IS IT TRUE we have just been told by extremely reliable sources that the push by the Mayor to get fast track approval of the new downtown Convention Hotel shall be put on hold for at least 40 days?  …that the reason given for this action is to allow City Council to do the proper vetting of this multi- million dollar project before  they  invest our hard earned tax dollars?  …this is a developing story and we shall keep you posted as things progress?

IS IT TRUE the Mole Nation is telling us that Mayor Winnecke is about to share what he will certainly promote as good news that the City of Evansville has reached a tentative development agreement with HCW on the now 5 years since announced downtown convention hotel?… we understand that Mayor Winnecke will make the formal announcement Monday at 10:00 am at the proposed hotel site and that all members of the Evansville City Council are all welcome to attend?…Mayor Winnecke is even agreeable to provide Scott Danks legal counsel for the City Council with a copy of the completed agreement early next week for his review?…Mayor Winnecke is also hoping to fast track whatever this agreement that HE has made in a vacuum through the approval process before the 2012 financial audit has been completed?…the City Council will be asked to make time in the schedule for the first reading on August 12th followed by the second and third readings at their August 26th meeting?…that is conveniently before the completion of the 2012 audit and the 2013 budget hearings?…we guess the Evansville Redevelopment Commission will act as ordered and without time for learned deliberation on the agreement before coming to Council?…our readers can expect a wham bam thank yam am style of special meeting of the Redevelopment Commission will be scheduled for Thursday or Friday?

IS IT TRUE that the Evansville Redevelopment Commission has been railroaded by the Office of the Mayor before to buy a parking lot with a recent market value of $150,000 for a price of $603,000, to okay deal after deal after deal to approve a crony of former Mayor Weinzapfel to build a downtown hotel, and to even put the McCurdy Hotel at risk for a deal with a contributor to the Weinzapfel for Mayor campaign that never was?…we hope this version of the ERC has the good sense to think this through and not trust the numbers as presented by any Mayor of Evansville?…it was the ERC that the media spun as a cast of idiots over these other deals leaving the backroom dealings of the other players unexposed until the CCO sprung the stories?

IS IT TRUE it seems as though in the rush to hurry up and authorize spending $37.5 Million on a downtown convention hotel for absolutely nothing in return, $10 Million or more on Roberts dog park, $45 Million on high tech water meters, and who knows what other trivial pursuits, the City of Evansville has allowed Mesker Amphitheatre to degrade into a weed infested jungle?…local photographer Matt Camp has published the following photographs taken of the Mesker Amphitheatre this summer that look like the punch line of “Welcome to the Jungle”?…as long as the City of Evansville continues to exhibit utter contempt for maintaining that which we already have, there should be no new projects of any recreational or entertainment purposes?…intentional negligence was the plan that worked to destroy Roberts Stadium and it looks like the same playbook is being used over at Mesker?…this city and all of its people should hang their head in shame at the failures of administration after administration to take care of anything?

IS IT TRUE we wonder just when does the failure to be transparent cross the line into unethical behavior and/or abuse of power?…President Nixon learned that lesson the hard way as did President Bill Clinton?…creating or participating in an atmosphere that is designed to deceive the taxpayers is on the dark side of the line of ethical behavior?…the sneaky way in which the Homestead tax credit fiasco went down was clearly unethical as was the way that Earthcare Energy was handed a check for $200,000 without City Council approval?…the questions of crossing the line of unethical behavior by recent city administrations has clearly been breached?…the real question is whether there will ever be any consequence in local government for unethical behavior in office?