IS IT TRUE JULY 21, 2015

1. The first paragraph is true the dirty cop’s son assaulted a citizen and of course corrupt Bolin does nothing as usual.

   • Welcome back Mr Load of Joad.

2. I’m calling BULLSHIT on (1) the idea that the Ford Center was ‘on budget’; and (2) the notion that John Friend and Curt John played any role in containing the expenditures on the Ford Center. (1) The accounting for this project was set up in such a way that there were multiple bank accounts set up so that measurement of expenditures would not be simple. During the Construction, new bank accounts would appear out of no where. They had both the ERA and the ERC approving different expenditures, sometimes approving and making the same payments twice, such as Venuworks, and then making no effort to retrieve the money. Also, the Evansville Vanderburgh Building Authority was hired to be the maintenance guys, but the payments made to EVBA were never counted in the final totals. They paid Populous 12 % architect fee when 10 % was the deal; they brought in Cripe Architects from Indy to promote the Arena (!) and ensure that the as-built building matched the drawings (since Hunt Construction had their own inspectors, a double dip). In addition to multiple bank accounts used to expend the Bond money, they also pulled money directly out of riverboat, TIF and Food & Beverage funds to further cloud the real picture. As the final straw, enough money had been diverted through alternate channels that Weinzapfel could use $ 850,000 of construction funds to pay operating expenses (i.e., Vectren) in an effort to make the Arena profitable in the first year. Didn’t work.

   (2) Friend was his usual self in questioning John Kish on the expenditures. Lots of flowery questions, lots of angst in back and forth, but absolutely nothing was changed by Kish following these interrogations. The Council could not even get regular reports from Kish, nor get him to appear on a regular basis. Kish left town at project completion, having never provided a final accounting. The idea that Friend and Curt John were instrumental in keeping the Arena expenditures in check is like saying that the iceberg helped the Titanic as a navigational device.

   • Sounds like Joe Wallace is at it again.

     • No. . .No . . No. . .this is irrational for old Joe Wallace. . .has the finger prints of Dave Garrett . . .

       • I don’t care who it is, I bet most of it IS TRUE.

       • @Bottoms Up, nope not me. But I do know Tang, and she has this nailed down. There was also the matter of the Arena funds being spent on the EVSC New North High School project. And then there was another one where a Build America Bond Rebate of EVSC’s went into the Arena’s coffers. Gosh, no surprise the City couldn’t find these things, but the EVSC didn’t see these things as they were happening ? Really ?

         • And, it’s only a cold sore . . .

         • According to public record, the Winnecke Administration wanted your lead sheet No. ? and believe you refused to allow Winnecke to proceed with the limited forensic review?? and demand the return of the document . . .Why . . .?

         • @onceuponatime: the Winnecke administration is free to proceed with the forensic audit any time they choose. I would support them in that effort.

     • Not me.

   • Tang, I agree that giving ANY councilman (or two) credit for a successful Ford Center construction is just BS.

     I believe the way it works is: 1) City comes up with estimates from their PM, and inflates them (a pad) to present to the media; 2) Media reports the padded number; 3) City Council has a hearing, and decides to chop off 25 % of the padded number to give the appearance they’re doing something; 4) Project proceeds; 5) As noted by tang above, byzantine accounting systems set up to mask an easy determination of spending; 6) Expenditures coded to Arena accounts as long as the project is under budget, when it starts getting close charge off the expenses to other accounts outside the purview of SBOA; 7) Obtain a report from SBOA that, according to the ledgers of the City, the project was almost on the Council approved budget; and 8) A mad rush for those who claim credit for their fiscal acumen.

     BTW, I used to bowl with John Friend at Franklin Lanes, and I think he would be personally embarrassed with the notion that he, somehow, can claim an accomplishment on this project. Honestly, Ford Center loses money every year, and did not turn out to be the economic catalyst envisioned by Council or Mayor when approved.

   • Tang, good details. As I watched this project unfold, the biggest thing for me from a flyover view was the creation of the lease of the Ford Center, where I believe ERC has to make a payment to ERA, and ERA pays the bondholders. That seemed artificial. Also, there were a lot of different funds used to move money around to show on budget.
     Ford Center IT expenses charged to IT Budget, not Arena. Landscaping, cityscape charged to ERC accounts, not Arena. Street and Sewer work done in preparation of the construction stayed in those departments. Yes, I also heard about the EVBA charges not getting posted.

3. According to the State Board of Account audit on the Ford Center, they concur that the project exceeded the original Council ordinance not to exceed $127,5000,000, however their report clearly indicates that the project was slightly over $128,000,000 in round terms $775,000 or .6% . . .

   • sunny, if you are suggesting that Friend is responsible for “bringing in” the Ford Center project within .6 %, then you’ll have to tell us how many spending decisions Mr. Friend influenced, and how those actions by Friend saved money; all of the Council members were mere recipients of information re: expenditures after they were already made. I sat in at one of those ceremonial grillings of the Ford Center PM from Indy. As per usual, lots of bark, no bite marks left. Since Friend is leaving Council, I guess you want to put him in charge of the Hotel construction ?

     • Of course not . . . that particular Council had nothing to do with how the project proceeded . . .must like this damned hotel . . the problem with the Council is they seems to trust too much and do not lay certain stipulations on granting taxpayers hard earned money . . . taxpayers thought they getting a ten story large footprint downtown they have rolled the Chevy vs. the Cadillac . .

4. In the SBOA report, the auditor sites an overpayment to the Evansville Redev Authority (Not the Commission ) in the amount of $3.6 million but inquiring mind would like to know why those funds have NOT yet been paid back to the City . . especially when old Russ had to strong arm the Utility for $2.5 million as of December 341, 2014 . . maybe this is where Winnecke will be obtaining the funds that O’Daniel spoke concerning the 3.5 million from the bond?

   • liquored,

     Another blogger a few months back made this same point, and went so far as to say that the city spent money to have an Indy attorney determine that the ERA did not owe this $ 3.6 Million to the City. Was that you, and if yes, how can this possibly be ? Why would City be turning down a recoupment of $ 3.6 Million in these lean cash times ???

5. How did Friend bring it in under budget when at the time the City did not have a working accounting system and could not balance it’s checkbook? Bills were paid twice and it was years before the accounts were straightened out enough to be able to figure out what happened.

   • Does any of this sound familiar to observers of Evansville city government?

     PATRONAGE: systems consist of the granting favors, contracts, or appointments to positions by a local public office holder or candidate for a political office in return for political support. Many times patronage is used to gain support and votes in elections or in passing legislation. Patronage systems disregard the formal rules of a local government and use personal instead of formalized channels to gain an advantage.

     EMBEZZLEMENT: is the illegal taking or appropriation of money or property that has been entrusted to a person but is actually owned by another. In political terms this is called graft which is when a political office holder unlawfully uses public funds for personal purposes.

     NEPOTISM: is the practice or inclination to favor a group or person who is a relative when giving promotions, jobs, raises, and other benefits to employees. This is often based on the concept of familism which is believing that a person must always respect and favor family in all situations including those pertaining to politics and business. This leads some political officials to give privileges and positions of authority to relatives based on relationships and regardless of their actual abilities.

     • Nepotism: It’s how Evansville Police officers are hired. Have been following that for many years.

   • The Weinzapfel Administration was the one that planned the project broke ground on time and completed the project on time and slightly over budget . . .plain and simply . . .Friend has nothing to do these facts . . however, how long has it been since this Council approved the hotel . .Sept 2013 nearly to years . .My God, man . .the Arena was nearly constructed during this length of time . . .now how do you spell inept??

   • IG is completely wrong. The accounts were never straightened out, everyone gave up trying to figure out what happened. There is no way of telling how much was spent and who owes who. And why does it matter when the ERA won’t pay 3.6 million it owes the city even when the SBOA tells them to. No telling how much the city really paid and even how much the city is subsidizing the operations of the Ford Gym.

6. I hear that EPD Chief Bolin has a GED and not a High School diploma. If this is true, it explains why we are having so many problems within the police department. This is what you get when you don’t appoint qualified people to run a department.

   • Just like B.O.

   • Our police chief has a GED? WOW!

7. Tang is correct and most people forget the following, (this is from the City Council Minute),
   The price tag was in the range of $117 million to $127 million to build a new arena. Ninety to Ninety-five million dollars would be hard construction costs. The other 30% to 35% would include site related, soft costs and a construction reserve. London Witte looked at how we would pay for a new arena. They determined that 75% of the cost, about $91 million, would be funded by proceeds from long-term debt, a series of bonds issued in late 2009; 25% of the costs or $31 million would be covered by cash on hand or to be collected from the period between 2008 and 2011.

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