IS IT TRUE November 20, 2012
IS IT TRUE the election results for the vote to “reorganize†the City of Evansville and Vanderburgh County have been fully analyzed and the magnitude by which it was defeated can finally be realized?…in the unincorporated County 44 out of 44 precincts voted against reorganization with a voter breakdown of 79% to 21% margin?…here were two townships, Armstrong and Union, that voted 95% and 93 % respectfully against the reorganization plan?…in the City of Evansville the vote was a little less overwhelming but still ended up rejecting the plan by a margin of 59% to 41%?…only one ward, the 1st ward, voted in favor of the consolidation plan and only by a 55% to 45% margin?… the rest of the City of Evansville’s wards voted against the plan by a 63% to 37% margin?… by precinct, 73 of 88 city precincts voted against the reorganization plan?… the rural precincts that are adjacent to the city boundaries in Perry, Center and Knight Townships, voted against the plan by a margin of 74% to 26%?
IS IT TRUE any attempt to annex these adjacent areas in the foreseeable future will likely fail to produce votes and more importantly will result in strong and orchestrated opposition to annexation attempts?…reasonable people would review this data and conclude that the efforts by a small group of the “legend in their own mind†elites in Vanderburgh County to change the form of government in the county were a catastrophic failure and were outright repudiated by the voting public?… a super majority of the citizens in the county looked through the political rhetoric and saw a plan that was fatally flawed and voted accordingly to kill it?…these were not “casual voters†as reported by one pro reorganization publication but a well-informed group of citizens who understand that this plan would not have improved the operation or efficiency of local government?…the CCO continues to believe that there was nothing personal about this vote and that if real tangible and achievable efficiencies would have been identified that the outcome may have very well been different?…the mass repudiation of what was a self serving yet impotent consolidation plan may someday be seen as the beginning of a new day for accountability in politics in Evansville and Vanderburgh County?…we welcome that day?
IS IT TRUE the Evansville Redevelopment Commission is meeting today as this is being written?…the most interesting and financially important parts of this meeting may just be in the section called “other business†and notated in the footnote that “this is a preliminary agenda and subject to change†even though it was only issued yesterday?…that CCO Mole #14 and others are telling us that Mayor Winnecke will be asking the ERC for approval to offer a financial incentive package worth $22 Million to grease the skids to finally sign a contract for a downtown Convention Hotel with a developer that meets all of the criteria desired for success?…this is a far cry from the 4-Star over $40 Million deal that then Mayor Weinzapfel boasted would come to downtown Evansville without any incentive demands if only we built an arena?…that it seems as though 52 months after claiming victory and three false starts that the administrations of the City of Evansville have finally come to grips with the reality of the value of a downtown Convention Hotel and have capitulated in a way predicted almost to the dollar by the City County Observer?…the real item of interest that is still lacking is just how this hotel will perform in a way that would justify spending $22 Million of taxpayer dollars?…in a world of Arenas that will inspire tens of ghost businesses, $2 Million ball fields, and $10 Million dog and skateboard parks nothing is surprising anymore?…we look forward to the details but grieve for a city that does not even offer a free market value of half of the construction cost for a commercial property?