IS IT TRUE: Part 2 August 25, 2011

IS IT TRUE that it seems as though the VETTING PROCESS for the downtown Convention Hotel is going to slip its unpublished schedule by at least a week?…that yesterday was supposed to have been the day of face to face vetting for the second responder?…that yesterday’s meeting has been rescheduled for next week?…that the City County Observer will maintain its silence on the merits of the proposals themselves including expressing any opinions with regard to the analysis that we posted yesterday that was sent to a large number of local officials yesterday by Prime Lodging?…that for those readers that are interested we have made this analysis available to you at the following link?…that we would welcome a comparison analysis of the two proposals by the Kunkel Group and would publish any analysis that they choose to provide us with without edit, opinion, or bias?

https://city-countyobserver.com/2011/08/24/prime-lodging-provides-officials-with-comparative-analysis/

IS IT TRUE that an examination of the 2009 campaign contributions to the “Weinzapfel for Mayor” effort lists a contribution from London Witte in the amount of $9,000?…that contribution along with the $8,500 that they contributed to Mayor Weinzapfel’s campaign in 2010 brings the two year total to $17,500?…that London Witte was the financial consultant on the Ford Center proposals?…that we do not have records of either the amount that London Witte was paid to advise the City of Evansville on the Ford Center project nor has the amount that is being paid for the VETTING PROCESS been disclosed by the ERC?

IS IT TRUE that Steve Jobs has resigned from Apple due to his health?…that Jobs along with his childhood pal Steve Wozniak started Apple in a garage in Cupertino, CA?…that through continuous innovation and implementing vision that Steve Jobs saw what is now the second highest valued business in America at $350 Billion spring from his parents garage?…that the headquarters of Apple Computer is still at 1 Infinite Loop in Cupertino, CA, the town where it was founded on April Fool’s Day of 1976?…that there was much Angel and Venture money in the early years used to get Apple going?…that Apple’s board dispensed with Jobs for a time in the mid 80’s but eventually found that without vision and passion that corporate structure in a creative industry was incapable of prospering?…that Steve was invited back to Apple and that his triumphant return has been marked by vision, creativity, and financial success?…that Apple employs nearly 50,000 people and has been named the most admired company in America for 3 years running?

IS IT TRUE that the 1985 Apple Super Bowl party outside Stanford Stadium was a blast and this writer’s opportunity to party with Steve and Woz?…that we and our nation shall miss the vision, innovation and the fearless entrepreneurial spirit of Steven Jobs?…that if President Obama or any other politician at any level really was serious about learning what wealth creation and job creation is all about that Steve Jobs would be much more valuable that the CEO of GE?

IS IT TRUE that in after hours trading yesterday that the value of Apple dropped by $10 Billion on the news that Jobs was retiring?…that 35 years ago in the town of Cupertino two irreverent and clever guys set out to make a toy for themselves?…that this toy is the machine that changed the world?…that the infrastructure, the capital, the talent, the markets, and the lifestyle that Steve and Woz needed to make Apple happen was in place in Cupertino in 1976?…that Apple is a homegrown corporate headquarters that is less than 5 miles from the garage in which it was started?…that if and only if all of these things are available can a wonderful story like this play out in an American medium sized city?

IS IT TRUE that both Steve and Woz were Wayseers before the Wayseers know it?

IS IT TRUE that the subject of the value and competitiveness of the Evansville Regional Airport comes up from time to time with respect to our regions attractiveness to businesses with customers that are further away than a reasonable drive?…that would include just about any business other than locally owned in-person service businesses?…that everyone seems to agree that an airport with competitive pricing and a reasonable flight schedule would be a good thing for business and tourism?…that it is business followed by tourism that will either lead this region out of the recession or not?…that a study was released today regarding the competitiveness of the nation’s 100 largest airports?…that Evansville did not make the list of the 100 largest airports so a good goal would be to use the statistics reported and see what it will take to actually get our EVV onto the list of the largest 100 airports?

IS IT TRUE that the there seems to be two indicators of non-competitiveness in airports from the perspective of good pricing?…that one of those is being a hub airport that is dominated by a single carrier in what could be called a “localized monopoly”?…that very large airports that are localized monopolies like Houston’s Bush Airport, Cincinnati, Washington Dulles, and Dallas-Fort Worth all made the most expensive list with average fares that exceed $430 per flight?…that the average of all of the largest 100 is $356 so that $430 and up amounts to a 21% premium to feed the monopoly?…that Houston Bush at $477 is a 34% premium to the average and a full 169% ahead of the small Atlantic City Airport that won the award for least expensive flights of the largest 100 airports?

IS IT TRUE that the other indicator of non-competitiveness is exemplified by the #2 most expensive Huntsville, AL airport?…that the kiss of death for Huntsville is that it is a small market with no economy carrier like Southwest Airlines and is an easy drive to two big airports (Nashville and Birmingham) that offer very competitive fares?…that the situation at Huntsville describes the situation right here in Evansville?…that the article went on to state that a traveler could usually save $100 by driving for 2 hours, get more convenient flights, etc. etc. etc.?…that the Huntsville airport’s dilemma’s in establishing competitiveness sound very much like EVV’s challenges?…that it would be interesting to see the numbers for EVV and get a feel for exactly where we would be if we were in the largest 100?

IS IT TRUE that Huntsville, AL went after the Volkswagen plant that eventually chose Chattanooga with a vengeance?…that Huntsville officials consider their non-competitive airport as a factor that lead to Chattanooga being chosen over Huntsville?…that Evansville has felt that sting before when Mead Johnson Nutritionals chose Chicago for their headquarters over Evansville where they have had a substantial operation for about a century?…that EVV officials know these things and that the important piece of information that we wish to convey is to the people of Evansville?

IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer encourages people and businesses here to use the Evansville Airport (EVV) whenever possible even if the fare is a little higher and it means having a three hour layover instead of a one hour layover?…that if you think things are a little higher and more challenging now, imagine life without an airport?…that without a local airport with commercial service that we may actually lose existing jobs and future opportunities?…that when you think about it, paying an extra $100 to support EVV as opposed to driving 6 hours and paying more for parking is not even a great economic decision?…that we do understand if you are a family of 5 or if there is a 20 hour layover that money and convenience dictates your decision?…that we stand by our encouragement to use EVV and believe that a $100 or even in some cases a $200 premium is WORTH IT?

IS IT TRUE that the burning house on Read Street Monday night that occurred just hours after the Evansville City Council passed a resolution asking the State of Indiana to pass legislation to make pseudo ephedrine based medicine covered by prescription only has now caused some COLLATERAL DAMAGE?…that COLLATERAL DAMAGE is what it is called when a big problem in one place causes a different problem elsewhere?…that in the case of the Read Street house fire that the house right next door happens to be a Crisis Pregnancy Center that serves women who need their services?…that this Crisis Pregnancy Center is now closed indefinitely due to the fire next door?…that the heat has damaged the Center, has distributed debris all over the lot and will now require repairs and cleanup before re-opening?…that we hope that this fire was not meth related because sometimes meth related fires cause environmental toxicity well beyond their confines?…that meth related house fires can have the COLLATERAL DAMAGE effect of causing three or even more houses to become uninhabitable?…that this just underscores that the Evansville City Council is on the right track and that Senator Jim Tomes is the deer in the headlights on this subject?

IS IT TRUE that speaking of houses that the issue of INVENTORY MANAGEMENT needs to be considered by the candidate for Mayor of Evansville as they ponder what to do about the Front Door Pride program and other public housing construction that is under consideration?…that at any given time there are between 2,000 and 2,500 houses on the market in the Evansville area?…that the private sales per year has recently been in the 1,500 to 2,000 range?…that Evansville by some measures has 8,000 homes that are dilapidated to the point that they are economically unfeasible to repair?…that in addition to that there are about 2,000 to 2,500 homes that are unoccupied due to abandonment or lack of demand?…that when all of the empty homes and for sale homes (some of which are empty) are counted up the Evansville area has a 6 to 10 year inventory of homes that are available?

IS IT TRUE that the overwhelming majority of these empty homes are in the City of Evansville?…that the population of the City of Evansville even including annexation has been shrinking by about 500 people (250 households) per year for 50 years?…that the loss in population (25,000) corresponds nearly exactly to the abandoned households (12,500)?…that Evansville’ problem with dilapidated and abandoned houses can be traced directly to the shrinking population which can be traced directly to the loss of jobs?…that the last thing that a competent retailer would do with a 10 year inventory of any product would be to add to the inventory?…that is exactly what the City of Evansville has been doing?…that inventory liquidation or elimination by whatever means is necessary is what a competent business owner who wants to stay in business would do if faced with a 10 year inventory?

IS IT TRUE that many of Evansville’s legacy problems like the abandoned house problem will be solved by private investment if the local economy is fashioned into an atmosphere that inspires private investment that will in turn create desirable career opportunities?…that is another word for JOBS?…that we encourage our candidates for Mayor and City Council to concentrate on what will solve our problems as opposed to what may hide a legacy problem?

IS IT TRUE that the President of the United States has installed the CEO of GE as his head of job creation?…that GE is a big exporter of American jobs to other countries?…that GE has just announced a partnership with China to make commericial jets?…that Boeing just put in a new commercial jet facility in South Carolina that is being harassed by the government of the United States largely because South Carolina is a right to work state?…that for the Presdient to put the CEO of GE in charge of job ceation for America makes about as much sense as if the Mayor of Evansville put the CEO of Whirlpool in charge of creating jobs in Evansville?