IS IT TRUE June 8, 2012

IS IT TRUE there is something the CCO had pointed out yesterday that is one rather well developed talent of the Winnecke Administration and that this talent was attributed to Mayor Winnecke himself?…this talent is the talent to find a way out of difficult situations?…one of Mayor Winnecke’s first acts as Mayor was commission a complete review of the downtown Convention Hotel project that had been turned into a compromised and ill-defined mess by Mayor Weinzapfel and his minions in the Evansville Redevelopment Commission?…the end result of that effort is that today we are back to ground ZERO with none of the baggage that came with it?…the Earthcare Energy deal while a mess made by Mayor Winnecke is another example of what one may refer to as a “creative escape” from a self made albatross?…the McCurdy is now destined for private ownership?…that we do not think that this talent as a Houdini of creative escape is coincidence?…that the CCO does recognize and wants to acknowledge Mayor Winnecke’s adeptness at CHEATING THE HANGMAN when nooses have been slipped around his neck?

IS IT TRUE there is on very large and rotting albatross that is still hanging around the neck of Mayor Winnecke courtesy of the last hour shenanigans of Mayor Weinzapfel?…that albatross is called the Johnson Controls deal?…that once again Mayor Winnecke is faced with a card dealt to him from the bottom of the deck by Mayor Weinzapfel and he needs to put his best “Artful Dodger” hat on to dance through this $80 Million mine field?…it was not Johnson Controls that did this, it was the previous administration?…the Johnson Controls deal may turn out to be okay but that all private VETTING efforts are pointing to unverifiable savings at a significant enough level to justify having a very deep dive into the details of the deal?…if and we do mean if the details of the deal do not deliver what they have been advertised to deliver then this deal like the others can be terminated for cause without any negative consequence?…that we are cheering for you Mayor Winnecke?…we have faith that your talent at dodging bullets will serve you well if you surround yourself with a good VETTING TEAM and get this done?…the mine field is smaller than it was when you took office and that you are only a few more tiptoes through the exploding tulips that Mayor Weinzapfel left for you away from being able to be your own person?

IS IT TRUE the choices that Mayor Winnecke is making with respect to the $2.9 Million windfall that is now in the coffers of the City of Evansville are actually very good choices that will help the City do what it is supposed to do for its citizens?…that spending “found” money on sidewalks and safety infrastructure that are both NEEDED due to years of neglect are good choices?…saving the remaining $1.7 Million for future capital expense needs is also wise?…that such practical thrift should be the rule and not the exception across the board?…the CCO hopes to see more practical decisions that the City of Evansville can afford from the Winnecke Administration?…practicality will do away with the spend everything on games and temples to sport mentality of the Weinzapfel Administration?…things like an $8 Million park at Roberts Stadium and the proposed $2 Million Centennial Park albatross that is another holdover from the last administration are just not practical or affordable at this time?…fixing some of the parks that we already have like Garvin Park may be entirely affordable if the powers that be have the courage to maintain what we have as opposed to building new?…that existing parks are a terrible thing to waste?

IS IT TRUE Part 2 June 7, 2012

IS IT TRUE that Earthcare Energy has continued to perform as they are contractually required to do so with respect to the $200,000 loan that was approved without City Council knowledge (except for Connie Robinson who was on the loan committee) just before the self-congratulatory press conference at Park 41?…that in the two previous months Earthcare saw fit to pay $8,000 per month to retire some of the loan principle but the May installment was interest only in the amount of $381 as required for 24 months?…at this point it is safe to assume that Earthcare Energy can continue to make interest only payments for the next 21 months to keep this account current?…there is another little tidbit with respect to this loan that only requires that the principle be repaid when revenue is produced by Earthcare Energy from the Power Purchase Agreement that was used as collateral for the loan?…it is safe to assume that this number given the current state of confusion will be ZERO for the foreseeable future?…that it is even possible that if the loan agreement is sufficiently terrible as other documents have been that Earthcare may be able to keep making interest only payments in perpetuity (forever) and never have to pay back the City of Evansville?…that the City County Observer calls for the release of this loan agreement so the people of Evansville can see just how well their money is being managed?

IS IT TRUE that many among us are starting to put Earthcare Energy behind us as just another dumb butt attack by City of Evansville governance and may even be breathing a sigh of relief that this one was only a small mistake in terms of dollars and the big picture?…the deal made by Mayor Weinzapfel with Johnson Controls during his last days in power is an $80 Million deal that carries more risk, less accountability, and an ill-defined benefit?…as is becoming an Evansville tradition THIS DEAL WAS NOT VETTED EITHER?…there are private VETTORS much in the same spirit as City Councilwoman Stephanie Riley was on the Earthcare deal who are exposing many questionable claims in the nearly 300 page Johnson Controls deal?…that before selling a single bond or writing a single check this Johnson Controls deal needs to be professionally VETTED by someone of competence who is not beholding to the City or stands to benefit from Johnson Controls?…that VETTING this proposal will probably cost much less than the $105,000 that Hunden Strategic Partners has billed the City of Evansville regarding a downtown Convention Hotel that is thus far only VAPOR?

IS IT TRUE City Councilman John Friend, CPA has been advocating for a VETTING fund for over a year now and it is time for him to start demanding that VETTING efforts be funded and done before bringing any resolution forward to fund any capital project at all?…Councilman Friend’s squawking did not stop the ERC from getting a hotel deal through the City Council on 3 different occasions and did not stop the City Council from voting 5 – 4 to make a $4.8 Million loan to Earthcare Energy?…that it seems as though the elected representatives of the City of Evansville from the Mayor’s office to the Council, to the appointed boards and surrogates do not have the sense to VET nor the willingness to pay for VETTING with the sole exception of the hotel that was only VETTED when the CCO and the public exposed it for being delusional?…it is time to start taking the spending of taxpayer dollars seriously and the people who have acted cavalier or obstructive to VETTING efforts need to get busy and support good stewardship of public money?

IS IT TRUE June 7, 2012

IS IT TRUE that Indiana State Republican Convention is dealing with a bit of a tempest in its teapot that is coming from within?…there are a formidable number of party members who have sent a letter to every state delegate regarding the duty that they have to nominate and vote for national delegates who will then cast their votes in the Republican National Convention for president and vice president of the United States?…this letter demands that the pre-selected slate of national delegates that often find themselves getting appointed without challenge to be national delegates?…this group which is leaning independent and may have a slight bit of tea in their blood would prefer to see an open convention where there are no anointed delegates slated by the party to get the rubber stamp of national delegate without challenge or discussion?…as this is shaping up to be the “year of the independents” as evidenced by what just happened in Wisconsin that the Indiana Republican Party would be wise to adopt this open convention policy and embrace as many of these non-partisan party members as they possibly can?

IS IT TRUE that on a more local level Mayor Winnecke has made his choice about what to do not only with Roberts Stadium but with the 37 acres that make up the Roberts Stadium complex?…as many people have expected since Mayor Weinzapfel lent his silent support to the $18 Million ball fields project that the decision regarding Roberts would involve demolition?…demolition is precisely the first part of what Mayor Winnecke has chosen to do?…this demolition given the rest of his idea would also involve tearing out the parking lot so that at the end of phase one from Swonder to the Soccer Field would be simply 37 acres of stripped earth?…that the budget that the City of Evansville has to contribute to the demolition of Roberts this year is exactly $200,000?…that we should have all known when a budget was made that was pegged to a supposed quote to demolish Roberts that the time spent by the citizen committee would be wasted?…that several members of that committee other than Jordan Baer who has been quite vocal are feeling used and ignored but that is a story for another day?

IS IT TRUE Mayor Winnecke told us all yesterday that his choice for the 37 acres would be to make it a park that will include a lake, trails, a dog park, and places for bicycles and skateboards?…that sounds remarkably similar to Garvin Park with a skateboard ramp?…that this dream does sound like it will be pretty and will add to the green space in the City of Evansville?…the Mayor also revealed that he did much of the research himself and even spoke to some teenagers who said they would like a skateboard park?…the cost to do this is estimated to be between $6 Million and $8 Million?…that as nice as the mental pictures of this park may form in the mind’s eye there is the nagging question of how to pay for these improvements and how can a city that still cannot manage to mow and collect garbage in the 2,300 acres of parks that it has consider an expansion?…this mental picture is more like a hillbilly with 15 broken down cars in the front yard coming home with a shiny new Cadillac?…however you paint this picture Evansville has not proved itself worthy of a new park when it can’t seem to take care of the ones that it has?

IS IT TRUE that if it is legally possible the least expensive and most revenue generating potential for the Roberts Stadium site is to return it to commercial use?…before starting all of this improvement that a city that can’t maintain a fire truck and remediate mold in a dressing room clearly can’t afford should seriously consider offering Roberts Stadium for sale without restriction for a period of time not to exceed 6 months?…if no one comes forward to purchase Roberts in that time period then let the demolition begin?…after demolition that another attempt should be made to sell the land?…that if after all of that, if not one investor shows any interest at all then it will be time to plant wildflowers and dream of a day when Evansville can afford luxuries like million dollar skateboard ramps, manicured dog parks, and another lake like the one at Garvin?…in the meantime there is a perfectly good design already in place that would return Garvin Park to its former brilliance?…this guy has seen the drawings and is willing to bet a lunch that Mayor Winnecke has too?