IS IT TRUE October 31, 2014

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IS IT TRUE we urge you to vote in todays “Readers Poll’ because it has to do with a very important political race that could change the direction of the school board for the next 4 years?

IS IT TRUE some Civic Center Moles have advised the City County Observer that during our record setting Mole Awards Celebration that Steve Schaefer, the Chief of Staff for Mayor Winnecke had a spy or two of his own in the room to see just who chose to attend?…it seems that Mr. Schafer must have been instructed by his boss to go into attack dog mode for his master to find out just who may be hanging out with the enemy?…the Winnecke Administration had better not take any retribution against anyone who attended the event or they can add Oppression of First Amendment rights to their Sunshine Law violations and behind closed door dealings?…for a person who ran for office on a platform that included transparency and collaboration, keeping a list of who is naughty and nice and dispatching spies is a stark departure from what the man ran on?

IS IT TRUE that City Councilman Conor O’Daniel who chairs the Finance Committee has been showing the kind of analytical judgement and courage of conviction that will be needed by a future Mayor of Evansville to clean the messes that 60 years of fun and games have wrought upon us?…once O’Daniel recognized the extent to which the FANTASYLAND BUDGETS of the past have depleted our reserves! he has stuck to his conclusions with a confidence not seen in these parts for years?…we see an opportunity for a Future Mayor O’Daniel in Evansville even if he decides against running in 2015?…whoever becomes the next Mayor of Evansville even if it is Lloyd Winnecke for a second term will be facing the music of reduced revenues and increased expenses?…if you think the bond payments for the Ford Center are crushing the budget, just wait until the $20 Million hotel handout and the $57 Million greasing for the IU Medical School kick in?

IS IT TRUE there is one relatively easy way for the City of Evansville to add to its revenues and it has nothing to do with fun and games nonsense?…the low hanging in fruit is that siren’s song called ANNEXATION?…the City did this during Weinzapfel’s last term and still has not fulfilled the promises made to those annexed with respect to street lights and non-flammable mulch?…the population increase from 117,000 to 120,000 was entirely from this ANNEXATION?…the revenue increases are also from that ANNEXATION?…it just serves to assume that Winnecke learned from Weinzapfel and will move as quickly as possible to do some more ANNEXING to bolster the sagging city coffers?…this is a slow motion way to reverse the 2:1 vote against consolidation and to get CORE back for blunting his efforts to bail out the failed City of Evansville at the expense of the more successful unincorporated areas of Vanderburgh County?…this word to the wise should be heeded with diligence as the desire to ANNEX will only be squashed by eliminating that possibility?

IS IT TRUE the CCO is sad to learn that the Blue Angels air show that was scheduled for the 2015 Freedom Festival has been cancelled?…we were fully aware that the cost to bring the Blue Angels to town was nearly $200,000 and that the people of Evansville pitched a fit several years ago over the price of a Freedom Festival button being increased above $5?…bringing such a show to town is not an entitlement and until the people of Evansville can get a grip on a $20 button there will be no Blue Angels?…the same goes for bringing million dollar acts to the Ford Center when ticket prices would have to average well over $100 per person?…the only solution to this dilemma is a vibrant economy with jobs paying well over $50,000 per year?…putting the cart before the horse with borrowed money for an underutilized Ford Center has not done a thing to alleviate the low wage, low skills problem that Evansville is in?…there may be a day on the horizon that we are too poor to have 4th of July fireworks too?

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61 COMMENTS

  1. It was announce on ch 14 that the “downtown” mayor has a $5 million cut in the budget.

    So today’s ITT, one of the targets is to get “back” at CORE and the 2/3rds of city/county residents of Vanderburgh County that voted and defeated the well funded( which included outside “money and paid visitors”) merger attempt?

    Quick “up date” to my convictions is a pro farmland/natural woods and “anti” urban sprawl. Makes me sick seeing past development these last 40 years of some of the best farmland, paved and built over? It is A shame there was no master plan of a slow growth next to the city limits, without creating the huge dead space
    that is being left behind. (dead space is happening from just 20 year old sprawl)

    The old wore out line of county residents using city services with out paying does not hold water. 5.6% of our property taxes go to the city. I have ask this question many times, what does the Vanderburgh “county only” resident receive that the residents of Posey, Gibson, Warrick and Henderson counties do not?

    There was a lot of commercial land that was brought in on that annexation that was mention. As also mention, the city had not provided all necessary improvements that goes with annexation? If annexation is a cure, why are the coffers not over flowing, and necessary improvements completed from the most recent annex? This looks almost like the city is a “meth head”. Steal some money(annex). City on a short high until that money is gone. Steal again(annex) for the next high. There is no “cure” of cities spending. only a “band aid”!

    Does not the city have to meet a threshold of services provided, before annexation and then the remainder of services?

    • Armstrong,

      Hey, this is Channel 14 Broken (not Breaking) News.

      When 14 Noose reports anything, go out back into your salt pile and find a large grain.

    • Instead of annex maybe they could make the city be a place people want to live? Annexing wil only move the ones who can afford it to move a little further out or across the bridge. Cheaper taxes, water, electric, and no food and beverage tax. Pull in your horns and spend what you have on actual things people want and can afford. Some farmer/ landowner had to sell that property to enable that sprawl, they took the money and went to a better place to raise their family. If the property owners want to be annexed they should be able to vote on it, not the Mayor “loot & pillage.

  2. So Winnecke is taking a page from the Nixon playbook and compiling an Enemies List ?

    Great choice by LW to emulate such a great man as Nixon.

    When will Winnecke hold a news conference, flash double peace signs, and declare ‘ I am not a crook’ ?

    • I think it’s more a case of Schaefer taking the opportunity to discover which and how many of the local pols who profess deep and continual distrust and dislike for the CCO and its founder but who will always show up at the banquet to accept awards, deliver lip to butt service, and that most traditional of all political trough-sucking habits … eat a free lunch.

      • Hopefully those you spoke of have the backbone and the transparency with both their employment and CCO to prove your statement misleading. It may have well been some “planted moles” from the city executive branch at this banquet , but I think it should be a “non issue” beings the same tactics are used here on this site. Remember, sometimes the best lunch, is a free lunch!

          • I doubt that you saw anyone pay for their ticket, elected or not, as it was all by prepaid reservation. There may have been a few who paid on the spot, but I didn’t see anyone do it.

          • Congratulations, Stephanie.

            Laura, all I know is in years past, Ron would prowl the halls at the Civic Center and badger office holders until they promised to attend the event. He told me personally the ticket was gratis, and I know I never paid anything the three times I attended. What others did, I really don’t know, but no one ever told me they paid for a ticket, and all I saw anyone do is register at the table before entering the events room.

          • Open your eyes and you can see a lot better. Walking around with your eye’s closed and claiming that you didn’t see it happening is not a very good way to operate.

  3. Is globalization great or what! Never mine 50 years ago when you and all of your neighbors had a job producing everything we were consuming. Government was not in hock, and you knew your offspring could provide for themselves once out of school without being in the poorhouse(government subsidized).

    “And here we are now’!

    • It is where we are, and it’s never going back. I am every bit as nostalgic as you for the way it was, but we are going to have to find new ways to compete in the world. If this city’s leaders would work as hard at listing its SWOT as it does its enemies, we would thrive. The CCO is a great resource for ideas, but it is seen as the enemy.

  4. IMHO:

    “…for a person who ran for office on a platform that included transparency and collaboration, keeping a list of who is naughty and nice and dispatching spies is a stark departure from what the man ran on?”

    Desperate men with unclean hands may (indeed) resort to desperate, dirty tricks. …
    Jus sayin”
    _____

    “…whoever becomes the next Mayor of Evansville even if it is Lloyd Winnecke for a second term will be facing the music of reduced revenues and increased expenses?…if you think the bond payments for the Ford Center are crushing the budget, just wait until the $20 Million hotel handout and the $57 Million greasing for the IU Medical School kick in?”

    This… AND the continuing and projected decline of revenues derived from Tropicana, warrant parallel spending adjustments (cuts) and policy change.
    _____

    IS IT TRUE? “there is one relatively easy way for the City of Evansville to add to its revenues and it has nothing to do with fun and games nonsense?…the low hanging in fruit is that siren’s song called ANNEXATION?”

    I suggest that the relentless push to “GROW THE CITY” has become much like a cancer. Dysfunctional, uncontrolled growth is insidious and disabling. Any realistic, logical assessment would conclude that a focus on infrastructure and reversing the general pattern of neglect would improve the quality of life for our residents … and cultivate the interest of job bearing business. …
    _____

    We will miss THE BLUE ANGELS, but …must continue to support the Hadi Shrine.
    Like The West Side Nut Club, they are truly a source of community pride. As embarrassed as we may be by the “DEAD ZONE ZOMBIES,” we must nurture what is good and wholesome.
    We are only as good as that which we support. …

    HAPPY HALLOWEEN! …

  5. What a great bunch of comments this morning! It makes me feel better about where Evansville is headed. I can get on board with a Conor O’Daniel run for the Mayor’s office, if he continues to offer the kind of leadership he is currently exhibiting. The problem is that I doubt he is interested in the job, and I don’t think we can afford to wait for a sane and sensible Mayor beyond the 2015 City election. By 2019, I believe the political “spoils” will be decayed so badly that Bee Slough would smell good by comparison.

    • Hey, Laura, have you caught the latest addition to the marquee at Conor’s Oak Hill x Lynch Rd. office? Yeah, SBR’s name has been added to the legal line-up.

      • I pass by there virtually every day, and her name has been on the sign for well over a year, as her office is located in the building. It houses offices for several local attorneys. They are separate offices, but there is no recent addition to the “legal line up.”

  6. It’s too bad that they cost so much to bring to town. I mean we pay them to do this with or Federal Tax Money already.

    • I don’t think there is much cost for the Blue Angels. The costs incurred for the city are security and crowd control issues.

      • The hosts has to pay for the fuel for the planes and the accommodations. I assure you the $170,000 plus that the Shriners stated is accurate and does not include local police.

      • But are those not costs that are fixed anyway. I mean the policemen are paid for their work whether they are at the downtown or out on the East Side patrolling the streets. They don’t get paid anymore unless they are working overtime. And they still have to provide police and emergency personnel for the boat races anyway. I think that the US Navy has to be paid to get the Blue Angles to perform anywhere.

  7. Thank you Steve Davis for running against Mosby! Sure hope she gets OUT of city council.

    • +1!! For the first time in decades, we wouldn’t have a Mosby on the public payroll, except for a few patronage workers.

      • Steve Davis is a Rohner. You got any idea at all how many Rohners are or have been on the public payroll? For years there was a pitched competition between Betty Lou Jarboe (another Rohner) and Red Mosby as to how many family members each could secure employment for in city and county government.

        • What does that mean? ” A Rohner”…Steve Davis is a Davis. His father was an honorable working man, and his mother is a quite respectable lady. Rick Davis was an honorable man with an innate decency who worked faithfully to serve his community. His family members have no inherent gene that would bespeak of anything but decent working class people who have a desire to help their fellow man-thinking of others first. No Rohner, or Jarboe, or Davis has worked for our community, or anywhere else-that they did not do so with honor and dignity-and diligence. And I am sick and bone weary of the ugly way that family has been treated.
          There are several of our local politicians whom have several embarrassing family members, so if one wishes to insinuate a person is poorly represented by their family members, it would serve one better to pick a genetic line that has not embarrassed their family name with an assortment of antics. Such doesn’t appear to be the case with the Rohners, Jarboes, or Davis’-not so true with others whose city employed family members have embarrassed their family names by drunken antics, and other highly nefarious dealings.
          Every family has a quirky, troubled family member, that does not speak for all of the family.

  8. The Council should de-fund the ERC. How much could they eliminate from the budget by doing that? Isn’t it funny that a CPA (Nobody’s Friend) was the previous head of the Finance Committee and he didn’t put up a fight on last year’s budget like O’Daniel is doing on this year’s?

    • Your question pertaining to JNF is a good one, but don’t expect a good answer from him. His letter to the Mayor that is published here is really embarrassing, but he didn’t have a clue!

    • I doubt the council will defund anything. The ERC would be a good place to start. The HRC would be an even better place to finish. There’s something wrong with the way local politicians think. When Whirlpool decided to leave and literally thousands lost their jobs we didn’t hear as much as a whimper from city/county politicians but let a couple of cronies look endangered and we have a major issue. It was reported earlier in the year that the county was going to be 1 million dollars short of making payroll, what happened with that? We have a shrinking economy, an increasing debt load, a decreasing population that works, an increasing criminal sector and a group of politicians that think we can spend ourselves solvent. This does not bode well.

    • A redevelopment commission does not depend solely on the city council for funding. In fact, a redevelopment commission may and most likely does obtain funds by accept loans, grants, and other forms of financial assistance from the federal government, the state government, a municipal corporation, a special taxing district, a foundation, or any other source. There already are special taxing districts from which the ERC obtains funds, as well as federal agencies that grant funds to the ERC.

      A redevelopment commission may expend funds on behalf of the special taxing district, all or any part of the money of the special taxing district, let contracts, employ personnel, pay pensions to retired employees via PERF or any pension plan approved by HUD, and many other duties that require expending funds whether the city council funds the redevelopment commission or if the commission is funded by other sources beyond the control of the city council.

      All this is relatively moot as the Evansville City Council is not in the least likely to defund the ERC or interfere with its statutory authority regardless of the yammerings heard from the Tea Party Gallery.

    • I love facts enoch, I hate lies.

      Wonderful post.

      But I doubt if very many people pull it up.

      Involve Lindsey Lohann in it next time and maybe someone, somewhere will learn something.

      Thanks man…..

      • Accountants who only count one side of the ledger are pretty dumb if you ask me, or they have a misleading agenda(aka LIE) they want to push. Apple’s debt has more than quadrupled the last five years!

        Freakin’ A man! Tim Cook must be an idiot, an Obamawannbe racking up all that debt shiiiiiit. I bet the AAPL shareholders are teeeeed off!!

        Oh wait just a sec, AAPL’s stock is up 267% during the same time period while the S&P 500 is up a mere 84%(under OWEBAMA)

        Can we stop having this stupid LAMEASS line of argument urped on this thread again and again.

        Net worth is what matters and it is up huge under Obama, I don’t give a rat’s patu if no one is ready to pay cash for one our nuclear submarines. The assets value it is recorded at is roughly that same as t was in 2009 and it’s the Delta in net worth that matters.

        My AAPL stock vs a week long all expenses paid trip to Hawaii with Lindsey Hohan?

        I’ll take my AAPL any time and Obama vs McCain, Romeny or any of the Republicans clowns in the clown car? Obama baby, every time.

        • Short answer, me too……

          By the way, enoch’s post is close to being accurate but not totally.

          Which is just the norm now-a-days.

    • Laura: Am I the only one to think that this entire week has been just a political circus without any real benefit?

      Yeah, they found another $400,000 to cut from the budget, but was there really and truly any “winners” out of this?

      I think the entire week was probably a living hell for a number of City employees, especially those that are low on the totem pole, who were probably wondering if their jobs were on the line. A lot of people had their belief in the City (both the City Council and Mayor) and their respective abilities to govern and lead shaken up even further.

      I firmly believe (and this is IMHO only) that the additional cuts could not only have been found prior to today, they were probably already know on Monday night. I hate to think this way, but the entire dog-and-pony show was nothing more than the same tired political theater we are constantly subjected to.

      Thoughts?

      • I certainly think that it was all done to prove a point that shouldn’t have needed proving, that the Mayor is supposed to present a reasonable budget proposal and the Council puts a few finishing touches on it. Our Mayor didn’t live up to his responsibility, and some of the worst “grandstanders” on City Council decided to get some free publicity. I knew there was going to be a circus when Jonathon Weaver voted “HELL NO” Tuesday night.
        I guess we had better get ready for lots of drama, as the City election is next year. Missy having an opponent in the primary will get things kicked off early, I suspect.

        • Good points.

          The question does in some ways come down to the interpretation of what is “reasonable”.

          I am not in a position to say whether the first few budgets that got presented were “reasonable” in terms of the basic provision. Yes, I agree absolutely that certain provisions were ludicrous and ill-advised. Shot Spotter, Roberts Park, and Mesker Amphitheater seat storage should have never been included at a time that the Evansville revenue stream is in the shape that it is. I was also appalled at the thought of cutting certain City services such as the closing of public pools. I think that was exacerbated by the three items mentioned. If you cannot keep public pools open for local kids, then a multi-million dollar “dog park” is the epitome of stupidity and greed by a politician. I was further irked that when the public pools closing topic was discussed, NOBODY in the room could even come up with factual attendance numbers. That was an embarrassment for everyone. If you do not have your facts together, then sit down and shut up.

          The who thing was a circus that could have been avoided if both sides had done some due diligence and homework. They should have set aside their difference and worked hard for the betterment of Evansville instead of jockeying for political points. That was pretty disgusting.

          Finally, you are on track and on target for the upcoming City election. It promises to be a circus that the Hadi Shriners would be proud of.

          • I expect it will be worthy of the lampooning that we will probably get from the Daily Show. We’ve already established ourselves as a joke, and I expect the City election will put us on the “Asses, Jokes, and Fools Map.”

      • The game? Have to say “classy” the ongoing analytic data run shows those worthless trash plays will never work. Geez, and, that’s the stuff we gathered from afar.
        Accurate and reliable as the sunrise in the morning though. We have people there, we’re very concerned for their well being. Every single, or connected problem on this little discussion board has a viable and workable solution. (We firmly know that.) That’s no opinion that’s a set of recovered facts and results based forecasted and scientifically applied solutions.

        First in, the sun will rise tomorrow, fact. How one lets its cleansing irradiation shine down is the moniker that can sustain any balance from this tipping point on. More facts. Some just need to fess up, facts usually ignite into flaming reality when magnified by enough sunshine, remember the sun will always rise.
        No one in Evansville will ever stop that. Ever.

        They should ask to move forward and solve the inherent problems given your village by what is defined in todays global reality. You all know exactly what that is. Exactly.
        So do we, Oh boy do we. So start some breakout processes. Fire the coaching staff and lock the damned gate on the practice field to keep the screwed up alumni at bay.
        Get your areas ball rolling again, hate to tell you but in that “game” the mechanics of the bent” play the defense is spent in todays game, it never had a chance. Your offense are a load of pipsqueaks with a line that will dodge an adversary to keep his patronage picked jersey clean.

        Look to the bench, you could have someone who observes and understands the old schools patronage coaching methodology , knows it completely sucks and always did, but has through pure experience derived the game winning play.
        Analogy: Nobody expects it, however its a stunning game winning call out. Actually its no secret. The simplicity amazes every coach its been demonstrated to. Good coaches know just when to sport it.
        Using a analogy like a sectional game is about the only way we think the dolt Evansville leadership and their bonehead coaching staff will ever learn the plays execution cadence.
        Damn, the opposition will learn it, if that’s what it takes to beat your teams butts.

        So, do the alumni want the present team to put another trophy behind the glass., or, do you prefer the usual cold silent bus ride back to the same old grass bared muddy practice field.

        Might add, the trophies you’ve been lucky enough to gather in the past are seen to be tarnishing by the millisecond, as well.

  11. Today’s meeting was a complete and utter joke, I heard that they deliberated for something like two minutes before giving Whiney everything he wanted. I would guess that in the last couple of days a lot of screaming, berating(stick) and a bunch of promises(carrot) were made to various council members. I’m reaching for my vomit bag.

    • We really wonder how that place could ever recover if we were to do a recovered data drop to the mainstream nationals. The place is a statistical aberration in concern to the common values offered for its citizens,who by location only, must support its flailing and descending revenue bases.
      Absolutely no regard for the tax based social economic buck given for the common fellow.

      Damned unbelievable positioned greed seen as applied to the citizens of the metro balances.
      You should never stop holla, hollering! Need to go for outside intervention Brains, The common people of Evansville’s well being approaches are on the scale.
      I’m calling for some group input on this from the consortium,somethings got to give.

      My goodness, Boot’um out.

      ab·er·ra·tion
      ˌabəˈrāSH(ə)n/
      noun
      a departure from what is normal, usual, or expected, typically one that is unwelcome.
      “they described the outbreak of violence in the area as an aberration”
      synonyms: anomaly, deviation, departure from the norm, divergence, abnormality, irregularity, variation, digression, freak, rogue, rarity, oddity, peculiarity, curiosity, quirk; mistake
      “a statistical aberration”
      BIOLOGY
      a characteristic that deviates from the normal type.
      “color aberrations”
      synonyms: anomaly, deviation, departure from the norm, divergence, abnormality, irregularity, variation, digression, freak, rogue, rarity, oddity, peculiarity, curiosity, quirk; mistake
      “a statistical aberration”

      • –For me the answer is most always,–People must take Responsibility, –that charge is both broad, and specific! — If the Citizens really want to win the race for what,– Evansville will become.

        • Its sure past time that social political freak show deviation gets a wake-up call from outside the normally suppressed regional bents. Maybe by the 4th people will realize who’s “well being” is most likely to be affected and oppressed by the mechanical digression they call politics in that locale. Its time Crash “something’s gotta give.” In the mean time while even more useful data comes in……… “enjoy the music.”

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImXxbqTvov8

  12. lolllllll……………no surprise here……………deadbeat bought and paid for liberals will continue to vote for deadbeat bought and paid for liberals……………..the results 75% of etown is nothing but slums…….etown is broke……………crime is rapid………………….liberalism is with out a doubt a mental disorder………..

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