IS IT TRUE September 6, 2013 Part 2

IS IT TRUE that our mole hotline, our phones, and our emails has been busy this morning with comments regarding the statement published by the President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana, Christy Gillenwater about the “leaderless ghost town” status of downtown Evansville?…there is overwhelming support and agreement for her statement among those who have contacted the CCO?…the dominant comment has been that MS. Gillenwater “gets it” in a way that only someone who has spent time outside of Evansville can and that her candor is a breath of fresh air from an otherwise dusty shelf of drones who lead cheer for the “ghost town”?…we encourage her to keep telling the truth as she sees it no matter how much pressure she may have put on her to retract or restate the words that have already been published in the C of C newsletter for an upcoming issue of the Evansville Business Journal?

IS IT TRUE that a few of our Civic Center moles have informed us that Ms. Gillenwater has already been to the Mayor’s office for a discussion about her choice of words?…our moles furthermore tell us that she has been openly encouraged or even subliminally threatened unless a retraction or shall we say “clarification” is issued?…when the next issue of the EBJ comes out with her monthly message we shall know if the propaganda spin machine was successful in their quest to craft her message from her own words to words that serve them better?

IS IT TRUE that insofar as we are aware the Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana is an independent entity with no public financing that hires its personnel without answering to any Mayor of Evansville?…any propagandizing or sanitizing of her message should be between her and her board of directors?…while we realize that her board of directors does include several members of the Evansville Regional Business Commission and Mr. Ed Hafer who also serves as Mayor Winnecke’s appointment to the Evansville Redevelopment Commission the mission of any Chamber of Commerce will necessarily not always be in lock step with local government?…if the cross pollination between the Office of the Mayor and the CCSWIN is no thick as to corrupt the “profitable business” mission of the chamber it may just be time to shuffle that board?

IS IT TRUE we look forward to more dialog from Christy Gillenwater regarding her honest observation of the “leaderless ghost town”, and encourage her to never back down no matter what the machine throws at her?…she sounds like the kind of young educated professional who may become instrumental in reversing this “leaderless ghost town” if the self-proclaimed leaders of the good old boy network will let her?

IS IT TRUE September 6, 2013

IS IT TRUE the reality that there will not be a vote on the proposed $37.5 Million incentive package for HCW of Branson, MO to put a convention hotel in downtown Evansville is sinking in to all involved from Mayor Winnecke and his appointed puppets to the staunchest of the opposition?…the City County Observer would like to encourage every one of these people to take advantage of this hitting of the reset button by first taking a breath and then putting on your Tom Terrific thinking caps?…this pause is a golden opportunity to get the quest for a downtown hotel back onto a rational track that can gain the support of many more of the people of Evansville?…this is an opportunity to establish a competent vetting procedure in a place where emotions and gut feelings have ruled the day?…this is an opportunity to learn to rely on data as opposed to the whims and desires of a small group?…it is also an opportunity for the community at large to learn how to VET projects so another Earthcare Energy debacle or even another flying political circus like this 5 year “gotta get a hotel at all costs” project has become?…this is a golden opportunity for Evansville’s government to grow up?

IS IT TRUE that the President and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana, Christy Gillenwater recently published a letter to her memberships in the chamber newsletter addressing the failures of all efforts to revitalize downtown Evansville?…Ms. Gillenwater referred to downtown Evansville as a “ghost town’?…this rather accurate description by Ms. Gillenwater comes after the City of Evansville has spent well in excess of $200 Million of bonded debt on temples to entertainment?…Ms. Gillenwater went on to state that successful downtowns have a dedicated committee or commission that owns the revitalization effort and the Evansville does not have one?…we are beginning to like this lady and agree wholeheartedly?…in her final and most excellent statement Ms. Gillenwater wrote, “WE DON’T HAVE A PLAN. WE NEED GOALS, WE NEED A TIME FRAME, AND WE NEED A LEADER”?…the City County Observer salutes Ms. Gillenwater for her poignant and excellent observations and on her courage to come out and call a skunk a skunk as we have been doing for the last 4 years?…a MASTER PLAN has been at the top of every TOP 10 needs list the CCO has ever published?…we wonder what the Mayor of Evansville and the Evansville Redevelopment Commission thinks about the Chamber’s statement about no plan, no committee, and no leader?…we encourage Ms. Gillenwater to hang tough?…we may just join the Chamber if she keeps telling the brutal truths that need to be told and succeeds in keeping those puppet strings from the Civic Center from being welded to her words?

IS IT TRUE John Dunn of Dunn Hospitality had his interview with Brad Byrd last night and we must say he made his points in a clear and eloquent manner?…Mr. Dunn made it clear that he supports the concept of a downtown hotel but that he and the other citizens of Evansville should not be expected to pay for something they don’t own?…Mr. Dunn addressed the recently publicized issue of his pulling of personal donations to six charities that he has supported with tens of thousands of dollars in the past?…it was a statement by Matt Rowe who is the director of the Reitz Home made on behalf of “all of the museums” that Mr. Dunn has an issue with?…Mr. Dunn supports Mr. Rowe’s right to express himself personally on the hotel issue but does not think that “the museums” as organizations should be held to their director’s personal positions?…John Dunn called out Mayor Winnecke for “gross exaggeration” in the number of jobs he claims will be at the hotel and in the construction process?…as we have stated many times Mr. Dunn pointed out that the Hunden Study that Mayor Winnecke paid over $100,000 for does not even support his job claims and that the errors are by over 200%?…Mr. Dunn reminded the people of Evansville that he and Dunn Hospitality have invested over $100 Million in Evansville?…he opined on the RFP’s that were sent out by both the Winnecke and Weinzapfel administrations as being so restrictive on the number of rooms that they are essentially impossible to be run at a profit and stand on their own?…he accepts and understands that the right size is 120 – 150 rooms if Evansville is to get a downtown hotel without a massive subsidy?…in closing Mr. Dunn stated that he loves Evansville, has chosen to spend his life there and that “he has never taken a penny of government handouts to build any of his hotels”?…this sounds like the kind of man that Evansville needs to bid on a downtown convention hotel?…it would be interesting to see what happens if the RFP is amended to be 120 – 150 rooms?