Excerpts from article in the Desert Sun, the Gannett Newspaper that serves California’s Coachella Valley (greater Palm Springs):

“The Desert Sun supports the congressional effort to boost renewable energy through tax reform. Rep. Raul Ruiz, a Palm Desert Democrat, joined New Jersey Republican Jon Runyan and Oregon Democrat Earl Blumenauer in a letter urging action by the House Ways and Means Committee, which is leading the effort.”

“a recent Pew Research Center found 72 percent of Americans support major federal tax reform. That includes 75 percent of Republicans and independents and 69 percent of Democrats”

“Joe Wallace, managing director of the Coachella Valley iHub, endorsed the letter, too. But he also said eliminating red tape is a critical element of boosting the valley’s green energy industry.
“I agree,” Ruiz said. “That’s part of creating a pro-business environment that’s a win-win for everybody. We need to reduce duplicative regulations that make no sense.””

“The U.S. tax code is in desperate need of simplification and reform. If that process can help the nation reach its alternative energy goals and strengthen our region’s economy, that would be cause to celebrate.”

IS IT TRUE that last night’s inappropriately named town hall style meeting in the 5th Ward as the others have increasingly been seemed more like an old time southern tent revival than a forum of competent discussion?…Deacon Robert Warren of the elders of the promised land of conventions warmed up the faithful for the impeccably dressed Reverend Mayor Lloyd Winnecke to deliver the same sermon about how wonderful Heavensville will be when the 2nd coming of the downtown hotel happens?…to those in attendance that have not yet been baptized in the name of the Centre, the Ford Centre, and the Savior of the City hotel, this meeting in particular was confusing and amusing at the same time? …we also observed sisters Carol M and Marsha A with hands raised and shouting amen at every turn? …the sermon delivered by the Reverend Mayor followed the time honored script of “first you tell em what you’re gonna tell em, then you tell em, in closing you tell em what you just told em, then dismiss the choir?…the few dissenters and skeptics in the tent were subject to negative head shaking, glaring eyes of disgust, wails of disbelief, and in at least one case an admonishing elbow to the ribs?…there were even attempts to “heal” the unbelieving heathens who dared to venture into the tent revival by the laying on of elbows and contemptuous glares?…it is doubtful that any conversions occurred at any of these meetings because the questions asked by the opposition have not been addressed? …at the end of the tent revival the followers of the most Revenue Mayor chanting “all is good in River City”?

IS IT TRUE this cheerleading and stacking the tent with die hard believers in this project for a pep rally in each ward is not doing what should be happening right now?…what should be happening on the part of the supporters of this big cash giveaway is to systematically remove the objections of those opposed with concrete financial numbers based on rigorous analysis and cognizant logic?…there has been no attempt by the Mayor’s team to address the undisputed fact that his claim that 250 full time jobs will be created by the hotel operation alone is refuted by the very study (Hunden) that he cites as gospel in justifying a need for 253 rooms?…for the hundredth time the Hunden Study clearly states that a 240 room hotel will create 41 (not 250) full time equivalent jobs and 29 (not some pie in the sky irrational yet unnamed number) of ancillary jobs?…the Hunden Study that the Mayor paid $105,000 for clearly states the total jobs created by this hotel project at maturity is 70?…that is a far cry from 250 plus all of the jobs that will rain down Main Street if we just do this one last project?…the Mayor is either squandering a golden opportunity to explain his irrationally exuberant claim or ducking the question he knows he cannot answer?…if this discrepancy and several others that have been pointed out by the opposition are not addressed there will be many people who take this project for a fool’s errand that has not been sufficiently VETTED?…this could even turn into another Earthcare Energy debacle?…the job losses at the other hotels in town have not been addressed by the Mayor either?…it will be interesting to see if the group of hoteliers who collectively oppose the give away of $37.5 M will release a layoff estimate in the next couple of weeks?

IS IT TRUE that during Wednesday evening’s mayoral meeting, several people addressed the audience concerning the hotel project; one being Brian Litherland, an alleged shareholder in the engineering firm of Bernardin Lochmuellur, a large contributor to the Winnecke and Abell campaigns?…that Mike Hinton former head of Old National Bank and now President of Bernardin Lochmueller spoke in favor of the hotel project?…his firm stands to profit from the project?…that that Stan Wheeler, a member of the Evansville Redevelopment Commission and Director of Carpenter’s union #90 apprentice program spoke in favor of the project?…his union stands to gain financially from the project?…one would think this meeting smelled of a direct conflict of interest?…that the business managers of the Labor Local 561, namely Barry Russell and Paul Green of the IBEW Local #16 together with Wendell Higdeon business manager of the Plumbers and Steamfitter local #136, all spoke in favor the hotel project?…it is reasonable to draw the conclusion that these individuals have a conflict of interest?…that these same individuals have been at every mayoral hotel meeting thus far?…we once again saw Ed Hafer Chairmen of the Evansville Redevelopment Commission and President of the secret Evansville Evansville Regional Business Committee located on the seventh floor of the Vectren building? … a meeting isn’t a meeting without Commissioner Marsha Abell agreeing with ever word spoke by the Mayor? …that local GOP Chairmen Wayne Parke was sharing his expert wisdom on the proposed hotel with the faithful?…that Phil Hooper, the Executive Director of the Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development was in attendance, who lives in the fourth ward and Bob Warren, the director of the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau, who lives in the first ward are ardent supporters of the hotel project and have had their times at the podium in every meeting?…that a show of hands indicated that the majority of individuals in the crowd were residents of the 5th Ward further corrupting any conclusions that may be claimed about support?

IS IT TRUE in other news from River City, the EPD released the video of the recent detainment of Evansville firefighter George Madison Jr.?…the video speaks for itself and we encourage our readers to have a look at it?…we will forewarn you that at about the 6 minute point of the video Samuel L. Jackson’s favorite word (starts with mother) comes out of the mouth of Reverend Madison?…in retrospect who can blame him for being frustrated and lapsing into foul language?…when threatened it is human nature to do so?…to pull out a quote from years ago we hope we can all just get along?