IS IT TRUE the deadline to submit a plan to the EPA to correct the problems associated with Combined Sewer Overflows has now lapsed after two years without being completed?…two City of Evansville Administrations namely the Weinzapfel Administration and the Winnecke Administration twiddled their thumbs for two full years and did not respond with even a plan for review?…Mayor Winnecke may well have been hosed by Mayor Weinzapfel if he took office 13 months into the planning period with not a darn thing even started?…the first action taken was to float a trial balloon to half-do the job and put the other half off for 20 years?…it is widely believed that brilliant can kicking idea has or will soon be rejected by the EPA?…the latest act of desperation is to ask for another six months to finalize a plan for submittal?…in this case finalize is just a local government code word that really means to stop twiddling their thumbs and actually start putting thoughts on paper?…this whole two year episode without so much as a plan that could be rejected is just one more exclamation point on the ineptness, incompetence, and utter laziness of the government of the City of Evansville?

IS IT TRUE that today’s New York Times has an article in which the subsidies and incentives offered by state and local governments to businesses are analyzed?…the concentration of this particular article is Texas but the incentives offered and the consequence of doing so apply to any place including Evansville, Indiana that plays the “nick-nack-paddy-whack-toss-a-boss-a-bone” game in which taxes are forgiven or checks are written in return for the promise to create jobs?…Texas hands out incentives of roughly $19 Billion per year and has earned the distinction of being the biggest job creator in the 50 states?…the article really is about examining whether the gain is worth the pain when it comes to buying jobs with taxpayer dollars?…two of the other things that Texas is among the top in is low wage earners and people in poverty?…on the other side of that coin Facebook, Apple, and eBay have all expanded in Texas as opposed to their headquarters state of California that basically offers no incentives relying on a high tech workforce and great weather to keep companies within the borders?…this is an interesting read especially in a town like Evansville that has handed out incentives to call centers and other low wage operations that would probably have been here anyway?…here is a link to the full article on the granting of incentives?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/us/winners-and-losers-in-texas.html?hp

IS IT TRUE the State of Indiana is starting to think a little bit about the legalization of marijuana and what such a thing means to the legal system and lifestyle of the state?…this got rolling last week when State police Superintendent Paul Whitesell said marijuana was “going to stay” and that if he could he would legalize and tax it?…local officials like Vanderburgh County Sheriff Eric Williams have dismissed this possibility and has even been quoted as thinking legalization of cannabis is about “Giving Up”?…there are several states that have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes and even a few that have given the green light to recreational use?…the states like California that went with prescription based medicinal use have not seen any increase in drug problems or crime as a result of the actions taken more than 10 years ago?…the “dispensaries” are not hang outs for dead beats as plasma centers are all across the country?…the impact on day to day life for a person who chooses not to partake is essentially zero?…the one mistake that California made is to forego taxing that which is called medicine?…if marijuana is to be legalized then at least one would think the local taxing authorities should collect something on each transaction?…the two most recent states (Colorado and Washington) allow casual use and have set themselves up very well for “weed tourism”?…for those who laugh at the prospect of “weed weekends” or “vacations with Mary Jane”, the economic impacts have staggering potential?…local authorities are touting ball fields, dog parks, and skateboards as a economic development tool of value?…that one wonders just how much money the “head shop on the Ohio” with a temporary license much like is done for fishing could bring to town?…sometimes losing battles are not worth fighting forever?…the money and manpower spent on the fight against marijuana could then go toward fighting real threats like meth, crack, and heroin all of which are already flourishing in greater Evansville?

IS IT TRUE this Friday, November 30th at 1 PM, Fire Chief Mike Connelly will present EFD’s Combat Challenge Team with Certificates of Recognition for an outstanding season that included placing at a World Championships competition?…there will also be a photo session and time for interviews with the media?…the presentation will be at the EFD Administration Building, 550 SE 8th Street, Evansville?

IS IT TRUE that last night the University of Louisville Cardinals football team beat the Rutgers Scarlet Knights to qualify for their second BCS Bowl Game in the last 7 years?…in the mid 50’s when the economic significance of Louisville and Evansville were similar the University of Evansville Purple Aces football team took the UL Cardinals to school and beat them by a comfortable margin?…in the 1980’s both schools started thinking of downgrading or eliminating football?…that whole decision process lead to the elimination of football at UE while UL doubled down and hired Howard Schnellenburger who had just won a national championship at Miami to take over the team?…since then the Cardinals have had 5 ten win seasons, built a new 56,000 seat stadium that is mostly sold out, appeared in many bowls including big wins in the Fiesta Bowl over Alabama and the Orange Bowl over Wake Forest?…this year’s payout to the Cardinals for making the BCS is roughly $15 Million?…the revenue from home football games is now in the area of $20 Million per year?

IS IT TRUE the season has taken another exemplary person from the City of Evansville?…today we are sad to report that Jim Price the long time Republican steady leader from the 1st Ward who has served as an Evansville City Councilman for 21 years and as the Knight Township Trustee for 12 years has passed away?…we at the CCO cannot recall even one bad thing ever being said about Mr. Price?…recently Mr. Price lost his race as the incumbent Knight Township Trustee to Linda Durham in the 2006 election that was one of those years when straight ticket partisanship for Democrats saw many good people who happened to be Republicans lose their elections?…Durham who was later jailed for stealing and Mr. Price came to the rescue?…if there is one lesson that Evansville should learn from the great life of service that Jim Price lived, that lesson is to vote for the person and not the party in every election?

IS IT TRUE that President Barack Obama has made his initial offer to the Republicans in Congress to avoid the “MADE IN WASHINGTON” FISCAL CLIFF?…this first offer raises taxes more than it was expected to and cuts spending less than it was expected to?…the offer’s macroscopic numbers are a $1.6 Trillion tax increase, a $50 Billion mini-stimulus, and nearly no spending cuts or entitlement reforms?…the President’s offer also includes the COMPLETE ELIMINATION OF THE DEBT CEILING FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT?…this offer as would be expected was immediately rejected?…this offer if accepted would only serve to make things worse economically for the United States?…it will be interesting to see if there is a serious response to what was clearly not a serious offer?…all of that posturing aside it is encouraging to see the President having lunch with his former opponent Mitt Romney?…we hope this lunch was to learn more about limiting deductions as opposed to raising tax rates and blunting the assault on dividends and capital gains that will kick in if the “MADE IN WASHINGTON” FISCAL CLIFF is acquiesced into law?…it is better to go over the cliff which is really a ramp as opposed to a cliff than to make things worse with legislation that does further damage?

IS IT TRUE that one day the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Department will begin sending the CCO accurate news about how they are making a difference in protecting the citizens from bad behaving people of this community?…maybe they should follow the lead to see how the Evansville Police Department is keeping the citizens of Evansville what they are doing to fight crime in Evansville?