Councilman Responds To Mikey's "Sign-gate" Claims

"I was fortunate enough to be raised around Jeff High School athletics since I was 3 years old. Having a father drive the fan bus to all the Jeff away basketball games gave me the oportunity to tag along. It was from those exciting years of the late 60's and 70's that I became a true Red Devil fan.

Over the past several weeks I have been trying to convince the city council to take the opportunity of naming the two basketball courts at Vissing Park after two of the most prominent and respected sports figures in our city's rich history. Tony Winburn, an outstanding player for Jeff who tragically lost his life in the Evansville University plane crash, and our own Mr. Basketball Mike Flynn. Unfortunately, the council declined and said they didn't want politics to play a role in the process.

Of course this frustrated me greatly. Our basketball courts, football fields and baseball diamonds should be named after people of destinction and honor.

Please, let's keep the politics out of this arena."

This was Mayor Mikey's original post about "sign-gate".  Once again playing "I'm a victim of the mean ole council." 

The mayor presented a story of a very "Mayberry-Esq" request he made to the council, off the record.  He  tells how he had a feel good plan for the names of the basketball courts that the whole city could rally around and be proud of.  Then apparently didn't receive the response he was hoping for and told the CCC that he was the victim of the council not liking him and another one of his ideas.  Then he pleads at the end of his post to "Please, let's keep the politics out of this arena."

One problem.  It seems that politics were in his original proposal.  That's probably why it was proposed off the record.

Today one of the council responded on the CCC with the following post:

"I was one of the council members that was approached to "gauge" my support, and my memory seems to be a tad bit different. As I recall, the conversation was more of a "quid pro quo". We were asked if we would support you naming the fields and courts and in exchange you would:
* release the funding you had already promised for Vissing Park
* you were willing to contribute more funds for new sidewalks, but only if you had the say as to where 75% of the sidewalks were to be

Never, I repeat never, did any of the council members say or give the incllination that they didn't support the names you listed above. BUT, we did agree that no single person should be given complete autonomy to name any park or field. These are city parks, funded and maintained by residents tax dollars, should they not have any say? Should the Mayor be given complete autonomy to name these parks? Wouldn't it be more prudent to vet these names with a group of people and receive feedback?

Personally, I'd like to apologize to Mr. Flynn and Mr. Wilburn. If their names would have been chosen, it would have been a time to reflect and celebrate the great contributions they've made to Jeffersonville, but to no fault of their own, they've been entwined in a political mess.
Bryan Glover
Council District 6 "

It seems Mikey was once again trying to pull a fast one by trying to convince his followers that he was a victim of politics where politics had no business being.  Turns out he was just lying again.  He wanted a compromise with a little give and take.

Two problems with this. 

Number one, I actually have no problem with the mayor compromising.  My God.  That's what intelligent people have been hoping for since the very beginning.  But little Mikey has shown no interest in this what so ever until now.  Now, as I said, I have no problem with compromising and some give and take.  But when the whole basis of your original statement to the CCC was lets keep politics out of this, well that makes your whole premise for the post highly disingenuous.

Number two.  It appears that Mikey has never read "The Art Of The Deal."  Or maybe he did and just thought that the council was full of complete moore-ons.  When trying to strike a deal, you should be giving something up to obtain something else.  Instead it seems that Mikey was offering something he had already promised and trying gain more control over another project.  Gee, I cant imagine why the council wasn't jumping at the chance to cut a deal with him.  Especially when they can do it without him without having to give up control of something.

I'm now stuck trying to figure out how dumb Mikey really is.  Is he dumb enough to think that the council would take that deal?  Or is he dumb enough to think that no one on the council would respond to his mudslinging? 

Either way, I'll stick to my original thought that this was just a petty PR move.  Might just turn out that it was apparently firing in several directions.

(you can read the whole thread on the CCC here.)