IS IT TRUE? February 3, 2012

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Kyrsten Monson, "the FalconMaster"

IS IT TRUE? February 3, 2012

IS IT TRUE that there is still an disturbing silence down at the McCurdy Hotel during the day that sounds more like the echoes of the past than the jackhammers of the future?…that except for the cooing of pigeons and squeaking of bats there is little sound at all coming from the historic hotel?…that other than the slow and silent degradation of neglect which seems to age these precious and important old building that no constructive sounds have come from the McCurdy in the nearly 4 years since our former mayor triumphantly announced deal with an Indianapolis based donor to his campaign funds that could not seem to get the funds to do the project while filling political coffers of the former mayor?…that the fall installment of the property taxes are still not paid?

IS IT TRUE that just yesterday the City County Observer learned of a very attractive young lady who may have a great solution to the problems at the McCurdy regarding pigeons and bats?…that Miss Kyrsten Monson is what is known as a “falconmaster”?…that about the best way that cities and hospitality industry facilities can rid their grounds of pesky pigeons, crows, rats, etc. is to hire a “falconmaster” to order her flock to do some timely eradication of the sky rats and their kin?…that maybe the City of Evansville could consider inviting Kyrsten to town with her falcons to start ridding the sky around the McCurdy and other roosts of pigeons?

Kyrsten's Falcon Standing Guard
IS IT TRUE that a multiyear effort that has been a joint venture between the Rotary Club and St. Mary’s to supply some valuable medical equipment to Mexico as a humanitarian effort has successfully place over $1 Million worth of equipment into the hands of people in need?…that this spirit of giving is one of the most noteworthy and admirable things about the civic organizations in and around Evansville?…that one of the four local delegates who will be making a good will trip to Mexico to see our gifts in action is none other than Citizen Jonathan Weinzapfel?

IS IT TRUE that this weekend the Super Bowl will be at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and that Indiana’s state capitol is all spruced up make a great impression on Super Bowl attendees and over 100 Million people on television?…that some Indianapolis law enforcement officers are sweating out a threat made by a group of unions to disrupt the Super Bowl weekend over the recent passage of Right to Work?…that we admonish these people who fought the good fight and lost to let their frustrations rest for the weekend and enjoy the Super Bowl and all of its side events as opposed to showing their backsides in the streets of Indianapolis over this law?…that making a sparkling impression on the world is more important that crying sour grapes for the camera?…that for those who opposed Right to Work the place to make a difference is at the ballot box in November and not in the streets in February?

IS IT TRUE that at a most informative presentation made by the Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) this writer was able to witness a very detailed description of how wholesale electricity prices at the grid level change by the minute 24 hours a day?…that the subject of the presentation with astonishing graphics was the Midwest?…that the day that was the subject of the graphics was the hottest day of last summer when demand was highest?…that the Chairman of the FERC is an advocate for transforming the consumer pricing of electricity to allow residential ratepayers to be able to take advantage of real time pricing?…that being able to do this will require smart metering, a variable pricing schedule set by grid wholesale pricing, sufficient infrastructure to do this, smart customers, and willing utilities?…that this presentation was truly illuminating and there will be a more comprehensive article next week in the CCO?…that the hot spot for wholesale pricing in the entire Midwest is SW Indiana?…that the reason is substantially due to a transmission bottleneck that appeared to be near Vincennes?…that on the contrary the lowest price wholesale power that was sometimes priced at ZERO is around the wind farms north of Terre Haute?…that the Chairman of the FERC stated that the abysmal disconnect of the price to the consumer from the actual wholesale market is causing unneeded construction projects to be undertaken, higher electric bills, and unnecessary emission of pollution?…his solemn opinion is that “unleashing information is the only way to unleash power” and that “static fixed rate pricing decouples consumer awareness”?

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

17 COMMENTS

  1. Ed., are you stating that it is NOT the greed of Vectren, but rather a transmission bottleneck near Vincennes, that causes people to get their utilities cut off (due to unaffordable prices) ?

    • Beerguy and editor,
      If much of our electric bill problem comes from up Vincennes way, you can bet that Vectren knows it and plays on it. Do you have any idea how such a grid bottleneck could be addressed? I know that the grid system for power in this country is getting old, very old.

      • The same way that a water provider deals with a need to deliver more water than the current infrastructure will allow. Get a bigger pipe. In this case the flwo through the pipe is electrons.

      • 292,
        I drove up to Vincennes at lunch to take a look at the grid. It was locked. Now we have gridlock.

    • We did not say a thing about Vectren’s role in the high energy prices in SW Indiana and the Chairman of the FERC did not mention them either. He did mention a certain aluminum smelting operation on the banks of the Ohio in SW Indiana that owns its own power plant and strategically decides when to buy electricity and when to sell electricity based on real time wholesale pricing. I will say that operation has done an excellent job of responding to real time electricity pricing data to make their operation feasible in our area. Oh for each citizen to have the priviledge to do the same.

      • if the IURC had let Vectren decouple their electric and delivery costs as they wished in the last rate case this would be the current model, as it is for natural gas now. The IURC decided not to do this as the delivery cost would be 75% of your total bill, and would be charged wether you used any power or not. I know that in Ohio where the customers can choose their own gas providers, Vectren is more than happy just to charge a monthly fee for having their pipe connected to your house

        • The Chairman of the FERC is not a supporter of decoupling at all. He sees it as bad for ratepayers and detrimental to an efficient grid.

          • I agree with him totally, my point was that Vectren wouldn’t really care about selling electricity as long as they could charge you for the wire and it is highly unlikely that anyone else would be interested in building a competing network. That is about the only way an individual is going to be able to take advantage of the fluctuating prices of electricity.

  2. I am a union member, and did not like the RTW bill be passed. With that said, I would not support any union or union member protesting during this weekend’s Super Bowl activities. It would make unions look thuggish (if that ia a word) and un-professional. There is a time and place for everything, so lets not spoil this huge tourist weekend for Indy, and Indiana by showing our “third point of contact”.

    Stay safe this weekend and remember, DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE!

    • We are on opposite sides of the RTW issue, but I had to take a minute to applaude your statement. I suspect most of your union brothers and sisters would echo your sentiments. You are a class act.

  3. Falcons have been tried as pigeon control here in downtown Evansville before.

    There still is a falcon that visits the Civic Center courtyard, mainly to eat baby squirrels in the spring. I have never seen him eating a pigeon, but I have seen him consume several squirrels.

    There are thousands of pigeons making their way through downtown Evansville over the course of the year. The arrive particularly around grain harvest, frequent the area of the grain elevators along the riverfront, and pick up grain spilt by the farm trucks at chuck holes and bumpy intersections.

    The city employs a contractor to control pigeons. He does a fantastic job, but cannot prevent future invasions of the pigeon flocks that rush into the vacuum when he removes the previous horde. All he can do is capture the new arrivals.

    I’m sure he would be happy to remove any nuisance wildlife from the McCurdy as well as from the private and municipal buildings he already services. I believe his contract is with the Board of Works, so anyone responsible for the McCurdy should contact them for further information.

    Falcons are beautiful, but each falcon can only consume a very limited amount of squab in a week. Pretty picture though, Mr. Editor!

  4. Here’s a question for you:

    With all the time spent in the Indiana State Legislature worring about how the National Anthem is performed, and how to emasculate the unions, did anyone think to pass special legislation enabling sports bars and other venues besides the hotels in Indy to serve a Bloody Mary for Super Bowl Sunday breakfast, or have a champaign brunch before 11:00 a.m.?

    I mean if the Legislature is all so consumed with promoting business and increasing profit for small business owners …

  5. Indiana Business Journal

    CIB EXPECTS TO LOSE MONEY DURING SUPER BOWL

    Scores of businesses in and around Indianapolis are licking their chops in hopes of scoring a windfall from the city’s hosting of the Super Bowl on Feb. 5.

    But the city entity that manages Lucas Oil Stadium, where the game will be played, expects to lose money.

    The Capital Improvement Board of Marion County is budgeting for total Super Bowl expenses of $8 million and revenue of nearly $7.2 million, leaving a loss of $810,000.

    The largest expenditure is the $4 million CIB has agreed to reimburse the city for providing police security for an estimated 150,000 visitors. It also budgeted almost $2 million to pay full-time employees overtime and union members who have been hired temporarily.

    The projected $200 million that visitors will spend at establishments in the metropolitan area during the days surrounding the event makes the deficit a little easier for CIB to absorb, said Dan Huge, the organization’s chief financial officer.

    “For the overall good of the city and state,” he said, “we know that this is the right thing to do based on the economic impact it will have on the whole area.”

    CIB relies heavily on hotel and food and beverage taxes, in addition to admissions and auto rental taxes, to generate annual revenue to operate its facilities.

    Besides Lucas Oil Stadium, CIB manages Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Victory Field and the Indiana Convention Center.

    CIB anticipates pocketing $3 million from the Super Bowl in additional tax revenue: $2.4 million in hotel taxes, $440,000 in food and beverage taxes, and $100,000 in auto-rental taxes.

    An additional $794,000 in collected taxes will be paid the state of Indiana to help pare down debt related to the cost of building the stadium and convention center.

    The total tax revenue generated during the days surrounding the Super Bowl equates to what the board typically earns from taxes in an entire month, Huge said.

    Hotels and restaurants, however, won’t be taxing National Football League employees. They’re exempt from paying, according to an Indiana Department of Revenue directive.

    The NFL is using its tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(6) to avoid paying the taxes, in addition to fuel, auto rental and admissions taxes. The NFL needs to have an account established at a business, hotel or restaurant to take advantage of the perk, the directive said.

    CIB also won’t receive food-and-beverage tax money from concessions sold inside Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indiana Convention Center as it normally does. Instead, the National Football League will pocket that chunk of change.

    The NFL, though, has agreed to reimburse CIB $4.1 million for labor costs associated with game events, helping to shave the projected shortfall to $810,000.

    CIB’s overall 2012 operating budget is $113.4 million, including a reserve of $10.8 million.

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    • I am trying to figure out how you can host an event of this magnitude and still come up $810K short……….and my head hurts!

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