IS IT TRUE  that the repeated Facebook confessions of 2nd Ward Councilwoman Missy Mosby about all of the substantive budget discussions that happened in a so called “caucus” at the office of City Council Attorney Scott Danks about 5 democrat members of the City Council is just flabbergasting?…the things that she has posted and boasted about are precisely the things that are forbidden from being done behind closed doors?…the other four members and Danks had the good sense to concoct a story that at least sounded like this was a caucus?…Councilwoman Mosby with her intended self serving FB posts along with Councilman Jonathan Weaver’s tweets have removed all doubt about whether or not the closed door meeting was a caucus or a violation of Indiana Sunshine Laws?…the “Sunshine Five” clearly violated the law?…the real question is whether or not there will be any consequences for what they did or if once again the people of Evansville will sit complacently on the couch while our elected officials violate both the spirit and will of the law?…the CCO is shocked and amazed but encouraged to see that the Courier & Press has at least temporarily exhibited some level of enlightenment and called the Sunshine Five out for their tasteless back room budget session?…it will be interesting to see if even one member of the general public takes the Sunshine Five to task in the public comments section of tonight’s City Council meeting?

IS IT TRUE City Councilwoman Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley is rightfully questioning local government tradition in the handling of indigent properties that land in the annual tax sale?…she is entirely correct that some fortune seeking bidders vastly underestimate the cost to refurbish a long abandoned house?…the reality of the “flip that house” prospects with the older abandoned properties like many of the ones that end up in the tax sale is that there is absolutely no way that there is a profit to made in the refurbishment?…a typical 1,200 square foot older home can cost at least $60,000 to refurbish properly with modern HVAC, plumbing, and electrical service?…some such projects with structural issues and roof repairs needed can run as high as $100 per square foot?…the reality is that even the exemplary refurbishment jobs do not even offer an investor or starry eyed landlord the prospect of breaking even in a lifetime?…the only rational action to add long term value for these lots is to tear down the houses so the land can be repurposed?…when it costs more to fix up an old house than it does to build new as it does in vast areas of Evansville, the wrecking ball is the correct thing to do?

IS IT TRUE what has been happening with the tax sale properties is that the starry eyed would be flippers come face to face with reality when they “win” the properties at the tax sale and just cut their losses and let the taxes lapse again?…18 months later these properties are abandoned to the tax sale and the cycle repeats itself?…Councilwoman Riley is exactly right that finding a way to stop the cycle of abandonment would be a good thing?…it will be interesting to see of it is possible to change a failing tradition to make the perpetuation of dilapidation end?

IS IT TRUE that Indiana Governor Mike Pence is coming to Southwest Indiana today to welcome the President of the United States to our state?…of all of the people that this writer has ever made the acquaintance of these two are among the most polar opposite that walk this earth?…Governor Pence is a conservative’s conservative who lives and breathes in the far right of the political spectrum?…President Obama on the other hand is on the far left when one watches what he does as opposed to what he says?…there is a song by David Bowie from the early seventies called “Lady Stardust” that has a line in it that says “a cop knelt and kissed the feet of a priest and a qu33r (sorry but that is exactly what it said) threw up at the sight of that” that perfectly describes these two creatures together?…these two people who in these eyes each have some positive and negative traits do not go together?…President Obama is coming here to celebrate manufacturing week?…that is an admirable support of well paying American jobs?…in spite of the disagreement with many of the policies of the Obama Administration that the CCO picks on, we think that Governor Pence who is the polar opposite of President should just let this happen without co-opting the photo op?…nothing makes one want to barf as much as two diametrically opposites who smile for the camera together in spite of feeling contempt for one another?

IS IT TRUE that the official purpose of the President’s visit is to encourage the growth of manufacturing in the United States and to boast a bit about the 6.1% “official” unemployment rate which is a significant improvement over the past few years?…good economic news attracts politicians like a light bulb attracts bugs and that is why Congressman Larry Buschon of recent Daily Show fame and Governor Pence are spending good taxpayer dollars to stand President Obama’s shadow?

IS IT TRUE what these three public servants need to realize is that a number of economists ignore the “official” unemployment rate for the misleading statistic that it is to a different figure the Bureau of Labor Statistics calls “U-6,” which it defines as “total unemployed, plus all marginally attached workers plus total employed part time for economic reasons, as a percent of all civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers?”…the “REAL” unemployment rate today when these statistical ghosts are considered is 12.1% which does indeed reflect the percentage of people who should be working but can’t seem to find a job?…from an economic perspective things do seem to be getting better for those who are educated or have a valuable skill?…as long as politicians use “official” numbers that are not based in reality nothing will change with respect to the ghost workers?…they now number well over 10 Million Americans?…we hope a couple of thousand of these ghosts show up for the celebration in Princeton to let themselves be seen?

IS IT TRUE there was indeed a closed door meeting in City Council attorney Scott Danks’ office to hammer out a budget for the City of Evansville?…five of our City Council members attended this meeting (that they conveniently called a caucus) which is a clear violation of Indiana’s Sunshine Laws if business was done?…it must have been done because Council members Mosby and Weaver have been posting things about the meeting through social media?…the other three attendees in this alleged illegal closed door meeting were Conor O’Daniel, John Friend, and Dr. Dan Adams?…it seems as those these five elected officials have decided the fate of the budget and have the votes to shove down the throats of the other four council members and the Office of the Mayor?…they have announce a public meeting to get further input but we all know how the agenda in such meetings gets stacked rendering the meetings useless?

IS IT TRUE a number of the readers of the CCO have contacted us to express anger at the proposed cuts to the 2015 city budget that are from basic services and maintenance?…we echo the concerns that Evansville is so up to its ears in debt that things like road repairs and salt are on the chopping block so the payments on the Ford Center can be made?…what we hope the people of Evansville realize is that the present situation of civil poverty is a direct result of complacency and ignorance on the part of the electorate?…in the last city election the turnout was so paltry that it is embarrassing?…a large number (nearly 80%) of eligible voters were too disinterested or lazy to even bother to vote?…the 2007 election was the same way?…a closed door meeting by what we call the pinky shake democrats determined the outcome of the 2011 election?…in 2007 Mayor Weinzapfel was reelected over a dead beat candidate that was nothing but a place holder on the ballot?…he then proceeded to borrow $127M to build the Ford Center that is now sucking the budget dry to the point we are allocating road salt?…the situation at hand is the chickens coming home to roost?..until Evansville gets better voters the closed door meetings will continue and the march to Detroit style living will accelerate?