IS IT TRUE? Part 2 May 13, 2011

IS IT TRUE? Part 2 May 13, 2011

IS IT TRUE that it has been over 3 months since Mayor Weinzapfel, John Kish, and Evansville Redevelopment Commission selected VENUWORKS to manage the new Evansville Downtown Arena? … that as of today, copies of the Management Agreement contract have never been given to members of the Evansville City Council?…that in addition to the failure of the signers of the contract to distribute this contract to the Evansville City Council that there has been no public release of this document?…that maybe there is no such document or that maybe there is a concerted effort to conceal the contents of this document?

IS IT TRUE that VenuWorks was pleased to hang their hat on the success of managing the LA Forum just a couple of months ago when they were wooing the Weinzapfel Administration to let them manage the Evansville Arena?…that VenuWorks no longer lists the LA Forum as one of the arenas that they manage?…that the LA Forum is now managed by a start up management company that calls itself “The Planning Company”?…that you can learn about who replaced VenuWorks as the management company of the LA Forum at the following website?

http://www.theplanningco.net/

IS IT TRUE that this website is not very impressive but that we are intrigued by this change in LA?

IS IT TRUE that a similar situation exists with respect to the agreement between the Evansville Redevelopment Commission and Woodruff Hospitality?…that whatever the details are about the agreement with Woodruff Hospitality LLC that only a few of the details have been alluded to in public and those came as a result of a Friend-Quisition?…that we now know that there are a series of escrows as opposed to a performance bond?…that we now know that there are financial performance deadlines at the end of May and the end of June?…that we have no idea what these performances are?…that there is already consideration being given to extend the deadlines as per public record statements by John Kish?

IS IT TRUE that it may be time for the City County Observer, the Evansville Courier & Press, the local TV stations, the Evansville City Council, and even concerned citizens to demand these documents by formal request using the Freedom of Information Act?…that one does not have to be a news agency or work for a news agency to file a request under the Freedom of Information Act?…that government Agencies have 20 days to respond to FOI requests?…that government agencies must publish an annual report which includes reasons for denials, appeals, number of days required to process requests, number of backlogged requests, number of full-time staff devoted to processing requests, and amount of fees collected from requestors?

IS IT TRUE that for those of you who are interested the following is a link to an example of a letter that can be customized to your individual requests?…that these letters can be hand carried to the government agency that you wish to file a FOIA with?…that prior to actions taken by President Lyndon B. Johnson to establish the Freedom of Information Act that closed door meetings and secret file cabinets were just the way business was done in Washington?…that President Johnson may just be the father of American transparency laws?…that after over 40 years that it is time for transparency to come to Evansville?

FOIA Request Letter