IS IT TRUE that the closing lines from yesterday’s IIT Meatloaf song are a perfect ending for the final bow of the puppet council and the state the Evansville finds itself in?…that those words are “it was long ago and it was far away but it was so much better than it is today”?…that could apply to Evansville’s parks, or budget, our roads, our economy, our crime rate, our suicide rate, and of course our drug related problems?…that there is much to do in the wake of 8 years without transparency or accountability?…that Mayor Weinzapfel may have been much better if he would have had wisdom and honesty for Council to prevent the hubris of the illusion of a landslide from blinding him to the truth of who his master should have been?…that master should have been the people of Evansville?

IS IT TRUE that in this Christmas season there are 81 homes listed in the record of houses that are to be offered up at the January Sheriff’s Auction?…that these transfers of property are highly probable to make up on the order of half or more of all residential real estate that will change hands in Vanderburgh County last month?…that we have been advised before that these transactions are not included in the “official” records of homes sold?…that the CCO finds it disturbing and ironic that in a number of the notices that the banks that have initiated the legal proceedings that lead to a Sheriff’s Auction are the very same banks that were bailed out by the United States government?

IS IT TRUE that former President of the United States Bill Clinton in his new book speaks out on a couple of subjects with plans and opinions to get America back to work that would be well accepted in conservative Republican surroundings?…that President Clinton acknowledges that America cannot prosper without doing a much better job of eliminating long term debt and balancing the federal budget?…that President Clinton also favors allowing free markets in the health insurance business instead of closed markets within state borders?…that if he favors this approach for insurance that maybe he would also support open grid free market competition in the utility industry?…that if he could do such things by working with a Republican congress as he did in cooperation with then Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich during his presidency that the country would begin to heal much faster and may actually be sustainable?…that the CCO endorses a three month vacation for President Obama so that President Clinton can take over in his absence and repair these three things?

IS IT TRUE that one of the interested parties in doing something with the McCurdy has been identified by the Evansville Redevelopment Commission as the “MYSTERY DEVELOPER”?…that this may or may not be an improvement on the previous “MISERY DEVELOPER” that spent 4 years needing only one signature to get started?…that the “MAGICAL MYSTERY DEVELOPER” is not one of the people who has contacted Mr. Joe Wallace who published an article that makes a financial case for the McCurdy as a hotel but dismissed the apartment concept based on valuation and market rate rents?…that it will be quite interesting to see the rent and occupancy assumptions of the “MAGICAL MYSTERY DEVELOPER” to analyze just what numbers have to be stuck into a pro-forma to make a case to turn the McCurdy into apartments?…that the downtown Convention Hotel while challenging with reasonable assumptions works very well at $250 per night and 80% occupancy?…that pipe dreams seem to have a long life here in river city?

IS IT TRUE? December 20, 2011 Part 2

IS IT TRUE that the McCurdy Hotel was back on the agenda of the Evansville Redevelopment Commission today?…that this time there was a discussion of the represented fact that there is another developer that has signed an agreement with City Centre Properties LLC to replace City Centre Properties LLC as the lead developer for the McCurdy project?…that attorney for the ERC Brad Salmon will not share with us who the supposed two interested developers are and did not even state whether the project will continue to be for apartments or for a Vintage Hotel that actually has a chance for financial success?…that this is of course the same Brad Salmon who advised us all that the financing for City Centre Properties LLC was in order and ready to go only a week before learning that it wasn’t?

IS IT TRUE that the ERC states that City Centre Properties will be responsible to pay the City of Evansville back the $800,000 incentive that was advanced to them for 80 loft apartments as part of the downtown loft program incentive offer if the subcontract deal falls through?…that if the ERC and their attorney really believe that is a realistic possibility then they need to do some basic investigation with respect to the ease with which an LLC can be placed into bankruptcy?…that the ERC is at the mercy of the successful assignment of some contract and the approval of 5th 3rd bank that holds superior debt on the building to even come away with a shred of dignity to hang their hat on?…that when it comes to old buildings that are not producing cash flow that getting a judgment is one thing and getting a dime is quite another?

IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer is quite aware of one investment group that is interested in going forward with a project that will be called McCurdy Place that will return the McCurdy Hotel to its former glory as a hotel and even utilize the flophouse formerly known as the Riverhouse and Jackson House for some constructive purpose as part of the project?…that the location would be quite perfect for tourists to enjoy downtown Evansville, Casino Aztar, the Museums, and the riverfront?…that this is the kind of project that takes vision and courage to implement but the impact can be quite high?

IS IT TRUE that there was no mention of the new hotel or the Kunkel Group in today’s ERC meeting?…that at last night’s meeting of the Evansville City Council that there was indeed discussion about two properties that Kunkel has not paid real estate taxes on due to the fact that they are appealing the valuations?…that one of those properties that is being appealed is the old Whirlpool facility that is assessed for over $10 Million even after Kunkel bought it for about $2.7 Million?…that as per the Indiana Constitution Kunkel will win this appeal which will reduce the taxes from over $300,000 to under $100,000?…that similarly the Walker Building was bought for $10 and with market rate assessment will be set at what they paid for it?

IS IT TRUE that this writer just ran PCMatic that is designed to optimize computers to get as much speed as possible from a computer with the infrastructure available?…that this computer is on a local wireless network and is paying for the best internet service available in Newburgh, IN?…that after putting the computer through a workout that the performance testing website www.speedtest.net was run to see how the speed stacks up?…that this site tested the speed of the overall system to be a D- on both national and global scales for upload and download speeds?…that as long as people and businesses in greater Evansville are only capable of a D- in this critical piece of infrastructure that is needed for doing jobs that required interaction with the outside world.

IS IT TRUE that the “last dance of the puppet council” went off last night just as expected with Councilman Dan McGinn recording the only NO vote on a resolution that was characterized as being non-binding and having no legal standing whatsoever for the purpose of expressing support for a memorandum of understanding that explicitly states that it is, you guessed it, non-binding and with no legal standing?…that if and we do mean if the words of the Evansville City Council, the attorney for the Kunkel Group, and even the written words of the MOU are true one must really wonder what was the point to the last four days of urgency?…that if this little exercise had no meaning beyond expressing a willingness to work together in the future to get a hotel built that this was truly an exercise in futility for the sake of futility?

IS IT TRUE that the CCO and others suspect that other actions will be furthered by the Weinzapfel Administration in its last 11 days that will result in a “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED” moment for Mayor Weinzapfel?…that we furthermore expect that the whole urgent circle jerk was not as futile as the participants are portraying it to be?…that if and we do mean if the City Council and all of the supporting cast of characters in this so called meaningless charade are truthful that they have been indulged, the media has provided the desired adoration, and without further adieu the Winnecke Administration can get on with the business of hammering out a deal that can really ACCOMPLISH THIS MISSION that the Weinzapfel Administration has failed miserably with?

IS IT TRUE that in the “POLITICAL MACHINE LOVE FEST” that followed the final vote of the puppet council, Councilwoman Connie Robinson actually called Councilman Curt John “THE GODFATHER”?…that she actually said it two times while expressing brotherly love and giving him a hug to go with his service plaque?…that we wonder if Councilwoman Robinson has ever seen “THE GODFATHER” and if she knows that “THE GODFATHER” is a behind the scenes manipulator who directs criminal activities including, assault, extortion, theft, gun running, drug running, racketeering, election rigging, politician buying, gambling, prostitution, and even murder all for the purpose of acquiring a lavish lifestyle and maintaining control of his neighborhood?…that the CCO hopes that Councilwoman Robinson was not using the term “GODFATHER” in the same context that nearly any American or Italian understands it to mean about outgoing Councilman Curt John?

IS IT TRUE that in closing that the CCO wishes to include a song that is very reminiscent of the events of the last 4 days that culminated in last night’s vote by Evansville’s chosen ones (sans Councilman McGinn) enthusiastically chanting “AYE” for a supposed non-binding and unnecessary resolution that has no legal standing at all?…that Meatloaf could have written the words to “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” just for the Evansville City Council’s showboating self love fest last night?…that for those of you who have forgotten the song is about two teenagers rationalizing saying the words that just had to be said for them to justify their actions?

Ain’t no doubt about it we were doubly blessed! Enjoy the Meatloaf!