IS IT TRUE? January 20, 2012

IS IT TRUE that it is now halfway through January and the newest incarnation of the Evansville Redevelopment Commission has finally taken its first official duty to elect officers?…that the ERC has elected multiple board appointment holder and recent member of the consolidation committee Ed Hafer as its president?…that returning member Sara Miller and the holder of the ERC flame for financial competence during the last 6 months or so was elected Vice President and that newcomer and relative unknown Stan Wheeler was elected as the Secretary?…that returning “NO” voter on the last hour cram through attempt to dole out a contract for the McCurdy Jay Carter and the financially competent Randy Alsman both found a way to keep their name off of the officers roster?

IS IT TRUE that nary a word was spoken about the convalescent home for bats and pigeons down by the Old National Bank that is more commonly known as the McCurdy Hotel?…that the owner of record according to the Vanderburgh County Assessor’s website is still City Centre Properties of Carmel, Indiana and that the November installment of property taxes has still not been paid?…that City Centre Properties now owes the people of this county a grand total of $10,782.09 in delinquent taxes?…that this new ERC needs to get themselves calibrated quickly to the concept of “NO TAXES NO DEAL” as any new proposals for the McCurdy are brought forward for consideration?…that the real driver of any deal is Fifth Third Bank who is holding a first mortgage on this property for a reported amount of over $1 Million?…that the first order of business for this ERC should be to unwind the unmitigated disaster that the 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 Evansville Redevelopment Commissions presided over?…that only when he City of Evansville has the capacity to enter into a contract that they can deliver on do we need to start any serious discussions about the McCurdy Hotel?…that the hole that took the previous Mayor’s Administration 3 and a half years to dig will not be filled back up in a matter of weeks or months?…that it has now been 19 days since the Winnecke Administration took office and they are just now starting to sniff around the edges of the rotting mess that the previous Administration left down at 100 SE Riverside Drive (the McCurdy Hotel)?

IS IT TRUE that we have also not heard so much as a peep about the downtown Convention Hotel that has been four long years in the dreams of some delusional people?…that we sincerely hope that this hotel eventually gets built but as many other things, now is the time for some real honest VETTING to start on the project as what was called VETTING and paid for with tax money was not really VETTING at all?…that it is possible that the Winnecke Administration is taking a deep breath and thinking before pulling this banshee back out of Pandora’s Box for an up close and personal look at what the past administration hath wrought?

IS IT TRUE that there was a very interesting disclaimer on a billboard today regarding some of the charitable work of one of the utilities that serves California’s Coachella Valley?…that the message read “this support provided by the ratepayers and administered by Southern California Edison”?…that like what was supported or not that it is entirely appropriate for this utility to acknowledge that the RATEPAYERS are the people and businesses that make the payments that the utility chooses to place and administer?…that it makes one wonder if the RATEPAYERS get the tax deduction for the charitable contributions that are made by a check on the account of the utility?

IS IT TRUE that when people go onto the website of the City County Observer and make insulting and derogatory remarks that every effort will be made to ban such comment posters from ever posting again AND when such comments cross the line of harassment or threatening that these comments will be turned over to law enforcement officers?…that some people who make posts do not have much common sense or basic courtesy?…that we did have some words with people over being derogatory toward Councilwoman Missy Mosby a few weeks ago and that the person who has been directing such things at someone else recently is no better that those who were unnecessarily vulgar and derogatory toward Ms. Mosby?