IS IT TRUE? July 18, 2011

IS IT TRUE that before truly beginning to evaluate the two, three, or more bids that may show up today in response to the RFP for a new Downtown Convention Hotel that there needs to be some serious exercise in getting the evaluators act together?…that thus far Mayor Weinzapfel and the Evansville Redevelopment Commission which seem to be flying solo while blindfolded have wandered in a financial wilderness for a full year ending up right back where they started?…that prior to this year of chasing their tail there was a two year tail chasing episode with the Mayor alone at the helm in the rudderless ship?

IS IT TRUE that it is time for the Evansville City Council and the Evansville Redevelopment Commission to stop performing like an insane clown posse and to put together an objective financial criteria that will actually result in securing a developer that has both sufficient financing and the right experience base to get a nationally branded 3-Star or above hotel where the ROCK PILE currently sits?…that the days for gut feelings, rules of thumb, old boy networks, and cronyism are over?…that it is time for the City Council and the ERC to agree on an antiseptic vetting process that is based on merit and capability?…that the stewards of this process should be a committee that includes competent elected officials from both parties, independent thinkers who understand things like cash flows and good business practice, and most importantly are not puppets for anyone?

IS IT TRUE that if a 3rd, 4th, or 5th party comes to the table with a proposal after today’s deadline that there is no logical reason that their proposal should not be considered as a backup in the event that today’s bidders do not vet well?…that any business that would not consider back up offers for a process that has been as challenged as attracting and vetting a hotel developer has been would not even be considered to be competent?…that the “winner” does not need to be a rush to judgment?…that getting a hotel has always been more important than getting a headline?…that there have been more pictures of downtown Convention Hotel renderings in headlines in Evansville in the last several years than there are hotels in Evansville?…that the lack of a process has basically only resulted in articles and renderings and no hotel?…that the ink will get pretty acidic if this process fails yet again?

IS IT TRUE that any attempt by anyone to force a fast decision without a thorough VETTING PROCESS have been conducted should be removed from the decision team?…that assumes that there will be a decision team formed?…that early stage VETTING for the purpose of eliminating financially tenuous respondents really can be fairly simple?…that a competent and diligent VETTING COMMITTEE should do simple things like credit checks and supplier references in very short order?…that the real purpose of VETTING is to eliminate respondents that have such high risks that the probability for another debacle is high?

IS IT TRUE that tomorrow that the Evansville Redevelopment Commission will once again sit in judgment of the responses of any businesses that have chosen to put in a bid to BUILD AND OPERATE a downtown Convention Hotel that is slated to sit upon the land south of the new Arena and west of the Centre?…that one very real question regarding this bidding process is just why the ERC is the governing body that is sitting in such judgment?…that it may just be worth examining on what authority that the ERC is doing this and how and when that authority was granted?

IS IT TRUE that without regard for what authority has or has not been granted, it is time to put a rational objective process in place and let the process drive the decision?…the lack of objectivity and the failure to establish VETTING PROCEDURES has this car in the ditch?…that it is time to go back to driving school and change drivers?

IS IT TRUE that this dog should not be anyone’s role model?