IS IT TRUE? February 29, 2012

IS IT TRUE that on Sunday, the City County Observer published a letter from Bob Warren, the Executive Director of the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau to the Roberts Stadium Committee advocating for a half price set of ball fields relative to the $18 Million “Taj Majal of Ball” that our previous Opus One loving CVB board of directors pushed hard for back in the days when borrowing to the max on every cash stream available was in vogue?…that of all of the things that we have learned about Mr. Warren that we have come to admire a good sense of value and a practical way of planning are at the top of the list?…that we have had such a good set of experiences with Mr. Warren in one on one meetings that we expect that “winging it” is just not a part of his character?…that what we would appreciate from Mr. Warren with respect to his Ball Majal resurrection letter is a line item of estimates for just what his proposed $8M – $10M proposal would be buying?

IS IT TRUE that the last round of gilded ball fields included lots of extras thrown to the City of Evansville that really were not considered by many to be an appropriate use of the hotel tax money like demolishing Roberts stadium and adding infrastructure improvements to the city’s assets under management?…that when all of the hidden gifts to the previous administration were stripped out of the Gilded Fields maybe the last proposal was really only an $8 Million project after all?…that the real questions regarding a little league sports park are THE COST and THE LOCATION?…that even the CCO accepts Mr. Warren’s realistic estimates of 30,000 to 40,000 visitors per year that is in line with similar parks in similar cities?…that we appreciate Warren’s considered honesty as opposed to the hype that we were subjected to previously?…that MILLION DOLLAR BALL FIELDS are still excessively priced when compared to what is spent elsewhere?…that there is still a large outpouring of citizen opposition to this location for a sports park?

IS IT TRUE that there is one more thing that makes us leery of investing any money at all in a sports park?…that the City of Evansville’s Parks and Recreation Department though new leadership is in place has still not proven that it can get through the summer without seeing existing parks turn into garbage filled jungles?…that when the City of Evansville has proven that it can mow the acres that it has, then and only then should we consider any project that would expand the maintenance responsibilities of the City of Evansville?…that this same argument goes for the last week of the Weinzapfel Administration’s announcement of the so called Centennial Park down by the abandoned Greyhound Bus station?

IS IT TRUE that we encourage Bob Warren to keep his chin up and his thinking cap on?…that last year when Mr. Warren was touting what Evansville already has as a great tourism draw that we were encouraged and even fawning over his words?…that this spring should be spent getting what we already have into worthy condition so Mr. Warren can work his magic with his new promotions budget to get some heads into these empty beds?…that the days of Gilded Ball Fields and a new Downtown Convention Hotel may come someday when the City of Evansville gets its act together enough to attract investors but this is not that day or even that year?…that we thank Mr. Warren for his proposal but encourage him to get on about the business of doing the best that he can with what he has to work with?

IS IT TRUE that we respectfully suggest that EVSC school board should have sent the recently recognized students with scholastic achievement to the USI Science and Engineering Fair that had more than 600 projects entered?…that we suggest to our alleged intellectually-based EVSC administrators that the 5000+ students sent to an ice hockey game would have benefited more from this truly academically-based Science and Engineering Fair at USI?…that we respectfully suggest that the intellectually-based EVSC administrators take a look at our most recent CCO poll results and see what how our readers reacted to this very subject?

IS IT TRUE that the off-track betting center Indiana Downs stood before the Evansville City Council last night and made an economic argument that they should be granted an exemption to the recently passed smoking ban that takes effect on April 1st?…that their representative was oblivious to the fact that two readings and a vote had been held previously?…that the Indiana Downs representative admitted to “dropping the ball” when it came to showing up to ask or even apply for an exemption before the widely publicized February 13th vote by the City Council?…that to come before council after “dropping the ball” that Indiana Downs claims could cost them 20% of their revenue would not exactly inspire any private investor to be prone to invest in this business?…that Indiana Downs is currently under the protection of a bankruptcy proceeding and has been since April of 2011?…that one fact stands out and that is that Indiana Downs entered bankruptcy at a time that smoking was pretty much a free for all in its facility?…that if Indiana Downs is not granted an exemption and proceeds to emerge from bankruptcy as a profitable business that anti-smoking advocates will be claiming that banning smoking saved the place?…that the bankruptcy trustee can take this issue into consideration as having material relevance to Indiana Downs financial capacity going forward?

IS IT TRUE that this will be something to behold as it unfolds as any Tom, Dick, or Harry who owns a 2 stool bar could make the same argument that Indiana Downs made last night?…that some small bars actually did not “drop the ball” and made that same argument on or before the February 13th vote?

IS IT TRUE that the silence about the McCurdy Convalescent Home for Bats and Pigeons is deafening?…that another winter has nearly passed with nothing of any restorative nature happening with the historic McCurdy?…that the McCurdy continues to stand as a monument to local government ineptness?…that we seem to have lost count of the days since the self congratulatory announcement was made that restoration was secure?…that the taxes on the McCurdy that were due last November 10th are still not paid and that another installment will be due in 2 short months?…that as spring approaches and the sun shines a bit more on this historic piece of Evansville property that the grass will begin to grow, the former mayor’s beanstalk will sprout leaves, the rats will come back and the snakes will follow?

IS IT TRUE that the Murray State Racers are back in the Top 10 checking in at #9 in the country?…that with tournaments coming up there is a very real possibility that the Racers will be ranked in the #5 position on selection Sunday if they can take care of business in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament?…that if not for that one slip up with Tennessee State that the Racers would be ranked #3 right now and possibly looking at a #1 seed in a regional?…that they may just pull out a #2 seed anyway if the conference tournaments go their way?

IS IT TRUE that it was reported last week that the winter of 2012 has thus far been one for the record books?…this record is for a winter where the snow never came and the temperatures have been overall a bit higher than what we normally get?…that in spite of such things the three people that we are closest to and ourselves reported record high Vectren bills in the month of January?…that maybe the warmer winter made us all inch that dial up a few degrees to keep from shivering indoors as had become the mode of operation for the immediate few years?

IS IT TRUE that SW Indiana has had unexpected positive surprises with the weather in the past?…that there was a winter about 10 years ago that had nearly no snow and lots of pleasant days?…that as this writer recalls that one was followed by a doozy with a 24 inch snow before Christmas and a pond that stayed frozen for months?…that there was a summer of 2007 or 2008 where it was so temperate that people were able to turn their air conditioning off to the point that it sent shock waves into Vectren?…that the use of electricity that summer was about 10% below normal and expected use?…that the temperate weather enabled us all to save money on our electric bill and conserve energy as we had been admonished to do since childhood?…that as summers go that is one of the best in the memory bank for weather in SW Indiana?

IS IT TRUE that following that wonderful summer Vectren’s accountants put forth the news that their top line was so adversely effected that they would be needing a rate increase to make up for our energy conserving ways?…that the Indiana Utilities Regulatory Commission rolled a seven for Vectren and granted them the increase so that their top line was not hurt by the good weather?…that the next summer was hot and sweaty and people turned their AC back on only to learn that record bills were the result of the rate increase?…that we do not recall a request for a rate decrease following that year of record heat and record bills?…that we really hope that Vectren does not pull the “guarantee my top line” argument out again to request another rate increase based on our once a decade nice winter?

IS IT TRUE that things like that are reminiscent of the game of flipping coins where the bully on the playground would set the rules of the game with an iron fist?…that the rule of the bully was “HEADS I WIN, TAILS YOU LOSE”?…that there are so many things where that rule or the accompanying rules “MIGHT MAKES RIGHT”, and “HE WHO HAS THE GOLD MAKES THE RULES” seem to beat everyday people to a pulp?…that the CCO hopes that this year’s good weather will not become a reason to increase utility rates and that decoupling that we supposedly have at least for gas will do what has been advertised as one of its benefits to ratepayers?

IS IT TRUE that today is the day that the Indiana Senate will begin discussions on a statewide smoking ban?…that the state Senate would be well advised to study each and every constitutional challenge that has been upheld for “arbitrary and capricious” exemptions?…that the piece of junk that the State of Indiana came up with last year had so many exemptions that even the American Cancer Society rejected it?…that passing something that has loads of “arbitrary and capricious” exemptions will just cause unnecessary legal expense that the people of Indiana will have to pay?…that if Indiana is to have a smoking ban let it be a good one that is not “arbitrary or capricious” in its granting of exemptions?