IS IT TRUE? PART 2 September 7, 2011
IS IT TRUE that the consolidation committee as was expected adjourned last night?…that now the 30 day countdown starts during which both the Evansville City Council and the Vanderburgh County Commissioners will have to pass identical proposals to send this plan to a voter referendum?…that about the only good thing that can be said about this plan is that the voters get to make the choice?…that there are at least five members of the Evansville City Council who are expressing reservations about this plan?…that their frustrations with the shallowness of the touted details of any tangible cost savings are shared by many?…that even people who support the idea of consolidation are scratching their heads in disbelief at how the consolidation committee has dodged proposing anything of substance?…that they even worded the proposal in a way that the biggest opportunities for saving can’t even be touched for 10 years?…that the consolidation committee acted more like a POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE formed by government employees to advocate for government employees that as a merger committee whose job was to identify cost savings from efficiency enhancements?
IS IT TRUE that at least one member of the Vanderburgh County Commissioners, that being Commissioner Stephen Melcher is on record as opposing this without having threshold rejection?…that the plan does not have threshold rejection so count Commissioner Melchers vote as a great big NO?…that as County Commissioner and Republican candidate for Mayor of Evansville Lloyd Winnecke has been supportive of consolidation that it looks like this really will come down to what Commissioner Marsha Abell chooses?…that the CCO predicts that neither Commissioner Abell or Commissioner Winnecke will ever win a county wide race if they vote for this particular consolidation plan?…that annexation by ballot is not the way to go about such things AND that punting all of the real work to 10 years down the road is no way to write a consolidation plan?…that it is time to start over?
IS IT TRUE that Louisville is home to the #1 ranked boutique hotel in America and has been for 2 years running?…that 21C Museum Place has ranked at the top of Conde’ Noste’ Magazines list for two years in a row?…that 21C Museum Place has a three month waiting list for its nearly $300 per night rooms?…that 21 C Museum Place is now being franchised across the United States?…that 21C Boutique Hotels was started with LOUISVILLE MONEY from the Brown-Forman family?…that this same family recently purchased the entire block of abandoned buildings right next to the YUM Center for $4.8 Million with intention to refurbish the classic Cast Iron Facade Buildings for an additional $40 Million?…that two of these family members use the word “CHARITY†to describe their decision to invest $44.8 Million in their downtown?…that we wonder if anyone of significant means in Evansville is paying attention?
IS IT TRUE that outside money seldom invests in places that will not invest in themselves?…that the sooner that Evansville investors step up with cash to put into Evansville projects and form Angel or Venture groups to invest in Evansville companies that the sooner outside money may warm up to Evansville?…that until then we can always pick up litter, paint over graffiti, blow smoke about our attractiveness up our own backsides, and hold our lucky rabbit’s foot while wishing upon a star that a white knight from afar will rescue us from our plight?…that this is the year to put some real change of leadership into place and next year is the year to hold our new leaders feet to the fire so that the old ways do not take over again?
City-County consolidation in it’s present form is just a power play plain and simple, after watching the meeting last night and listening to the public comments it apparent that the public sees it that way also, I do wonder though how the committee members could sit there heads held high smiling and even antagonistically engaging a few of the public speakers when all they offer is a plan to give more power to the sitting mayor.
And to say it is unfair for that mayor to have to serve part of his term and re-run for office if he’s in power while consolidation takes affect is nonsense, it would appear just a effort to divert more power to the city/mayor over the county with no cost savings…..they should have had their heads hung low in shame that this is the best they can do or offer.
Consolidation is a albatross around Winnecke’s neck, he is on “strike two” in my book between his stance on Roberts stadium and city consolidation if we throw in the homestead credit….it’s three strikes and he’s out of here.
JMHO
“Heads hung low in shame”?
These guys only need to look at who the voting population here has been voting for… Weinzapfel, Durham, Riecken, Weaver, Winnecke, Davis, etc… (And who they don’t – Andrew Smith)
These people actually RECEIVE(RECEIVED) CAMPAIGN DONATIONS?
Doesn’t the voting population as a whole need to find shame before we can expect the elected “leaders” to exibit it?
The public has to be given good choices in candidates, take our mayoral race for example of all the potential people to run our city (that are not known to be part of the old boy network, or corrupt in other ways) what do we have? Just as in the presidential races we can only vote for the candidates offered to us, we don’t get to choose them from a pool of potential people, not that they would serve anyway, most folks have a huge distaste for politics in general.
To lay the faults of the elected officials into the lap of the voters is a disservice to everyone who takes the time to actually vote, we are everyday common people not politicians, we trust that they will act in good faith for the good of the public they are suppose to serve. (most of them do take a oath to do so)
It’s different since these people choose to run for public office, they should be held accountable for their actions….if only we as voters had a option on every ballot of choosing “None Of The Above” it would change a lot of elections.
We as voters get lucky sometimes with who we elect, but when your only given a couple choices and neither are ideal…it comes down to the old adage of choosing wisely, or just not voting at all.
So choose wisely my friends….
I didn’t say they lay all the blame, most of the local media are way beyond shameless.
But the parties involved love the, I’m better than the pathetic other guy routine.
No. Voting is NOT mandatory, for a reason.
Take these mayoral candidates for instance… Give me one substantive reason why I should vote for either of them?
Voting for the good ole boy candidate A vs. the good ole boy candidate B… isn’t it an affirmative vote for the good ole boy network either way?
“Voting for the good ole boy candidate A vs. the good ole boy candidate B… isn’t it an affirmative vote for the good ole boy network either way?”
Sure….but, you do have a choice as all of us do as to which to vote for, you have to listen to the candidates stated positions and read between the lines,if there isn’t a compelling reason to really vote for either of them then you should abstain from voting and tell us all how we screwed up depending on who gets elected.
I can not tell you who to vote for or why I might vote for one or the other, you need to figure that out on your own, having said that it would appear that of the two Davis would be a better choice, if he is part of the old boys club they are going to great lengths to camouflage it…to the tune of actually splitting the party in two. Just this one thing in and of itself is enough to make me think that as morpheus said in the Matrix…he’s The One! 😉
Then again 100 years from now no one will give a crap, it’ll just be another page in our local history.
JMHO
Well, I was asking for a substantive reasons to vote for a candidate, but I got a line from a movie…
Not reassuring.
Just one question: How can the consolidation plan go to a referendum without an accurate fiscal analysis of that final plan? Doesn’t the statute require an accurate fiscal analysis? Okay, okay, that’s two questions.
The Merger Mile
High Hopes——-Faded early.
Consenus———Was never a Factor.
Born-to-lose—–Worked his way up the “inside” rail.
Potential——–Still in the barn.
Trust————Stumbled right out of the Gate, never recovered.
Waste-0-Time—–The Bettor’s choice, as expected led wire to wire.
Trust came up lame and had to be put down.
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