IS IT TRUE that the line has been forming since midweek to get good tickets to the inaugural concert at the Ford Center?…that two children of the 70’s have been parked on Main Street sort of in front of VenuWorks in hopes of getting front row tickets to see Bob Seger?…that it has been widely reported that Bob Seger himself took pity on these poor souls and gave them each front row tickets that they have proudly shown to people with cameras?…that even after Seger eased their pain with two free tickets that these guys are continuing to occupy their places on the sidewalk so that their buddies can get front row seats too?…that they must be very good friends to these people to be willing to sit in lawn chairs as the Hammerhead’s crowd enjoys their Friday night entertainment?…that it makes one wonder if there may be something else being given or paid to these to fixtures on Main to give the illusion of a line forming?

IS IT TRUE that VenuWorks issued a press release to draw attention to the “line” forming to get Seger tickets at about the same time that these two 70’s dudes showed up with their butterfly chairs?…that this all seems like a big publicity stunt?…that these die hard Seger fans have been on TV, in the mainstream print media, and that their pay for sitting on the sidewalk for several days is two front row tickets?…that for tickets that have a face value of $140 that Evansville VenuWorks Director Scott Schoenike has secured an article in the newspaper and TV coverage?…that Mr. Schoenike may be a savvy marketing dude after all?

IS IT TRUE that online publishing is widely expected to be the wave of the future and that online ad revenue has doubled in the same period that all other media revenue streams are shrinking?…that Mr. Schoenike as a savvy marketing person should know this?…that Mr. Schoenike is quoted as referring to the City County Observer as “a fledgling blog” in reference to our article about ticket sales being online last week hawking good tickets to the Bob Seger concert?…that he is also quoted as saying his office was “flooded” with phone calls about the online ticket purveyors?…that fledgling blogs do not produce “floods” of phone calls?…that multiple online ticket resellers were indeed offering good Bob Seger at the Ford Center tickets over a week ago and they still are?…that Mr. Schoenike knows this is true?

IS IT TRUE that in the most recent data compiled by Alexa.com and trafficestimator.com, two 3rd party internet traffic monitors that the City County Observer’s TIME ONLINE using the monthly visits from trafficestimator.com and the time online per viewer from Alexa.com exceeds the combined TIME ONLINE of the Evansville Courier & Press, Local 7, Channel 14, Channel 25, and the Louisville Courier Journal COMBINED?…Mr. Schoenike that this is why your phones were flooded?…that if Mr. Schoenike would have allocated some of his advertising dollars to a City County Observer banner that maybe he really would have a line of people tailgating his ticket window?…that we would love to sit down with him and show him very definitively where the numbers are coming from and just what the demographics of our readers are?…that what he would see is that our typical reader is between the ages of 45 and 54, is well educated, reads from home, and has an income that is well above local averages?…that this is the perfect profile for artists like Bob Seger, Reba McEntire, and even the Trans Siberian Orchestra?…that as a savvy marketing professional Mr. Schoenike surely knows this?…that he can reach us through our website www.city-countyobserver.com?…that our contact information is under the advertise bar right beneath our banner?

IS IT TRUE that we anticipate getting to know Mr. Schoenike very well in 2012 and that we wish him well in making the Ford Center a success?…that this guy has to stop typing and get downtown to join the two front row ticket holders in line for good tickets to see Bob Seger?…that I expect to be the third person in line?

IS IT TRUE that just a couple of weeks ago the Evansville City Council voted 9 – 0 to support the requirement that pseudoephedrine should be made prescription based?…that this unanimous vote happened quickly and with little opposition within the members of the City Council?…that the 9 – 0 vote also expressed a belief that the cities and counties of Indiana should have self determination on this?…that the truth of the matter is that legally this is an issue that local governance has absolutely no authority over making the 9 – 0 vote a symbolic gesture with no accountability or action associated with it?

IS IT TRUE that in 2010 this exact same City Council deadlocked 4 – 4 on strengthening the smoking ordinance of the City of Evansville?…that a tie vote means the same as a loss?…that City Councilman Curt John who was absent that night later made it known that he would have cast a “nay” vote had he been there?…that the sentiment of the Evansville City Council was clearly 5 – 4 against strengthening the smoking ordinance?…that the State of Indiana does indeed grant local authority to make decisions with respect to smoking laws?…that one of the excuses put forward by some of the “Nay” voting members was that “smoking restrictions should be up to the state”?…that the ones who made such statements but are now howling for the authority to regulate pseudoephedrine are quite inconsistent?

IS IT TRUE that to petition the state for the authority to regulate the “legal” substance that happens to be the active ingredient in meth while refusing to vote “Aye” to strengthen a smoking ordinance just smacks of confliction and having a comfort zone without authority?…that squawking for authority when one does not have it, yet saying the a higher legislative body should take the initiative to take an action that has already been delegated to local government is hypocrisy?

IS IT TRUE that any of these 5 City Council members who voted “nay” on the smoking ordinance citing that it is the states job and then voted “aye” on the pseudo resolution are trying to have their cake and eat it too?…that one thing that we wish for in the next City Council is consistency and that another is honesty?…that hiding behind the state on one issue and pushing something that is clearly a local issue off on the state is neither?

IS IT TRUE that we would like to thank City Council members Dan McGinn, H. Dan Adams, Connie Robinson, and Wendy Bredhold for the consistency and courage that they have shown by voting “aye” on both of these public health and safety issues?

IS IT TRUE that some of the “nay” votes on the smoking ordinance were cast because of the asserted “unfairness” of exemptions?…that taking a position of “all or nothing” when it comes to making laws is not a defensible position?…that if “all or nothing” positions were taken with respect to businesses then either “everyone or nobody” would have a liquor license, tobacco growing stamps, permission to run a strip bar, sell liquor by the drink, sell medicines, etc.?…that I think the point is made that a functional democracy does not function without compromise and taking “all or nothing” positions undermines that functionality?

IS IT TRUE that the last thing we need on the Evansville City Council is a majority that thinks and acts like they can have it both ways?…that situational leadership is not leadership at all?…that if local government wishes to have no authority period and only petition the state who has all authority things will be much different?…that we believe that the lowest level entity that has the means to enforce a resolution should have the authority to pass the resolution?…that in the case of public smoking and selling pseudoephedrine that the proper place for this authority to reside is with the City Council?…that we need 9 elected officials on the Evansville City Council who will not run and never want to hide when it comes to passing good public policy?