Link to You Tube :  Click here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaLaDJSDXdg&feature=c4-overview&list=UUOlXRZZj_hXVqdZGeJZPPHA

Evansville, September 17, 2013:

Written by: Brad Linzy and Posted by CCO, without opinion, bias and editing

 Since the stalled vetting process has made headlines, Mayor Lloyd Winnecke has made a couple statements our group finds highly questionable.

In a recent statement released by his office, the Mayor not only blamed Crowe Horwath for the stalled vetting process, but he nominated their successor – a company called Springsted. The problem with this is that this company has come to the attention of the Mayor by HCW themselves. In other words, the Mayor wishes for the Council to use the vetting firm HCW recommends while simultaneously defending their right to privacy, even from the City Council members.

Furthermore, the Mayor has for the second time released a statement by Rob Hunden calling our efforts to digest his 193-page report for public consumption “cherry-picking”, an accusation we find deeply offensive. In fact, most of our questions about the Hunden Study remain outstanding such as the Mayor’s assertion of 250 jobs created, rather than the 41-71 full time equivalent (FTE) jobs cited in Hunden, and the fact that anything beyond a 120-150 room hotel will require significant “future reinvestment”.

It is our firm belief this hotel vote should go ahead on September 23 – the next scheduled Council meeting. We have said for some time that regardless of the outcome of additional vetting, this deal is not in the best interests of the people of Evansville. We stand by that claim now more than ever. We further renew our call for the Mayor to withdraw support for this project and stop trotting out Rob Hunden to scare the people of Evansville with threats that if this deal falls through, the next deal will be 100% publicly funded. Hunden was hired to do a study of a 240-270 room hotel, not a study of the fiscal situation of the City of Evansville. Rob Hunden is not an expert on the fiscal situation of Evansville, therefore, he is in no position to offer up advice on what is best for the people of Evansville given their current fiscal situation.

Pro-Hotel Facebook Admin Alleges John Dunn Buying Councilmen & Councilman Friend of Improper Accounting Practices

 

The mudslinging has truly gone beyond the norms of civilized discussions in the wake of this weekend’s revelations about the stalled vetting process of the hotel agreement with HCW. Not only has the Mayor’s Office released a clarification statement by Rob Hunden but the administrator of the Facebook page “Citizens of Evansville for Progress on a Downtown Hotel” has accused John Dunn of a crime and Councilman John Friend of improper accounting practices on the Courier and Press comment site. Both posts are included in this article for our readers to make their own conclusions:

Community Comment

In the last 24 hours numerous allegations of a serious nature have been flying freely in comments on both the Courier Press, article entitled “Consultant Refuses to Review Hotel Developer” and now the Pro-Hotel Facebook page.

In a post dated September 16th at 12:57pm, pro-hotel Facebook group Administrator Phyllip Davis alleged on his page that hotelier John Dunn is “buy[ing]” Council votes and/or paying Council members to obstruct the process.

“What I’m most amazed by in this is the number of people still with Dunn on this,” said Davis. “If it were a movie, it would be unbelievable. A rich, hotel tycoon is against a competitive project in the city that will help the city because it affects his plans for growth on the east side. He then turns on several community organizations and ends his support of them. He buys Council members to do his bidding and people stand with him like he smells like roses. Unbelievable.”

In another comment on the Courier Press article entitled “Consultant refuses to review hotel developer” Davis alleges improper behavior specifically on the part of Councilman John Friend: “They should have been capable of vetting HCW without having to give John Friend, who is rumored to be associated with Dunn, their financials.”

Bribing a public official is a serious crime in the State of Indiana, a felony in fact, and may even come with Federal charges as well. If there is any merit to this most serious of allegations, Mr. Davis and others should present whatever evidence they possess to our County Prosecutor, the Indiana State Police, and the State Attorney General.

If no such evidence exists, we would remind Mr. Davis and anyone else thinking of making such allegations of felony activity in a public forum their words may be considered libelous if they are not true and the offended parties wish to litigate.

(Washington, DC) – Representative Larry Bucshon, M.D. (IN-8) along with Representative Dan Lipinski (IL-3) introduced legislation to save America’s trucking industry over $1 billion annually by ensuring due process on an important Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulatory matter.

The bill, H.R. 3095, will require FMCSA to go through a formal notice and comment rulemaking proceeding when issuing guidance on the screening and testing for obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep disorders for drivers of commercial motor vehicles.

“If FMSCA wants to weigh in on this issue then they should go through the proper rulemaking process,” said Bucshon. “With such tremendous potential costs to the truck and bus industry, it is critical that we include all the stakeholders, including the medical and trucking communities, in any thorough analysis of fatigue-related crashes. This bill will provide an open and transparent process to evaluate both the costs and benefits of any proposed regulations.”

Without due process, the FMCSA guidance would sidestep a thorough analysis of obstructive sleep apnea among truck and bus drivers, the range of possible actions to address the problem, and full consideration of the views of all affected stakeholders, including the drivers themselves. Further, non-binding guidance would make the industry extremely vulnerable to litigation – whether they enforce the guidance or ignore it.

The trucking industry estimates the impact of screening, diagnosis, and treatment for obstructive sleep apnea could exceed $1 billion annually. With a $100 million impact specific to the private school bus industry.

“This is not an insignificant step,” said American Trucking Association President and CEO Bill Graves. “There are more than 3 million professional truck drivers and the cost of screening, diagnosis and treatment for sleep apnea could easily exceed $1 billion annually. Taking a step as potentially costly as that shouldn’t be undertaken lightly and outside of the normal processes.”

The American Trucking Association, American Bus Association, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, National School Transportation Association, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, and United Motorcoach Association have all endorsed this bipartisan bill.

“Small-business truckers applaud Representatives Bucshon and Lipinski for their efforts on this important issue to truckers and to small businesses,” said Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association Executive Vice President Todd Spencer.  “H.R.3095 is common sense legislation that has the support of the entire industry.  That fact alone should send a strong signal that anything FMCSA does regarding sleep apnea should absolutely consider the costs such a policy will pass on to truckers, especially more experienced and safer drivers.”

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will consider H.R. 3095 in a markup hearing on Thursday, September 19, 2013.