IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer asked 10 of our friends to head over to the site of the old Roberts Stadium that the Office of the Mayor is wanting to turn into a Roberts Park so bad that borrowed money is burning a hole in their pocket to check something out?…the first thing we wanted our friends to check out is the loudness of the Lloyd Expressway when it comes to carrying on a conversation?…that a full 10 out of 10 reported back that in order to have a regular conversation during the afternoon that one has to get nearly into the existing Wesselman Park?…it seems as though this site may be too loud for a family to enjoy a picnic or a walk in a relaxed manner where a conversation can be had?…the other question had to do with the claims that there is a soggy nature to the soil where Roberts Stadium was?…all 10 reported sogginess in the area to varying degrees which makes us wonder if that part of the lot is suitable for anything at all even if one can stand the noise?

IS IT TRUE we wonder just what noise level is acceptable for a neighborhood park?…local developer Frank Peterlin ran into the noise police when he proposed putting some small residential windmills on his downtown property?…at the time some tests were run to determine the noise levels of Peterlin’s location and it was determined that the Lloyd Expressway made more noise than the windmills?…nevertheless Mr. Peterlin was turned down on his request to put those windmills up?…What we propose is that in the case of Roberts Park, it should have nothing proposed or placed in any area that is noisier than one of the windmills that Frank Peterlin proposed to install at his John Street building?…we suspect that will rule out putting anything on the lot period?

IS IT TRUE that Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke may be the architect of the most sensational piece of political spin and audacity in the history of Evansville politics with his latest fundraising solicitation letter?…the job creation claim by the Mayor has grown from 41 in the Hunden Study that he paid over $200,000 for, to 250 in his campaign to pay HCW a $37.5 Million subsidy, and has now grown to 1,000 (yes folks that is ONE THOUSAND JOBS) the Mayor is claiming the project will create now that he is feathering his own political nest for his so called “VICTORY”?…it takes an incredible level of audacity to make such claims that are not supported by any real analysis on planet earth and then to claim victory for the 9 – 0 vote on the City Council that would have never happened without a modification of the subsidy from $37.5 Million down to $20 Million?…the truth of the matter is that Mayor Winnecke was dragged kicking and screaming into a situation where his recommendation was soundly rejected by the City Council, the CCO, and others before being rescued by a private investment group that came to the table with an equity investment of $11.5 Million?…the VICTORY DANCE was unmerited and the donations if any come forth are not earned?

IS IT TRUE it has been nearly two years since Mayor Winnecke was elected on a platform that included the formation of an angel investment network, a venture capital presence, and a renewed utilization of the technology transfer agreement between GAGE and NAVSEA?…there has still not been any of these campaign promises fulfilled period?…if our Mayor has the ability to convince private investors to pony up $11.5 Million for a minority stake in a hotel that will have a value of $20 Million upon completion we wonder why he has not convinced any private investors to establish a visible and functioning firm with a similar capitalization to invest in the ideas of young educated professionals with ideas and ambition?…the priorities are once again misplaced in River City?

IS IT TRUE the CCO says LONG LIVE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION!!

IS IT TRUE October 16, 2013 Part 2

IS IT TRUE that a elected Democratic  party precinct official from the 2nd Ward has been rattling the saber of no financial support toward three other Democrats who attended the City County Observer Mole Awards Monday?…this person has threatened to withhold any future financial support from Knight Township Trustee Kathryn Martin, State Representative Gail Riecken, and Pigeon Township Trustee and Mole Award winner Mary Hart because they showed their face at the CCO Mole Awards Luncheon?…no threats were made toward Mole Award Winners City Council President Connie Robinson and Councilman John Friend who are also Democrats?…City Councilwoman Stephanie Brinkerhoff Riley, County Commissioner Steve Melcher, and Rick Riney also are Democrats in attendance along with the recently elected Chairman Rob Faulkner that were not targeted for withholding of contributions?…this finger pointing Democrat who currently serves in an appointed position at the pleasure of Republican Mayor Lloyd Winnecke may want to review the balance of power with respect to the group targeted for non-support?…it is each person’s right to support or not support candidates for office and the CCO supports this right?…we also support the rights of those targeted to do whatever they choose within the bounds of the law to let their positions be known?

IS IT TRUE we have also learned that the windmill blade business that we asked the questions about in today’s earlier IS IT TRUE is no longer in business in Evansville?…we are sure it felt good and made a great story for former Mayor Weinzapfel and his surrogates to smile for the camera when those 400 jobs were announced back in 2011?…the back side of that story is that they came, they worked for a while, they did employ a few people, and they left?…it is really looking like POOR PUBLIC POLICY for elected officials to make premature and overhyped announcements regarding job creation?…if all of the job announcements that have been made by politicians in Evansville would have turned out as announced the unemployment rate here would be negative?…the real question is what happens to the money that is handed out for these jobs that never materialize and is there any consequence to politicians who dramatically exaggerate job creation claims to the point of insanity?

IS IT TRUE that on or about March 1, 2014, the $200,000 loan made by the City of Evansville under order of Mayor Winnecke to Earthcare Energy LLC will come due?…this money of course was advanced to Earthcare Energy from a seldom used pot of money without giving the Evansville City Council the courtesy of notice before they were asked to approve a $4 Million loan to Earthcare Energy LLC?…as we know this whole thing was eventually kyboshed by Mayor Winnecke for Earthcare’s alleged failure to perform according to their contract with the City?…in spite of that allegation Earthcare has continued to service the loan with the minimum interest only payments of about $380 per month and asserts that they were indeed performing according to contract?…this saga will be coming back around in 18 short weeks to haunt the City of Evansville?…this is yet another SWORD of DAMACLES that is hanging over the taxpayers of Evansville from another READY, FIRE, AIM decision originating from the 3rd Floor Office in the Civic Center?

IS IT TRUE the State of Indiana is once again on the leading edge of a lawsuit against the Obama Administration for the employer mandate section of ObamaCare?…Indiana asserts that as an entity exempt from federal taxation as all states are that the Supreme Court’s decision to allow ObamaCare to move forward on the basis that it is a TAX should not apply to states and state employees?…that would include all state and public school employees?…the State makes a strong assertion that intergovernmental tax immunity that is the backbone of duel sovereignty guaranteed by the United States Constitution?…this will be interesting to watch play out and serves to reinforce that then Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi was completely out to lunch with her “we gotta pass it to see what’s in it” approach to governance?

IS IT TRUE the ObamaCare website still does not work well enough to call itself a viable insurance portal?…some technical experts are saying that it never will unless they start over from scratch?…we are lucky these varmints did not run the Manhattan Project or the D-Day Invasion because if they did we would either be speaking Japanese or German as opposed to American English?

IS IT TRUE October 16, 2013

IS IT TRUE it is now been made public that Evansville Fireman George Madison Jr. who was pulled over by the EPD for running a stop sign on a bicycle has taken the first official step to sue the City of Evansville over the incident that took on a life of its own complete with foul language, broken cameras, and an overheated City Council meeting?…the right to sue for damages is one that Mr. Madison has chosen to pursue to see relief for his perception of this unfortunate incident?…perhaps if the body cameras had worked and a law that often goes unenforced would not have been the reason for the pull-over this pending lawsuit would not be facing the financially strapped City of Evansville?…we are sure this is nothing that a few parks and a skateboard ramp won’t remedy?…we emphasize once again that failure to train and maintain has put the City of Evansville in an awkward position again?…pissing away money on trivialities like parks and games when the fundamentals are not secure is irresponsible and quite frankly makes all of Evansville look SILLY?

IS IT TRUE we also learned that the empty lot where Roberts Stadium was will not be submitted as a site for the IU Medical School?…this knowledge became public when Mayoral Chief of Staff Steve Schaefer made it know that this location will not be submitted as a potential location while advocating for $1.5 Million for Roberts Park?…the CCO reiterates that the right location for the IU Medical School can be identified by proper use (as opposed to gaming the inputs) of a GIS system?…ruling out any location at this stage of the game for political purposes is destructive to the cognitive process that needs to occur to make this medical school optimal for the students who will attend this school?…giving preferential treatment to the downtown or any other location by exclusion at this point may just put Warrick County in the driver’s seat to land this important opportunity?

IS IT TRUE if Warrick County wins the IU Medical School over the City of Evansville that the applications of Evansville and any excluded sites will be under the microscope?…we are also certain that there will be a healthy series of “blame-storming” sessions afterward to replace the “brainstorming” sessions that should be happening right now?…the first thing that should come from a real brainstorming session today would be to stop obsessing over fun and games projects and concentrate on things that are transformational?

IS IT TRUE we were asked today about the number of people currently working at the windmill blade factory touted by former Mayor Weinzapfel as bringing up to 400 jobs to Evansville in 2011?…to the best of our knowledge the count is still below 10 but could still be evolving?…we also have been asked about the number of jobs in Evansville that SS&C that was touted by elected officials as bringing 500+ jobs to town a couple of years ago?…we are certain with an address of 318 Main Street that there is only a small fraction of 500 jobs in place here?…in all fairness the SS&C website does have 14 very good jobs listed on their website at the Evansville location?…we encourage people interested in these jobs to check them out and make application if they have the skills for consideration?