GAIL RIECKEN ATTEMPTING TO BE FIRST FEMALE MAYOR UN EVANSVILLE 200 YEAR HISTORY
We believe that the voters face the biggest decision on the future of Evansville to be made in many years  this Tuesday. There is a sharp contrast between candidates who are fielded by the two major parties in their platforms, outlooks, and even the ways they have lived their lives.
We would first like to congratulate Mr. Steve Wozniack for having the courage to launch an Independent run for Mayor. He clearly has a great deal of technical knowledge and a fresh way of looking at the City’s problems. Some of the ideas he has presented have potential to make this a better place to live, but we don’t understand how he would implement them. That being said, we believe that he has made a worthwhile contribution to the discussion and hope we haven’t heard the last of him.
Typical party stances are scrambled in this election. We have an incumbent Republican, Lloyd Winnecke who has consistently spent more than we have coming in and the Democratic challenger, Rep. Gail Riecken who is the more fiscally conservative of the two. She is looking for ways to cut spending without any reduction in city services, while Winnecke is looking to continue spending on what he terms “transformative†additions.
Mrs. Riecken’s critics accuse her of running a “negative†campaign, but supporters say her platform is based on the true situation in the City. Mayor Winnecke has been criticized for continuing to spend more than the City takes in, but his supporters argue that the spending is “investment†that will pay off when Evansville becomes a Mecca for young professionals and conventions.
In fact-checking some of the statements made by the candidates on various claims, we have found that the facts tend to fall on the side of the Democrat. For example, the Mayor claims that crime has gone down on his watch and that the use of meth has been reduced by half. The FBI Uniform Crime Statistics show that Evansville is one of the few cities where crime has increased in the past four years. The claims about reductions in meth usage are offset by the fact that it is now being imported from Mexico. The stunning number of local deaths due to heroin usage has largely gone unaddressed by Mr. Winnecke in his claims that he has made Evansville safer.
The incumbent Mayor has raised more money for his campaign than any other candidate in history ($1 million dollars plus), and we have been “treated†to an onslaught of television and internet commercials that make questionable claims about how he has improved Evansville. In his commercials, he has claimed credit for low unemployment and says he is “growing well-paying jobs†and “increasing the tax base.†The truth is that the city has probably lost as many living wage jobs as it has gained. Haier located here because of the availability of the engineers after Whirlpool left, not because the Administration did a better job of courting them than other cities, and those are the “good paying jobs†that have come to Evansville. Winnecke also claims that Evansville is growing and the tax base is increasing under his “leadership.†We can find NO EVIDENCE of truth in either of those statements and he has not offered anything that verifies his claims. We know that our readers are very familiar with his other ball-fumbling moves for Evansville, like the “bait and switch” hotel down sizing deal, the eight million dollar budget shortfall that he tries to blame on City Council, handing two-hundred thousand dollars over to the scammers of EarthCare, and the extreme overpayment for various real estate acquired by the City.
When comparing the resumes of the two, we see that Mrs. Riecken has run a successful business with her husband of 47 years, Ron. Â Gail Riecken knows what it takes to make an honorable profit in running a small business. They have been able to pass that business along to their daughters, who remain in Evansville with their families.
Gail began her career of service to others early in life when she spent time the Peace Corps before she married.  She is a co-founder of Ark Crisis Center, and has worked tirelessly to help those less fortunate.  She is a strong advocate for helping kids in need.  Gail Riecken has been involved in many Evansville community organizations for decades.  She takes pride in serving her city and the people that live here . Gail has spent the better part of her life trying to improve the lives of others,  through her community involvement over the years.  Presently, she is  the State Representative for District 72.  She has strongly supported the IU Medical School and legislation to make land-based gaming legal in Indiana.
In a surprising contrast, Lloyd Winnecke does not have entrepreneurial experience, which is an attribute usually prized by Republicans. He has been a member of the local television news media before joining Fifth Third Bank as a Vice President of Public Relations, where he remained until becoming Mayor. He previously served as a County Commissioner, and sheepishly describes taking part in an attempt to take away the Homestead Tax Credit as “not my finest hour in politics.† He is married to his second wife, realtor Carol McClintock.  He has a daughter who resides in Arizona with his grandson.
We believe that the majority of the public feels the need for more sound fiscal practices from the Mayor and City Council.  The City-County Observer is taking this opportunity to proudly endorse Gail Riecken for Mayor of Evansville.  We feel she will use a reasonable approach to public spending because she understands that so many people are struggling to pay bills and make ends meet.  If elected Mrs. Riecken will be the first female Mayor is Evansville 200 year history.
Bottom line the taxpayers of Evansville can’t afford the things that Mayor Winnecke wants to obligate the citizens to pay for and Gail Riecken understands that.  We believe that Gail Riecken is the clear choice be elected as the next Mayor of Evansville.  We ask you to vote for your own interests by casting your ballot for Mrs. Gail Riecken as the next Mayor of Evansville if you have not already done so.
IS IT TRUE that todays “Readers Poll” ask “Who do you endorse to become the next Mayor of Evansville”?
