IS IT TRUEthat yesterday the State of Indiana stepped in and shut down the Kunkel Square apartments for a couple of violations that raise some serious questions about just how something like this could have happened?…that the violations that lead to the closing of the building were first a communication system that did not have vocal directions to talk people out of the building in the case of an emergency and secondly because there was only a single staircase going to the top floor/attic?…that the building only started accepting tenants into the apartments in early March?…that projects like Kunkel Square are certainly subject to building codes but that prior to getting an occupancy permit that should have been issued before people could move in there is a very well defined process that starts with approved plans, then proceeds to a permit, then through a series of inspections all of which must be signed off on before the issue of an occupancy permit?…that what happened yesterday should have had no probability to have ever occurred if all involved did their job?…it will be interesting to see this little downtown drama unfold because with the kind of redundancy in the whole process this should not have been possible?
IS IT TRUE that GAGE president Debbie Dewey responded to Evansville City Councilwoman Stephanie Riley’s 6 pages of vetting that Dewey should have done with a little missive of her own?…that the most astounding part of the response was the one-two punch from Dewey where she sent the message that when it comes to making $4.8 Million loans to a businesses to move to Evansville that the personal history and past business successes or failures of the management team DO NOT MATTER AND ARE NOT EVEN LOOKED AT BY GAGE WHEN VETTING PROJECTS FOR THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE?…given the sheer number of bankruptcies, shell businesses, failed ventures, resume gaps, and even an arrest that were discovered by Councilwoman Riley that were dismissed by Dewey as though they were of no more consequence than throwing spit balls in elementary school?…that this part of Dewey’s response is the most shocking and amazing opinion expressed?…that if Charles Manson submitted an acceptable plan to the oligarchy of Evansville that we must assume that Ms. Dewey and GAGE would recommend Mr. Charles Manson for a $4.8 Million loan?…that after all it seems that CHARACTER MEANS NOTHING TO MS. DEWEY WHEN IT COMES TO OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY?
IS IT TRUE that Ms. Dewey was also trite an dismissive in her assertion that Earthcare Energy has no competitors and stated that comparing a turbo expander to a worm screw device is like comparing a tractor trailer to a bicycle?…that while there is a difference in the size and capture device that drives a generator that both devices have an inlet and outlet for pressure that turn an off the shelf generator to make electricity?…that a better analogy given the energy generation capacity would have been to compare the turbo expander to an SUV and the Langson generator as a compact car?…that these do indeed compete with each other for the same customer base?…that Dewey can’t defend her assertion that these two devices will never compete with one another in the marketplace unless the Langson device abandons all markets where the pressures are high?…that as simple and unprotected as the Langson device is it will be copied at the first sign of success anyway?…that the quickest way to turn a venture investor off is to claim no competition?…that such statements are seen as naïve and weak minded?
IS IT TRUE that Dewey has continued to assert that a patent has been applied for?…that no one has ever disputed that but that Mr. Ken Haney stood before the Evansville City Council and claimed to have the rights to “the patent†to the Langson device?…that in truth there is no patent and that there is no guarantee that there will ever be one?…that this device is as Mr. Haney said “not rocket science†and that there are lots of ways to spin a generator so any patent that ever is issued will not have the ability to keep competitors at bay?
IS IT TRUE that Ms Dewey asserts that a study by Concurrent Technologies that was commissioned by the DOD vetted and recommended the Langson device?…that this statement if it is referring to the Concurrent Technologies report dated September 6, 2011 then this statement is simple not true?…that this study makes no reference to the Langson generator in its recommendations and even acknowledges in its second sentence that a turbo expander does the same thing?…that what this study does say is that there is a significant amount of energy that may be able to be recovered near DOD facilities and that it merits further investigation?…that Earthcare’s “investment summary†explicitly states that a real study to vet the technology was to have been completed before March 31, 2012?…that as of this date that no such study has been made available to the Evansville City Council?…that if there is a study that has confirmed the statements made by Ms. Dewey and Earthcare that we are certain it would have been made available?…that we challenge them both to produce that study and that we are skeptical that it has ever been done?
A sign was posted at the Kunkel Square apartment building at 4th and Main Streets in downtown Evansville today by the Indiana State Fire Marshall advising tnants that they must be out of the builidng by 6 PM Tuesday. The issues that lead to the shutting down of Kunkel Square have to do with the security system and the fact that only one stairway leads into the 12th floor.
It has been reported that the Evansville Fire Department had previously inspected the building and found no issues calling into question the possibility that these two public safety entities could be working with different sets of rules.
There has been no time to re-open the building released.
Sources have advised the City County Observer that Earthcare Energy representatives are in Evansville today for the purpose of going over final details that could lead to the signing of documents and the closing of the deal as early as tomorrow. Other sources have reported to us that several questions regarding issues like the license agreement with Langson Energy, intellectual property (patent) issues, the planned uses of the $4.8 Million loan, a Power Purchase Agreement with Vectren Corporation, and the detailed plans for the Evansville operation have been requested by Evansville officials in advance of the meeting.
This development comes on the heels of a private vetting effort report released by City Councilwoman Stephanie Riley that revealed some material information that was not previously disclosed. Public support for the City of Evansville making this loan as indicated by online polls conducted by both the City County Observer and the Courier Press is hovering around 5% with over 90% expressing the opinion that this deal should not be consummated.
Councilwoman Riley has has also announced that she is having a resolution prepared for the May 14, 2012 meeting of the City Council that would ask the Council to rescind the previous vote for the loan that was held under duress and without the benefit of her findings.
If the deal is rushed through this week there will be no opportunity for the City Council to consider the new material information prior to the closing.
IS IT TRUE that during the discussion at the Evansville City Council back in late March that Earthcare Energy officials emphatically stated and included in writing in their “investment summary†that final testing of the Langson device would be completed by March 31, 2012?…that the company both stated and written that would be doing this testing was Concurrent Technologies Corporation that is a legitimate company that has a field office at the Westgate Park of the Crane Naval Weapons Center?…that these test results have never been made available to the media and have not been posted on the Earthcare Energy website either?…that we wonder if the City of Evansville had the good sense to make the release of any dollars to Earthcare contingent on them showing proof that the Langson device was tested by a legitimate 3rd party business that is actually in the business of testing for a living?…that we suspect that the haste with which this deal was done didn’t allow for that important paragraph to have been written but IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN?…that once again rushing a $4.8 Million deal has painted the City of Evansville into a corner?
IS IT TRUE that on page 9 of the loan agreement under section (g) there is some language that may give the City of Evansville an out on the basis of newly introduced material information that could impact the borrower’s ability to repay the loan?…that then again it may not since the borrower had no assets at the time that the loan agreement was written?…that the loan agreement also has absolutely no reference to any Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Vectren that has been widely advertised to be providing collateral for the loan?…that a word search of the loan agreement does not reveal the name of Vectren mentioned anywhere at all?…that it seems that as far as the paperwork is concerned that all Vectren is doing is signing an agreement that will allow them to triple their money on any power produced by Earthcare Energy and keep some of their coal in the ground in the process?…that it seems as though Vectren is in a no lose situation with the PPA?
IS IT TRUE that if this loan gets jammed through with over 90% of the poll respondents in both the CCO and the Courier calling for a halt to this that it will mean that the Winnecke Administration has no regard whatsoever for the will of the people who elected him?…that at this point over 300 comments have been posted on the combined articles of the CP and the CCO without a single post that is supportive of this loan?…that even David Nixon got 15% of the vote in his landslide loss to Jonathan Weinzapfel in the 2007 City of Evansville elections?…that ignoring the will of over 90% of ones constituents will be fatal to the political careers of Mayor Winnecke and the 5 City Council members who supported this loan, especially the 3 at-large members all of whom voted yes?
“The 2003 merger of Louisville and Jefferson County governments has failed to bring more jobs and economic development to the city, according to a University of Louisville report published this month. The city-county merger also has failed to bring a more efficient government to residents, according to the report, by urban and public-affairs professor Hank Savitch.”
“The report claims economic development “has not accelerated but moved downward†and that the decline cannot be blamed on the economy. “The decline is not just a product of the national recession that began in 2008, but had beset post-merged Louisville while the nation was in the midst of economic growth,†the report says.”
“Savitch’s report says promises of a more efficient government also fell short. He writes that the cost of running metro Louisville is not substantially different from the combined costs of running separate city and county governments.”
“”Whatever might be said about Metro Louisville’s performance, it would be difficult to claim that merger saved the new government any money,†the report says.”
Is Evansville becoming "never never land" IS IT TRUE May 7, 2012
IS IT TRUE that a hacker intent on corrupting the ipetition that Councilwoman Stephanie Riley put up to legitimately seek signatures of people who want to support her efforts to rescind the loan approval to Earthcare Energy?…that a signer that calls himself Kris Kringle made a smart aleck comment regarding the legitimacy of online petitions?…that Kringle’s post came right after signatures for Russ Lloyd Jr., the owner of the City County Observer, and some person named Joseph Wallace were recorded?…that neither of those three signatures plus the fictional Kris Kringle’s were not legitimate?…that online petitions like real paper petitions can be corrupted but only by corrupt people?…that whomever put those three names and Mr. Kris Kringle are indeed corrupt for what they have done?…that the very small number of people in favor of going forward and writing a check to Earthcare Energy must be getting desperate if they have to resort to corrupting an online petition to make their point?…Mr. Kringle that there are people who do believe in Santa and that they are children?…that to believe in Earthcare Energy based on the vetting that was done prior to the coerced vote makes about as much sense as believing in Santa and the Easter Bunny?…that since it seems as though some of the material information presented to the Evansville City Council is allegedly false that those who go to the trouble to intentionally corrupt an ipetition will find some kindred spirits among the residents of Evansville at some point in the future if Councilwoman Riley fails in her courageous effort to inject a bit of sanity into the asylum known as the Government of Evansville?
IS IT TRUE that there are several old sayings to describe very well the shenanigans that have been going on in Evansville in the last couple of years?…that one is “the monkeys are running the zooâ€?…that another is that “the patients are running the asylumâ€?…that another that may come to bear some truth if some of the allegations turn out to be true is “the inmates are running the jailâ€?
IS IT TRUE that we are shocked and amazed today to see that the Courier Press actually published an article about Councilwoman Riley’s 6 page article that the CCO published in its entirety on Friday?…that there are rumors being floated that the CCO was the only news outlet to have gotten the 6 pages?…that we KNOW THOSE RUMORS TO BE FALSE BECAUSE THE CCO SENT HER 6 PAGES OF FINDINGS TO THE TV STATIONS AND THE COURIER OURSELVES?…that even having the documents the Courier chose to discuss what was in them in a single paragraph and neglected to include a link to her article?…that the CP posted their article less than an hour after the CCO’s Sunday IS IT TRUE was posted calling on the CP and other media sources to “DO THEIR JOB AND REPORT NEWS THAT IS MATERIAL TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTâ€?
IS IT TRUE that the poll results on the Courier are currently running almost identical to the polls that the CCO has been running?…that as of this hour the CP poll indicates that 88% of the respondents think the Earthcare Energy loan is a mistake?…that another 6% think that the City Council bargained in good faith and that we should have to honor the vote they made?…that only 5% are fully supportive and say the architects of this deal are worthy of praise?…that 25 years after the death of Elvis Presley a poll was taken and 8% of the people polled thought that Elvis was alive?…that 81% thought that anyone who thought that Elvis was alive are crazy?…that we find it quite interesting that a higher percentage of people believe that Elvis lives than Evansvillians believe that the loan to Earthcare is a good and worthy investment?…that adult belief in Santa, the Easter Bunny, leprechauns, and the bogey man will have similar statistics to those who believe this is a good deal?
“Take for example, leprechauns. Many people have sincerely believed in them in the past, but no matter how much I may want to find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, I can’t make myself believe that leprechauns actually exist.” Jeff Lewis
3rd Ward City Councilwoman Stephanie Brinkerhoff-RileyEARTHCARE ENERGY, LLC
Introduction
The purpose of the this document is to outline and discuss my concerns with the Four Million Eight Hundred Thousand Dollar ($4,800,000) loan to Earthcare Energy, LLC (hereinafter referred to as “ECEâ€) that was recently approved by the Evansville City Council (hereinafter referred to as “Council†and “Councilpersonsâ€). Since the Council meeting wherein Stephen P. Geldmacher (hereinafter referred to as “Geldmacherâ€) presented ECE’s proposal and the Council meeting wherein the loan was approved five (5) to four (4), a significant amount of information has become available regarding the ECE proposal. The information now available demonstrates that the loan to ECE carries significantly more risk than what was originally contemplated. This additional information should be made available to the public, as they should be part of the conversation as to whether this loan is appropriate. The increased risk related to this loan is more than the public should bear, and the loan to ECE should be rescinded.
My information now available regarding the loan to ECE can be divided into four (4) categories:
1. The track record or lack thereof for the Principals of ECE;
2. The track record for Elite Energy Systems, LLC;
3. The issues related with the product, the Total Flow Generator; and
4. The inability to see the Licensing Agreement between Richard Langson and ECE.
A review of the following information reveals that the Principals of ECE have no proven track record for successfully developing and executing a business plan or launching a new product on the commercial market. If any record exists, it is a record of failure. The track record for the Principals at Elite Energy Systems, LLC (hereinafter referred to as “EESâ€) is one of lawsuits for faulty products and contract violations, false claims to potential investors and bankruptcy. Regarding the Total Flow Generator (hereinafter referred to as “TFGâ€), the Principals for ECE claimed that the TFG was patented technology with zero competition. The information provided herein demonstrates that this is far from true. Finally, all of these issues make it unacceptable that the licensing agreement, the very basis for the loan to ECE, has never been seen. All of this information shows that this loan to ECE comes with substantial risk that should not be tolerated.
Information
1. The track record or lack thereof for the Principals of ECE
a. Kenneth D. Haney
Unless there is a different Kenneth D. Haney (hereinafter referred to as “Haneyâ€) that worked for United Airlines and has ties to Evansville, Haney filed a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in the Northern District of Illinois in October of 1999 and was discharged in April of 2000 (99-33301). Additionally, in the last eight (8) years, Haney has been associated with a large number of businesses: Earthcare Energy, LLC; Earth Care Energy; Greenearth Solar LLC; The Kd Haney Group; OfficeSupplies2000.com; Rightway Computers, LLC; Guaranty Lending; Khanh Nguyen Ageny; Santa Cruz Distributors; Petroleum & Environmental Services International, LLC; Power Tube Systems, LLC; Dollar Save LLC; and The Kenbro Corp. None of the businesses appear to have survived beyond his involvement. None of the businesses appear to have store-fronts, phone numbers, employees, reference in newspapers, past advertisements, websites, or to otherwise exist. If an address is listed for the business, it is a residence or a post office box. There are numerous exhibits that outline how Haney claims to be CEO and President of a variety of businesses at essentially the same time and claiming a variety of accomplishments that don’t appear to be verifiable. Haney also appears to own a home in Spring, Texas, where he has yet to pay his property taxes for 2011. His current late penalty is over Two Thousand Seven Hundred ($2,700) and his total property tax liability is over Twelve Thousand Eight Hundred ($12,800).
In addition to it appearing that Haney’s finances are not in order, Haney sent an email to Council with material misrepresentations. He claimed that there were patents related to the TFG and that there was “no competition period.†Both claims are untrue. There are no patents related to the TFG, and therefore the technology is not protected from copying or reverse engineering, and there is significant competition in this market. The TFG is competing with a much more established product, the gas let-down turbine generator (hereinafter referred to as the “Turbo Expanderâ€). This product is being marketed throughout the world by companies such as GE and Ingersoll Rand. The Turbo Expander performs the same function as the TFG and appears to work at higher pressures than the TFG, which has never been tested in real world conditions or pressures. By working at higher pressures, the Turbo Expander is able to generate more electricity than a TFG. Richard Langson (hereinafter referred to as “Langsonâ€) co-authored an article acknowledging that the TFG worked best at lower pressures. The Turbo Expander works at pressures up to One Thousand Eight hundred (1,800) psi, or triple the pressure claimed by other Langson distributors as maximum working pressures.
b. Stephen P. Geldmacher
Stephen P. Geldmacher (hereinafter referred to as “Geldmacherâ€) has the most serious track record of failure with a start-up company. In November of 2006, Geldmacher became President and CEO of Comvergics Systems. The Company literature claimed that it had developed a communication hub the size of two (2) reams of paper that ran off of a wireless carrier and would create internet, telephone and fax capabilities at a remote or mobile location. Claiming a working prototype, a cellular carrier interested in supporting the product, and multiple customers lining up to purchase these devices, the company collected Six Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($6,500,000) from investors between 2006 and 2008. The company touted plans to launch their product to a select number of customers at the beginning of 2008 and then broadly launch commercially in the second quarter of 2009. Comvergics Systems never manufactured any communication hubs and had stopped even updating its website by 2009. In 2009, the founder of Job Sight Solutions, Inc. doing business as Comvergics Systems formed a new company, Comvergics Wireless, LLC. Comvergics Wireless, LLC applied for a new commercial business license in Rancho Cordova, California for telecommunications sales and services in the second quarter of 2011.
In addition to a recently failed business venture, Geldmacher, like Haney, has materially misrepresented his work history and accomplishments. His LinkedIn account outlines he was at Motorolla for no more than two (2) years and at SBC for no more than one (1) year (as well as has an eleven (11) year gap in his resume), yet he claims a variety of accomplishments for both companies that don’t seem possible in the time allotted or given the actually histories of the companies. For example, Geldmacher claims a variety of accomplishments for SBC, including the successful turnaround of two (2) regions, yet was there a year or less. His claims regarding his tenure with Sprint-Nextel are also untrue. He claims to have been on the original executive team for Sprint PCS (personal communications service), however, he did not start working for Sprint until 1996, at least two years after the Sprint PCS idea was born. He also never led the startup from zero to Ten Billion Dollars ($10,000,000,000) in sales. Sprint was not approved to sell cellular service until 1996, and then Sprint responded by acquiring millions of customers by purchasing licenses. They almost instantly had the potential for Two Hundred Sixty Million (260,000,000) customers. Geldmacher was an area manager at the time the licenses were purchased. He essentially had very little to do with the organization or growth of Sprint.
During the eleven (11) year gap in his resume, Geldmacher acquired a California franchise tax lien in Alameda County, California in 1991 that wasn’t released until 1996. The trend of acquiring state and federal tax liens continues today. Geldmacher has at least three existing federal and state tax liens: one in El Dorado County, California filed in 2006 (amount unknown), and two in Will County, Illinois filed in 2006 for over Nine Thousand Dollars ($9,000) and nearly Two Million Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,200,000). Geldmacher’s response to the tax liens was to convey his home to a trust. His response when asked about the liens was that they were somehow related to his divorce settlement, and it was confidential.
c. Fred J. Young, Jr., Andrew L. Salter and Erwin Washington
Fred J. Young, Jr. (hereinafter referred to as “Youngâ€) and Andrew L. Salter (hereinafter referred to as “Salterâ€) have LinkedIn resumes that are attached. The best argument against the claimed accomplishments in the biographies provided by Debbie Dewey for both men are their own LinkedIn accounts. Young worked from July of 1992 to April of 2008 for Seasons 4, where he sold commercial HVAC units to grocery stores. After leaving Seasons 4 and going to American Capital Energy, Young appears to have remained in sales. Young does not appear to have any experience in the last twenty years with manufacturing. Salter also appears to have had a career in sales. In the resume provide by Debbie Dewey and on ECE’s website, Salter allegedly founded AA Global Systems, however that company does not appear to exist. What does exist is AA Global Solutions, Inc., which sells office supplies and furniture. Salter has sold office supplies for the bulk of his career. He has a degree in History and is a secondary teacher. I am skeptical of his ability to develop business for the TFG without a technical background. As to Erwin Washington (hereinafter referred to as “Washingtonâ€), he was convicted in 2010 for attempting to fly a commercial airplane while intoxicated. He received a 10 month suspended sentence. It does not appear that he is still working for United Airlines. Even without his criminal history, Washington does not appear to have the background to be President of ECE.
2. The track record for Elite Energy Systems, LLC.
Although Evansville is allegedly going to be the Original Equipment Manufacturer for the TFG, for some reason we have to buy the first several machines from another manufacturing company. This manufacturing company, Elite, has a track record of law suits and bankruptcy. Elite was formed in November of 2008 in Delaware and in January of 2009 in Nevada after its predecessor, Chapeau Inc. (hereinafter referred to as “Chapeauâ€) doing business as BluePoint Energy, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as “BluePointâ€) filed bankruptcy in October of 2008. BluePoint filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy with Twenty-Two Million Dollars ($22,000.000) in debts. The Bankruptcy Court converted it to a Chapter 7 in December of 2008. BluePoint filed bankruptcy just ten (10) months after receiving an investment of Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000) from TEFCO, LLC (hereinafter referred to as “TEFCOâ€). TEFCO was formed in Virginia on December 12, 2007, by Gordon V. Smith, for the sole purpose of investing in BluePoint Energy. It was also formed in California in February of 2008 and cancelled in Virginia. The investment was announced December 19th of that same year. Gordon V. Smith had been on the Board of Directors of Chapeau since August of 2006. When the announcement was made, it sounded oddly familiar. Essentially, BluePoint had a great product, customers lining up, and the infusion of cash was going to push the company to the next level of “sustainable profitability.†However, ten (10) months later the company was gone. BluePoint’s assets were sold for One Million Six Hundred Thousand Dollars ($1,600,000) to TEFCO, who is the managing member of Elite. Steven P. Brandon (hereinafter referred to as “Brandonâ€), the Vice President of Operations for Elite and Michael A. de’Marsi (hereinafter referred to as de’Marsiâ€), the Director of Software Systems Engineering joined BluePoint Energy in February of 2006. Brandon became an Officer of Chapeau in September of 2008.
Prior to coming to BluePoint Energy, Brandon and de’Marsi worked for Hess Microgen LLC (hereinafter referred to as “Microgenâ€) in management positions. Projects from the time period that Brandon and de’Marsi were at Microgen led to lawsuits that started in 2005 and ran through 2008. Plaintiffs included Xnergy and the City of San Diego. The claims ranged from breach of contract, breach of implied warranty of fitness for a particular purpose, breach of implied warranty of merchantability, breach of express warranty, to tortious interference with a contract, fraudulent inducement and unconscionability. Most of the cases settled, but the case with Xnergy resulted in an Eight Million Two Hundred Thousand Dollar ($8,200,000) jury verdict against Microgen. Six Million Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($6,300,000) was for punitive damages. Brandon was fired from Microgen in January of 2005. Of the seven (7) officers at Elite, four (4) were originally at Microgen.
Given Elite’s history, I think concern is warranted as to whether we will actually receive a working product if ordered from this manufacturer.
3. The issues related with the product, the Total Flow Generator.
During the course of various presentations to the Council by ECE, we were told and led to believe that ECE had no competition and they alone were in the business of using the pressure in gas pipelines to produce electricity. This statement is simply untrue.
Several multinational companies such as GE, Ingersoll Rand and Atlas-Copco have been utilizing an alternative technology –the Turbo Expander for years. There are thousands of these devices are in operation throughout the world and are producing electricity on a daily basis. There are no TFGs of the type marketed by ECE in place anywhere in the world. In fact, none have been sold even though they have been on the market since 2009.
Numerous other companies in addition to ECE have been licensed by Langson Energy to sell his device. Helix Power, Rattler Energy and Trans Pacific EnviroEnergy are but a few. A September press release from Langson Energy also stated that Trans-Pacific was granted the exclusive license to manufacture and sell the device in Canada. A more recent press release touts the establishment of a partnership with an Argentinian firm to market the device in South America.
We are asked to trust the word of total strangers who are asking to borrow millions of dollars, the same strangers who told us that they have no competition. The only thing that we do know is that this statement is false.
As stated previously, the technology of the TFG can be copied and has competition. Additionally ECE has made claims before the Council that a true third party test of Langson’s device would be completed by Concurrent Technologies Corporation before March 31, 2012. It is now May 3rd and not test results have been made available to the Council at all. ECE has posted an article on their website touting a test run by Elite with no raw data to support any claims at all.
4. The inability to see the Licensing Agreement between Richard Langson and ECE.
No member of the Council, GAGE or the Mayor’s staff has seen the agreement between ECE and Langson. We do not know its terms. We do not know if other agreements, identical in terms, exist between Langson and others. We do not know how many other companies are trying to sell this identical technology.
The inability to see any contracts that ECE has claimed to exist, including the License Agreement between Langson and ECE, any contract or memorandum of understanding (MOU) from the Department of Defense (which ECE claims is pushing for installations in the summer of 2012), or any reference to the Billions of dollars of business from the State of New York that Haney claimed was in hand during a presentation before the Council, is unacceptable.
Conclusion
In closing the City of Evansville is on the verge of issuing bonds to fund a loan that has been approved by the Council under duress due to the threat of going elsewhere by Haney. Furthermore, the product for which the Council has approved by a five (5) – four (4) majority has never been tested in real world conditions, has never been sold or installed anywhere according to the capacity advertised, is not protected by any patent, and contracts represented to the Council have not been made available for examination. Additionally the track record of the founders has been embellished beyond the point of be able to be verifiable.
The Council typically relies on outside vetting to enter into such agreements. In this case the vetting was not sufficient and the vote was not only rushed but was held under duress. In any other real world situation including commercial banking this set of conditions would be cause for re-examination of the previously passed agreement due to finding new material information. It is time to take a breath and come to grips with what we are about to do. I as the Council representative from the 3rd Ward and as a passionate advocate for prosperity in the 3rd Ward and the City of Evansville call for a time out before moving ahead with a project that is at best premature and at worst a misinformed decision.
Source:Stephanie Brinkerhoff Riley
This report is published by the City County Observer without edit, opinion, or bias
Evansville, Ind. – The Mass Chaos Tour, featuring hard rock powerhouses Staind & Godsmack, along with special guest Halestorm, took the Ford Center by storm in front of thousands of screaming heavy metal fans on Sunday night. After an impressive performance by Brookroyal, Halestorm erupted on stage with a high energy performance setting the tone for the rest of the evening. Staind, the first of the two headliners, stunned the audience with their extravagant light show and hard guitar riffs. Lead singer Aaron Lewis urged the crowd to join him on the chorus of some of the band’s most popular hits. Closing out the show was co-headliner Godsmack, who immediately transfixed fans with their thunderous beats and molten rhythms. “The popularity of this show proves that Evansville will support rock acts of this caliber. We anticipate a similar response when the Trespass America Festival arrives at the Ford Center on July 31,†stated Executive Director Scott Schoenike.
Ford Center continues to bring a diverse lineup of strong upcoming performances such as Hank Williams Jr. May 11, WWE SmackDown June 26, James Taylor July 11 and the Trespass America Festival featuring Five Finger Death Punchn July 31.
Ford Center is managed by VenuWorks of Evansville, LLC.
The Board of School Trustees of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation will meet in executive session at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, May 7, 2012, in the John H. Schroeder Conference Center in the Superintendent’s office in the Technology and Innovation Center, 951 Walnut, Evansville, IN 47713. The session will be conducted according to Senate Enrolled Act 313, Section 1, I.C. 5-14-1.5-6.1, as amended. The purpose of the meeting is for discussion of collective bargaining, (2)(A); initiation of litigation or litigation that is either pending or has been threatened specifically in writing, (2)(B); purchase or lease of property, (2)(D); and job performance evaluation of individual employees, (9).
