IS IT TRUE JANUARY 5, 2016

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IS IT TRUE we hear that a female of color with a degree in Law shall announce that she will be a candidate for the State Representative  District 77 seat now held by Gail Riecken?

IS IT TRUE do you know anybody that was paid $625,000 for making a one hour speech to a group of political “FAT CATS”?  …we do and her name is Hillary Clinton?

IS IT TRUE that Wall St. “Fat Cats” think a one-hour speech is worth $650,000 of their not-so-hard-earned money? …Hillary Clinton agreed with them and wants us to believe no strings are attached to such an outrageous fee paid to her?  …we say bull s—- to that?

IS IT TRUE that on December 17, 2015 the State Board of Accounts held an audit exit conference to discuss the audit of the City of Evansville’s financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2014.

IS IT TRUE that according to State Law the all audits must posted on the public website of the State Board of Accounts within 45 days of exit conferences.

IS IT TRUE that last Monday was the 46th day after the City of Evansville’s  SBOA  audit exit conference.

IS IT TRUE the CCO inspected the State Board of Accounts website on Wednesday, February 3rd the 47th day after the exit conference and the City of Evansville’s December 31, 20-14 audit has not been posted.

IS IT TRUE that if the City of Evansville’s books and records are so clean according to the Mayor and his City Controller why does it take one year and two months for the people to really know the findings of the State Board of Accounts audit of the City of Evansville?

IS IT TRUE that the filing deadline for the local and state elections is noon today?

IS IT TRUE  that we are really looking forward to this coming election season?  …for the first time in many years we are extremely pleased to see qualified candidates challenging long term office holders?

IS IT TRUE that the Republican presidential field is thinning and likely will thin some more after the New Hampshire primary?

Todays “Readers Poll” question is “Do you feel that a one hour speech is worth $625,000? 

Copyright 2015 City County Observer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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149 COMMENTS

  1. Hillary is a shrewd politician and unfortunately Sanders refuses to take her to task on her cozy relationship with Wall St swine. She shredded him in that debate last night. I’d still rather have Hillary than that nut Cruz, but I’m disappointed in Sanders because now after last night I don’t think he can really win this thing.

    • I, too, am a Bernie backer who will vote for Hillary unenthusiastically if she is the Demo candidate. I disagree with you about Bernie’s performance in the debate. She is the lone candidate who was “booed” and she did that with her own “artful smear” comment.
      The truth is that Bernie is not the polished debater she is, but I think he has a great sense of timing. If this thing turns too ugly too soon, it will fatigue the voters and lessen turnout, which is vital to Sanders. I look for South Carolina to be a different story. There is at least one instance in which Hillary appears to have sold access when Bill was president. Can you imagine how much influence he would peddle if she were president? Don’t misunderstand, he did a lot for the country when he was president, but the Clintons do love money!

        • I-E:
          Bernie’s math doesn’t work. It’s a good point.
          Primaries are full of politicians saying “red meat” things that inspire the “could care less if it’s true” passionate wolves is nothing new. Ted Cruz does the same thing when he says he “will bomb ISIS until the sand glows.” Many of the passionate “Bernie backers” don’t care these things aren’t true. They share this w/ the Cruz/Trump followers.

        • O’Malley never had any “juice”. He is running for VP, and that is futile, too. If Hillary is the nominee, her running mate will likely be one of the Castros, probably Joaquin. There are rumors that Tulsi Gabbard will be Bernie’s running mate. Both of those choices seem strong to me, although a Socialist Jew and a Hindu may be a problem for some people. I haven’t given up on the idea that Elizabeth Warren may run with him.

          Bernie’s math works a lot better than many people think. There is a link I have somewhere to a detailed explanation of how he would pay for his plans, and if I have time to find it I will post it here.

          • If you call adding $18trillion to our national debt working, then his math works. The CBO does not think so. And I can’t see adding Warren’s “it’s the government’s money first” philosophy woul djust fuel the “Bern” to explosive debt and size of government. I really could care less what one’s religion is. Some of the worst employees and business associations I have had have been Christian, and one of the best was Muslim. I do always find it odd that those who say some might have a problem with it seem to often be the one’s that have problems with Christianity. So if you’re hinting that I might be one of your “some ones,” I am not. I don’t choose candidates or anyone by their religion, race, gender, sexual preferences or party. I prefer conservative constitutionalist who will lower the burden of government and taxes. That is hard to find in red or blue.

          • Good to see you back posting at the CP Enoch. Your comments on the Indiana gay rights article was right on the money, for you.

          • You can just go to BernieSanders.com if you are interested in debunking the lie about adding $18 billion to the national debt. I doubt you will, because I think you want to stick with the lies. As for the comment about a Socialist Jew and a Hindu, you give yourself too much credit. I was actually referring to the hundreds of thousands of ignorant bigots who feed off crazy websites, like InfoWars and Breibart, but if that is who you identify with that is your business.

          • You are behind the times. The Castro who will be running for Vice-President with either Comrades Hillary or Bernie will be Fidel, who is coming out of retirement. Comrade Maduro has graciously offered to bring his successful Venezuelan socialist paradigm to the US as the next Secretary of Commerce.

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

          • Actually LKB, I love to hear from the other side, and you rfonts would be better spent correcting me than guessing who I identify with.

            What I found was this article. http://www.businessinsider.com/bernie-sanders-wsj-18-trillion Basically it is full of speculation, platitudes, and the same wishful thinking presented as promises that gave us the ACA. I find articles like this one to be more realistic. http://www.centralmaine.com/2016/02/06/the-unsustainable-national-debt/

            What it comes to between us is if you see the national debt as dangerous or not. If not, then how much more can we add to it? Will Bernie, or any candidate lower it or add to it? If the $18trillion is wrong, then what is the right number? Can we add $9trillion to the debt and not harm economic growth? I say we can’t and Sanders free stuff will add more to it then the debt doubling under Obama.

            Actually, the one who has the best tax reform idea is Huckabee.

        • IE – it would be interesting to see a poll like this once we get down to the final candidates without names, photos or party affiliation exposed to see whom voters more closely relate to. I bet the results would be eye opening for many….

      • ‘… but the Clintons do love money!’

        Yes they do and they’ve got plenty of it. Her pat answer to that huge speaking fee question shouldn’t be the end of it. I suspect it wasn’t just ‘what they offered’ but was negotiated, probably down from a higher figure.

        Bill is likely currently selling access to The Hildebeast on an ‘if come/pre-pay’ basis at a slight discount. If they don’t reassume squatterage at the White House he still gets to keep the money. (‘Hey, she’s 20% off this week, access to The Beast isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, believe me’).

        That said, she’s highly qualified to be president and will be getting my vote assuming she is nominated. She’s a much better choice than any of the dangerous bigots running as Republicans.

        • …….An apt description of “somewhat flawed” but nonetheless highly qualified, highly prepared, highly talented and proven-performer, Hillary Clinton.

  2. “a female of color”? Really? REALLY? Is she Native American, Asian American, African American, or someone with one of those weird self-inflicted orange tans?

    • Yeah, I wondered about that too. Unless we’re an albino, all humans have color. And using that term only continues to perpetuate sterotypes. Poor choice of terms CCO. It would be better to have written “female with a degree in law”. Or was the CCO implying there’s something special about someone’s ethnicity?

      And disaffected, there is no such thing as a “Native American”. “Aboriginal” or “indiginous” yes, “native”, no.

      • I think you probably ought to search “Native American”. It is a “coined term”, but it is accepted usage.

      • “degree in law” turned me off pretty quick. There are some good people with law degrees. My brother-in-law is one of those. They do exist. An endangered species, but like big foot, they do exist.

      • I read the other day that white people are the only true people of color. We turn brown in the sun, red when sunburned or embarrassed, pink when feeling good, green when sick, and blue when we die.

  3. An interesting day yesterday. I went to lunch, saw a few friends, and the subject of the federal audit concerning the hardest hit funds came up. Out of the blue someone produced a business card of one of the so called auditors. It was that of a FBI investigator. I’m not to savy on these things, try to stay off the LEO radar, but audit seems to be a bit of an understatement. If it was me I would be claiming the two fifths, one that protects me from self incrimination, and the other to sooth my nerves.

    • INDIANA ENOCH:
      ……Really…? This really happened? What a story! Wildly interesting.
      This is, and will be, the BEST post of the day here…..on the ground feedback! Thanks I-E.

      The possible (maybe even alleged) misuse of federal funds from the TARP program to clear homes for the Car Dealership, homes “promptly designated” as blighted, is a “serious” pending matter. The SIGTARP letter from the US Treasury used that word “serious,” by the way. And let’s be clear, DMD Coures has acknowledged – IN THE C&P!!- that indeed these homes, some of which were occupied by residents, were promptly designated, or suddenly re-labeled as blighted, in order to qualify for the use of the TARP program funds. And Coures has further acknowledged (in the C&P again..!) that he leveraged those program funds for the Car Dealership knowing the program funds were not intended to be used for such a use, but that since the rules didn’t specifically prohibit such a tactic, he thought he could do it. Local official using federal funds for use other than what was intended….this is the thing that catches Federal attention.

      • Yes, it really happened. I have no idea what the implications might be, but certainly piques one’s interest.

      • Don,
        This is a funny one. A local politician told me it was Obama’s fault for not providing more oversight. Yes, the money was appropriated to help people stay in their homes but the Indiana Republicans spent millions of it on their special interest. It was not the fault of the people who knowingly misused the Money but Obama and the Federal Government for not having better oversight. Is this stupid or have I lost my mind?

        • George: a Republican would blame Obama if a bird shit on his head. It’s just what they do.

          • I have never thought the assignment of blame is a good way to spend time and energy. The bottom line is that this money was misused, Evansville is worse off for it, and D-Pat is better off for it. That is topped off by the fact that none of the leadership gives a rat’s butt about it.

          • If what I saw carries any weight, the government might be looking to assign some blame. But it’s not going to put the milk back in the glass.

          • Bob,
            I thought I was a republican. I have been in Evansville just over 2 years and now I am confused. I guess I am more tolerant than most. The D and R thing is confusing locally. Is there lead in the water here? I thought the extremest were taking over in the middle east. Starting to look like they have taken over the USA.

        • George:
          Ha! A bad, and transparent, spin attempt.
          THIS IS WHERE THIS IS GOING: Evansville city/county administrators leveraged the Evansville Brownfield Corp to clear the “high value” Car Dealership land, and the SIGTARP attention to that mis-step only reinforced the need for a new Land Bank. A new land bank would not be encumbered by such SIGTARP restrictions.
          And a Land Bank is not necessarily a bad thing. It does help expedite onerous and expensive processes to returning non-performing properties to the tax rolls.
          BUT……THE RULES for the Land Bank’s acquisition and disposition of those properties….is the penultimate key. The Land Bank…..can operate in an unfettered way to help “select constituencies” aggregate large blocks of land for future development by closing out “less than preferred” constituencies from gaining access to those properties. It is a wealth building opportunity for those “select constituencies” who POWERED the re-election of Evansville politicians in the last election. And those Parties seeking to establish the Land Bank, and more specifically, establish the RULES IT IS EMPOWERED WITH….well, THIS is the moral hazard. Those new Land Bank property acquisition and disposition rules will determine if “select parties” will be conducting business in an “arms-length” manner, or a suspicious “less than arms length” corrupt manner.

          • The problem is there is just too many people sticking their nose in where it should not be. Very few people are as educated as Kelly Coures and the Brownfields gang in knowing what should be done with property in vanderburgh county. The Brownfields has experience in how to develop property and put profits in peoples pockets. I will be showing some examples of that in the comming months. Now Starting a new land Bank may not be a bad Idea but I do not see anything wrong the the land banks we had before the Brownfields. There is also a new law in the legislature, as we speak, to create municipal land banks. Of course like the tax reform that DID PASS AND IS BEING IGNORED to promote the Brownfields – I am sure that Vanderburgh County officials will be claiming we must go a route all to our own so the special interest can survive.

          • New arrival. I have never blamed the issues on one party or the other for any reason other than to stir the pot and bring attention to the issue that we have resources that would make Evansville a better place for all if we could get the special interest from getting every last dime. The special interest are from both parties (if there are two parties here) and I think they need to practice transparency rather than preach it. Does not matter if we jail a Republican, Democrat, Republican posing as a democrat, or a Democrat posing as a republican.

        • Excellent, Mr. Lumley. We must remember not to mention the fact that the car dealer in question is owned by a family with long-standing involvement in Democratic politics. That would complicate the issue of blaming the Indiana Republicans.

          Have you made any progress on your investigation of far eastside Republican evil-doers surreptitiously hauling their trash downtown and dumping it there?

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

      • BTW I have a picture of the card but covered the name. I am really not one to swat swat hornet’s nest, but find them interesting to watch.

        • Why would you cover the name on the card?

          I’d like to see redacted photo you say you took of that card and hear a little more about somebody ‘producing it out of the blue’. Feel free to post ‘er up.

          • Because the person showing me the card asked me to.

            You no longer have the credibility to demand anything of me after your hateful FB bi polar tirad on LKB’s post. Sorry

          • ‘You no longer have the credibility to demand anything of me after your hateful FB bi polar tirad on LKB’s post. Sorry’ ~~ Enochhio

            I had no such ‘bi polar tirad [sic]’ on LKB’s ‘post’. That is just the latest (as of 1:14 p.m. 2/5/17) thing that you’ve made up and posted for the truth. In any event, I wasn’t demanding anything of you, just asking to see the alleged card. I do wonder what kind of person would confide anything to you, someone who has no compunction about breaching confidences or making things up.

            I don’t speak for Laura but as far as I know you were banned from her site for trying to take it over with your bigoted views. I remember her gently and politely warning you at least twice, causing you to double down and proceed to tell her how her page should be run, before … poof.

            I guess we’ll have to take your word for the business card. I’m hoping you can prove you did actually take the alleged card’s portrait by posting a copy. It is an interesting story, whether true or not. A couple of other people have expressed interest in seeing it. Big allegations require at least a modicum of proof. Sorry Enoch, you’re word isn’t good enough.

          • Yeah yeah, it wasn’t you. What part of I am through with your latent racism and tantrums did you not get Bandana?

          • Nothing latent about your racism Enoch, you’ve made it plain for all to see. You don’t know me and wouldn’t say those things to my face. I used to feel sorry for you because of the poor hand you drew. Now I see you’re just a bitter little guy trying to leverage his meager advertising dollar, showing his cowardice by saying things he’d never say in person.

        • So I should not show the cards? I do not recall them telling me not to disclose anything when they offered to enroll me in the their “Identity Protection Program”. I declined their offer and said I wanted to be known. Feedback from a running candidate indicates there is more than one investigation. I thought it was the same investigation – just expanding the Scope after they saw what the local officials here were capable of doing.

  4. That $625,000 that Goldman Sachs paid Hlliary for a speech was an operating expense for them that reduced their taxes by about $200,000. The fee was paid into Hillary’s foundation which is tax exempt meaning she paid no taxes on her excessive fee. What this means to American taxpayers is that WE paid Hillary $200,000 to speak to those fat cats and they paid her the other $425,000.

    In any world other than politics that may constitute theft or money laundering.

  5. The CCO, both here and in the IIT today, announced it’s coverage of the 2016 Election Cycle.

    I think one of the important distinctions the City County Observer can/should demand for prospective Democratic candidates in Vanderburgh County is:
    1. Why are you running as a Democrat instead of a Republican?
    2. How is being a Democrat any different than being a Republican in this race?
    3. How, as a Democrat, are you any different – OTHER THAN qualifications for the office – than your Republican opponent? Is there any difference between you because of you are a Democrat? What is it?

  6. “Do you feel that a one hour speech is worth $625,000”
    Worth is between the buyer and seller. I may think my art work is worth $1000 but until a buyer pays me a $1000 it is worthless. The paying for the goods or services determines the worth. Once again I am forced to defend a person I do not think much of. Hillarys speech was worth $625,000 because Goldman Sachs paid Hlliary. I would not pay her $6.25 for a speech but i am not the one hiring her.

    • (……SD’s summary here is nearly EXACTLY what Hillary’s response to this question was on Wednesday’s CNN Town Hall event. “Well, that’s what they offered.”)

    • The point is that Goldman Sachs thought they were putting money in the pocket of the next president. That is the reason I won’t vote for her.

      • Pork Chop:
        The billionaire Koch Brothers (industry, forests, raw materials, manufacturing, paper products, investment banking) are pouring money into Marco Rubio. Does your standard also apply to him?

        • Mr. Becker, Marco Rubio is not conservative enough, especially on his prior immigration position. I like Ted Cruz.

          • Ahem. JOE BIDEN.
            Have you not listened to Rush Limbaugh this week?
            Rush Limbaugh has decided, suddenly, that Marco Rubio IS a Conservative.
            And Rush Limbaugh has decided, suddenly, that Marco Rubio IS NOT part of the GOP Establishment.
            (A fat man with a microphone is scared Ted Cruz can’t beat Hillary, in spite of all the past criticisms of Rubio being “establishment” and “for immigration reform” and his being part of the gang of eight and not being conservative enough. )

            So….you are wrong JB, apparently.

          • Mr. Becker, Rush Limbaugh is a middle of the road conservative like Shean Hannity. While Rush and Hannity are very entertaining and make many good points, I much prefer Mark Levin for a real conservative viewpoint.

  7. Feeling the Bern. Sanders: “I do believe we need a political revolution where millions of people stand up and say loudly and clearly that our country belongs to all of us and not just a handful of wealthy campaign contributors”
    On the death penalty.
    “I just don’t want to see government be part of killing,” Sanders
    Bernie Sanders: “One can’t predict the future.”
    “Every major country on Earth … has managed to provide health care to all people as a right and they are spending significantly less per capita than we are.”

    • Stonedreamer, we have much better care here in this country. When I go down to the hospital on Mary street (a non profit) I know i will get good treatment because the Administrator makes over $900,000 a year. The more you pay people the better care we will have. Food, shelter, and health care. We are getting everything we need without socialism.

      • I have friends and relatives that live in other countrys. they would disagree about whether we have better care here. I have had several health problems the last two years and have not been impressed . It is totally dependant on what your insurance will cover not on what you are your doctor thinks you need. Deductibles are in the thousands. At one time we may have had better care then other countrys but that is not the case anymore.

  8. I agree that the market rate for Hillary’s speech at Goldman Sachs was $675,000 and that they paid the price. My only problem with this is that it reduced Goldman Sachs taxes by 34% of the fee ($200,000 +\-).

    Speech fees to politicians should not be allowed as an operating expense. I am pretty sure that your average American taxpayer does not appreciate paying $200,000 for a room full of fat cats to listen to Hillary. This makes those $700 hammers look like a bargain.

    They are free to pay Hillary $10M to hear her voice if they like. I just don’t want to see our tax dollars wasted this way. I also think that once a former elected official goes to the lucrative speeking circuit, they should not be allowed to run for office again.

    • Chelsea will do speeches for a pittance, though. She only gets $65,000, which makes owning a Clinton much more affordable for the average American.

        • What is the charge for getting little Charlotte to spit up on you? Clinton bodily fluids are a big deal, you know!
          Sorry everybody, I love Bill Clinton, but I couldn’t pass up a joke!

          • The charge is impeachment, or at least that’s what happened to her granddaddy when Monica spit up on herself.

            They ‘peached’ Bill and he liked it a lot, didn’t mind it too much when they impeached him either.

  9. Remember when the news media described candidates if they were presidential timber? Now all we get with both parties are piss elm saplings.

  11. Laura, You claim:
    “I have never thought the assignment of blame is a good way to spend time and energy. The bottom line is that this money was misused, Evansville is worse off for it, and D-Pat is better off for it. That is topped off by the fact that none of the leadership gives a rat’s butt about it.”

    Maybe we should ban the word “history” and not look at any past performance when looking to the future. That seems to be the attitude with local government.

    As Indianaenoch points out it – it will not put the milk back in the glass. Hopefully it will make people think twice about pouring that milk out of the public glass and into their cronies bank account. Nothing like prosecuting a few locals to change the attitude of how they make their decisions.

    I would say the next “dpat” (brownfields land bank) has had plenty of cold water thrown on it. I suspect there is more coming. Business as usual is already changing.

    • It is the job of law enforcement to place blame in the case of a crime having been committed. I am not discounting history as a way to avoid future mistakes, either. I am simply saying that, on forums such as this, the attempt to expose who is at fault for something often becomes laborious and contentious and never seems to reach a valid conclusion. If that is how you choose to spend your time, that is your decision. Enjoy!

      • I guess I don’t belong here. I thought that was what this forum was all about. Is this not the court of public opinion?

        • Yes but continuous finger pointing does get old. It also does not solve the problems. I have always been more interested in who was going to fix the problem then who caused it. Also I notice some people would rather point a finger then give a hand. I really appreciate your work in solving our towns problems. You do not seem to mind getting your hands dirty to fix the problems. Thank you.

          • stonedreamer,
            The ones causing the problem are unlikely to fix it unless someone points a finger or spanks them. We give them the opportunity when we elect them. If they are not part of the solution, they must be part of the problem. One issue I am trying to fix is that the city needs to spend more on the code enforcement department and demolition but instead they divert the funding to things like Dpat and the Brownfields Corp special interest. I cant make them give the Code Enforcement more money but if I can stop the abuse and inappropriate gifting maybe the City will admit they have funding for basic government services. I am already paying my share for needed local government function but it appears the elected officials are giving it away to their cronies. Lets hear from the ones running for election this cycle. What do they think about the area 55 issue?

        • All I said Is that I don’t think blame placing is the be-all, end-all of a forum like this. That is my opinion only. I was simply trying to tell you that I am not going to get drawn into a time-consuming conversation on that subject, but not to necessarily interpret that as a “surrender”, because it isn’t. I just don’t place the same value on it that you do. I certainly am not trying to tell anybody they don’t “belong here”. I am just saying that I am not playing the “blame game” at the expense of other parts of an issue.

      • LKB……I am sorry.
        You have a credibility problem, an authenticity problem, and it is a fire that is roaring, and it manages to consume a piece of everything you write here.
        I am NOT picking on you.
        I’m sure, aside from this glaring contradiction, you are a sincere person wanting to make the place better.
        But you don’t want to talk about it…….and worse, you write things here pretending it isn’t true.

    • If this means a posting of that FBI investigator’s business card’s portrait is imminent, you can upload it free at postimage.org, among other places and they will provide you with a link you can put here.

      1) Scan it
      2) Upload, or uplaod if you prefer, it to a picture server like the one I suggested
      3) Wait for my apology if it meets my low standard of proof

      • Enoch,
        I’m sorry, that’s ‘postimg.org’, rather than postimage.org. Now let’s get ‘er up there.

        • That looks like “Treasury Department” to me. Not the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

          • PRESS:
            On financial matters, your skills are excellent.
            So, Press, are you not suspicious of corrupt activity with the ECB and the emerging Land Bank that the City intends to use to acquire, warehouse and dispose of thousands of land parcels?
            You’re not suspicious?

          • At least that’s the way I took it. FBI or treasury, I wouldn’t want to be on the radar of the agency the card represented.

        • Well, that’s good because you don’t have an apology coming anyway. What makes you think that covered up Treasury Department TARP investigator business card means the FBI is investigating city use of TARP funds? You apparently labeled it ‘FBI_card’ when you uploaded it, and now ‘FBI is with the name’? OK.

          Good job on putting something up anyway. Although the card, what little of it that is in evidence, looks like it’s been around. Those frayed, separating corners show signs of much fondling. I could have come up with something better than that from Google Images.

          ☛ All of the above notwithstanding, I actually believe you on this, but it is my duty to write what I wrote ☚.

          • Typical Enoch lame damage control. Made it up and caught again. I’ve seen it a hundred times.

          • You ask her. That card you posted didn’t prove anything except your continued inability to tell the truth. It is not an FBI card, as you alleged. I’d have bet on it.

          • Yes Bandana, It may only be the card of a Treasury Investigator not the FBI. You win. I will try to confirm your win if I ever see the card again. Put it in your OCD everything Enoch said file Jesus is going to need that to count my sins on judgement day.

          • Okay. But I don’t have an ‘OCD everything Enoch said file’. You impute to yourself way too much importance. Not saying you’re not worth a manila folder but not saying you are either.

            I think you saw the business card and had it pose for your phone, then, as you do, sandbagged your readership and managed to write yourself up a tree. After I submitted the picture to Photoshop ‘J. Edgar Hoover’ began to try to make its way through those cocktail napkins. The little bulldog’s name was eminently readable after two passes of the secret filter. Wanna see it?

            If it’ll make you feel any better, you are now absolved of many but not all of your most recent sins, both now and forevermore.

          • IE – For the record, I have not seen “the card”. Do I believe it exists? Yes.

          • Look.
            What is important is that there is validation the US Treasury is/has conducted a Federal Investigation of the possible misuse of funds for off-scope uses by the EBC.
            Maybe I AM THE ONE with OCD.
            Cause I can’t figure out why more people in here are not honing in on the $1.2M in campaign contributions to the Mayor’s last campaign being driven by the opportunity of those donors and public (and past) officials to leverage the numerous wealth building opportunities with the LAND BAND and the EBC.
            Meanwhile, this silliness over the difference between the US Treasury Department Inspector General’s Office and the US Federal Bureau of Investigations…..is, well, silly.
            FEDERAL investigation……of local Officials…..is the glaring sign there is a problem with the players at the table.

          • Don,
            You are exactly right. A guy I know well is a Federal Postal Inspector: carries a gun, breaks down doors, conducts investigations, the whole deal. He went through the exact same training as an FBI agent and has the same powers as an FBI Special Agent.

            I’m glad to see the investigative arm of the Treasury Department, or whoever, looking in. ‘The Card’ is good for fun posting.

          • Fun? That’s what bullies say. Was it fun for everyone? Was it helpful, needful? You showed me to be a fool and a liar. Good for you. You win. Glad you had fun. Someone deserved to.

          • I figured you are more in the loop than me LKB. I assure you it exist and it was not an auditor. I believe these are the same people that sent Capone to prison.

  13. berniesanders.com/issues/how-bernie-pays-for-his-proposals/

    Here is the link to how Sen. Sanders pays for his proposals, for anybody who is curious.

      • Actually LKB, I love to hear from the other side, and you rfonts would be better spent correcting me than guessing who I identify with.

        What I found was this article. http://www.businessinsider.com/bernie-sanders-wsj-18-trillion Basically it is full of speculation, platitudes, and the same wishful thinking presented as promises that gave us the ACA. I find articles like this one to be more realistic. http://www.centralmaine.com/2016/02/06/the-unsustainable-national-debt/

        What it comes to between us is if you see the national debt as dangerous or not. If not, then how much more can we add to it? Will Bernie, or any candidate lower it or add to it? If the $18trillion is wrong, then what is the right number? Can we add $9trillion to the debt and not harm economic growth? I say we can’t and Sanders free stuff will add more to it then the debt doubling under Obama.

        Actually, the one who has the best tax reform idea is Huckabee.

      • OK LKB, I do commend you for the link. But it leaves questions
        He is going to spend a trillion to fix infrastructure. I do consider that a legitimate function of government.

        His plan is to tax offshore profits of american corporations and claims it will generate 100billion a year. How many 100 billion is there in a trillion? There 10. So in ten years he will pay for the trillion, but will a trillion cover and keep the improvements for 10 years? And what will these corporation do? They will follow the exodus and move out of the USA.

        He is going to make tuition free. And reduce student debt. Cost $75billion a year. Will pay for it by a $300 billion tax on wall street speculators. First, you can’t target a particular group of people to penalize, and what is a stock speculator? They are the people who keep your retirement investments profitable. So it amounts to an indirect tax on retirement.

        Hitting some of the highlights because this is boring. He is going to add a $1.61 weekly payroll tax to pay for family leave, a 6.2% added to employer side payroll taxes and 2.2% to employee side taxes to pay for health care. How is that going to help him keep the promise of growing employment?

        Plans like his has never worked anywhere including Denmark. Unfortunately we have raised a generation that is better at diversity than division who believe the rich can or will buy their wants.

    • Press,
      Thanks for that reference. Everyone should read it and look at some of the reports on how Indiana performed with those tarp funds and what Indiana’s HFA (IHCDA) did with the money. It looked to me like Republican controlled Indiana was an Issue. They did not spend it on the intended purposes and as the spending deadline approached paid off projects that IHMO were inappropriate use of that funding. Not as much here in Evansville or on a local level but at the state level. Millions that were supposed to help keep people in their homes misappropriated and that is one reason we have so many vacant homes.

      • Pissing money away is what the federal government is good at. A local case in point: The federal government gives ONB $100.M in TARP funds. ONB uses non voting ONB shares as collateral. ONB promptly uses $55.M of those funds to Sun Trust to pay off the triple net lease on their brand new riverfront headquarters building.

        Explain how that helped Joe Sixpack stay in his house, or find a new job, or replace the money he lost in his 401K because of a bunch of pirates operating in the financial houses on Wall street who not only never spent a day in prison, but never even went before a judge!

        • I think the awareness has to start right here on a grass roots level. Start with something simple like mowing grass on a vacant lot and working up. If we can not even get proper management of a simple vacant lot how are we going to do anything bigger?

  14. The City of Evansville’s responses, to these Indiana State Board of Accounts Financial Compliance audit findings, can only be described as arrogant!

    http://www.in.gov/sboa/WebReports/B44197.pdf

    So there you have it in a nut shell. The Indiana SBOA is merely an audit agency of the state. It appears as if there are no penalties for continued non compliance. The city will continue to do as it damn well pleases.

    • That’s Right! Until people are willing to stand up, disavow their special interest and speak out, here in Evansville, there will be no change. I am doing something about it and have three volunteers: me. myself, and I.

      • A good start would be for everyone on here to contact their state representative and ask them to draft a bill and introduce it into the house requiring every city in Indiana with a population of 100,000 citizens or more within its city borders to publish a Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) using the highest accounting principles available to them.

        If the representative refuses to do so, or seems cold to the idea, then tell them they will never receive another vote from you.

  16. QUESTION:
    Where do these two people stand on the activities of the Evansvlle Brownfield Corp. AND the coming replacement of that quasi public/private nonprofit Coures is launching to take over the land acquisition and disposition activities for the EBC, the currently organizing (Evansville City) Land Bank?

    1. Connie Robinson
    2. Stephanie Brinkerhoff Riley

    Are they involved? Do they support the current activities of the EBC? In what way?

      • Connie is the Mayor’s appointee to the Brownfield’s board, but did not attend the debacle last week. Stephanie was pro-land bank while on City Council, but no longer has any involvement that I am aware of. She was not at the meeting.

        • 1. Connie Robinson is a working member of the Evansville Brownfield Corp, then?
          2. And the now back working full-time at her Evansville Law Practice, former City Council Member Stephanie Brinkerhoff Riley….is, or has been involved in the advocacy of the (Evansville City) Land Bank?

          FIRST……Thanks for the answer Elkaybee.
          I am not insinuating anything here.
          But let’s be clear……IF YOU BELIEVE things are not being done in a kosher way with the EBC and the (Evansville City) Land Bank initiative…..AND YOUR EDITORIAL THIS PAST WEEK certainly indicated you do……..it seems confusing, LKB, neither Connie Robinson or Stephanie Brinkerhoff Riley……make it into your comments or your Editorial.

          • LKB,
            One more thing…..considering all of the EXTRAORDINARY commentary advocating the defeat (and using the word “advocating” is the understatement of the century) by you, LKB, and others…..
            …….It is STUNNING to read Democratic City Councilwoman Connie Robinson is GOP Mayor Lloyd Winnecke’s appointee of the DMD’s Kelly Coures’ Evansville Brownfield Corp.
            Yet just Mosby and Weaver and others are castigated by you, LKB, mercilessly for their collaboration with the GOP Mayor.
            My comments are not “an attack” on your personally ELKAYBEE.
            But this contradiction from you……is confusing, perplexing…..and forces the question of legitimacy of your credibility and authenticity on this subject.
            I mean, c’mon…..

          • I can’t really find the board members all listed anyplace, but George should know all of them. I know that Carolyn Rusk, who works for DMD is the secretary-treasurer. Kevin Axsom, an FC Tucker realtor is chairman, and Joshua Armstrong, Brad Ellsworth, Connie Robinson, Sarah Schuler, and Luke Yeager are members. The name of the vice chair escapes me, and I am not sure of Kelly Coures’ status, but he helped conduct the meeting. Neither Connie Robinson nor Joshua Armstrong were present at the meeting I attended.

  17. I’m not sure why you think I should mention SBR, who is retired from Evansville politics and has no ties I am aware of to Brownfields. Connie doesn’t work for Brownfields. She is on the unpaid board as a function of her CC seat. She did not attend the meeting, likely because of her distaste for the way it was being conducted.

    • ELKAYBEE……Seriously.
      Both of these comments are either:
      1. Naive
      or
      2. Wildly disingenuous

      (One more. Executive Board Members, unpaid? This is the standard by which you measure influence, involvement and collaboration? And if you were confident of someone’s “DISTASTE” for an Executive Board Position……not accepting the position would be the standard, right? ELKAYBEE…..What kind of words are you writing here….I mean, c’mon!!!)

      • Connie has been on the Brownfields board for at least one term before the current one. I think it was decided that since most of the Brownfields properties are in the Fourth Ward that it would be appropriate. If someone resigned from a board every time they are in a minority on a vote, there would be quite a problem keeping boards, wouldn’t there? I again said I suspect that was the reason for her absence, I don’t know for certain. She may have had a virus, or a personal emergency. As for my failure to mention someone who has absolutely NO CONNECTION to Brownfields, and only stated an opinion once several months back that did not agree with George Lumley’s (SBR), do you know something I don’t, or are you just paranoid?

        • 1. That means Connie Robinson continues to serve on the Executive Board of the EBC.
          2. I didn’t mention anything about resigning as a result of voting in the minority. You indicated Connie Robinson is serving in protest, or something like that I guess. ARE YOU FREAKING SERIOUS? Connie Robinson is continuing as a Executive Board Member of the EBC….it says volumes. Somehow, somewhere, some way….I can’t figure what, or why, or whatever….you are portraying and promoting some narrative that Connie Robinson is serving on the Executive Board of the EBC in protest. LKB, do you even know what the word disingenuous means?
          3. Stephanie Brinkerhoff Riley has no connection to the EBC and the emerging (Evansville City) Land Bank? You sure about that? I mean, SBR penned the most aggressive, supporting advocacy for the empowerment of a Evansville DMD and City Administration Land Bank possible just prior to the conclusion of her City Council position, and you dare to say “no connection whatsoever?”!
          4. Give me a break. Disingenuous or Naive, LKB. Which one?
          5. Me? Paranoid? WHO WROTE THE EDITORIAL critical of the suspicious manner in which the ECB is operating LKB?

          This is not an attack on you. But these questions….. and these glaring contradictions….and your differing standards of expectations from Mosby, Weaver, et al…..w/out even ASKING the same of Connie Robinson and Stephanie Brinkerhoff Riley relating to the Evansville Brownfield Corp and it’s replacement, the emerging (Evansville City) Land Bank………I mean, c’mon. Your authenticity is being stretched too darn far LKB.

          • You should read what I wrote and take it at face value. I implied nothing about Connie serving in protest and conjectured as to why she was absent from that particular meeting. No, I am not sure about anything going on in SBR’s life, except that she is a very busy person with a very full plate. If you know something none of the rest of us know, tell us. If not, calm down. I don’t know what you’re after, but to my knowledge there is no “there” there.

          • ELKAYBEE:
            It is becoming increasingly clear to me that MOST of the readers, and perhaps even the City County Observer itself, are not familiar with the purpose, capabilities, influence and power of the Evansville Brownfield Corp. and it’s upcoming replacement – the (Evansville City) Land Bank (….yes, that Land Bank so strongly advocated by now former City Council Member Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley, who has returned to full-time practicing Attorney in the City of Evansville).
            These two entities, shrouded in off-the-record meetings and SHOWN as a NONPROFIT are intended to:
            1. Collect
            2. Acquire and control
            3. Warehouse
            4. Invest substantial legal dollars in clearing liens, do Title work, bind and connect
            5. Provide maintenance for
            6. Aggregate into larger development parcels
            7. And then SELL….to narrow, qualified, SELECT BUYERS who will THEN DEVELOP THEM INTO REAL ESTATE PROJECTS.

            Sell? Sell What?
            Sell the 2000 (two-thousand) blighted properties in Vanderburgh County taken over by the DMD office of City Official Kelly Coures.

            Why do you people think $1.2M was donated to Mayor Winnecke’s re-election campaign?

            Why do you think the Evansville Brownfield Corp has Executive Board Members from City Offices and includes Councilwoman Connie Robinson, an appointee of GOP Mayor Lloyd Winnecke? (And who endorsed Mayor Winnecke for Mayor in spite of being a Democrat.)

            Why do you think the US Treasury Inspector General is conducting an investigation within Evansville over the possible mis-use of EBC funds to clear land for D-Patrick’s Car Dealership? What does D-Patrick’s Car Dealership have to do with blighted homes?

            Elkaybee writes an Editorial about how the last EBC meeting was hurried, pre-planned, public citizens were excluded, and was clearly being run as a formality for decisions that were made well-prior to the suspicious public meeting?

            Indianapolis has it’s own Land Bank corruption case underway. If you want to read more about that…..follow this link:
            http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2015/03/little-media-coverage-of-indy-land-bank.html

          • Seriously….why do you think that EBC meeting at Vectren was run in so suspicious of a manner? LKB….you wrote the Editorial to that effect. Why?

        • LKB- I think CR has been on the EBC since it started. 10yrs? When I tried to ask questions of those involved they often said ask Connie she has been there the longest. This surprised me because Carolyn Rusk (DMD employee) look to have been involved even before it was incorporated.

    • Let me add here – “unpaid board”? No one is “paid” supposedly from the Brownfields. They may profit from the transactions but I have not found where anyone was paid. The city DMD does all the work for the brownfields. At the recent meeting a few things were brought up that needed doing and they were assigned to people paid by the city to perform those task on the cities dime.

  18. Connie has found herself in a minority on the City Council and is resigning from everything, recently the Board of Public Works. This is Karma rearing it’s ugly head, had she supported Rick Davis instead of Winneke we would have a much different government and she would have a more prominent place. I would predict this is Connie’s last term. In other news, http://www.courierpress.com/columnists/tim-ethridge/political-candidates-can-learn-what-not-to-do-from-jonathan-weaver-2ab67073-9942-75fd-e053-0100007ff-367817881.html

    • “Long serving Government official returns to the private sector laden with insider contacts, knowledge of all of the past behavior of currently serving Officials. Official intends to serve as a Consultant.”

      • Don Becker:

        You quote 2000 blighted homes. I should think the number even higher. Who holds the debt on those properties? Who would like to see that debt resolved in as “favorable” a manner as possible? After all, it is not a loss until you sell it at a loss. Could this involve the use of public dollars to help clean up the books of private entities? Step back and take a look at the bigger picture of what is happening.

        • Biggest Culprit: The Lenders

          Most of the blame should be pointed at the mortgage originators (lenders) for creating these problems. It was the lenders who ultimately lent funds to people with poor credit and a high risk of default. (Investopedia)

        • Press, you need to be quiet! Your going to spoil my story. Don’t give away the ending to those who can not see the forest for the trees.

    • If you must have the local chamber tell you how to be a nice little candidate you have no business seeking office! We have enough subservient (to the chamber) chair-warmers already.

  19. Looks like I have been missing out for the last two days. Don posed “QUESTION:
    Where do these two people stand on the activities of the Evansvlle Brownfield Corp. AND the coming replacement of that quasi public/private nonprofit Coures is launching to take over the land acquisition and disposition activities for the EBC, the currently organizing (Evansville City) Land Bank?”

    I have been trying to find out where “named individuals” stand on this issue but they seem to run and hide from me. Are they embarrassed? Ashamed? Worried their special interest will be exposed?

    • Maybe. Maybe it is something less. Maybe they just don’t like you and don’t want to talk to you. Are you really trying to get answers from SBR? She’s a private citizen now and doesn’t owe you anything.

      • Alice O – Everyone likes me. If they are saying anything different it is behind closed doors. I was speaking of a lot of officials and not trying to single out SBR. I like what SBR was trying to accomplish. To the best of my recollection the only parts of her idea I did not like was the “collaborative effort”. SBR wanted to be nice and work with people – give them what they want so we could get a little of what we need. I want more of what we need and I am not willing to give away the farm to get it.

        • Don Becker has his panties in a wad about SBR and Connie Robinson. I was just hoping you weren’t harassing Mrs. Riley, since she is not on City Council.

          Maybe you didn’t learn this is fifth grade, but people who think you’re an asshole don’t always tell you so to your face.

          • Look.
            The City County Observer OBSERVES, reports and GETS ITS PANTIES IN A WAD when it senses there may be misuse of funds, official capacities of public (AND PAST…) officials, especially favoritism of select constituencies.

            Oh. You’re suddenly against that?

            WHAT IS GOING ON HERE……w/ the EBC and the upcoming (Evansville City) Land Bank….
            1. This is not a one time “City deal” to jump in on.
            2. This is not a one time “City project” to get a piece of.
            There are TWO THOUSAND (2000) plus Evansville properties, and more coming…..(Pressanykey is 100% right, George too)…
            3. What is happening here…..THIS IS A MULTI-YEAR INDUSTRY underway.

            The last election saw $1.2M, an unheard amount, given to Winnecke’s re-election campaign. Why? It’s a good question. Because THIS IS A BIG DEAL, and the US Treasury Dept is looking into mis-use of funds by City Departments.

            Give me a break.
            (And I was stunned to see SBR’s Land Bank advocacy piece suddenly hit the C&P just before leaving office. Further, if Connie Robinson has been an Executive Board Member of the Evansville Brownfield Corp since Day 1….that is unbelievable.)

    • I support limited land banking activities. We do not need a separate non profit for this. The Mayors proposal was never to start a “city” land bank but to give the Brownfields more money and property to carry out their historical activities.

  20. This is mainly to Don Becker, but the threads are so complicated I decided to answer him this way. I wrote about what I observed at the Brownfields board meeting for CCO readers who could not see it for themselves, so they could form their own opinions about the proceedings. I was curious about all of the hoopla about why an entity such as Brownfields would consider a closed door board meeting, as a reasonable person would expect them to want public trust and support. I doubt it would have drawn much interest if the meeting had been legitimately open to begin with. Sometimes it is best to “hide in plain sight.”

    That being said, I would think that most normal folks would realize that the lien holders (usually local banks) have a great deal to gain from Brownfields activities. My motivation in writing the piece was not to shape anyone else’s opinion, but to inform them as to what I observed. I don’t “get” your over-arching interest in Connie Robinson’s role on the board and I certainly think your obsession with what is going on in Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley’s life these days. She is no longer involved in public affairs, and I frankly think your fishing expedition about what she is doing now is downright creepy.

    • Make that second-to-last sentence read “….life these days is unusual.” We need an “edit” button!

    • Don you and I – even lkb- are not elected – we should disengage- and let the elected officials take care of us. (stupid?)

      • 1. I am not opposed to leveraging a Land Bank. But it needs to be transparent.
        In case no-one noticed, the US Treasury Department suspects “serious” problems (that’s the word the US Treasury Inspector General used…”serious.”) is investigating mis-use of funds w/in the DMD and the nonprofit Evansville Brownfield Corp.
        RED FLAG is up! (…and where there is one mouse, you typically have “a mice problem.”)

        NUMBER TWO:
        ELKAYBEE has a credibility problem. She DEMANDS accountability and transparency from the likes of the Mayor, Coures, Mosby, Weaver and everyone else.

        But her friends? LKB’s friends involved with the Evans Brownfield Corp and the Land Bank…..?

        NOPE.
        It is disgusting.
        (And is it wholly appropriate to ask for transparency of anyone involved in the EBC and any land bank…..EVEN Connie Robinson and SBR.
        LKB terms asking if SBR is doing any work these days with the EBC and/or the emerging Land Bank as an “obsession with what is going on in her life.”
        WHAT?
        That is WILDLY not what was asked, and THAT is called a red herring LKB.
        Your double standard? It is disgusting.

        • It is hard to get people to admit they made a mistake. We are not supposed to rub their nose in crap they leave behind or finally realize it is Shit. People are running from their support of the (Mayors?) plan – the mayor may be one of them. The original plan is starting to morph into something different than originally proposed. I think the people who orchestrated the original expansion plan to cover-up Brownfields past performance are loosing their following. Lots of people were hoodwinked by the past administration (Democrat) and current administration (republican) on the Brownfields related issues.

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