IS IT TRUE: November 19, 2010

IS IT TRUE: November 19, 2010

IS IT TRUE that the Evansville Arena and the $18M Ballfields WANTS as opposed to NEEDS?…that some want them and other’s don’t?….that functioning sewers, clean air, and pleasant smells 12 months a year is something that every citizen of the City of Evansville NEEDS AND DESERVES?….that the NEEDS of all should take priority over the WANTS of the few?….that the #1 job of the Mayor of Evansville should be to push an acceptable solution to the CSO problem to completion?….that if the current Mayor of Evansville does not get this started that his successor will have only 10 months and no budget to do it with? …that the design fee for a $500M+/- project can be quite high?….that the source of funds to pay for this design have not yet been budgeted or even identified?

IS IT TRUE that there are now 723 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?

IS IT TRUE that the proverbial Roberts Stadium Ballfields project has been formally announced as “resurrected”?…that the Superintendent Vince Bertrum has expressed the opinion that if EVSC becomes a partner in the projects that it will save the taxpayers’ money?…..that EVSC is completely funded by tax dollars?…..that a Superintendent of a public school system should understand that public schools are funded by public money and that all public money comes from taxpayers?….that the City County Observer is once again astonished at a statement like “saving the taxpayers money” coming out of the mouth of a person whose paycheck and entire budget comes from taxpayers money?….that EVSC was honored yesterday for academic achievement for the first time in many years?….that we congratulate EVSC on this achievement?…..that teaching our children to be competitive and productive in today’s world is what TAXPAYERS MONEY that it entrusted to the EVSC is supposed to be for?…..that investing in a general partnership in an $18M ballfield complex with TAXPAYERS MONEY that is consigned to EVSC for education is a poor decision and quite possibly a misappropriation of funds?….that we encourage the EVSC to get back to the business of education and leave the tourism business to others?

IS IT TRUE that County Councilman Tom Shetler Jr. seems to have taken the lead in the resurrected effort to move the $18M ballfield proposal forward?….that Councilman Shetler believes that three and maybe four members of the Vanderburgh County Council will vote YES on any proposal that comes in below $13M for the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau bond issue?….that the City County Observer Mole #3 predicted two days ago when we broke this story that the YES votes would be coming from Councilmen Tom Shetler Jr. (Tomjr@shetlermoving.com), Joe Kiefer (joekiefer@wowway.com), and Mike Goebel ( goebelforrep@gmail.com), and that Councilman Jim Raben (jamesraben@rabentire.com) was the wildcard and will possibly cast the deciding vote?….that we have included the emails of these possible supporters of borrowing money to build 8 ball fields so that our readers can contact them to express either support or non-support of this proposal?….that the time is now for each person to make their position known on the latest reincarnation of Rasputin Park.

IS IT TRUE that Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel finally seems willing to put some City money into the project to at least pay for the demolition of Roberts Stadium?….that the demolition of Roberts Stadium is and should be accounted for as part of the Evansville Arena project?….that the failure to have this task in the budget for the Arena is just another oversight similar to the oversight that lead to the Executive Inn Dilemma?….that the Arena project should pay for any eventual demolition of Roberts Stadium?….that the Executive Inn Dilemma is still hanging over the Downtown Evansville entertainment area like a Sword of Damocles?….that committing the cash stream of the innkeeper’s tax to any other project until a binding contract is in place with a reputable developer is just one more example poor public policy?

IS IT TRUE that the Innkeepers tax, the City of Evansville, and the EVSC all depend on TAXPAYER money?….that attempts to trick people by saying “this taxpayer money saves that taxpayer money” are just a shell game?….that there have been more shell games recently in Evansville than there are three card monte stands in New York City?…that if you want to save taxpayers money the first step is to put an end to the shell games and the tricky language?

IS IT TRUE that former Vanderburgh County Commissioner Cheryl Musgrave held a meeting at the Oaklyn Library last night to express and gather opinions about the proposed Art’s District TIF?…..that every seat was taken and that all of the major media outlets of Evansville covered the event?….that many of the attendees seem to need a good education on how this proposed TIF will affect them as residents of that area?….that Musgrave and others have requested a plan from the Department of Metropolitan Development and have not been provided one?….that despite filing freedom of information act notices and filing complaints with the State of Indiana that the plan is still not released by the City of Evansville DMD?…..that one of the best comments of the decade with respect to the Evansville Art’s District is “there is no Art’s District, there is a district, and a sign that says Art’s District on it?…..that the failure on the part of the City of Evansville’s DMD to produce a plan that the people who live in that district can read is just another example of top down imposition of someone else’s dream being forced on the people of Evansville?….that communication is a better way to develop support for any project than scheming in a vacuum and forcing solutions upon the very people who may just be a projects biggest supporters if they are shown some respect?….that the district may be designated as “blighted”?….that some of these “blighted” properties will appraise at over $1M even in today’s market?….that once again, failing to provide sufficient information to the citizens of Evansville has created uncertainty, fear, and animosity?….that some folks never learn?