IS IT TRUE? January 6, 2011

10

The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE? January 6, 2011

IS IT TRUE that Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau Joe Vezzoso was quoted yesterday in the Evansville Courier and Press as saying that it does not matter who ordered the Opus One ($250 bottle of wine)?…that it really does matter because the $1,250 for the five bottles of Opus One are what made the 2010 Board Christmas Party dramatically more expensive than the same parties in the years 2006 – 2009?….that some would argue that those five bottles of wine are what really rankled the public with respect to the cost of this dinner?…that those five bottles are what turned and expensive dinner into and excessive dinner?….that Mole #31 along with a casual observer of the Bacchanalian Fest has already told us who ordered the Opus?….that as a fondly remembered elementary school teacher once said “a hit dog always howls”?

IS IT TRUE that every member of the board of directors of the Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau that attended the Bacchanalian Festival to themselves at Biaggi’s where $3,079 was spent on dinner for 14 have now resigned or seen their term expire?…that at this particular time that this is what is best for the EVCB?….that it did not have to be this way?…that this 25 year tradition of wining and dining the board of directors of the ECVB that resulted in the last 5 dinners costing over $10,000 and culminating in this year’s over the top example of conspicuous consumption is just one more case of bad public policy finally played out for all to see?

IS IT TRUE that we wonder if the 7th board member who missed this year’s dinner Mike Roeder attended the Christmas dinners during 2006 – 2009 and what he thought of them?…that we would also like to have confirmation that acting Executive Director Bob Whitehouse neither attended nor had detailed knowledge of the costs and atmosphere of these prior feasts of gluttony?

IS IT TRUE that bad public policy leads to self indulgence?…that even the most talented and well intentioned people can get caught up in excitement of self indulgence that comes from bad public policy?….that any system that rewards a volunteer board of directors with an annual dinner in which public money is spent on $2,000 worth of alcohol on a small group of people is a FAILED SYSTEM?…that David Dunn was correct in his assertion yesterday that he no longer believes that the system works?…that it is understandable that Mr. Dunn and maybe others will withdraw their services from public volunteerism because of the bad taste in their mouths from this experience?….that these six former members of the board are in some ways victims of a FAILED SYSTEM just as the people of Evansville who ultimately picked up the tab are?…that a bad system is the real problem and that continued vigilance will be needed to keep another bad system from being established at the CVB and also to examine other entities that have volunteer boards filled by political appointments?

IS IT TRUE that the six former board members of the ECVB are talented and good people who carry on their private businesses and careers to the betterment of themselves, their employers, and to the region in which they have chosen to work and live?….that the City County Observer recognizes that these people were put onto the board of the ECVB for the right reasons?…that those reasons include success in the private sector, visionary perspectives, diligence, and civic pride?…that we wish all of these people continued success and minimal negative impact to their lives and businesses?…that it is time to get on with life and to make something positive of this profoundly negative situation? …that maybe good public policy will emerge from the lessons learned from this culmination of 25 years of bad public policy?

IS IT TRUE that the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau has a golden opportunity to resurrect itself in a form that promotes and practices good public policy?…that good policy is to finally get serious about hiring an Executive Director to lead and manage the future board of directors as opposed to the board leading the Executive Director which seems to have been the practice in recent history?….that the entire business model of the ECVB needs to be revisited?…that the County Council, the County Commissioners, and the Mayor of Evansville now have the responsibility to establish a foundation for going forward?….that good public policy and NOT POLITICS AS USUAL should be the criteria for the selection of the new board?….that that age of CRONYISM should end in Evansville and that a new age of MERIT should be adopted?…that our elected leaders need to lead right now without acquiescence and without self serving agendas to put this house in order?

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

10 COMMENTS

  2. Thank you. This “Is it true…” and the following Letter to the Editor both embody questions that need to be asked of the candadates for mayor for the 2011 election. We need a leader with innovation, strong character, and financial savvy, who can sell Evansville to its own citizens as well as to outsiders. I have noticed since moving here that the well known German thrift (not a bad thing) is sometimes misplaced. Conversely, money is proposed or spent on less than stellar projects. Thinking has been misguided. The public is mistrustful and is pulling back to even more negative thinking. What will get the citizenry to look outside itself and think outside the box? It will probably take one huge shot in the arm – perhaps like a new large industry or other concern becoming established here – to make the turnaround for the public to believe in itself and Evansville again. This may be the ultimate best use for the CVB funds now and in the foreseeable future. Let’s reinstate a strong middle class and minimize extreme ends of the spectrum. There is no growth, tourism or otherwise, in an anxious town that is subconsciously afraid it is dying and where everyone wants to cash in before nursing home expenses eat up the estate.

      • Wasn’t that a softball opportunity for a little boasting. The narcissism is pretty thick in that interview. I heard,”time for MEEE to go out on top”, “IIII transformed the city”, “now that IIII have announced, others may come forward”, followed by “don’t settle for the status quo” going forward. If one were to believe the first half of that interview the only logical conclusion is that we have all died and gone to heaven in the last seven years.

        During the last seven years a city of 120,000 people defined by limited education, low earnings, blight, dilapidated sewers, and 4% unemployment has been transformed into a city of 116,000 people defined by limited education, low earnings, blight, dilapidated sewers, and 9% unemployment. Are you better off than you were 7 years ago?

        • It would be an “opportunity for a little boasting”… if there were other interviews where he was taken to task, to any degree.

          (Don’t forget, we 116,000 have more debt and “pledged” COIT now too.)

          Tell me when and where you watched an interview with the mayor, where a difficult question was asked and addressed.

          If you had the opportunity to interview the Mayor that day, could you have walked away from the table without mentioning Biagge’s – and still called yourself an honest reporter?

          Lauren might have just said at the end how much she’ll be donating to his campaign. (Or how much he bought that “commercial” time for, with the normal ad disclosures.)

  4. Great job City-County Observer for pushing the story to the Front!!!

    Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau??? Dig deeper, Further back, Exotic foreign vacation junkets, Booze, Drunken blackouts, Follow the money, Friendly No-bid contracts, Nepotism, interview former board members and staff they want to talk and have much to say, next stop Redevelopment Commission???
    “LibertyJournal.org and National-Tea-Party.com members know the story years before the Mainstream Media starts reporting news.” FTP2011

    • National-Tea-Party.com members know the story years before the Mainstream Media starts reporting news? The Tea Party hasn’t been around that many years. Patting yourself on the back with made-up statements? Yup, you’re a Teap and ..Here’s your sign!

  5. After reading past revelations from “moles” I’ll stick with C&P for facts.
    Remember this little gem?
    “.that it is not even the most expensive festival of gluttony that this particular board has thrown?….that Mole #29 tells us that at the 2009 Bacchanalian self love fest that this board spent closer to $4,000?….that (sarcasm coming) we should all congratulate them on cutting their glutton fest budget by 25% from $4,000 to $3,000 in respect for the Great Recession?”

Comments are closed.