Most on the periphery would look at this as Abramson at his best. Yawn. Why not? He did, as usual, a good job of deflection of blame. In fact, it looked to me after reading the interview and listening to the unedited tape of it (located at the bottom of the page for your listening pleasure), that he was great and everyone else was bad. If I was on the bandwagon of drinking the kool-aid I would be happy with his interview.
Unfortunately for Mayor Abramson I gave up the kool-aid long ago for any politician.
I found some inconsistencies as usual and some telling comments as well.
Take for example about 9:30 into the taped segment where Abramson says there is no accountability. Interesting to see him make a statement about no accountability when he has none whatsoever and no transparency as well.
Perhaps we could even look at some other aspects where he makes this statement in regards to a question from Stephen George concerning the Southwest public meetings in general:
"… Citizen enragement, with sometimes not sharing the facts, framing the issues in a way that enrage rather than involve — unfortunately there have been a couple of folks out there in that area that have done that more than once, on more than one issue. And so it is what it is: We work with the folks who want to work with us."
Should that not read we work with the folks who agree with us?
I love it when he speaks like this. Of course I am one of those individuals he speaks of.
Not sharing facts? Nothing could be further from the truth. In FACT I make my case based on your public statements.
He talks in the interview about libraries. From the article:
LEO: I want to ask you about libraries.
JA: I’m pulling for them. I voted for them. Speaking of enragement as compared to engagement: Where are the individuals who said, don’t worry about the libraries?
If you give a person an option, and they believe it, that the money’s already in the budget, there’s plenty of money to do everything that needs to be done, why should I tax myself? Why should they? And they said, we won’t.
LEO: And now, predictably, it falls on you.
JA: Who?
LEO: Right?
JA: I don’t know. Have you asked those who were leading the civic enragement, in terms of, OK guys, you were successful, you enraged the community to the level of saying there was plenty of money inside the budget, no need for additional revenues — where are they? I never said there was.
LEO: I know. That’s not what I was insinuating. What I mean is that now—
JA: Nobody holds anybody accountable.
Mayor Abramson that is a lie or deception as well. Sorry but during the Mayoral race in 2006, of which I was part of, YOU were THE ONE bragging about how you were able to build new libraries without new taxes as one of your accomplishments.
The FACT is that was a lie. Immediately after the election you worked toward a ballot initiative to create a new library tax to pay for what you already said you were doing within the budget.
See the spin yet? Pathetic display really. The Mayor says one thing, takes credit for something that hasn't happened, then talks about how WE were wrong to stand against it essentially and hold him accountable for his own admissions and statements.
That does not add up Mr. Mayor as usual.
You go on to state this:
" So where’s the media, going back to those who said it can all be done by, I don’t know, by magic? I never said we had the money.
What am I doing at this point? We’ve had to downsize the master plan, we’ve had to extend it out for decades, and when and if funds are available, we will incrementally move forward."
Your own words said we had the money and now you say you never said it. One more interesting deception or outright lie by you.
Another question by Mr. George:
LEO: You have to balance the two personalities in play here, the one where you have to see out into the future, in terms of development you have to keep things moving forward, but you also have to be realistic, you have to keep things going. How do you find that balance?
I have to say this yet again reflects the Mayor. His inability to take credit for his failures and likes to blame others for them. In his response?
"But this is probably, all things considered, has been intellectually the most difficult, and emotionally probably the most extended period of difficulty, because, it seems very clear to me that to be able to make it through, everybody in city government’s got to work together. … My hope was, and continues to be, that this family of 6,000-plus employees … is willing to work together to ensure that we get through this as a team.
Unfortunately, I have found significant resistance from several of the unions, who seem very focused on themselves and only themselves. … That’s probably been the most disappointing aspect of the last several months."
Disappointing? Really? The only thing disappointing is the fact that the Unions have backed you irregardless of your shortcomings for all these years. Now maybe through your own words they will wake up and see their shortcoming in this regard as well.
Perhaps you forgot about this from 2006 in the Mayor race Mr. Mayor:
No accountability? To say the least.
This mayor talks about accountability for the library tax opponents, when it is _he_ who torpedoed the alternative funding plan that was being put together after his library tax plan was defeated BADLY at the ballot box. Incredible this Chief Obfuscator is.
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