IS IT TRUE? January 7, 2011
Update: IS IT TRUE that you can run but you sure can’t hide?…that when one person leads a group astray by unacceptable behavior such as ordering 5 bottles of Opus One that when checks need to be written those who were just along for the ride will eventually rat out the bad driver?…that splitting the tab equally is not a fair way of sharing the check when one consumes mass quantities and others consume much less?…that the “I am Spartacus” group behavior of the CVB Board of Directors is unravelling?….that at least one board member has let “the Mole” know that the tab for their personal consumption was exactly in line with what most consider appropriate?….that this members tab without the burden of the Opus One and other delicacies that was all ordered by one person yucking it up at the head of the table would have been a manageable $50 per person?….that we expect more people who were there to come forward in the near future.
IS IT TRUE that Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel was granted the opportunity to highlight his accomplishments in a sit down interview with WTVW reporter, Lauren Matter that lasted a full 5 minutes and is available for viewing on the following link (http://tristatehomepage.com/fulltext?nxd_id=232766)?… That during this interview the words “I†and “ME†were distributed as freely as glasses of Opus One at a CVB Christmas dinner?….that some of the phrases uttered by Mayor Weinzapfel when talking candidly with Lauren were “We have transformed the City of Evansvilleâ€, “the Voters of Evansville have trusted me for 2 elections and I think they would for a 3rdâ€, “we have fixed the flooding problems on the southeast sideâ€, “one of my goals is that I leave the city in better shape than I received itâ€, and finally “Now that I have made my announcement not to run for Mayor others may come forwardâ€?
IS IT TRUE that if one believed all that was said in that interview that the only logical conclusion is that Mayor Weinzapfel has transformed Evansville from hell to heaven in his two terms of office?…that when contrasting that with Democratic Candidate for Mayor Rick Davis’s statement at his first Town Hall meeting last night at the C. K. Newsome Center the discrepancies really start to magnify?…that when Mr. Davis was asked several questions by his capacity crowd regarding “when will our sewers be fixedâ€, his most poignant response was “there is a smell in Evansville that greets visitors who come hereâ€?…that everyone in the room and even everyone in Evansville knows the smell Mr. Davis was referring to?…that the smell is the smell of raw sewage that has lit up the noses of Evansville for 50 years now?….that anyone that says that the combined sewer issue is solved is either lost their sense of smell, having a moment of delusion, or intentionally minimizing the most expensive civic project that City of Evansville will have to deal with after 2012?
IS IT TRUE that just yesterday, it was announced that the City of Evansville has submitted to a consent decree of the United States Department of Justice that calls for the City of Evansville to pay $490,000 in fines and do over $500 Million in repairs to the sewer system?…that does not sound like the EPA and the DOJ share Mayor Weinzapfel’s opinion that the sewers are fixed?….that words are not sufficient to vanquish the turds that continue to plague the City of Evansville when we experience heavy rains?….that the question that needs to be asked by the people of Evansville is the question posed to the American people by Ronald Reagan during the 1980 presidential election?…that question was and is “ARE YOU BETTER OFF TODAY THAN YOU WERE 4 YEARS AGOâ€?
IS IT TRUE that those among us who are better off considering the fact that Evansville has been “transformed†into a city with less people, lower earnings, more crime, higher unemployment, escalating public debt, and a growing blight problem, should just raise a toast with a well aged glass of Opus One?….that the rest are finally coming to the realization that there are serious problems with the infrastructure, the educational attainment, the air, the water, etc. etc. etc. that will be left for the next Mayor of Evansville to deal with?
IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer agrees wholeheartedly with one thing that Mayor Weinzapfel said in his interview?…that we agree that it is time for someone else to take the reins and run the city?…that the transformation of Evansville is by no means complete?…that the transformation of the City of Evansville is finally at a point where it can START?
Yeesh…seems like a rare lapse in pr judgment by the mayor.
These kinds of outlandish boasts are best left to flunkies and enablers in the mainstream media. They sound pretty hollow and false coming from “the man” himself.
We got an email this morning about the Mayors statement that “we can’t be satisfied with the status quo”. The author went on to say that “the Mayor is the status quo”.
Lauren, here are some suggestions, on the odd chance you get a shot at redemption.
“We have transformed [note: past tense] the City of Evansville 
Has this guy settled on a long term vision to address which way Main street will flow – permanently? (Out of the other side of his mouth he then addresses how some of the transformation (present tense) won’t be done before he leaves office?) For normal reporting, two sets of facts shouldn’t make air, right?
“the Voters of Evansville have trusted me for 2 elections and I think they would for a 3rd 
Bragging about his last election “victory” and the trust we gave him – is the funniest joke I’ve heard in 2011 so far. LAUREN, REMEMBER THE BACK ROOM, UNRECORDED, STOLEN PROPERTY TAX CREDIT ISSUE?
“we have fixed the flooding problems on the southeast side 
Tell me why did we just get fined by the EPA, again, sir? Won’t the taxpayers have to pay that, and have not we promised to make many new updates that will have significant costs? FIXED? (Again, with two sets of facts!)
“one of my goals is that I leave the city in better shape than I received itâ€
So… I forget, exactly how many unsold government subsidized homes (Front door pride) and condos (condo program) were there when you took office? Does your view of “better shape” consider, glut, as a positive? What of the Billion dollar problem with poor housing stock downtown – would that really be WORSE without your two terms? If so, explain that to me? LASTLY, ARE WE BETTER WITHOUT WHIRLPOOL IN OPERATION?
“Now that I have made my announcement not to run for Mayor others may come forward 
Doesn’t this community have a poor enough perception of politics – with the King John like analogies? We have a defined Democratic process already, please don’t make a poorly worded declaration of what we “MAY” do. (another set of “facts” to rival our law.)
When CASTRO is through, I suspect he will announce it and declare that now, “others may come forward”! But then he’ll probably suggest a set of “criteria” on who he thinks should rule after him – starting to sound familiar…?
Correction:
Weaver… calling Davis “Weak”, in my book has funniest joke for 2011! (http://tristatehomepage.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=233436)
I’d really like to see the entire email with a time stamp. Damn!
[From the link: “Weaver tells fox 7 in an email: ‘I’m waiting to see who the players are– the Dem player is weak– and it looks like Lloyd Winnecke on the republican side–Winnecke is going to stomp Rick– and frankly I like Lloyd.'”]
this is the guy who illegally fired his staff because they wouldn’t work the polls for him?
If you ask me personally, “Are you better off today than you were 4 years ago�
Yes, yes I am!
Were you the waitperson who got the $499.00 tip from the ECVB holiday party? How many others like that have you gotten while working there?
Did you move into the county after retiring, and is your current monthly Social Security check higher than your average month’s pay + tips from Biaggi’s?
Weinzapfel has been eroding the quality of life of the people of Evansville for SEVEN years, and has gained speed each year since he started. With his push for Consolidation he is even threatening the lifestyle of the people living in the county. Hopefully, each and every act will come back and bite him when he and his ego run for governor.
Do people really think all the sewer problems started when the mayor took office. How much money has been spent on the southeast side by this mayor. How much by the mayors before him. I think the mayor is doing a great job. I hate that he isn’t seeking a third term. Being mayor or commissioner is a much tougher job than being county treasure. Davis does a fine job as treasure, stepping up to mayor is a whole new game.
We completely understand that this is a legacy problem in Evansville that has been lets say bubbling for 50 years. Our criticism is not for the Mayor’s $50 Million or so of much needed work. We approve and applaud what has been and is being done. What we think is silly is him going on TV saying that a $500 Million problem is fixed 24 hours before the Justice Dept. issues a press release announcing fines and mandated future work that dwarfs what has been started. The Mayors announcement is sort of like raising ones hands and screaming “I made the winning touchdown” 10 yards down a 100 yard field before lateraling the ball to the next guy. JW has addressed the sewer issue which is more than the previous 40+ years of Mayors did. He needs a pat on the back for that and we have given that in the past. The next Mayor whether it is Davis or someone else really has a tough job in front of them.
You are taking Mayor Weinsapfel’s statement totally out of context. He said, “we have fixed the flooding problem of the Southeast side,” NOT “that a $500 Million problem is fixed 24 hours before the Justice Dept. issues (their) press release.”
Do you not know the difference between storm water flooding and sanitary sewerage separation? If not, educate yourself a bit before mixing apples and oranges in your editorial critiques.
… and do you have proof that the storm water flooding problem is not fixed?
Sure, we all have relatives that live in the southeast side and I assure you that the flooding problem is not fixed. Do you have proof that it has been fixed?
The sewer problem should go away very soon. The only reason it’s an issue now is because the EPA stepped in and forced the city to confront it. The Republicans promised to gut the EPA if given the power so problem will be gone, sewers will stay the same, and life will go on.
Well
While watching the video of Lauren’s interview with the mayor, a persistent gag reflex, came over me. …. (Turns head and spits)
Flop-sweat appeared to glisten on Jonocchoi’s forehead, while simultaneously, his nose began to grow. The apple cheeked mayor continued to stutter, stammer and pat himself on the back, while uttering a quote that sounded like, “One of my goals was to leave the city in better hands than I found it?” This seems to be the result of trying to tell the apparently, unspeakable lie: “I left the city in better shape than I found it.” The City will clearly be in “better hands,” very soon.
The mayor’s joyride is nearly over. We, the taxpayers, however, have a mess to deal with that will last at least a generation.
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Moreover: The latest chapter in he “Is It True” saga, written above, is rich with examples of the mayor’s skewed perspective; as if he lives in another dimension, or on a parallel plane where character flaws are virtuous and embarrassment is a source for pride.
Not accusing the mayor of doing drugs, mind you, but, I want some of what he’s on. …
This: For your entertainment and in my opinion
I took it a bit differently, I guess being exposed to street politics all my life. I took it to be a veiled promise that he intends to turn over the mayor’s office to someone he deems a better administrator than the mayor he replaced 7 years ago. Might be wrong. Just one man’s interpretation of his statement. But if he has no further use for his campaign account, some “better hand” might benefit mightily. Now, who would that be …
bubbageek, i agree with you!! i was trying not to throw up during that interview also!!!
When you are as far behind the 8-ball as Evansville is on sewers and drainage, due to poor management by this and previous administrations, it simply is not fair to current ratepayers to dump the cost for the sins of the past directly into their laps in one lump sum.
Rates will going up to pay for the upgrades, but an annual limit should be agreed upon.
Grant money and outright gifts of cash are what is needed to hold down the rates while the required repairs are performed.
A few years ago I attended a meeting of the Sewer Board where approval was sought and granted to hire a Washington D.C. lobbying firm for $60K to find grant money. One wonders is the sewer dept. ever saw a return on that investment.
It is sad that we have been painted into this corner. At a time when we desperately need funds for infrastructure, we have wasted funds on publicly owned entertainment facilities.
Here is
The next mayor has has his/her work cut out for them. We can only hope there is someone out there up to the task with a genuine desire to serve the citizens of this community.
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