IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer is running a series of polls this week regarding the so called “Machine” that was called out for malfeasance by both candidates in the 2011 election for Mayor of Evansville?…that if “the Machine” is real and if it is at the least contributing to the 50 year dribbling down from a city of some significance and wealth to what we have become then it must be dismantled?…that we have been running a poll for the last 24 hours asking our readers “Is Evansville Really Ruled by a Political Machine”?…that as of this morning our readers had voted by roughly a 3 to 1 majority answering YES, any fool knows this?…that the other answer was of course “NO, “the Machine” is only urban legend”?…that there are certainly urban legends in Evansville but most are harmless and entertaining?…that urban legend or not the truth of the matter is that our readers believe there is a “Machine” that runs Evansville?

IS IT TRUE that the demographic of the readers of the City County Observer are overrepresented by people who are over 45, have a graduate degree, earn over $100,000 per year, are female, and surf the internet from home?…that one high ranking member of a certain winning political team and a “mover and shaker” in Evansville stated recently that “the CCO may not have the pure number of readers as the other news outlet, but it seems to have every educated and politically engaged person in town as loyal readers”?…that if this demographic believes in “the Machine” then “the Machine” is doing damage whether it has a formal membership and a meeting hall or not?…that to believe in “the Machine” also constitutes believing that some dark force is choosing the winners and losers based on a system of patronage as opposed to merit?…that political machines are also known for back door deals, insider contracts, etc. etc. etc.?…that there is not one know instance of a political machine serving the greater good in any place that they have infested?

IS IT TRUE that Mole #7 and several other Moles are telling us that Councilwoman Connie Robinson has gathered the votes needed to become the next President of the Evansville City Council?…that we have also been informed that Councilwoman Missy Mosby will be the Council’s Vice President and that Councilman John Friend will head the Finance Committee?…that all we wish to say is “that was fast”?…that some may see this as the work of “the Machine”?…that others would just say good choices and let’s move on?…that some may say both?

IS IT TRUE that Mr. Carl Chapman, the president and CEO of Vectren Corporation will be making a presentation and taking questions from the Evansville City Council tonight?…that the topics of discussion are expected to center on a) the fact that the people in Vectren’s service area pay the highest rates in Indiana, b) the economic development consequences of those rates, and c) the prospects for future rates including the value, the holding location, and the impact of the future sale of accumulated carbon credits on future rates?…that tonight’s questions will be coming from the City Council and heavily influenced by Councilman John Friend who has worked in a utility and that public input will not be allowed?…that the public will have their opportunity to have their say at the Evansville hearing of the IURC that will be on November 28, 2011 at the Centre?…that we encourage a packed house at that meeting but encourage those wanting a say to stay home tonight and take notes by watching the City Council meeting on WNIN?

IS IT TRUE that we are pleased that Evansville did not have a Portland moment on Saturday night at the Four Freedoms Monument where about two dozen members of Occupy Evansville were planning to camp?…that sometimes Midwestern courtesy from both protesters and law enforcement is the best way to go?…that the City County Observer supports freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, a free press, etc. but encourage order and respectfulness by all citizens if at all possible?

IS IT TRUE that the University of Evansville Purple Aces launched the regular season at Ford Center yesterday with a thrilling overtime victory over the two time defending National Runner-Up Butler Bulldogs?…that the Ford Center was once again filled to near capacity and that we have yet to hear any credible complaints about parking?…that the reports of full bars immediately before and after the events continue?…that to put a little perspective on that with the capacity as set by the fire marshal of all of the bars in downtown Evansville maximized it would take a stop at a bar by less than 3% of the people who attend a sold out event to pack all of the bars?…that filling up the barstools of only 3% of attendees is not test of anything with respect to real economic development from the Ford Center?…that the real test will be to see how many national or outside investor owned businesses are opened up in the first year because the demographics merit the investment?…that if at the end of three years that downtown Evansville has a 4th Street Live atmosphere with establishments such as Gordon Biershe, Howl at the Moon, TGIF, a 5 star restaurant, a upscale dance club, a real department store and even a full service grocery store that then we will be able to attribute these developments to the Ford Center because they were sure as heck not going to happen before?

IS IT TRUE that there are a few more very serious indicators of the power of the Ford Center as an economic development tool?…that losing an existing business in the first year on Main Street in any manner but acquisition by a stronger player would be a serious negative statement about the real foot traffic and staying power of Main Street?…that the other real test will be if in the next year that a major attraction project is closed where the president cites the Ford Center as a significant reason for the decision to come to Evansville?…that this does not mean a group of 4 that says that someday if the wind shifts correctly and the bed bugs don’t bite that they may have a big expansion?…that this is a real project with a large sum of outside money that creates more than 1,000 jobs because of the Ford Center?…that if a downtown Convention Hotel ever really happens with outside money and without shaking local government down for over 50% of the cost that would make a positive indicator?…that the CCO is skeptical but hopeful regarding downtown?…that we do wonder out loud how it is that our little sister across the river Owensboro is getting downtown hotels yet Evansville can’t even VET proposals?

IS IT TRUE that the Louisville has two old historic hotels?…that the Brown Hotel has 293 rooms and the Seelbach Hotel has 321 making a total of 614 rooms in historic hotels in Downtown Louisville to serve a metropolitan area of about 1.2 Million people?…that Evansville has an MSA population of just over 350,000 or about 30% of what Louisville has?…that just using that scale as a metric that one can learn that if Evansville can utilize historic hotel rooms at the same rate as Louisville that we can use 180 such rooms?…that we wonder if any serious consideration has been given to finding an investor to turn the McCurdy into the hotel that it was meant to be?…that it is the right size, is in a great location, and that as a hotel would be in a position to have much more revenue potential than it would with 90 apartments?…that at 180 room hotel at $100 per night has a revenue potential that is 500% higher than 90 apartments at $1,000 per month?…that if such a hotel had only 58% occupancy and the apartments had the typical 85% occupancy that the expected revenue would exceed that of the apartments by 250%?…that this is certainly worth considering as a refurbished McCurdy is within an easy walk of both the MLK Entertainment district and Casino Aztar?…that more importantly it would create a triangle that completely envelopes Main Street that has struggled for many years to get people down there?

IS IT TRUE? November 12, 2011

IS IT TRUE that agenda for the Evansville Redevelopment Commission that was sent out at the end of the workday yesterday has no line item on the agenda mentioning the McCurdy Hotel, City Centre Properties, Hunden Strategic Partners, or either of the companies that have made a proposal to construct a downtown Convention Hotel?…that as the next meeting will be in December that unless these very important topics are snuck in under the banner of “other business” that we will enter the last month of the year with no resolution with respect to these pieces of rotting unfinished business?…that we are now wondering just how long does it take to VET two construction companies?…that speaking from experience that it takes longer for the ERC to do this than it took to plan, orchestrate, sell, and close a $27 Million secondary public offering?…that something is wrong with the thought processes and the sense of urgency here in River City?

IS IT TRUE that Mayor Elect Lloyd Winnecke has expediently released the names of the 15 members of his transition team?…that it was refreshing to see no names that are outwardly and openly members of the “good old boy’s network”?…that the CCO is pleased to see that since we had previously expressed concern that some of the “good old boys” were suspected of trying to get their nose under the tent of the future Winnecke Administration?…that we should not be surprised to see some of the people on the transition team to end up with appointments to key boards and positions?…that one should not be surprised if County Councilman Russ Lloyd Jr. is persuaded to accept the position of Evansville City Controller?…that will create a vacancy on the County Council that Mole #7 tells us that Pete Swaim is interested in?…that Mole#7 also says that Mike Duckworth may be transitioning from a job with the County to a similar job in the City?…that Mole #7 also expects that Ed Ziemer will be replacing David Jones as the City Attorney?…that Mole #7 believes that we will see former Chamber of Commerce Vice President Steve Schaefer will be moving into Rose Young’s office as Mayor Elect Winnecke’s Chief of Staff?

IS IT TRUE that the scourge of meth made a house go boom in quiet Newburgh neighborhood yesterday?…that this one was a little too close for comfort as it was right on the jogging path of this writer?…that this house explosion happened just before 7 am yesterday morning and was soon followed with a plume of black smoke rising into the air?…that this neighborhood is as middle class Americana as it gets and is more the domain of young parents with strollers, children on bicycles, grandparents taking walks, and well kept lawns that the typical front page meth explosions show?…that this should serve notice to the people and the public officials of SW Indiana that no neighborhood is immune to the scourge of meth?…that it is time to get serious about cutting the supply lines of pseudoephedrine?…that education is a good thing but to think we can rely on education alone to solve the meth problem is incredibly naive?…that we are dealing with drug addicts here and they unfortunately do not educate well even if they are already educated?…that significant damage was done to the houses on each side of the meth house?

IS IT TRUE that another officer of the Vanderburgh County Democrat Party has resigned his position?…that Adam Schaaf, the Democrat Party Committeeman for Precinct 2-1 tendered his resignation to Party Chairman Mark Owen citing the behavior of local Democrat Party leaders with respect to insider attacks on the Davis for Mayor campaign as reason for his resignation?…that Mr. Schaaf’s resignation letter addressed to Chairman Owen included the following paragraph?

“I certainly hope that Indiana Democratic Party Chairman Dan Parker moves swiftly with a full investigation of the Vanderburgh County Democrat Party. In closing, as a Democrat, I remain committed to upholding central Democratic values within our community. I wish the best to ALL of the Democrat winners on the ballot in 2011 the in their quest to represent our fair city and they remain committed to moving our city forward. I will look forward to a time when I may serve my fellow citizens again.”

IS IT TRUE that even though Evansville City Councilwoman Elect Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley did not share her reasons for her own resignation from the Vanderburgh County Democrat Party we know her to also be a person who is as Mr. Schaaf, “committed to upholding Democrat values within our community”?…that during the campaign one of the things that the CCO learned about Councilwoman Elect Riley is that she is a person of pure convictions and that she through her own deliberations has chose to further the political positions of the Democrat Party?…that we never caught her in a falsehood or a dirty trick toward her equally virtuous but ideologically different Alan Leibundguth?

IS IT TRUE that people who enter politics from a place of conviction founded on thoughts, all deserve respect and that we came during the campaign to greatly respect both Councilwoman Elect Riley and Mr. Leibundguth?…that it is people like these two who are different yet grounded that can make government work?…that our expectations for both of the 3rd Ward candidates was that they would be true to their ideology and would never alter their fundamental beliefs for political convenience?…that the CCO wishes Councilwoman Elect Riley success as a member of our City Council and would welcome her explanation for resigning from the local Democrat Party but will respect her decision to keep that information private if she chooses to do so?…that our opinion of her is that she will be part of the solutions needed for a better Evansville and that we will know where she stands based on who she is and not on who some political strongman tells her to be?

IS IT TRUE that we went from shorts and T-shirts on election day to coats and freezing within 48 hours?…that is the way fall is in SW Indiana and that we at the CCO are grateful for the warm weather that we have been able to enjoy 1/3 of the way into November?

IS IT TRUE that we are thankful that the news of shootings in the 4th Ward has come to a halt?…that we would like to commend the people of the 4th Ward and especially those in the community of faith who have stepped up to lead the effort to take back their neighborhoods?…that we are also thankful for the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday and that we wish all of our readers a happy time with their families?…that everyone does not have the means for a good meal on Thanksgiving and that the CCO would like to encourage our readers to make a donation to the Evansville Rescue Mission to provide Thanksgiving meals for people among us who may be having a bad year?