IS IT TRUE March 1, 2013
IS IT TRUE in spite of the fact that there was no ridiculous event like the Maingate City Council fiasco of 2012, the traffic of the City County Observer in February 2013 continued to grow and exceeded the fiasco fueled record month of February 2012?…as long as we continue to report bold things like the First Lady of Evansville’s claim that “Republicans control the Evansville City Council†our traffic will continue to grow at the expense of other media?…we do wonder just which 4 Democrats are considered under the thumb of the Winnecke Administration by the First Lady?
IS IT TRUE that the month of March has made its entry into 2013 and that the planned spending cuts known as SEQUESTER are now upon us?…the sun came up this morning, none of the upcoming flights have been cancelled, online banking is working great, the stock market is near an all time high, not one teacher has been laid off as the White House has claimed, and life in this United States is pretty much as it has been for the last few weeks?…in truth the Obama Administration created the SEQUESTER for political purposes thinking all along it would never happen yet it has with the only fanfare coming from the carnival barkers at the White House?…SEQUESTER is only a 2.4% cut in spending or a paltry 0.5% of the existing federal debt?…today the Obama Administration and the Congress woke up to the same reality that every American worker woke up to on January 1st and that reality is a 2% cut in discretionary spending?…every American adjusted to that reality within a week and it is not too much to ask of our elected leaders to do the same?…the other reality that may be forced onto the federal government by their debt holders is the reality that hit many private citizens four years ago?…that is an interest rate increase?…if you really want to see a disaster that disrupts the federal government that would be an interest rate increase?…a rise to only 7% or 8% would render our government incapable of spending money on anything but interest?…most all of us remember interest rates like that and higher?…if the federal government does not get control of the debt “America the Beautiful†may just be changed to “Don’t Cry for me Argentinaâ€?
IS IT TRUE that speaking of debt it seems as though the government of the City of Evansville now has about $400 Million of debt on our books?…that amounts to $3,400 per resident or $8,000 per household including the 10,000 uninhabitable houses?…when compared to a bigger and dumber city like Chicago or Detroit, Evansville’s debt does not look so terrible?…when the sewers are all brought into compliance with the EPA mandate Evansville’s debt will be closer to a Billion Dollars bringing it right alongside those bigger and dumber cities that are known for corruption and lose population at rates that in Detroit’s case exceed the losses associated with a military invasion by an outside power?…that what Detroit has done to itself could not have been done by an outside saboteur?…seeing the fate of these decaying cities it defies logic to copy even one page from their playbook?…those pages include borrowing money to build temples to sport, banning guns, and providing incentives to entertainers?…the results speak for themselves?
IS IT TRUE the Indiana Venture Club in Indianapolis has no businesses scheduled to pitch any investment opportunities to them for their March meeting?…that perhaps their conservative nature and their irrational valuation demands (greed) have rendered them irrelevant?…when a group that hangs out a shingle advertising investment dollars for equity can’t even get an entrepreneur to make a presentation there is something very wrong?…the Indiana Venture Club is not alone in suffering from an entrepreneur shortage?…such Venture Clubs all over the country reacted to the new economic realities of the last four years and changed their evaluation criteria and the chickens have come home to roost?…the shortage of investments in emerging businesses can be traced right to the White House and Congress who are borrowing so much money that little is left for private business while raising taxes to the point that the returns on investment are no longer attractive?…American entrepreneurs will hopefully adapt and bring for new businesses for all of our benefit because according to the Kauffman Foundation 100% of net new jobs come from companies less than 5 years old?…we should not have to imagine a country without employment?
Knowing who is owned by clintonk and winni is as plain as the nose on ones face Obviously it is prezio Constance Robinson , messy mosby , beaver weaver , and John friend , Connor is unsure about going to the dark side , doc Adams votes thru the heart cause he is still honest and Mr. Lindsay is just a ordinary man who earns his money and wants to help the people and the city of evansville IMHO
A little bird tells me that Missy is taking a job with Team McClintock. If that is true it sure does redefine conflict of interest and outs one of the dems under control.
Missy is working at Tucker is what it states on her facebook page.
Isn’t that just peachy! Bought, sold, and paid for. Missy is most certainly under CONTROL. Who controls the paycheck controls the vote.
It doesn’t surprise me traffic is up. As long as discussions are allow to take their natural course without excessive editing, it could stay that way.
As far as Council members being under the thumb of Republicans… I don’t see it that way.
I see some what are part of the establishment tax and spend clique, then I see others who are too weak minded to stand up against it with any real consistency. Instead of leading, they allow themselves to be led. Their Party monikers are immaterial. Considering the outcome of the most recent vote, not a single one of them represents me.
i am glad for that
And then what did you do?
Based on previous comments, it is clear that you have a gov’t job at the civic center. I just want to thank you for all the hard work you are doing trolling the comment sections for all things Linzy. It’s nice to know my tax dollars are being well spent.
I can’t remember whether I picked him up as a fan when I started criticizing the EPD for the botched SWAT raid, or if it was when I criticized Wedding’s botched answer to my gun control question…but you’re right, I seem to have a swarm that follows me around now. It reminds me of those birds that perch on the backs of rhinos, or those little sucker fish that live off the parasites on sharks and whales. I seem to have created my own symbiotic ecosystem.
It was the Wedding issue. BTW, How’s the Tucker campaign going? I would ask him, but his lawyer told him to stop talking about himself. I would ask his boy Will, but after several profanity laced FB post and some derogatory post about the less fortunate people needing food, his FB page was taken down. And you say Wedding botched something. What hasn’t the Tucker campaign botched?
I bet politicians are lining up to get you to write something in the CCO to “help” their campaigns.
There you go again…making assumptions. My article about that race was not an endorsement of Jim Tucker. I am not on his campaign. I do not advise or in any other way participate in his campaign. As a citizen, I am an interested observer, as someone with opinions, I will participate in comments about the race, but I am not endorsing anyone in that race. As I’ve said before, I’m not even a Democrat, so I can’t even vote in that primary race.
No assumptions. I never said support or endorsement. I even put “help” in the little squiggles. I know exactly where you stand. The same place you stand on everything. Off to the side not actually doing anything and behind words that you can spin when you get questioned on it.
Uhhh… Where do you think the “moles” work? Of course, their information gives you something to ooh and awe about. You are willing to overlook your tax dollars no questions asked when their “information” supports your predetermined beliefs.
Just because I am educated about something does not mean I work in that area. Good Lord, look at the endless “knowledge” Brad has. Do you really believe he works in every area he posts about?
If the only thing you bring to this is a lame try at calling someone out because you don’t agree with them, then maybe you better sit at the kids table and the adults continue with the debates.
The campaign is going just fine. Thanks for asking. And I am right here, you know how to get ahold of me, that’s the funny thing about using my real name. And my facebook page you are always so worried about is up and fine, but gee, too bad I can’t identify you to see your page. Oh well….
The campaign is doing just fine, thanks for asking. I am right here, not hiding behind a screen name. Anyone who wants to contact me, its not hard to find me. And since you visit my facebook page so often, you should know I am still posting on it. And my rant, wow your not even close about what you said it was about, and what I said I stand behind 100%. I would love to visit your page, but you are wanting to hide…thats ok. if this gets double posted, sorry.
Please tell me what I believe. The only issue I have taken a stand on is the efficiency of government. I am not defending Mr Linzy. He very well could be all the things you believe him to be. I can’t say, I do not know him.
The purpose of this publication is to encourage good government. Allowing tax payer funded employees to troll internet comment boards on public time is not good government. I’m not sure if you were insinuating that you were a mole or not. If you are, you of all people should understand my gripe.
If this is what passes as debate, I’ll be happy to take my seat at the children’s table.
Hey Braddy, why don’t you run for office, since you loooovvee to tell EVERYONE what they are doing wrong? Oh, sorry, that’s right, you wouldn’t buy a home in Evansville. Why do we get the honor (oops CURSE) of your negativity, when you don’t even live here? For someone who sells guitars for a living, you sure like to knock EVERYONE else’s job and tell them how they should be doing it. I used to feel a bit sorry for you. It must be horrible to live in such fear of EVERYONE and EVERYTHING. I think you should see a professional about these issues.
Here is another of my fanbase right here…
I very well might run for office. Who knows. It depends on my mood. If nothing else, it might be fun to make someone sweat who deserves to sweat. Besides, I think the people of Evansville are ready for candidates with some balls. I think they’re sick of the spending, sick of unbalanced books and sick of Council Members who vote for more spending by approving the budgets without amendment.
I’m in Ward 1 Precinct 1. I do live in Evansville. I don’t own property here for a few different reasons, several of which are none of your business, but I feel kinda bad for the people who do. They are going to have to pay for all this spending over the long term, especially when the sewer liability begins to rear its ugly head, not to mention this backward new policy of driving out capital investors. A cocktail made in hell if you ask me.
Keep on stalking and attacking me though. I’m sure Ron and Joe will appreciate breaking another page view record this month.
I thought as much. Threatenings about not buying a house in Evansville. I knew it was to good to be true. Is Google and utube going to be your campaign managers? Looks like your a fan of animal planet too. Your only redeeming quality.
I like animals. they fascinate me because, on the whole, they are honest about what they are. It never occurs to a wolf or snake to try and appear as anything other than a wolf or a snake. Only the weak, vulnerable, slow or disadvantaged ever try to disguise what they are to lure prey or dissuade a predator, and only the foolish and unworthy of further life ever fall for their illusions and tricks.
Brad, Brad, Brad, you live for this bantering and you know it. Otherwise you wouldn’t antagonize people who disagree with your rants about anything, everything and ALL things. But if you take it as a compliment, so be it. Had that coffee date yet?
Since you live in Ward 1 Precinct 1 I’d like to extend a direct invitation to you to come out to the tomorrow and join us and “invest” some clean-up in your neighborhood.
Here’s the news story link (http://bit.ly/Vg1h5W) and you are welcome to join up with any of the teams. If you can’t make it then perhaps you could mark your calendar for the April 6th city-wide clean-up. You know some of us homeowners really do care about our city and neighborhoods beyond our property lines.
I would think you might enjoy the opportunity to get out of your apartment and use your hands for something other than typing dialogues on the CCO (all hours of the day), strumming a guitar or holding an “OCCUPY” sign.
Now remember to write those dates down…I’d hate for you to miss another event. 🙂
I don’t accept invitations from anonymous people.
Actually, Mike McGarrah invited you and everyone else in the area to help. His name and number are in the article. There is still time.
Of course, you would rather spend your time stewing, not doing.
You want a hands off government, but don’t want to be a hands on citizen. You are the first to complain, but the last to be involved with any type of solution. The more times you get called out for your lack of action, readers see that you are only on here for the argument. You have to spend less time trying to change minds and more time actually trying to make a change. If not, you are just a keyboard commando that fails to do anything but use big words you found in a book and reposting someone else’s theories that you found online.
Brad,
I understand that you have a young child in your life. I think that is great that she has a Dad who loves her as much as you do. But take some advice…you apparently have too many balls in the air in your life as you can’t seem to make any in person appearances when they are necessary. The integrity of your word has lost some weight and your potential for changing minds here in this forum has diminished.
In my opinion, the value of your words have been challenged and no further words from you can be weighed in that challenge. My advice to you is that you should make a change, not in your beliefs, but in yourself. A change in your life and how you present yourself to the people of this world. A change that would restore some faith in you and add value back to your words. Because without that change, your words are just words.
An Anonymous Friend
I don’t need a special reason or date to pick up garbage. I do that every time I pass by it in my neighborhood. If I see something on the ground, I pick it up. Why would I want to rub elbows with the likes of you doing something I already do anyway? I have no desire to socialize with you. All you do is attack me. Your invitation is a farce, and your pretense of civic pride hides a different motivation.
I have been writing and reading about my pet subjects for quite a long time now. I do not require Google to communicate my views. I have been interviewed on every network in this town at on time or another at rallies and protests I helped organize. I have read more books on economics than I’m sure you even knew existed. I am always open to learning new things because there is always something new to learn from new people, but you have made it abundantly clear you are not someone from whom I could learn very much. You have given me no reason to respect your intelligence.
You are constantly attacking people for their views or actions. Then you get worked up when someone returns the favor. Folks like you are a dime a dozen.
Here we see you responding to yet another invitation to actually leave your keyboard with yet another set of excuses.
Hey Troll…Why dont you use your real name so we can take you serious! Just a thought….
I bet the people who need assistance feeding their families loved your FB post that compared helping them to feeding animals at the zoo.
You used your real name, and yes, I bet they took it serious.
How about you worry about your hot tub and all the boozing you do in it Willy.
Wow!
Well, as much as I would love to banter with the two of you, I must go in the other room to watch the paint dry on the walls. Darn the luck, this is for you Brad….. winky, smiley face!
I can’t believe Bradley Lazy tries to reply to you. You are smacking him around up one side and down the other. You sir are my hero!
These threads are so ridiculous. There are bigger things at play in this world.
Where are all the RTW jobs? Also, quit acting like the rich are suffering and we are showing up at their homes to confiscate all their property. That overly dramatic story is getting old. The wealth gap is at an all time high and growing. This myth that the wealthy are bearing the weight of the Bush depression is comical. The working poor are always the ones to shoulder the burden of hard times because we have no political influence. Poor people didn’t ship all the jobs to China.
“Poor people didn’t ship all the jobs to China.”
+1
Exactly we have many good d and r involved in our local ,state and national political figures ,,, it’s not so much the actual party but the politicans running for office . When a person is elected the d or the r needs to be removed if ya know what I mean . They need to quit working for their party and worry only about the American people …. I hope that makes sense ???
Of course the poor are suffering. I agree with you there. But there are reasons for that suffering beyond the narrative typically given by union members and Democrats, or for that matter Republicans and wealthy people.
Our current system is geared toward maintaining a mob-like control by a select few. Capitalism often gets the blame for the ills we have seen in the current economy, yet we haven’t had true capitalism in this country for about 100 years.
What we have is a situation where government taxes the people, that money goes to a centralized government where it is fought over and divvied up in a manner consistent with the way hyenas or wolves fight over a carcass. The spending is often geared toward returning the favors corporations have done for the politicians. This money is rarely used in the manner in which we are led to believe it is being used, and the power the politicians wield is used to create laws that make it harder for new businesses to compete with the old, entrenched corporations giving the campaign donations.
The truth is, large, entrenched corporations who know how to exploit the current political system LOVE heavy regulations! You are often led to believe the opposite is true, but they benefit from heavy regulations because it discourages competition in their sector. Ultimately, it is the consumer and the common worker who suffer from this quasi-capitalist, or crony capitalist system.
Then, the real kicker is this… When the other shoe falls, and all the debts get called in and the large, entrenched corporations cannot meet all the debt obligations they’ve built up, they will run to government in the name of “saving jobs” and ask for a bailout on the backs of ALL taxpayers. The Federal Reserve will buy bonds and essentially “print money” in the process, thereby diminishing the savings of all poor, struggling, and middle class Americans even further.
In the days before the income tax, Federal Reserve, central economic planning and excessive government regulations, our economy expanded at a rate never before seen in history. Since 1913 with the creation of the income tax and the Federal Reserve, we have seen more death and warfare (including two World Wars which inarguably hurt the poor the most), a Great Depression (which again hurt the poor the most), rampant inflation (which is a hidden tax that hurts the poor the most), and now we are now in our fifth year of a Great Recession/Depression that, you guessed it, hurts the poor the most).
So I agree with you about our system being geared toward f*&%ing the poor people and rewarding the corporations, but I disagree government should be looked toward with anything but disdain and culpability in all of it. They are NOT the answer. They are the problem.
“Poor people didn’t ship all the jobs to China.” Actually, by wanting cheaper and cheaper prices they did.
The rich won’t suffer. They will leave, and they are. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/more_citizens_vote_with_their_feet_CTshpQumBXMZmUXsfw6OTM
Exactly! It is the WalMart shopper mentality that shipped lots of jobs to China. The “rich” had to offshore production because the “poor” won’t pay the prices that go with consumer products that are American made.
Anyone that thinks you can compete with WalMart on price with products from factories that have to abide by the labor laws of the USA is delusional.
This certainly did not help:
October 1999, the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act
The whole cast of characters are present in the photo-op here.
http://online.wsj.com/media/steagall_G_20091027162126.jpg
I guess we are supposed to believe that none of them had a clue where things COULD wind up without the protections of Glass-Steagall. We are just the dumb bastards who investment accounts they destroyed!
___
When she was speaking I don’t think she was meaning that the city council is under republican control, that’s obviously not the case. What it appears that she was implying was that the machine has a majority over the grass roots side and that is most definitely the case. My question is this: Why just stop at 4. I’d say 7 of the 9 are easily in with Winnecke outside of Adams and Lindsey even though Adams might as well be with the wild tangents he takes things on.
That’s why I still believe that R and D should be thrown out of local politics. It’s man vs machine here. Winnecke and Weinzapfel are no different than the other.
“That’s why I still believe that R and D should be thrown out of local politics. It’s man vs machine here.”
Agreed. If you see it as “man vs. machine”, then why are you not a libertarian like me? Why do you continually look to government for solutions?
The truth is, Jordan, the “machine” is the mob. “Man” is the individual. The real battle is between individualism (freedom) at one end and collectivism (slavery) at the other. You are a frustrating case for me, because I see you as being so close to your eureka moment on this, but somehow you keep missing it. I hope you get there soon so we can work together someday.
I went out to Oak Hill Cemetery today and it is a complete mess. So I will repeat my question to you once more: Have you scheduled a tour with the owner of the CCO who offered to give you a tour of these two cemeteries?
I drove through Oak Hill a while back again after your story. I didn’t see anything too far out of the ordinary for an aging cemetery. Your photos were fairly accurate in that regard.
You answered my question by not answering my question. You were offered the opportunity to see first hand what the problems were and you chose to pass in favor of staying on here and posting day by day, hour by hour libertarian fairy tales.
You claimed you were going to start a petition to remove Winnecke from office, then you said everything you said wasn’t possible. You claimed you never got a fb message from chief bolin only to find out later that it just happened to be in your “other” box. You claimed you were going to stand in front of the city council and tell the entire world why you were against the landlord resolution, only to have been magically called to Deaconess Hospital that same night once it was revealed to be a common sense ordinance.
And now, you are claiming that the cemeteries are fine, that your self guided tour yielded nothing that just about everyone except you says is disgusting and appalling but you refuse to let the cco themselves take you on a guided tour to point out just what you’re somehow someway missing.
Do you see why there might be a problem here?
Why do you think a 35 year old man would need a guided tour through a cemetery when he can go look for himself?
I never said a damn thing about a “petition” to remove Winnecke. That shows how little you could either pay attention to or comprehend the angle I was suggesting. There never was a petition mentioned by me. I’ve explained that to you before.
As for Chief Bolin… I didn’t lie. I never did get his Jan. 29 invite because Facebook has a folder in messages I didn’t know existed until just the other day. I sent him a personal apology for jumping to the conclusion to which I jumped, because that’s what big boys do when they f&ck up, Jordan, they admit it. Then they
As for taking my daughter to the hospital… I don’t owe you jack in that regard in terms of an explanation. Stuff happens when you have kids and responsibilities. I don’t expect you to understand that.
Isn’t there some public official or elected politician to whom you should be ingratiating yourself right about now? Shouldnt you be out there finding new, innovative ways to be used by them? How DO you find the time to attack lowly ol’ me with your busy schedule of finding problems that you’ll advocate the wrong solution to or that simply don’t exist?
Don’t post angry BLO
Wow Brad first Chief Bolin owns you now Jordan Baer is mopping the floor with you. You just got smoked in this thread as well. I still don’t understand why you insist on making a fool out of yourself day after day. It’s about time people started fighting back against you.
The answer to the party system is not another party. I support many libertarian ideas and want to see more libertarians in government, but eventually every entity falls to the same disease, survival at any cost.
I agree 100%. When I said “libertarian”, I meant with a small “l”, not the Party necessarily.
What are the odds that she meant County Council rather than City Council? IIRC, the Republicans hold a 4-3 majority in that body.
You are 100 % correct. She/Carol made a typo. I hope these commentators know that and are just having fun with her error—if they think otherwise they need to wakeup.
This seems to be the most reasonable answer.
Did anyone else see where Detroit City Government is being taken over by the State of Michigan?
How far behind is Evansville at the rate we’re going? This new approach of driving out capital investors in real estate should speed things up nicely.
http://money.cnn.com/2013/03/01/news/economy/detroit-takeover/
Your OUTGO can not exceed your INCOME. That is a fact that Mayor Winnecke and the City Council had better respect for the remainder of Winnecke’s term.
This downtown hotel project under consideration could be the final nail in the coffin. They always OVERESTIMATE the future revenue available for debt service, while UNDERESTIMATING the total cost of the project to taxpayers. If that happens this time the consequences will be fatal for the city.
___
Bill Jeffers, if you’re on here I have a question for you since you have dealt with water tables and other land features as surveyor.
The current photo of the Roberts site taken by Klenck clearly shows an excavator standing on the playing surface ripping out the lower bowl without any water whatsoever around it…
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10101158804308800&set=o.158943827457362&type=1&theater
If you go out to the site and you walk around the southeast corner of the fences between the road and the old national guard building you will the pumps are labeled “dead” on them.
How are they keeping all of that water out? Is there some kind of sump pump installed on the site? If so, why couldn’t something like this have been installed in the first place? Thanks!
I will check that out and get back with you.
Thank you!!!
Bill, I too wait for your inquiry. I think it will show that Building Supervisor David Rector had a hand in making Robert’s look bad and help facilitate the building of the Ford Center.
Jordan, in the photo you provide, it appears that there is huge drainpipe from the parking lot into the bottom of the Roberts Stadium floor. If this is the case, much has been misrepresented about “the water-table issue,” and possible remedies…
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10101158804308800&set=o.158943827457362&type=1&theater
Very, very interesting photo. If they say they fixed it with hydraulic cement, that could have been done at any time. Jordan may be on to a real story here. Keep up the good work.
I was wondering about that drain pipe myself because another photo taken by Klenck from a reverse angle shows that drain pipe not in the area yet not one but two excavators are sitting on the playing surface without a drop of water..
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10101161293176090&set=o.158943827457362&type=1&theater
A couple of pictures of early demolition taken by Klenck show the pumps area being ripped out yet only a small tiny fraction of frozen water from the previous weeks snow can be seen on the floor (that precipitation showed up in other photo(s) in other area(s) that week.)
If you walked down the western side of the building when it was intact, you could hear the water being pumped out of the area and into the pipe lines. Today, you cannot hear this same noise. The electrical box (which I have a photo of as well) is clearly marked “dead” on it.
Somehow someway they have stopped those pumps while preventing water from hitting the lower bowl. The question is how? Even if it’s something that can only work temporary it’s still irrelevant as raising the floor above that area was the best idea for the facility because it would have helped lower the seating capacity while expanding the playing surface for indoor football and trade shows that can’t afford the FC (Boat show, etc) while eliminating the issue all together.
We had a construction manager and an engineer/architect working on it. We also had another person get a quote from another construction company the year before- The highest estimate was $500,000, the lowest was $400,000. A much better solution than a multi-million dog park.
It seems logical the old stadium floor would look like a swimming pool if it is really below the water table and the sump pumps are disconnected.
I asked them to pull the plug on the pumps last year to ALLOW the floor to flood (since we were going to moth ball it anyway). Mr. Bohleber just laughed at the notion. I wanted a test.
However, I am aware that the water table underground fluctuates and though it may not be seen right now, the floor could still flood if the river raises some.
Ff
FF- So the guy who supposedly claims he was for saving it wanted the pumps to be turned off which would have caused the entire interior to mold. You need to pick a side.
I think I see why the Presidents Association area is going downhill so fast.
“that what Detroit has done to itself could not have been done by an outside saboteur?…seeing the fate of these decaying cities it defies logic to copy even one page from their playbook?…those pages include borrowing money to build temples to sport, banning guns, and providing incentives to entertainers?…the results speak for themselves?”
Joe I just caught this, you can’t possibly be serious. You’re getting dangerously close to Linzy Libertarian Fantasy Land. You’re saying that the decline of Detroit is due to their temples to sports and not the fact that the city has sprawled beyond the level of ridiculousness?
First of all, most the temples to sports can’t even be blamed at all since the first major decline in population occurred at the 1960 US Census and has been falling sharply ever since. Yet, Ford Field wasn’t built until 2002 and Comerica Park wasn’t built until 2000-40 years AFTER the decline started.
In the mean time the Lions played in the Silverdome in Pontiac, MI (which is getting renovated) from 75-01 while the pistons played there from 78-88 before moving into the Palace of Auburn Hills, MI where they still play. From 1912 to 1999, the Tigers played at Tiger Stadium which was built for $300,000 and was renovated privately in the 30’s by Tigers owner Walter Briggs- Are you saying Tiger Stadium didn’t produce ROI?
That leaves two facilities- Cobo Arena and Joe Louis to claim are responsible for the demise of Detroit. Cobo was built in 1960 so maybe it is, but the city paid $56 mil for it and it still stands today and is in fact being renovated into an expansion of the convention center due to high demand. Joe Louis Arena didn’t open til 79 and even those who hate sports facilities contend it’s been a good deal…
http://www.fieldofschemes.com/news/archives/2011/08/4641_detroit_turning.html
“The city is netting $2.6 million a year on the home of the Red Wings, including revenues from rent, ticket taxes, and a cut of concessions and suite sales.
Given that the arena was built in 1979 for only $30 million, that’s a pretty excellent deal for the city of Detroit — which is, no doubt, one of the reasons Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch wants out of Joe Louis.”
As for Ford Field…
The total cost for it (in 2002) was $430 million with the final total being $500 million after the team decided to spend $70 mil to incorporate Hudson’s Warehouse into the design.
Of the $500 mil, $420 million was privately financed by the Lions who are owned by the Ford Company. Although the other $80 mil was from the public what was it spent on?
(All caps added by me)
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20120819/FREE/308199953/10-years-later-innovative-ford-field-still-scores
“An estimated $420 million was privately financed by the Lions, who don’t discuss their finances. The remaining $80 million came from four public entities each paying $20 million toward infrastructure work — WATER AND SEWER LINES, streets, etc. — that supports Ford Field:
• City of Detroit
• Wayne County
• Downtown Development Authority
• Michigan Strategic Fund
Source: Detroit-Wayne County Stadium Authority, Crain’s research”
And what impact did it have on the warehouse?
“The Hudson’s warehouse, in use from 1913 to 1995, was turned into 230,000 square feet of Class A commercial office rental space that rents for $21 to $23 per square foot. Tenants include law firm Bodman PLC, and there is speculation that Warren-based advertising agency Campbell-Ewald will bring most of its 750 employees to the building — a rumor that company won’t confirm or deny, although it acknowledges it’s considering a move.”
So Joe, if a city gives seed money to private investors to start their business in an incubator you support it but if the Lions revitalize an abandoned and historic warehouse into a facility that is now filled with tenants (Camden Yards is the same way too btw) then you don’t support it?
Here’s the real problem with Detroit Joe, it’s too big. You can fit Manhattan, San Francisco, and Boston…
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H6XW_a4TYus/SjNV85UAgvI/AAAAAAAAA44/T98M-yLkJPA/s400/detroit+comparison+map.jpg
The sprawl is the direct result of Detroit having to spend too much on infrastructure and city services while having nothing but abandoned homes to show for it due to market saturation. It’s time for that city to contract…
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703503804575083781073108438.html
Here in Evansville Joe we’ve done what you say we should do. In 1998 we nixed plans to build a new downtown arena that would have correctly housed USI instead of UE in it because we were told it was not the best thing for the city to do. What happened? A few years later, Gene Hahn with Carol McClintock as the leader of the charge expanded our city when they plowed into forest to construct Pearl Drive. Then, in 2003 we cancelled the plan to build the ballpark because ppl like Dave Mosby echoed what you said about priorities. So what happened? In 2010-11, the county spent $25 million to widen Green River Rd which will do nothing but sprawl our city.
Remember how Winnecke and his wife put all those “experts” in front of the city council to tell us that the market was too saturated for Roberts to be sold for retail or manufacturing? Well, he said something else back then…
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/may/23/no-headline—24a0xgreenriver/
“”This is a great day for the motoring public. This is a sign of vision and growth,” said Lloyd Winnecke, president of the Vanderburgh County Commissioners”
So we’ve done this many times before Joe only to see our city expand when they can’t even maintain what they got.
You’ve taken the position that the city’s parks system is too busy and should contract so why do you think the city’s infrastructure should expand?
It’s easy to come out against the Ford Center, Roberts, etc because the locals have been trained like Pavlov’s Dog to resist anything dealing with “temples to sports” But it’s quite another thing to tackle to main problem with our city- I-69- because the Chamber has also trained the public with a dog whistle that “everything infrastructure is great for a city.”
Urban decay, a blooming city budget, and a shrinking city can all be traced back to one thing and it’s not temples to sports. So why not tell what the real problem with this city is?
Here’s the real problem with Detroit Joe, it’s too big. You can fit Manhattan, San Francisco, and Boston…
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_H6XW_a4TYus/SjNV85UAgvI/AAAAAAAAA44/T98M-yLkJPA/s400/detroit+comparison+map.jpg
The sprawl is the direct result of Detroit having to spend too much on infrastructure and city services while having nothing but abandoned homes to show for it due to market saturation. It’s time for that city to contract…
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703503804575083781073108438.html
Here in Evansville Joe we’ve done what you say we should do. In 1998 we nixed plans to build a new downtown arena that would have correctly housed USI instead of UE in it because we were told it was not the best thing for the city to do. What happened? A few years later, Gene Hahn with Carol McClintock as the leader of the charge expanded our city when they plowed into forest to construct Pearl Drive. Then, in 2003 we cancelled the plan to build the ballpark because ppl like Dave Mosby echoed what you said about priorities. So what happened? In 2010-11, the county spent $25 million to widen Green River Rd which will do nothing but sprawl our city.
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