IS IT TRUE February 5, 2015

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IS IT TRUE the Old National Bank, that recently burst the bubble of the Winnecke Administration by revealing that they can pay no more than the real value of the naming rights of the building formerly known as The Centre has announced yet another action designed to enhance the bottom line of their operation?…this time, ONB is closing some of its branches and selling others which will most likely fatten the profits but put some people out of work?…that is all well and good in the private world of a for-profit business and it is to be expected as the bank’s job is to manage the shareholder’s return to the max?…the real question is who in the heck was taken in by the whole overpaying for naming rights scheme in the first place?…whomever fell for that one must not know a darn thing about running a shareholder owned bank?

IS IT TRUE it is now February and we are all waiting on baited breath to see the new renderings for the downtown convention hotel with a new price for the stick built structure that is being planned?…odds on the street are about even that a $36 Million price can be achieved for a hotel that will be worth no more than $24 Million when it is opened?…the real question that should be asked by the City Council is whether or not what gets presented is what they voted to spend $20 Million for?

IS IT TRUE that Democrats, Independents and Republicans, young and old, rich and poor, black and white and from inside and outside of the 4th Ward of Evansville came together to witness City Councilwoman Constance Robinson file for her 6th term in office? …that the mood was celebratory as more than 100 plus people gathered and created an energy that was palpable? …that office holders, past and present, and candidates in attendance included Alex Burton, Dan Adams, Anna Melcher, Al Lindsey, Misty Hart, Stephen Melcher, Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley, Russell Lloyd, Jr.,       Z Tuley and Brad Ellsworth? …that also present were Democratic party pillars, including Reverend Adrian Brooks, who was announced as Mrs. Robinson campaign Chairman, Mike Woods, Gail Riecken Campaign Manager, City Attorney Scott Danks, Ron Riecken,  Katie Riecken,  Louise Williams, Neil Woods,  Matthew Neville and Fred Cook? …that Councilwoman Robinson had the crowd cheering over her statement that she would continue to fight for those who had no voice ….that it was clear from those in attendance that the Democrats in the 4th Ward are united, excited and poised to turn out in mass to vote in the upcoming Primary Election?  …that we were surprised to that City Council members Missy Mosby,  Jonathan Weaver,  City Clerk Laura Windhorst and union bosses were missing in action at this event?  …Councilman Friend and O’Daniel informed Mrs. Robinson that they attend her event because of a prior business comminment?

IS IT TRUE that the open gym time at the C. K. Newsome Center has been suspended until further notice in the aftermath of the shots fired incident that happened two weeks ago?…it is also being transmitted that drug trafficking has been going on in the community center and that marijuana has been reported to have been smoked brazenly in front of everyone during open gym time?…it seems as though the former safe haven of sport and civic gatherings has declined into a den of drugs and violence?…what is a shame is that a vast majority of the people who use the facility are fine people who do not carry on illegal activities, but who also seem to have an aversion to turning in the perpetrators who are ruining it for everyone?

IS IT TRUE that bankers are normally nervous when the administration suggests reducing funding for the Small Business Administration, one of the few government agencies they genuinely like? For fiscal year 2016, the Obama administration contemplates a $701 million budget for the SBA, less than the $733 million Congress granted it for the current year?…with small business being touted as the backbone of the economy and start-ups being the job creators of the future it is an oddity that President Obama would cut $31 Million from the previous budget for the SBA?…perhaps if the Obama Administration would ride herd on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to finish the regulations to allow crowd funding like they promised to do by January 2013 (2 years ago) in the Jobs Act of 2012, SBE loans would not be as vital to growing a small business into a big business as they currently are?

IS IT TRUE the EPD stated that three people have been arrested in connection with a robbery last week and they believe the suspects could be responsible for other crimes in the area?..the alleged theft ring of Kelly Emerson, Christy Mercer, and Dakota Stoneberger all face charges related to the crimes of attempted robbery, battery, and criminal confinement?…it all started with the robbery of the AA Hobby shop on Franklin Street where someone was victimized by a knife to his neck from behind while another perp tied his wrists together?…the suspects were caught on camera stealing silver coins and apprehended after selling them to a jewelry store in Newburgh?…every theft ring needs a place to fence stolen things whether it is a local government official in Union County, KY or an opportunistic shopkeeper or recycler?…the best policy is not to buy things that seem completely out of the realm of reality for the person offering to sell them for a song?

IS IT TRUE that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler unveiled a proposal that would subject mobile and fixed broadband providers to utility-like regulations on how they treat traffic over their networks?…the proposed rules would change broadband Internet access from a lightly regulated information service to a more strictly overseen telecommunications service?… the FCC would use that new authority to ban broadband providers from blocking, slowing down or speeding up specific websites in exchange for payment. The proposal is aimed at satisfying proponents of net neutrality?…this proposal would essentially set up broadband providers in a format that mirrors how the regulated monopoly of utilities are now managed?…if the satisfaction of American consumers with the utility rates nationwide are any indication of the future of broadband service, it does not bode well for consumers?…on the other hand cell phone and broadband providers have consolidated to the point of effective monopoly anyway so maybe this is worth consideration?

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84 COMMENTS

  1. … the FCC would use that new authority to ban broadband providers from blocking, slowing down or speeding up specific websites in exchange for payment.
    Will someone please tell me the difference in this an the way I can pay more an get a faster connection? I pay about double the lowest rate for three times the speed. I had to do this to view some companies streaming videos without lag. But there is something wrong with the same companies paying more so I do not.

  2. ONB stock has taken a beating in the last month. More so than the general market.

      • JoeBiden

        Who Don’t you read the Editors IIT before asking a stupid question ?

        • I don’t trust politicians….on any level. The black hole where the hotel should be has been there for awhile now. And Brinkerhoff Riley is so spaced out she may climb the fence and fall in…in a druken stupor lol

  4. County Commissioners were responsible for the dealings of the naming rights of the county owned Centre.
    They was giving free, the proceeds of that deal to the city.

    County Commissioners need to void this deal. The 30 years of ONB free tickets, free building events, plus naming rights at a agreed price range is not being honored per the agreement. Would the correct term be that the Commissioners need to “foreclose” on Old National Bank!

    • Interesting, Armstrongres, although I seem to remember CCO indicating ONB had not made any actual payments for the naming rights. Anyway, if the _______ Centre is county owned, how does any of it’s revenue go to the city?

      • The County Commissioners agreed to give the City the proceeds of the ONB deal toward its share of the hotel costs. The theoretical hotel would theoretically benefit the _____________________ Centre.

      • Was a agreement between the county and city government. County government
        would have some skin in this, beings the Centre ties into this “convention” package.

        • Yes. The City agreed to bond $20 million. 3.5 million was on behalf of the County. County Council passed a resolution to use county dollars and Innkeeper tax funds (CVB) to pay $350k to the City every year for 10 years. However, this was when ONB was going to enter into a partnership with HCW and sell shares of that partnership to investors. That did not work out. The naming rights contract with the County Commissioners came after our vote, the CVB vote, the County Council vote, and the partnership agreement fell through. I still don’t know how that contract effects the $350k a year for 10 years. This money was one of the reasons I voted for the bond. The projected property taxes on the development and these funds would have just about covered the bond payment for the first 10 years.

  5. You’re right about that, “Arm”! It would be interesting to see which side of this issue each County Commissioner comes down on. The sign with its name on it is all ONB should get for what they’re paying, and all the “perks” should be pulled.

    • Could the reduced property tax on ONB be that same money that ONB was going to give towards the
      naming rights? Basically a freebee to the bank and the city, at the monetary cost to the county government?

    • Thanks for the link Press
      I am not talented with figures and forms but to me it appears Dewey was paid nearly $130,000 for the year?
      And all this reader has heard from her is crying and whining. What a waste.

      The rest is better left to others to interpret.
      Again: Thanks! …

      • I did notice that while “Grants & Contributions” were down nearly $70,000 this year from last, yet the “Salaries” were up by about the same amount.

      • I think Cheryl Musgrave is on the right track in seeking more information and getting it out to the taxpaying public. That is why I posted this IRS form.

        Of course the commission Musgrave sits on is probably the biggest abuser of taxpayer dollars in the region, and should be abolished, in my opinion. I still have to respect her efforts for more transparency in local government.

        It was the lack of any will by local politicians to stop their commissions’ out of control spending that allowed these redevelopment commissions to bankrupt the state of California and prompted Governor Jerry Brown to abolish them in his state. It is what happens when you give local Chambers the keys to the city treasury, willingly or through coercion. Unfortunately we have not yet learned our lesson here in Evansville, and with all the proposed projects, some would say pipe dreams, floating around, we most certainly could be staring at municipal bankruptcy in the future.

        • Leadership Evansville – that’s Sara Daviess (now deceased) and Mary Durkin’s foray, right?

    • Notice a $318,000 building rental. Where does this direct to? Is this the
      normal going rate?

  7. Pull the naming rights now. ONB ought to be ashamed of themselves, but they’ve shown they have no conscience before so they are unashamed. Ethics mean nothing in a capitalist society. We’re all slaves to the dirty dollar.

    • Ghost, you promised to move away once you found a “job”. How’s that working out?

      • You’ve got it wrong my man. Saving for moving expenses. It’s slow going with RTW wages. That you, Bob Jones?

  8. This really makes me mad when I think of the ONB deal. They ONB needs to fork over the money with interest ASAP. If not the sign should come down and people need to stop calling it the ONB events Center and start calling it the “Center” once again. Did ONB screw over the county?

    • The county screwed itself, and Marsha Abell was the chief screwer. ONB just sat there and watched her hand them the keys to The Centre.

  9. IS IT TRUE – “the real question is who in the heck was taken in by the whole overpaying for naming rights scheme in the first place?”
    ~b~ It seems to me that the only people fooled by the bank’s offer … was anyone who translated “up to 14 million” as meaning anything but bare minimum. These people would be the Mayor the Council and perhaps the developers. This reader saw through this bank favoring loophole … from the get-go.

    _____

    IS IT TRUE – “the real question that should be asked by the City Council is whether or not what gets presented is what they voted to spend $20 Million for?”
    ~b~ Any Council member who feigns ignorance about this classic BAIT AND SWITCH better take some serious acting lessons. A vote to commit 20 million dollars towards a non-public-equity Cracker-Box Hotel that will be worth 24 million when and if completed is political suicide. …

    _____

    “IS IT TRUE that Democrats, Independents and Republicans, young and old, rich and poor, black and white and from inside and outside of the 4th Ward of Evansville came together to witness City Councilwoman Constance Robinson file for her 6th term in office?”

    ~b~ IT IS TRUE – that Connie is a powerful force in local governance. I trust that she will not back away from her efforts to rescind the 20 million dollar commitment to the Convention Hotel. She has brains … she has backbone … she has my support. …

    • Bubba, All those celebs coming to witness Ms Robinson’s filing. It is called lining up to kiss her, lets say ring.

    • ” A vote to commit 20 million dollars towards a non-public-equity Cracker-Box Hotel that will be worth 24 million when and if completed is political suicide. …”

      “Cracker box hotel,” and that next to the “jiffy pop arena”, bridge to nowhere, and the less than centered Centre . They should have never tried to stuff that puny arena in on the completely useless logistical valuation they’ve created over the years in that old downtown zombie zone.

      That’s never going to work out for the funding recovery of anything. Terrible placement, and if the IU site goes forward it’ll just get worse for usable logistic accesses on any given day.
      Anybody looking in can clearly see the demise. Pretty easy fix, however our analytics
      group seems to think most of the Evansville metro areas legacy cronies cabal wouldn’t approve so much.

      lo·gis·tics
      ləˈjistiks
      noun
      the detailed coordination of a complex operation involving many people, facilities, or supplies.
      “the logistics and costs of a vaccination campaign”
      synonyms: organization, planning, plans, management, arrangement, administration, orchestration, coordination, execution, handling, running
      “the logistics of deploying assets on the correct site”

      As the world turns and downtown Evansville’s poor infrastructure churns some areas will sustain growth, others like old downtown will remain a logistical nightmare.

      You need a realistic plan, first in, get the 20 million back under your city councils
      control again.

      Ædificate Climatico*

    • “up to 14 million” as meaning anything but bare minimum.
      Since there is no minimum in the contract, zero could be legal!

      • WAIT A MINUTE Joe Biden…….is what Obama said a lie?

        Is his statement inaccurate?

        Joe Biden…..I don’t think you’ll disagree with the specific statement….exactly as it was stated.

        And the Breitbart article DID NOT criticize Christianity…..YOU ARE MISREPRESENTING (in fact lying).

        Obama criticized religious extremism.

    • POTUS is right, you know. How many “witches” have “Christians” burned at the stake? Religious extremists of all faiths are dangerous.
      I believe it was Thomas Paine who said something to effect that a person who worships a cruel god is a cruel person.
      Btw, Breitbart is one of the most ridiculous “sources of information” on the internet.

      • I find it humorous how you 100% of the time choose to toss hollow dispersions at the messengers you disagree with as if you closing the door on their credibility is to be taken as a voice on high for others to discount them. Rather self absorbed are we ?

      • In the real world, radical Islamic terrorists are slaughtering Christians, Jews and some other Muslim’s that are deemed not extreme enough. The liberal left reacts to this real world Jihad horror by criticizing Christianity for killing for their religion during the Crusades. This is the same liberal left that called American Sniper Chris Kyle a coward and the folks that see the movie as nuts with anger issues.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNQt33-iOMs

        • All religions are equally stupid. Right wing religious extremists are all equally evil, whether they kill in the name of Muhammed, Christ, flying spaghetti monster, whomever. You’re a religious extremist too and without good governance here your kind would execute non believers, homosexuals, adulters, shrimp eaters, etc. Stop blaming “them damn liberals” for your made up war on Christianity and stop playing the victim card. There is no war on christmas, christians, etc that fox news uses to manufacture stories to keep window licking idiots like you watching. Just pop in the VHS of Red Dawn and relax and dream about the commies coming for you.

        • Right. There have been no murders committed in the name of Christianity since the Crusades.

          • Do we dare to bring “cults” into the equation?
            History Channel has the “Nazi Gospels” on now.
            Are not Cults a mutant break off of the various religious
            of the world?

          • Well except during the Inquisition, the Conquests of Mexico, Central America, and South America, the Salem Witch Trials, Slavery in the South, and Manifest Destiny.

          • We’re surprised the diversions always stray your fire off, Don’t ever be that easy. Listen stay on your local issues that’s the primary screwing anything there that must be funded deals with.
            So, the other topics are brought up as pure shit winged diversion of the look in focus of value with the local bents. The Crusades? Seriously ?

            Our groups advise, stay focused on your presence of mind right now, and the money that sets that one way or another. Leave the rest of the world to sort their shit out as it comes. Yours bubbles into the street every time it rains a little bit.
            Focus on that because it does drive the real focus on you.

          • LKB, “Right. There have been no murders committed in the name of Christianity since the Crusades.” Correct…almost… There is no Christian jihad, and neither were the crusades.

      • LKB, What the Christians did many many years ago can in no way justify what the Islamic terrorist are doing. There is an old saying that two wrongs do not make a right.

        • Wrong COWBOY:

          ISIS’s primary justification for killing everybody (Sunnis, Shia, Christians, Jews, Japanese) because of payback for the Crusades….they’re doing it because they say their religion says it’s ok to do that.

          • It’s really sad how much the liberal left despises the American military and American values. They try to compare the United States to the murderous barbarian Islamic terrorists. Unfortunately there are more Michael Moore types out there than real Americans could have imagined.

        • Shem, What i was trying to say is just because someone did it before doesn’t make it okay for someone else to do it.

        • You’re putting words in my mouth. I didn’t say, mean, imply what you attributed to me. The slaughter of innocents is NEVER justified. But if you’re looking for an worn out adage to suit the matter, how about the one about glass houses and rocks? Murder in the name of a deity is just part of fanaticism. Always has been, always will be.

      • POTUS is wrong and it is insulting that at a prayer breakfast he would choose to minimumize the atrocities of these terrorist by sticking his finger in the eyes of Christians.

        Do you really believe that those midevil atrocities were committed by men representing Christ, the Jesus Who Himself was executed by a religious mob? Even when wickedness held control over the church the church was able to self correct because of the Gospel of peace which guides it. What exist in Islamic teaching that will self correct ISIS? That a man may pleasure himself between the thighs of a baby girl nursing at her mother’s breast?

        And when the right Reverend Wright was preaching the pro Islamic sermon about 911 being America’s roosters coming home to roost, why didn’t the POTUS to be feel enough indignation for the innocent 3,000 killed to leave the right reverend’s fold?

        Pointing at centuries old atrocities and dragging them forward to make a comparative accusation against Christianity hardly dispels the rumors that Obama holds alliance to Islam.

        • The Romans killed Jesus in a formal State execution. They swiftly killed anyone that might represent a person to rally around and who was perceived as an alternative leader to Roman authority. John the Baptist…same reason. Made an example of them. It wasn’t a mob killing. (That doesn’t mean Jesus didn’t have others in his community who felt threatened by him. He did. But Romans killed him.)

  11. What do you expect…this whole hotel deal was marred from the get-go…when Barnimus-Barley a/k/a HCW specifically Rick Huffman blows into town without a business plan and perhaps only two nickels in his pocket as alleged….Winnecke negotiated hard and fast over a six month period resulting in the project going from 86 million to 71 million but the amount of money the City agreed to toss in the pot NEVER changed…there is one thing for SURE Evansville is the laughing stock of the Midwest..four ground breaking ceremonies so many that new shovels had to be acquired…perhaps the hotel deals needs to be tabled until we see what is really required for this IU Med…you can be assured whatever the original cost it will be 20% higher because IN-BED Ed has his fingerprints all over the damned thing…AND how reckless can Winnecke be by agreeing to purchase D-Pat for a tidy sum of 8.4 million without truly knowing the final outcome at the State Level…just more of the same. incompetence and ..remember Earthcare?

    • Hopefully someone on the City Council will have the balls to really move forward with a resolution to defund this “marred” deal as you call it. I wouldn’t bet on it.

    • Wondering if the D-Pat deal is a complete done deal. Granted the houses being torn down at the
      new site can not be changed. Can the purchase contract of D-Pat property downtown be receded?

      • I think D-Pat is a done deal, but the “convention hotel” is clearly not, and I don’t trust public money in the hands of our very, very frightened mayor. I, too, would like to see City Council rescind the cash until they see the plans and know what it would appraise for.

    • To … Dead and Grateful for it
      IMHO:
      The thing is … there were some very well connected insiders that have been waiting to cash-in since before the downtown arena was shoe-horned onto the wrong spot. This was likely 80% of the reason that Downtown Evansville was pressed as the preferred location for the Med School. The fact that the school will never be built
      is secondary to the payoff scheme.
      That’s what the thing is. …

  12. Hey POV,

    You said, “I agree, get off this same sex marriage thing.”

    And I say:

    POV, no way. Because it’s not about same-sex marriage. (And…I confess I don’t understand same-sex relationships, but I accept it. Real people with DNA different than mine. I’m not scared of that. But they are still citizens with equal access guaranteed by the US Constitution.)

    IT IS ABOUT religious extremists deciding their beliefs trump the law, a clear problem and danger to society. The same-sex marriage issue is merely an example of that problem.

  13. Diversion’s brought too you by riverside Sammy. Yep, more machined flotsam sported, just divert the subject matter away from the local political machined vapors, as usual . Like the dude that farts on the elevator and wrinkles his nose and looks straight at the poor accosted fellow in front of him.

    Oh mon! ce qui est cette odeur?

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