We hope that today’s “READERS FORUMâ€Â will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address in a rational and responsible way.
IS IT TRUE that the second “Living Outside the Box” speaker series event was held Wednesday June 26, 2019 in Evansville, Indiana and the attendance was oversubscribed by nearly 100%? Â …that Mike Stepto the event speaker was extremely entertaining, informative and effective? Â …that Mr. Stepto shared with the group that his family owned business the Pet Food Center have experienced many marketing, financial, distribution, product development, and employee retraining issues over the years? …that its obvious that the Pet Foods Center have successfully addressed their business challenges over the years? …by doing so the Pet Food Center have not only have become a regional leader in the pet food business but also an outstanding corporate citizen?
IS IT TRUE we would like to thank our good friend Steve Hammer for doing a masterful job in planning the “LIVING OUTSIDE THE BOX” event? …this event was a smashing success? ..this is one of the reasons why we consider Mr. Hammer an effective  Evansville/Vanderburgh County cheerleader?
IS IT TRUE this was the second such speaking event in the newly established series that is named after former City County Observer editor Joe Wallace’s book?…Joe’s book debuted as the #1 best seller on Amazon in the Green Business category and was also the #1 New Release in 3 other categories?…it also rose to the #2 Best Seller in the Intergovernmental Policy category?…Wallace was the first speaker in this newly established series that is sure to bring more high impact people to Evansville in hopes of teaching the lessons of the book to the movers and shakers of the Tri-State?
IS IT TRUE yesterday Ellis Entertainment, LLC, a subsidiary of Laguna Development Corporation (LDC) based in Albuquerque, New Mexico,announced they have officially purchased Ellis Park Racetrack in Henderson, Kentucky? …during the last several days the new owners of Ellis Park have sent their Human Resource people to explain the new corporate policy and procedures to the current staff at Ellis?
IS IT TRUE we are hearing that the owners of Ellis Park Entertainment, LLC (a subsidiary of Laguna Development Corporation (LDC) based in Albuquerque, New Mexico) are going to lease or purchase around 990 “Historical Horse Racing” machines in the near future? …that Ellis Park currently has around 180 “Historical Horse Racing” machines?
IS IT TRUE we hope that the new owners of Ellis Park will show their patrons how to use the additional option of betting on past horse races from tracks all over America? …this feature is available on every “Historical Horse Racing” machine in the State Of Kentucky but is rarely used? Â …in fact this is seemly the best kept secret in Casino gaming in the State of Kentucky?…when you visit a Casino located in the State of Kentucky and play their “Historical Horse Racing” machines please ask their staff members to explain how can you bet on past horse races on their gaming machines?
IS IT TRUE last week a poster in our comment  section wrote: “Well, apparently it’s now official, despite being quietly talked about for several months.”  …that OldMustangMan also said; “Caesar’s/Harrah’s/Horseshoe is merging/being absorbed by Eldorado.One of the perks of the recently enacted Indiana Sports Book legislation. Where once Indiana casino operators could only own two casinos in the State of Indiana, they may now own six.This will bring the across-from-Louisville Horseshoe casino and the Metropolis, IL Caesar’s/Harrah’s under the Eldorado umbrella. Given how tight and reduced benefits and personnel reductions have occurred at the local Tropicana since Eldorado took over that operation, that does not bode well for gamblers/patrons of the Evansville, Metropolis, or across from Louisville operations. The French Lick casino can continue to experience more growth as more and more local gamblers go there to enjoy their gaming.”
IS IT TRUE that people along the Evansville waterfront on Monday were treated to a performance by a log riding ax wielding man that was obviously inspired to do something quite off the wall?…this dude decided for whatever reason to swim out into the river and mount a log while carrying an ax that he promptly used to chop at the log like he was trying to get ready to build a fire with the wood?…stranger things have happened and this one sort of takes the cake for something so unexpected yet legal and strange that it merited some attention?…it has been 10 years since a would-be Santa Claus got stuck in a chimney and had to be busted out by the Evansville Fire Department?…this sort of thing make you think that meth is making a comeback in River City?
IS IT TRUE that the Romp Bluegrass Music Festival that is now beyond its 10th year in Owensboro is getting so popular that it is causing traffic jams?…in the first year the crowds came out to watch Saturday Night Live veteran Steve Martin pick a banjo and sing bluegrass music?…the success of this festival goes to show how much interest there is in something that is both native and entertaining?…this probably would have worked in Evansville if there was not an obsession for boat racing that has now been eliminated again?
IS IT TRUEÂ during a past City Council meeting Finance Chairman Jonathan Weaver said; “as of February 29, 2019, the City’s General Fund has a deficit of more than $10 million dollars”? …all we heard from the Mayor of Evansville and his City Controller concerning this $10 million dollars deficit issue are crickets?
IS IT TRUE if your CEO of a for-profit Corporation and you just found out that your company has a $10 million dollars deficit we bet you would immediately fire the Controller of his Corporation?
IS IT TRUEÂ we wonder why the former owner of the Evansville Iceman Hockey didn’t send Mayor Winnecke a thank you note to him for forcing him to leave town? …it’s obvious that the Evansville Thunderbolts are losing money and Ron Geary’s Jacksonville, Fla. IceMen is doing extremely well financially? …that the Jacksonville IceMen home games average attendance is around 6,000 patrons per game and are ranked 3rd in attendance out of the 27 teams in the ECHL? Â …the Evansville Thunderbolts home game attendance count is somewhere in the 2,000 range? …when the Evansville IceMen played at the Ford Center they paid around $10,000 a game and it’s been reported that the Evansville Thunderbolts pays a $1,000 for each home game?
Todays “Readers Poll’ question is: Do you feel that the newly approved “Sports Book” betting in Indiana are going to hurt the Kentucky Casinos?
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Perhaps Councilman Weaver should have asked if the $24,000,000 sitting in the Park Special fund earmarked for the Garvin AquaCenter was deposited in the SAME checking that operates the General Fund. Perhaps if so, the repeal of the Separation of Funds ordinance was ill-advised. If so, does the word ponzi mean anything to this Council?
DWW, great point.
I had always thought that betting on ‘Historical Horse Racing’ was accomplished by past-posting some deserving bookie.
As it seems, how does a Democrat mayor Pete Buttigeig compare to a Republican mayor Winnecke: Please see the attached General Fund info . . .
South Bend Civil City, St. Joseph County, Indiana
Cash & Investments Combined Statement – 2018
Local Fund Name
Beg Cash
& Inv Bal
Jan 1, 2018
End Cash
& Inv Bal
Dec 31, 2018
Governmental Activities
101
General Fund
$38,944,317.21
Evansville Civil City, Vanderburgh County, Indiana
Cash & Investments Combined Statement – 2018
End Cash
& Inv Bal
Dec 31, 2018
Governmental Activities
101
General
$2,388,972.77 (THIS IS AFTER THE DIVERSION OF 12.5 MILLION FROM THE BOAT FUNDS)
Oh, so sorry . . .forgot to include the following hospitalization fund for Evansville . . .the following will be South Bend’s info . . .
As of January 1, 2018 – Evansville, IN
Hospitalization
-$2,684,900.19
As of January 1, 2018 – South Bend, IN
Self-Funded Health Insurance
$12,026,306.80
Error . . these are the Balances as of January 1, 2019 . . .
“IS IT TRUE during a past City Council meeting Finance Chairman Jonathan Weaver said; “as of February 29, 2019, the City’s General Fund has a deficit of more than $10 million dollarsâ€? …all we heard from the Mayor of Evansville and his City Controller concerning this $10 million dollars deficit issue are crickets?
IS IT TRUE if your CEO of a for-profit Corporation and you just found out that your company has a $10 million dollars deficit we bet you would immediately fire the Controller of his Corporation?”
The former Mayor, now Controller, Little Lloyd has a track record of robbing Peter to pay Paul. He wants all monies to go into the General Fund so he can distribute them regardless of for what they are earmarked.
And now there us the issue of the City Information Officer being funded by the EWSU. Now her salary can be removed from the City accounts and transferred to the EWSU where all EWSU customers can fund it.
If Evansville took over Romp they could bankrupt it in 2 years. The first Fridays car show on Main was free, brought out hundreds of cars, thousands of people down town. It was done away with because it “lost money”. How can something that is provided free by the car owners loose money? The bluegrass festivals at Meskers and Bayard Park were well attended, dropped like a hot potato.
bayerd
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