“It’s one thing to lose an election; it’s another thing to lose your honor.”
Senator Fred Thompson, Tennessee.
Something that Mayor Chiarelli ought to keep in mind.
“On Wednesday morning, Mayor Bob Chiarelli told Radio-Canada, CBC’s French language service, that the city has spoken frequently with the Lynx about the parking problems, and suggested the lawsuit is a defensive strategy aimed at helping the team wriggle out of the money it owes.“The Lynx have had problems for four to five years and it’s very irresponsible to blame the city for those problems,” Chiarelli said in French. “The Lynx have a legal obligation to pay the city when they leave the city.”"
Here’s the link to the entire story.
I have to tell you, this ‘response’ from Mr. Chiarelli infuriates me. I try to keep most of the posts on this blog fairly positive, but I’m going to have to make an exception here. Contrast what His Worship said with what Mr. Bostwick said -
“We’ve been asking for fairness for a period of six years,” said Lynx general manager Kyle Bostwick. “After a long period of empty promises, losing millions of dollars and obligations not being met, you run out of patience.”
No cynicism, no crass remarks impugning the City’s motives for not holding up their end of the bargain. No baseless suggestions that perhaps the City sold off the spaces because they stood to make more of a profit than if they honored their agreement with the Lynx. By contrast, Mr. Chiarelli’s comments are contemptible, because they are entirely without merit. Were I to accept his premise, I would have to believe that Mr. Pecor came to town, absorbing seven figure losses for six years, paid his taxes, paid his rent, let the City ignore their lease obligations, all so that one day he could move the team, and stiff the City by breaking the lease early. What a clever little ruse, what a scam he almost got away with! Thank heavens we had Mr. Chiarelli to piece it all together for us before it was too late.
“Helping the team wriggle out of the money it owes“.
Mr. Mayor, I’m not a lawyer, but I know that you are. So it is with all due respect that I will suggest to you: If there is any merit to your side of the argument, please let the rest of us hear it. And then shut up. My suspicion? Your side is without merit, and you have no valid explanation - all you’re left with is your bag of dirty tricks. Sadly, you’ve chosen the low road and your entire public defense has degenerated into mudslinging. The motives which you’ve attributed to Lynx ownership are, on their face, risible. Has this organization given you any reason to believe that they intend to abrogate the terms of the lease? Have Mr. Pecor and Mr. Bostwick been anything but forthright with the City? I know it’s contrary to your modus operandi, but if you have any such evidence, stop tilting at windmills and SHOW US.
I believe that the mayor’s comments are part of a well thought out smear campaign. Hyperbole? I don’t think so. The City began tarring the Lynx as the villains in this story months ago - don’t let them get away with it. Don’t take your eyes off the ball: Why hasn’t the City lived up to the terms of the lease? Or to frame it in Chiarellian fashion: Why has the City wriggled out of its obligations to the Lynx for the better part of seven years?
Sadly, I believe the City can’t fall back on the truth or the facts, because neither are on their side. Sadder still, this mayor has lost his honor.
