IS IT TRUE that a fairly exhaustive search of patents at the United States Patent Office website issued in the name of Langson Energy as the assignee yielded exactly ZERO results?…that the previously discussed United States Patent #7,637,108 that is in the name of Richard K. Langson and assigned to Electratherm Incorporated of Carson City, Nevada seems to be the sole piece of intellectual property that bears the name of Richard K. Langson who was the founder of Electratherm Inc. and is now listed as the CEO of Langson Energy?…that two weeks ago in the news tab of the commercial website for Earthcare Energy there was indeed a letter stating that a license agreement had been entered into between Earthcare Energy and Langson Energy?…that this news release is no longer on the Earthcare Energy website and that a Google search using the terms Earthcare+Langson indeed does find multiple citations for this press release titled “Earthcare Energy signed a licensing agreement with Langson Energy” and dated July 22, 2011?…that the end result of selecting these citations is the same on every path and that is a Server 404 Error stating that the source searched for has been REMOVED, has had its NAME CHANGED, or has been REMOVED?…that when the 404 Server Error comes back from a Search Engine Citation that it nearly always means that content has been removed?…that the CCO wonders WHY THIS CONTENT HAS DISAPPEARED SINCE THE NEWS OF THE DEAL BETWEEN EVANSVILLE AND EARTHCARE?

IS IT TRUE that in the technology called Letdown Energy by Langson Energy closely resembles if not exactly replicates a technology that is over 100 years old that has been called by the name Turboexpander?…that when coupling a Turboexpander with a traditional turbine one would have what Langson refers to as a Letdown Generator?…that neither of these technologies is new but when coupled to capture enthalpy can actually make the gas transmission process slightly more efficient?…that San Diego Gas and Electric installed such a device in 1983 at a “city gate” and was followed by installations in other locations?…that if you really want to dig deeper into this technology you should start on the following link?

http://jacobrheuban.com/2009/03/09/turboexpanders-harnessing-the-hidden-potential-of-our-natural-gas-distribution-system/

IS IT TRUE that this body of work and history of installed devices would be a good place for technically curious members of the Evansville City Council to start brushing up on just what they are being asked to make a $5 Million loan for?…that this coupling of two old technologies may really have some commercial viability and that maybe Earthcare Energy may become a player in this market?…that the nagging question becomes “what did Earthcare actually license” or “is there really anything licensable”?…that another question of immediate interest is that assuming that a license has some value how exclusive is this license and how defensible is it if some other enterprising engineering group buys a turboexpander and couples it to a turbine?…that there does not appear that there would be any barrier to entry to this market other than skill, money, and marketing?…that this is an area that the City Council needs to examine very carefully before making history by starting the country’s first episode of City Council Shark Tank?…that the City of London embarked upon some installations in 2009 with some lofty goals as stated on the following link?…that the results and the company that did any installs should also be of interest to the City of Evansville?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/jan/06/gas-energy-pressure

IS IT TRUE that between this proposal and the last minute jam through Johnson Controls project that invests between $53 Million and $79 Million public dollars to read water meters better the City of Evansville may be looking like an easy mark?…that 45% of the benefits to the Johnson Controls deal are not even advertised as measurable?…that if the Evansville City Council is playing Shark Tank, outsiders may be wondering just who is the Shark and who is in the Shark Tank?

IS IT TRUE: March 14, 2012

IS IT TRUE that the proposal that is under serious consideration by the Evansville City Council to loan $5 Million to EarthCare Energy is a topic of high interest with the readers of the CCO?…that questions are coming in that deserve answers and that we want to incorporate these questions and formulate some of our own into today’s IIT in hopes that someone at the Civic Center will either start a formal TECHNOLOGY VETTING PROCESS or release a TECHNOLOGY VETTING REPORT to the public?…that United States Patent #7,637,108 that is in the name of Richard K. Langson and assigned to Electratherm Incorporated of Carson City, Nevada seems to be the sole piece of intellectual property that EarthCare Energy is going to rely on to produce the device that the $5 Million loan is intended to support?…that contrary to popular belief that having a patent does not guarantee or endorse a technology?…that getting a patent means two things and two things only?…that whatever this patent actually is has been deemed by a patent examiner to be novel and unique?…that a patent was issued for a cheese filtered cigarette for novelty and uniqueness along with literally thousands of other brainstorms with no commercial potential?…that you may read this patent to your heart’s desire at the following link?

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect2=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&d=PALL&RefSrch=yes&Query=PN%2F7637108

IS IT TRUE that Mr. Richard K. Langson of Langson Energy that EarthCare Energy has a license from was in the news quite allot with this very invention back in the 2007 – 2009 timeframe?…that on November 12, 2008 that Mr. Langson was a guest on Fox Business News as the CEO of Electratherm touting this patent as a revolutionary idea to harvest energy based on a twin screw energy conversion device?…that he claimed in this show that his device will produce electricity for ½ of a cent per kWh?…that was nearly 4 years ago and has not been heard of much since then?…that what we really wonder is whether or not Mr. Langson has any endorsements for his technology from any serious academic researchers or if there have been any published articles in refereed journals that required the scrutiny of an editorial board made up of competent technologists?…that in the 2008 interview that Mr. Langson claimed to be “in production” at Electratherm and about to lease additional space in Carson City, Nevada?…that you may view the Fox News interview on the following link?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XY8H71mrt8

IS IT TRUE that Electratherm does indeed have a commercial website (www.electratherm.com) and a location in Carson City, Nevada and claims to have been visited by President Obama?…that the name of Richard Langson does not appear on the link to the management team?…that Langson Energy also has a commercial website (www.langsonenergy.com) and that it has an Alexa traffic ranking of higher than 20 Million (smaller is better) that would imply single digit pageviews per week?…that this website is all about Mr. Langson and that the words used are quite impressive?…that Mr. Langson also claims in a company press release to have been invited to meet with President Obama in a town hall meeting in Carson City?…that there is no reference to a license being granted to EarthCare Energy on the Langson website?…that two weeks ago there was a press release on the EarthCare Energy website announcing a license agreement with Langson but that it is not there anymore?…that there is a link to a youtube video of Mr. Langson under the “technology” tab http://earthcareenergy.com/?page_id=20?

IS IT TRUE that this all may be well and good in the long run but what is needed right now is a VETTING of the TECHNOLOGY, an ENDORSEMENT of that technology by a recognized board of experts, AND a working prototype on a commercial scale with data to back up the claims made by Mr. Geldmacher at Monday night’s council meeting?…that without TECHNICAL VETTING and a clear understanding of this TECHNICAL VETTING that is made public that this little venture sounds more like a scene from “The Music Man” than a real considered investment?…that we hope that the EarthCare/Langson/ElectraTherm connection is not just a modern day Harold Hill coming to town to shake down a bunch of desperate country bumpkins but assert that TECHNICAL PROOF needs to be demonstrated and documented prior to committing $5 Million of the people’s money to this project?…that we also wonder exactly which members of the Evansville City Council have the background to truly understand TECHNICAL VETTING of such a proposal or what group they have hired to VET this device?…that we are not even close to needing to VET the cash flow, the number of jobs, or the square footage required?…that without a working device that all of those will come up to ZERO?

IS IT TRUE that we mostly wonder why during the last 4 years when literally Billions of both private and stimulus dollars have been thrown at a plethora of technologies that this technology has not attracted any private investment of substance?…that we wonder aloud if this really is such a great thing why did this find its way to Evansville in search of only $5 Million and a promise to pay back $37 Million?…that this is a phenomenal offer that no one else seems interested in?…that we wonder WHY?…that local common sense has always been that if something is TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE THAT IT SELDOM TURNS OUT TO BE TRUE?…that is why the City Council needs to wear their Tom Terrific thinking hats for a good long time before embarking on a game of SHARK TANK?

If one takes the proposal made to the City of Evansville at face value and calculates the present value of the cash flow that they are proposing of $2.5 Million per year for 15 years at 6% interest the present value calculates to just over $25,000,000 (that’s $25 Million).

The City County Observer is quite interested in the reason why some crafty private investor that has the ability to technically vet this proposal has not jumped all over an opportunity to make $25 Million from a $5 Million loan right now.

Doing the math another way one can ask for a present value of $5,000,000 and a 15 year annual payout of $2,500,000 per year what is the interest rate? The answer is 100%. The question is then if this proposal is to pay a return on investment of 100%, why has some private investor not come forward to accept this return?

IS IT TRUE that we wonder if the Finance Chairman of the Evansville City Council, Mr. John Friend, CPA is asking these questions before a competent board of advisors?…that we furthermore wonder with such a magnificent ROI if Councilman Friend would advise any of his private clients to get in on this action?

IS IT TRUE that the ink is barely dry on the “almost” comprehensive smoking ban that was passed by the Evansville City Council and there are already two legal challenges being brought against the City of Evansville and the City Council?…that the basis for the suits that has real merit is the exemption that was carved out for the gaming floor at Casino Aztar?…that of course both suits have other claims of “freedom of assembly” and “right to smoke” to cloud the air but those kinds of suits have been struck down by courts all over the country so many times that the precedents are on the side of the City and its Council?…that the City County Observer predicted this would happen on the basis of the alleged “capricious and arbitrary” granting of an exemption based on the magnitude of tax dollars that Aztar pays to the city?…that the only real cognitive argument that the City of Evansville will have that may have legs is that their decision on the Aztar exemption was not ”capricious and arbitrary”?…that the tobacco games are about to begin in Evansville so get your popcorn and enjoy the show?…that as the little Koala Bear says in “Rescuers Down Under” “THIS OUGHTA BE RICH”?

IS IT TRUE that Louisville tried the whole give and exemption to a legacy business that howled that they would go broke if smoking were banned thing and lost in court?…that Louisville carved out an exemption for Churchill Downs and were sued on the basis of “unequal protection” and lost the case?…that the eventual result was a non-smoking Churchill Downs along with the other businesses in town?…that the Evansville City Council knew this full well when they embarked on a trip down the same path?…that even though two members of the City Council voted against the smoking ordinance that the precedent of Louisville never came up in the discussions and neither did equal protection?…that there is no justification for the City Council having gotten itself into this predicament?…that what has to happen now to get the equal protection dilemma relieved is either Evansville will return to its old ways of not protecting workers and will once again be a smoker’s paradise or the next step will be taken to go comprehensive with the smoking ban with no exemptions?

IS IT TRUE that won’t happen so fast because the Indiana State Legislature in all of its wisdom has passed an even more watered down version of a smoking ban that allegedly prevents cities from banning smoking on a casino floor?…that the reality of this situation is that the State of Indiana may have just passed an unconstitutional smoking ban to complement the one that Evansville is being challenged for?…that the City of Evansville may have painted itself into a corner that only leaves it an “all or nothing” option except that the all would violate Indiana’s weak ban?…that would leave Evansville by virtue of the timing and the exemptions with a NOTHING option unless they learned attorney for the City of Evansville can prevail over the “capricious and arbitrary” assertion?…that the days, months, and years that follow will be most interesting in this place that seldom has the courage do what they knew or should have known to be the only defensible action available?

IS IT TRUE that even in the now 24th year of a statewide comprehensive smoking ban in the State of California that gaming floors in casinos allow smoking?…that back in 1988 when the ban was passed there were no casinos in California?…that the way that this happened is because only Indian Reservations can host gambling houses?…that Indian Reservations are considered for these purposes to be sovereign nations and get to make their own rules with respect to smoking just like the states?…that the tribes by choice or to appease market forces only allow smoking where the gaming is taking place and not in the common areas of their facilities?…that maybe that is a solution for Indiana if the state and its cities can’t muster the courage to choose as many other states have already done?