IS IT TRUE that a strange thing has happened with the traffic patterns of the CCO during the last month or so?…that back during the election of 2011 our traffic was quite high and our Alexa rankings correspondingly moved up?…that a slow steady increase has been happening since early March until when Sunday’s ranking came out the CCO has its highest Alexa ranking ever with no real political contests driving the traffic?…that it seems as though a number of the people of Evansville are coming to the CCO for local government news coverage?…that is probably because the CCO does not dance to the tune of some oligarch who oppresses the news that they do not wish to see published?

IS IT TRUE that Henderson, KY made the travel sections of several national newspapers on Sunday because an old time riverboat docked on their riverfront?…that there were interviews with patrons of the showboat who disembarked in Henderson to spend money with local merchants and eat at local restaurants?…that one would think that Evansville would have had the foresight to have provided a docking place within walking distance of the downtown so river tourists could have the opportunity to spend some good money on this side of the money saving bridge?

IS IT TRUE that Mole #16 tells us that GAGE president Debbie Dewey is floating trial balloons in certain circles about the City of Evansville making a $500,000 loan to an unnamed maker of light aircraft?…that this sounds better than the Earthcare Energy deal in that it is less money and hopefully the company has actually made a plane that flies and is approved for sale?…that we encourage Ms. Dewey to do a better job of vetting this time before she brings any more deals to the City Council?…that we would suggest that she start with a credit check and a background check so we do not end up with an after the vote revelation about tax liens, bankruptcies, convictions, and shell companies that never delivered anything?…that vetting is an activity that takes time, diligence, and a complete absence of emotion and that we hope that for the first time in the history of Evansville City Government that the next project actually gets professionally vetted.

IS IT TRUE that in some circles it is thought that the whole dust up last week about the pending closing of the loan to Earthcare Energy started with a call from one of the members of the Earthcare management team?…that the people of Evansville are becoming more and more disgusted with the failure of the City’s flagship newspaper and the TV stations to cover the vetting done by Councilwoman Stephanie Riley regarding the management team of Earthcare and the status of their product?…that if local news outlets that hold themselves out to the public as being reputable do not think that things like bankruptcies, failed businesses, shell corporations with addresses that are PO Boxes, criminal records, and tax liens are material information then Evansville as a community has a real problem?…that the CCO calls upon the supposed “real news agencies” in this town to do their job and keep local government honest by reporting on Councilwoman Riley’s findings?…that to oppress real news like this is an abdication of journalistic responsibility and it should not be tolerated?…that Freedom of the Press only works when the press is courageous enough not to be a lapdog for special interests?

IS IT TRUE May, 4, 2012 Part 2

IS IT TRUE that at this point there have been 5 articles in two publications regarding the recently disclosed plot for the City of Evansville to borrow money by selling bonds to loan that money to Earthcare Energy at an interest rate of 1.5%?…that this plot sort of came as a surprise to everyone and that its goal was to close this deal before the May 14th meeting of the Evansville City Council?…that as those who rushed the vetting and rushed the vote started getting wind of public opposition to this deal they must have calculated that the only way to jam this thing to completion was to hurry up and borrow the funds and make some disbursement?…that people on a mission from some unknown master often do things that go against the grain of common sense?

IS IT TRUE that those five articles have now attracted 210 comments from readers and that there is still NOT ONE POST IN SUPPORT OF LOANING ANY MONEY TO EARTHCARE ENERGY?…that some comments are well thought out, others are emotional, and others are quite denigrating toward the five members of the City Council who voted for this, Mayor Winnecke, and GAGE president Debbie Dewey?…that it is fortunate that there have only been unkind words, words that may make these people the butt of jokes for a long time, but no threats?…that some of the speculation is unfounded but much of it makes sense?…that the question of whether Ken Haney, an Earthcare manager is somehow related to an Evansville Haynie that is close to Evansville’s first lady Carol McClintock is not correct?…that Haney does not equal Haynie and these people are unrelated so let’s put that speculation to rest?

IS IT TRUE that one of the comments that appears in several posts asks a question regarding just who brought the Earthcare Energy idea to the City of Evansville?…that this poster even states that if one can get to the bottom of that then the reason for normally rational people digging in their heels to support an irrational action will become clear?…that does indeed intrigue us?…that the question of just who in the decision team or who pulling their strings stands to gain from Earthcare borrowing this money is one worth exploring?…that the most prominent local Reverend Adrian Brooks has been vocally supporting this loan from day 1?…that several other people have expressed support including 2nd Ward resident Charlene Braker but no one with the influence of Reverend Brooks has been out in front of this from the beginning?

IS IT TRUE that we stand by our assertion that without respect to who may financially benefit from the borrowing of these dollars that THIS IS EVANSVILLE’S DUMBEST HOUR?…that people who privately say this is not a good idea when faced with making a public statement equivocate or even express support as their masters have told them to?…that we agree that when we find the puppet master(s) behind this unfolding embarrassment to the City then we will know which of our elected and appointed officials really are mindless puppets?…that then and only then can something be done to remove the puppets from positions of power?

IS IT TRUE that 3rd Ward City Councilwoman Stephanie Riley tossed cold water onto the plans of the never vet, rush to vote, and now rush to fund crowd with respect to the Earthcare Energy loan?…that the people of Evansville are lining up in support of Councilwoman Riley’s courageous call to put a fork in this deal over material misrepresentation, withheld material information, a record of failure, and the obstinate way that a small number of people in authority have dug their heels in to protect this monumental mistake?…that as of the time of this writing there have been 125 comments posted between the CP and the CCO and that there IS NOT EVEN ONE COMMUNITY COMMENT IN FAVOR OF MAKING THIS LOAN?…that some members of the Evansville City Council are digging their heels in very vocally with the argument to “STAND BY THE VOTE AND MOVE ON”?…that such a statement is one of the most incredibly ignorant things ever uttered by members of any City Council

IS IT TRUE that the three most vocal are Connie Robinson, Missy Mosby, and Jonathan Weaver?…that both Weaver and Mosby have dabbled in real estate and know full well that a bad deal will not go through the vetting process of a home inspection and a loan process?…that if Weaver and Mosby think that if mold is found in the basement and a leak is found in the roof after the contract is signed that there will be changes to the contract to accommodate those new pieces of information?…that if they do not know that then they are as misinformed in the world of real estate as they are as City Council members voting on making a loan?…that Robinson is a businesswoman and knows that deals change when new information is available all of the time?…that it is time for Councilwomen Mosby and Robinson along with Councilman Weaver to have a “coming to Jesus” meeting with their constituents regarding the Earthcare Energy loan?…it is time for these lazy voters who must be dancing to some puppet master’s cadence to reverse their position and prepare for life beyond elected office?…that what needs to happen is that these three elected officials need to MOVE ON?

IS IT TRUE that GAGE president Debbie Dewey needs to send Councilwoman Riley a month of her salary?…that Councilwoman Riley did Dewey’s job for her while raising 4 children, sitting on City Council, and holding a full time job as an attorney?…that just as a reminder the things that Councilwoman Riley discovered during her vetting process are that among the management team of Earthcare Energy that there are bankruptcies, failed companies, over $2.2 Million of tax liens, an arrest, and no experience to speak of running a start-up technology company?…that anyone who thinks that is not material information to making this loan is either completely incompetent or has consumed so much of the Earthcare Kool-Aid that they have no business being a part of the process?…that we must wonder if Ms. Dewey did her job and knew all of these things and withheld this information or if she neglected her duty to vet and was surprised when Councilwoman Riley’s article came out yesterday?…that either way the vetting that was made available to the City Council prior to the infamous vote was grossly incompetent?…that this deal needs to be revisited using Councilwoman Riley’s information along with information from other sources that has not yet been revealed?

IS IT TRUE that the statements that Earthcare has no competition made by the founders of Earthcare and repeated by Ms. Dewey are also either blatantly false or incredibly naïve?…that there are as Councilwoman Riley pointed out a number of companies with a long history of competing in the gas letdown business with turbo expanders?…that the turbo expanders have on inlet for a high pressure gas stream, one outlet for a low pressure gas stream, and a generator that produces electricity?…that these devices do the EXACT SAME THING but do it in a slightly different way?…that the statements made by Haney and Dewey make about as much sense as saying that an SUV does not compete with an automobile for market share?…that Langson devices have been marketed by multiple companies for over 2 years without a single sale?…that maybe there is really no market for this device which essentially makes the competition moot?

Finally, IS IT TRUE that the published World Headquarters of Earthcare Energy is rental mail box #132 in a PostNet packing and shipping center in Humble, TX?…that it sits between a Starbucks and a Radio Shack?…that given all of Councilwoman Riley’s findings that people are beginning to wonder if there is any qualification procedure to get a $4.8 Million loan from the City of Evansville?…that it seems like the only qualification that is consistent with other credit qualifications is a pulse and a fantastic piece of fiction?