Can or can not release? I think it is will or will not release. 10 points to Connie Robinson for speaking up.
Thank you Connie Robinson. I appreciate having you as a voice of the people, not only in your district, but for the Tax payers of this country who should be getting a fair value for the money withheld from their checks each week. The Brownfields is a good place to start asking for efficiency and effectiveness in our government and it’s agencies.
Well done George.
Respectfully asking for transparency from the EBC Land Bank.
I am certain this is the not first time this request has been made.
When you vote to adjourn it does not build trust. Just because HUD approves it is no more creditable than $450 hammers. That was not an answer to if the funds spent on delapidated apartments was justifiable. It seems that with more thrift that more objectives could be accomplished.
I move that Local Personality and Flunky Coures adjourn himself and for Cirignano to research the matter and advise him to do so, and then perfect the Local P adjournment by self-adjourning. I never knew so much overt sleaze could be packed into one little room. Coures quickly and regularly pivoting to hide behind HUD is telling. No matter, nothing much can be done about these folks. We had the opportunity to adjourn a few of them outta there last November and slept through it.
Thank you for your service to the people of Evansville Mr. Lumley.
Bandana:
It is actually alarming. Coures’ responses boil down to: “Yes. What you are saying is correct George. No, we don’t care that you care about possible corruption. Why? The ends justifies the means, that’s why. We don’t want to provide transparency. We don’t care that taxpayers have a right to review the transactions of public taxpayer dollars being wielded by this committee. Look at how nice this new building looks now. Just look! The ends justifies the means. So go away.”
These people can’t do the ham handed grabbing that they do and look anything but crooked. They have to have closed meetings or take a chance on going to jail like the guy in Indy. I hope the feds get them soon.
Mr. Coures said: “HUD does not care how much you spend on a property” So maybe this is why Mr. Lumley is questioning how much the DMD and Brownfield has paid for worthless contaminated properties using our tax dollars to clean up. Do they buy these negativly valued properties from anyone or just their buddies. Is it true one of the properties they paid $40,000 to an owner of only a few months was actually paid to take the property? That would be a nice profit – paid to take a brownfield contaminated property and then sell it a few months later for $40,000 because HUD does not care – and apparently no one at the local level cares. And people wonder why we have more than our fair share of blighted communities?
Jeez, it is any wonder people are fed up with politics, boards, advisory comittees, etc.?
Also, the stranglehold attorneys have over government is ridiculous. Not only was the board’s counsel rude and dismissive, but board members were essentially telling Mr. Lumley that they will basically be told by him the how, when, what, and where of how they will release information to the public. It is too bad that more people don’t see attorneys as the hired help they are, no different than a person who mows your yard or installs your furnace. Their ‘advice’ is not the final word, but too often is is treated as such. Just once it would be nice to hear something along the lines of “Our attorney has suggested we treat things this way to cover our butts, but you know what? We’re going to disregard that advice, actually answer your questions, and let the chips fall where they may…”
Props to Councilwoman Robinson for standing up for Mr. Lumley’s right to be heard and to Mr. Ellsworth attempting to explain the process by which Mr. Lumley could recieve the information he requested. The remaining board members were various combinations of combative and disinterested, not particularly attractive qualities for folks with the power to spend hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars.
ALSO, Mr. Coures statement that “HUD doesn’t care what you pay for a property, only what the result is…” seems absurd. Is he stating that they could propose to pay a billion dollars to purchase and demo a falling-down shotgun house on N. 3rd Avenue and it would be considered just dandy as long as the end result was an empty lot? Ridiculous, and I don’t buy it for a second.
At least give the board some credit for having a set of big brass ones, I suppose. To flat out look at a member of the public and essentially tell them you don’t give a shit what they want, you’re going to do things exactly the way you feel like doing them takes some cajones. Although probably not as much as being honest, in the case of this particular board…
Mr. Lumley shreds to pieces any picture that the Evansville Brownfields Corporation tries to present as them being anything other than part and parcel of the Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development when he points out that the Evansville Brownfields Corporation has no employees. The Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development created Evansville Brownfields Corporation, and the Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development is fully in control of the Evansville Brownfields Corporation.
I might add that the The Evansville Brownfields Corporation also paid $350,000. to Warren Properties for the privilege of tearing down the former Woods Drug Store at Haynies Corner. The big picture that emerges from most of the Brownfields’ transactions is one of local businessmen being, shall we say, well taken care of, in their unloading undesirable properties, with the liberal use of public monies.
BTW, who pays attorney Nick Cirignano’s fees? Is it Evansville Brownfields, and if so what funds do they use for that purpose?
Ziemer Stayman Weitzel & Shoulders
Nick J. Cirignano
Partner
Nick is a partner in the firm, practicing primarily in the area of Corporate and Commercial Law with an emphasis in the areas of Creditors’ Rights, Bankruptcy, and Real Estate. In his Bankruptcy practice, Nick has represented creditors in bankruptcy cases throughout the United States and has represented the City of Evansville in significant development projects.
…..THIS is what people are not getting.
“Legal expenses” is for advice. Not transaction income.
The EBC Land Bank IS AN INDUSTRY. 2000 blighted properties and counting. Transactions galore that generate unbelievable piles of fees: contract preparation, underwriting, remediation navigation, title fees, liability agreements….ON AND ON.
This committee wields massive influence and has a trainloads of “interested parties” passengers.
This needs to be TRANSPARENT.
The failure to CALL FOR TRANSPARENCY among the elected members who serve as Executive Board Members of the EBC Land Bank Committee (and their sycophants) is stunning.
Be transparent…..or resign.
Thanks for the first-hand look at the attitude of Coures, Cirignanp, and Ellsworth, et al. Three cheers for George Lumley and Connie Robinson for trying to hold the unholy alliance accountable to the public. We need some newly-appointed faces in City Hall. It’s too bad we blew the election so badly!
“Three cheers for George Lumley and Connie Robinson for trying to hold the unholy alliance accountable to the public. ”
Major credit to Connie for arguing Mr. Lumley’s right to speak, but what else has she done to hold this group ‘accountable to the public’? Connie can get pretty much whatever she wants done, done. If she really wanted to blow this group up and radically transform it, she absolutely has the political power to do so.
I have only casually followed this organization’s shenanigans, and genuinely don’t know what her role has been.
……BINGO. Perfectly stated DeltaBravo.
The answer is Councilperson Connie Robinson has been serving on the EBC Land Bank committee as a Executive Member longer than any other person.
While acknowledging Ms. Robinson did defer to George’s right to say something (and you would think she deserves the Medal of Honor for doing such a thing if you read ELKAYBEE’s comments – but then LKB and her are friends, of course), Ms. Robinson is clearly not willing to demand the EBC Land Bank be transparent on its activities.
Massive tax payer dollars are being spent, invested, and diverted outside of the public sunshine on this Committee. Ms. Robinson is, and has been involved, since Day One.
Elected officials have a duty to maintain and preserve trust….THAT is not being done here.
Well, if Ms. Robinson has indeed been involved with this group since inception it is hard to see her as the champion of truth, justice, and the American way when it comes to such matters.
Yep, just like Senator/Madam Secretary Hillary running for President.
…it is difficult reading ANY input from you on transparency and accountability of the EBC Land Bank ELKAYBEE. This whole “LKB Cares” narrative from you is preposterous.
Thank you George Lumley for all your dedication and hard work in fighting our political criminals
If I was Ellsworth I would run far away from this board. Why associate with this bunch of hacks and flunkies. No wonder this city will never be great again. Boy, I really hope federal investigators find that some of these individuals are committing some type of fraud.
It looks like Vectren is in bed with Brownfields, and Ellsworth is their rep.
Watched the video. Clearly they had rehearsed the agenda items behind closed doors earlier and just went through the motions out in the open. I can’t make heads or tales out of points that Lumley was trying to make. It’s wrong-headed to want Robinson to resign after she was the only one to question and challenge Coures. It looked like Ellsworth did try to explain what was going on to the public. You better make sure you know what Robinson and Ellsworth have done as part of this group before you take your resignation campaign any further. It is apparent Coures is laying the groundwork to boot Robinson off in favor of some hand-picked buddy from the Focus Council, which DMD runs also, by the way. Was that Weaver? What was he doing there? Tweeting mean comments about a female or campaigning to be named to the board? If you think replacing Robinson with this Winnecke rubber stamp is a good idea, you are sorely misguided and misinformed.
This video is really disturbing. Since when is the spending of public money not the business of the public? We need to watch City Council very closely if they are approving this kind of spending.
BUDDY HOLLY, your point is well considered.
…..notwithstanding, providing City Council with the opportunity to give an UP or DOWN vote on EBC Land Bank spending IS NOT EQUIVALENT to providing transparency for the sophisticated tax-payer funded and financed activities of the EBC Land Bank Committee.
Buddy they been spending money like there’s no tomorrow for quite some time now
Thanks for the support. Mr. Coures named a lot of things for DMD/Brownfields to take credit for. He stopped short of claiming credit for people getting a tax refund. I would just like to separate the who did what – What did DMD do? What did the Brownfields do? What did we as taxpayers do? I think most of the doing was on our dime and we should be entitled to the details to decide if we received good value. If some one at HUD is promoting this kinda crap – “HUD doesn’t care how much we pay” – they need to be promoted to taking orders at a McDonalds drive up.
Please refer to a story that appeared in the Courier & Press in April 2010, when the president of the board at that time explained why the group had decided to open its meetings to the public, ending the previous practice of meeting behind closed doors. Hint: It had to do with a State Board of Accounts opinion about the need for an audit because of the amount of federal funding being spent by Brownfields. Appears they have continued to drift back toward secrecy with Coures at the helm.
Who is the woman in green? Kelly Coures is always rude, but she makes him seem like a nice guy.
Her name escapes me but I met her years ago and she was associated with the EBC then. I recall her making a snobby comment about people who live in mobile homes.
Who are they trying kid? If the area around Haynies Corner is one of the lowest crime neighborhoods, we’ve got one big crime problem.
I can not get answers from DMD/Brownfields. Maybe one of the readers hear can tell me what is special about the zombie house at 208 Adams? So many houses to tear down and the Brownfields Paid $4,000 to Mark Todd and Barbara Luster for the property and will clean it up with our tax dollars. I thought the mayor said we were going to go after the owners of the blighted properties – not pay them for creating them? Brownfields/DMD cannot help me with this question maybe you know the answer? With 2000 houses to tear down why are they buying them?
In the video above starting at the left and working to the right we have:
1. Connie Robinson (City Council)
2. Carolyn Rusk (Evansville DMD)
3. unidentified lady *
4. Brad Ellsworth (VECTREN)
5. unidentified gentleman *
6. unidentified lady *
7. Kelley Coures (Evansville DMD)
8. unidentified gentleman*
9. Nick Cirignano (legal counsel)
If you can put a name with any of these unidentified persons please do so by number above.
Dear CCO Editors
I want to start by stating that I have not met and do not know Laura (elkaybee). I’ve only seen what she writes and posts on here, and while we have disagreed in the past, I have a lot of respect for her and how she tries and approach finding a solution for things.
That being said, today is my final straw for the repeated ad hominem attacks by “Don Becker” and his unhealthy obsession in attacking her. I have no problem with people who disagree as long as they try and keep it polite and respectful. However, this has not been the case for some time with “Don Becker”, who has increased his repeated personal attacks on Laura.
The CCO’s Terms Of Service includes “You agree to not post comments or other information that is defamatory, obscene, abusive or an invasion of privacy to others” For weeks now I and others have endured the increasing vitriol with whatever obsession “Don Becker” has with his whining about what he thinks is an issue with Laura and how Laura states her opinions about local issues, especially issues with Connie Robinson.
IMHO, Laura is a dedicated and loyal CCO contributor, adding valuable insights to the various articles and with her various Letters To The Editor. She is NOT an elected official, and as such she should not be a target of another CCO poster just because that poster has some sort of axe to grind. At what point did a private citizen become a target of a different poster (Don Becker) with what appears to be permission from the CCO.
The discussion of local topics should be about the facts at hand, and if someone has an issue with a elected official, that is usually “fair game” since by running for office they lose the protected status of a “private citizen”. However, I am concerned that the CCO appears to be adopting a “Wild Wild West” approach where a single poster (Don Becker) is allowed to repeatedly (as in multiple times per day) post rantings about another poster at random. It is not fair for Laura.
If “Don Becker” has an issue with an elected official, then go for it. But repeated malicious and ill-tempered attacks on another CCO poster is not in the spirit of what I have seen the CCO allow in the past
All of this, IMHO
Dear Classy:
1. This is an opinion column. This is what we do. Lively, even aggressive, disagreement. The formula for success here is lively, even aggressive, debate and disagreement.
2. You are trying to pretend my comments re: ELKAYBEE’s hypocritical posture on demanding transparency for all publicly elected officials, EXCEPT Councilperson Connie Robinson simply because they are friends….are personal, malicious attacks….and they are NOT malicious, personal attacks. They are well-founded opinions that ELKAYBEE has a double standard in effect here…..and even she boasts of that close friendship with CR is the reason for her double standard. Is that illegal? Of course not. Is that her right? Of course it is. Does that make her vulnerable to accusations she demands transparency from other political figures, but drops that demand if it happens to be “a friend?” YES. Moreover, it lends the impression “LKB Cares” not about transparency, but winning for her friends….”because they are her friends.”
3. You, me, Indiana-Enoch, Elkaybee and Bandana (and many others) regularly “call out” other posters for hypocritical statements made here. We do that……because Editor has created forum….to do exactly that. We aren’t public officials. And we don’t have to limit our comments to only public officials.
4. Special thanks to the City County Observer for providing this valuable forum, even a forum where YOU can accuse me of personal attacks. All that being said……
5. I am right, and you are wrong. (….thanks to Ed Koch)
In reference to #5 of yours:
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts”
Daniel Patrick Moynihan
…..I am noticing the biggest problem is LKB has gone and stepped in it.
Self-inflicted wound. Clear and damning.
No one is denying LKB holds a double standard of transparency accountability when it comes to Connie Robinson “because they are friends.” No one disputes it, not Classy and not Martha.
In fact, LKB wears it with a badge of honor under some foolish impression she is displaying some kind of misguided loyalty to a public official friend who will not do the right thing and demand the EBC Land Bank Committee stop hiding its books/budgets and meetings behind closed doors.
Even the City County Observer is demanding that.
LKB’s problem….is she is proud to provide Connie Robinson cover for failing to demand transparency at the EBC Land Bank.
She has the right to the double standard.
And her personal credibility is vanishing for doing it.
No worries. She made a choice. It was hers to make.
ATTENTION EDITOR:
Don, You have a real problem and no, you are not right. YOU are wrong. I say this because you won’t grow up and drop it. Just stop already. You are getting to be extremely annoying and I am suggesting that the editor address this with you. You have given your opinion about Laura MANY times now. We have all read it. We have no interest in reading it again. So stop already. Grow up and move on. I usually solve this problem by totally skipping your entries which I would suggest others also do. When people stop paying attention to you, then you may quit, go away, or drop dead, which ever is most appropriate.
Ouch….I’d call that malicious and personal. And I acknowledge your right to author it, and post it. Good for you Martha.
Otherwise…..I am sorry to disappoint you. But you asked. And I am answering.
The problem?
I CAN NOT STAND HYPOCRISY from a contributing writer to the City County Observer demanding transparency from public officials in everything that CCO contributor authors……and THEN…..totally flipping it off……and directly violating that honorable ambition by failing to demand the same transparency from other public officials “because we are friends.”
It is dishonest, lacks credibility, it is demeaning to the larger efforts of the City County Observer to authentically demand transparency from public officials……and smacks of the worst kind of Karl Rove-style, self-interested political hack behavior. This whole “LKB Cares” about transparency narrative is pure and total B.S. when it is not equally applied to all public officials…..and withheld when “it is a friend of LKB.”
So lets have total transparency Don. Give us your real name and your political allegiance. Also who are your friends so we can watch for your support of them despite your stance to the contrary.
Mr. Becker has beaucoup bad vibes for Elkaybee. Could it be that Mr. Coures is posting as “Don Becker”? By the way, has anyone else noticed the dude to the left of Mr. Coures looks like his clone. Freaky.
Baxter Twilight
Hey, the hypothesis of “Don Becker” being an online beard for Kelly has a lot of merit.
Great call
Mr. Coures comment about the Council approval of specifics surrounding Brownfields transactions is absolutely false. The 2015 Council approved the overall budgets but never approved any specific transactions of the DMD.
Thank you Commodore, it’s good to see you’re still on the job and the audit validated your earlier assertions.
Thank You!!
Mr. Friend, what is the next step in your plan? Please add my name, George Lumley, to your list of supporters and press on.
Can or can not release? I think it is will or will not release. 10 points to Connie Robinson for speaking up.
Thank you Connie Robinson. I appreciate having you as a voice of the people, not only in your district, but for the Tax payers of this country who should be getting a fair value for the money withheld from their checks each week. The Brownfields is a good place to start asking for efficiency and effectiveness in our government and it’s agencies.
Well done George.
Respectfully asking for transparency from the EBC Land Bank.
I am certain this is the not first time this request has been made.
When you vote to adjourn it does not build trust. Just because HUD approves it is no more creditable than $450 hammers. That was not an answer to if the funds spent on delapidated apartments was justifiable. It seems that with more thrift that more objectives could be accomplished.
I move that Local Personality and Flunky Coures adjourn himself and for Cirignano to research the matter and advise him to do so, and then perfect the Local P adjournment by self-adjourning. I never knew so much overt sleaze could be packed into one little room. Coures quickly and regularly pivoting to hide behind HUD is telling. No matter, nothing much can be done about these folks. We had the opportunity to adjourn a few of them outta there last November and slept through it.
Thank you for your service to the people of Evansville Mr. Lumley.
Bandana:
It is actually alarming. Coures’ responses boil down to: “Yes. What you are saying is correct George. No, we don’t care that you care about possible corruption. Why? The ends justifies the means, that’s why. We don’t want to provide transparency. We don’t care that taxpayers have a right to review the transactions of public taxpayer dollars being wielded by this committee. Look at how nice this new building looks now. Just look! The ends justifies the means. So go away.”
These people can’t do the ham handed grabbing that they do and look anything but crooked. They have to have closed meetings or take a chance on going to jail like the guy in Indy. I hope the feds get them soon.
Mr. Coures said: “HUD does not care how much you spend on a property” So maybe this is why Mr. Lumley is questioning how much the DMD and Brownfield has paid for worthless contaminated properties using our tax dollars to clean up. Do they buy these negativly valued properties from anyone or just their buddies. Is it true one of the properties they paid $40,000 to an owner of only a few months was actually paid to take the property? That would be a nice profit – paid to take a brownfield contaminated property and then sell it a few months later for $40,000 because HUD does not care – and apparently no one at the local level cares. And people wonder why we have more than our fair share of blighted communities?
Jeez, it is any wonder people are fed up with politics, boards, advisory comittees, etc.?
Also, the stranglehold attorneys have over government is ridiculous. Not only was the board’s counsel rude and dismissive, but board members were essentially telling Mr. Lumley that they will basically be told by him the how, when, what, and where of how they will release information to the public. It is too bad that more people don’t see attorneys as the hired help they are, no different than a person who mows your yard or installs your furnace. Their ‘advice’ is not the final word, but too often is is treated as such. Just once it would be nice to hear something along the lines of “Our attorney has suggested we treat things this way to cover our butts, but you know what? We’re going to disregard that advice, actually answer your questions, and let the chips fall where they may…”
Props to Councilwoman Robinson for standing up for Mr. Lumley’s right to be heard and to Mr. Ellsworth attempting to explain the process by which Mr. Lumley could recieve the information he requested. The remaining board members were various combinations of combative and disinterested, not particularly attractive qualities for folks with the power to spend hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars.
ALSO, Mr. Coures statement that “HUD doesn’t care what you pay for a property, only what the result is…” seems absurd. Is he stating that they could propose to pay a billion dollars to purchase and demo a falling-down shotgun house on N. 3rd Avenue and it would be considered just dandy as long as the end result was an empty lot? Ridiculous, and I don’t buy it for a second.
At least give the board some credit for having a set of big brass ones, I suppose. To flat out look at a member of the public and essentially tell them you don’t give a shit what they want, you’re going to do things exactly the way you feel like doing them takes some cajones. Although probably not as much as being honest, in the case of this particular board…
Mr. Lumley shreds to pieces any picture that the Evansville Brownfields Corporation tries to present as them being anything other than part and parcel of the Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development when he points out that the Evansville Brownfields Corporation has no employees. The Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development created Evansville Brownfields Corporation, and the Evansville Department of Metropolitan Development is fully in control of the Evansville Brownfields Corporation.
I might add that the The Evansville Brownfields Corporation also paid $350,000. to Warren Properties for the privilege of tearing down the former Woods Drug Store at Haynies Corner. The big picture that emerges from most of the Brownfields’ transactions is one of local businessmen being, shall we say, well taken care of, in their unloading undesirable properties, with the liberal use of public monies.
BTW, who pays attorney Nick Cirignano’s fees? Is it Evansville Brownfields, and if so what funds do they use for that purpose?
Ziemer Stayman Weitzel & Shoulders
Nick J. Cirignano
Partner
Nick is a partner in the firm, practicing primarily in the area of Corporate and Commercial Law with an emphasis in the areas of Creditors’ Rights, Bankruptcy, and Real Estate. In his Bankruptcy practice, Nick has represented creditors in bankruptcy cases throughout the United States and has represented the City of Evansville in significant development projects.
EVANSVILLE BROWNFIELDS CORPORATION 2014 Form-990
http://990s.foundationcenter.org/990_pdf_archive/743/743092398/743092398_201412_990.pdf?_ga=1.128885004.1264694777.1456935105
Part IX, Column A, Legal Expenses: $1,216.00
For all of 2014? REALLY??
How did he ever make partner?
…..THIS is what people are not getting.
“Legal expenses” is for advice. Not transaction income.
The EBC Land Bank IS AN INDUSTRY. 2000 blighted properties and counting. Transactions galore that generate unbelievable piles of fees: contract preparation, underwriting, remediation navigation, title fees, liability agreements….ON AND ON.
This committee wields massive influence and has a trainloads of “interested parties” passengers.
This needs to be TRANSPARENT.
The failure to CALL FOR TRANSPARENCY among the elected members who serve as Executive Board Members of the EBC Land Bank Committee (and their sycophants) is stunning.
Be transparent…..or resign.
Thanks for the first-hand look at the attitude of Coures, Cirignanp, and Ellsworth, et al. Three cheers for George Lumley and Connie Robinson for trying to hold the unholy alliance accountable to the public. We need some newly-appointed faces in City Hall. It’s too bad we blew the election so badly!
“Three cheers for George Lumley and Connie Robinson for trying to hold the unholy alliance accountable to the public. ”
Major credit to Connie for arguing Mr. Lumley’s right to speak, but what else has she done to hold this group ‘accountable to the public’? Connie can get pretty much whatever she wants done, done. If she really wanted to blow this group up and radically transform it, she absolutely has the political power to do so.
I have only casually followed this organization’s shenanigans, and genuinely don’t know what her role has been.
……BINGO. Perfectly stated DeltaBravo.
The answer is Councilperson Connie Robinson has been serving on the EBC Land Bank committee as a Executive Member longer than any other person.
While acknowledging Ms. Robinson did defer to George’s right to say something (and you would think she deserves the Medal of Honor for doing such a thing if you read ELKAYBEE’s comments – but then LKB and her are friends, of course), Ms. Robinson is clearly not willing to demand the EBC Land Bank be transparent on its activities.
Massive tax payer dollars are being spent, invested, and diverted outside of the public sunshine on this Committee. Ms. Robinson is, and has been involved, since Day One.
Elected officials have a duty to maintain and preserve trust….THAT is not being done here.
Well, if Ms. Robinson has indeed been involved with this group since inception it is hard to see her as the champion of truth, justice, and the American way when it comes to such matters.
Yep, just like Senator/Madam Secretary Hillary running for President.
…it is difficult reading ANY input from you on transparency and accountability of the EBC Land Bank ELKAYBEE. This whole “LKB Cares” narrative from you is preposterous.
Thank you George Lumley for all your dedication and hard work in fighting our political criminals
If I was Ellsworth I would run far away from this board. Why associate with this bunch of hacks and flunkies. No wonder this city will never be great again. Boy, I really hope federal investigators find that some of these individuals are committing some type of fraud.
It looks like Vectren is in bed with Brownfields, and Ellsworth is their rep.
Watched the video. Clearly they had rehearsed the agenda items behind closed doors earlier and just went through the motions out in the open. I can’t make heads or tales out of points that Lumley was trying to make. It’s wrong-headed to want Robinson to resign after she was the only one to question and challenge Coures. It looked like Ellsworth did try to explain what was going on to the public. You better make sure you know what Robinson and Ellsworth have done as part of this group before you take your resignation campaign any further. It is apparent Coures is laying the groundwork to boot Robinson off in favor of some hand-picked buddy from the Focus Council, which DMD runs also, by the way. Was that Weaver? What was he doing there? Tweeting mean comments about a female or campaigning to be named to the board? If you think replacing Robinson with this Winnecke rubber stamp is a good idea, you are sorely misguided and misinformed.
This video is really disturbing. Since when is the spending of public money not the business of the public? We need to watch City Council very closely if they are approving this kind of spending.
BUDDY HOLLY, your point is well considered.
…..notwithstanding, providing City Council with the opportunity to give an UP or DOWN vote on EBC Land Bank spending IS NOT EQUIVALENT to providing transparency for the sophisticated tax-payer funded and financed activities of the EBC Land Bank Committee.
Buddy they been spending money like there’s no tomorrow for quite some time now
Thanks for the support. Mr. Coures named a lot of things for DMD/Brownfields to take credit for. He stopped short of claiming credit for people getting a tax refund. I would just like to separate the who did what – What did DMD do? What did the Brownfields do? What did we as taxpayers do? I think most of the doing was on our dime and we should be entitled to the details to decide if we received good value. If some one at HUD is promoting this kinda crap – “HUD doesn’t care how much we pay” – they need to be promoted to taking orders at a McDonalds drive up.
Please refer to a story that appeared in the Courier & Press in April 2010, when the president of the board at that time explained why the group had decided to open its meetings to the public, ending the previous practice of meeting behind closed doors. Hint: It had to do with a State Board of Accounts opinion about the need for an audit because of the amount of federal funding being spent by Brownfields. Appears they have continued to drift back toward secrecy with Coures at the helm.
Who is the woman in green? Kelly Coures is always rude, but she makes him seem like a nice guy.
Her name escapes me but I met her years ago and she was associated with the EBC then. I recall her making a snobby comment about people who live in mobile homes.
Who are they trying kid? If the area around Haynies Corner is one of the lowest crime neighborhoods, we’ve got one big crime problem.
I can not get answers from DMD/Brownfields. Maybe one of the readers hear can tell me what is special about the zombie house at 208 Adams? So many houses to tear down and the Brownfields Paid $4,000 to Mark Todd and Barbara Luster for the property and will clean it up with our tax dollars. I thought the mayor said we were going to go after the owners of the blighted properties – not pay them for creating them? Brownfields/DMD cannot help me with this question maybe you know the answer? With 2000 houses to tear down why are they buying them?
In the video above starting at the left and working to the right we have:
1. Connie Robinson (City Council)
2. Carolyn Rusk (Evansville DMD)
3. unidentified lady *
4. Brad Ellsworth (VECTREN)
5. unidentified gentleman *
6. unidentified lady *
7. Kelley Coures (Evansville DMD)
8. unidentified gentleman*
9. Nick Cirignano (legal counsel)
If you can put a name with any of these unidentified persons please do so by number above.
Dear CCO Editors
I want to start by stating that I have not met and do not know Laura (elkaybee). I’ve only seen what she writes and posts on here, and while we have disagreed in the past, I have a lot of respect for her and how she tries and approach finding a solution for things.
That being said, today is my final straw for the repeated ad hominem attacks by “Don Becker” and his unhealthy obsession in attacking her. I have no problem with people who disagree as long as they try and keep it polite and respectful. However, this has not been the case for some time with “Don Becker”, who has increased his repeated personal attacks on Laura.
The CCO’s Terms Of Service includes “You agree to not post comments or other information that is defamatory, obscene, abusive or an invasion of privacy to others” For weeks now I and others have endured the increasing vitriol with whatever obsession “Don Becker” has with his whining about what he thinks is an issue with Laura and how Laura states her opinions about local issues, especially issues with Connie Robinson.
IMHO, Laura is a dedicated and loyal CCO contributor, adding valuable insights to the various articles and with her various Letters To The Editor. She is NOT an elected official, and as such she should not be a target of another CCO poster just because that poster has some sort of axe to grind. At what point did a private citizen become a target of a different poster (Don Becker) with what appears to be permission from the CCO.
The discussion of local topics should be about the facts at hand, and if someone has an issue with a elected official, that is usually “fair game” since by running for office they lose the protected status of a “private citizen”. However, I am concerned that the CCO appears to be adopting a “Wild Wild West” approach where a single poster (Don Becker) is allowed to repeatedly (as in multiple times per day) post rantings about another poster at random. It is not fair for Laura.
If “Don Becker” has an issue with an elected official, then go for it. But repeated malicious and ill-tempered attacks on another CCO poster is not in the spirit of what I have seen the CCO allow in the past
All of this, IMHO
Dear Classy:
1. This is an opinion column. This is what we do. Lively, even aggressive, disagreement. The formula for success here is lively, even aggressive, debate and disagreement.
2. You are trying to pretend my comments re: ELKAYBEE’s hypocritical posture on demanding transparency for all publicly elected officials, EXCEPT Councilperson Connie Robinson simply because they are friends….are personal, malicious attacks….and they are NOT malicious, personal attacks. They are well-founded opinions that ELKAYBEE has a double standard in effect here…..and even she boasts of that close friendship with CR is the reason for her double standard. Is that illegal? Of course not. Is that her right? Of course it is. Does that make her vulnerable to accusations she demands transparency from other political figures, but drops that demand if it happens to be “a friend?” YES. Moreover, it lends the impression “LKB Cares” not about transparency, but winning for her friends….”because they are her friends.”
3. You, me, Indiana-Enoch, Elkaybee and Bandana (and many others) regularly “call out” other posters for hypocritical statements made here. We do that……because Editor has created forum….to do exactly that. We aren’t public officials. And we don’t have to limit our comments to only public officials.
4. Special thanks to the City County Observer for providing this valuable forum, even a forum where YOU can accuse me of personal attacks. All that being said……
5. I am right, and you are wrong. (….thanks to Ed Koch)
In reference to #5 of yours:
“Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts”
Daniel Patrick Moynihan
…..I am noticing the biggest problem is LKB has gone and stepped in it.
Self-inflicted wound. Clear and damning.
No one is denying LKB holds a double standard of transparency accountability when it comes to Connie Robinson “because they are friends.” No one disputes it, not Classy and not Martha.
In fact, LKB wears it with a badge of honor under some foolish impression she is displaying some kind of misguided loyalty to a public official friend who will not do the right thing and demand the EBC Land Bank Committee stop hiding its books/budgets and meetings behind closed doors.
Even the City County Observer is demanding that.
LKB’s problem….is she is proud to provide Connie Robinson cover for failing to demand transparency at the EBC Land Bank.
She has the right to the double standard.
And her personal credibility is vanishing for doing it.
No worries. She made a choice. It was hers to make.
ATTENTION EDITOR:
Don, You have a real problem and no, you are not right. YOU are wrong. I say this because you won’t grow up and drop it. Just stop already. You are getting to be extremely annoying and I am suggesting that the editor address this with you. You have given your opinion about Laura MANY times now. We have all read it. We have no interest in reading it again. So stop already. Grow up and move on. I usually solve this problem by totally skipping your entries which I would suggest others also do. When people stop paying attention to you, then you may quit, go away, or drop dead, which ever is most appropriate.
Ouch….I’d call that malicious and personal. And I acknowledge your right to author it, and post it. Good for you Martha.
Otherwise…..I am sorry to disappoint you. But you asked. And I am answering.
The problem?
I CAN NOT STAND HYPOCRISY from a contributing writer to the City County Observer demanding transparency from public officials in everything that CCO contributor authors……and THEN…..totally flipping it off……and directly violating that honorable ambition by failing to demand the same transparency from other public officials “because we are friends.”
It is dishonest, lacks credibility, it is demeaning to the larger efforts of the City County Observer to authentically demand transparency from public officials……and smacks of the worst kind of Karl Rove-style, self-interested political hack behavior. This whole “LKB Cares” about transparency narrative is pure and total B.S. when it is not equally applied to all public officials…..and withheld when “it is a friend of LKB.”
So lets have total transparency Don. Give us your real name and your political allegiance. Also who are your friends so we can watch for your support of them despite your stance to the contrary.
Mr. Becker has beaucoup bad vibes for Elkaybee. Could it be that Mr. Coures is posting as “Don Becker”? By the way, has anyone else noticed the dude to the left of Mr. Coures looks like his clone. Freaky.
Baxter Twilight
Hey, the hypothesis of “Don Becker” being an online beard for Kelly has a lot of merit.
Great call
Mr. Coures comment about the Council approval of specifics surrounding Brownfields transactions is absolutely false. The 2015 Council approved the overall budgets but never approved any specific transactions of the DMD.
Thank you Commodore, it’s good to see you’re still on the job and the audit validated your earlier assertions.
Thank You!!
Mr. Friend, what is the next step in your plan? Please add my name, George Lumley, to your list of supporters and press on.
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