IS IT TRUE we look forward to Evansville Police Chief Billy Bolin to releasing the following reports for public review and discussion?  …the reports are:  the 2014 Uniform Crime report sent to the FBI and the 2014 Arrest records for the “Gang Unit” ?

IS IT TRUE another year has come to an end and this one has turned out to be filled with surprises some of which are welcomed, others were unwanted while yet others are those that come with both good and bad?…some of the surprises are still unfolding?…all of that aside we do wish all of our readers a Happy New Year and predict that with what is going to be a hotly contested City election that 2015 will once again be a year of record traffic for the City County Observer?

IS IT TRUE one of the unwelcome surprises at the CCO this year was the cyber attack upon our website that kept us dark on and off for the better part of a month preventing us from crossing the 2 million page views milestone?…another unwelcome surprise in the City of Evansville was the continued escalation of gunshots that crossed the 800 threshold just this month?…we realize that many of us grew up without the knowledge that Evansville crime rates are too high to be consistent with our false sense of security, but for Evansville to have to admit to over two shootings per day was an awakening for anyone who ever bought into that “great place to raise kids” propaganda campaign?…as predictable as it was, it is an unwelcome surprise that the golden shovel celebrations to commemorate the start of construction at the downtown hotel lot were all just a big theatrical production designed to deceive the public?…the reality is that a good deal with unreliable partners on any endeavor is not a good deal and the chickens came home to roost on this pipe dream in 2014?

IS IT TRUEa very welcome surprise in 2014 that literally no one would have predicted was that gasoline would be under $2 per gallon by now?…the retail price of gasoline more than anything else is a barometer for the comfort of the American consumer when it comes to spending money?…all of you who got or gave little extra this holiday season can probably chalk that up to the exuberance of $2 gas?…the thing that drove gas prices down as it turns out is just the good ole supply and demand equation that we were taught about in high school?…our demand has gone down due to more efficient cars and the habits that came from recession?…the supply has been increased because the United States energy industry has developed new techniques like shale oil extraction and fracking?…this is something that is cyclical so we had better enjoy it while it lasts because it never has lasted before?

IS IT TRUE the unintended consequence of cheap gas are just starting to unfold with massive numbers of layoffs in the energy states of Texas, Alaska, and North Dakota?…a second order effect has recently happened across the river in Kentucky with the closure of two coal mines that were opened less than 10 years ago with golden shovels and visits from the Governor?…other unintended consequences are the destabilization of some oil republics like Venezuela and Russia?…some are even saying the CIA is behind this to cripple Putin but we say this is just a supply side driven gift to consumers that energy consortiums took from themselves?…the long view is not being taken by consumers though as big SUVs and gas guzzling pickup trucks are selling like hotcakes and electric cars, public transportation, and renewable energy are begging for business?…this pendulum will swing again as it has in the past and those who are peeing their money away on $60,000 gas guzzlers today will be the first ones crying when we reach $4 a gallon again?…then those gas guzzlers will be on the used car market for under $20,000?…the attention span of the public seems to be getting shorter and shorter?

IS IT TRUE going forward in the new year, what Evansville really needs to get a handle on is the difference in needs and wants?…we need to repair our sewers, roads, water pipes, and sidewalks?…our leaders seem to want things like a hotel, parks of all types, and an Evansville Reserve Bank with a printing press to pay for all of these wants?…they even want these playthings bad enough to ignore our real needs?…fiscal responsibility will hopefully be the central issue in the 2015 city elections as without it we can never afford the things we need which will blunt every effort to splurge on what we want?…we also need to calibrate exactly what the collective wants are because it really seems like the elected leaders have lost touch with reality?…we do wish you all a great 2015 and will continue to expose instances of bad public policy as we see them?

Please take time and vote in todays “Readers Poll”.

Copyright 2014 City County Observer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.