IS IT TRUE that yesterday the City County Observer made a Freedom of Information Act request to the Evansville Controller’s office, the office of the Mayor of Evansville, to GAGE President Debbie Dewey, and to Gage Chairperson Carrie Ellspermann of Old National Bank?…that the request was for the following?

“access to and copies of all credit checks, background checks, contracts, studies, technical performance reports, purchase orders, terms of payment, power purchase agreements (PPA’s), and other pertinent documentation associated with the recently announced agreement between the City of Evansville and/or its surrogates and Earthcare Energy and its associated subcontractors and/or surrogates. To be more specific the project that I refer to is the recently announced loan and incentive package worth approximately $5 Million that was approved by the Evansville City Council two weeks ago.”

IS IT TRUE that we expect an assertion that GAGE is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act but have it on good authority that for a project that uses entirely public money that is done using money that is from public sources that the CCO will prevail and will be granted access to and copies of all that we requested?…that the outcome is known in advance but the only variable is whether or not the information will be provided without a higher authority forcing its release?…that it has now been 20 days since GAGE President Debbie Dewey was respectfully requested to answer 6 simple yes or no questions regarding the Vetting of this project?…that we still do not have any answers?…that City Councilman John Friend’s questions are not all answered yet either?…that the 20 business day clock on the Freedom of Information Act request filed yesterday now says 19 more days?

IS IT TRUE that for those of you who waited until the last minute to file your federal and state income tax returns that the clock has run out so send in your check?…that the revelations of the last several weeks about the blatant arrogance and in-our-face nature about the way our tax dollars are being spent is enough to make one angry?…that some of our tax dollars have been spent by the Senior Administration of the General Services Administration on travel to places like Las Vegas, Guam, Hawaii, and Napa Valley?…that what has gone on within the GSA that was recently made public is a version of the famous CVB Christmas Party on steroids?…that the advance team of secret service agents whose job is to protect President Obama’s first order of business when landing in Cartagena, Columbia last week was to round up a herd of whores for their own personal pleasure?…that some government spending like $500 hammers seems wasteful but it is wasteful because of the excessive regulation associated with making a purchase?…that such spending is simply what one may call “stupidity in government”?…that when government employees spend OUR DOLLARS lavishly on themselves on things that benefit no one but their self indulgent entitlement minded selves it is a very different story?…that when our hard earned money is spent by civil servants with all of the concerns of Caesar eating delicacies while Rome was burning that it is time to demand change?

IS IT TRUE that the arrogance and condescendence that we have been seeing from the federal government and in some instances by local government are symptoms of corruption?…that it is right there for all to see and yet little seems to be done about it?…that people will not be responsible as long as government continues to set such an egregious corrupt example?

IS IT TRUE that the real tragedy of the growing list of projects that the City of Evansville and its surrogates have failed to VET properly or have hidden from the people of Evansville is that when something really good comes along (and someday it will) there will be no money and no tolerance for the risk associated with it?…that sometimes poor VETTING is legitimate ignorance but other times it is well known up front that a disaster is looming and government officials choose to do wrong with their eyes wide open?…that the Homestead Tax Credit secret meeting is an example of local government CHOOSING TO DO WRONG with their eyes wide open?…that after the fact they said it could not be reversed?…that was just one more CHOICE TO MISLEAD that was consciously made but this time they were wrong?…that Governor Daniels overturned the local buffoonery and a certain amount of egg will be permanently attached to the faces of the ringleaders of that fiasco?

IS IT TRUE that the next time that the CHOICE TO DO WRONG is made with eyes wide open by local officials the results will be just as sobering to the wrongdoers as the Homestead Tax Grab and the $600,000 parking lot were to the last group of people who refused to think things through before spending public money unwisely?

IS IT TRUE that on March 24, 2012 the City County Observer concluded collecting the necessary signatures required by the State of Indiana to request a field hearing with respect to the yet to be approved contract between the City of Evansville and Johnson Controls?…that we have not yet received any official notice of the request for a field hearing there has been a document issued that seems to imply that the request is not “necessary”?…that the justification for a field hearing not being necessary is most likely the fact that the project has been sold to the state as a “no cost” contract?…that the reason that the CCO petitioned for the field hearing is because we do not believe the assertion that the Johnson Controls contract will actually deliver the savings sufficient for it to really be a “no cost” contract?…that there will be an evidentiary hearing this Thursday, April 19th in Indianapolis at 9:30 AM in room 222 at 101 West Washington Street?…that written comments to cause #44123 will be accepted at the above address through May 2, 2012 so we encourage our readers who like us have concerns that the City of Evansville has once again rushed to sign a contract with high potential to become a “BILL OF GOODS” to send in their questions and comments?

IS IT TRUE that it was announced yesterday for the first time ever that Pulitzer Prizes were awarded to exclusively online publications?…that a Pulitzer Prize for national reporting was awarded to David Wood of the Huffington Post and that Matt Wuerker of Politico was honored with a Pulitzer for Editorial cartooning?…that NO AWARD WAS GIVEN in the category of editorial writing?…that for those who are insistent that print media is not in a dog fight with online publishing the awarding of Pulitzer Prizes to online publications in a head to head competition with print should put the purveyors of ink on notice?

IS IT TRUE that Keep Evansville Beautiful has released a rendering of a modernistic sculpture that will soon be welcoming visitors who come to Evansville by way of the airplane?…that the nearly $200,000 sculpture will be at the airport entrance with a purpose to give a good first and last impression to air travelers using the Dress Regional Airport?…that the CCO has been advocating for a positive airport experience for a long time now and that this sculpture may play a small role in a positive experience?…that one nagging question that we feel the need to bring up is “when will we be getting jetways”?…that the lack of jetways in inclimate weather guarantees a negative airport experience and that between rain, snow, cold, and humidity that inclimate weather is going on here over 200 days per year?…that a soaked or frozen visitor is unlikely to be impressed by any gateway sculpture in a way to remove the discomfort felt from not having jetways?…that we understand that donations made to KEB for a statue probably cannot be used for jetways and that jetway money should never be spent on a statue?…that we really hope that the jetways are installed before the sculpture because choosing form over function as in stadium but no sewers has become a way of life in Evansville?…that putting up a stature before investing in jetways sends the same message to visitors and residents alike and that message is that Evansville is not about substance?

IS IT TRUE that we are really wondering what has been going on with our federal government’s spending practices?…that between the arms trading to Mexican cartels, the GSA throwing over a million dollars in parties described by the Wall Street Journal as “raucous, extravagant, arrogant, and self congratulatory”, and now our secret service having “cathouse” parties with whores in Columbia before President Obama arrives it seems like there are no competent adults in charge?…that as the election approaches things like this will get tied up the chain of command and that if Washington really has become a frat house with our money that the guy who put the oblivious party animals in charge will eventually be asked to answer for these gross abuses of the public trust?…that it almost looks like the City of Evansville is running the country with all of the drinking, wasted money, and poor judgment on parade for all to see?