IS IT TRUE that something most unusual happened at last night’s meeting of the Evansville City Council?…this one was so unexpected and unorthodox that it sort of left the members of the council and the gallery speechless?…that City Councilwoman Stephanie Riley who put in over 100 hours of personal time doing the research that eventually helped Mayor Lloyd Winnecke face the reality that the Earthcare deal needed to be ended did not show up to cast a vote on her own resolution to effectively de-fund the loan that was previously passed by a razor thin one vote margin?…that not only did Councilwoman Riley not make it to the meeting to cast a vote which sometimes happens to all members of the Council, but this time City Council President Connie Robinson played the role of emissary for Councilwoman Riley?…that on the WORD (not a letter or official notice of withdrawal) of President Robinson that Councilwoman Riley wanted to withdraw the resolution that she worked so hard on Riley’s resolution was withdrawn on a 5 – 3 vote along the same lines that the loan approval was passed?…that rescinding a resolution on the WORD of a Councilwoman as opposed to on the WORD of the person who sponsored the resolution or any written document of any kind is a new “BUBBAVILLE” low for this elected body?…that if we as a people are going to allow one member of the council to speak for another and then proceed to vote on a resolution based on hearsay alone then we have sunk to a low that the Soviet Politburo never even sunk to?

IS IT TRUE that in spite of the racist rants of a member of the audience designed to denigrate Councilwoman Riley’s work to expose what a real vetting process would have exposed in the first place that City Councilman Dan McGinn stood up in support of Councilwoman Riley’s work?…that he was joined by Councilman Al Lindsey who still is not convinced that the Evansville City Council should be playing banker and by Councilman John Friend, CPA who has consistently opposed the Earthcare deal on its failure to make a coherent and consistent case for the business as an investment?

IS IT TRUE that the antics of “The Five” of the City Council who have once again pulled a Neville Chamberlain imitation of APPEASEMENT OVER THOUGHT when it comes to allocating the money of the people of Evansville?…that in the long run since Mayor Winnecke has seen the light and has committed to not go forward with the Earthcare deal that last night’s DANCE OF THE DUMMIES will have little impact on the overall outcome?…that is unless President Robinson shows up and SAYS that Mayor Winnecke wants to go forward after all and she can get the right people to believe her?

IS IT TRUE that the Earthcare deal is still on life support and is not contractually dead yet because no releases or rescissions have been signed by Mayor Winnecke and the management of Earthcare?…Earthcare is still holding onto $184,000 of the $200,000 that the City of Evansville advanced them before VETTING the deal?…this FUBAR will be over when it is over on paper and not one hour before as there are plenty of loopholes in the contract signed by both parties to merit some settlement?…that 2012 looks to be shaping up to be christened as “WORD OF MOUTH YEAR” in the City of Evansville to commemorate the sloppiness in deal making and voting by our elected city government?

IS IT TRUE that the things that elected officials are allowed to get by with in Evansville, Indiana without any accountability is simply mind boggling?

IS IT TRUE June 25, 2012

IS IT TRUE

that yesterday’s addition problem that makes it clear that the City of Evansville is floating on a need to spend $2.5 Billion to effectively do what is expected to minimally be considered a to be a City is a sobering thought?…that a less expensive way to deal with much of the problem of Tom Barnett’s Billion dollar dilapidated house issue and much of the $500 Million Combined Sewer Overflow mandate was brought up at a meeting in Innovation Pointe back in 2007?…this solution that has the potential to save nearly $1 Billion fell not only on deaf ears but on deaf ears attached to aggressive opposition from the then powers that be?…that tearing down all 8,000 of the dilapidated houses at about $5,000 each according to Mr. Barnett’s cost to demolish estimate would only cost $40 Million and the rat traps would be gone…that there is no demand for the housing anyway so demolition is the right solution until basic services can be secured for the entire City?…that many of those 8,000 (probably up to 10,000 by now) are in the areas that suffer from having Combined Sewers?…that the elimination of those houses and rezoning to non-residential will eliminate the need to replace the combined sewers on a block by block basis?…that if a large area of the City that is both dilapidated and on the CSO system can be relieved of the burden of these old crap houses that some of the sewers can just be sealed and never used again?…that some other cities have done such things and saved improvements that would have never paid off anyway?…the powers that be in Evansville in 2007 looked as if they had seen a ghost when faced with that suggestion?

IS IT TRUE that Mayor Winnecke’s appointed General Manager of the City of Evansville’s Water and Sewer Utility has been in the news lately opining upon the $80 Million Johnson Controls contract that was signed by Mayor Weinzapfel during the final days of his reign?…this contract was supposed to pay for itself through savings and therefore has an easier route to ratification and acceptance?…that since that signing this contract has come under much scrutiny from Evansville City Councilman John Friend, CPA and private vetting efforts?…these private efforts seem to have exposed accounting standards that are let’s just say unique to this contract in their treatment of construction interest?…that much of the savings are undefined and are basically stipulated to as true without testing or even definition?…the pro-forma assumes a 2.8% increase in water and sewer rates per year for the next 20 years to even eke out a minor on-paper savings of less than 1% of the investment?…the once banker and never utility operator Mr. Mounts has been on TV stating that in his opinion this Johnson Controls contract is valid and must be honored?…that we would respectfully like to know if Mr. Mounts acquired his law credential from aisle 420 in WalMart?…the Johnson Controls contract has been challenged by some learned people with more appropriate credentials and that this deal is for attorneys to hash out so that the people of Evansville are well served as opposed to simply being serviced as has been the case in recent history?

IS IT TRUE that paid positions that are appointed are in many cases what are commonly referred to as patronage jobs?…that all cities seem to have a job or 10 reserved for cronies and political supporters that require no credential and have minimal responsibility?…that if there are to be patronage jobs that the City of Evansville and other cities would be well served to make sure that the people appointed to patronage jobs are not even allowed to do anything?…patronage is but one of the problems facing this city and this nation right now?…we cannot afford the luxury of patronage any more than we can afford to buy gold plated toilet paper rolls, $700 hammers, and $2 Million ballfields?…the party is over for the time being and it never should have started in the first place?