IS IT TRUE October 9, 2013

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Mole #3 Nostradamus of Local Politics
Mole #3 Nostradamus of Local Politics

IS IT TRUE October 9, 2013

IS IT TRUE that it seems as though cool heads have prevailed with respect to the IU Medical School and it is now admitted that the school and all of the students and faculty it brings with it will benefit the entire Evansville region no matter what location is chosen?…we are certain that the people at IU charged with this decision are fully aware of the power of using GIS for geographical optimization of site selection?…that is the only tool that will take the various inputs and reveal the best place for this school?…the CCO thinks rather than lobby, plead, and beg that the best course of action is simply to let IU know that we are supportive of their choice of a location and sit back and let the experts work their magic?…sometimes the best negotiation tool is silence as opposed to “fighting like the dickens” for a preferred outcome?…with GIS the only obstacle to excellent decisions is when someone games the system by choosing the input parameters to skew the output in the direction they wish?…political types have been known to do exactly that which is another reason to let IU find its optimum location and announce it prior to turning backflips and begging?

IS IT TRUE that the Fall Festival is in full swing on Franklin Street and people are turning out in droves to enjoy the eclectic walk of unusual foods?…brain sandwiches, deep fried insects, and chocolate covered treats of all types are a major attraction for people of the area?…the fall festival is proof that Evansville can do big events right and that people will pay to park even if there is a mile walk associated with getting to the desired location?…we encourage our readership to head over to the Fall Festival and enjoy this event that is uniquely Evansville?

IS IT TRUE Vectren has released its projection for natural gas prices for the heating season and while the news is not great things could be worse?…the technique called fracking has driven natural gas prices substantially lower than they were at their peak in 2007?…that price drop from an increase in supply has driven demand and now prices are inching back up?…the increase relative to last year is expected to be about 9% on this component of your Vectren bill which is a direct pass through as per the Indiana Utilities Regulatory Commission?…while no price increase is welcomed by consumers this one should not break the bank and is much less than it would have been if the natural gas revolution had not been started by what we Americans are best at and that is INNOVATION?

IS IT TRUE it is the Nobel Prize season and so far this season America has seen 4 of its citizens win these coveted awards?…the Nobel Prizes for Chemistry and Medicine include two researchers from Stanford University, one from the University of California Berkeley, and one from the University of Southern California?…the prizes end on Monday and we will learn soon how many more Americans win these prestigious awards?

IS IT TRUE major insurers, state health-care officials and Democratic allies repeatedly warned the Obama administration in recent months that the new federal health-insurance exchange had significant problems, according to people familiar with the conversations?… despite those warnings and intense criticism from Republicans, the White House proceeded with an Oct. 1 launch?…a week after the federal Web site opened, technical problems continued to plague the system, and on Tuesday people were locked out until 10 a.m., although some applicants were able to sign up as the day went on?…officials said they were working 24 hours a day to improve the system and that they were confident it would soon be able to meet the demand?…no specific date was released when the government thinks this will be up to snuff but they did assert there was ample time to correct the site to allow consumers to get insured by Jan. 1, 2014?…they also said all along that things would be humming along on the official launch date so we shall see if the January 1st date will be met?

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28 COMMENTS

  1. I am thinking that the IU board is seeking proposals from interested parties because community participation and support is a factor in making the best choice. For that reason, I believe we should put forth assorted choices, without emphasis on any, and make it clear that we welcome the school at any site chosen.
    As for ACA, I wish the rollout had been smoother, but the bottom line is that too many people have been deprived of healthcare for too long in this country. A bumpy rollout is better than none, for those in desperate need.

    • Talk about a bumpy rollout! If the IU Medical Center were to locate on the new Green River Road between Lynch and Millersburg roads, say up around the Goebel Soccer Complex. Such a location indeed would provide a bumpy rollout for students and staff.

      In fact, Congress desperately needs to amend Obamacare to include subsidies for Preparation H for anyone routinely travelling up and down the new Washboard Expressway!

  2. As to ACA, I finally on the 9th day was able to secure a username and password only to be promptly kicked off with “technical difficulties” when I proceeded to shop. I have yet been able to log back on, think of the loss of productivity with this boondogle, at least from the productive people.

  3. When one looks at the future of this area there is only one place the new IU Med Center should locate, and that is the USI campus.

    http://medicine.iu.edu/southbend/about-iusm-sb/

    It would be a true symbiotic relationship and a win-win situation for both universities.

    There simply is no “better” place in the area.

    ___

      • How about leveling Washington Sq. Mall and locating the med center there?

        It would be convenient to both St. Mary’s and Deaconess Gateway, not too far off I-164, and it solves the dying Sears problem as well as Hahn’s declining occupancies.

        Only problem would be relocating a great watering hole for the second time.

      • U of E also has a pre-Med program that will allow for automatic entrance to the local Med School upon successful completion of the course of study. The drawback to the existing USI campus is that it is so far from clinical sites. I believe that if the board felt that was a suitable site, they would already have announced an expansion there, instead of requesting proposals.

        • The IU board probably is looking for free land and the most enticing development package.

          Local governments probably can provide more enticements than local universities.

          Warrick County probably will make a very enticing offer.

          Evansville better be ready to top Warrick’s offer, and the city council better be on board and ready to act.

          • Warrick county has considerably more bonding capacity than Evansville has left after the hotel boondoggle, I expect to see the Med school somewhere around Epworth Road

        • You can jump on the Lloyd heading east and be at any of the medical facilities in a very short time.

          Eventually some of the medical facilities will locate at or around USI.

          __

          • It’s nearly 18 miles from USI to Deaconess Gateway, and the daytime traffic on the Lloyd Expressway between USI and U.S. 41 is atrocious.

          • Well from afar I’d say if you have an accident on the “Lloyd pass-a-way” your cross county throughput is shot, as far as true destination timing goes. One wreck and all the stop lights, scheez….
            You need to develop Lynch and Epworth effectively to Diamond and the University parkway.
            Just in case an accident on the Lloyd did happen.
            What are the numbers and hours of the day timing on that by the way?

        • LKB; I agree to a point. Maybe planning to use the projected proposal of a campus infusion like a effective planned civic improvement project in cooperation with IU medical centers best case locations.
          Really location becomes less an issue in the county if the throughput infrastructure is able to be developed for accesses of students studies focus.

          Seeding/locating the sites infrastructure in effective logistical support development drives multiple community revitalization projects.
          Builds over all support commerce numbers.
          All the while supporting the campus as a whole unit including clinical.
          The available I.T.cloud networking technologies really cast a obsolete shadow on any new hard infrastructure built on “one location effected conceptualizations”.
          “Clinical built forward” will trend have the facilities on site for that visions development,most of it is in place now.
          When you do actually see a medical professional where is most of the informational networking applied,from the patients bed or room, chair? No in front of an informational device of choice,usually by support staffing.

          That’s community integration by location accessibility and true student cost needs,what the whole area there must do to “find visions with real growth forward” and “work forward too apply them”.

          Gutta cavet lapidem non vi seu saepe cadendo

          the drop excavates the stone,not with force,but by falling often. (OVID)

        • The map really says it all… USI is too far from teaching beds.

          https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?hl=en&mid=zl7L8cNHY9EI.k2mpnNQ2oObA

          The best suggested locations from an Evansville perspective would be

          1: Warrick County/Gateway Hospital – If it goes here, we won’t have to pay for it, but will still benefit greatly from it.

          2: Roberts/ESH Grounds – It’s geographically central. It’s near lots of teaching beds and retail. Its proximity to the Lloyd means students could be at either Deaconess location in minutes by bus or car.

          3: Old North High – IF we could give it away and have it refurbed we could save a bundle, but that’s 99% assured not to happen.

          • The board has already made it clear it is NOT interested in existing buildings, which blows both the old Welborn site and old North HS. Neither of those locations truly offer good housing or transportation options, and little in the way of real, here-and-now retail.
            I am completely mystified by how the first planning firm came up with the idea that downtown is the best location. Have they SEEN downtown?
            From the standpoint of convenience, the Roberts/ESH property and the Promenade area are far-and-away the best in this county.

          • We agree on ESH/Roberts, but see my comment below about Promenade… In short, why spend twns of millions on Promendade when we can let Warrick take it just a mile or so away and let them pay for it? We will benefit about the same from either of those locations.

          • The idea that yet again, the old and shrinking Vanderburg Co. and Evansville, would lose out to new and growing Warrick Co. is really bad. If we don’t want to shrink away, we need to “win” once. The “freeloader philosophy” of letting Warrick Co. pay for it, and we will benefit, too is okay until the next census, when we shrink and they grow. We will still lose some of the population infusion to Warrick Co, but if it is located within our borders I expect it would be best. That would give other employers less incentive to come here and more to go there.

          • I agree with option 1. Let IU make the decision and give our input when they ask for it. Some times you need to stay in the game but sit the bench. Our current and recent past politicians have proven to be inept business people. In some cases outright liars. The last mayor that understood regional economics was McDonald. I heard him referred to as the best mayor the republicans ever had. During his tenure we got the boat and Toyota, no one else has come close. Evansville in my opinion is going to continue to lose population. The area east of 41 to Vann has a very aging population and the area is becoming increasingly rental property. Young people are moving east,north or out. Planning for a smaller population may be the right route to consider.

      • USI is the most remote location to teaching beds of any proposed location.

        If IU intended to stay put, they would not have have issued the RP.

        I’m beginning to think the best site with the most benefit to the people of Vanderburgh County and the City of Evansville would be the Deaconess Gateway Campus just across the Warrick County line. Sure, in a way we “lose”, but also we don’t have to subsidize the construction.

        • There was a development proposed back before the crash for that empty field that is just south of the eastside Lowes and between Burkhardt and 164. I think it included medical facilities. Given the fact that infrastructure is in place, hospitals are close, and doctors offices are all around that is probably the best spot in Vanderburgh County for the IU Med School when all things are considered. There are also thousands of hotel rooms, diverse retail opportunities, safe apartment complexes, and even a grocery store. Downtown does not and will not be capable of competing with this location for amenities and access to medical facilities without hundreds of millions of dollars of investments that are not feasible to expect from private investors.

          • That is also a good location. It is near most of the teaching beds and convenient to everything Evansville has to offer that most of the students and staff would look for, and it isn’t “landlocked.” Hopefully the school will draw out-of-town patients and I doubt that they and their families will be looking for four-star accommodations, nightlife, and up-scale dining.

          • Evan, you’re referring to the area known as Promenade on Burkhardt. You can find it on the map here: https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?hl=en&mid=zl7L8cNHY9EI.k2mpnNQ2oObA

            Problem with this area is that it has zero advantages for Evansville. Why would we pay tens of millions to get the school in this area when we could let Warrick County foot the bill and have it just a mile or so down the road?

            I don’t see the sense in that site unless you’re Promenade, the owners of the land.

        • I wonder if Winnecke’s consultant used GIS when the predetermined downtown location was annointed as the best.

          • My guess is, “NO, not on your life.” I don’t think our mayor is into pragmatism.

  4. Joe, I was unable to find out which ball fields location you supported so while you got the GPS navigator out I need you to plug in the following binding constraints for such a complex…

    – Close to BOTH Dunn Hosp hotels and the new convention hotel
    – Close to city baseball history with open dates for league championships at said ballpark
    – Close to organization that can help apply for funds via MLB
    – Close to semi pro team where an extra 500 fans a game is the difference in making money or losing
    – Close to local Evansville notable restaurants (i.e Turoni’s, DiLeggi’s, and yes Main Gate)
    – within proximity of the ford center (the city’s most expensive project to date)
    – Not in a flood plain
    – Contains methane gas for conversion into electricity
    – On the current sewer system (I’ll defer to V-is-R for deeper explanation)
    -centrally located for all sides of town
    – next to an active youth baseball league that supports more fields
    – already city owned
    – supported by over 100 people who have already signed a petition

    Which lot are getting from the GPS? Mine is showing up this one…

    http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=37.995596&lon=-87.567000&z=17&m=b

    Also, I’d like to hear from Mr. Parke on what site his GPS is coming up with. Appreciate it!

    • Also need to add…

      – Next to youth golf (putt-putt) and laser tag/arcade
      – At the corner of two streets named with baseball terms
      – Already in parks master plan for pedestrian bridge with 3 existing ball fields
      – a true “recovery zone”

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