IS IT TRUE October 10, 2012
IS IT TRUE that Evansville and especially the City of Evansville and it surrogate organizations have a long standing reputation for moving rapidly and deliberately to find a SCAPEGOAT when something goes wrong where powerful elected people are in the chain of malfeasance?…that the unfortunate person or people who are fitted for the SCAPEGOAT horns are not usually deserving of that status?…the City of Evansville and its surrogates have run off or neutralized enough talented people to have really made some good things happen in the name of protecting the powerful, the arrogant, and the ambitious?…this practice of SCAPEGOATING people hit its zenith during the second term of former mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel?…the mood of the outspoken people of Evansville right now seems to be a kindred spirit of former leaders who have made SCAPEGOATING at art form?…that the utter melt down of the financial accounting system to the point that the City of Evansville could not balance its books for 21 months and the cover-up that accompanied it probably are good reasons to find out how and who are responsible and to bring a consequence down upon the appropriate people?…just because the mob is saying “fire Jenny†or “fire Russ†does not make that the right thing to do?
IS IT TRUE that before Evansville decides to hold a modern day Salem Witch Trial with the pre-determined verdict of firing a City Controller or two there needs to be some period of reflection and further investigation?…that it is true that Jenny Collins was the Controller when AuditGATE began and that Russ Lloyd Jr. is now the Controller?…that both of them seem to be in the process of being fitted for SCAPEGOAT horns as many good soldiers or people in positions where something went wrong were before?…we all learned during the Monday night meeting of the City Council that each of them has spent roughly $50,000 on consultants trying to make a new financial program (MUNIS) look, feel, and operate like the old dilapidated one it replaced?…before these two people who in all likelihood did not have the authority to spend this money alone or conceal the failures alone are SCAPEGOATED, there needs to be some serious investigation of the role played by their bosses and peers?…the City Controller reports directly to the Mayor of Evansville whomever that happens to be?…that certainly in Ms. Collins case and most likely in Mr. Lloyd’s case their bosses knew, their hired gun consultants knew, and Matt Arvay the former CIO knew all about the events that lead to AuditGATE?…when it comes to SCAPEGOATING Evansville should be fair and practice equal opportunity?…that SCAPEGOATING one or two people when it was really a TEAM that did this would be a miscarriage of justice?…it may even lead to a lawsuit and a settlement just like the SCAPEGOATING of the former Executive Director of the Convention and Visitors Bureau did?…there are other instances too but that one made headlines?
IS IT TRUE that one of the things that was learned at the City Council meeting was that professionals come and go at both the City of Evansville and its consulting firms too fast for comfort?…part of that reason are non-competitive compensation plans?…that any SCAPEGOAT will have to be replaced and that the act of SCAPEGOATING will make headlines?…that someday the HR director for the City of Evansville will be trying to fill a Controllers position and the attraction conversation will go something like “the last two City Controllers were fired for cause (some made up bull crap) and we are pleased to offer you the same position at half the salary that our peer cities typically pay. When can you startâ€?…that any candidate that would go into a situation like this would have to be desperate or crazy?…that justice should be done and if anyone took it all upon themselves to do this and hide this that termination is probably in order?…that prior to taking such a step a full investigation needs to be carried out so that the City of Evansville does not find itself looking for another SCAPEGOAT in a different position six months from now?
IS IT TRUE that the bosses of Ms. Collins and Mr. Lloyd have worked together before to attempt to take away the Homestead Tax Credit in a secret meeting and cover-up the tracks?…that if the past is prologue the place to start the investigation is with Mayors Weinzapfel and Winnecke and work down from there?…the City Council who was once again blindsided may also want to get statements from the SCAPEGOATS of the past?…that there are many chickens that may come back to roost if that Pandora’s Box is opened?
The St. Louis Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) recently recognized the University of Southern Indiana Business and Engineering Center in its annual Design Awards competition. The project received a Merit Award in the Architectural Category and was one of four built projects honored this year. The awards were presented on September 20 in a ceremony in St. Louis, Missouri.
