IS IT TRUE that Vanderburgh County government officials have said they had tried for the last few years to sell naming rights on the 13-year-old Downtown convention place formally known as The Centre?.. they now say after supposedly selling the 30 year naming rights for $14 Million to the Old National Bank that they found no takers in all other efforts?…it is not a stretch to postulate that these people had approached Old National at some point in the past and were turned down?…the reason given by these officials is that the building is too old?…this revelation sort of makes a public declaration that the value of the naming rights for The Centre is exactly ZERO which should raise the eyebrows and interests of the shareholders of ONB because their company is proposing to invest $14 Million to pay for something that has no value?…the more these people spin the more ridiculous this loosy goosy potential transaction looks?…the most nonsensical words uttered in a while came from the mouth of County Commissioner Joe Kiefer in a TV interview when he said The Centre could not continue to operate without this new deal?…we wonder of Commissioner Kiefer realizes that if all of the money from the transaction goes toward the convention hotel and not to The Centre that the $500,000+ per year losses will continue infinitum?…this statement by Commissioner Kiefer ranks right up there with proclaiming an empty plate as manna from Heaven that will provide immediate nourishment?…the 2013 antics of the City of Evansville and the Vanderburgh County Commissioners offers the kind of entertainment that can’t be bought at any price?

IS IT TRUE that we have been asked many times in the last 24 hours about the status of the $11.5 Million of private investment that was giddily announced by Mayor Winnecke and ONB CEO Bob Jones back when the City Council voted to borrow $20 Million to subsidize the downtown convention hotel project?…there is no official update to that status to report but MOLES tell us the offering was not well received by the wealthy individuals that were offered the opportunity?…many of these people were no doubt all gung-ho to build the hotel when it was regular everyday taxpayers footing the bill to the tune of $37.5 Million but seemly balked when the reality of the return on investment was staring them in the face?…if we happen to be wrong on this (and we hope we are wrong) then there should be $45.5 Million available right now to move forward with?…that would constitute $11.5 Million from the private investment offering, $14 Million from the naming rights, and the $20 Million previously committed by the City of Evansville and the County Commissioners?…with a warchest like that HCW is not even needed and the people of Evansville will soon be the owners of a new downtown convention hotel?…if anyone believes that is the reality of this Christmas Season we have some beach front land in Warrick County for the IU Medical School that we would like to sell you?

IS IT TRUE if ONB ponies up $14 Million for the naming rights for The Centre, that money should go into the coffers of Vanderburgh County?…then the County Commissioners will have a real decision to make?…they can take that money and operate The Centre at break even for the next 30 years OR they can give it to the City of Evansville for a downtown convention hotel?…for the County Commissioners led by Marsha Abell who reportedly brokered this deal to take County dollars or assets and give them to the City of Evansville after the voters of Vanderburgh County defeated consolidation by a 2 to 1 majority is to spit in the face of the will of the people?…shenanigans like this are exactly why the consolidation vote failed?…it may just be time for some mutiny on the bounty if the County Commissioners have the audacity to violate the duties that the voters have entrusted them with?…loyalty stops at the asylum door?

IS IT TRUE this is the kind of thing that happens when local government has no master plan, no vetting, no cognizant thought process, and lives hour to hour like jungle animals?…if Councilman Friend had been allowed to VET this hotel deal in full up front the panic of the month would not be playing out on a frozen lot on January 23rd, 2014?…that which the voters have sown is what the voters will reap?…the exception to that is if the County Commissioners clearly make a decision that mocks the will of the voters with respect to consolidation?

IS IT TRUE we hear that political activates  Bruce Ungethiem is postured to announce that he shall be a candidate for County Commissioner in the Republican primary?  …if he does we predict that President  and County Commissioner Marsha Abell shall have the political battle of her life?

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca said on Thursday that it would pay up to $4.1 billion to acquire Bristol-Myers Squibb’s stake in an alliance to jointly develop diabetes drugs.

AstraZeneca will initially pay $2.7 billion, plus up to an additional $1.4 billion in other payments. As part of the deal, AstraZeneca will make royalty payments to Bristol-Myers until 2025.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to be completed in January 2014.

Following the deal, AstraZeneca will own the rights to a number of drugs to treat diabetes, including Onglyza, Kombiglyze and Byetta.

Bristol-Myers and AstraZeneca entered into the alliance in January 2007 in order to jointly develop drugs to treat type-2 diabetes. The alliance later expanded to other diabetes-related products.

The agreement includes the sale of a manufacturing facility in West Chester, Ohio, and covers the future purchase of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s manufacturing plant in Mt. Vernon, Ind., about 18 months after the closing of the transaction.

The deal is subject to local consultation and legislation. Substantially all employees of Bristol-Myers Squibb dedicated to the diabetes business will be transferred to AstraZeneca.

Bristol-Myers expects to receive about $3.4 billion in the first quarter of 2014 as part of the transaction, and it will conduct some clinical trials that were started as part of the alliance.

AstraZeneca also said that it would incur a noncash, pretax charge of about $1.7 billion related to Bydureon, a diabetes drug whose sales have been below expectations.

AstraZeneca said it did not expect the Bristol-Myers transaction to affect its core earnings per share in 2013.

Goldman Sachs was financial adviser to Bristol-Myers Squibb and Kirkland & Ellis was its legal adviser.