IS IT TRUE that the proposed downtown YMCA Senior Citizens housing project is dead?

IS IT TRUE that the proposed Senior Citizens Lincoln and Canal Street loft apartment project shall be going forward? …the consultant for this project is Miller Valentine Group? …with the Mayors blessings, the EHA has submitted a tax credit application for the project even without officially owning the land that apartments will be built on?

IS IT TRUE that the tract of land the city owned at Lincoln and Canal without public discussion was quietly transferred back to EHA by the free spending Evansville Redevelopment Commission last week? …we can’t wait to see the scoring model for the tax credit proposals that come in from the developer and how DMD rates of them? …the 9% tax credit deadline is November 1, 2014?

IS IT TRUE we wonder why the Mayor didn’t inform 4th Ward City Councilwoman Connie Robinson and other Center City developers and leaders about this project?

IS IT TRUE that it is down to only 2 weeks until the election and the elections for the Board of Directors (School Board) to govern the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation is of utmost interest locally?…there have been many feature articles in various publications in which the candidates make their positions known on what they think the important issues are but the one thing that should be the first sentence of any of these features is “I WILL MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON WHAT IS BEST FOR THE CHILDREN OF VANDERBURGH COUNTY WHO ATTEND PUBLIC SCHOOL?”…most of the candidates seem to be absorbed in working with the unions, getting along with the teachers, and one even thinks he works for the superintendent (Mike Duckworth) who really works for the board, but the thing that is needed from all of these candidates if Evansville has any hope of seeing better scores from its schools is a focus on students?…we would suggest to our readers that as you evaluate who to support for school board to ask what the candidates are doing to make the learning experience for STUDENTS better?…if they can’t answer that with real substance move on to the next candidate?

IS IT TRUE that 97% of the CCO readers who responded to the poll question about spending TIF money (tax money) on a mural behind the McDonald’s on North Main was a waste of good tax money?…the amount of money in question was exactly $31,650 and could have been used for something constructive or to pay off debt as opposed to doing a mural at this time?…murals of course have their place but not in a City that has concerned for public health due to raw sewage discharges every time it rains more than an inch an hour?

IS IT TRUE Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke has announced that he will be making an important “jobs” announcement at Mead Johnson tomorrow at 10:30 am?…Mead Johnson has been shaking with the schizophrenic stock market recently jumping up nearly 10% Friday on rumors that it was about to be acquired by Danone SA and then tanked by 6% this morning when the details of that rumor had some cold water poured onto them?…Mead Johnson Nutrition was also downgraded by Deutsche Bank this morning to “hold” from “buy” with a $103 price target?…the stock closed today at $97 after the two day roller coaster?…we do hope that the announcement tomorrow is positive for Evansville and hope that the company which relocated its headquarters from Evansville to Glenview, Illinois will continue to be a significant employer down of the bend of the river?

IS IT TRUE that the polls for the control of the United States Senate are stubbornly continuing to indicate that a republican takeover of the Senate is imminent?…since last week another state has been moved into the red camp by Real Clear Politics which is now projecting a 53-47 majority for the republicans?

IS IT TRUE we are sure to be treated to some kind of budget deal that is a compromise of compromises that will roll from the Evansville City Council over the next few days?…some things will be cut and others won’t but at the end of the day these characters couldn’t even agree on a reasonable number for revenue?…as long as that is the case the people of Evansville are set up to be victimized by intentionally false revenue projections?

IS IT TRUE that the McCurdy is once again on the docket of the ERC and this time it is really ready to go?…that is of course if and we must say if some federal tax credits are ready to stoke the fire to get a flame started?…we must remind you that it has been 2,340 days since a proud former Mayor Wienzapfel proclaimed the deal of the century with one of his Indianapolis campaign contributors that would transform the classic old hotel into luxury apartments?…we hope it is for real this time but do not recommend holding your breath until this gets started to anyone who values their life?

IS IT TRUE we have been informed by reliable sources that plans for a proposed Downtown and Center City Senior Citizens housing projects are quietly being developed by MVG and Evansville Housing Authority with the knowledge and support of the Mayor? …we urge you to read the article in todays CCO for detail information concerning these proposed housing projects?

IS IT TRUE last Friday, President Barack Obama announced that he would be appointing Ron Klain as an additional Ebola Czar?…if Ron Klain sounds familiar to you, it’s because he has a long political pedigree but has no medical, scientific, or federal agency administrative expertise, but he has a whole lot of political experience?…iN January of 2011, Klain stepped down as chief of staff for Vice President Joe Biden and before that, Ron Klain was a well-connected Washington lobbyist?…according to Senate lobbying disclosure records, Klain’s clients included Fannie Mae, U.S. Airways, Time Warner, CIGNA, and Imclone?…Klain also worked as chief of staff for former Vice President Al Gore, Janet Reno, the Senate Democratic Leadership Committee, and the Senate Judiciary Committee?…that’s not all folks, Ron Klain did debate prep for both Obama and former president Bill Clinton and was also general counsel of Al Gore’s election recount committee in 2000?…we find it hard to believe that someone who has spent his entire career as a political operative and a lobbyist (lowest form of life on the Potomac) could have been hired to be the Ebola Czar reporting to any competent director of the Center for Disease Control or even at a small regional hospital?…the fact that President Obama appointed a long-time Democratic operative with zero public health or federal administrative experience tells us everything we need to know about how He views the Ebola panic: Ebola is a political problem for the White House, not a public health problem for the nation?…in spite of this mystifying choice we continue to wish the Ebola team good judgment and sound execution in protecting the American people from this silent killer?

IS IT TRUE if the people who have blind faith in the latest sand flipping date are to see their latest prophesy come true the today is the day that the sand will be flipped for real?…it is exactly two weeks since the amen chorus for the hotel said that the real ground breaking will occur with their reference to a “couple” of weeks?…the Civic Center Moles have said nothing about any permits being issued and the Banker Moles have gone mute on loan approval?…the Bank Moles even tell us that no cash has been beamed over for the Old National Bank to cover the valueless naming rights for the building formerly known as the Centre?…we are watching diligently for any sign of real activity on all fronts and will be keeping our readers informed of any thing we learn about the 5th dimension of ground breaking?

IS IT TRUE  the Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana has announced that six wannabe restaurant owners have entered their $280,000 lottery to be put into business at the old Roger’s Jewelry store at the corner of 4th and Main in downtown Evansville?…the list of ideas mentioned by the Chamber range from normal to silly?…the only thing that seems to be certain is that downtown Evansville with a $127 Million arena, a renamed Centre, and countless other public boondoggles is still not even enough of a business destination to attract a restaurant?…the cost of a restaurant startup is less than a month’s interest payment on the Ford Center yet the Ford Center doesn’t even have the economic impact to inspire a restaurant?…this contest, while loads of fun for the martini sippers is a pathetic admission of defeat for $200 Million of fun and games spending under the guise of economic development?…surely if there really is a new subsidized hotel that would attract a restaurant without a handout?…some things in life are so pitiful they are amusing and this lottery stunt is a prime example?

IS IT TRUE the CCO concurs with the CP that the only sane way to finalize the 2015 budget for the City of Evansville is to allow for any budget cuts involving relatively small amounts of money to the department heads?…to have the City Council or the Mayor attempting to micromanage budget line items that are nearly negligible is utter nonsense if and we do mean if competent department heads that know basic math are in place?…while we understand the simplicity of Councilman Dan McGinn’s suggestion for an across the board cut, that action treats all departments as though they are of equal importance and that they are all equally efficient?…the leadership on big changes like right sizing the Parks Department for a stagnant city of 120,000 people are what the geniuses (we use this term loosely) on the City Council and the Mayor should be doing?…if they can’t even agree on what the most appropriate revenue figure will be, the ability to micromanage line items is futile?…the hotel sand shoveling will not be the only the making us shake our heads in disbelief this week?…whatever emerges from the budget spat should be amusing and abusing as well?