IS IT TRUE MARCH 27, 2018

We hope that today’s “IS IT TRUE” 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 according to At-Large Evansville Councilmen and Finance Chairmen, Jonathon Weaver it looks like members of the Winnecke Administration kept the Evansville City Council in the dark by withholding material information prior to a vote that commits ECHO Housing Corporation money that the City is supposed to be providing financial stewardship over?

IS IT TRUE the first time this happened was when members of the Winnecke Administration snuck Earthcare Energy LLC a $200,000 advance against and anticipated $4M gift that they hoped the City Council would okay?…in that particular case the wheels fell off the bus when the whiz bang contraption that some of the technical dimwits did not understand turned out to be junk science and Earthcare Energy LLC couldn’t produce a patent that they claimed to have had?…the advance payment was hidden from the City Council and all looked like fools by the time the taxpayers of Evansville had been fleeced for $200,000?

IS IT TRUE this time members of the Winnecke Administration kept the facts about a quiet investigation of an alleged theft at Echo Housing a secret before City Council voted to approve a $400,000 plus funding request?…Councilman and Finance Chairmen Jonathan Weaver and 5th Ward Council member Justin Elpers are baring their political fangs and threatening to withhold all future support for Echo Housing and part of the reason for this manic disappointment is that fact that they got the wool pulled over their eyes again?

IS IT TRUE that an Echo Housing Board member has now responded to the claims by the Evansville Police Department that the board of directors was not cooperating with law enforcement to investigate the alleged theft?…the response basically claims that they have always cooperated with the EPD and never resisted an investigation?…the also acknowledge that they are required to have an annual audit conducted by an outside CPA firm and that the audit is available at Guidestars which is a non-profit information clearing house?…we suspect this audit and past ones will be dissected thoroughly in the coming weeks?…with funding from federal, state and local government plus plenty of philanthropic dollars, Echo had better have their act together or something that smells is going to hit the fan?

IS IT TRUE a recent grant application submitted to the City of Evansville listed the current Board of Director members of the Echo Housing Corporation? …the names listed on the grant application were: Roy Dane Chandler of Banterra Bank-Evansville, Reverend Gerald Arnold, President of the local NAACP, Tom Moore, Director of the Vectren Foundation and former EHCO Housing Executive Director, Stephenie TenBarge?  …we are amazed to find out that no one knows who appointed the above individuals to the current ECHO Board of Directors?  …one thing we do know for certain is that many people feel that above individuals have not been good stewards of the public trust and should be immediately replaced with new board members?

IS IT TRUE that a groundbreaking has now occurred for a downtown Hyatt Place hotel that is being completely financed by private money?…this hotel will have 139 rooms and is expected to cost $18 Million which is less than the City of Evansville gave away to subsidize the downtown Doubletree Hotel?…years ago the City-County Observer opined that the IU Medical School would attract hotels without a handout and that just came true?…one can only imagine what could have been done with the $20 million plus in subsidies paid to the Doubletree owners to put a hotel in downtown Evansville?…patience could have saved all of that money?…neither the Weinzapfel or Winnecke Administrations have been known for  good financial judgement when it comes to city subsized capital projects?

IS IT TRUE that the University of Evansville seems to have pulled off a coup de tats to hire Walter McCarty away from the Boston Celtics to coach the Purple Aces?…according to Celebrity Net Worth, Walter has a net worth of over $10 Million and earned a good living when he played in the NBA?…Walt is a great example of a hometown boy who did very well and we are glad to see him coming home to give back to his hometown?…we are pretty sure that McCarty is not getting NBA dollars from UE since they have consistently been the lowest paying college in the Missouri Valley Conference?…if Walter can win 25 games a year and get the attendance at home games back up to 10,000 per game he will be worthy of a 7 figure salary from UE and we hope he earns it?

Todays “Readers Poll” question is: Do you feel that the current ECHO Housing board members were not good stewards of the public trust and should be immediately replaced?

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