IS IT TRUE? September 15, 2011
IS IT TRUE that there was a ceremony yesterday to celebrate the finish refurbishment of the childhood home of Connie Brown at 1165 South Evans Avenue?…that this refurbishment has been reported to have cost under $100,000 and to have taken no direct local government dollars?…that the mortgage on the property is 88% of the cost to repair and that the loan is being held by DMD at a rate of ZERO %?…that when compared to the typical Front Door Pride program that builds for $200,000 to sell for $100,000 that this deal looks like a public bargain?…that refurbishment deals like the Evans Avenue project keep the character and value base of the neighborhood?…that this deal is just one step from being sustainable and that next step is to obtain a private mortgage at market rates so public money is not tied up for 30 years?…that it does seem as though the right person was paired with the right house at the right price so in spite of the $12,287 federal grant and the fact that DMD is playing banker this is an improvement to the status quo?…that if this owner would choose to refinance in the near future at market rates that this money would be available for other projects?…that then such a program would essentially be sustainable at the local level?
IS IT TRUE that the candidates for Mayor have run the gamut this week with joint appearances?…that they spoke at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast before a group and an entity that is a traditional supporter of Republican candidates and positions?…that last night they spoke before the Central Labor Council that is traditionally a strong supporter of Democratic candidates?…that while being wired for tradition that the local unions have been departing from supporting the party to supporting the candidates?…that the IAFF #357 last night finalized their endorsements for the Evansville elections?…that if the IAFF #357 has their way the Evansville City Council will be taken over by a Republican majority as the IAFF #357 has endorsed 5 Republicans and two Democrats for City Council along with Democratic candidate for Mayor Rick Davis?…that we are curious to see just how many Democrats will be endorsed by the Chamber of Commerce?…that thinking is quite superior to following tradition in all elections and that the CCO is pleased to congratulate the IAFF #357 for breaking with tradition to endorse the candidates they think is best without regard to party?…that we hope to congratulate many other groups that make endorsements in the near future?
IS IT TRUE that the City of Vancouver, WA just across the river from Portland, OR has grown in population since 1960 from 32,464 to 161,791 residents?…that Clark County, WA that Vancouver is the county seat of has grown from 93,308 to 425,363 during the same period adding over 100,000 people per decade since 1990?…that officials in that county are concerned that they are not doing well enough?…that they do have higher than average unemployment but that is mostly due to the high growth in population before the current recession started?…that coming from a place with a shrinking population that seems rather nonchalant about the shrinkage that it seems as though Vancouver, WA is adapting very well to the knowledge based changes in the jobs spectrum?…that the perspective of a place that wants to excel on their own performance is quite different than a place that is comfortable with the status quo no matter what it is?
