More Excuses From The Can't-Do Council

This past week, we've watched the Evansville City Council hit rock bottom. Just when you think you've heard the last excuse for demolishing Roberts Stadium, along comes another excuse that just makes you shake your head.

Earlier, we've already heard an offensive comment from Dan McGinn who compared Roberts Stadium to a Soviet Union style building. Truthfully, McGinn's comment doesn't surprise me given the offensive comments he made towards our city cemeteries when I went in front of the council to request funding to correct the dilapidated conditions they are in. Simply put: Dan McGinn is the perfect example of why our city has lost all faith in our council. McGinn doesn't care about the city of Evansville, and he certainly doesn't understand the ENORMOUS impact Ralph Legeman's fieldhouses have had on the state of Indiana...

http://saverobertsstadium.blogspot.com/2011/05/legend-of-ralph-legeman.html

If McGinn's comments weren't bad enough, the council has now indicated that they are ready to sign Roberts Stadium's death certificate. And not only are they ready to sign off on Roberts Stadium's demolition, THEY AREN'T EVEN WILLING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. Although last Monday's straw poll was 9-0, at least 3 members have indicated that they are being "forced" to vote for it. Last Thursday, John Friend went on EyeWitness News to say the council just couldn't leave a building without windows and doors.

That's right, the 6 members who took a stand for Roberts Stadium just a week ago, have now found what they believe to be a valid excuse for them to switch sides. This brings up several questions that just don't add up...

1. How is it that whatever company that is taking the doors and windows out is finally getting around to it this week, a full two and a half months after the auction took place? Just last week, this was what Roberts Stadium looked like...

Why is Winnecke and Rector removing these things this week? Why can't the deal be cancelled?

2. How does losing doors and windows constitute an excuse for the council to demolish Roberts Stadium? How long did the Pagoda sit on the riverfront like this before being completely overhauled...

Even if the plumbing is gone, the building is not totaled. In fact, redoing the plumbing was a part of the renovation plan as well as re-configuring the HVAC system. It's quite simple, the council needs to tell Rector to board up the windows and doors and put a barbed wire fence all the way around the building until a decision is made. If Winnecke and the Parks Dept complain about this, they will have no one to blame but themselves for auctioning off parts to a building they did not have money to demolish.

3. A key member of the council has indicated that "the parks department would have the additional funding to knock it down anyways." Well, make them use their money then. Why does the council need to approve any additional funds? It's quite obvious that the parks department has no plan to take advantage of the Kleymeyer Park location, nor do they have a plan to clean up the rest of the parks. Make them waste their own funds on demolishing Roberts Stadium.

Basically, our city council has formulated an excuse they think will allow them to stay on both sides. We've watched Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley attempt to do this for the entire duration of the Roberts Stadium debate. But now, the rest of our council wants to try it as well, including members who you thought would never turn their back on Roberts Stadium.

I want to be very clear to these council members- If you vote to demolish Roberts Stadium, you will lose all support from the Roberts Stadium community. No one, and I mean no one, is falling for your "I am being forced into voting for demolition" notion. How dumb do you think this community is?

We are now just 8 days removed from Roberts Stadium's 56th birthday. Within 48 hours, we are going to know which council members are on Roberts Stadium's side and which are going to stay on the other side permanently. The choice is theirs AND THEIRS ONLY!