IS IT TRUE? May 7, 2011

IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer has grown to a level that we actually planned to achieve in the first week of May last year in our 2011 planning exercise?…that among other things like timely daily posts, connecting local to national events, expanding our server capacity, and attracting guest writers, one of our traffic goals was to grow our pageview rates to an annualized rate of 1,000,000 (yep that’s a million) pageviews during the first week of May?…that we have achieved that this week with a day and a half to go?…that we wish to thank all of our readers for their continued interest in our quest to promote good public policy by exposing bad public policy?…that we would appreciate it if you would friend us on Facebook at your earliest convenience?

IT IS TRUE that Evansville City Councilman John Friend who makes his living as a CPA recommended to the “powers that be” including Mayor Weinzapfel that the Woodruff Hospitality Group be required to post a performance bond and have financial statements scrutinized for both key personnel and the business?…that Councilman Friend also recommended that these documents be obtained for inspection and references gathered from the financial community?…that the Kunkel Group needs to be thoroughly and professionally “vetted” in the same manner that Browning and Woodruff SHOULD HAVE BEEN?…that the people of Vanderburgh County (Centre) and the City of Evansville (Arena) already have $200 Million invested in the MLK Entertainment complex?…that the public investments cannot and should not be expected to wait and see if the Kunkel Group can get financing and perform?…that the next company to take this project on whether Kunkel, White Hospitality, or another that emerges through a new bidding process needs to be financially secure enough to perform and post a bond to prove it?…that the tolerance for AMATEUR HOUR at the Civic Center is now over?…that it is time to hire FINANCIAL PROFESSIONALS to vet this project and stop the good old boy shuck and jive routine that has surrounded this hotel project since 2007 when a smiling confident Mayor Weinzapfel announced that HE had found a developer to do this project with no public participation?

IS IT TRUE that Local #136 Plumbing and Steam Fitters Union leadership took Democratic Mayoral candidate, Rick Davis to lunch yesterday?….that we know this luncheon gathering must had been extremely interesting?

IS IT TRUE that it has been 48 hours this morning since the City County Observer offered a $500 bounty on anyone that Jonathan Weaver would come forward to back up his on camera assertions of being ELECTION SIGN THIEVES?…that Mr. Weaver has not yet accepted our challenge nor has he come forward to claim the bounty?…that he has exactly 120 hours to accept our challenge or it will no longer be available?…that we do not understand why Mr. Weaver has not come forward?…that a candidate for office is expected to be both honest and charitable?…that IF Mr. Weaver was honest in his allegations of theft that the City County Observer has given him the perfect opportunity to be charitable as a result of his honesty?…that we are waiting?

IS IT TRUE that it has now been 1,465 days since the announcement was made on May 14, 2007 that the McCurdy Hotel was to be refurbished into luxury apartments?…that it has now been 1,319 days since the Evansville Redevelopment Commission at the request of Mayor Weinzapfel approved the spending of $603,000 to purchase the parking lot?…that City Centre Properties and Scott Kosene the developers of the McCurdy project are both listed as contributors to the Weinzapfel for Mayor committee for 2010?

IS IT TRUE that there are now 544 days remaining in the two years that the EPA had given the City of Evansville to present an acceptable solution to the Combined Sewer Overflow problem?…..that this plan is an expensive and complex endeavor that needs immediate attention to avoid the embarrassment and expense of another round of fines?

IS IT TRUE that the CCO classic rock song of the week is DREAM WEAVER?