IS IT TRUE: November 2, 2010

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Special Election Day IS IT TRUE

IS IT TRUE that the Reagan Democrats and independent voters all over the country are flocking to the polls today to cast their ballots in what looks like it will be a referendum on today’s economic realities?….that today is shaping up to be very much like 1994 with the names changed but the game the same?….that we surely hope that the economy of the late nineties that was lead by a popular Democratic President and a Republican Congress comes roaring back like that combination magically did in the 90’s?

IS IT TRUE that Evansville is a test market for national product launches for a reason?…that the reason is that what works here is most likely to work elsewhere?…that the same thing goes for politics?….that we will know by midnight just how much like the rest of the nation that Vanderburgh County is politically?

IS IT TRUE that the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau finally released a two page supposedly detailed budget for the 8 ball fields proposed for the Roberts Stadium site? ….that of the total budget of $17,500,000 that only $4,900,000 is for the actual ballfields?….that the City County Observer in a series of articles has documented the fact that the basic cost for a state of the art ball field starts at approximately $250,000?….that the price per ball field in the ECVB proposal works out to only $612,500 per ball field?….that the City County Observer while thinking this is a high number is not shocked or amazed by this budgetary figure?

IS IT TRUE that an additional $7,932,902 is detailed as infrastructure improvements that are required to make the site “ball field ready”?…that these requirements include water, sewer, irrigation, drainage, earthwork, buildings, electrical work, and nearly $400,000 in project initiation fees?….that there is a “contingency” line item in the amount of $385,254 and a “maintenance equipment package” budget for $350,000?…..that $350,000 will buy lots of lawnmowers?

IS IT TRUE that this budget also includes a “COMMUNITY SUPPORT COSTS” section that plans to spend $2,425,830?….that includes $1,500,000 to demolish Roberts Stadium?….that Mr. John Kish is on record stating that the budget to demolish the Executive Inn is also $1,500,000?…that these facilities are not remotely the same type of structure or even the same size?…..that the first “quote” to demolish the Executive Inn was announced by Mr. Kish at the August meeting of the Evansville Redevelopment Commission to be only $1,000,000?…..that the City County Observer wonders just how solid these exact quotes are?

IS IT TRUE that $12,600,000 is budgeted to build, prepare, design, demolish, and finance the proposed ball field project?….that the innkeeper’s tax for these kinds of purposes is designated for brick and mortar projects that promote tourism?…..that we wonder how demolishing Roberts Stadium attracts visitors to Vanderburgh County?….that most of the line items as it turns out are not related to ball fields at all?….that bailing out the City of Evansville for deferring maintenance on an already existing Wesselman Park may not be an appropriate use of the innkeeper’s tax?….that if the City of Evansville would have been GOOD STEWARDS of Wesselman Park and done the maintenance when it was needed that more than half of the line items in this proposal would not even be necessary?

IS IT TRUE that there is still no agreement in place for a Downtown Convention Hotel?….that the innkeeper’s tax is appropriate for doing preparation work to attract a Quality Hotel Developer to replace the Executive Inn?…..that you cannot spend the same money twice?…..that if the City of Evansville should have budgeted any demolition of Roberts Stadium into the new Arena budget?

IS IT TRUE that the City of Evansville should have maintained Wesselman Park and kept the existing ball fields in tournament condition if ball tournaments are indeed beneficial to tourism?….that if the City of Evansville would have done both of the things well and planned properly to avoid the EXECUTIVE INN DILEMMA, that both projects could have gone forward with the bonding of the innkeeper’s tax?….that this $18M Ball Field Proposal is really a $4.9M Ball Field Proposal and a $12.6M BAILOUT OF THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE?

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

6 COMMENTS

  1. Is It True, that the residents of Evansville DEMAND…

    That the CCO list every single individual involved that was willing to actually put that “plan” on paper!

    Is It True, that if the existence of the Visitor Bureau were on the ballot, they would be totally disbanded tomorrow?

    Is It True, that the even the office staff that pressed the print button, feel guilt?

  2. The word BARF comes to mind when digesting the Dunn/Weinzapfel
    “Happy Meal”.

  3. It would appear that the ECVB sat down with a long piece of paper with $18 million at the top and started subtracting every excuse to spend money they could think of. Even then, there was half a million left over. Aren’t we lucky?

    When the SW IN Vocational Center was built on Lynch Road. The EVSC borrowed $50 million and Steve Johnston vowed they would spend every penny by upgrading the building through “change orders”. When it was completed, the EVSC had $7.5 million left that could NOT be used on any other project. The taxpayers were paying high interest rates, while the EVSC put it into low interest bearing CD’s and rolled the earnings into the General Fund. Exposure to the DLGF and Gov. Daniels forced them to buy those bonds back.

    Don’t you wonder what the ECVB would do with the excess from this fake budget? How many ways can they divide the COIT between this fiasco and that of the mayor?

    Come pack Room 301 of the Civic Center tomorrow evening, and the hall down to the elevators. This “budget” is an insult to our intelligence and we need to turn out in full force to protest this “Pie in the Sky” project!

  4. “IS IT TRUE that Evansville is a test market for national product launches for a reason?…that the reason is that what works here is most likely to work elsewhere?…”

    Yes, it is, and has been since back in the 1940’s. Even the top entertainers used to come to Evansville to try out new night club material. If it flew here, it was ready to go on the road. I’m not sure that means we are hard to please or just average.

    Today we are a test market for any innovations in the medical research field. Check out all the research center ads on TV and in other media. With times being hard, it is a way to earn money to help with the bills. It is now to illegal to use prisoners and mental patients. Remember “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”? Hmmmmm

  6. “MANY FLOWERS HAVE BEEN PLUCKED-UP IN ORDER TO BUILD THE ARENA!”

    This “ballfields project” is obviously a contrived vehicle designed to bury the evidence that Roberts Stadium is a profitable and valued asset to this community; AND establish a slush fund from which to funnel taxpayer revenues. This bloated budget proposal has more pork in it than Miss Piggie’s family tree.

    As evidenced by the election results, not only dissenters, but supporters of this boondoggle, lay plucked and drying up in the streets.

    As one lie leads to another, the consequences of this Downtown Arena blunder are far-reaching. (To say the least)

    This: In My Opinion

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