IS IT TRUE? January 5, 2012

IS IT TRUE that one of the most important things in a leader is to recognize not so much what one knows but what one does not know?…that by the quality of appointments in the Winnecke Administration it is becoming very obvious that this is a quality that Mayor Winnecke possesses and is putting into practice?…that the City County Observer is pleased to learn that the connections and knowledge of the Chief of Staff of the former Mayor will not be leaving the employ of the City of Evansville and that a productive place has been found for Rose Young to continue serving the people of Evansville?

IS IT TRUE that we are also pleased to learn that one of our Mole Awards has a prominent place in the Indiana Statehouse in the Office of Representative Gail Riecken?…that she has provided us with a wonderful picture of the Statehouse Mole standing guard and listening intently to the strategy sessions of the Democrat caucus as that rascally old Pat Bauer has already started making demands for the participation of the Democrat contingent?…that we soundly discourage any hooky playing trips to Urbana, IL or other runs for the border that may be contemplated?…that every legislator in the Indiana Houses of Congress was elected by the people of their district to do a job and that job location is Indianapolis, IN?…that we respect everyone’s opinion but that we call upon all of our elected state officials to do their job in the place that they have been elected to do it?

IS IT TRUE that Indiana is not a Right to Work state but this is a discussion that’s time has come to be had in our statehouse?…that Indiana is an at will state for employment and that regular Hoosiers that refuse to show up for work are summarily dismissed from their jobs?…that we hope that the use of fines and at will employment will grease the skids so that the truths about Right to Work are learned and discussed without bias or outside financial interference so that the State of Indiana can go forward with the right decision for the people of this state?

IS IT TRUE that the status of smoking laws in the State of Indiana are once again being brought up for discussion?…that last year there were so many exceptions to the statewide smoking ordinance that even the cancer prevention societies rejected the bill that excluded, rest homes, circuses, playgrounds, casinos, bars, back alleys, closed door meetings, coming to Jesus tent revivals, and nearly any other special interest group or place where people choose to use tobacco?…that if we as a state are to do this that the myriad of exemptions just can’t be a part of the equation?…that if there are any exemptions considered it should only be casino boats and only then if definitive evidence is presented to support the economic benefit of making and exemption?

IS IT TRUE that to advise those who have asked in the case of smoking it is the most stringent ban passed whether local or state that will be in effect in each local jurisdiction?…that if a county has a comprehensive ban and the state makes an exception for bars where cockfights are held on Saturdays that the county’s stricter law will prevail?

IS IT TRUE that Mole #7 tells us that Mr. Tom Barnett the Director of DMD for the last 3 and a half years is reported to be packing his boxes and heading to hopefully greener pastures to the west of Evansville and closer to his home?…that Mr. Barnett’s informative maps that tell a story of our city will be missed by all those who appreciate graphical representations and that we do wish him a prosperous future?

IS IT TRUE? January 4, 2012

IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer is encouraged and impressed with stands that have been taken by the Winnecke Administration during its first few days?…that yesterday Mayor Winnecke stood beside the officers of local law enforcement to express support to make pseudoephedrine (the active ingredient in meth) a prescription based substance at the state level and to demand that local governments be allowed to be made stricter than state laws with respect to pseudoephedrine?…that this was not Mayor Winnecke’s position early in his campaign and that his opponent Rick Davis stated support for this measure right from the get go?…that a mark of a real concerned leader is to always learn and to change positions when that change is merited and that the CCO is pleased to see this position from our elected leadership?

IS IT TRUE that as citizens who value freedom and who basically subscribe to the premise that less government is better that it pains us to support restriction of substances?…that in the case of pseudoephedrine and the damage that it has wreaked into the City of Evansville that unfortunately the element that abuses this substance has grown so large that the rest of us are faced with supporting restricting the source materials for making meth until such time that meth is no longer such a problem?

IS IT TRUE that there are those among us that are writing letters to editors that seem to be written with the purpose of minimizing some of the problems that are confronting the new administration?…that today there is a community comment that among some other informed solutions being offered seeks to minimize the problems of lack of maintenance and lawlessness in our city parks?…that an orchestrated series of revisionist letters to editors seeking to minimize the tasks at hand are the sort of thing that got our parks into trouble in the first place?…that problems are solved in sustainable ways by first promoting the awareness of the problem, and the acknowledging that solutions are required, and finally by allocation of resources and execution?…that the time is now the take the collective heads of would be revisionists out of the sand and confront the problems of Evansville head on?…that the Pollyannaish ways of the past have only exacerbated Evansville’s shortcomings?

IS IT TRUE that going forward the CCO would like to put forth the motto “EVANSVILLE, WHERE JUST BEING OKAY IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR US ANYMORE” as a slogan for the clean-up of our city including the parks?

IS IT TRUE that one individual attending the City County Observer Annual Award luncheon at Casino Aztar yesterday offer to purchase one of the CCO “Moles” for the sum of $500?..that his generous offer was rejected because the CCO has deemed its “Awards Mole” to be priceless?

IS IT TRUE that the next time the CCO shall award the “CCO MOLE” to an individual for “Distinguished Public Service” award shall be presented at the end of January-2012?…that the CCO shall award the coveted “Mole for Distinguished Public Service” award every month in 2012″

IS IT TRUE? January 3, 2012

IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer’s First Annual Distinguished Public Servant Awards Luncheon today at noon in the Walnut Room at Casino Aztar is fully subscribed with all tables taken?…that there are 10 awards being granted for particularly outstanding public service that has been rendered to the Evansville community that is consistent with the spirit of the CCO?…that there are two other awards that have not yet been announced including both the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Public Servant of the Year?

IS IT TRUE that the winners of this year’s awards are Dr. Neil Troost, Jeff Kempf, the Evansville Convention and Visitors Board, Wayne Parke, Billy Bolin, John Friend, Steve Melcher, Gail Riecken, and the Winnecke for Mayor Campaign are all winners for their outstanding leadership in critical areas where living outside the box and taking action outside of one’s normal comfort zone were required to make things a little bit better in River City?

IS IT TRUE that in each and every case for our winner’s there was advanced planning, a willingness to take on an entrenched power, and the courage to call a skunk a skunk in a subtle but unmistakable way?…that the CCO is looking forward to more and more of the citizens of Evansville to feel the call of inspiration to get out of the box and do things that improve this place that we call home?…that it all starts with planning but some of our improvements will manifest themselves if more of our citizens will just start to exercise basic common sense?

IS IT TRUE that a comprehensive city plan has not been updated and captured the buy-in of elected officials or regular citizens in over 10 years?…that 2012 is the time to get the ball rolling with a comprehensive plan for the prosperity and livability of the City of Evansville and the Winnecke Administration is the group to spearhead this effort?…that it is clear when one is in a city that is planned as opposed to one that just happened in a haphazard manner that planning is the key to lifestyle, prosperity, and tranquility?…that the CCO hopes to see a kick off of a plan for the third century of Evansville during 2012?…that it will be our future that determines what this city becomes and that some parts of our past are worth repeating but others need to be abandoned?

IS IT TRUE that Mayor Winnecke during his campaign zeroed in very effectively on some of the key actions needed to make Evansville a prosperous and competitive city that outsiders will recognize as desirable?…that the easiest and cheapest improvement is picking up the litter?…that some of the more difficult but necessary none the less are the ability to establish a working and active Angel Investment Network along with a competent entity to further the technology transfer agreement that has been in place for over 3 years now?…that these things can be achieved if the leadership of the community will actually take the well defined steps that are needed to make these things happen?…that economic prospects and solid career paths are the real keys to solving problems like abandoned houses, crime, population shrinkage, and the scourge of meth?…that this is not rocket science, but it is not a quick fix and it will take more people than today’s winners being willing to live outside of the box?