May 5, 2012

The Arena Debate

When I chose this photo for the post, the title was going to be Musical Chairs. I was going to address the changes in the cast of characters for the arena debate on Ianelli's Business Matters Show. Since then, Bill White has written a column in which I'm described as dour and misguided.* Worse, he characterized my debate input as preoccupied with the former merchants, ignoring all the other points I made. The first point I made, and the big one that White apparently doesn't understand, is that it's a sad commentary on our local government, when the first debate occurs after the buildings are torn down; After we spent $65million dollars, and are facing a tax backed debt service of $220million, without any public discussion. Apparently, Bill was busy eating a cheesesteak when I made that point. My second major point was that the NIZ benefits were applied in an unethical, selective fashion. Reilly already had $20million in his pocket, even before the rules were formulated. Bill missed that comment, he was taking a Movie Quiz about Cary Grant on his I-Phone. My third point was that although the NIZ doesn't use property taxes, it does use tax receipts that will now not flow back to various levels of government. They will want to maintain their previous budget, and consequently, raise taxes. Bill was chomping on a left over cupcake* from some contest he judged. The show will air on Monday evening, WFMZ69, 8:00 p.m.
*Despite my cracks about Bill White, I'm grateful that he covered the debate. Despite Bill's cracks about the participants, he apparently found the debate column worthy.

11 comments:

  1. Thank you for your articulate and thoughtful dissent. This project changed the rules to benifit a few. The whole affair stinks.

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  2. *Despite my cracks about Bill White, I'm grateful that he covered the debate. Despite Bill's cracks about the participants, he apparently found the debate column worthy.
    ///
    MM, I have to respectfully disagree.
    This kind of biased crap journalism is what is killing the newspaper industry.
    Many people actually believe the regurgitated slop spewing from the keyboards of supposed news writers.

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  3. Mike,

    Honestly, why do you care what Bill white writes?

    Scott Armstrong

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  4. Huge fan of LCCC Prez , but what could he say as a gracious way to exit this ugliness.

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  5. Is it not to the Call's advertising advantage to have White write in support of a project that the paper even hosts live video cams on its website.

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  6. @9:45, if you're referring to white's contention that ianelli was disappointed in the show, i don't believe that he was, rather the contrary. ianelli encourages drama. fleck was yelling too loud, but otherwise, this was the type of show i think tony wants. understand that bill white very much supports the arena project, and his side didn't do very well in the debate. also understand that unless white finds something to make fun of, he doesn't have much of a column or headline to write.

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  7. Is anyone having trouble viewing Bernie's blog site?
    Trying to access arena articles from the email link causes 250+ browser windows (chrome) to open and crashes my PC.

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  8. Stephen Thode's points still need to be addressed:
    "Let's forget about how ugly the process is. Let's forget about the total lack of transparency. Let's forget about the consequences for other parts of the Valley. Let's forget about the lack of defined metrics to measure 'success.' Let's forget about the diversion of millions of scarce tax dollars from noble social service programs. Let's forget that no one will be held accountable if it turns out badly."

    This is a great civics lesson for children: The ends justify the means. Even if those ends only enrich a few wealthy people. At the expense of everyone else.

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  9. Is Bill White some kind of important Nobel Peace Prize winner like President Obama or something?

    ZINETULA BILYALETDINOV

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  10. "Is anyone having trouble viewing Bernie's blog site?
    Trying to access arena articles from the email link causes 250+ browser windows (chrome) to open and crashes my PC."


    MM, This is yet another attempt to discourage people from visiting my bog. Unable to refute argument, the trolls resort to personal attack. When those fail, they resort to outright defamation. When those fail, they try to scare readers.

    The claim is untrue. I checked my site and it is virus free. The only virus is inside the ea brain of this troll.

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  11. Sorry
    no it wasn't.
    Your blog is important and needed.
    maybe it was just my chrome browser. Every time I tried to open the video link my browser opened MANY tabs.
    I suspected maybe a problem and asked.
    not an attack on you and I believe that your points are unrefutable.
    my apologies.

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