The Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development today responded to the Freedom of Information Act request made by the City County Observer with respect to the Vetting of the downtown Convention Hotel proposals.
The CCO has every intention to make the entire package of materials that have been assembled from the Hunden Strategic Partners study if indeed there is one through the notes taken in meetings regarding this project when it comes to financing, experience in the hospitality industry, and in reviewing the proposed construction plans.
These notes and studies should also include insurance products including errors and omissions insurance that may have been taken out to protect the taxpayer’s commitments to this project should a decision to move forward be made.
We have just learned that attendance at the BZA meeting of Dec. 15, 2011 of those interested in the Evansville Community Association Tennis issue of placing a large tennis building in Wesselman Park will not be needed. All needed documentation for this building to be placed in a new location has been completed.
We believe this is a win/win/win and want to wish the ECTA the best with this endeavor.
Our next question concerns the placement of additional outdoor tennis courts in the park. We would hope that new outdoor courts would be placed near the new building so that the tournaments that were so important to the ECTA could still be held here in Evansville. But we are not sure if that will be the case.
IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer has obtained a residential electric bill for a part of Henderson County served by Kenergy?…that this bill for the month of November is for a home that consumed 1,709 kWh of electricity and that the total charges for this consumption excluding taxes was $128.90 that includes a $11.14 fee?…that this calculates to a net rate to the customer of 7.54 cents per kWh?…that the rate paid by Vectren customers including all fees but excluding taxes amounts to 15.51 cents per kWh or a premium of 106% for the same electrons that Kenergy customers pay for?…that the residential bill is on the link below?
IS IT TRUE that the bill calculator at the Henderson Power and Light Website calculates during the winter that if a customer of theirs consumes 1,000 kWh of electricity during the winter that the cost to the customer is $49.63 or 4.93 cents per kWh?…that Vectren’s charge for the same amount of consumption is $155.10 or a 213% premium over what our friends in the City of Henderson pay for the same electrons?…that it must also be noted that Kenergy customers pay a premium of 53% over what Henderson Power and Light’s customers pay?…that a link that will get you to the Henderson Power and Light calculator is below?
IS IT TRUE that the State of Indiana has now taken down 1,151 meth labs in the state this year and that Vanderburgh County continues to lead the state in meth labs busted?…that unfortunately that probably means that we are also leading the state in meth production, distribution, and personal use?…that the eradication of meth became a hot campaign issue this year for the office of Mayor of Evansville with both candidates acknowledging the seriousness of the problem and vowing to do something about it?…that one of the remedies that has seen success in other states is making pseudoephedrine, the active ingredient for meth makers a prescription only substance?…that it is very hard to argue with the successes of Oregon and that the State of Indiana needs to add discussions regarding pseudo prescriptions to their laundry list of Right to Work, and a smoking ban?
IS IT TRUE that investors are looking for ways to profit from the soon to be phased in EPA restrictions on the burning of coal?…that this is the origin of the coming price increases in electricity in other coal burning areas that Vectren has been touting as the answer to the high premiums that we pay in SW Indiana?…that the Wall Street Journal today profiled three companies that are poised to grow rapidly from orders from utilities that are expected to spend lots of money over the next several years to achieve compliance with the EPA restrictions?…that these companies are ADA Environmental Solutions of Littleton, CO and Fuel Tech Incorporated of Warrenville, IL?…that knowing what was coming and how to deal with it would have been and could have been a very good opportunity for start-up companies in greater Evansville?…that if this area misses out on opportunities to prosper from coal cleaning solutions that we deserve what we get which may just turn out to be nothing?…that at the end of 2011 Evansville still does not have an Angel Investment Network or a Venture Capital Firm?
IS IT TRUE that at the time of this writing that 84% of the respondents to the City County Observer poll believe that the Evansville Redevelopment Commission is on the eve of offering a contract to one of the bidders on the downtown Convention Hotel WITHOUT regard to the VETTING that has been paid for?…that this 84% actually believe that the ERC will move forward with no favorable opinion from Hunden Strategic Partners whom they paid to VET the bidders?…that in a separate poll 77% of the voters expressed the opinion that the Evansville City Council will rubber stamp whatever they are presented as their last act of 2011?…that the comments during the last 48 hours resulted in more removals in any such period in the history of the CCO?
IS IT TRUE that the voters of these polls are counting on Evansville City Councilman John Friend, CPA to actually use his CPA skills on behalf of the voters of Evansville and do some VETTING of his own?…that Councilman Friend is the most qualified member of the City Council when it comes to accounting skills and is expected to use those skills to make sure that the taxpayer’s money is not squandered?…that Councilman Friend should use these skills to do some VETTING around town on both Prime Lodging and Kunkel to see how they conduct their business in advance of any vote to fund the downtown Convention Hotel project?…that in the case of an ERC that is determined to do something without backup the Councilman John Friend, CPA may be the last line of defense for the taxpayers of Evansville?
IS IT TRUE that Mole #7 tells us that the incoming Winnecke Administration has settled on a new Chief of Police?…that Mole #7 tells us that the name of Billy Bolin will be announced soon as our new City of Evansville Chief of Police?…that having some experience with Officer Bolin the CCO is pleased to support him over what we are sure was a well qualified group of candidates under consideration?…that we will commission our cartoonist upon the formal announcement to do a drawing of Mayor Elect Winnecke and Chief Bolin in a surveillance vehicle that looks more like a Brinks truck full of high tech equipment than an Abrams tank?
IS IT TRUE that the Evansville Icemen drew a respectable crowd of 2,605 to the Ford Center another victory last night in what was a very wet day?…that sometime today 2011 will become the wettest year on record for Evansville when the previous record for rain is passed?…that all of the water has been good for the plants but bad for the allergies?
IS IT TRUE that former Knight Township Trustee Linda Durham’s Chief Deputy Tonda Pauley is once again on the public payroll?…that Ms. Durham’s assistant is now working in the Evansville City Garage under the leadership of Ed Ziemer?…that Ms. Pauley has been reported by the Courier and Press to have a civil judgment for more than $3,300 against her from her time in service of Ms. Durham?…that the CCO wonders just how many applicants there were for this job, what the qualifications were, and what the vetting criteria was for hiring?
Time 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM Subject COMMERCIAL REVIEW COMMITTEE Location 318 Recurrence Occurs every Monday effective 12/5/2011 until 1/2/2012 from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM Reminder 15 minutes
KATHIE HOLLEY @ 5228 Categories ROOM 318
Time 12:30 PM – 2:00 PM Subject BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENING Location MAIN HALL 1ST FLOOR Recurrence Occurs the first Monday of every 1 month effective 12/5/2011 until 1/2/2012 from 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM Reminder 15 minutes Categories Phone Call, EVENTS
Time 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM Subject CITY COUNCIL Location 301 Recurrence Occurs every Monday effective 12/5/2011 until 12/26/2011 from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM Reminder 15 minutes
LYNN BUHR @ 4993 Categories ROOM 301
Bill Denton, a leader in the Rick Davis campaign has released a letter to the media that he sent to Vanderburgh County Democrat Central Committee Chairman Mark Owen. The opinions expressed in this letter reflect those of Mr. Denton.
IS IT TRUE that we would like to offer congratulations to the Evansville Courier for being honored by the Hoosier State Press Association as the Best Daily Newspaper in Indiana?…that Courier staffers scooped up many awards including first place awards for editorials, sports, and business?…that the City County Observer being an online only publication is not eligible and did not submit any entry?…that it is good to see Evansville businesses named at the top of anything and that it is a joy to see our friends at the CP accept the treasure chest of honors that they collected?
IS IT TRUE that a respectable crowd of 5,198 took advantage of yesterday’s great weather to head down to the Ford Center for the University of Evansville Purple Aces game against the Texas Christian Horned Frogs?…that those people were treated to a hard fought overtime game that saw the Aces come up just short of a victory over a much larger university?…that watching basketball at the Ford Center is a great experience and that we encourage all of our readers to attend some games?…that the Evansville Icemen face off against Bloomington today at 5:00 so if you are inclined please go check out a very good team and support them in their quest for a championship?
IS IT TRUE that Herman Cain seems to have screwed himself out of an opportunity to run for the office of President of the United States?…that Mr. Cain is not the first and will certainly not be the last politician to let his libido run his life?…that we suspect that some of the same people saying that Cain deserves a pass because President’s Clinton and Kennedy served well while chasing skirts across the world?…that we have been treated to Presidents of fidelity for the last 12 years as President Bush and President Obama have had no bimbo eruptions at all and have clearly professed love for their wives?…that the last 12 years have also been some of the worst times for the economy and for sound decision making?…that life in these United States was pretty good under Presidents Clinton and Kennedy so what we may need in the White House is another hound dog skirt chasing POTUS?…that maybe we can interest Tiger Woods to be the next Casanova President?
IS IT TRUE that the Indiana Democrat Party is getting blasted all over the State of Indiana for promoting a no primary policy?…that in a City County Observer reader’s poll a full 45% expressed the belief that the reason for not having primaries is so the PARTY BOSSES can choose and control the candidates, that 34% said it was because the PARTY BOSSES think that the people who vote in the Democrat primary are just too stupid to make a good choice, and the other 21% think they are doing this to save money?…that whatever the rationalization happens to be that the Indiana Democrat Party is alienating and disenfranchising the people of Indiana who align themselves with Democrat principles?
IS IT TRUE that the Cincinnati Bearcat’s victory over Connecticut yesterday will most likely keep the University of Louisville football Cardinals out of the Orange Bowl?…that the Big East co-champion Cards were picked to finish last but will now be in another bowl game and literally came within one play of the Orange Bowl?…that back in the day when Evansville College had a football team that the Evansville Purple Aces defeated the Louisville Cardinals in football?…that things have changed quite a bit with those two programs since the faced off each year in football?
California Governor Jerry Brown Jerry Brown’s Proposal to Abolish California’s Redevelopment Agencies Would Help End Eminent Domain Abuse
Ilya Somin • March 26, 2011 10:24 pm
As part of his plan to address California’s fiscal crisis, liberal Democratic Governor Jerry Brown has proposed abolishing California’s 400 local “redevelopment agencies,†which would save the state some $1.7 billion per year, an important step towards closing the state’s $25 billion annual deficit. Unfortunately, his plan has so far been stymied by opposition from California Republicans, all but one of whom voted against it in the California Assembly. Under the California state constitution, passage of the bill requires a two thirds majority in the state Assembly, and Brown fell one vote short.
The GOP’s stance on this issue is extremely unfortunate, and at odds with the Party’s supposed devotion to free markets and property rights. As Steven Greenhut, an expert on California property rights issues points out in a recent Wall Street Journal op ed, the redevelopment agencies are notorious for their abuses of the power of eminent domain for the benefit of powerful private interest groups:
[I]n the last 60-some years, redevelopment agencies have become fiefdoms that run up enormous debt and abuse eminent domain by transferring private property to large developers promising to build tax-generating bonanzas. Today, there are 749 such projects. In the late 1950s, there were only nine. According to the state controller, redevelopment agencies consume about 12% of all state-wide property taxes—money that would otherwise go to critical public services….
Palm Desert’s redevelopment agency proposed to eliminate so-called blight by spending nearly $17 million on revamping a municipal golf club that remains one of the nation’s premier golfing locales.
In the 12 years I’ve spent reporting on this issue, I’ve seen an agency attempt to bulldoze an entire residential neighborhood and transfer the land to a theme-park developer. I’ve witnessed agencies declare eminent domain against churches—which pay few taxes—in order to sell the property at a deep discount to big-box stores that promise to keep city coffers flush. Working-class people and ethnic minorities often are the victims of this process since they often live in the vulnerable neighborhoods, and they have less muscle than big business developers.
The trouble is that blight is an amorphous concept, easily abused by government officials and redevelopment agencies. Once “blight†is found, the agency creates a project area and can then begins selling bonds (incurring debt) without a public vote. In 1995, one area of the city of Diamond Bar, where I lived, was declared blighted because there was chipped paint on some buildings….
While economic development and local control are crucial issues, it’s hard to understand why any Republican would believe that a regime of government planning and subsidy is the best way to achieve those goals. They should be standing up against the abuses of property rights and the fiscal irresponsibility inherent in the redevelopment process and championing market-based alternatives to urban improvement—even if it means defending a proposal from a Democratic governor they often disagree with.
