park, one of the best kept parks in town?…that upon examining a well designed but shoddily maintained set of city parks, Dr. Troost and others have documented graffiti that has lingered for years, used condoms, drug paraphernalia, prostitution, and open air drug dealing?…we wonder if this is Evansville’s version of a great place to raise a family?…that we have posted an article and Dr. Troost’s power point presentation to the Evansville Parks and Recreation board yesterday on the following link?…this presentation will not make anyone swell up with civic pride for how the business of running parks is being done in the City of Evansville?…that to call this condition indicative of a “high quality of life” is false advertising?

http://city-countyobserver.com/2011/02/02/4857/

IS IT TRUE that the local Tea Party seems to be fed up with business as usual here in Evansville as well?…that Frank Peterlin the founder and leader of the local Tea Party has called upon “up to 22 Godly men and women to run in the Democratic and Republican primaries in the 2011 Evansville City Election?”…that Mr. Peterlin’s plea included the following information?

“If you or someone you love is called to service please contact us at http://www.meetup.com/Tri-State-Tea-Party/ where we hold our TEA PARTY Straw Polls to determine who the TEA PARTY supports.”

IS IT TRUE that there is a new but counter-intuitive group in Evansville that calls themselves Southern Indiana Democracy for America that had their first meeting last night?…that this ad hoc group was launched on Facebook last week and has already gathered 54 member that include both people from all across the political spectrum?…that the description of this group is published as follows?

“We are a dynamic, nonpartisan group of people based in Southwestern Indiana dedicated to supporting fiscally responsible, socially progressive candidates at all levels of government–from our local school board to the presidency. Our grassroots organization is an agent for positive change in our community, state, and nation. We meet monthly–please join us”

IS IT TRUE that ad hoc groups like the Tea Party, the Southern Indiana Democracy for America, Tri-State Tomorrow, and even the City County Observer are attracting attention and growing because business as usual in our City, our State, and our Country are not seen as delivering acceptable governance?…that the universally accepted upon and agreed upon premise that conservatives and progressives seem to be in 100% agreement on is that our system of governance has been exposed as failing the people that it was elected to serve?…that as long as the city parks look and live like Detroit, city officials are snippy and dismissive of people like Dr. Neil Troost, and the people’s business is done behind the locked doors of elected power by appointed committees, then these groups and others like them will continue to flourish?…these citizen groups are forming for the noble purpose of doing the governments job because government is not doing its job in an acceptable manner?

IS IT TRUE that there is a fine line between what is going on in Egypt and what is going on in Evansville?…that the world seems to be in a period of discontentment?…that this discontentment with the status quo is valid and as plain as the nose on ones face to see?…that somewhere in Cairo, Egypt a few short years ago in private homes, the people that we now see in the streets were forming their own Tea Parties, Southern Indiana Democracy for America’s, and Tri-State Tomorrows?…that those groups attracted members, that politics and governance continued to fail them, and that a breaking point was reached?…that blood has been shed and changes will be made but that if the political leadership of Egypt would have listened and acted 10, 20, or 30 years ago and practiced good public policy all day everyday that this bloodshed could have been avoided?

IS IT TRUE that candidates for local office who dismiss such groups will do so at their own peril?…that groups like these are what sparked the unrest that made the United States of America and independent country?…there are many people who are beginning to think that it is time to clean house again?…that these kinds of groups can and may just wreak havoc on both major political parties objectives in the 2011 City of Evansville elections?

IS IT TRUE that somewhere in Egypt a few short years ago a publication dedicated to good public policy started and began to expose rotten governance?…that people became aware, then shocked, then disgusted, then…..?…that these publications were all online and are using twitter and Facebook to transmit data out of Egypt today?…that a free press, and informed public, the courage to demand change, and the gumption to make it happen is what is needed to take back our parks and other things that are just not acceptable?…that we sincerely hope that it is done without bloodshed?