IS IT TRUE August 28, 2013

IS IT TRUE that the Facebook war for “likes” is being waged by the administrator(s) of the page called “Citizens of Evansville for Progress on a downtown Hotel”?…in the 24 hours after the City County Observer pointed out that the demographics of that particular page are old (35 – 54) as compared to the “Citizens of Evansville Against a Taxpayer Funded Hotel” are young (25 – 34) the old folks must have mobilized a telemarketer to get some more likes because their likes increased rapidly by about 50?…the admins for the “Against” group must not be as versed at gathering “likes” as the old folks are because the “likes” on their page only increased by a mere 4 during that same day?…this public funding of a downtown hotel issue is really turning traditional demographics on its head in Evansville?…it is odd that young people are supporting the conservative approach of being frugal with public support of a traditionally private project but the old folks are supporting giving HCW a gift of $37.5 Million to build a hotel in downtown Evansville?…it is also odd that the old folks seem to be much more adept at Facebook than the youngsters are?…we want to thank the old folks at the “FOR” Facebook page for allowing discussions to take place while the youngsters at the “AGAINST” Facebook page seem intent on taking down every challenging post to their position that is put up?…it seems as though the youngsters are practicing censorship while the old folks are allowing informed discussion to occur?…in this case we support the actions of the old folks at the “FOR” page?

IS IT TRUE that one of the discussions on the “For” page resulted in the City County Observer offering an audience to one of the people who are in favor of giving away $37.5 Million to make her case without being subject to editing, opinion, bias, or even a word limit as most publication hold onto till the death?…we were surprised to be declined on the basis that “the CCO is tearing our community apart”?…we would like to take a few lines to rebut that assertion as we have always been and shall always be a website that advocates for good public policy?…we would like to know how exposing the back room meeting to take away the Homestead Tax Credit called by Mayor Winnecke as a favor to former Mayor Weinzapfel tears this community apart?…we would like to know how exposing the sneaky back room way that Mayor Weinzapfel used GAGE to supplement the salary of Tom Barnett tears the community apart?…we would like to know how pointing out the failure of former Mayor Weinzapfel’s chosen developer to pay the property taxes for the McCurdy Hotel is tearing this community apart?…we would like to know how exposing the dilapidated state of the parks and the neglect of maintenance on nearly every publicly owned facility under the stewardship of the City of Evansville is tearing this community apart?…we would like to know how taking the bull by the horns to expose the underhanded and uniquely ignorant things that lead to the Earthcare Energy debacle is tearing this community apart?…that finally we would like to know how demanding and encouraging our elected officials to demand a business plan, a supportable job creation estimate, and an economic impact study based on reality for the hotel the “FOR” site wants to pass without VETTING so badly is tearing this community apart?

IS IT TRUE what we suspect is that there are indeed a small group of people who refer to their ranks as a “community” is perhaps being torn apart by the CCO’s rational requests for information?…if all we are tearing apart are the community of social butterflies that support this hotel so they can have another place to socialize and a few unions who are for anything that involves construction whether it is the right decision for the entire City of Evansville or not, then we are doing what we want to do?…thinking is good?…VETTING is good?…making informed decisions rather than catching a case of irrational exuberance at a tent revival is good?…if all of these things had been done from the start then downtown Evansville would probably already have a downtown convention hotel in place for much less that a public subsidy of $37.5 Million?

IS IT TRUE that “Our Times” newspaper published an editorial in support of giving away $37.5 Million to HCW to build a downtown hotel?…the article cited a few other cities who had done such things and then laid the words “Evansville is really a southern city” in at just the right time to send a subliminal message to her readers?…there was then a paragraph that cited what other cities are ended with “Who is Evansville”…that is a legitimate question that we would also like and answer to?…that the last part of the article was one of the most self serving and misinformed string of words ever put into print?…it stated “we are still smarting over Mayor Winnecke backing off of the Earthcare Energy deal” and then ended by stating that with the hotel we should be like Nike and “Just Do It”?…we applaud Mayor Winnecke for seeing the error of his ways and backing off of the Earthcare Energy deal?…that reversal from an idiotic sneaky start is his finest decision as Mayor?…we ask “Our Times” what other city has embraces Earthcare and where are they now?…with deals like that and avoiding VETTING of a hotel the answer to “Who is Evansville” may be answered as “the most gullible bunch of dopes on earth”, if every person that knocks on the door gets some of our tax money?…as for the “Just Do It” attitude, that works for shoes and hamburgers but it is no way to run a City?…we counter propose “Just VET IT” as a better slogan?

IS IT TRUE August 27, 2013

IS IT TRUE we would like to start out today by addressing the many individual instances of unacceptable behavior by certain officers of the Evansville Police Department cited in last night’s City Council meeting?…that in any situation where maintaining excellence or planned improvement is the goal that the most valuable information that can be used to move closer and closer to perfection is NEGATIVE FEEDBACK?…the group of people who came forward to describe the small percentage of police actions that were absolutely disgusting are presenting the EPD with a golden opportunity to improve?…in spite of being the bearer of bad news many of the people who have been wronged expressed a love for Evansville and a commitment to make it a better place?…City Council President Connie Robinson and Reverend Adrian Brooks provided passion, leadership, and wise guidance to both the members of this community that expressed discontentment with the treatment of African Americans by the EPD and to the EPD itself on how to show respect and conduct civil discourse?…the City County Observer hopes and encourages all of our readership to strive everyday to be a little better and to provide the feedback that will enable all of our leaders to do things better?…some will not accept it but the CCO strives to be that feedback sensor that provides the negative feedback that can be used to improve the public policies of local government?…that we respect and salute Councilwoman Robinson, Reverend Brooks, and the other speakers for their willingness to provide negative feedback in a way that we hope makes Evansville a better place to live?

IS IT TRUE in the spirit of being respectful and following the order of when to speak President Robinson gave Councilman Weaver the admonishment that he should have gotten a year ago over interjecting his ego driven snippets when it was not his turn to talk?…President Robinson did apologize later for breaking protocol which is more than Weaver has ever done for his bad habit of continuously interrupting?

IS IT TRUE that in a letter to the editor of the Courier and Press one of the starry eyed but aging nostalgists who are lining up to support a publicly funded hotel like it was a social security check or Medicare opined that “We also need more cabaret venues like the original Executive Inn used to have!”?…the CCO is mostly at or nearing retirement age and not a one of us has been to a cabaret?…other than the old song Cabaret most if the people of Evansville have never even heard the word?…another on the Facebook page supporting the $37.5 Million bribe is pining for “big festivals like we used to have?…if there is anything that has been surprising about the debate over the public gift to support the hotel project it is the dominance of older people among the supporters of such government largesse and the dominance of the younger demographic who openly think a hotel is a good idea but do not want to see the developer paid a bribe to do the job?…it is almost as if the people who support the hand-out will be retired and on the public dole before the bills come due and the kids know it and do not want another transfer of generational wealth to entertain the elderly?…we do not know if other cities that have held this discussion have taken sides by age but it is an interesting observation never the less?

IS IT TRUE some of the discussions about the gift to assist this project have begun to cross the line into rudeness, meanness, and downright degrading statements?…while the number of people crossing the line into personal nastiness is quite small it is a disturbing trend none the less?…the City County Observer would like to remind the people who are passionate about both sides of this project that you all seem to agree that a hotel is the highest and best use of that empty lot where the Executive Inn once stood?…the source of all of the disagreement is over whether or not the City of Evansville should give the developer taxpayer dollars to fund a private enterprise?…the two sides have a bit of common ground on which to start and should keep it a civil discussion?…if the Office of the Mayor or HCW would release a detailed business plan and the rest of the documents that make up a standard loan or grant application that Councilman John Friend asked for 2 weeks ago, perhaps people on both sides could dig into the information and dispense with the mean spirit that is being pushed by a few people?…this information is also vital to a real move to sell shares in a hotel develops as it should?

IS IT TRUE when hit with pointed questions in a written forum on investment value the supporters of this project seem to quickly dispense with analysis or logic and pull out phrases like “we need it”, “quality of life will be better”, “it will raise civic pride”, or the most senseless platitude of all “we deserve it”?…while these sorts of things make good brochure bullets for the CVB or the Chamber of Commerce these worn out cliché’s have no place in a discussion about any investment of any kind?…such words in an investment pitch are reserved for timeshare condos, beachfront property in Nebraska, perpetual motion schemes, or even energy scams as we have been treated to in the very recent past?…if some creative thinking outside the box were to occur it is entirely possible that some paper may be put together that could make this attractive to private investors who are somewhat socially driven?…the people of Evansville who support the giving away of public money should seriously make this hotel become a reality with their own private investments?…sure, the investment of $42 Million would only have an intrinsic initial value of $20 Million as has been documented by the CCO, but at some point in the young adulthood of the supporters companies like Apple, Microsoft, Oracle, and the list goes on were selling stock to their ardent supporters when they had ZERO OR NEGATIVE VALUE?

IS IT TRUE a stock offering of 1 Million shares at $50 dollars a share (need some early days operating expenses) to construct this hotel could be and should be the mechanism by which this gets done?…if the gallery of older but richer people who support this project in its present form cannot muster $50 Million between them, given their evangelical support and irrationally exuberant claims of future successes then they truly do not “DESERVE” this hotel at all?…the worse that can happen is that they lose half of their investment which happens all day everyday in the real world of investing?