IS IT TRUE Part 2 August 22, 2011 “BUYING INFLUENCE”

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IS IT TRUE Part 2 August 22, 2011

IS IT TRUE that the Vectren Corporation has done a very thorough job of placing their people onto the Boards of Directors of the economic development entities in SW Indiana including the Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville (GAGE), the Economic Development Coalition for SW Indiana, and the Chamber of Commerce of SW Indiana?…that Vectren also has been successful in inspiring their corporate officers and its own political action committee, the Vectren Employees Federal PAC to contribute to the campaigns of powerful politicians who influence decisions that may help business prospects of Vectren?…that this IS IT TRUE is dedicated to providing facts regarding some of the ways that Vectren spreads its influence around the agencies and campaigns that effect all of the people of Evansville and SW Indiana right in the pocket?

IS IT TRUE that the Growth Alliance for Greater Evansville (GAGE) has a 21 member Board of Directors?…that two members of that Board of Directors are from Vectren including Dan Bugher who is the immediate past Chairman of GAGE and a member of the Executive Committee?…that Mr. Bugher assumed the role of Chairman of GAGE from Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel whose 2010 “Weinzapfel for Mayor” campaign received a total of $12,250 from Vectren officers, Vectren’s PAC, and Vectren subsidiary?…that the GAGE Board of Directors also includes other elected officials and representatives from the Chamber of Commerce and the Coalition?…that the current investors in GAGE includes Vectren Corporation?

IS IT TRUE that the Southwest Indiana Coalition for Economic Development also has two people from Vectren on its Board of Directors?…that the Coalition also has eleven (11) elected officials on their Board of Directors along with one member from Duke Energy that serves part of Gibson County?…that there are only four (4) KEY INVESTORS listed on the Coalition’s investor webpage?…that one of these KEY INVESTORS is Vectren Corporation?

IS IT TRUE that the Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana also reports two (2) people from Vectren on its Board of Directors?…that the Chamber lists three businesses under the name Vectren among its membership?…that these businesses are Vectren Corporation, Vectren Energy Delivery, and the Evansville Regional Business Committee?…that membership means money to the Chamber just as “Key Investor” and “Investor” does for the Coalition and GAGE?

IS IT TRUE that the three principal non-profit entities that have responsibility for economic development in greater Evansville all have two Board of Directors members from Vectren?…that all three of these entities receive financial support from Vectren?…that when the subject of the excessive relative electricity rates enter the discussion of the community or of an expansion or attraction project that taking the side of the consumer or a potential business may just be seen as “BITING THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU” within these entities?

IS IT TRUE that a quick search of the internet easily revealed that the Vectren Employees Federal PAC and Vectren Corporate officers regularly contribute to the campaigns of candidates for public office throughout SW Indiana?…that these Vectren controlled funds have made contributions to both winning and losing candidates for local, state, and federal offices?…that with the economic development entities and the elected officials receiving large donations from Vectren that we really wonder who with any power at all is looking out for the 141,000 rate payers?…that you can confirm the contents of this IS IT TRUE on the following three websites?

http://www.evansvillegage.com/board/
http://www.ccswin.com/about/board.asp
http://www.southwestindiana.org/au_board

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11 COMMENTS

  1. Man, just a couple of clicks,huh?
    Hey,maybe I could do that and start a website exposing stuff like this!

    Oh,wait,….never mind.

  2. So,

    You spelled out the 2010 Weinzapfel-Vectren connection… Dare I ask what the lifetime Weinzapfel number is?

    • Not sure but it could be dug up one year at a time. You could scale the 2010 contributions over an 8 year time and get a pretty big number.

      • The Mayor doesn’t sit on the Unility Regulatory Commission and doesn’t vote on utility rates and the city opposed the last rate increase. What’s your point. Should we pass a law that Vectren cannot donate to any politicians? If so, then there are a lot of others that need to be prohibited. I don’t like Vectren nor their obsene rates, but they have the right to donate and lobby.

        • What happened to the idea that a utility provider should be a public service and run like a co-op or at least with the idea of keeping costs down not building new corporate offices and a fleet of trucks. Don’t you think all us business owners would love to raise prices anytime the margins get close, but when all you have to do is ask for 5% and get 2% anytime you can build and buy all you want!I remember reading articles when sigeco existed how the utility rates for our area was a good value compared to other cities. Maybe that was a primary motive for the merger and forming of vectren. Don’t see any articles anymore about cheap rates in southern Indiana. How come we have choices who we buy cable from but not electricity and natural gas? How about some competition for vectren!

  3. How much was it that the three fireman that want to be Chief and the Firefighters pact gave Davis

    • When you wish upon a star
      Makes no difference who you are
      Anything your heart desires
      Will come to you …

      • LOL…I’m hearing that number of firefighters vying for that job to now be well over a dozen if you count both sides of the camp.

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