IS IT TRUE October 15, 2013

IS IT TRUE that the Evansville City Council showed a sense of practicality last night in discouraging Mayor Winnecke’s office from moving forward to spend $1.5 Million on work at Roberts Park during last night’s meeting?…all of the members of the Council present voiced support for a park at that location but all of them seem to understand that the Evansville Parks system is already incapable of being properly maintained and sustained with the maintenance team and budget that is in place?…a cursory drive around the City of Evansville confirms that the parks are just not up to snuff when it comes to basic maintenance work being up to acceptable standards?…Evansville does have a well designed park system that was laid out for a growing and prosperous population back in history at a time when this was true?…in spite of recent claims the population is still stagnant, the budget is at the mercy of outside forces like Riverboat revenue and property valuations, and the City is going to need to consider maxing its debt limit to provide incentives to the IU Medical School?…this is not the time to be spending money on Roberts Park?…this can be revisited at the end of 2014 when both the IU Medical School and the Riverboat revenue issues will be understood?

IS IT TRUE the view of the old Roberts Stadium lot from the Lloyd Expressway is actually quite nice as an open field?…it does not look like something needs to be there with any urgency?…there is one issue that needs to be addressed other than money before a park is put there and that issue is road noise?…just to the ear the magnitude of the road noise gets pretty offensive as one gets within 100 paces or so from the Lloyd?…unless a sound barrier is put into place this particular location may not be something that families, joggers, or walkers would choose?

IS IT TRUE it was also revealed last night that that the Indiana State Board of Accountancy has not yet released the annual audit and that there is still not agreement on the reconciliation of the City of Evansville’s financial records?…the City still has Umbaugh and Associates under contract to deal with reconciliation?…that being the case the assertions from Controller Russ Lloyd Jr. that the books are balanced is still legitimately in question?…with financial consultant David Garrett and Mr. Lloyd still in disagreement, Umbaugh still on the job, and the SBOA taking so long to release the audit, this is no time to be committing to spending a blasted dime in the fair and unbalanced City of Evansville?

IS IT TRUE that California’s Coachella Valley (greater Palm Springs) has 129 hotels from the Ritz Carleton to the Days Inn, 116 golf courses, a water park, a sky tram, and countless other tourist attractions and parks?…in spite of this multitude of fun and games things the top priority of all nine of the cities is to develop a sustainable job base so the best and brightest people will stay?…with over $10 Billion in fun, games, and tourism objects in place with fully operational state of the art infrastructure, and even civic pride that shows no squalor the BASIC NEED FOR GOOD JOBS is still not filled?…those in Evansville who think one hotel will even put a dent in infrastructure and jobs issues are tilting at windmills?…if $10 Billion won’t solve such a problem $44 Million is not even a band aid?…it is time for Evansville to focus on what it needs as opposed to the distractions that Pinocchio would have found at Pleasure Island where he was slated to be turned into a jackass?

IS IT TRUE October 14, 2013

IS IT TRUE that mother nature was kind to Evansville during the recent Fall Festival that went off without a hitch as always?…for those of you who attended the parade a ghost float owned by the Democrat Party of Vanderburgh County rolled by with nary a person on it?…there may have been some fear of being yanked off the float for past warrants in the air leading to the ghost float making the trip down Franklin?…there may have been no Democrats on the Fall Festival float but there will be some at the Mole Awards luncheon today including incoming Chairman Rob Faulkner who accepted his complementary admission graciously?…Republican Chairman Wayne Parke also was extended a free ticket but has not given the CCO the courtesy of an answer as of this second?…we assume Mr. Parke will not be accepting our generous invitation?

IS IT TRUE that the Civic Center Mole tells us that Mayor Lloyd Winnecke will be going to the City Council meeting tonight hat in hand to ask for money to build Roberts Park?…we find this to be a bit early to start another spending spree on the heels of the approval to provide $20 Million of incentives for a convention hotel?…this fellow needs to apply his powers of concentration on the upcoming IU Medical School project for somewhere in the City of Evansville should that become a good option?…there will have to be incentives, we have no idea how much they will be, Evansville is nearing is bond limit, and a medical school will bring much more economically sustainable prosperity than all of the Mayor and his predecessor’s $200 Million temples to sport and play combined?…this is not the time for the elected leader of Evansville to go to the City Council to beg for money to build parks or correct the Weinzapfel oversight storage shed for the Ford Center?…we hope the Mayor will get the cart in front of the horse going forward?…he has a golden opportunity to change his ways and do an exercise in prioritization starting today?

IS IT TRUE that the Mayor’s VISION program has listened to the small group of Evansvillians who have attending these planning sessions and has come up with a doable solution to placate the masses to make Evansville better?…the request is for lights in the parks?…this seems reasonable given the fact that drug use cast offs, condoms, liquor bottles and fear have been part of the park experience at night for just over a decade now?…it is possible that shining a light on the parks at night will drive out the people who have been using our park system as a drug den and a no-tell motel?…we hope that an affordable solution to darkness in the parks is proposed and that the lights will inspire cleanliness and order in the Evansville City Parks?…we also hope that such lighting does more for Evansville than make it easy to see that the parks have not been mowed and the garbage is overflowing 24/7?

IS IT TRUE that Mole #21 tells us that the City of Evansville is about to become a respondent to a lawsuit that is coming in the aftermath of yet another EPD action that filled up the City Council chambers with passionate people looking for sanity, justice, and a reasonable explanation?…it is sad but true that money often is the only arbiter of justice in this City, this State, and in the United States of America?…that civil and respectful living among all is much better than money but we seem to have a hard time learning those lessons?…it is unfortunate that the lawsuit is now the butt whipping of the 21st Century for adults who can’t seem to get things right with their fellow man?