IS IT TRUE May 30, 2012
IS IT TRUE the Office of Mayor Winnecke and GAGE have advised news outlets that they are holding a press conference on Lynch Road today for the purpose of making a “major†economic development announcement?…we are sure that such an announcement will be certain to claim that politicians and their surrogates have “created†some number of jobs?…today’s meeting will be festive with pats on the back for all and that once the party is over the celebration will be over and there will be little fanfare over whatever comes next?…Vantiv advised authorities yesterday that they will be eliminated an additional 24 jobs in Evansville raising the layoff numbers in recent history to nearly 100 with the total workforce reduction now at 128?…this round of layoffs will reduce the employment at this former high flyer to about 75?…that Vantiv was called CMC and was bought by 5th 3rd Bank in 2006, then flipped to a Boston based private equity firm in 2009, and was taken public in 2011?…that we are betting the there will be no politicians smiling for the cameras in the downtown Evansville office of Vantiv tomorrow?
IS IT TRUE that a local publication known as “Our Times†and published by Sondra Matthews has checked in on the Earthcare Energy situation?…the words chosen by Ms. Matthews are self explanatory and were published exactly as follows?
“Earthcare Energy Co., overnight doomed by 3rd Ward Stephanie Brinkerhoff Riley, talking about conducting a 100 hours of research on the African American executives of the company, which was primed to bring in over 100 new jobs to Evansville. When has she done so much for so little? Yeah, if she knows anything about business start-ups, it’s about the success story of how many times one went bankrupt, was unable to pay taxes, and how sloppy record keeping was in the early days. Why didn’t she take the information she believed was accurate and help find solutions like GAGE Debbie Dewey did for SealCorp. and Earthcare? Oh, we know, “We’re in Indiana now!†Sondra Matthews
IS IT TRUE the Our Times article gets its message across very clear and that message is that the reason that private vetting efforts were made by Councilwoman Riley had more to do with race and that is how things are in Indiana?…it may serve Ms. Matthews well to go back and read what Councilwoman Riley actually wrote and about whom she wrote it?…that it would also serve Ms. Matthews well to review the presentations made by the Earthcare Energy executives at the March 26, 2012 City Council meeting?…that what Ms. Matthews will learn if she reads and watches this with an open mind is that the Earthcare Energy executive that was the subject of most of Councilwoman Riley’s findings was Mr. Stephen Geldmacher who is not African American?…that the private vetting efforts did uncover one important piece of public information about Earthcare Energy executive Mr. Erwin Washington who was not at the meeting?…that only one African American executive of Earthcare Energy spoke before the City Council that night and that was Mr. Ken Haney who spoke mostly about his perception of the opportunity that Earthcare Energy had before them?…all businesses that are seeking financial taxpayer support should be vetted well and completely without regard to their race?…that it is the quality of the opportunity, the competence of the business plan, and the relevant experience of the management team that should determine such things?
IS IT TRUE that the other print media outlet in Evansville, the Courier Press openly praises Councilwoman Riley for her private vetting efforts and gives her credit for “saving the city millions by doing her homework and discovering that the city’s deal with Earthcare Energy was lackingâ€?…the deal with Earthcare Energy is now in the hands of attorneys and that if the homework would have been done in the first place as opposed to calling a press conference the City of Evansville would not be legally exposed as it now is?…that Ms. Matthews should start doing the kind of homework that Councilwoman Riley did as she works hard to grow the readership and respect for “Our Timesâ€?