Last night I was lucky to attend the candidates’ night hosted by the DeKalb Area Rental Association. Candidates running for DeKalb mayor and aldermen participated.
Some performances I liked real well, others I didn’t. Later, I realized the people who impressed me the least were the ones promising regular town hall meetings, ward coffee sessions, open-door policies, transparency!™ and citizen input up the wazoo.
Can it. I don’t believe you. You cross your hearts, and then all the promises are forgotten within months of each election (the notable exception being Mr. Naylor, who still holds occasional coffee chats).
Heck, I emailed the city council a few weeks ago and guess how many members responded? That’s right: not one. And yet some of these same people told me last night how important my input is.
Let’s bring the conversation around now to Skating Rink Lady. This is a new nickname that’s surfaced for mayoral candidate Jennifer Groce, who, as executive director of ReNew DeKalb, was head cheerleader for the $71,000 (plus Public Works and property costs) TIF skating rink boondoggle.
Ms. Groce first tried joking about it and later got serious about this “mistake,” basically saying that a few crash-and-burns are inevitable in a big project like the downtown redevelopment. Unfortunately, she is missing the point. The reason voters won’t let her live down the fiasco isn’t just because it failed, it’s because a small in-group was allowed to roll like a runaway train over the will of the people.
There was a large public outcry against the proposed purchase of the skating rink — remember the record numbers of comments at the Chronicle website after each rink story? — but ReNew DeKalb and the city ignored the opposition. They thought they knew better. They thought they had “vision,” while the public had none.
It was a case of incestuous amplification, AKA “groupthink run amok.”
So a moniker millstone hangs around the neck of mayoral hopeful Ms. Groce, and while she now works to rid herself of the burden, the irony is that she sculpted it herself. Citizen input was dismissed then. Why on earth would we think it is suddenly valued now?
6 comments
Comment by Ivan Krpan on January 31, 2013 at 10:43 am
The big problem with Jennifer Groce aka Skating Rink Lady is that she still doesn’t get it Mac. She really sees nothing wrong with a $71,000.00 mistake but it is more than that, she didn’t even either to listen to the majority of DeKalb citizens who loudly said the skating rink was a bad idea. This is a bad habit that doesn’t just change overnight. Unfortunately Skating Rink Lady is just trying to get vote without any real sincerity. Groce has shown to be bad for DeKalb.
Comment by Ivan Krpan on January 31, 2013 at 10:46 am
Is there any way to be uncover Jennifer Groce’s history and family background? I have been told that she is somehow related the development group of B and B Developers? Is this true and his?
Comment by Ivan Krpan on January 31, 2013 at 10:46 am
………..and how?
Comment by yinn on February 1, 2013 at 6:52 am
She’s originally from the Decatur area. I think she said her website has a question submission form — I’d ask her point blank.
Not to just pick on Groce. Mayoral candidate John Rey is listed at the ReNew website as the current secretary of ReNew DeKalb. I believe the election of officers occurred after he announced, and it troubles me greatly that he seems to find nothing wrong with this. Personally, I am looking for someone who wants to be mayor of all of DeKalb, not just the ReNew crowd, and that calls for a bit of distance between mayor and ReNew.
I see no distance at all between Rey and city manager Mark Biernacki. The two serve together on the ReNew executive board and on the city’s economic development committee. DeKalb badly needs fresh blood in the city manager’s office and a mayor with a strong personality who can’t be bullied or sweet-talked out of a commitment to change in that department.
Comment by markcharvat on February 1, 2013 at 11:44 am
What frightened me the most as a PRIVATE HOMEOWNER, is that Ms Groce wants to have PRIVATE Homeowners fund the cost of the rental inspection program. She also favors continuing the program “AS IS”. Ms Groce, you are skating on THIN ICE!
Comment by Kerry Mellott on February 1, 2013 at 1:30 pm
Ivan- Groce and B&B Developers? The group in India? Florida? Lockport? Construction? Web Development? Are you sure there’s a connection? Could that name be different?
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