IS IT TRUE May 14, 2013 Part 2

IS IT TRUE this morning the Director of the Evansville Water and Sewer Utility, Alan Mounts has come out with a statement that he and the City of Evansville believe they can do the repairs to correct the combined sewer overflow problem for $540 Million and that the previously reported $815 Million tab is what the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says the cost will be?…these folks are talking about the same project and the same time frame and both have the same wage data at their disposal to make their estimates?…as Mr. Mounts has spent most of his life (until last year) in banking we trust his ability to plug in things like interest rates, terms, and the estimate to arrive at the correct monthly payment?…we trust his numbers for how much the monthly increases in individual water bills will be simply because anyone who has spent this much time in banking ought to be able to plug three numbers into a canned program and read the answer?…his numbers are based on his $540 Million estimate?

IS IT TRUE the EPA has mandated and overseen many dozens if not hundreds of similar projects and is in a much better position to KNOW what the pitfalls are going to be?…if experience counts for anything at all we had better plan for the EPA numbers to be the reality we are facing when it comes to the MINIMUM this fix is going to cost?… if the EPA is correct and Mr. Mounts is sandbagging or pulling numbers from the polluted air this plan will eventually boost sewer bills for city residents from the current average of $26.30 a month to $118.06 an increase of $91.76 per month or 349%?…customers of the utility who live outside the city would see monthly rates jump from today’s $35.50 to $160.16 an increase of $124.66 per month or 356%?…the only unanswered question is whether these are today’s dollars or 2014 dollars?…it is safe to assume given the principle amounts and expected interest rates that these are today’s dollars?…with a modest 2.5% per year increase in prices the people of Evansville can expect a water and sewer bill of about $236 per month in 2041 and county dwellers on the city service can expect to pay $320 per month?

IS IT TRUE this is an expensive but necessary project to undertake if Evansville is to remain a viable city going forward?…this also emphasizes just how utterly inept it is to even think of spending money to build dog parks, skateboard heaven, ball fields, and to subsidize a hotel when this nearly a Billion Dollar fundamental problem is facing us like the barrel of a gun?…the chickens of 60 years of neglect and irresponsible governance have finally come home to roost for the City of Evansville?…we need to remind ourselves that this does nothing to repair the $500 Million of deferred maintenance on the water delivery lines that will have to be done too?…this does nothing to repair the sidewalks that in many areas are dangerous to even attempt to walk on?…this does nothing to address the ADA issues with the sidewalks?…this does nothing to address the numerous potholes in Evansville?…it is about time that our elected leaders start to concentrate on the things that a city has to do to even be a city and forget about the stupid games our leaders have loved to play for over half a century?…anyone who gives so much as a royal damn about the City of Evansville needs to be prepared to force these issues and demand that all frivolity is ceased until the potentially $2 Billion in FUNDAMENTAL NEEDS have been met?…THIS MAY BE EVANSVILLE’S LAST WAKE UP CALL?

Update: For more sewer information see IS IT TRUE Part 2 (the Sewer Chickens Come Home to Roost)

IS IT TRUE May 14, 2013

IS IT TRUE at a meeting of the Evansville City Council last night the Evansville Water and Sewer Utility unveiled a plan that proposes to spend $815 million to rework the city’s aging sewer system over the next 28 years?…this plan will eventually boost sewer bills for city residents from the current average of $26.30 a month to $87.10 an increase of $60.80 per month or 231%?…customers of the utility who live outside the city would see monthly rates jump from today’s $35.50 to $117.60 an increase of $82.60 per month or 233%?…the City County Observer hopes that all of our readers and even our non readers remember where these numbers were predicted first?…as far back as two years ago the CCO ran the numbers and predicted $60 to $90 per month increases and a total tab that would approach a Billion Dollars?…we were of course scoffed at for such heresy by the know nothings who do their best to hide the truth from the people of this community?…as expensive as it may be, no is not an option and we have to have a working and compliant sewer system?…the time is now to fix this mess and forget about all of the fun and games that Arenas, dog parks, skateboard ramps, ball fields, and parks to honor those who ignored our infrastructure problems?…for Evansville, recess is over, it is time to prepare for a future that could be bright if we really fix our infrastructure, schools, and crime?

IS IT TRUE Scott School, which serves grades kindergarten through sixth grade in the northern part of Vanderburgh County also known as McCutcheonville, was named a Four-Star School by the Indiana Department of Education based on the test results of the 2011-12 ISTEP?…Scott Elementary was the only school in the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation to receive this distinction?…the criteria established for 4-Star schools is to be in the top 25% of schools statewide for the combined passing percentages of English/Language Arts and Mathematics as well as the percent of students passing both for all grades tested?… in addition to meeting these criteria, all Four-Star Schools must meet the 95 percent student participation rate?…Scott was not the only school in Vanderburgh County that received a Four-Star status?…Good Shepherd School and St. Matthew School, both from the Catholic Diocese of Evansville; Evansville Day School and the Signature School the Charter High School that is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 10 high schools also were honored with 4 Stars?…in Warrick County, Castle North Middle School and John H. Castle Elementary School were similarly honored?…not one school that has traditional boundaries within the City of Evansville achieved 4 Star status?…it is common knowledge that EVSC spends more than 50% more per student than the Catholic schools or Signature School?…it seems with public education that the more you spend the worse the results get?

IS IT TRUE that the wheels seem to be falling off of the bus known as the Obama Administration?…during the past two weeks it has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the administration orchestrated a pack of lies regarding the real situation with the attacks on the US Embassy in Benghazi, Libya in which 4 Americans were killed?…last Friday it was revealed that the IRS targeted Americans who describes themselves as “patriots” or with the “Tea Party”?…to his credit President Obama did come down on this illegal and despicable behavior for what it was?…of course he used the phrase “if they did it” after the IRS lied about it, then admitted it, and finally apologized for it?…if this buffoonery was not enough it was discovered and revealed yesterday that the Justice Department (of gun running fame) basically wiretapped the Associated Press?…the three activities that were outed this week literally trampled on the Constitution of the United States and the only logical reason for these activities was to control a political narrative during a presidential election?…these activities that occurred on President Barack Obama’s watch with or without his knowledge are disgusting?…if a foreign power did these things on American soil we would in all likelihood see them as an act of war?…it will be interesting to see just how much the American people and the press that carried water for the Obama Administration during the election of 2012 will sit silently with issues this deplorable coming out?

IS IT TRUE that the same IRS that targeted people for audits and obstructed the non-profit status of conservative organization is the enforcement agency for ObamaCare?…there should be an immediate change of plans for what organization is worthy of that task?…the logical answer as it has been for some time would be to do away with the complexity of ObamaCare and just expand Medicare which does seem to work to the pleasure of most who are covered by it?…why that option was not pursued along with a single payer initiative in a nation that for a while really seemed to approve of such a thing?…if ObamaCare falls apart as nearly everyone close to it now expects a good opportunity will have been squandered to appease big medicine, big drugs, and big government?…it seems like consolidation on crack with the elite powers that be jamming poorly planned policies through without thought and dismissing regular people who asked legitimate questions as fools?…the consolidation forces were summarily dismissed by a 2 to 1 majority and if ObamaCare were put to a vote today it would likely suffer a similar fate?