IS IT TRUE that the top economic news yesterday was the announcement that Alcoa will once again have an aluminum smelting line operating at the Warrick Operations in Southern Indiana?… it was only a few years ago that the smelting operation was mothballed resulting in job losses and fear among employees?…that 275 jobs will be added at the Warrick plant to begin smelting again?…one of the biggest reasons that aluminum smelting has been reduced in the United States is the cost of electrical power as compared to other countries like Chile where much of the raw material used in smelting is found?…in years gone by Alcoa was ahead of Vectren when it comes to electrical generation because they put in their own power plant and coal mine?…it is highly likely that the best profit center on the Alcoa property was the power plant and not the smelter?…this announcement is a good win for greater Evansville, Vectren and Alcoa alike?  …we join Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch in joy and congratulations for this legacy employer making the commitment to smelt aluminum in Southwest Indiana again?

IS IT TRUE one of the reasons for the prices that Vectren charges for electricity is that they got ahead of the hounds in cleaning the coal they burn?…because of the expensive equipment used by Vectren to clean coal prompted the Indiana Utilities Regulatory Commission to authorize the highest rates in Indiana?…we now hear that many of those expensive improvements  made by Vectren may be squandered to make way for the cheaper natural gas rates? …the body that approves the rate increases (IURC) is a bunch of people appointed by politicians who may or may not know the first thing about power generation?… the legacy combined sewer problem looming over Evansville and the decrepit water pipes repairs someday will cause the utility costs for a regular middle class home may be as much as the house payment?

IS IT TRUE that Local Income Tax funds are now being used to pay down City Employee Hospitalization for this budget year?  …so far the City of Evansville has used $2.7 million dollars of this fund to pay down the City Employee Hospitalization for this budget year

IS IT TRUE that any day now we expect bids to be submitted by Ragle Construction Inc.  telling us how much it will costs to correct the curb problems on North Main Street? …we  can’t wait to see who will pay to correct this costly mistake? …we know that city officials would like to see this issue to quietly go away?

IS IT TRUE the entertainment festival known as ParksFest will be taking a year off in 2017 but is hopeful that it will return for 2018?…the ParksFest was born when it’s founder saw the distinction of Evansville being named “the most miserable place in the United States” in a Gallup well-being survey?…the response to being named a miserable bottom feeder inspire the ParksFest that eventually grew to having an attendance of 10,000 in Garvin Park and attracted musicians from all around the Tri-State?…ParksFest is an equivalent economic driver to the Evansville Jazz and Wine Festival started by GAGE in 2008 after the then CEO attended a Jazz Fest in Montreal?

Todays READERS POLL question is: Who has done a better job of handling our tax dollars?

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