IS IT TRUE that the Mayor’s General Counsel, called Evansville City Councilman, John Friend, CPA to attend a meeting today to discuss future requests for financial documents issues?… that the Mayor’s legal counsel, Ted Ziemer informed Mr. Friend that he, City Controller-Russ Lloyd Jr., DMD Director, Phil Hooper. Mayors Chief of Staff-Steve Schaefer,and General Legal Counsel for DMD shall attend this high powered meeting?…Mr. Ziemer also told Mr. Friend that he should bring the City Council budget liaison with him to this meeting?…that we expect that they shall tell Mr. Friend that the city council liaison must now file a Freedom of Information request if he wants to receive any future financial documents from DMD?…we hope that Mr. Friend has his high powered City Attorney, Scott Danks with him at this meeting?…we wonder why the DMD Director is trying to obstruct Mr. Friend and the City Council budget liaison from getting much needed financial information so they finish their budget review in a timely manner?

IS IT TRUE we have conducted many reader polls over the years?…we must say that we are completely surprised if not stunned of the final results of the polls between President of the Vanderburgh County Commission, Marsha Abell and the President of the “Vote No Against Consolidated Government” campaign, Bruce Ungenthiem?…the results of the final tally was Ungenthiem 216 to Abell’s 84?…Mr. Ungenthiem is the strong choice of our readers who they want to be elected as the next County Commissioner?…that we have been hearing that Ms. Abell’s political influence has been declining over the last 12 months and this polls is strongly pointed to that?

IS IT TRUE with regards to the Mayor’s visit to Evansville’s Sister City in Germany, the budget line item which allows for the expenditure for this trip was placed by the Winnecke Administration in the COIT (County Option Income Tax) portion of the budget?…the members of the Evansville City Council all overlooked this during the Budget hearings?…the Administration should have presented this in the Mayor’s Office budget and the City Council budget?… as presented, any individual’s cost of going to Germany could be paid, regardless as a Council Member or as an invited guest of the Mayor?…it is unfortunate that not any members of Council caught this SNEGAL placement?…the COIT funds have always been earmarked for capital needs, not for operational expenses, due to the variable nature of the revenue source?…the CCO encourages some member of the City Council to formally make a request to City Controller Russell Lloyd in the form of an ordinance transferring those funds into the capital expenditure category where it should have been originally?… if the Winnecke Administration feels that the taxpayers should sponsor this expedition, they should be coming forward with an ordinance?…we bet such an ordinance would fail by at least a 2 to 1 majority?

IS IT TRUE the CCO expects to be getting a statement from the Office of the Mayor today regarding the budget line items associated with funding that is eligible for use to travel to Amsterdam and Germany?…we also expect the efforts of this week to render those funds unavailable for such globetrotting?…in all fairness there are some American cities that have found ways to utilize sister city relationships to actually make some commerce (other than visits) happen that benefits local businesses, creates jobs, and even in some few cases results in successful business attraction?…if any former Mayor can come forward with a tangible positive commercial thing that has come from any such trip made by Evansville leaders during the last 20 years the CCO will gladly showcase these results with the costs and benefits detailed?…we suspect we will have no takers on this?…let the recreation in Amsterdam and Germany continue with all private dollars as it should?…if no real economic progress has resulted from the last 20 years of sisterly visitation none should be expected this time?…there are enough recreational opportunities in Amsterdam to keep a smile on everyone’s face anyway?