IS IT TRUE that Mayor Elect Lloyd Winnecke and his Transition Team rolled out one of the most anticipated announcements of Billy Bolin as the new Evansville Police Chief who then revealed his choice of Chris Pugh as Assistant Chief of Police?…that Chief Bolin is well known and respected not only for his police work but as one of the organizational and management forces behind the Guns & Hoses event?…that Guns & Hoses packed over 7,000 people in Roberts Stadium last year raising a reported $60,000+ for charity?…that as expected Bolin came out planning the coming assault Evansville’s meth problem?…that clearly acknowledged the severity of the meth problem and expressed his support to make pseudoephedrine a prescription based substance?…that this is a position that is supported by the City County Observer and by results driven data from other locales that have taken what may seem like a drastic step?

IS IT TRUE that that the first step to solving a problem is to acknowledge and define it?…that in a world and particularly in an administration that has tended to minimize problems with smiles, ad campaigns, and photo ops, that over the past 8 years things in general and particularly with criminal activity have really gotten worse in Evansville?…that part of the reason for that is “head in the sand” politics that is contagious to the population?…that in a place where meth labs are at some of the highest levels in the nation, criminal activity has magnified in the city parks, and has a growing gang problem for local leaders to sit around like parrots saying things like “it’s a great place to raise kids” or “we got a great quality of life” is just poppycock?…that it is refreshing to see an appointment to police chief that will point to a problem, make the seriousness clear to everyone, and immediately start formulating a solution?…that the CCO would like to congratulate our new leaders of law enforcement Billy Bolin and Chris Pugh and to thank Mayor Elect Winnecke and his Transition Team for making a great choice?…that decisions like this are the foundation for having an Evansville in 4 years that is better than Evansville is today?

IS IT TRUE that another announcement is coming this morning at 10:00 o’clock?…that we will know at that time who Mayor Elect Winnecke will be tapping to succeed Keith Jarboe as the next Fire Chief of the City of Evansville?…that the Mole Nation is buzzing with anticipation and probing for information on this appointment and is split as to who the winner may be?…that the names of Captain Mike Connelly and former Fire Chief Mike Humphrey keep rattling around in the Mole minds?…that both of these gentlemen have support within the rank and file and have career track records that scream competence and integrity so the moles are expected to be please with either appointment?…that the new assassin Mole #7 called Mole #3 in Florida for a powwow on which really has the inside tract and that the conclusion based on a technicality that Mole #3 remembers leads the Alpha Moles to predict that the people of Evansville will be introduced to Fire Chief Connelly at today’s news conference?

IS IT TRUE that we are anticipating some more announcements of appointments and that the next one may be Director of Transportation and Services?…that we publish that because Mole #24 has observed the current director Mr. Ed Ziemer packing some boxes in his office?…that the CCO has great admiration for Mr. Ziemer and would like to thank him for his years of service to the City of Evansville?…that we expect those boxes will not be moved very far as Mr. Ziemer has a few more good years of service left in him before a well deserved retirement at the time of his choosing?

IS IT TRUE that the Mole Nation tells us that there are 4 candidates vying to replace Tom Barnett as the Director of Metropolitan Development?…that Mr. Barnett being a driven agent of action is not packing anything yet preferring to spend his efforts jamming through another 25 houses in the Front Door Pride area to set Mayor Elect Winnecke’s agenda for him?…that this is a decision that can and should wait until after the inauguration and that Mr. Barnett should concentrate either on keeping the job he has or searching for another one should there be a change made in his status by the Winnecke Administration?

IS IT TRUE that one position that is not the subject of the Mole Nation is the position currently held by Dan Schall as the Director of Parks and Recreation?…that as we have written in the past Mr. Schall may be the right guy for this job in he has the right orders and the right boss?…that one thing for sure is that the Director of Parks and Recreation needs some new marching orders as the parks of Evansville have gone dramatically downhill during the last 8 years?

IS IT TRUE that today we will find out the name of the person that Mayor Elect Winnecke and his Transition Team will be appointing to be the next Police Chief of Evansville?…that in this column the City County Observer has let our readers know that one very well placed Mole has told us that Billy Bolin has been a leading candidate with a good inside track for this appointment?…that other members of the Mole Nation just yesterday are advising us that there may be another strong candidate under consideration?…that this candidate is female?…that either way we think Chief Brad Hill’s torch will be landing in a worthy set of hands as both of these candidates are capable and deserving?

IS IT TRUE that the Mole Nation is also rising up to tell the CCO that there are some members of the Evansville oligarchy who are working in the shadows to undermine former Mayor of Evansville Russ Lloyd Jr’s quest to become the next City Controller?…that knowing the former Mayor and the fact that he is a successful CPA makes him uniquely qualified to be City Controller and it will be quite difficult to find a better fit for that position?…that this is the very kind of backroom manipulation that has limited the City of Evansville’s capacity to perform its responsibilities and move forward at the same time?…that yesterday we discussed the four (4) balls and chains that the Weinzapfel Administration has shackled Mayor Elect Winnecke with and today it appears that the private enterprise arm of the machine is attempting to embed the puppet strings onto him?…that the people of Evansville elected Lloyd Winnecke and not some shadow figure to make these decisions and thus far he seems eminently capable of doing so?…that the CCO would like to encourage the dinosaur power brokers to get out of the Mayor Elect’s way and let him do what he people of Evansville elected him to do?

IS IT TRUE that there are members of the Evansville City Council who are beside themselves because the CCO published the powerpoint presentation that Hunden Strategic Partners made to the Evansville Redevelopment Commission regarding the vetting of the two hotel proposals?…that we had filed a Freedom of Information Act request to be supplied with this and other pertinent information and never concealed our intent to publish it at the first opportunity?…that this is information that was used to make a very expensive recommendation on the commitment of at least $8 Million taxpayer dollars?…that whomever conspired to keep this information secret so that the substance behind the rationale behind the recommendation may just be violating some sunshine laws?…that they probably aren’t but they are once again a poster child for SNEGAL (sneaky but legal) policy making?…that after having a look at the presentation that there are no smoking guns that rise to the level of secrecy for either of the bidders?…that by disclosing the powerpoint presentation that the people of Evansville now can form their own opinions about the ERC recommendation?…that all of the politicians who tout transparency and then do things like this are speaking with a forked tongue and do not need to serve in public office?…that we have even learned from City Councilman Curt John that everyone who got a copy of the materials was forced to sign a pact not to disclose or release the contents?…that we appreciate Councilman John’s honesty and candor?…that if that is transparency Evansville style, then Evansville has a thing or two to learn about transparency?

IS IT TRUE that the mutterings of Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear about expanding gambling in Kentucky have elected officials all over Indiana but especially on the borders in Evansville and New Albany hiding in the basement clutching their security blankets in fear?…that just the prospect that somewhere in Kentucky in a place that you bet on horses they may have a slot machine has our elected officials terrified of strengthening a smoking ordinance locally and statewide?…that OTB parlors in Indiana did not kill the live racing industry in Kentucky and that putting slots and video poker at racetracks will not kill casino boats?…that Governor Beshear’s posturing is just giving chicken feed to the chicken $#!+ elected officials in Indiana who probably do not have the courage of their own convictions or the will to do what they campaigned on anyway?

IS IT TRUE that Evansville City Councilman Curt John heard some news last night that made him smile so broadly that one might think he just won the lottery or got a “get out of jail” card?…that he is not prone to smile so big?…that soon it shall be revealed what made Councilman John so happy and why the assumptions that put that big smile on his face may not be as they seem?

IS IT TRUE? December 13, 2011 “Mayor Elect Winnecke gets another Ball & Chain”

IS IT TRUE that it has been well documented that the Weinzapfel Administration was saddled the incoming Winnecke Administration with an unholy trilogy of unfinished business?…that on Mayor Elect Winnecke’s left leg is that ball and chain labeled McCurdy debacle?…that on Mayor Elect Winnecke’s right leg is a ball and chain that carries the label the Executive Inn Dilemma?…that manacled to the left arm of Mayor Elect Winnecke is the ball and chain labeled Roberts Stadium?…that until last night Mayor Elect Winnecke at least had the use of his right arm to handle programs of his own creation?

IS IT TRUE that last night at the regular meeting of the Evansville City Council, the Director of the Department of Metropolitan Development, Mr. Tom Barnett took the stage accompanied by Luke Yeager of the Evansville Commerce Bank to affix yet another ball and chain to the right arm of Mayor Elect Winnecke?…that this time it is by introducing another Front Door Pride project that will consume resources of both the public and private sectors?…that by his own words Mr. Barnett has taught us that there are 8,000 residences in the City of Evansville that are in such a state of disrepair that they will require over $100,000 each to get them into livable condition?…that it has also been reported that the total number of abandoned homes in the City of Evansville now exceeds 10,000 and according to Mr. Barnett’s testimony before the City Council abandoning houses is a growth industry in Evansville?…that there have been SIX CENSUSES taken since the last time that the City of Evansville did not have a declining population?…that the population of the City of Evansville has been steadily shrinking since the late 1950’s?…that in such a place why on earth would anyone think that building 25 more houses makes sense?

IS IT TRUE that there are already 17 Front Door Pride houses that have been built at a cost of approximately $200,000 each?…that nine (9) of those homes are still on the market with many of them having been offered for sale at $135,000 or less for longer than a year?…that an Idea Home (and a very nice one at that) was built at a cost of between $400,000 and $600,000 depending on how one values “free” stuff and was sold to a member of the Evansville Redevelopment Commission for well under $200,000 in the same area?…that there are 40 rental units that are slated to be similar to the Front Door Pride homes that are scheduled to be built?…that given that there is not a vibrant market for homes, that what is really needed is a mass demolition project coupled with the eradication of criminal activity, and a dramatic upgrade of the neighborhood schools, we really wonder what the dickens spending nearly $5 Million to build 25 more houses will do for the area?

IS IT TRUE that at least this time the basics of clustering seems to have sunk into a few of the thick skulls that randomly dropped the first 17 houses in and around crack houses and parks full of crime?…that it is a shame that clustering was not done from the start and that the 40 pending rent houses were not slated to be owner occupied?…that even with 7 banks participating to the tune of $3.5 Million to make loans on the 25 proposed homes the risk will be borne by the taxpayers of Evansville?…that the key words “mortgages ready for the secondary market” are the clear signal that the bankers consortium will be cutting their risk and selling the 1st mortgages that they will be writing into the secondary markets, taking their fees, and whistling all the way back to the bank?…that it will be the second mortgages that will be held by the City of Evansville that will be at risk if the market does not materialize or hold value?…that given the history of the Front Door Pride program we must ask the question, “all out there who want to buy a house for $200,000 just like the houses that are not selling for $135,000 please announce yourselves”?…that we shall wait patiently while Mayor Elect Winnecke is fitted for this 4th ball and chain?

IS IT TRUE that Mayor Elect Winnecke only has a neck left for that 5th ball and chain that we are sure that the Weinzapfel Administration is crafting for him somewhere?…that Lloyd Winnecke was elected to further his own ideals and to breath accountability and transparency into the government of the City of Evansville?…that it would have been much more tasteful for soon to be Mayor Winnecke to have been able to make his own decisions with respect to the future of all of these balls and chains and a few other ideas that we are hoping he has the time, energy, and resources to implement?