IS IT TRUE? July 18, 2011 Special Evening Edition

IS IT TRUE that at this hour two and only two proposals to BUILD AND OPERATE a Downtown Convention Hotel have been submitted and are in the hands of Mr. John Kish, Project Manager?…that it is fully expected that these two proposals would be submitted?…that one of those proposals is from the Kunkel Group and the other is from the newly formed Prime Lodging LLC?…that most of Evansville has some familiarity with the Kunkel Group but that Prime Lodging LLC is a business that we who are interested all should get to know during the forthcoming VETTING PROCESS?

IS IT TRUE that Mole #3 tells us that Evansville City Councilman and Chairman of the Finance Committee John Friend has quietly been working behind the scenes to try to put together a group of 5 professionals made up from the current Evansville City Council, the Vanderburgh County Council, and the Evansville Redevelopment Commission?…that the purpose for this exercise has been to define a VETTING PROCESS and to put the responders to the hotel RFP through a rigorous VETTING PROCESS so that the dreaded third strike of failure does not whiz by the ERC once again?…that there are certainly 5 people between those 3 bodies that have the correct kinds of experience and academic background to do these tasks?

IS IT TRUE that Mole #3 furthermore tells us that the Mayor of Evansville has been cautious about embracing the VETTING PROCESS and that the Mayor has raised objections to some of the highly qualified professionals that could make this VETTING COMMITTEE an apolitical competent committee that could serve not only to VET the hotel responders but other things like the Arena Management Team as well?

IS IT TRUE that as far as the Downtown Convention Hotel is concerned, it may be too late in the game and too much of a political hot potato to put together a competent local VETTING COMMITTEE?…that if between the Evansville City Council, the Vanderburgh County Council, and the ERC if the “powers that be” cannot come to agreement on an objective and apolitical VETTING COMMITTEE that it may just be time to REACH INTO THE POCKETS OF THE TAXPAYERS OF EVANSVILLE and PAY FOR AN OUTSIDE PROFESSIONAL FIRM TO VET THE PROPOSALS?

IS IT TRUE that if there would have been a third party VETTING VENDOR two years ago that the City of Evansville and the Evansville Redevelopment Commission would not be sitting with egg on their faces looking like Curly, Larry, and Moe right now?…that some lessons are quite expensive to learn the hard way?…that the ERC should authorize whomever does the VETTING to teach a seminar in VETTING and that it should be required for elected and appointed officials to attend?…that NO PASS NO SERVE should be the mantra of Evansville going forward?

Today, Lloyd Winnecke, the Republican Candidate for Mayor of Evansville Released a plan that addresses specific shortcomings in the transportation infrastructure of the City of Evansville. In the plan called “Moving Evansville Forward”, Mr. Winnecke addresses the following 5 specific areas for improvement.

1. IMPROVING OUR CITY ROADS AND HIGHWAYS

2. INVESTING IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

3. FINISHING INTERSTATE 69

4. STRENGTHEN OUR AIRPORT

5. UTILIZE RAILWAYS

The full text of the plan is on the following link.
Moving_Evansville_Forward_Winnecke

Margaret McMullan, a University of Evansville professor of creative writing and the author of six novels, has won the top prize in the 2011 Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award program. This annual award recognizes the contributions of Hoosier authors to the literary landscape in Indiana and across the nation.

McMullan won the National Author category, which recognizes a writer who has Indiana ties but whose work is known and read throughout the country. The award includes a $10,000 prize.

“I am so honored to be named this year’s national recipient of the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award,” McMullan said. “I moved to Indiana about 21 years ago to teach at the University of Evansville, and I’ve grown to love this state, its people, and its strong literary heritage. I feel privileged and humbled to be a part of it.”

This spring, nominations for the Indiana Authors Award were submitted in the categories of National Author, Regional Author, and Emerging Author. From the pool of nominees, McMullan was selected as the National Author award winner by a 10-member, statewide award panel.

McMullan will be honored at the Indiana Authors Award dinner on October 29 in Indianapolis. She also will serve as the keynote speaker.

The Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award is a program of the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation and is funded through the Glick Fund, a fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation.

To learn more about the Indiana Authors Award, please visit www.indianaauthorsaward.org.

Source: evansville.edu

Tuition and fees for the next two academic years were set today by the University of Southern Indiana Board of Trustees at its regular meeting. Indiana undergraduate residents will pay just over $252 more in fees for the 2011-2012 academic year and $293 more in 2012-2013.

The credit hour fee was approved at $193.07 for Indiana resident undergraduate students for 2011-2012. It will change to $202.83 for Indiana resident undergraduate students in the next year.

Required by state law, a public hearing about the planned increase in tuition and fees for USI students was held on May 23, 2011. “The USI Board of Trustees is committed to providing affordable, quality higher education and has a history of maintaining an affordable fee structure,” said President Linda L. M. Bennett at the hearing. “USI is the most affordable baccalaureate-degree granting institution in Indiana.” There was no public response to the increases at that time.

The trustees also approved the 2011-2012 operating budget of $93.7 million. More than 54 percent of the budget is from state appropriations and 42 percent is from student fees, with three percent from other income. The budget will fund instruction and instruction-related costs, student services, and general administration and maintenance.

At the trustees? annual meeting, Ted C. Ziemer Jr. of Evansville was elected board chairman. Appointed to the board in July 2007, Ziemer has served as a member of the Long-Range Planning Committee and as a member and chair of the Finance/Audit Committee. He has represented the trustees on the USI/New Harmony Board of Directors (now the Advisory Board) since 2008.

As chairman, he replaces John Dunn of Evansville who has served on the Board of Trustees since 2006. Dunn was appointed chair in 2007. Under his chairmanship, the University appointed Linda L. M. Bennett as president upon the retirement of H. Ray Hoops. The trustees approved a resolution of appreciation to Dunn and applauded him for his dedicated service to the board and to the University.

Ziemer also has a strong record of service to the USI Foundation. Since 1976 he has been on the Board of Directors for the USI Foundation, which he chaired for six years.

New student trustee Susan Ellsperman attended the meeting. Recently appointed to the board by Governor Mitch Daniels, Ellsperman is a biology major with an emphasis in pre-medicine. She is from Newburgh, Indiana, and will graduate in May 2013. She is captain of the women?s soccer team and attends USI on the Harold W. Ashley Endowed Presidential Scholarship. With a 4.0 GPA, she was named to the 2010 soccer 1st team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference, 1st team All-Region, and 1st team Academic All-Region. She is the daughter of Michael and Melody Ellsperman of Newburgh.

Vice chairs for the year are W. Harold Calloway and Jeffrey L. Knight, both of Evansville.

Source: USI.edu

Time 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Subject COMMERCIAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
Location 318
Recurrence Occurs every Monday effective 7/4/2011 until 7/25/2011 from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM
Reminder 15 minutes
KATHIE HOLLEY @ 5228
Categories ROOM 318

Time 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Subject PORT AUTHORITY
Location 307
Recurrence Occurs the third Monday of every 1 month effective 7/18/2011 until 7/18/2011 from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Reminder 15 minutes
ROBIN HAYES
Categories ROOM 307

Time 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Subject CITY COUNCIL
Location 301
Recurrence Occurs every Monday effective 7/4/2011 until 7/25/2011 from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
Reminder 15 minutes
LYNN BUHR @ 4993
Categories ROOM 301

IS IT TRUE that before truly beginning to evaluate the two, three, or more bids that may show up today in response to the RFP for a new Downtown Convention Hotel that there needs to be some serious exercise in getting the evaluators act together?…that thus far Mayor Weinzapfel and the Evansville Redevelopment Commission which seem to be flying solo while blindfolded have wandered in a financial wilderness for a full year ending up right back where they started?…that prior to this year of chasing their tail there was a two year tail chasing episode with the Mayor alone at the helm in the rudderless ship?

IS IT TRUE that it is time for the Evansville City Council and the Evansville Redevelopment Commission to stop performing like an insane clown posse and to put together an objective financial criteria that will actually result in securing a developer that has both sufficient financing and the right experience base to get a nationally branded 3-Star or above hotel where the ROCK PILE currently sits?…that the days for gut feelings, rules of thumb, old boy networks, and cronyism are over?…that it is time for the City Council and the ERC to agree on an antiseptic vetting process that is based on merit and capability?…that the stewards of this process should be a committee that includes competent elected officials from both parties, independent thinkers who understand things like cash flows and good business practice, and most importantly are not puppets for anyone?

IS IT TRUE that if a 3rd, 4th, or 5th party comes to the table with a proposal after today’s deadline that there is no logical reason that their proposal should not be considered as a backup in the event that today’s bidders do not vet well?…that any business that would not consider back up offers for a process that has been as challenged as attracting and vetting a hotel developer has been would not even be considered to be competent?…that the “winner” does not need to be a rush to judgment?…that getting a hotel has always been more important than getting a headline?…that there have been more pictures of downtown Convention Hotel renderings in headlines in Evansville in the last several years than there are hotels in Evansville?…that the lack of a process has basically only resulted in articles and renderings and no hotel?…that the ink will get pretty acidic if this process fails yet again?

IS IT TRUE that any attempt by anyone to force a fast decision without a thorough VETTING PROCESS have been conducted should be removed from the decision team?…that assumes that there will be a decision team formed?…that early stage VETTING for the purpose of eliminating financially tenuous respondents really can be fairly simple?…that a competent and diligent VETTING COMMITTEE should do simple things like credit checks and supplier references in very short order?…that the real purpose of VETTING is to eliminate respondents that have such high risks that the probability for another debacle is high?

IS IT TRUE that tomorrow that the Evansville Redevelopment Commission will once again sit in judgment of the responses of any businesses that have chosen to put in a bid to BUILD AND OPERATE a downtown Convention Hotel that is slated to sit upon the land south of the new Arena and west of the Centre?…that one very real question regarding this bidding process is just why the ERC is the governing body that is sitting in such judgment?…that it may just be worth examining on what authority that the ERC is doing this and how and when that authority was granted?

IS IT TRUE that without regard for what authority has or has not been granted, it is time to put a rational objective process in place and let the process drive the decision?…the lack of objectivity and the failure to establish VETTING PROCEDURES has this car in the ditch?…that it is time to go back to driving school and change drivers?

IS IT TRUE that this dog should not be anyone’s role model?

IS IT TRUE? July 17, 2011

IS IT TRUE that in 48 hours that the Evansville Redevelopment Commission will once again sit in judgment of the responses of any businesses that have chosen to put in a bid to BUILD AND OPERATE a downtown Convention Hotel that is slated to sit upon the land south of the new Arena and west of the Centre?…that one very real question regarding this bidding process is just why the ERC is the governing body that is sitting in such judgment?…that it may just be worth examining on what authority that the ERC is doing this and how and when that authority was granted?

IS IT TRUE that presumptively this authority is was granted by the Evansville City Council to the ERC in 2009 with the passage of Resolution C-2009-20 and further detailed by the ERC that same month with 09-ERC-40?…that among other things the authorities granted included “supporting activities consistent with and in furtherance of the recommendations set out in the “Market, Financial, Funding, & Site Analysis – Multi Purpose Arena Venue in Evansville, Indiana” including undertaking feasibility studies, planning and design work, site acquisition, site preparation, infrastructure serving sites, site improvements either directly by the activities of the ERC or indirectly in combination with activities of private enterprises”?…that we wonder just which of those things that providing tax abatement and direct financial assistance to a private hotel developer that falls under?

IS IT TRUE that the Resolution C-2009-20 plainly states that “no property tax money will be used” in doing any of the things that the ERC was granted authority over?…that granting a tax abatement or phase-in as some prefer to call it does indeed use property tax money?…that the way it does this is by deferring property taxes for a developer?…that those dollars of property taxes are then distributed into the tax bills of the taxpayers of Evansville to the extent that any overall rate is increased for any of the years of the abatement?…that the only way to escape this Snegal little tactic is to have your property taxes maxed out against the 1% limit before the abatement takes place?…that the ERC does not appear to have the authority to make deals with tax abatements and that the permission granted for the tax abatement agreement that Woodruff Hospitality LLC was granted died when the agreement was rescinded?…that the structure of the deal for whomever rises to the top of the heap of bidders will have to once again go before the Evansville City Council for approval of any and all public assistance included in the package?

IS IT TRUE that it is tradition for political campaigns to seek donations from construction companies and trade unions?…that quite often these companies are the winning bidders in public works projects?…that many of these companies and the unions that they hire do indeed make donations to political campaigns?…that this is another SNEGAL artifact of our accepted way of paying for public projects?…that for a City to pay money to a company for doing a legitimate job and for that company to then donate to the campaign of any of the people who were in office at the time the bid was submitted is a two degrees of separation way to transfer public tax money into the campaign coffers of politicians?…that when such companies are granted tax abatements that any politician that receives a political contribution is basically getting that money from the taxpaying citizens?…that every construction company, subcontractor, union, or other benefactor of public works that later transfers money to a politician in the form of a contribution is part of a practice that runs the price of public projects higher?…that a better system would not allow such things to happen?…that direct payments for jobs are standard operating procedure in banana republics?…that is part of why we call them banana republics?…that this and other RFP’s should ask for a list of politicians that each responder has made in the last 3 years and FORBID any contributions to the campaigns of people who approved any tax abatements for the entire period of the abatement?

IS IT TRUE that we really wonder how a hotel became a public works project and exactly which budget this will be allocated to if and when public money is committed to private project?

IS IT TRUE that we wonder who is GLOBAL SPECTRUM and just why they were not a bidder to manage the new Arena?

Johnny Cash’s Tribute to Downtown Evansville: from one Johnny to Another

IS IT TRUE? July 16, 2011

IS IT TRUE that the question has been bantered about for the past few days about just who owns Aztar?…that there has even been a rumor put forth that Mayor Weinzapfel’s old nemesis William Yung III may be the money behind some of the proposals being put together in response to the RFP to build a new Convention Hotel where the ROCK PILE is?…that there has even been speculation that Mr. Yung may be doing this to have a full blown monopoly on hotel rooms in downtown Evansville?…that the only way for that to have any legs is for Mr. Yung and his company Columbia Sussex to still own the Aztar Complex?…that we then embarked upon a mission to find out just exactly who owns Aztar?

IS IT TRUE that our search led us to a company that is named Tropicana Entertainment Inc. that is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada?…that this business also owns casino complexes in Louisiana, New Jersey, Nevada, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Aruba?…that on March 31, 2011 that Tropicana Entertainment Inc. filed a Form 10-Q with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission which is a quarterly report required under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934?…that Tropicana Entertainment Inc. is a Delaware corporation with its federal employer ID # 27-0540158?…that TEI was formed on May 11, 2009 to essentially acquire and consolidate the operations of a host of businesses that were the subjects of litigation?…that buried in one of those business was Evansville’s Casino Aztar?…that Carl C. Icahn, Chairman of our Board of Directors, became the beneficial owner of approximately 47.5% of the Company’s Common Stock. Subsequent to March 8, 2010, Mr. Icahn increased his ownership and on November 15, 2010, affiliates of Carl C. Icahn became the beneficial owners of approximately 51.5% of the Company’s Common Stock?

IS IT TRUE that this 10-Q is a very detailed document that we have scanned for the names William Yung III and Columbia Sussex?…that neither name showed up in the 10-Q?…that we therefore conclude that Mr. Yung no longer holds a controlling interest in Evansville’s Casino Aztar?…that the name of the man who does own a controlling interest in the Aztar Complex is none other than that legendary financier and sometimes corporate raider Carl Celian Icahn?…that as of March 31, 2011, funds managed by Carl Icahn at Icahn Capital Management were valued at $6.24 billion?

IS IT TRUE that this is the kind of person that we should welcome to Evansville?…that if Mr. Icahn were to take an interest in Evansville’s potential as a incubator of commercial success that our much publicized vacuum of venture capital could be solved immediately?…that while it is fun and games for some people to demonize the rich that it is only the rich and super rich that have the capacity to put together the kind of investment funds needed to fuel the dreams and successes of entrepreneurs?…that this is one area of our economy where the judgment of governments is neither wanted nor needed?

IS IT TRUE that the rumor mongering about Mr. William Yung III being the money behind some proposal to build a hotel does indeed have some very small probability for truth?…that Mr. Yung and Columbia Sussex do indeed own and operate a large portfolio of hotel properties of the 3-Star and above type?…that they are familiar with the Evansville market and are only headquartered about 3 hours away?…that stranger things have happened in this whole Executive Inn Dilemma?…that we shall all know the sources of the funding IF and only IF our esteemed Evansville Redevelopment Commission and our Evansville City Council puts together a competent VETTING procedure and a team of people that actually have the ability to follow that procedure without letting politics corrupt the VETTING PROCESS?

A link to the entire 10-Q of Tropicana Entertainment Inc.

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1476246/000104746911004644/a2203844z10-q.htm

Hiatus Inspired Declaration of Emergency

Three days after walking off of the job at the Rock Pile that was the Executive Inn, Klenck Construction has been hired by Mayor Weinzapfel and the City of Evansville to finish the job. Both parties anticipate that a contract agreement can be reached on Monday and approved at the next meeting of the Evansville Redevelopment Commission on Tuesday. The certainty that the full taxing authority of the City of Evansville is backing the forthcoming contract was enough to get Klenck to agree to return to the Rock Pile. It is estimated that he remainder of the removal of the rubble will take about 3 weeks of work.