MY FORMERLY FOOLISH OPINIONS
With changes coming to our local newspaper I have been looking back and evaluating my relatively short career as an opinions columnist. Some of the things I have noticed that my opinions have changed on many of the topics that I have written about over the last twenty months. As I look back on some of those old columns I have to alter some of my stances on certain topics. Some may call my changes of opinion “waffling” , I consider it maturing.
My column started running in The Tribune smack dab in the middle of the city council presidency of none other than New Albany finest statesman, Dan Coffey. His colleagues held him in such high regard that they elected him president in only his tenth year on the council. He ruled the council chamber with an iron gavel. I was pretty hard on Mr. Coffey those first few months I was writing, I see now the error of my ways.
Over his tenure on the council they were able to pass a novelty lighter ordinance keeping the city safe from impulse purchases at convenience stores. They also ruled against a zoning board recommendation in order to protect the citizens of Lafayette Drive from Frostys and Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers. His leadership style was evident as he voted against any of those so called “feel good” plans that those “downtown” progressives and stood in the way of anything he thought they championed. My particular favorite thing about Mr. Coffey is the shade of red his face begins to turn when someone brings up a parking garage.
You cannot mention Dan Coffey without also mentioning his partner on the city council, 3rd district councilman, Steve Price. Mr. Price who has risen to great fame for his “style” at city council meeting, and for the fact that he has never had to get more than 50% of the vote in a primary election to win. Both men have showed their own style of leadership by standing up to their colleagues, losing many votes by a 2-7 margin.
Over the last nearly two years I have compared New Albany’s city council to a three ring circus, an episode of the “The Jerry Springer Show”, and I trip to Bizarro world. While I now see that these comparisons are rather childish and completely unfair, especially to the hardworking people who produce circuses and “The Jerry Springer Show”.
Over the last several months I have also written several columns condemning the Ohio River Bridges Project and the “two bridges, one project” plan. I had been concerned that the plan to use tolls as a tool to finance this outlandish plan would put an undo burden on Hoosiers, who already have enough money in the bank for their portion of the project.
After careful consideration and listening to hours of testimony and reading hundreds of pages of documents I have come to the conclusion that building two bridges could be the best for our community. I actually think the “Authority” might want to go one step further. I would like to be the first to publicly recommend that instead of building the two bridges we cannot afford, let’s build three. Opponents of the current plan will surely not understand the complexity of my new plan, but that’s ok, their input was never that important anyway.
Three bridges would not only carry this region for the next fifty years, but into the next century. Even years after the internal combustion engine has long been obsolete, our trio of new bridges and the progressive way to pay for them will stand as a testimony of what we can do if a small group of non delusional people put their minds to something.
While many of these revelations today may seem out of character or even a bit outlandish, you must consider the timing. Who knows how my opinions on these, or any other subject might change in the future, or even tomorrow. I will continue to put my opinions out there for those that care to read, maybe in 2016 I will have something nice to say about Coffey and Price again.
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