IS IT TRUE? January 5, 2011

IS IT TRUE that CCO Mole #3 accurately predicted 6 months ago that Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel would not seek a third term?….that the Mayor in his first of what will certainly be many farewell addresses proudly boasted of many accomplishments and of his “love” for being the Mayor?…that the City County Observer recognizes both good and bad in Mayor Weinzapfel’s time as our leader and wishes him wisdom and clarity as he contemplates how to find his next place in this world?

IS IT TRUE that the politically embattled Evansville Convention Visitors Bureau special closed door meeting scheduled for January 5, 2011 has been abruptly cancelled? ….that this special closed was for discussion of strategy with respect to a certain pending litigation? ….that the ECVB Board of Directors should spend to plan a strategy on how to correct the massive public relations nightmare caused by its Holiday bash on December 13, 2010?

IS IT TRUE you can now read our new media partner publication by linking on to www.community-observer.com? …that the Community Observer was launched to offer community information without a heaping helping of politics on the side?….that this is the place to go for “feel good” articles and local event information?

IS IT TRUE we wonder the exact amount of taxpayer dollars the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau spent on the Holiday Board of Directors Dinners in the 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2006?….that if it is appropriate to repay last month’s excessive tab that it would also be appropriate to repay prior years tabs where a simple holiday dinner turned into a Bacchanalian Festival to celebrate self indulgence?….that some traditions are not worth continuing?

IS IT TRUE that Chairman of the Board of Directors Mr. Joe Vezzoso, has now paid back $439.90 and is on record as stating as far as he is concerned that he “owes” the money back to the ECVB?….that Mr. Vezzoso has been affiliated with the ECVB for as long as most of us can remember?….that if he “owes” it back for the 2010 gluttony fest that he may owe 20 or more times that amount back?….that we wonder exactly how far back it is appropriate to audit these self indulgent spectacles to recover intentionally squandered taxpayer’s money?….that the payback of a portion of the 2010 party is a decent first step for the two members who have done so (Vezzoso and Kristin Tucker), but that as both of those are long time members of the board and have attended many times that this is just a down payment?

IS IT TRUE we also wonder the exact amount the Evansville Convention Bureau Board of Directors spent on its fact finding trip to Memphis, Tennessee to look at established baseball fields?….that we have requested receipts for the out of town trips to inspect little league baseball fields in Nashville and Memphis?…that the mode of travel to these events are rather unconventional to a hard working taxpayer?…that we are quite curious about the expenses billed for all of the “exploratory” visits to inspect the little league parks of the United States?

IS IT TRUE that Gray Loon Marketing Group where Jon Ruthenburg who also attended the Bacchanalian Festival of self indulgence works is located in the same building that Dunn Hospitality where ECVB board member David Dunn has a day job?….that Gray Loon has been a service provider to the ECVB for some time?…that we wonder if the other service providers to the ECVB may be slightly envious because they did not have the privilege to attend a $3,079 dinner?….that many local connoisseurs or just curious people would love to have the opportunity to mow the grass or trim the roses for just one glass of that $250 per bottle Opus One? ….ahhh Ces’t Magnifique!!!!

STATEMENT FROM RICK DAVIS, MAYORAL CANDIDATE

Like many Evansville and Vanderburgh County residents, I was outraged when I read about the excessive spending the appointed board members of the Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau exhibited recently at their annual Christmas party.

The ECVB’s appointed board has violated the public’s trust. I feel the first step toward restoring public confidence requires that the board members who attended the Christmas Party repay the ECVB for the full amount of revenues expended at the party. Additionally, I call on each of these board members to resign their posts, due to the fact that the public has lost confidence in these board members’ ability to exercise proper judgment when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars. Resigning their posts is important because in the future it will be nearly impossible for any of these appointed board members to present a worthwhile community project that requires the use of public funds.

The City of Evansville has many appointed boards that spend taxpayer dollars. As a private citizen, I myself have wondered how so many boards filled with appointed people could spend millions of taxpayer dollars without any direct accountability to the taxpayer. If I am fortunate enough to be elected mayor, I will ensure that as many elected officials as possible will be placed on these boards to ensure that board members responsible for making these decisions are directly held accountable by the people.

In the case of the ECVB, state law requires that at least three members of the hotel industry are to be placed on the ECVB board. We can adhere to state law while also putting elected officials on this board so that the decisions of these boards can be held directly accountable to the public. I also ask that the mayor join representatives of the Vanderburgh County Council and the Vanderburgh County Commissioners – the bodies that appoint the ECVB positions – to determine a proper oversight committee to ensure these types of funds are not being abused in the future.

Rick Davis
Democratic Party candidate for City of Evansville Mayor

Mole #3’s Prediction Comes True

Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel called a news conference at the C.K. Newsome Center today to announce that after careful consideration he will not seek a third term as Mayor of Evansville. He did not elaborate on his plans for beyond January 1, 2012 when he will hand the keys to the City of Evansville over to a new Mayor.

This is a developing story

From: Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel
To: Local Media
Regarding: Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau Board Holiday Dinner
Date: Tuesday, January 4, 2011

“Spending $3,000 of taxpayer funds for a 14-person dinner, for any reason, goes well beyond a lapse of judgment. It is absolutely unacceptable and a misuse of public money. I would hope that the ECVB would reject payment of this bill at its next meeting and that all ECVB board members, staff and guests who attended the dinner would split the cost of the bill and reimburse the ECVB immediately.”

IS IT TRUE? January 4, 2011 Topic: CVB

IS IT TRUE that the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau had a Christmas party at Biaggi’s restaurant?…that they spent over $3,000 on dinner and DRINKS?….that the Opus One at $250 per bottle was flowing freely and that lesser bottles at only $85 each filled the gap after the pallets were exhausted? …that you already knew about those things from yesterday but that the next stuff is new?

IS IT TRUE that this is not the first time that the board of directors of the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau has thrown a Bacchanalian Festival with the taxpayers of Evansville picking up the tab?….that it is not even the most expensive festival of gluttony that this particular board has thrown?….that Mole #29 tells us that at the 2009 Bacchanalian self love fest that this board spent closer to $4,000?….that (sarcasm coming) we should all congratulate them on cutting their glutton fest budget by 25% from $4,000 to $3,000 in respect for the Great Recession?

IS IT TRUE that this is the same board that pushed every way possible to spend $18 Million on 8 baseball fields with much of that money slated to bail out the City of Evansville for the demolition of Roberts Stadium and deferred maintenance?….that in studying little league baseball fields that there was travel involved to cities that have such parks in operation?…that Nashville is one of the cities that was visited?….that local governments typically have stringent procedures in place to control travel expenses and to tell officials whether to fly or drive?

IS IT TRUE that there are no commercial flights available from Evansville to Nashville?…that Nashville is less than a 3 hour drive?….that in order to have a look at a little league baseball park in Nashville that some members of our volunteer board of directors (the same board that just treated themselves to a $3,079 dinner), chose to travel to Nashville on a chartered private plane?

IS IT TRUE that people with long term involvement tell us that this type of party has been an annual tradition for nearly 25 years?….that this single dinner exceeds the average wage for a month in the City of Evansville?….that this not only shows poor judgment but callous disregard for the taxpayers money?

IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer reiterates our call for the board members in attendance to tender their resignations immediately?….that if they refuse to do so or continue to rationalize to the media that their actions were not excessive that the public entities that appointed them remove them for cause according to Indiana Statute IC6-9-2.5-2.

IS IT TRUE that once again a “Time of Reckoning” has been presented to the governance of Vanderburgh County and to the Mayor of Evansville?…that the decisions that are made at times like this are defining decisions?….that political mischief may have just helped create the anything goes atmosphere that seems to have manifested itself in the ECVB board over the past year?….that it is up to the political entities of the county and the Mayor to clean the mess that last year’s meddling helped to create?

Just How many Conventions and Visitors did this little Bacchanalian Festival Bring to Evansville?

UPDATE 8:52: Upon further contact with Bob Whitehouse he has informed us that this was the first time in his many years with the ECVB that he has been invited to the Board of Directors dinner. He also has declined to make further comment on advice of his recently retained attorney.

Sometimes things go on that simply make one shake their head in disbelief. On December 13, 2010 such thing happened at Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano on Evansville’s east side. On that night six members of the Board of Directors of the Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau, 5 spouses of these board members, the acting Executive Director of the ECVB and his wife, and Jon Ruthenberg of Gray Loon Marketing gathered for a holiday dinner. The dinner for fourteen was to celebrate the end of 2010, a year that saw the controversy of a lawsuit filed by a former Executive Director Marilee Fowler, and the public uprising against the Roberts Stadium Ballfields project. The truth of the matter is that the ECVB had a tough year and a decent dinner was well deserved.

The well deserved dinner turned into what the receipt for $3079 would indicate became an Animal House style festival to Bacchus, the Roman God of Wine and Intoxication. Examination of the bill shows that approximately 80% of the tab excluding the $477.24 gratuity was spent on alcohol. The bill included 13 bottles of wine and included 5 bottles of Opus One @ $250.00 per bottle along with some lesser varietals with price tags of between $40 and $85 each. There were also 32 drinks or double ups involving hard liquor like Macallan, Grey Goose, Absolut, Stoli, and Woodford Reserve. All in all nearly 100 portions of alcohol were consumed by the 14 people in attendance.

The meal itself was typical and appropriate for a volunteer board with appetizers, salads, entree’s, desserts and coffee making up the rest of the bill. When contacted for a comment on the excessive alcohol bill Bob Whitehouse, acting Executive Director of the ECVB was quick to point out that “it is part of the job of the Executive Directors to attend this function and to pay for the dinner with the ECVB credit card”. He went on to say that “Mrs. Whitehouse does not consume alcohol so he had a designated driver for the trip home”. None of the other attendees was available for comment.

The members of the Board of Directors of the ECVB with their appointing entity are as follows:

Joseph J. Vezzoso, President, appointed by the Vanderburgh County Commissioners
Kristen Tucker, Vice President, appointed by the Vanderburgh County Council
Claudette Branson, Treasurer, appointed by Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel
Stacey McNeill, Secretary, appointed by Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel
David Dunn, Commissioner, appointed by the Vanderburgh County Council
Greg Gee, Commissioner, appointed by the Vanderburgh County Commissioners
Mike Roeder, Commissioner, appointed by Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel

Mike Roeder did not attend the dinner and Kristen Tucker attended alone without her husband Todd Tucker. The other five members of the board brought their spouses along for the party. The news of the fest became public by accident when incoming Vanderburgh County Commissioner Marsha Abell chose to attend a meeting of the CVB on December 13th to check up on any actions to revive the Roberts Stadium Ballfields project. When the meeting ended Joe Vezzoso thanked her for attending and told her that he was going the the ECVB Board of Directors Christmas party. Recently Commissioner Abell contacted Bob Whitehouse to inquire as to who was paying for the party and he supplied her with the receipts. He also told her that his presence was required to pay for the festival.

The question certainly arises as to just what public entity using taxpayer money authorizes an alcohol bill of approximately $2,000 for a party of 14? It is furthermore worth asking the question of just whether or not it is an authorized use of taxpayer dollars. Finally it must be asked that in a recession what kind of a Board of Directors that is serving as volunteers and as stewards the people of Evansville’s money would have the audacity and arrogance to spend such an excessive amount of money on a Bacchanalian Festival to congratulate and reward themselves for the kind of year that the ECVB had in 2010.

Do they recognize that this single dinner for 14 people is approximately a month’s pay for an average worker in the City of Evansville? Do they realize that they are supposed to set the example for the entire organization? Do they realize that if they happened to be driving home that it is certain that there was enough alcohol served to inebriate everyone in attendance. We surely hope that these people had the good judgement not to drive after consuming so much alcohol.

In the opinion of the City County Observer, this little self congratulatory Roman Festival has crossed the line. For this reason we call upon each and every board member that attended this dinner to resign immediately. If these people will not resign then we call upon the public bodies that appointed them and the Mayor of Evansville to dismiss them for cause as they may do so under Indiana code IC6-9-2.5-2.

Enough is enough! This feast of narcissism is the equivalent of one big middle finger aimed right at the people of Evansville whose tax dollars fund this operation. Such arrogance has no place in public office whether elected or appointed. We furthermore call upon the elected officials of Evansville and Vanderburgh County to exercise better judgement in the future when making appointments.

As for Mr. Whitehouse whose attendance was mandatory so he could pay the bill and Mr. Roeder who had the good fortune to be unable to attend, we encourage diligent thought on behalf of the decision process on whether or not these gentlemen will be retained. Instances like this in recent years have always seemed to search for a scapegoat. We encourage the new members of the County Council, the County Commissioners, and the Mayor to end the practice of seeking a single scapegoat when the wheels fall off the bus. There have been too many boards in Evansville that have shifted responsibility to the shoulders of employees of non-profits with limited authority and the practice is really destructive.

These gentleman may just become the foundation on which to rebuild the Evansville Convention and Visitors Bureau that has just celebrated what others may call a year from Hades.

To add insult to injury the CCO has also been made aware that the bill from the 2009 party was closer to $4,000 and that this practice has been going on for nearly 25 years.

Here is a link to the itemized bill:

http://media.courierpress.com/media/static/tab2.pdf

IS IT TRUE? Part 2 January 3, 2011: Examining the Crime Map

IS IT TRUE that the crime statistics that when blended for the City of Evansville in the link that we provided earlier have intrigued us?….that examination of the map on the link by neighborhood is quite enlightening as to just how localized crime actually is in all of the City of Evansville?….that the number assigned to the City of Evansville of 13 means that the City of Evansville is safer than 13% of the areas that data is available for in America?…that the range of ratings for the City of Evansville on a neighborhood basis is from a 3 (97% of neighborhoods in America safer) for the area south of Walnut, west of MLK, east of the Ohio River, and north of Washington Avenue, to a 96 (4% of neighborhoods in America safer) for McCutcheonville?

IS IT TRUE that with the sole exception of the triangle created by north of Walnut, south of the Lloyd, east of Pigeon Creek, and the Ohio River that enjoys a crime rank of 42 (only 58% of the neighborhoods in America safer)?… that the areas encompassed by Diamond Ave. on the north, highway 41 on the east, the Ohio River, and Pigeon Creek have crime ratings in single digits (90%+ of neighborhoods in America are safer) with highs only approaching a rating of 20 (80%+ of neighborhoods in America safer)?….that the traditional west side neighborhood rankings along with the southeast side are all in the 20’s and 30’s meaning that 70% to 80% of America’s neighborhoods are safer?

IS IT TRUE that the residential areas of the eastside of Evansville including the area in and around the University of Evansville fare better with nearly all of these areas ranking between 50 and 60?…that the eastside area that contains the mall and most of the other shopping areas are only ranked as 12 (88% of neighborhoods are safer)?….that the numbers for this area are biased negatively because of petty theft that is always characterized by retail districts?….that on the bright side the area that contains the University of Southern Indiana rates second behind McCutcheonville’s 96 rating with a 70?…that the northside led by McCutcheonville nearly all ranks in the 60’s with the exception of the Kratzville Road region and is the “bluest” region on the map? Blue indicates the most crime free areas.

IS IT TRUE that here is the crime map link again, and that the CCO encourages you to explore as much as you like? http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/in/evansville/crime/

IS IT TRUE that Evansville as all cities has great places with low levels of crime and other areas that are in need of constant vigilance from our law enforcement professionals?….that keeping crime down requires both the efforts of law enforcement and the cooperation and support of the citizens?….that the City County Observer encourages an informed citizenry to assist our law enforcement professionals in improving all of the crime ratings of our neighborhoods by seeing and informing when something out of line is going on?

IS IT TRUE? January 3, 2011

IS IT TRUE that Martha Crosley is getting lots of suggestions about what could be done with Roberts Stadium other than tearing it down for ball fields?…that some of the ideas are quite ingenious?…that the Mayor of Evansville is on record as saying that these ideas need to come to him with funding?….that the innkeeper’s tax is available to these citizen idea people through the Evansville Convention and Visitor’s Board of Directors?….that at last count that was either $18 Million of bonding or $1.5 Million per year?…that these citizen proposals should assume that money is available when they construct their financing plan?….that with that much available in reserve and with citizen interest in investing something substantial may just come from this citizens action committee?

IS IT TRUE that during our Christmas hiatus that the FBI released numbers that indicated that during the first 6 months of 2010 that violent crime increased in the City of Evansville by 17.8% over the previous year?…that the very next day the Evansville Police Department released an 11 month report that showed Evansville in line with the nation as a whole with a 6% drop in violent crime?….that when crime is low that a single incident can make the numbers look terrible?….that in the first 6 months of 2010 there were 3 murders as compared to 2 murders the previous year?…that the third murder statistically made 2010 show a 50% increase in murders as opposed to ZERO?….that in a place like Evansville where murder is historically rare, short term statistics are not a good indicator of the state of the city?

IS IT TRUE that long term violent crime statistics for the City of Evansville are consistent at 3.77 crimes per 1,000 people?….that the national median for violent crime is 4.7 per 1,000 people making Evansville 25% safer historically than America’s median?….that this equates to having only a 1 in 265 probability of being a victim of a violent crime in Evansville, Indiana?….that when it comes to property crime our numbers while okay exceed the national median?….that the City of Evansville has a property crime rate of 48.65 per 1,000 while the national median is 34.3 per 1,000?….that you have a 1 in 21 chance of being the victim of a property crime in Evansville in any given year?…that property crimes really are 42% higher than the national median?

IS IT TRUE that the following link will take you to a website that has a both a crime map and crime statistics of interest? http://www.neighborhoodscout.com/in/evansville/crime/

IS IT TRUE that as a regional shopping hub that serves a population of nearly 700,000 in a city of only 116,000 that property crimes will by definition be higher?….that if a teenager from Lynnville or Sebree shoplifts a pair of socks at the Eastland Mall that Evansville gets hit with another property crime for statistical purposes?…that is much of the reason that our property crime stats are disproportionally high?

IS IT TRUE that the Evansville Police Department under the leadership of Chief Brad Hill does and has always done an excellent job of carrying out their duties to protect and serve the people of the City of Evansville and the visitors who come here to shop and recreate?….that the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Department under the leadership of Sheriff Eric Williams is equally up to the task and coordinates very efficiently with the EPD when necessary?…that we are all very fortunate that our law enforcement officials are cognizant, competent, and dedicated to the safety of the people that they serve?

IS IT TRUE that it has now been 1,332 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 1,186 days since the Evansville Redevelopment Commission at the request of Mayor Weinzapfel approved the spending of $603,000 to purchase the parking lot.

IS IT TRUE that there are now 678 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?

January 3, 2010

News Release

INDIANAPOLIS –The Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association (ICVA)—the city’s official sales and marketing organization charged with driving tourism and booking conventions—announces its President & CEO, Don Welsh, has accepted a position as CEO of the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau.

During Welsh’s tenure, Indianapolis has risen into the rankings of a first-tier destination, competitive on the national convention and tourism scene. Welsh arrived to the ICVA in August 2008, deliberately recruited from the Seattle Convention & Visitors Bureau due to plans of the city creating more than $3 billion in new tourism developments.

Under Welsh’s leadership, the city opened Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indianapolis International Airport’s new Weir Cook terminal. In the first quarter of 2011, the city will open the expansion of the Indiana Convention Center and finish the Marriott Place Indianapolis hotel complex project with the opening of the JW Marriott Indianapolis.

“The entire Indianapolis hospitality and convention industry is extremely appreciative of Don’s commitment and enthusiasm over the last two and a half years,” said Michael Browning, Board Chairman for the ICVA. “As with past ICVA leaders, Don has been instrumental in keeping Indianapolis’ strategic growth moving forward and raising the profile of the city.”

The search for a new CEO will be executed in the coming weeks, with the ICVA’s Board managing the process of identifying appropriate candidates and facilitating the interview process. Since 1978, the organization has had only four CEOs, including Welsh.

“With Indianapolis’ strong tourism product, including the expanding convention center and the coup of hosting the Super Bowl, we know this position will be extremely sought-after by numerous top-level executives both in Indianapolis and across the country,” said Browning.

In the interim, the ICVA’s executive leadership team—and 60 employees—will execute its 2011 strategic business plan to market Indianapolis and entice conventions to meet in the city.

“I am extremely thankful for my time in Indianapolis, this is truly a first-class destination poised for continued growth,” said Welsh. “I am confident Indianapolis will continue to attract new conventions and leisure visitors from around the globe.”

When the $275 million expanded Indiana Convention Center opens its doors on January 20, it will propel the facility from the 32nd to the 16th largest convention center in the U.S. with 749,000 square feet of exhibit space. The ICVA is the chief organization in charge of attracting meetings and conventions to fill this space.

The ICVA recorded numerous successes in 2010, booking nearly 650,000 hotel room nights. Also in 2010, the ICVA retained Gen Con, the city’s fourth largest annual convention, through 2015 because of the expansion of the Indiana Convention Center. The mission of the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association is to increase Indianapolis growth by strategically selling the destination to conventions, meetings, events, and leisure travelers. For more information, www.VisitIndy.com.

Source: Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association

The City County Observer tracks the number of times that each article is read. Of course our Is It True series draws more readers in bulk than any other series and nearly always is the most read feature on any given day. Over time however our feature articles that run or can be searched for draw much more attention than any single Is It True. Following are links to our 10 most read articles in 2010.

10. Clarity and Sanity Prevail Going Forward: Barnett to be Paid the Old Fashioned Way
http://city-countyobserver.com/2010/10/13/clarity-and-sanity-prevail-going-forward/

9. Applying the Medici Effect to Local Problems
http://city-countyobserver.com/2010/11/14/applying-the-medici-effect-to-local-problems/

8. The Roberts Stadium Ballfields Questions
http://city-countyobserver.com/2010/09/18/the-robert%E2%80%99s-stadium-ball-field-question/

7. Poles vs. Moles: The Results and the Predictions
http://city-countyobserver.com/2010/10/31/polls-vs-moles-the-results-and-predictions/

6. IS IT TRUE: November 6, 2010 Subject: Rick Davis
http://city-countyobserver.com/2010/11/06/is-it-true-november-6-2010-subject-rick-davis/

5. Indiana State Board of Accounts Findings
http://city-countyobserver.com/2010/09/04/breaking-news-indiana-state-board-of-accounts-findings/

4. The Executive Inn Dilemma
http://city-countyobserver.com/2010/12/21/the-executive-inn-dilemma-when-valuations-and-costs-are-miles-apart/

3. The Office of the Mayor Belongs to the People of Evansville
http://city-countyobserver.com/2010/10/15/editorial-the-office-of-mayor-of-evansville-belongs-to-the-people-of-evansville/

2. The Time of Reckoning is Passed
http://city-countyobserver.com/2010/07/28/the-time-of-reckoning-has-passed-public-money-demands-public-disclosure/

1. Deference to the Mayor: Why and for What?
http://city-countyobserver.com/2010/11/10/deference-to-the-mayor-why-for-what/