Surely few of us were surprised by yesterday's announcement that the proposed arena vote would be delayed. City officials had been hinting at a delay for months. The next question is how soon we will see the issue make its way to the ballot. I'm hoping for a 2009 vote myself. Economic woes or not, let's not drag our feet any more than absolutely necessary.
A couple thoughts on the Mayor's announcement. First, the pedant in me simply must get this off my chest: "its" is possessive; "it's" is a contraction of "it is". Somebody please pass that information to the folks in the Mayor's office. Thank you. Now on to the real stuff.
I think it's notable how much faith Mayor Beutler seems to be putting into a potential ISG deal. If you aren't aware, ISG is an international sports marketing group that has floated the possibility of funding a substantial portion of the arena. There remain some gigantic question marks. Notably: how much of the bill will they cover, and what percentage of the arena's soul will they own in return? The possibility of a private company funding over half the cost of the arena is exciting. Personally I prefer private entities fund 100% of the bill, but that isn't going to happen. (I believe the words "snowball" and "hell" apply.) If the arena is going to receive public funding, I'm all for exploring any deal that minimizes the amount I have to pay out of pocket.
That little bit of excitement aside, Mayor Beutler used some strange and unsettling rhetoric in his statement. For example, his assertion that "(t)he Arena must happen, even if it means some sacrifice." That's a little over the top, don't you think? We are just talking about an arena, right? A place for fat men to yell at fit college athletes, and for squealing teenagers to faint because, like, Hannah Montana soooo totally winked at them? I hate to break it to you, Mayor Beutler, but the arena does not "have" to happen. Grand things, like defending freedom against tyrannical government, must happen; spending upwards of a quarter-billion dollars on an entertainment venue falls squarely into the "optional" category.
Mayor Beutler also gets a little too excited when he compares the construction of the arena with the construction of the capitol building. His analogy fails on two points. First, how bizarre is it that Mayor Beutler wants future generations to venerate the arena in the same way we look in awe at the state capitol? The capitol honors millions of people and thousands of years of history; the arena will honor Pepsi and exploited college athletes.
The Mayor's analogy fails on another point. He notes that the capitol building was constructed during the Great Depression; that Nebraskans understood the significance of what they were doing, and that they must carry on, economic woes be damned. And therefore, the Mayor continues, because the arena is just like the capitol, and because we must have the same foresight as our forefathers, we are not going to continue forward. Huh?
Delaying a vote on the arena is the right thing to do, and not just because of current national and global economic conditions. City officials clearly aren't ready to move forward at this point. A vote wouldn't be productive. And I am generally excited about the prospect of enhancing the Haymarket. But I worry about Mayor Beutler's attitude toward these projects. If the plans are so grand and the outcomes so great, the projects will sell themselves. Yet Beutler insists on wrapping his discussion in a heavy cloak of civic duty with a hefty guilt-laden fringe. When leaders begin talking about what we "must" do with regard to something that is so transparently optional -- and that has so many alternatives -- raise a cautious eyebrow. At least.
Mayor Beutler, I know you're passionate about this project. I appreciate your passion. I really do. But it's your passion that gives me pause. The things we are most passionate about are the things most likely to lead us astray. And let's be honest here: you're a politician. Passionate politicians haven't exactly batted 1.000 over the years. Many of us voters are rightfully wary. So keep up your drive, but you're going to have to give us a few things if you want us on board. Full, 100% honesty for one. And how about some humility?
Anyway, that's where my thoughts are this morning. I'll probably think differently by this afternoon.
Comments
See what your friends and neighbors have to say about this.
You obviously don’t have daughters…it’s Hannah MONTANA.
😊
May I blame it on my quirky wireless keyboard, which occasionally insissts onn dupplicating keyypresssses?
First things first…I think you should have written the entire article switching It’s and Its…Its only right.
Secondly, maybe the mayor IS talking about a building just like the capitol for the arena…Here are a few ideas.
All concourses lined with Copper or Bronze busts (like the capitol) but instead of a collection of historical figures, make it a collection of Nebraska God…like
1. T.O.
2. Suh
3. Joe Ganz
4. Every Vollyball player
5. And last but not least Mayor Butler
The entire thing should be made from deep stained wood, mosaic, marble, and illegally imported ivory. (we can have a bust of a small elephant to make up for their loss)
The word “Nebraska” and the logo “N” should be used no less than 85,831 times to represent the record sell-out crowd at memorial stadium.
There should be a 34-story tower on top of the arena with a woman sowing her seed to complete the skyline (as well as pander to anyone who may think our skyline is sexist)
The building should be called “The Butler Nebraska Arena” A.K.A “Capitol II”
Evidently I can’t spell…sorry…tried to go back and edit, but alas…
Share your thoughts with the community.
Commenting is no longer permitted on this post.