IS IT TRUE there is much curiosity in the Tri-State about the benefits of merging several Governmental creative entities and why the need to do such a thing culminated so rapidly?…it was revealed as examination of the 990 forms for E-REP show that it was actually formed three years ago in 2021 inside the Chamber?…it seems as though the merger was in the minds of some insiders for some time?…in reality E-REP assumed the roles of the Chamber and gobbled up the other two organizations as their leadership moved or decided to retirement?…the transparency about this merger from a public disclosure perspective is being questioned by members of the Mole Nation, with Mole #3 asking why the SNEGAL smell is in the air down at 318 Main Street?…the non-profit organization aggregation site GuideStar gives ratings for transparency gives Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum rankings to all non-profits based on how much of their financial, management, board of directors and performance data is published on their site?…at this time E-REP has no ranking whatsoever on GuideStar which is below the lowest rating for transparency that GuideStar has?…this means they have shared no information of substance period?
IS IT TRUE one of the City-County Observer Moles is adept at cyber-sleuthing techniques and was able to learn that E-REP is a 501c6 which is typical for organizations that employ lobbyists like Chambers of Commerce do?… Economic Development entities like GAGE and the Coalition are typically either 501c3 or 501c4 organizations that can accept deductible donations from anywhere?…this begs the question “Can E-REP accept money from governments (we know they do from a recent article in the Courier and Press) and plausibly advocate for business when they are beholding to government”?…one has to wonder why the City of Evansville and Vanderburgh County would put large contributions into E-REP when E-REP is a Chamber of a different name?… Mole #12 has asked if there is even one person on the staff at E-REP including the newly inaugurated CEO who has a single day of experience in grassroots economic development?… thus far, this all seems SNEGAL (sneaky but legal) from the day of formation with special interest lined up to feed at the trough?…a practice of transparency on the part of the organization would help with such impressions?
IS IT TRUE that the sneaky way that the Ford Center was forced down the taxpayers of Evansville’s throats without a vote was pretty darn deplorable?…the deplorable who voted this in and believed the concocted story of the place paying for itself got the ultimate slap in the face when it came to what set the attendance records for the Ford Center?…it was not the Purple Aces?…it was surely not any hockey team?…it was not the circus?…it was not even a classic rock or country concert that set the record for attendance?…the Democrats on the City Council all voted for the Ford Center just like former Mayor Weinzapfel told them to and the #1 and #2 attendance winner for the Ford Center is and shall always be President Donald J. Trump who set the record in 2016 and broke his record in 2018?…that is about as appropriate of a smack in the face as has ever happened?
Today’s Readers Poll question is: How do you rate the job that members of the Vanderburgh County Council are doing?
