IS IT TRUE? October 25, 2011

IS IT TRUE that the occasional practice of “Millionaire Watch” on underway in Silicon Valley once again with the 180 day lockup period for NASDAQ juggernaut LinkedIn?…that this lockup period is a 180 day period immediately following in Initial Public Offering (IPO) of the company stock during which employees of LinkedIn are not permitted to sell any of their shares on the open market to cash out on their sweat equity?…that on November 21, 2011 that nearly all of the 1,500 employees of LinkedIn will be able to cash out of this leading edge software business that did not even exist a few years ago?…that at today’s stock price of $87 per share that the employees of LinkedIn will have the ability to cash out $8.2 Billion if they choose to do so?…that this averages an astounding $5.6 Million per employee?…that we are sure that this is not equally shared but that the long time practice in Silicon Valley to offer stock options to nearly all employees has made many millionaires of people who would otherwise just draw a paycheck and struggle to get by?

IS IT TRUE that IPO’s that create and spread wealth of this magnitude are only possible in locations where active Angel Investment Networks and Venture Capital is available?…that the talent follows the money and that by not having such opportunities that Evansville and many other conservative places are sealing their economic fate at the bottom of the food chain?…that at a time of recession when Silicon Valley and a dozen other places are high fiving over companies like LinkedIn, Pandora, Synga, etc. that our election is hinging on the perceptions of the masses on Floatgate, the Homestead Tax Credit, cash infusions from Indianapolis, who hates meth the most, who endorses who, and when the Ford Center will ever draw an act that Roberts couldn’t have drawn?…that quite frankly we would be better off celebrating an IPO or ten?…that we wonder if the “keepers of the castle” are paying any attention?

IS IT TRUE that in 2004 at about the same time that the Ford Center was a twinkle in some people’s eyes that LinkedIn announced that they had secured $10M in secondary financing from the Venture Capital firm Greylock and an undisclosed additional amount from 14 Angel Investors?…that with the level of investment that was made in the Ford Center, Front Door Pride, and some other building projects over 100 start up businesses could have been funded?…that while Mountain View got LinkedIn, Google, and a host of other new businesses that we have an arena and some houses that have for sale signs that are gathering dust?…that Evansville is today a sum total of the choices that have been made for the last 50 years?…that looking back to 2004 in the link below should give local leaders cause to reflect on what may have been?…that if we never try we shall never know if something like this is even possible in Evansville?

http://press.linkedin.com/48/linkedin-secures-10-million-series-b-funding-led-greylock

IS IT TRUE that the $8.2 Billion harvest of cash that the employees of LinkedIn will be able to access if they choose is enough money to buy at assessed value all of the City of Evansville and still have over $1 Billion remaining?…that one can only wonder just how much impact a stash of $8.2 Billion in personal wealth distributed over 1,500 people and their families could have on a place like Evansville?…that unless something is done about the lack of investment dollars and the ability to attract talent we shall never ever know?

IS IT TRUE that the City of Evansville Department of Water and Sewer has placed a new and rather extortive weapon in their debt collection arsenal?…that recently landlords who live in the area served by the City of Evansville who have rental properties that the tenants have failed to pay the water bill for are being threatened with having their personal water turned off unless they pay the overdue amounts that their tenants stiffed the water department for?…that in the cases that we are aware of the landlords had no prior knowledge of the situation regarding their tenants defaults and that letters went out last week giving unsuspecting landlords only a week to make good or lose their own water service?…that this is an insulting program to local landlords, is not even legal for Vectren to do, and will drive even more of the rental properties in the City of Evansville into abandonment?…that the way this happens is a) landlord rents to tenant, b) tenant gets water turned on in THEIR NAME, c) tenant does not pay water bill, and d) City of Evansville threatens landlord with termination of service on other properties and gives them one week to pay?…that we predict that this insane policy will drive landlords away from the City of Evansville and will in the long run even drive some residents out?…that it seems as though BIG BROTHER from George Orwell’s 1984 has taken over the City of Evansville?

IS IT TRUE that this practice needs to cease and desist immediately unless the intentions of the City of Evansville is to make the 10,000 already abandoned homes in the City look unattractive to any investor at any time?…that idiotic practices like this are a great way to expand Detroit like conditions of mile after mile of blight with no prospect of ever cleaning it up?…that this practice is brought to us by the same local government that after 3 months of shame cannot even manage to clean a pile of debris at 600 East Franklin Street that has been widely publicized?…that the insanity never seems to stop emanating from the Civic Center?

IS IT TRUE that the pre-hearing that was scheduled for today in Indianapolis regarding the Vectren request to increase the fee to ratepayers for installation of the dense pack technology has been CANCELLED?…that the reason for this CANCELLATION is the fact that the November 28th hearing on the same topic will be in Evansville and having redundant meetings is not necessary?…that this is a big win for the people of Evansville and also for the Vectren Corporation?…that Vectren was the object of affection of a group of about a dozen marchers from the Occupy Evansville group yesterday?…that is a small fraction of the 150 people who marched around the Vectren Building back on October 15th?…that environmental advocate John Blair was quoted then as stating how difficult it is for protest movements of any kind to get any traction in Evansville due to the fact that locals are raised not to disrupt the status quo?…that in other news regarding Vectren, we have word from the young lady who got the unwelcome surprise of a back bill over a defective meter?…that Vectren has admitted that they made an error, is speaking respectfully with her, and that it looks like a fair compromise may be in the near future?…that when this happens you shall know?…that if it does not then you shall know as well?

IS IT TRUE that another endorsement from a place that is certainly not known for endorsement of Republican candidates has now broken for Lloyd Winnecke?…that the local newspaper that reports mostly on African American issues known as OUR TIMES has published an extensive endorsement for the Republican candidate for Mayor of Evansville?…that the endorsement states that “when City Councilwoman Connie Robinson cast her lot with Republican Winnecke we have no choice but to follow her lead”?…that as much as the CCO is against people using endorsements to tell them how to vote we are sort of flabbergasted that a legitimate publication would ever make any endorsement based on the preferences of any elected official?…that the day that the New York Times justifies an endorsement of one politician by the desires of another politician that all credibility will be lost?… the that you may read the endorsement on the following link and see for yourself?

http://www.winneckeformayor.com/files/2011/10/Our-Times-Endorsement.pdf

IS IT TRUE that the Davis for Mayor campaign has informed us that they received notification yesterday that two expenses had been paid for them by the Indiana State Democratic Party?…that $12,315 was paid to Buying Time Media and that $8,929.83 was paid to Putnam Partners both of the Washington DC area for ads and media production?