Coming Around to Wishneff
Let me begin by saying that I’ve never been a fan of Councilman Brian Wishneff. Pomposity and spite are not the hallmarks of a good public servant, and Wishneff possesses these qualities in spades. His steadfast refusal to give up on the Victory Stadium issue after the last round of council elections reminds me now of Mike Huckabee, and his continued quixotic quest for the GOP presidential nomination.
Recent events in the news have convinced me to rethink my position on Wishneff, in spite of his bombastic personality. While I don’t approve of storming out of council meetings like a spoiled child, he is right to insist that the council conduct it’s business in the light of day. Whether the issue is an ill-advised amphitheater, or any other expenditure of public funds, back room deals will always arouse unnecessary suspicions.
Wishneff really gained my admiration when he cast the lone dissenting vote against a questionable loan agreement between the city and the developer of the Hancock Building downtown. Under the terms of the so called loan, the city will funnel money through the scandal plagued Roanoke Redevelopment and Housing Authority, since it is forbidden by law to pass the money directly to the developers. The interest free loan will then be forgiven incrementally over a 10 year period, during which time the developers’ only obligation is not to convert the building to condos. In a dramatic departure from his typical rants, Wishneff put forth a carefully reasoned rationale for his dissent that clearly spells out the questionable nature of the transaction. Click Here to read the full text of Wishneff’s letter to the Roanoke Times. You may find yourself coming around too.
Postscript:
This post was written 2 months prior to the election in which Wishneff lost his seat on council and admitted to placing illegal campaign ads under the pseudonym Joe Smith.