IS IT TRUE that A&E Television that chose to place Phil Robertson, the patriarch of the Duck Dynasty clan on indefinite suspension last week over expressing opinions about gay relationships in an interview with GQ magazine that offended the producers has rolled over and will welcome Papa Duck back to the show?…A&E has certainly enjoyed the immense popularity of the show that is essentially a redneck version of the Kardashians should have not been surprised by anything that Robertson said that reflects mainstream Christian beliefs as they have been broadcasting family prayers before meals by the Robertsons for years?…if they were surprised by this they are oblivious to much of the United States?…A&E proved they are left leaning in suspending Robertson but turned around and violated their own principles to keep that money machine called Duck Dynasty on the air?…this proves that the political left of which much media is in to is into the almighty dollar even more than their espoused principles?…the principled group here even though the CCO disagrees with Phil Robertson’s homophobic beliefs is the entire Robertson family who stuck to their beliefs?…A&E on the other hand proved they are just pandering to the left when it seems convenient but to the right when that is needed to ring the cash register?

IS IT TRUE what is astonishing is that the people of America are so distanced and disinterested from reality that so called reality shows like Duck Dynasty, Honey Boo-Boo, and the Kardashians that are ugly stereotypes actually command an audience?…this kind of drivel makes romance novels look like great works of literature?…if you think it is idiotic for ball players and singers to make tens of millions of dollars take a look at these moronic reality shows?…it is no wonder our schools are failing, people feel entitled to free stuff, and the work ethic of the country is heading into the toilet?…as long a liberal media consents to making the actors in staged reality shows like the Robertsons, the Kardashians, and Honey Boo-Boo wealthy for displays of ignorance and everyday people lap it up like manna from Heaven, the good old USA will continue its slide back in time?

IS IT TRUE in a few short weeks the people who are customers of that monopoly known as the Evansville Sewer and Water Department will see their rates increase dramatically for the first of many rate increases needed to meet the EPA requirements to clean up the dilapidated sewers?…we should get used to it because it is going to be a 20+ year ride to $300 plus water bills on a monthly basis?

IS IT TRUE that endless changing morass known as ObamaCare has laid the wood to another group of people because they didn’t think things through before unleashing chaos?…the latest victims of this albatross are people who lost their private policies and complied by buying a new one from the exchanged before the President blinked and allowed catastrophic plans to be purchased without age and hardship qualifications?…one of our readers over 30 who can’t get a subsidy stated that he lost his private catastrophic plan that was costing $185 per month and replaced it with an ObamaCare approved plan for $725 before the President waived that requirement?…this person is healthy and would have preferred a catastrophic plan that he could buy now for $425 if he had procrastinated as most everyone else did?…the $300 per month poke in the eye is something he will not forget and the Democrats can essentially kiss this vote good bye forever?…this reader tells us he feels like a fool for listening to the President?…as Maya Angelou has written “people never forget how one makes them feel?”

IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer is currently conducting a poll for the 2015 election for Mayor of Evansville with the assumption that the candidates will be Mayor Lloyd Winnecke, Councilman John Friend, and a yet to be named Libertarian candidate?…this poll is not scientific, is open to anyone who reads the CCO on a one vote per IP address basis, does not prequalify voters through demographic profiling, and really is nothing more than a snapshot of our readers who are willing to vote since last night?…at the time of this writing Councilman Friend has 51 votes with the Mayor and the unnamed Libertarian tied at 20?…Republican Chairman Wayne Parke still asserts mightily in his comments that a real poll gives Mayor Winnecke over a 60% approval rating and we do not even question his assertion?…we have offered to publish the poll along with the results and polling criteria but Mr. Parke has not come forward to offer the poll to the CCO for publication?…there are many of our readers and among the volunteer staff of the CCO who think Mr. Parke is blowing some Christmas smoke up our rear end and that a poll does not exist?…we did have reports a few weeks ago about a phone poll regarding the level of public support for spending tax dollars on Roberts Park though so maybe after some warm up feel good questions there really is a poll?…we hope if and we must say if a poll exists that Mr. Parke or the Mayor himself will share it with the people of Evansville?

IS IT TRUE this writer took a quarterly walk through downtown Evansville yesterday and found that the same franchise that has dominated storefront windows in downtown for over 20 years is still the dominant window dressing?…that franchise is the one named “AVAILABLE” as is seems like even more places are “AVAILABLE” than there were during the Summer walk?…there have been no less than 30 storefronts “AVAILABLE” since the late 1990’s when this guy started counting?…since that time, the Ford Center was built for $127 Million, Old National Bank and Vectren invested a combined amount of nearly $100 Million on riverfront headquarters, Innovation Pointe was refurbished, Kunkel and others have fixed up nearly 100 lofts, the Centre and the Central Library have been built, CMOE was completed, and several facades have been repaired?…in spite of all of this investment the downtown while prettier still supports roughly the same number of businesses?…for those of you who think a convention hotel of $44 Million will change this situation when the over $300 Million in other investment didn’t we have some beach front property in Warrick County to sell you?

IS IT TRUE we expect to learn in 2014 what the response of the EPA is to the response from the City of Evansville to reduce an estimated $815 Million project over 20 years to a $545 Million project over a longer period that does not even attain compliance with raw sewage discharges into the river?…we are betting that the EPA is going to tell the City of Evansville to jump in the river and will demand a higher compliance project in the allotted time period?…there is no other reason for this decision to be taking so long?…other cities that have cried POOR while doing fun and games projects have not fared well with the EPA and Evansville will most likely not fare so well anyway?…this crying POOR right after building a $127 Million temple to entertainment and $43 Million for space age water meters rings about as in touch with reality as a teenager begging for money for a movie after squandering their lunch money on candy?

IS IT TRUE that the other thing that is long overdue that will have to be made public in 2014 is the 2012 audit by the State Board of Accountancy?…this routinely month long task has now extended to nearly 6 months which points to yet another “disclaimer” opinion?…we may also learn if the books are officially balanced or if the legacy of never learning to count hoisted onto the city by the Weinzapfel Administration’s ObamaCare style software project management has messed that up for yet another fiscal year?

IS IT TRUE the quarterly walk around also showed this writer that the McCurdy and the Riverhouse are decaying at a very rapid rate and may soon be faced with the reality of the wrecking ball for becoming dangerous to even walk around?…they both look like something out of Fort Apache the Bronx?