IS IT TRUE January 9, 2015

77

IS IT TRUE well known and highly respected local Attorney Mike Woods is the “Elect Gail Riecken For Mayor” campaign Chairmen? …we hear that Mr. Woods is doing a masterful job in bringing back  the Democratic party Vanderburgh County splitter groups back together?

IS IT TRUE that we are pleased but a bit surprised to learn that Governor Pence has included a sum of $19.2 Million in the Indiana state budget for the IU Medical School that is slated to come to downtown Evansville when all the cash is in place?…that only leaves a gap of $30.8 Million that needs to be budgeted by the other partners (USI & IVY Tech) and paired with the $55 Million handout that the Evansville City Council has approved for the right to select the location of the facility?…as a reminder, this facility could have gone to The Promenade or to Warrick County without tapping the wallets of the taxpayers of Evansville to the tune of $55 Million?

IS IT TRUE with the hotel deal in real financial jeopardy and the IU medical school looking like a dose of reality, it is time to forget about the hotel until the medical campus is completed?…there are several reasons for mothballing the hotel at this time and one of them is that there will need to be some margin available if the project should run over budget with the medical school as it did with the hotel?…Evansville obviously cannot afford to pursue both of these projects at the same time and may just hose the pooch and mess them both up by running out of money in the middle of the construction cycle?…the other reason which is the most important one is that with a medical school in place, the probability of finding a private investor who is willing to take a chance on a hotel will increase dramatically?…at the very least the subsidy required for a hotel after a medical school is in place will be much lower than it was before the medical school became a reality?…subsidizing something that one may get for free fits into the field of insanity as many of these downtown projects have been for many years?

IS IT TRUE the freezing season is upon us and in addition to the discomfort from being cold, Evansville is about to be reminded of one of its legacy problems for failing to have a routine maintenance program?…the old cast iron pipes are about to start freezing and breaking just like they did over 200 times last winter?…when these old pipes break they tend to take some streets with them when the water undermines the subsoil under the roads?…we hope that the powers in place have bought enough salt or beet juice to treat the roads this year, because they surely did not do so last year?…it is bad enough to have the pipes break and have sinkholes form but it is worse if the snow covers the holes and people drive into them?…there is one more thing that is likely to break and that is the decrepit sewer system that we spent a paragraph on yesterday?…we once again shake our heads in disbelief that our elected officials are infatuated with fun and games nonsense when the water distribution system and the sewers are aged and failing?…this is simply irresponsible?

IS IT TRUE that the City of Evansville has issued a raise order to demolish the historically significant Owen Block Building?…the cost to tear the old girl down will be $85,000 and will avoid a $3 Million refurbishment bill?…it was four years ago that the CCO predicted a minimal refurbishment would cost over $1.4 Million and the cost has increased since then to over $3 Million due to neglect?…while even we alleged cold hearted money grubbing capitalist that writes for the CCO hates to see such classic architecture demolished, but I do realize this is the right thing to do?…the McCurdy can’t be far behind for many of the same reasons?…if there was a real high end intelligence driven economy in Evansville, a private investor would have done this job and made a profit doing it?…fun and games will not fix this situation?

IS IT TRUE the news from Paris about the killings of 12 journalists who were dedicated to doing satirical articles and cartoons about some of the more nonsensical things that go in France and the world?…the parallels between the City County Observer and Charlie Hebdo are many, but the thing we have in common in abundance is a fearless demeanor in calling out things that we think need improvement?…we also share common bonds with Charlie Hebdo in taking particular pleasure in outing that which is nefarious, sneaky, and poor public policy?…those 12 journalists were murdered for their fearless nature?…the CCO Editors/Writers  have been threatened with bodily harm for some of our writing as well?…in solidarity with all of those who are willing to write about things that need to be changed we stand with our deceased French brethren in saying “Je Suis Charlie”, and hope for a day when there is no longer a need for satirical writers who are willing to risk their lives to out corruption, idiocy, and evil in this world.

Please take time and vote in todays “Readers Poll”.

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

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

77 COMMENTS

  2. Poll question today is a— “Do you still beat your wife?” choice of answers.
    Poll needs a– “none of the above” choice.
    –and of course my vote is Sewers (and water pipes)–before anything else is loaded on the Taxpayer’s backs.

  3. “IS IT TRUE that we are pleased but a bit surprised to learn that Governor Pence has included a sum of $19.2 Million in the Indiana state budget for the IU Medical School that is slated to come to downtown Evansville when all the cash is in place?”

    ~b~ I’m not gonna fly too close to the Sun on this news boys. If structures could be built out of false hope and promises we would have four Convention Hotels by now. This project is DEAD LAST on the IU agenda & It must pass both bodies of the Indiana General Assembly. And the Governor has only allocated 19 of the 50 million dollar grant required for the project as proposed.
    I hope we can get this school under reasonable terms. …

    IS IT TRUE “we stand with our deceased French brethren in saying “Je Suis Charlie”, and hope for a day when there is no longer a need for satirical writers who are willing to risk their lives to out corruption, idiocy, and evil in this world.”

    ~b~ There will never be a day when there is no longer a need for satirical writers. Contained within every concept is its’ antithesis. Without day there can be no night, without evil there can be no good and without those who would exploit the masses there would be none to rise up in their defense.
    It is an honor to be associated with the City-CountyObserver. …

    • Why would the State spend money on this project when they know that the City is DESPERATE to get the IU Medical School downtown and will pay for it. If the city is so desperate that they are willing to pay 50 million for this school then why should the State guys put more money into it? Something to think about.

      And did you say that you are physically threatened for what you write in the CCO. You should put in writing who threatened you just to make a point. If they threaten you then may threaten others and the pattern will emerge so that others can be on guard and or take precautions.

    • bubba your wisdom is impressive,,,,,,wish you could spread some of that around,,,there are some here in desperate need.

      “There will never be a day when there is no longer a need for satirical writers. Contained within every concept is its’ antithesis. Without day there can be no night, without evil there can be no good and without those who would exploit the masses there would be none to rise up in their defense.
      It is an honor to be associated with the City-CountyObserver. …”

      • Oh, boy! Here I go agreeing with 1cb AND “dis” on the same day? Did I bump my head or something?
        Sadly, Evansville is ripe for satire these days. A straight news” story in the C&P unintentionally reads like a local version of The Onion, because they take all of the insanity so seriously. I understand there are some efforts afoot to muzzle the wit and honesty of Evansville Transparency, which is a shameful thing for those who are attempting to do it. No wonder the sharp, honorable, and witty contributors to that site choose to remain anonymous!

        • I was following someone on Facebook that was reporting about his wife at one of the hospitals. He was very concerned about his wife’s life and her treatment. She was getting better but he felt that some of the staff and a Doctor was not respecting him and he blogged about it at length his facebook account. He was going to have a meeting with the Hospital’s administration and their PR person as he has a friend that works there in an administrative position which he called to ask for help. He was going to report how the meeting went and how his wife was doing but his facebook page is no longer visible. I presume that he either 1) disabled it or 2) they complained to facebook and it was taken down. I went to school with this guy years ago and have worked with him professionally one time. BTW he is a former Police Detective. So I believe what he was saying totally. I’m thinking that #2 is more likely as he is still posting about his wife on another facebook account.

          I wish him well and his wife a speedy recovery. She was very sick at the time of her going to the hospital and almost died based on what I’ve read.

          Censorship is all around us even on our facebook pages.

  4. “$19.2 Million” in the Indiana state budget for the IU Medical School that is slated to come to downtown Evansville when all the cash is in place?… ” What years budget was that slated for approval in —> 2016-2017 . Your cities election is when? Sure, look at that like a campaign donation.
    From afar we’re smelling smoke and mirrors big time and that’s real disgusting when, as you said “this facility could have gone to The Promenade or to Warrick County without tapping the wallets of the taxpayers of Evansville to the tune of $55 Million?” Or that’s availability to work it into new mandated infrastructure for what’s left over in what was once a thriving community before you began to toss all your money at that primary rat hole in old downtown evansville.

    The IU people, and the state budget approval’s should balk big time at that utter insanity before another thinning dime is wasted.
    Where any sane governance would have put the site, is exactly where all the growth spurs the logistical action today. And true valuation da boot. The taxpayers and the IU agenda are getting bent over on that mess. Maybe the election is the time for that metros people to stand straight up again. Use “da boots” to send that load of it into a private sector retirement profile.

    Throwing 55 million into a rat hole that doesn’t even function now, as a healthy community value , even for a sewer rat. disgusting.

    • Nice catch V.

      Everyone listen: the $ 19.2 Million which is “in the budget proposal” is for the fiscal year beginning in July 2016.
      I do hope the project goes forward, but local nitwits will have to go begging for the other 60 % ($ 31 Million). Gee, if we hadn’t wasted $ 160 Million on the Fraud Center and $ 50 Million on wireless water meters, could have paid CASH for this Med School !

        • Not so on the Arena: 25 % ‘Equity’ (raiding the TIF, Riverboat, Food & Beverage Funds). Around $ 40 Million vacuumed out of those. On Johnson Controls, millions to attorneys and accountants for this boondoggle, all paid in cash/ not part of the Bond, which was to pay Johnson Controls.

          Combined: could easily have gotten $ 50 Million Cash to lubricate the IU Med School.
          This is what happens when you have NO PLAN, and jump on each deal which arrives on your desk . . . . .

          • Ah yes, I understand now. They could have saved enough money if they had the discipline to do so. Got it.

          • Wondering if John Friend was paid as an accountant from any of that money or any other money that the city spends on projects that he might be signing off on as President (former) of the Evansville, IN city Council?

          • When McDonald left office in 1998 the city had a$50 million dollar surplus, what happen? I always felt he had a plan to take care of the sewers and other things this city needed but his beloved democrat party was highjacked by Lonesome Larry and other wheeler dealers. Not much positive has happened in this city since he went silent. The success of the boat and Toyota can partially be credited to McDonald’s management and leadership style. All I have to say about the management and leadership style of the past 3 mayors is quite simple, not observed.

      • So does this mean there will not be a golden shovel flipping sand for a med school in 2015? I bet you a dollar and a beer that there will be a theatrical ground breaking in October of 2015 with or without a funding stream in place.

        • Bing-O! The Courier & Press will cover it everyday until the election. There’s a very vested interest there in keeping the current cabal in power.

        • I find what you have said believable, because it provides the appearance that local government officials are ‘doing something’, even though in truth they know it is not realistic that it will happen. This ‘appearance of doing something’ hopes to bolster their re-election prospects.

  5. “the cost to tear the old girl down will be $85,000 and will avoid a $3 Million refurbishment bill?”
    They could have fixed this jewel up for what they paid to build those houses on adams. I have been told for decades it is too expensive to refurbish the old victorian homes. But my friends in north park are now facing the same structural issues I found when I bought my home. Roofs need replacing,windows updated ect. Any home is expensive to keep up. Property values are how most people and banks determine how much money are put into a property. Property values in the downtown area are really skewed right now because of the crime and environmental issues. There is a lot of craftsmanship in these old homes that can not be replaced. If we had a poll the majority I am sure would vote to bulldoze it all. Maybe down town would be better if we did,I do not know the answer.

    • Perhaps someone has “other plans” for the site and is proceeding along the path to acquisition. …

    • There are also architectural elements of value in those older homes. I bought an older home once for $3,000 and there was a Venetian glass chandelier in it along with some oak mouldings, carvings, 3 antique mantles, and some stained glass windows. I sold off the parts for about $20k and then gave the house away. I don’t know what has become of the house since then. It was in the 600 block of Blackford.

      • That is what I would have done had I been a smart investor. Instead I have lived in my home forty years. probably put a $100,000 or more in it. But I have not had a house payment or rent payment either. Cost wise it was a wash. If it were not for the crime and environmental issues It would be a great investment.

        • You actually did the right thing, Stone. We’ve purchased and rehabbed 3 houses on our block (two in very bad condition after being lived in by hoarders and meth-heads, one that was very cute and just needed updating), then sold them for a small profit to some very nice families and couples just starting out. I’m actually very proud of that.

          I guess I could have been a ‘smart investor’ and added a few more notes to my bank account by raping the houses of all value and/or just slapping a coat of cheap paint on them and letting the Section 8 rabble roll on in, but that didn’t seem like the right thing to do, you know?

      • A perfect example of why housing stock deteriorates. Buy a house, strip it of all value, then give it away or leave it to rot.

        Bravo.

    • Love the way they always fix the price of a demo contract before every putting it out for bids. Someone with what passes for a brain might want to look into that.

  6. Luke 14:28-30 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.”

    • You’re lucky you used a scripture that supports the views of the atheists that post on here numerous times a day. I’m sure some of them will still berate you because, after all, that’s what they do.

      • Don’t know that I supported the views of atheists, just wanted to point out what passed as common knowledge 2000 years ago seems to be uncommon of the leadership in the E’ville city.

        • Religion borrows a lot from common knowledge. Just look at the scrolls that make up the basis of the modern bible.

  7. If the medical school is built here, it would be total foolishness to not build it out by I-69 and S R 66. Downtown is an idiotic location for such a facility and it would benefit Evansville more in any other location, East or West.

    • Very well said. I agree completely. Now Winnie and Company wants to build “future student housing” on the site of the D-Pat Ford body shop. Who would want to live on the footprint of a business that deals with all the toxins that a body shop uses? I’m guessing he’s still hot to make the EHA senior housing towers student housing, too. Eighty per cent of the students are already living in Evansville, and out of the two hundred or so who would need housing I don’t think many of them are going to want to live in the Dead Zone.

  8. John Nobody’s Friend posted an invite on Facebook to Gail Riecken’s announcement for candidacy for Mayor Saturday. Nice to see that so far at least he plans on supporting a Democratic candidate this year.

    • That is good news. I have been told by a reliable source that Friend is not going to run for CC reelection, so anything he can do to support Mrs. Riecken will be much appreciated.

      • I heard that , too. I think it might be best for everyone concerned if he steps away from elective office and turns his efforts to other matters.

  9. Is It True….That recent figures, November 2014, show that consumer debt (excluding real estate loans) has risen to $3.3 trillion?

    If you look at the figures for real estate loans you will see that the category “all holders of loans” totals approximately $13.3 trillion. Of that $13.3 trillion, fully $9.8 trillion is for “one to four family residences”.

    So we start into this new year, with the last two years of the Obama administration in front of us, with single families in this country facing $23.1 trillion in loan debt.

    Martin Crutsinger, of the Associated Press, has an opinion on this data which I believe must have been handed him straight out of the White House. I will relate:

    “The latest figures suggest that an improving economy and strong employment gains over the past year may be making consumers more comfortable with ramping up their borrowing.” (Martin Crutsinger, AP)

    • Major correction here. Make that $13.1 trillion for single families going into this new year. I added the wrong two figures previously.

      I have to find a better coffee for the mornings.

    • CIA Fact Book:

      United States

      Public debt:

      71.8% of GDP (2013 est.)
      country comparison to the world: 36
      70% of GDP (2012 est.)
      note: data cover only what the United States Treasury denotes as “Debt Held by the Public,” which includes all debt instruments issued by the Treasury that are owned by non-US Government entities; the data include Treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by individual US states, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of Treasury borrowings from surpluses in the trusts for Federal Social Security, Federal Employees, Hospital Insurance (Medicare and Medicaid), Disability and Unemployment, and several other smaller trusts; if data for intra-government debt were added, “Gross Debt” would increase by about one-third of GDP

  10. Hello everyone. In the spirit of celebrating political satirists today I wanted to share this with you. This morning I got a notice from Facebook saying they removed a post from my page because it violated community standards. I read the standards. This post was not pornographic, or threatening (I am VERY careful to not sound the least bit threatening lest a SWAT team arrive at my door). The other options was that it was Bullying or Abusive or Other (Please Explain).
    Facebook does not take this action on their own. Any of us can take that action on posts we see. A computer automatically pulls the post. I appealed to Facebook to put human eyes on it. And I will fight all nuisance efforts to suppress my content.
    This was the post they pulled:
    “Last night at City Council: Dr. Adams takes over as Council president. Cheryl Musgrave appointed to the ERC. And Steve Schaefer made a total lying ass of himself and then boldly stated that he (the Mayor) doesn’t need permission to do whatever he wants with the open $20M bond. Standby for the announcement that a new developer will build a $21M hotel with a 95% public subsidy”
    These people that I offend? They are the real threat.

    • I watched it twice and my takeaway was that he would not promise that the Mayor would not act without the CC’s permission. It seems like yours was an accurate assessment of the behavior Mr. Schaefer exhibited.

    • @Evansville Transparency:

      Dear Ma’am or Sir: in no way did your Facebook post even come remotely close to requiring removal. I think I speak for many on the CCO site as saying your site is sensational, and much appreciated ! If the Facebook folks get around to actually reading it, you will be found blameless and your post restored.

    • ET,
      The truth is a good defense, one of the best. Satire and parody get extra room so no problem there. We are currently sadddled with rank amateurs who truly believe that the city treasury, and the city itself for that matter, is theirs to do with as they please. it would be tragic if this accidental administration succeeds in packing the city council, something they have already taken steps toward accomplishing. They have not surprisingly chosen a very weak point man in Winnecke’s Chief of Staff. Shaeffer himself used to comment frequently on your site, apparently stopping after being regularly ridiculed for the outlandish things coming through his seemingly amok fingertips.

      Whoever had your post taken down paid you a great compliment. Keep up the good work.

    • The bunker?
      The dentist?
      At the Owen Block with Local Personality swinging with brass hardware and old bath tubs?
      At the Cork for lunch with Missy? (She was there yesterday afternoon and I feared she was going to Mosby the salad bar).

      • Mosbying the salad bar is a frightening thought. The grapevine places him at the Atlanta airport at last sighting. I just wondered if he has a body double who flew out of EVV at about 6 am, or if it is really him.

        • Probably headed for Honduras to meet with a developer, our 20 million in an aluminum Halliburton.

          • Oh, dear. I hope he didn’t take any of the Police and Firefighters pension fund along, just in case he needs more than $20 million.

  13. Unless the mayor has an exact twin then that was him sitting in seat 2A on the 6am Delta flight from EVV to ATL. Lost him after that. He boarded Platinum, which means he has flown Delta a lot over the last year. He was alone.

  14. IS IT TRUE well known and highly respected local Attorney Mike Woods is the “Elect Gail Riecken For Mayor” campaign Chairmen? …

    The fact that Mike Woods is going to chair her campaign is another “+” in Gail’s column. The two of them are excellent people to bring the local Democrats back into the fold. I don’t know of anybody who doesn’t like Mr. Woods.

  15. EVANSVILLE TRANSPARENCY:

    Thank you for the Weaver- gettin-a-police-escort photo from yesterday ! Well played !

  16. THIS JUST IN OFF THE CIVIC CENTER GRAPEVINE: Rumor has it that Missy and the Beav showed up at EPD Roll Call this morning to present them with a certificate for “Police Officer Appreciation Week”. I don’t recall the City Council voting on such a declaration, so it looks like these two are showing us exactly what shabby, petty politics at its worst looks like and are insulting the intelligence of the good officers of EPD at the same time. One version of this story includes Winnie in on the stupidity. If that is the case, it must be his body double in Atlanta. Then again, it may be his body double at the Civic Center. I wonder if the local news rag covered it.

    • Interesting! Especially since Steve Davis met privately with some officers recently about some of their concerns. He was approached after the rally at the civic center and asked if he would have a sit down talk. I guess a newly printed certificate saying “Thank you!” is how Missy Mosby responds to his actually listening to rank and file officers. Does anyone else think this is a coincidence?

      • How phony can these two get….these two clowns think the voters of Evansville are absolute idiots..Shameful!!!!

  17. The Owen Block, the historic McCurdy Hotel and Mesker Amphitheater. Simply pitiful.

Comments are closed.