IS IT TRUE that Indiana State Republican Convention is dealing with a bit of a tempest in its teapot that is coming from within?…there are a formidable number of party members who have sent a letter to every state delegate regarding the duty that they have to nominate and vote for national delegates who will then cast their votes in the Republican National Convention for president and vice president of the United States?…this letter demands that the pre-selected slate of national delegates that often find themselves getting appointed without challenge to be national delegates?…this group which is leaning independent and may have a slight bit of tea in their blood would prefer to see an open convention where there are no anointed delegates slated by the party to get the rubber stamp of national delegate without challenge or discussion?…as this is shaping up to be the “year of the independents” as evidenced by what just happened in Wisconsin that the Indiana Republican Party would be wise to adopt this open convention policy and embrace as many of these non-partisan party members as they possibly can?

IS IT TRUE that on a more local level Mayor Winnecke has made his choice about what to do not only with Roberts Stadium but with the 37 acres that make up the Roberts Stadium complex?…as many people have expected since Mayor Weinzapfel lent his silent support to the $18 Million ball fields project that the decision regarding Roberts would involve demolition?…demolition is precisely the first part of what Mayor Winnecke has chosen to do?…this demolition given the rest of his idea would also involve tearing out the parking lot so that at the end of phase one from Swonder to the Soccer Field would be simply 37 acres of stripped earth?…that the budget that the City of Evansville has to contribute to the demolition of Roberts this year is exactly $200,000?…that we should have all known when a budget was made that was pegged to a supposed quote to demolish Roberts that the time spent by the citizen committee would be wasted?…that several members of that committee other than Jordan Baer who has been quite vocal are feeling used and ignored but that is a story for another day?

IS IT TRUE Mayor Winnecke told us all yesterday that his choice for the 37 acres would be to make it a park that will include a lake, trails, a dog park, and places for bicycles and skateboards?…that sounds remarkably similar to Garvin Park with a skateboard ramp?…that this dream does sound like it will be pretty and will add to the green space in the City of Evansville?…the Mayor also revealed that he did much of the research himself and even spoke to some teenagers who said they would like a skateboard park?…the cost to do this is estimated to be between $6 Million and $8 Million?…that as nice as the mental pictures of this park may form in the mind’s eye there is the nagging question of how to pay for these improvements and how can a city that still cannot manage to mow and collect garbage in the 2,300 acres of parks that it has consider an expansion?…this mental picture is more like a hillbilly with 15 broken down cars in the front yard coming home with a shiny new Cadillac?…however you paint this picture Evansville has not proved itself worthy of a new park when it can’t seem to take care of the ones that it has?

IS IT TRUE that if it is legally possible the least expensive and most revenue generating potential for the Roberts Stadium site is to return it to commercial use?…before starting all of this improvement that a city that can’t maintain a fire truck and remediate mold in a dressing room clearly can’t afford should seriously consider offering Roberts Stadium for sale without restriction for a period of time not to exceed 6 months?…if no one comes forward to purchase Roberts in that time period then let the demolition begin?…after demolition that another attempt should be made to sell the land?…that if after all of that, if not one investor shows any interest at all then it will be time to plant wildflowers and dream of a day when Evansville can afford luxuries like million dollar skateboard ramps, manicured dog parks, and another lake like the one at Garvin?…in the meantime there is a perfectly good design already in place that would return Garvin Park to its former brilliance?…this guy has seen the drawings and is willing to bet a lunch that Mayor Winnecke has too?

IS IT TRUE the voters of Wisconsin repudiated the recall of Governor Scott Walker last night by an unforeseen margin of 7% which was 2 points (40%) more than he defeated Mayor Barrett by in the Governor’s election of 2010?…the Lt. Governor who was also the subject of a recall election for the same reasons was also confirmed to her position?…that of the 4 Wisconsin State Senators who were also subjected to recall elections driven by self interest 3 of them all Republican prevailed?…that the Wall Street Journal this morning is calling this a “Victory for Self Governance” and characterized the recall elections as a “clear choice of small government ideology” in a state that has not voted Republican in a presidential election since the 1984 Reagan landslide over Mondale?…the WSJ article is on the following link?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303830204577448991023586970.html

IS IT TRUE that neither candidate for President of the United States took an active role in the Wisconsin recall elections?…that President Obama didn’t utter a peep until Monday night when he simply tweeted (Twitter message) that he supports Barrett?…that one of this writers most liberal friends is a born and raised in Madison lady who would rather be dead that vote red?…that last night we exchanged emails about President Obama’s tepid participation in the Wisconsin recall?…that she referred to the President by every derogatory term known that would translate into “self serving coward”?…the term used most often started with chicken and ended with **it?…that Gina has vowed not to support the Obama campaign in November?…that if many other Wisconsinites are as incensed as Gina that the exit polls that showed Obama in the lead last night will be about as accurate as the plethora of polls that were showing the recall election as a tie right up until the last vote was counted yesterday?

IS IT TRUE that now a full 4 years after Mayor Weinzapfel proudly announced a deal in which Browning Investments would be building a $40 Million convention hotel with 4 Stars in downtown Evansville, we have spent $75,000 to learn that Evansville needs roughly a 3 Star hotel with 250 or so rooms and that we can expect it to cost just over $30 Million?…that this is the equivalent of a 6 year old taking 4 years to learn the ABC’s?…that the Ford Center and The Centre are 4 Star or above facilities and now we are being told to settle for a freeway hotel to serve them?…to put anything less than a 4 Star hotel that complements the Ford Center and The Centre is not any more acceptable than putting a trailer between two $350,000 houses?…if we just want to cheapen up downtown Evansville that sticking a freeway hotel down there is the way to do it?…the same words that Gina used to describe the President fit this plan perfectly?

IS IT TRUE we must remind our readers that there was a perfectly genuine overture made to the Winnecke Administration this year to refurbish the McCurdy into what it was meant to be and the call was not even returned?…a refurbished McCurdy would be unique, contain the desired number of rooms, command the kind of rates to have a chance at financial success, and complete a perfect triangle of venues with the MLK Entertainment district, the McCurdy, and Aztar making up the triangle?…this is worth real consideration and we hope that this discussion begins before running out to waste more time on collecting bids for a freeway hotel that will not event be considered “convention” worthy?…someone needs to look into the financial performance of the Fort Wayne convention center and hotels before heading down that same rabbit hole?