Notice as the fight over the future of McCoy Park continues that Columbus City Council members just keep negotiating with something that they don’t own. McCoy Park is owned by the people of Columbus. If the people don’t want to give it away to a billionaire, then the debate should be over.
Yet the debate continues because this billionaire wants this specific park and not giving him what he wants will provoke his anger. City Hall is afraid of this billionaire, and it shows.
City Hall Negotiating Without Trust.
They continue to “move the goalposts” from originally asking for 25 million dollars, then a new ticket tax to pay us back over two decades, and finally your Mayor telling us that part of the park will survive and his promise to “make it up to us in the future.”
City Hall doesn’t realize that they have no authority to give away a public park to anybody for any reason whatsoever. A public park exists to serve the needs of the people and not as a new investment for a billionaire.
Why are other locations being considered? Nobody knows since City Hall refuses to share any information. All of their negotiations with the Haslam Group are done in secret. That’s not how a healthy democracy is supposed to survive.
It’s Not About Women’s Sports.
Remember that nobody gathered on the steps of City Hall to protest against women’s sports.
Those that showed up to give testimony questioned the destruction of a public park, not women’s sports (and then half of City Council walked out).
Of course, that’s because City Hall did zero planning ahead of time. There’s only one thing City Hall hates more than planning and that’s listening to citizens.
We Already Have a Women’s Soccer Team.
I’m not kidding. All of these stories about giving young girls healthy and positive role models is moot. You may not be aware of it, but Columbus has a women’s soccer team: https://www.columbuseaglesfc.com/wp/
- What will happen to this team when another begins operation?
- Have any of the staff or players of the Columbus Eagles been asked?
- How many other cities have duplicate sports teams that both survive?
As you would expect, nobody inside City Hall has asked any of these questions.
Speed Equals Greed.
If you see City Council or the Mayor working hard to get something done quickly in Columbus that means that there is profit involved. They don’t do anything useful like helping the homeless, building a master plan, or rolling back tax abatements.
Speed always follows the same script from City Hall.
- This is a rare opportunity that can’t be missed (“Fear of Missing Out”)
- Other cities are in competition so we must move quickly and without any planning or communication with the public.
- The end result is going to be magical and you just have to trust us.
I’ve already written about this “leadership style” in the article “Always an Emergency.” Having an emergency gives a politician the perceived permission to break the rules of good governance and respect.
Advice from a Wise Man.
I’ve volunteered on the Far East Side as a Commissioner for years now. It’s extra work, but I learn something about the city almost every meeting; the other commissioners are also fantastic people. They have both empathy and intelligence.
At one meeting there was a discussion about a simple topic that kept going and going for well over an hour. I was getting frustrated and the veteran commissioner sitting next to me could tell.
He leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Never forget that good government is slow by design. Bad government is always fast and without debate.”
His advice has stuck with me.
No, I don’t like meetings where nothing seems to get done, but I always think about what he said.
What City Hall is doing has nothing to do with what “good government” should be. It has everything to do about marketing and promoting a decision made without public input and fair debate. Haslam Group owns Columbus City Hall and that should make you sad.
It’s your city, not theirs. Remind yourself that democracy requires participation. Call Columbus City Council and demand answers 614-645-7380.