Breaking News: Riverboat Tax Revenue Shortfall for 2014 Pegged by Controller Lloyd at $1.35 Million

1. It doesn’t take a psychic or a CPA to recognize that gambling revenue isn’t going up anytime soon, especially for Tropicana.

2. I wonder how much of this has to do with the boat being a nasty, unclean dump.

   The place is smoke filled (could use better ventilation), the carpets are worn out, the walls are stained yellow from smoke, the bathrooms have broken tiles, the boat food is subpar, the pleather on the chairs is ripped up, light fixtures are coming off the walls, the brass is corroding, etc, etc. It’s not a nice experience. It’s outdated, unclean, and tacky.

   Basically, Aztar/Tropicana has not kept the facilities as nice as its competitors regionally. I feel as though they could improve the facilities by moving on land and building a casino that is actually nice. Maybe, just maybe, that would improve the customer experience and people would return.

   • Tropicana is what it is. The real tragedy is that local government is addicted to such a revenue stream. Friend warned about this on TV last week.

     • Exactly. The damn fools have already tied up a portion of that cash stream to make Ford Center payments. What happens if it it keeps dwindling down? Taxpayers will pay. That is why the bonds have taxpayer backup.

3. Looks like City Councilmen and Budget Director John Friend, CPA prediction last year about Riverboat money will be reduced last year was correct.

   What the hell with City Controller Lloyd, can’t he take good advice from another CPA? The Mayor is still talking about a dog park even after finding out the news about the future loss of income from the Riverboat. Wow what an idiot!

   • I’m not a Russ Lloyd fan but as mayor he left Evansville no worse or better, sort of a draw. The same thing can’t be said about the last 2. Lloyd inherited a mess, Winnecke inherited his own mess. Where were Friend and the rest of the democrats when this mess was created? Friend and friends didn’t want to upset the cart when a democrat was mayor. Friend and friends are not worthy of a lot of praise, partisan politics at it’s worse, nothing more nothing less. With Whirlpool gone and 10,000 abandoned properties did someone expect revenue to increase? Nothing positive has happened economically in this area since McDonald was mayor. He has been referred to has the best mayor the republicans ever had in Evansville.

     • McDonald did do a lot of good, but he held office too long and starting letting things go downhill.

       • Ole Frank may not have batted 1000, but one thing can be said, when Ole Frank left office, the City finances were incredibility strong. The City had Millions in reserve. When Weinzapfel became mayor, the reserve was five times less than when Mayor Lloyd took the office, and when Mayor Winnecke took over, what balance Mayor Weinzapfel inherited was three times less. So, does anyone out there see a pattern? The City seems to grow accustom to Riverboat money, believing that the Goose will keep laying the egg. Kool-aid, anyone?

     • pov, could not agree more. Mayor Russ pulled the plug when the downtown stadium may cost $1 million more than budget. Seems like that was back in the great depression when you see all the new deficit spending of the current multi-multi-millions of dollars. History will be kind to Mayor Russ.

   • I remember the “good old days” when Mrs. Mayor was the queen of Parks and Recreation. I guess she still has a soft spot in her heart for parks. If he doesn’t give the Missus her Dog Park, he’ll be in the doghouse!

4. Looks like Friend warnings came to light. As Weaver would say, “this budget shortfall is a no brainer”!

   • This is why the Mayor had his panties in such a wad to hurry up and pass the damn $37.5 Million giveaway. Remember, that idiot was going to commit boat money to pay the bond debt. It is a good thing for Evansville that six council members had the cajones to corral Winnecke and the turd heads who wanted to give the big bucks away.

     • The 6 Democrats on the City Council not deserve any credit for the downtown convention hotel. They did nothing to solve the problems. All they did is criticize.

       • It wasn’t their damn job to put together the right deal. It was, however, their job to criticize the one that was presented as they hold the purse strings and that is their role. Maybe a refresher civics class is in order for you, Wayne.

         Since we are on the subject of roles, your role as the Party Chairman wasn’t to advocate a liberal stance on a divisive fiscal issue and deepen the divide in our Party, but that’s exactly what you did.

         • True Brad Linzy!!

         • It is the City Council’s job to do and promote things that help our City to be the best it can be. It is your and my job as citizens to do the same thing. You are negative about most things. I am proud to say “I am from Evansville”. Are you?

           “promote liberal stance”? I believe I did the right thing by prompting a project that will help our City. Without the City’s financial help, the convention hotel would not have been built. While a few Evansville people was against the hotel project, 75% plus of the citizens of Evansville were for it. The “Democrat 6” will pay big time in 2015. The Mayor’s popularity is the highest it ever has been for his leadership on the hotel project. Get over it Brad–you position lost.

         • I may have “lost” in that it didn’t reach my ideal, but at least I had a fiscally conservative ideal. Between the two of us, Wayne, I’m not the one who ended up with egg on his face over that issue. The more you insist on reliving it, the crustier and more rancid, not to mention uglier, that egg becomes.

         • Brad:-Says: “Wayne, I’m not the one who ended up with egg on his face…”

           The goal was for Evansville to get a downtown hotel. That goal was accomplish with my help and the help of many others who contributed more than I did. There is no egg on my face.

           Brad says–“The more you insist on reliving it,..” I did not bring it up. You did.

       • Who is doing your polling Wayne? Further down, you say the Mayor is “popular” because of his “leadership” on the hotel deal? I think you must be limiting your sample to GOP precinct committeemen and the Mayor’s immediate family!

5. No wonder why the Mayor, Russ Lloyd, Jr. and his Chief of staff have tried to discredit Mr. Friend because they knew that Friend is an outstanding numbers man. Sorry fellows, Mr. Friends warnings concerning the Casino budget was right on target. I guess you’ll are going to forced to stop spending money like a dunking sailor.

   Let’s see now if his warning about the soon to be release state audit is right on target. If Mr. Friend proves to re right I think Russ Lloyd Jr. should resign as city controller.

   • If that audit looks like I think it will, he may not need to resign. He may be removed, and there will be some others going away with him. I want to be wrong, but there are surely a lot of “caution lights” blinking.

   • Hose House: “Friend is an outstanding numbers man”?
     WOW! He is the elected official who got us in our current mess–not Russ Lloyd.

     • Wayne you are a partisan idiot!

       • Freedom matters: I believe in sensible taxes, smaller and less intrusive government, personal responsibility and accountability, Constitutional government, liberty, and respect for life.

         What part of the above do you disagree with?

         • Shouldn’t government responsibility and accountability be in there also> If so this as well as the last administration have failed miserably. I passed accounting by running one column down, moving that balance across, and working that column up getting it to match up somewhere in the middle. Neither of the last two administrations have accomplished that. Will SMG ever publish any account balance over the last 6- 8 years of dabbling in the public funds?

         • onemeover: “Shouldn’t government responsibility and accountability be in there also” The answer is yes.

         • Wayne, I disagree with all of your statements! This is not how conduct your business side. Your still a partisan idiot!

     • Wayne, I agree with you. The numbers weren’t important to Friend until Winnecke took office. If Weinzapel was still in office the hotel deal would have passed on first effort. Russ Lloyd inherited this mess and the books may have been so cooked it will be quite awhile before they are straight. No sympathy for Winnecke he was there at the beginning. The hotel was a given with the Ford Center mess left by Weinzapel. For the life of me I can’t see this obsession with downtown Evansville. Green River and east is the new Evansville, if you’re not going toward GR there’s no need to start your car.

       • I don’t get that either, pov. I really don’t see how the consultant arrived at a conclusion that downtown is the “optimal” location, unless he never SAW downtown and wrongly assumes it still has a pulse, or he received an “incentive” to come to that conclusion. Either way, putting the facility downtown makes no sense. Any of the discussed locations, including Mrs. W’s dog park, are better. What a shame this could get bungled by the “downtown cheerleaders” and the Mayor they appear to own!

   • Mr Friend needs no help discrediting himself–he does it to himself.

     • He and his 5 council members voting NO to the first proposal saved the taxpayers 18 million dollars. I see that as an improvement over your mayors GREAT DEAL. Add in the interest over the 20 yr life of the bonds will be significant, and get them rewarded come election time.

       • Friend deserves no credit for the hotel. None.

         The Mayor pulled a rabbit out of the hat with the help of ONB/Business Group. Friend was a huge obstructionist to this project. He found no solutions nor did he seek any. He put up one road block after another. Fortunately he fail in his attempt to kill the project.

         He will not get elected in 2015. He should be happy the the election is not this year or next.

6. The bond payments WILL BE MADE!! If they come up short in all the other designated sources of revenue for the bond payments the city executive will simply ask the common council for a resolution to raise the needed funds from the city’s portion of the county option income tax or property taxes.

   Sometimes projected revenue equates to pixie dust. A fact that politicians tend to overlook when considering new public-private projects in the millions of dollars.

   Heading down the Detroit road, whistling all the way.

   ___

7. Taken down because post was off message and insulting.

8. I’m glad there’s momentum against unRoberts Park and I’m glad this is coming out before the vote. They should be held to the same financial standards that we were, which obviously they can’t even come close to matching as their plan is double and includes money from the boat that is 1. declining and 2. can be used for more general uses.

   I also believe that there comes a time when you have to put your foot down and hold it down or else we will keep getting rigged projects like this. We screw you, then you get over it should not be tolerated anymore. That right there is why we have ten thousand yes people gravitating to every one of these projects.

   I seem to remember Wayne Parke calling out the CCO wayback when about the declining riverboat revenues. Sure looks like revenue is going up doesn’t it Wayne?

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