IS IT TRUE? September 19, 2011

IS IT TRUE that yesterday’s New York Times had a poignant but relevant quote by Maureen Doud?…that it goes like this?

“So we’re choosing between the over-intellectualized professor and blockheads boasting about their vacuity? The occupational hazard of democracy is know-nothing voters. It shouldn’t be know-nothing candidates.”

IS IT TRUE that there may just be or may just have been an alternate approach to securing new hotel rooms in downtown Evansville that was not seriously considered by the powers that be?…that there was at one time a proposal made that would have expanded the main hotel at Aztar by about 140 rooms?…that 140 rooms is what we have been told that studies indicate that the downtown Evansville hotel market can absorb comfortably?…that the proposal we speak of would have involved substantially less pubic money that the RFP that is currently being vetted has already committed to kick into the deal?…that the proposal would have made the 220+/- rooms that the RFP mandated available for conventions under the control of the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau during the week?…that this proposal included investments in luxury transportation to shuttle hotel guests to and from the MLK Entertainment Complex?…that this ghost of Christmas Past should be discussed by the Evansville Redevelopment Commission at its earliest convenience?

IS IT TRUE that a solution that required little or no public money and provided the hotel room requirements should have received more disclosure and discussion than it did?…that if such a proposal could be resurrected that it is still worth consideration?…that the City of Evansville and the Weinzapfel Administration are using a $3.5 Million contribution from Casino Aztar that was meant for an Arena project as part of the $8 Million incentive to a hotel developer?…that to take $3.5 Million from Tropicana or Casino Aztar and to hand it to a future competitor is flat out insulting to a complex that constitutes about 30% of all of the tourism revenue to the City of Evansville?…that reminds us of exactly what Mayor Weinzapfel accused Bill Yung III of Columbia Sussex of doing a couple of years ago?…that saying one thing and doing another is wrong even if it is SNEGAL (sneaky but legal)?

IS IT TRUE that it has now been 1,604 days since the announcement was made on May 14, 2007 that the McCurdy Hotel was to be refurbished into luxury apartments?…that it has now been 1,457 days since the Evansville Redevelopment Commission at the request of Mayor Weinzapfel approved the spending of $603,000 to purchase the parking lot?…that City Centre Properties and Scott Kosene the developers of the McCurdy project are both listed as contributors to the Weinzapfel for Mayor committee for 2010?

IS IT TRUE that in a short 51 days we will all know whether it will be Lloyd Winnecke or Rick Davis who will become the Mayor that will assume responsibility for executing the decisions that are playing out right now?…that that there are 103 days remaining in the Weinzapfel Administration?

IS IT TRUE that there are now 405 days remaining in the two years that the EPA had given the City of Evansville to present an acceptable solution to the Combined Sewer Overflow problem?…..that this plan is an expensive and complex endeavor that needs immediate attention to avoid the embarrassment and expense of another round of fines?

IS IT TRUE that University of Louisville football coach Charlie Strong ripped his team up after a recent loss to Florida International that had never ever won a game against a BCS team?…that a paraphrase of Coach Strong’s words to his team is “you guys are not a good team, you are not as good as your next opponent (Kentucky), you are not living up to your potential, and I as your coach am ashamed of your performance”?…that Coach Strong was very public with these statements and in many ways humiliated his players in the press?…that he worked them hard all week and gave them pure heck in every practice?…that the UL Cardinals responded with a 24 -17 win over the previously undefeated and heavily favored Kentucky Wildcats in their own home of Commonwealth Stadium?

IS IT TRUE that the negative feedback without any of the usual litany of pandering like “we are a good team that just had bad luck today”, “our guys stepped up except for the key interception”, or “we are rebuilding and we have a good base on which to build” banter that usually follows losses that should have been wins WORKED FOR COACH STRONG?

IS IT TRUE that the same is true when the City County Observer chides the City of Evansville for neglecting our parks, ignoring the will of the people, entering into impossible agreements like the McCurdy and the 4-Star downtown hotel that Browning was going to build without public assistance, and fails to so much as pull credit reports or check the pulse of out of town developers (that’s called vetting) who respond to our RFP’s?…that the same is true when the CCO points out the fact that we have a problem with litter, dilapidated houses, and crime in some areas?…that the same is true when we publish negative feedback on anything at all?…that the City County Observer publishes negative feedback for the same reason that Coach Strong used disrespectful language publically on the Cardinals?…that Coach Strong and the CCO are doing this so that lessons can be learned and past failures can be corrected to forge a positive future?

IS IT TRUE that we are sure that Coach Strong was making suggestions on improvements all week in practice just as the CCO makes suggestions for improvements like vetting, cleaning, and having the guts to look into the mirror and be truthful?…that we are certain that the Cardinals who were talked to like dogs last week got some quick and immediate praise last night for their victory?…that the CCO regularly praises actions in Evansville and people who take positive actions like Ann Ennis of Keep Evansville Beautiful for her gateway efforts, Dunn Hospitality for private investment, and even the Evansville Redevelopment Commission when they finally hired an outside firm to VET the hotel proposals?

IS IT TRUE that yesterday’s win may just salvage the UL Cardinals season and lead them to a better year than last?…that the City of Evansville needs a series of big stake in the ground wins that are real and not fabricated for propaganda purposes of political origin to re-establish pride and belief in local government among our citizens?…that we got one this week with the announcement of the Dutch business setting up shop in Park 41?…that we got one last week with the opening of the Hampton Inn on North 41?…that we are eager to see if we will be getting another one soon with announcements regarding moving forward with the downtown Hotel and the McCurdy?…that after 50 years of floundering it is nice to have some days that it seems like some positive things are happening?

IS IT TRUE that it is not Evansville’s season that may be salvaged?…that what is at stake is Evansville’s very future as a relevant city?…that we support and encourage anyone who can to go out and get a win next week for the City of Evansville?

IS IT TRUE that the line has been forming since midweek to get good tickets to the inaugural concert at the Ford Center?…that two children of the 70’s have been parked on Main Street sort of in front of VenuWorks in hopes of getting front row tickets to see Bob Seger?…that it has been widely reported that Bob Seger himself took pity on these poor souls and gave them each front row tickets that they have proudly shown to people with cameras?…that even after Seger eased their pain with two free tickets that these guys are continuing to occupy their places on the sidewalk so that their buddies can get front row seats too?…that they must be very good friends to these people to be willing to sit in lawn chairs as the Hammerhead’s crowd enjoys their Friday night entertainment?…that it makes one wonder if there may be something else being given or paid to these to fixtures on Main to give the illusion of a line forming?

IS IT TRUE that VenuWorks issued a press release to draw attention to the “line” forming to get Seger tickets at about the same time that these two 70’s dudes showed up with their butterfly chairs?…that this all seems like a big publicity stunt?…that these die hard Seger fans have been on TV, in the mainstream print media, and that their pay for sitting on the sidewalk for several days is two front row tickets?…that for tickets that have a face value of $140 that Evansville VenuWorks Director Scott Schoenike has secured an article in the newspaper and TV coverage?…that Mr. Schoenike may be a savvy marketing dude after all?

IS IT TRUE that online publishing is widely expected to be the wave of the future and that online ad revenue has doubled in the same period that all other media revenue streams are shrinking?…that Mr. Schoenike as a savvy marketing person should know this?…that Mr. Schoenike is quoted as referring to the City County Observer as “a fledgling blog” in reference to our article about ticket sales being online last week hawking good tickets to the Bob Seger concert?…that he is also quoted as saying his office was “flooded” with phone calls about the online ticket purveyors?…that fledgling blogs do not produce “floods” of phone calls?…that multiple online ticket resellers were indeed offering good Bob Seger at the Ford Center tickets over a week ago and they still are?…that Mr. Schoenike knows this is true?

IS IT TRUE that in the most recent data compiled by Alexa.com and trafficestimator.com, two 3rd party internet traffic monitors that the City County Observer’s TIME ONLINE using the monthly visits from trafficestimator.com and the time online per viewer from Alexa.com exceeds the combined TIME ONLINE of the Evansville Courier & Press, Local 7, Channel 14, Channel 25, and the Louisville Courier Journal COMBINED?…Mr. Schoenike that this is why your phones were flooded?…that if Mr. Schoenike would have allocated some of his advertising dollars to a City County Observer banner that maybe he really would have a line of people tailgating his ticket window?…that we would love to sit down with him and show him very definitively where the numbers are coming from and just what the demographics of our readers are?…that what he would see is that our typical reader is between the ages of 45 and 54, is well educated, reads from home, and has an income that is well above local averages?…that this is the perfect profile for artists like Bob Seger, Reba McEntire, and even the Trans Siberian Orchestra?…that as a savvy marketing professional Mr. Schoenike surely knows this?…that he can reach us through our website www.city-countyobserver.com?…that our contact information is under the advertise bar right beneath our banner?

IS IT TRUE that we anticipate getting to know Mr. Schoenike very well in 2012 and that we wish him well in making the Ford Center a success?…that this guy has to stop typing and get downtown to join the two front row ticket holders in line for good tickets to see Bob Seger?…that I expect to be the third person in line?