IS IT TRUE? December 2, 2011

IS IT TRUE that there are actions that are expected and appropriate in the last days of any administration and that enjoying the last 30 days in power without the burden of dealing with big financial decisions is a perfect way for the Weinzapfel Administration to wind down?…that just yesterday Mayor Weinzapfel enjoyed the beautiful December day assisting with the planting of some Canadian Red Cherry Trees that were a gift to the City of Evansville from the Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee?…that Mayor Weinzapfel truly has been an advocate for beautification projects on the riverfront and that this activity is a great way for him to have spent yesterday?

IS IT TRUE that tribute parties by political friends is also a nice activity for outgoing member of any administration especially during the holidays?…that Old National Bank president Bob Jones hosted a going away party for Mayor Weinzapfel at the Evansville Country Club recently that was attended by Niel Ellerbrook and Ron Christian of Vectren, Ron Romain, Wayne Henning, elected officials Joe Kiefer, Marsha Abell, John Friend, and Missy Mosby, Judge and Rose Young, Alan Braun of Industrial Contractors, Mayor Elect Lloyd Winnecke and his wife Carol McLintock, Ed Hafer, Kathy Kleindorfer, Sara Miller and James Sandgren of ONB, along with other local luminaries and consultants who wished to give Mayor Weinzapfel a memorable farewell?…that parties like these are time well spent for an administration that is nearing its last day?

IS IT TRUE that we are sure that there will be more parties coming for Mayor Weinzapfel that may be hosted by his department heads, his staff, or even the Evansville City Council?…that we encourage lots of parties for the month of December?

IS IT TRUE that every hour spent planting trees, visiting schools, watching Christmas Parades, or attending parties is an hour that is not available to be used advocating for spending every available dollar in the coffers of the City of Evansville?…that the City County Observer wishes Mayor Weinzapfel well in the future and hopes that he enjoys his last 29 days in office without burdening himself with any pressure to sign a deal for a new downtown Convention Hotel or to jam through any special goodies for the McCurdy project, the Art’s District, or Front Door Pride?…that these programs are all in as good of shape as they can be (not to be confused with acceptable) to hand over to the Winnecke Administration?

IS IT TRUE that people seem to be coming out of the woodwork offering their services to the incoming Winnecke Administration?…that the latest to surface as the CCO predicted is former Evansville Mayor Russ Lloyd Jr. who has submitted his name for consideration as the City Controller?…that such a job is right in line with his skill set and that candidates like Russ Lloyd are a bright spot forming for the Winnecke Administration?…that lines are also forming in hopes of being appointed to the Vanderburgh County Commissioner’s seat that Mayor Elect Winnecke will be vacating?…that there are even people asking about the Vanderburgh County Council seat that is rumored to be vacated if Joe Kiefer gets his Christmas wish of moving into a Commissioners place?…that the CCO truly hopes that 2012 will be the start of something good and that all of this jockeying for positions is not just shuffling the chairs on the deck of the Titanic?

IS IT TRUE that to the surprise of many City of Evansville employees the lady who was second in command to Knight Township Trustee Linda Durham has been hired by the City of Evansville?…that many insiders are buzzing about this last minute hire with people coming down both against and in favor of this person?…that a recent call to the City Garage was answered by this lady?

IS IT TRUE? December 2, 2011

IS IT TRUE that the readers of the City County Observer have voted by a 25 to 1 margin to express the opinion that the Evansville Redevelopment Commission and the Weinzapfel Administration should formally end the agreement with City Centre Properties LLC for the refurbishment of the McCurdy Hotel?…that this does not mean that our readers want the clock to run out with no action?…that it certainly does not mean that our readers have any tolerance for another 30 day extension to kick this particular decision to the Winnecke Administration to unwind?…that this clearly means that what the readers of the CCO are looking for is for the Evansville Redevelopment Commission and the Weinzapfel Administration to take their medicine and start the process to unwind this stinking deal and to eat the costs associated with a project that was devoid of VETTING, SANITY, and FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT?…that this is the opportunity to BE THE ERC THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN and do what is right for the people of Evansville instead of a politically connected crony?… that the political donation train will certainly come to a stop but putting an end to this fiasco is the right thing to do?

IS IT TRUE that the 8th District Democrat Committee has decided to forgo the risk associated with a primary and to decide their nominee for the House of Representatives by caucus?…that the CCO christens this action and others like it as “THE RICK DAVIS EFFECT”?…that the Rick Davis effect is defined as what Democratic Party leaders do when faced with the proposition that someone who the Central Committee does not support will most likely win a primary that the Central Committee simply decides not to have a primary?…that is circumvents the will of the people?…that if the “RICK DAVIS EFFECT” was understood last year that there would have been no primary in Vanderburgh County?…that if the “RICK DAVIS EFFECT” had been understood that the OLD BOYS NETWORK of Vanderburgh County would have gotten together in a smoke filled room and anointed Troy Tornatta as the official Democrat candidate for Mayor of Evansville in 2011?…that it is a sin and a shame when the Democrat Central Committee thinks that registered Democrats are too stupid to make a competent choice for the party’s nomination for any office?…that caucuses are assembled for the very reason of keeping the so thought “brain dead” huddled masses from choosing a candidate?…that among other things that are dysfunctional the Democrat Party of SW Indiana clearly believes that their membership is incapable of making a decision that the PARTY BOSSES approve of?

IS IT TRUE that one of the positive attributes of a primary is to let the people VET the candidates?…that if there is one lesson that SW Indiana and especially the City of Evansville should have learned by now is that the people appointed by Democrats in power don’t know as much about VETTING as the Russians knew about democracy prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall?…that if one of the three candidates has a real problem that will throw the election like a BIMBO ERUPTION or DRUNKEN DRIVING, or even A SHOPLIFTING ARREST that the knucklehead Party Bosses have just hidden it until next summer?…that the Republican candidate will find any Herman Cain moments that this band of three may have?…that if the Democratic Central Committee wanted to anoint the Republican nominee for the 8th District Congressional seat that discarding the possibility of a primary is the perfect way to guarantee a Republican Victory?…that the Democrat organization in SW Indiana is disintegrating right before our eyes?…that yes they control the Evansville City Council but so what?…that ruling over the Evansville City Council has become a position akin to being “LORD OF THE FLIES”?… that this just amplifies the status of laughing stock of the State of Indiana that seems to be enjoyed by the Democrats of SW Indiana?

IS IT TRUE? December 1, 2011

IS IT TRUE that today is the first day of the last month of the Weinzapfel Administration?…that it is also the first day in which the Evansville Redevelopment Commission has no active extension in place with City Centre Properties LLC to turn the McCurdy Hotel into 90 luxury apartments?…that it is time for the ERC to fish or cut bait on this project?…that even in the simplest of games using a stick and a ball after three strikes you are out and this is the 4th Strike for both City Centre Properties LLC and the Evansville Redevelopment Commission in its present embodiment?…that we are all out here in taxpayer land wondering if a 5th extension will be granted or if this lingering deal will finally be unwound so the Winnecke Administration can start with a clean slate?

IS IT TRUE that we put up a song today in honor of the 4 year relationship between the ERC, the Weinzapfel Administration, and City Centre Properties?…that we chose the old country classic “Delta Dawn” to commemorate this day as the ERC today is waiting for City Centre Properties to “take them to their mansion in the sky”?…that the other and most pertinent line in “Delta Dawn” is where it says “people around here all say she’s crazy”?…that as one of the CCO comment writers stated this morning, “no one is going to come forward with an interest in the McCurdy as long as it has a SOLD sign in the front yard”?…that the best course of action to take right now to create interest in the abandoned building formerly known as the McCurdy Hotel is to unwind the deal, be done with City Centre Properties LLC, and pay whatever pittance may be required to once again have a clean title on the building to attract an investor?…that as the CCO has written several times, this building was made to be a hotel, will pro forma as a hotel, may actually have enough value as a hotel to cover the refurbishment costs, and would make a statement about downtown Evansville that another 90 apartments next to a flophouse never ever will?…that it is time to get serious and that we hope to see the Winnecke Administration do so in a financially sane way?

IS IT TRUE that American Airlines has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection?…that the official line is that customers should see no change in day to day travel?…that in today’s Wall Street Journal in an op-ed titled “The AMR Union Warning” that one of the biggest factors that is attributed to the bankruptcy of virtually the entire airline industry in the United States is the wage and benefit demands of the unions that represent the airline workers?…that United, Delta, and American, along with others have had their day in receivership and that the only airlines that are even close to financial health are the ones that were able to extract union concessions at the point of a judges gavel?…that one may ask, “what does this have to do with Evansville”?…that aside from the obvious fact that we have an airport that in 2012 Right to Work will be the most emotionally charged issue taken up by the Indiana Legislature?…that the airline industry is a poster child for the damage that can be done when unions and management butt heads?…that somewhere in the financial failure of American Airlines there may just be a kernel of knowledge regarding Right to Work?…that whether Right to Work is passed in Indiana or not we desperately need for our state to be seen as a place where business can prosper and people can enjoy a good lifestyle?…that getting this right is a key to reversing business departures, brain drain, and population shrinkage?

IS IT TRUE that November was the highest month ever for the CCO in terms of internet traffic?…that since the elections there has been some fall off but only to the levels of September which was a record month when it happened?

IS IT TRUE? November 30, 2011

IS IT TRUE that the CCO really tries to promote and encourage people to use the Evansville Regional Airport and to even pay a reasonable premium to do so?…that most of the time with some good shopping it works out better to do so?…that next week a trip that had to be scheduled to Southern California did not turn out to be one of those times?…that two round trip tickets from EVV to LA leaving on the 6th and returning on the 9th with only one stop were asking for $1,684 on American Airlines?…that similar flights out of Nashville were secured for $556.00 for two?…that the difference of $1,128.00 is enough to justify driving to Nashville and back?…that this is a sad situation but sometimes it does not work out to fly from EVV for a competitive price?

IS IT TRUE that the Indiana Democrat Party has pulled a Pilate on Democrat Evansville City Councilwoman Connie Robinson’s endorsement of Republican Mayor Elect Lloyd Winnecke in the last election?…that the determination of the Indiana Democrat Party is that this is not a state issue and that the 8th Congressional District Democrat Party is responsible for deciding if Councilwoman Robinson will have any consequence as a result of being a local Democrat officer and endorsing a Republican?…that if there is anything to be learned from this whole sordid series of events it is that Councilwoman Robinson has teeth and nerve but that the Indiana Democrat Party and the Vanderburgh County Democrat Party do not?…that we are betting that the 8th District Democrats will pull a Pilate and wash their hands as well leaving a free path for Councilwoman Robinson to continue to serve as an officer of the Vanderburgh County Democrat Central Committee and to seek the office of President of the Evansville City Council as she has announced intention to do?

IS IT TRUE that the Mayor of Lexington and his version of an Arena Taskforce have learned that a refurbishment project that will cost between $110 Million and $130 Million will bring Rupp Arena up to acceptable standards for the next 50 years?…that building a new arena to replace Rupp has been estimated to cost up to $325 Million?…that refurbishing the old arena will be saving the City of Lexington over $200 Million if they choose that route?…that the Lady Aces drew a crowd of 744 people to their game at the Ford Center yesterday while the Aces drew 3,462 to watch their victory over Alabama State?…that the average season attendance this year for both basketball teams and the Icemen will be of real interest?

IS IT TRUE that there will be 29 elections on the 2012 ballot for offices that range from Vanderburgh County School Board up to the President of the United States?…that all but 6 of these offices are local?…that with the fireworks at the statehouse over smoking and proposed Right to Work legislations we are expecting an adrenaline filled year?…that perhaps the 30th thing on the ballot will be the most important for the people of Evansville and Vanderburgh County to get right?…that will be the issue of whether or not to adopt the consolidation plan that has been put forth as our plan for the future?…that the CCO really wishes that the plan under consideration had some true compelling reasons for support?…that consolidation is a good idea but this plan really avoided doing anything that would have taken enough courage to piss off so much as a cockroach?…that even at that there may be reasons to consider it and that we are interested to hear exactly what our readers think those reasons are or are not?