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?

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/aug/09/no-headline—ev_knighttownship/

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?

IS IT TRUE? December 3, 2011

IS IT TRUE that there is a friendly bet among the staff of the CCO?…that one says that if the ERC is irresponsible enough to go forward with a downtown Convention Hotel deal without the recommendation of Hunden Strategic Partners that the Evansville City Council will take the high road and refuse to fund the deal?…that the other says that both the ERC and the City Council are wearing puppet strings and that the Que Sera Council and ERC will do whatever their master tells them without regard to having the recommendation of a professional vetting company that was paid to VET?…that both hope to see the right thing done?

IS IT TRUE that the Lady Aces Winter Classic at Ford Center last night where two basketball games between four teams squared off at Ford Center offered local ladies basketball fans an opportunity to attend for tickets starting at $8.00?…that the official attendance at the Friday games was listed at only 425?…that we are sure that everyone was both hoping and expecting bigger crowds than 425 for these games?…that the men’s team plays a quality opponent tonight with TCU comes to town?…that the attendance figures for this game and for the Evansville Icemen’s game tomorrow will be of much interest?

IS IT TRUE that this afternoon the UK Wildcats defeated the UNC Tarheels in a 37 year old Rupp Arena by a score of 73 – 72 in front of a sellout crowd of just over 24,000?…that tickets to this game were selling on Stubhub for over $1,000 apiece up through gametime?…that the 6th ranked Louisville Cardinals defeated Vanderbilt on a last second basket in overtime in front of a sellout crowd of over 22,400 people in the sparkling new YUM Center in downtown Louisville?…that Evansville native Kyle Kuric scored 5 points for the Cardinals in the last minute of overtime to set up the winning scenario…that the moral of this story is that it is nationally ranked teams with quality opponents that sell out game after game for the entire season?…that old and in need of repair Rupp Arena and the shiny new Yum Center are both home to top 5 programs and sell out every game?…that it is not about the arena it is about the team?

IS IT TRUE that the Evansville Icemen have done a magnificent job of putting together a competitive team and are now sitting in first place in their division?…that this is why the attendance for hockey has been at very respectable levels thus far?…that one interesting and healthy competition will be to see if the Evansville Icemen average a higher level of attendance than the Evansville Purple Aces?…that the winner should be given a “Fill the Ford” award?…that it is a good indication for the future of hockey in Evansville if the attendance for hockey can continue to compete with the attendance figures for college basketball?

IS IT TRUE that the headlines have been announcing the drop in the “official” unemployment rate as a significant indicator that the recession is ending?…that what is in the fine print but not the headline is that the reduction in the official statistic is largely due to the fact that 350,000 just gave up searching for a job?…that the other un-headlined statistic is that the number of people whose unemployment has expired are dropped from the official roles of the unemployed as well?…that the number of people that are unemployed, underemployed, or part time workers who really want full time work is holding steady at just under 20%?…that as people exhaust their unemployment benefits we can expect that the official unemployment rate will drop to 7% or less during the 2012 election year?…that any and all candidates for office who may try to capitalize on this bogus statistic should have their mouths washed out with soap for lying?

IS IT TRUE that politicians are well known for using the truth to tell lies while playwrights and authors use lies to tell the truths?…that this is especially true of the truths that need telling make politicians look bad?

IS IT TRUE that on Tuesday December 6th, 2011 at 8:30 am on the 3rd floor of the Civic Center that the Evansville Redevelopment Commission has finally put it on their schedule to take up the issues of the downtown Convention Hotel and the McCurdy debacle in a public meeting?…that the downtown Hotel Project is being accorded a vote in the meeting under the heading of, “11-ERC-99 – Resolution Concerning the Downtown Hotel Project”?…that this really sound official and that it could even hint that some decision is about to be announced?…that this resolution should be available for public discussion and for discussion by the Evansville City Council if there is any decision regarding TAXPAYER DOLLARS being pondered?…that any decision that comes without the full and unqualified recommendation of Hunden Strategic Partners with public disclosure of the Hunden report will be irresponsible and should be reversed by the Winnecke Administration?…that if a choice is made and a contract is let that the only acceptable way for this to happen is for a full VETTING study including the finances, the pro-forma, and the construction cost analysis accompanies the contract?

IS IT TRUE that the McCurdy debacle only merits and update and that no resolution is on the table at this time?…that the McCurdy Hotel continues to sit there with its tattered awnings flapping in the breeze, its established pigeon and bat colonies intact, and its real estate taxes unpaid?…that those who would argue that another extension should be granted to City Centre Properties LLC because they are still one signature away after 4 failed extensions fail to realize that any other interested parties are frozen out by the contract that keeps being extended?…that if the contract is terminated and if City Centre Properties LLC goes on with securing the financing that they can always come back to the table if and we do mean if they ever secure the money?…that washing them out does not mean throwing them out?…that it is time for this decrepit and tarnished contract to be terminated and for the McCurdy saga to start anew?

IS IT TRUE that the other notable things on the ERC agenda are all spend, spend, and more spend resolutions?…that there are six resolutions being voted on all of which are to authorize spending for one thing or another?…that all of the spending is in either the downtown or the Art’s District?…that it sometimes seems like the only parts of Evansville that are acknowledged as part of Evansville are the downtown and the Art’s District?…that if these things were so darn pressing that the Weinzapfel Administration and this ERC have had 7 years and 11 months to have done them so shoving all of this through in the last minute looks like either last minute gluttony or deeds ignored for 7 years?…that these kind of actions for whatever reason do not reflect well on the outgoing administration?

IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer is planning on having at least one representative at the ERC meeting next week but that it shall not be Mr. Joe Wallace who will be back in California again on Tuesday?…that he wishes Evansville good weather for the week, good judgment with respect to these issues, and will be recording the Thursday segment of Les Shively Show on WGBF 1280 am prior to departing?