IS IT TRUE the revelation about the declining TIF revenue due to ONB’s successful challenge of it’s assessment make one thing perfectly clear?…the clarity that came into view this weekend is that the City of Evansville has not sold any of the $20 million in bonds to raise the cash to fund their portion of the hotel project?…as we have previously reported, ONB has also not written a $14 Million check for the worthless naming rights for the Centre?…without regard as to whether HCW has gotten its part of the money in place any activity that may happen at the hotel lot is for theatrical purposes?…the CCO has real doubts however that any bank would actually fund a loan until all of the funding sources were rock solid?…it is now public record that the bonds for the hotel and the IU Medical School have not been sold?…the PR campaign, golden shovel events, and hotel start dates that we as citizens have all been bombarded with has been an orchestration of nonsense?…as the CCO has opined on many occasions, until all of the funding has been notarized and we can see a deposit slip, the hotel is nothing more than a dream for dreamers?…to think that many of the people of Evansville were hoodwinked by former Mayor Weinzapfel’s declaration that “if we build an arena we get a hotel for free” should serve as a good backdrop for the 2015 election cycle?

IS IT TRUE the City County Observer thinks it is really great when elections have a well vetted group of candidates with opposed primaries to allow voters to learn as much as possible about each candidate before November comes calling?…that being the case we are thrilled to see the recent announcements by a new crop of Republican candidates for their party’s nominations for City Council?…we do at this point hope to see other Republicans step up to create a healthy primary for all 9 seats on the City Council?…we would like to see a fully opposed Democrat party primary as well to test the records of any and all sitting council members who choose to run again?…without strong primary challenges we may be faced with another carefully assembled team of cheerleaders for a sitting Mayor like Team Weinzapfel was in the 2007 election?…swearing oaths to a sitting Mayor and promising to support a strong man agenda is what inspired the CCO to do artist renderings of certain City Council members with puppet strings being pulled by former Mayor Weinzapfel?  …we are presently working on a similar artist rendering starring four (4) present members of City Council?  …we surely hope that the recent announcements by Republican candidates does not constitute a collection of puppets that form the nucleus of a Team Winnecke?…regardless of party affiliation Evansville needs cognizant independent thinking on the City Council by people who understand the reality of the financial challenges we are collectively facing?

IS IT TRUE we would like to hear these new candidates opinions on how projects should be vetted?…we would like to hear what these new candidates think about the Earthcare Energy LLC fiasco and how such a thing could possibly happen in a responsible government?…we would like to know if these new candidates recognize the value of having an adaptively updated master plan as opposed to carrying out a flavor of the month development plan?…we would like to know what these new candidates think could jump start the NAVSEA Technology Transfer agreement signed by GAGE in 2008?…we truly would like to see all of the new candidates VET well with respect to knowledge, cognizant ability, and positive intentions?…having a slate of puppets has not worked out well in the past and it will not in the future?…we will choose to be hopeful that is not the case with these new candidates?

IS IT TRUE it was recently disclosed that after six consecutive years of getting an F that Lincoln School will not be taken over by the Indiana State Board of Education?…the CCO was shocked and amazed that six years of failures have resulted in no accountability?…the EVSC has failed the kids at Lincoln and now the SBOE is failing them too?…the only logical conclusion for six years of failure to go without repercussion is that the SBOE either has no solutions and/or is unwilling to assume the responsibility that should come with governance?…it is clear now that the threat of a takeover by the SBOE is a toothless threat?…it seems that the SBOE is like a teacher who is competent at assigning failing grades but completely useless in the classroom?…if this is the best the SBOE can do, we had just as well close the place down?…the kids who attend Lincoln are on their own because the adults in charge locally and at the state level have failed?

IS IT TRUE Sears recently announced losses of $550 million in their flagship brand stores and K-Mart?…their response is to accelerate their current plan of closing losing stores by an additional 100 stores in 2015?…we do not know if the Evansville store is a winner or a loser but the trend for the Sears stores nationwide is downward and the eventual closure is inevitable unless corporate management can implement a plan to compete with younger, smarter, and faster competitors?

IS IT TRUE in what has to be one of the most idiotic lawsuits ever filed in the United States a chimpanzee in New York State had a suit filed on its behalf to be granted rights as though it were a human being?…a judge fortunately denied this idiotic request and kept the chimp status in the animal rights realm where it clearly should be?…we wonder what the taxpayers of New York paid to reaffirm the difference between man and beast?…maybe a Chimp Park is in order in the future?…we already have such a place and it is called The Zoo?

IS IT TRUE with respect to a solution to the demonstrations that followed police interactions that resulted in the deaths of black men in Ferguson, MO and Staten Island there seems to be some fundamental problems that need to be recognized and acknowledged?…Booker T. Washington once said, “there is a certain class of race problem solvers who don’t want the patient to get well, because as long as the disease holds out they have not only an easy means of making a living, but also an easy medium through which to make themselves prominent before the public”?…the year was 1911 and this statement cuts right through much of the clutter and misinformation being spread by charlatans and their enablers in the media today?…we could well use the wisdom and resolve for positive change of leaders like Booker T. Washington in today’s United States of America?

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

IS IT TRUE that the Indianapolis publication called “The Cheat Sheet” that speculates on the future of Indiana politics has indicated that Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke may well be a candidate for Governor of Indiana in 2016 in the event that Governor Mike Pence decides not to run for re-election?…you can read the pdf on the following link

The_Cheat_Sheet__for_12-7-2014

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