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Thinking more about the inability of the Beech Avenue Park to advance I have more clarity. This is opinion.
Arlene Jackson Doss got played by Mayor Robert Restaino because as a soldier who should be regarded as a hero, she thought she was dealing with an honorable man and misjudged things.
The Mayor owes his office to the white Italian community and city employees, especially police and fire. He won the last election by 200 votes when most residents didn’t go to the polls and his opponent, Carl Cain was at best, weak and underfunded.
The check on his parochial interests is supposed to be the legislative branch of the government.
Doss tried to work through the appropriate, polite, chain of command, meeting with Pastor Jesse Scott and the Mayor to advance a desperately needed project in the north end.
Center Court Community Center is never coming back. Neither is the YMCA. Neither is 13th Street.
Meanwhile, Traci Bax, David Zajac and Donta Myles have been on the council since January of 2022. All spoke Wednesday about supporting Beech Avenue Park. Not one spoke about what they did to advocate for the Beech Avenue Park during the allocation of funds from the American Rescue plan.
Coulda woulda shoulda, but why didn’t any of those people vote no on American Rescue Plan funds during the allocation processes. That was the responsibility of the legislative branch. Checks and balances.
I can’t blame the Mayor for buying police cars and fire trucks with manna from heaven to cater to his constituents. 200 votes is a thin margin but, last election cycle, the 4th legislative district supported Restaino, not Cain, or Nix. Apparently that is a one-way thing.
Arlene Jackson Doss asked him to support her community. He said he would. Then he didn’t. Donta Myles, Traci Bax and David Zajac turned a deaf ear.
Myles out of ignorance, because he doesn’t hear people who have all of the city in mind. Bax and Zajac because, while they say the right thing, a park on Beach Avenue would not make a difference in the lives of people they care about who certainly don’t live near Beech Avenue park.
At the end of the day, as Donta said eloquently. “We vote about these things and we need to think about the kids. At the end of the day, all kids matter.”.
The way it has always been is not the way it needs to be. Everyone involved, from Myles to Bax and Zajac needs to be smarter about all the city. Each of us for the least of us.
