Sunday, May 03, 2009

Too Little and Too Late Leadership

Mayor Marty Chavez and the City Council failed to show up for work on the downtown arena issue over the last couple of years. Now, it is too late to salvage this much needed project for some time to come. And it has been complicated by the Mayor and Council not acting efficiently on the expiring quarter cent transportation tax.

Since the city leaders did not act on the expiring transportation tax when it should have they now must put it to a vote in October. That makes it almost impossible to put another one eighth cent tax up for vote to fund the new all purpose arena.

Chavez said he didn't want to rush the transportation tax because it had accumulated over $30 million that was not yet spent for mass transit and roads. Why is that? Was he using the interest it earned for other things? Why didn't the media call him on it? And then he totally botched the timely development of the arena complex because as those close to the project know, he didn't like the people involved. So he let it just die. And the city council just opted out of their leadership role. Now, the economy is in the tank and the possibility of losing the transportation tax is real as voters are feeling the pinch. And they don't even want to think about the new tax small tax for the arena.

It is pathetic.

No comments: