IS IT TRUE? September 6, 2011 Special Afternoon Edition

IS IT TRUE that the online poll held by the Courier Press yesterday posing the question, “How well do you think Evansville is positioned to bring jobs to the community” has been taken off of the front page and that the percentages have changed ever so slightly?…that at the time of writing that only 6% of the respondents are reported to have selected the answer “very well” when that was at 7% yesterday?…that the other 94% either chose “needs work” or “faces serious disadvantages” with a full 57% choosing “faces serious disadvantages”?…that there had been 358 votes cast and that it seems as though the people who responded have a good grip on the reality of Evansville’s present capacity to attract outside businesses?

IS IT TRUE that the Evansville Redevelopment Commission meeting tomorrow may shed some light on the short term intentions with respect to the McCurdy Hotel?…that if the agreement with City Centre Properties is rescinded for failure to perform that a chain of events may be started that results in an auction of the property to satisfy the 1st Mortgage held by 5th 3rd Bank?…that if this happens there is an overwhelming probability that the City of Evansville will lose the entire investment of $1,403,000 and that some other party will own the McCurdy?…that if this unfolds in this manner that there should be a thorough audit of the process that allowed such a thing to happen?

IS IT TRUE that the other option that is available to the Evansville Redevelopment Commission is the do nothing option that will effectively kick this can down the road to the next Mayor of Evansville to deal with?…that we are betting that scenario two will be chosen as politicians and their appointed officials will put a negative consequence off as long as physically possible?…that businesses in most cases would never have invested and then subordinated the investment the way the ERC did the McCurdy investment of the people of Evansville’s money?…that if any banker did this with their employers cash investment that this would be a banker looking for a job in something other than banking?

IS IT TRUE that it has now been 1,591 days since the announcement was made on May 14, 2007 that the McCurdy Hotel was to be refurbished into luxury apartments?…that it has now been 1,444 days since the Evansville Redevelopment Commission at the request of Mayor Weinzapfel approved the spending of $603,000 to purchase the parking lot?…that City Centre Properties and Scott Kosene the developers of the McCurdy project are both listed as contributors to the Weinzapfel for Mayor committee for 2010?

IS IT TRUE that in a short 61 days we will all know whether it will be Lloyd Winnecke or Rick Davis who will become the Mayor that will assume responsibility for executing the decisions that are playing out right now?…that that there are 114 days remaining in the Weinzapfel Administration?

IS IT TRUE that there are now 418 days remaining in the two years that the EPA had given the City of Evansville to present an acceptable solution to the Combined Sewer Overflow problem?…..that this plan is an expensive and complex endeavor that needs immediate attention to avoid the embarrassment and expense of another round of fines?

IS IT TRUE that a quick search of the rates offered at some Hyatt Place hotels across the country in medium sized cities opened our eyes to the pricing that can be gotten for such rooms in comparable places?…that the rates that that follow were the best prices obtained in a search for rooms on the travel website Expedia.com?…that rooms in the Boston suburb of Medford, MA start at $93.00?…that rooms in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa, AZ start at $75.00?…that rooms in Orlando start at $75.00?…that rooms in Raleigh, NC start at $71.00?…that rooms in Topeka, KS start at $89.00?…that rooms at the new Hyatt Place adjacent to the Indianapolis Airport are available for $89.00 on nearly every night that was checked?…that the highest quote that we found for any Hyatt Place was for a room in Louisville for $132.00 on a day when Churchill Downs in running, UL has a home football game, and the Idea Festival is going on?…that the same room can be had for $89.00 on most days?

IS IT TRUE that the survey of 200 people that was being done by GAGE to help Evansville find its identity should be available soon?…that we just can’t wait to see what those tax dollars have taught us about who we are as a people?…that we were reminded yesterday of something that we are as a people and that would be a group that loves to eat?…that there are only 27 days until the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival?…that as eating goes here is a tip for those who like wine and BLT’s?…that Sangiovese complements a BLT perfectly?

IS IT TRUE that this rapid weather change will be giving us all an opportunity to save some significant money on the next couple of month’s Vectren bills?…that with days and nights like this week’s forecast and typical autumn are from a temperature perspective there is no reason at all to have either heating or cooling on until the nights dip into the 40’s which sometimes does not happen until late November?…that the next two months is a great time to find out exactly what it cost to do the basics like heating water, powering appliances, and keeping the lights on?…that we encourage each and every one of our readers to take advantage of this opportunity to save a couple of hundred bucks this fall to make up for the expensive hot summer?

IS IT TRUE that tonight is expected to bring us the official adjournment of the joint meeting of the Evansville City Council and the Vanderburgh County Commissioners?…that tonight’s meeting starts a 30 day window of opportunity to review the consolidation plan and to make your concerns or support known to our elected officials?…that all indications are that this plan which will be proceeding to a referendum in 2012 unless changes are initiated in the next 30 days in its present form is very much a “trust us, we will find the cost savings later” version of what could have been if the committee members would have worn their “big boy pants” when putting the plan together?…that the tangible cost savings that are absolutely identified and in the plan are 3 less elected officials and a $30,000 raise for the Mayor?…that these bold and courageous moves will save each resident of Vanderburgh County about 40 cents per year?

IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer will be announcing the date for a PUBLIC POLICY FORUM this week?…that this forum will be an opportunity for businesses and citizens to express their opinions to the candidates for office on what they think should be done from a policy perspective to make Evansville a better place to live?…that 5 tables for 10 were secured based on word of mouth only in 2 hours last Friday?

IS IT TRUE? September 5, 2011 Special Evening Edition

IS IT TRUE that there was an online poll held by the Courier Press yesterday posing the question, “How well do you think Evansville is positioned to bring jobs to the community”?…that at the time of writing that only 7% of the respondents are reported to have selected the answer “very well”?…that the other 93% either chose “needs work” or “faces serious disadvantages” with a full 54% choosing “faces serious disadvantages”?…that even though there were only several hundred votes recorded, it seems as though the people who responded have a good grip on the reality of Evansville’s present capacity to attract outside businesses?

IS IT TRUE that 25 years after the death of Elvis Presley a poll indicated that 11% of the people surveyed believed that Elvis was still alive?…that is a full 57% more than believe that Evansville is very well positioned to bring jobs into the community?…that we have to wonder just how much of the “Kool Aid” that the 7% of the respondents who think that things are “very well” poised for Evansville to be a job attraction magnet have been drinking?…that even the most delusional of cock-eyed optimists should be able to realize that “needs work” is the most positive feasible answer that was in the survey?

IS IT TRUE that an Indiana State Championship is now beyond the grasp of the Indiana University football squad after their opening weekend to the Ball State Cardinals?…that with Notre Dame taking a home field thumping in a weather delayed game from South Florida and Purdue winning over Middle Tennessee by the skin of their teeth that the Indiana D-1 Football Championship might not mean much outside of Hoosier bragging rights anyway?…that the opening weekend performance of the Division 1 programs in Kentucky did not look much better?…that the always optimistic but seldom intimidating UK Wildcats played more like mildcats in their unearned 14-3 victory over the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers?…that only four teams in the entire country had a lower offensive output than UK did against a team that only won 2 games last year?…that the Louisville Cardinals also struggled to a 21-9 victory over instate FBS program Murray State setting up the battle for the Governors Cup in Lexington on September 17th?…that maybe there should be a matchup of the Indiana and Kentucky champions in a new bowl that is only played in years when no team from either state qualifies for a real bowl game?

IS IT TRUE that there are some people who are saying that the City of Evansville may be discussing jumping into the hotel ownership game?…that others are saying that the City of Evansville may be having serious discussions about being the bank (financier of last resort) for one of the groups that responded to the hotel RFP if the specified financing is not achievable?…that this is not a new idea as the City County Observer predicted over a year ago that the actual valuation of a 220 room hotel in downtown Evansville would make financing a deal privately very nearly impossible?…that we encourage the City of Evansville and the Evansville Redevelopment Commission to let the firms that you hired to do the VETTING do their job, make the results public, and then go forward in whatever way may become necessary to assure that a hotel is built?…that there is really no urgency to do so?…that we have waited 4 years for an achievable answer to this dilemma and that waiting a while longer to get this right will not be the end of the world?