Goldman Wants Full Public Accounting of Tens of Millions in Public Funds

Goldman for Mayor - 28 May 2008- For Immediate Release

Goldman wants full accounting of all public monies connected to the failed $100 Million Downtown Arts Center project, the new Arts Center project, and a review of the operating subsidy agreed-to by the City Council and City Hall.

"Given that Mr. Pantele just voted for record taxes and wasteful spending despite the economic squeeze facing Richmond citizens, and Mr. Grey supported City Hall's budget that had would have imposed even higher record taxes and wasteful spending on the public, I think a full accounting and review of all the public monies involved and expended on these Arts Center projects is required before the new city budget is finalized."

(Richmond) - Paul Goldman, candidate for Mayor, said today that with Bill Pantele and Robert Grey "getting ready to announce their candidacies" the time has come for full-accountability on all the public monies involved with the failed $100 Million Downtown Arts Center project, the new Arts Center project, and of course the operating subsidy deal agreed-to by the City Council and City Hall."

"Bill and Robert were major supporters of the failed $100 Million Downtown Arts Center project, and backed the unprecedented move of raising a general public tax to directly benefit a private development project without requiring even the most basic of financial oversight. Moreover, supporters of the project promised the public they would not ask, nor need, a public operating subsidy.

Those lobbying for imposing higher taxes and higher wasteful spending on the people of Richmond, for public and private projects, already have powerful allies at City Hall and in City Council.

The next Mayor has to be someone who can be an independent voice for the people, willing to champion the public interest, willing to protect the public treasury: for if the Mayor cannot do it, then it will not be done.

As Bill and Robert know, it took my "City of the Future" plan to finally provide a fiscally responsible path to actually get the Carpenter Center modernized. So my support of the arts is well-known in objective circles.

But there is a difference between fiscally responsible support, and a fiscally irresponsible waste of public money on a fiscally irresponsible $100 Million project.

The Elected Mayor law that I wrote was intended to create an independent Mayor, answerable only to the people, not another cheer-leader for the High Tax and Spend Lobby, especially with the economic squeeze facing the citizens of Richmond."

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