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200+ show up for IURC Vectren Hearings

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Note: The counts from eyewitnesses range from 130 to 400. We have altered our headline to 200+ as that is about as close as any.

Approximately 200 people showed up for a hearing conducted by the Indiana Utilities Regulatory Commission hearing regarding the proposed “dense pack” project that Vectren has proposed for 2 of its turbines at the A. B. Brown powerplant in Posey County. Roughly 150 of the attendees were regular customers with the balance being made up of media and elected officials.

Evansville City Councilman John Friend who lead a petition drive to oppose rate increases spoke early in the meeting regarding the differences in rates in Vectren territories, the moving target of the EPA restrictions, and even about a potential way to equalize rates. State Representative Gail Riecken a long time critic of Vectren also took the microphone on behalf of her constituents.

Citizen speakers included scientists, landlords, ministers, volunteers, and plain old ratepayers. One gentleman has requested that all future meetings of the IURC that concern Evansville should be moved to Evansville.

IS IT TRUE regarding this meeting will be posted at 1 minute past midnight!

This is a developing story so check back for updates.

IS IT TRUE? November 28, 2011 Part 2

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IS IT TRUE? November 28, 2011 Part 2

IS IT TRUE that tonight night, November 28, 2011 there will be a hearing of the Indiana Utilities Regulatory Commission at THE CENTRE beginning at 5:30?…that the topic of discussion is the proposed “dense pack” project and the way that Vectren is proposing to finance it?…that this meeting is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC and that the PUBLIC WILL BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK?…that those who complain that the IURC is a rubber stamp group that never comes to Evansville and won’t listen to regular people need to make a point to be at this meeting?…that this is an opportunity to start an education process between the IURC, Vectren, and the people of Evansville that should have started many years ago?…that this is a repeat but we know it as it seems as though people need at least 5 reminders to commit anything to memory?

IS IT TRUE that in a poll that the CCO is running right now that a full 63% of the voters are predicting that less than 100 people will show up at tonight’s meeting?…that is a sad state of affairs if this turns out to be the truth?…that to have less than 100 people show up to such a meeting that affects 141,000 households will send a strong message to Vectren and the IURC that he people of greater Evansville do not care enough to get off of their butts and show up to a meeting that many of us have fought hard to make happen?…that the CCO encourages all of our readers, our elected officials, our appointed officials, and our incoming elected officials to do the right thing and show up at this meeting?…that if you don’t that the 99.9% who choose to stay home shall be the subject of tomorrow morning’s IS IT TRUE?…that if you can’t attend please write a letter to the IURC explaining your position?

IS IT TRUE that in what is one of the more perfect quotes of the day regarding legislation under consideration to regulate the internet and particularly internet commerce, L. Gordon Crovitz said “Washington regulating the internet is akin to a gorilla playing a Stradivarius”?…that is one of the best descriptions possible for politicians who just can’t resist tampering with something that they know absolutely nothing about?…that it also make about as much sense as asking you typical great grandparent about how to best use Twitter for marketing purposes?

IS IT TRUE that the legislation under consideration would make it the responsibility of a website like Facebook, the Courier and Press MyTurn, or even the CCO comment section responsible for any comment that any random user may post?…that the rule today simply says that if something that violates Copyright laws is posted that we have to take it down upon the filing of a complaint and that is all there is too it?…that some Hollywood types would like to see the Digital Millennium Copyright Act amended or abolished so that the owner of the website that it is posted on is legally liable for financial damages if a third party puts a bit of digital graffiti up that violates a Copyright?…that would mean if some stranger posted a link to a song or video that the website it was posted on could be liable for damages?…that this would put an immediate end to a medium that is growing and creating wealth at a time when nearly everything else is flat on its back?…that we encourage our elected officials in Congress to resist the urge to regulate that which they cannot understand?

IS IT TRUE? November 28, 2011

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The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE? November 28, 2011

IS IT TRUE that tonight, November 28, 2011 there will be a hearing of the Indiana Utilities Regulatory Commission at THE CENTRE beginning at 5:30?…that the topic of discussion is the proposed “dense pack” project and the way that Vectren is proposing to finance it?…that this meeting is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC and that the PUBLIC WILL BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK?…that those who complain that the IURC is a rubber stamp group that never comes to Evansville and won’t listen to regular people need to make a point to be at this meeting?…that this is an opportunity to start an education process between the IURC, Vectren, and the people of Evansville that should have started many years ago?…that this is a repeat but we know it as it seems as though people need at least 5 reminders to commit anything to memory?

IS IT TRUE the City County Observer checked the Assessor’s website today and that that the McCurdy Hotel owned by City Centre Properties LLC of Carmel, IN has officially been declared to be delinquent on their tax bill?… that City Centre Properties that owns tract #82-06-30-020-005.002-029, aka the McCurdy Hotel has failed to pay their Fall 2011 installment of their real estate taxes?…that the tax bill on that property that was due last week was $10,268.66 but has now a penalty of 5% is now $10,782.69?…that if they don’t pay this by December 10th they will be popped with another 5% penalty?…that the choice not to pay this tax bill serves as an early indicator that City Center Properties LLC either does not have the means or intention to move forward with this project without public money handed to them to do so?…that it is now a high probability that these taxes will not be paid by the time that the current 30 day extension expires on November 30th?…that all we can say is “here we go again” on the McCurdy Hotel project?

IS IT TRUE that the CCO is glad to see and hear that the Courier and WIKY have actually chosen to jump on this bandwagon and help out with informing the people of Evansville just how poorly their hard earned tax money is being managed?…that by choosing not to pay these real estate taxes but never failing to contribute to the “Weinzapfel for Something” campaign that City Centre Properties LLC is basically giving one big middle finger to the ERC and the people of Evansville?…that we wonder if there will ever be any negative consequence associated with these blatantly non-compliant actions?

IS IT TRUE that there are only 2 more meetings this year of the ERC and that means that there will only be 2 more meetings ever with the Weinzapfel Administration pulling the strings?…that the next scheduled meeting is for December 6, 2011 and that McCurdyGate will have played itself out for the 4th time by then?…that the best course of action for the ERC would be to schedule a special meeting on December 1, 2011 to put a fork in this turkey if the taxes are not paid and the financing is not secured in writing with dates, numbers, and names?…that once again the failure to VET has bitten Evansville on the backside and this kind of oversight has to be ceased?…that every day that the ERC and the Weinzapfel Administration let this fiasco continue is a day that a qualified developer cannot come forward?

IS IT TRUE that the CCO has been made aware that there was at one time an interested party (local) in turning the McCurdy back into a classic hotel as it should be?…that if City Centre Properties LLC fails again to get that last signature that has been needed for 18 months that it is time to start legally unwinding this deal and for the Weinzapfel Administration to eat the losses, absorb the humiliation and enjoy a big Christmas Crow for many meals?…that there are only so many times that a can should be kicked down the road without looking as effective as the STUPOR COMMITTEE?

Ritzy’s Fantasy of Lights

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November 24, 2011 – January 1, 2012
Heidelbach Ave. Across from Bosse Field, Evansville, IN, 47711

The 18th annual Ritzy’s Fantasy of Lights will be open November 24, 2011-January 1, 2012. Over 60 elaborate seasonal scenes and animated displays.

Open Sunday-Thursday 5-9 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 5-10 p.m.

Cost for the drive-through event is $7 for up to six people. Admission for vehicles with 7-14 people is $10 and admission for vehicles with 15 people or more is $25. Horse-drawn carriage rides, including a wheelchair-accessible carriage, are available nightly(weather permitting) for an additional cost’

Click here for more information

A Reitz Home Christmas Adventure

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Runs from December 1st to December 31st.

Descrption: A Reitz Home Christmas Adventure 32nd Annual Victorian Christmas at the Reitz Home Museum is an Evansville tradition This year the Reitz Home is decorated by area students Our theme incorporates a new children’s book ‘A Reitz Home Christmas Adventure’ written by Nick and Michelle Williams. Illustrated by Connie McConaughy ‘A Reitz Home Christmas Adventure’ books available in the Reitz Carriage House Gift Store

Click Here for more information

Downtown Today: 11/28/2011

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Time 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Subject COMMERCIAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
Location 318
Recurrence Occurs every Monday effective 11/7/2011 until 11/28/2011 from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM
Reminder 15 minutes
KATHIE HOLLEY @ 5228
Categories ROOM 318

Time 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Subject CITY HEALTH SCREENING
Location 301
Reminder 15 minutes
DEBBY TITZER @ 4945
Categories ROOM 301

Time 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Subject CITY COUNCIL
Location 301
Recurrence Occurs every Monday effective 11/7/2011 until 11/28/2011 from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
Reminder 15 minutes
LYNN BUHR @ 4993
Categories ROOM 301

WSJ on what Wall St. bankers, the Occupy movement, and Unions have in common: An uncanny ability to bleed the government dry!

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Excerpts:

“‘What has the country so angry,” says Fred Siegel, “is the sense that crony capitalism has produced a population that lives off the rest of us without contributing. They’re right. It’s not paranoid.”

“”They’re on the same side of the street politically,” he says. “They’re both in favor of big government. The Wall Street people I talk to, they get it completely.” What he means is that the Bush and Obama administrations bailed out the large banks, and that economic stimulus and near-zero interest rates kept them flush. “Obama’s crony capitalism has been very good for New York’s crony capitalism,”

“The Great Society put the state on growth hormones. Less widely appreciated, the era gave birth to a powerful new political force, the public-sector union. For the first time in American history there was an interest dedicated wholly to lobbying for a larger government and the taxes and debt to pay for it.”

“”Spending is never ratcheted down. It’s unconnected to productivity. That can only be sustained by a boom or these extraordinary subsidies we’re getting now from the Federal Reserve. But that’s gonna stop at some point. And then what happens?”

“Many American localities are already at the crisis point. Rhode Island’s legislature last week sharply cut retirement benefits for current and retired public workers. “A 300% Democratic state!”

“On his first day in the governor’s mansion in 2005, Indiana’s Mitch Daniels also stopped deducting dues automatically; most workers chose not to pay. “The union has a guaranteed flow of income, which they then use to lobby the government,” says Mr. Siegel. This reform, he adds, “evens the playing field.”

“Dues money is the coin of political influence for organized labor. So not surprisingly, it is bankrolling the pushback.”

“Franklin Delano Roosevelt called the idea of strikes by government workers “unthinkable and intolerable.” New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia said, “I do not want any of the pinochle club atmosphere to take hold among city workers.”

“”public sector unions are displacing political machines as the turnout mechanism for the Democratic Party. They are the new Tammany Hall.”

” the growing claims on the public purse by those who make little to no contribution to the economy have driven up taxes and the costs of doing business. The city creates jobs in tourism, hotels and restaurants at the lower end of the scale. “What we don’t create are private-sector middle-class jobs,” says Mr. Siegel. “We have a ladder with the middle rungs missing.”

“His feelings about Mayor Mike Bloomberg come unfiltered. He chose to court rather than confront the teacher unions and “the race racketeers” (in Mr. Siegel’s phrase) like Rev. Al Sharpton. “[Bloomberg] had the leverage. He didn’t have the guts. Instead of being influenced by interest groups, he buys the interest groups. The outcome is the same. The interest groups get what they want.”

“The Working Families Party, founded in 1998, is the political arm of government unions and a driver of turnout in local elections. Though little known outside New York, the influence of this third party can be seen on the City Council, which has come to tilt heavily left. So far, says Mr. Siegel, the party has a better political track record than Tammany. “With the exception of Giuliani, they’ve never lost an election. No matter who wins, they’re OK.”

” “We are what the tea party fears for the rest of the country. Crony capitalism, and low-end work, and the loss of mobility, and no place to do business if you’re a small business.”

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203716204577016092542307600.html?mod=WSJ_hp_mostpop_read

IS IT TRUE? November 27, 2011

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The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE? November 27, 2011

IS IT TRUE that tomorrow night, November 28, 2011 there will be a hearing of the Indiana Utilities Regulatory Commission at THE CENTRE beginning at 5:30?…that the topic of discussion is the proposed “dense pack” project and the way that Vectren is proposing to finance it?…that this meeting is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC and that the PUBLIC WILL BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK?…that those who complain that the IURC is a rubber stamp group that never comes to Evansville and won’t listen to regular people need to make a point to be at this meeting?…that this is an opportunity to start an education process between the IURC, Vectren, and the people of Evansville that should have started many years ago?

IS IT TRUE that the Evansville City Council has a regularly scheduled meeting that conflicts with the IURC meeting?…that as the governing body of the City of Evansville that each and every member of the Evansville City Council and the Council members elect all should be at this meeting looking after the interests of their constituents?…that if that takes rescheduling the City Council meeting to do so then that is what should be done?…that the same goes for all Vanderburgh County elected officials?

IS IT TRUE that the proponents of the Vision 1505 project to convert the old Safe House into a permanent homeless shelter are patting themselves on the back again?…that to the extent that the homeless need a place to sleep the CCO thinks such efforts are worthy of charitable organizations?…that we continue to assert that PAYING $240,000 PER APARTMENT IN CONSTRUCTION COSTS in a market that has plenty of apartments available in the free market at LESS THAN $20,000 EACH is government waste of the highest order?…that there are more than enough empty apartments and abandoned houses in Evansville that will serve the homeless well for a rent check of under $500 per month?…that the Vision 1505 project is the equivalent of paying $240,000 each for 33 $20,000 cars for carless people?…that even when a project is a nice thing to do that runaway waste of public dollars is not the right thing to do?…that somewhere on the east side there is a group of 33 single family homes that are currently occupied by their owners that would gladly accept $240,000 for their houses that have market values of far less?…that this project is the local poster child for government waste and actually makes the FRONT DOOR PRIDE program look intelligent?…that for those of you who have forgotten that program builds for $200,000 to sell for $100,000 which is a lot better than building for $240,000 to create value of $20,000?…that restoring sanity to the federal government needs to start at home by rejecting projects of massive waste?

IS IT TRUE that the readers of the City County Observer believe by a 4 to 1 majority that no “viable” hotel deal will be struck before the Weinzapfel Administration leaves office?…that these same readers believe by a 2 to 1 margin that Mayor Elect Lloyd Winnecke should have veto power over any financial deals struck by the Weinzapfel Administration during its last days in office?…that without an affirmative recommendation by Hunden Strategic Partners that any deal that may be entered into is not “viable” anyway so let the games continue?

IS IT TRUE? November 26, 2011

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The Mole #??

IS IT TRUE? November 26, 2011

IS IT TRUE that if a scholarly study on the performance of the consolidation of the City of Louisville and Jefferson County government is not front page news in Evansville, IN then the CCO wonders what on earth would merit front page news?…that yesterday the Louisville Courier Journal reported that the consolidation of governments in Louisville which was the first major consolidation in a couple of decades had utterly failed in every category?…that this was buried on the Henderson Gleaner website and that the City County Observer was the only other local publication that carried it until a comment went up calling the Courier and Press’ failure to cover it as “sick”?…that about 20 minutes later the story was posted on the CP site and that today it is buried in the middle of the paper so a story about Mater Dei fans can grace the front page?…that consolidation is the most important topic on the 2012 ballot for local affairs and that every scholarly study about consolidation and especially Louisville’s should always be covered and done so prominently?…that we bet if the results would have been glowing that they would have been right on the front page?

IS IT TRUE that there were about a dozen emails touting getting something FREE in the old inbox this morning?…that in every case there was small print of some kind or a fee to get it FREE clause that caused them to make sense?…that the only FREE offering that did not have some fine print qualification was from a wayward Princess of a third world country that needed help getting some $10 Million out of a secret bank account?…that we all know that is a scam?…that so goes the thought process on the $51 Million deal that the City of Evansville has signed with Johnson Controls?…that there has to be a catch somewhere and that the CCO has filed a Freedom of Information Act request to learn exactly how the cash flow diagram will look and whose cash if fueling it?…that in searching for other places that have taken Johnson Controls up on this we found some but not a large number?…that the sparseness of implementation also raises one’s eyebrows?…that if there is any group in America that is adept at getting free stuff it is local governance and Mayors?…that if this deal was really a $51 Million for nothing deal that we would expect to find that thousands of cities across America would have this in place or in process?…that we anxiously await the contract and will make it available to anyone who wants it including the other media outlets who seem to be falling for the third world Princess’ offer?…that the CCO was not invited to the official press briefing about the FREE $51 deal?…that we expect that the Weinzapfel Administration that called the meeting wanted nothing to do with answering the questions about cash flow that they know full well would have happened?

IS IT TRUE that the CCO is very proud of the accomplishments of the Mater Dei Wildcats football team?…that we are even proud of how close they kept yesterday’s state championship game against Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (or Fishing Lures as we were calling then while watching)?…that sometimes in sport, mathematics, acting, and even literature one runs across a competitor that is just so much more talented that victory is of extremely low probability?…that Fort Wayne Luers looked like a Division II college team as opposed to a high school team?…that the natural talents of speed and size were complemented by focus and good coaching?…that our well coached and focused but out-manned Wildcats had about as much of a chance to beat Luers as the Indiana Hoosiers would have against LSU and for the same reasons?…that the #1 ranked high school football team in America is Louisville Trinity that knows as Bishop Luers does that speed and size are the ticket to a dynasty of championships?…that Trinity beat the #1 ranked in 4A in Indiana team from Cathedral by a score of 36-14?…that in all likelihood Trinity would beat Fort Wayne Bishop Luers by a similar score or more because of the talent superiority?…that Mater Dei, UE, and all of the other Evansville schools and even businesses will have to realize that, accept it, and do something about about the talent gap to compete on those levels?…that until then we will continue to express pride in teams like the Mater Dei Wildcats who truly did their best against a superior opponent?

Municipal Broadband: Digging Beneath the Surface

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The City County Observer would like to make this extensive study on municipal broadband complete with financial results available to our readers. It is a whopping 211 pages but reads quicker than most documents of that length. Here are a couple of excerpts from the conclusions to pique your interests.

Excerpts:

“The problem with the municipal broadband “storyline” is that most of the accounts and analyses are generally superficial and cannot be evaluated because of the absence of data. The reality is far too complex to be distilled in a few points captured in a headline or article. Further, journalists frequently do not have the space or the background to examine the data in a constructive manner. So, the public is left with analyzing “spin” based on quotes from opposing parties that, more often than not, summarily dismiss the other viewpoint on the basis of who sponsored the study.”

“The financial performance of municipal fiber operations has generally been poor. Over the last decade, municipal communications operations have posted a financial record that was, at best inconclusive, and most often disappointing. While some communities highlight positive social accomplishments, the financial performance has fallen short in terms of penetration, revenues, net profitability and return on investment. In some or many instances, the projected “policy” goals have been supplanted by new policy problems in terms of cross-subsidizations and increased utility rates.”

“While some municipalities such as Cedar Falls, IA, provide some detail about most key items, many municipalities fail to supply information that is needed to perform a sufficient financial analysis.”

“The financial case for municipal fiber is difficult to justify if the municipality owns no other utility assets, as the investment costs appear very high at this time. The financial case for fiber based on the municipality’s utility assets is not as clear as many utilities suggest, and the historical data highlight those financial risks. The overwhelming majority of municipalities offering commercial fiber services are reporting operating losses, and virtually all the municipalities evaluated by the authors of this study appear to have operations that will prove to be negative in terms of net present value. The communities may believe that they derive other benefits from those operations, but the negative valuation suggests that there are subsidizations borne by the ratepayers or taxpayers. Those subsidies should be understood and should be explicit commitments by the general citizenry.”

Municipal Broadband–Digging Beneath the Surface