IS IT TRUE that this morning the City County Observer would like to ask each of our readers to say a prayer or think positive thoughts for its owner Mr. Ron Cosby as he undergoes surgery to remove his gall bladder starting at 9 am?…that we thank you in advance for your good wishes?

IS IT TRUE that we are as surprised as any to learn that the recently dedicated Martin Luther King that cost American taxpayers $120 Million was made in China?…that the master sculpter of the King Memorial is also famous for two gigantic likenesses of Chairman Mao Tse-tung?…that some sourcing decisions just make ones head spin?…that we wonder with the cost to transport the 1,600 tons of granite from China to Washington DC would have made this more cost efficient to do in America with American granite?…that the love of task that would have been enjoyed and passed down for generations by American artisans is lost forever?…that the personalization of the next generation of Americans several of whom could have said “my grandpa or grandma worked on the King Memorial” is now lost forever?…that the statue looks good and meets all of the specifications but there is no specification that will ever capture that unification and pride that could have come from the shared labor of this national monument to have been “Made in America”?

IS IT TRUE that the new San Francisco to Oakland Bridge is also being made in China?…that the bridge will be made in Shanghai and shipped to the Bay Area in sections to be assembled from ship to pylon?…that this is another one of those lost pride of workmanship opportunities?…that living in the Bay Area for a while it is impossible not to run across someone even today that proudly states that “my grandparent worked on the Golden Gate Bridge”?…that we learned both of these facts when a reader sent us the article below from a British news outlet?…that US media has not really trumpeted these facts?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/8602786/New-San-Francisco-bridge-built-in-China-to-be-shipped-to-US.html

IS IT TRUE that tonight is another Evansville City Council meeting and in particular the meeting when the 2012 budget is up for approval?…that there are some people on council that are opposed to voting yes based on the fact that there is no contract in place for the firefighters?…that some others should be upset because of the supposedly “non-budgetable” status of the legal costs?…that Councilman Dan McGinn has been asking for this breakdown for what seems like a couple of years to no avail?…that Councilman John Friend, CPA has been stating recently that the electric bills for the City of Evansville have increased by 20% in the last year and as high as 47% in certain categories?…that last week the Evansville City Council punted the discussion over rates with Vectren until after the election?…that some members of the Mole Nation are telling us that Councilman Friend may be bringing up the October 24th date for the Vectren meeting again tonight in view of the fact that every member of the City Council was unaware that Vectren would be publishing a hearing on that increase for October 25th right after the Evansville City Council kicked the can down the road?…that we shall know tonight if the Evansville City Council knows or appreciates the fact that they got the wool pulled over their collective eyes on that one?…that we shall also know if the Evansville City Council cares enough about getting bamboozled to reverse last week’s decision on the invitation to Vectren to speak before council on the 24th?

IS IT TRUE that the disclosure statements for all of the candidates for office must be filed by Friday?…that we will secure these reports at our first opportunity to do so and will make them available online?…that seeing where each candidates money is coming from may just illuminate where their future allegiances will lie?

IS IT TRUE that in the contract that Hunt Construction has to complete the construction of Ford Center there is an interesting line item in Exhibit F, Item 1?…that the line item of which we speak has to do with a reduction in bonus and reads exactly as “if Owner still is able to hold its first event on or before November 1, 2011, earn a reduced incentive of $125,000”?…that the allowing of non-profits to hold events for free in the Ford Center during the month of October may be the best example of brilliant planning to secure that $125,000 bonus ever concocted?…that local non-profits get the use of a nice venue (though not yet finished) AND we the taxpayers get to give Hunt Construction $ 125,000 incentive money whether a the Ford Center is finished well enough to host a revenue producing event on time?…that now that the public announcement has documented that the first event has already been held that Hunt will most certainly qualify for the $125,000 bonus?…that this seems like more SNEGAL tricks to us and that we would like to suggest that this bones should be distributed equally among the Evansville based charities like the Dream Center who unknowingly helped so secure this bonus for Hunt Construction?

IS IT TRUE the new $128 million arena has already become a pigeon roost? That over 100 pigeons can be seen in late afternoon at the top of the arena on the 6th street side of the building? That this does not bode well for the appearance of the Ford Center as the new gem of downtown Evansville?…that we wonder if the hawks that have done such a good job of controlling pigeons by eating them have gone on strike?…that we wonder if some of these Ford Center Pigeons may have relocated from the McCurdy which is so close to having construction crews busy on the building if Centre City Properties can really close their loan this time around?…that the bats can’t be far behind?…that pigeons and bats give new meaning to the words “downtown loft”?

IS IT TRUE that the Evansville Water and Sewer Utility Department showed up on yesterdays EPD Activity Report as a victim?…that someone went into the Civic Center and paid their water bill with two counterfeit $20 bills?…that this may be a crime but that it may just be a consumers way of protesting the counterfeit water and the counterfeit sewer that happens from time to time here in Evansville?

IS IT TRUE that the folks at Vectren have another legal notice published today under the signature of Brad Ellsworth that we really need a translator for?…that legal notice excluding the introductions reads as follows?

“Vectren Energy filed with the Indiana Utilities Regulatory Commission in Cause No. 44093 their Verified Emergency Joint Petition requesting approval of necessary and temporary alterations to the alternative regulatory plan under which Vectren Energy operates the Universal Service Program pursuant to Indiana Code 8-1-2-113 and extension of said alternative regulatory plan beyond its current termination date pursuant to Indiana Code 8-1-2-72 and 8-1-2.5-6(e)”

IS IT TRUE this is some fancy words coming from the former Vanderburgh County Sheriff who was known for a good down to earth demeanor and language that most Evansvillians can understand?…that seems to just be a request to request for a small change and an extension?… that a simple explanation would be appreciated?…that this reminds us of the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz when he proved that he finally had a brain?

IS IT TRUE that today is the day the group of people calling themselves “Occupy Evansville” will be assembling at the Four Freedoms Monument to set up the occupation?…that the combined Facebook “like” indicators are now over 2,000?…that looking over the site there are people from as much as 100 miles away indicating that they will be joining in the occupation of Evansville?…that finally today that some pointed political posts and some demands are starting to show up in the local sites?…that these demands are looking very much like what other parts of the country are hearing?…that it seems as though this leaderless and misdirected group may be getting its marching orders from somewhere because that is the only way that uniform statements could ever find their way to what is now several hundred groups?…that if and we must say if the list of 13 “demands” that are listed in the Evansville Courier and Press this morning are the goals of this group that what they have is a utopian dream that will put the last dagger into the heart of the already weakened American economy?…that we hope that the Evansville group will direct its youthful energy into things that Evansville can use improvement with?

IS IT TRUE that within “Occupy Evansville” there is a very vocal group that are naming targets for march bys?…that the targets listed include Vectren, some banks, Springleaf (for AIG history), and of course government buildings?…that there is a section under legal where all of the protesters are instructed about what is legal and what is not?…that there is no need for anyone to expect any violence or disrespect as the group seems to be well coached on protest etiquette?…that all of these targets have some merit and may be a part of the improvement of Evansville and that we hope that they will see march-bys as a wake-up call as opposed to an attack?

IS IT TRUE that the press release from Vectren this week letting us know that natural gas prices have fallen and that we can on average expect to pay $10 less this winter to keep warm?…that of course the normal disclaimers like “if the winter weather is just like last year’s”, “if the sun shines as much as normal”, and “if there are as many power outages as last year” then you will see you $10 but if not we are not responsible for this statement were included?…that what the press release really said was “if you use exactly the same amount of gas that you used last year Vectren believes based on its purchases that you will save $10, and they would like to get credit for saving you the $10”?…that this press release was really just an FYI to the ratepayers?

IS IT TRUE that unlike electricity where Vectren’s prices are dramatically higher than nearly every utility in the United States, their gas pricing is decoupled and actually has to compete in some areas that it serves?…that decoupling means that the price of the gas itself is passed directly through to the ratepayers at the cost that Vectren spends to acquire the gas?…that if Vectren is a good shopper that we the ratepayers benefit?…that if Vectren is a bad shopper and pays a high price for the openly traded commodity of natural gas that they will pass those extra costs on to us as well?…that during the last 5 years Vectren has been both a good and bad shopper?…that natural gas is traded today at $3.54 per million Btu’s and has a rising inventory?…that natural gas has not changed considerable over the past year but it has dropped dramatically from its highs of over $10 per million Btu in much of 2005?…that natural gas due to fracking increasing the supply is actually at a 10 year low in real dollars per Btu?…that Vectren does not have the size to control this market and is much at the whims of the market for gas as the ratepayers of SW Indiana are to the whims of the IURC?

IS IT TRUE that Vectren makes all of its profits from its gas operation from “distribution and service charges”?…that in one recent statement that “distribution and service charges” make up 77% of the gas charges while the “therms used (code for gas)” only makes up 23% of the total gas charges?…that while the recent press release was informative that it was a little sleight of hand as Vectren as a company is only earning profits from the “distribution and service charge” side of that equation?…that given the drop in natural gas since 2005 that one would expect that the gas portion of the bill should be 60% lower now than it was then?…that that nice warm air is moved with fans from the source of the flame to most homes?…that these fans are powered by electricity which at the end of the day still cost triple as much in Evansville than it does across the money saving bridge?

IS IT TRUEthat 10 therms = 1 million Btu’s?…that a recent bill would calculate that Vectren charges $4.85 per mmBtu?…that the spot market for natural gas has been stable this year at just over $3.50 per mmBtu?…that it seems as though Vectren’s overhead associated with purchasing the natural gas must be about 35% – 40%?

Link to historical natural gas price chart:

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/commodity/natural-gas