"Pantele too behold to real estate and other special interests to be trusted on Stadium issue"

Goldman for Mayor - 23 September 2008 - For Immediate Release


Goldman: "I am the only candidate for Mayor who has proven he can be trusted to oppose a Downtown Baseball Stadium. My friend Bill Pantele is too tied to the real estate interests bankrolling his campaign. Now we know why they and certain others have given him so much money after meeting with him in private. And now we know why he is trying to hide his true position until after the election as was evident in today's RTD story."

"A Downtown Baseball Stadium is a bad deal for Richmond as I showed the last time. As the RTD has said, I am the only candidate with the proven credibility to be trusted to defend the public interest of the average citizen on these kinds of key issues."

"Mayor Goldman will not allow the real estate and other powerful interests to use their financial and other clout to wield special influence over City Hall and City Council so they can force a Downtown Baseball Stadium on the people of Richmond."

(Richmond) - Paul Goldman, candidate for Mayor, issued this statement this morning after reading the revelations in today's Richmond Times Dispatch about what has been going around in private in all those meeting between the Wilder Administration and City Council President Bill Pantele, among others, on the issue of a Downtown Baseball Stadium.

In this statement, Mr. Goldman said:

"Finally, the truth about what Mr. Pantele and others have been discussing in private. Of all the candidates running for Mayor, I am the only one who can be trusted to oppose a Downtown Baseball Stadium, for I am the only candidate who showed the leadership, the financial expertise, and the political honesty to expose the truth last time the special interests tried to force a Downtown Baseball Stadium on the people of Richmond.

To paraphrase what Joe Louis said to Billy Cohn: Mr. Pantele, you can run but you can't hide, it is now clear what you have been telling the real estate interests and certain others bankrolling your campaign in all those private meetings.

Mayor Goldman will oppose a Downtown Baseball Stadium, for as I have pointed out since 2005 after studying the issue, it is not in the best interests of the people of Richmond, it is just another Pantele giveaway, as was the case when he voted to raise the meals tax and give all those special benefits to the last failed project he supported, another ill-conceived project that I was able to help stop before it bleed even more millions from the public treasury.

If we want baseball in Richmond, then the current Boulevard location is the only viable option.

Only a Goldman Administration will have the expertise, the proven record and the political courage to stand-up to the old power-brokers: and they know it, because Bill Pantele was always comfortable with the old system, which answered to the old power-brokers as he said when first running for City Council.

There is a reason that I am the only candidate willing to publicly oppose a Downtown Baseball Stadium, Echo Harbor and the sweetheart deal that gave us the highest food tax in the state for a 100 million dollar project that we couldn't afford: and to publicly support the Patrick Henry Charter School and David McCoy for Police Chief.

And that reason is this: I am the one candidate with the independence and knowledge to be able to free Richmond from the grasp of the same old power-brokers on both sides who while claiming to be different, actually are the same in putting their self-interest ahead of the public interest."