The City of Davenport's leadership continues to decline on so many levels that redemption is no longer possible with the current players.
Beyond the complete abdication of the public trust because of a long list of ethically dubious actions - including the fast-tracking of the high-risk, financially inequitable development agreement for the Isle of Capri's casino hotel on our downtown riverfront, the serious cost overruns at Prairies Heights, the RiverCenter scandal with contracted private manager, the attempt to burden taxpayers with the Market District and Crossings proposals that would only benefit private development, John O'Donnell's financial problems, mismanagement of critical deterioration of infrastructure (sewers, roads, etc.), parking-ramp deficits, key personnel layoffs because of budget prioritizing, to name the most recent fiascoes - conditions have potentially entered the criminal arena with the revelation of City Administrator Craig Malin's three self-imposed pay raises in a year's time.
The River Cities' Reader launched its new Web site last
week, and we hope that it's a visual improvement. But we're most interested in
it being an interactive improvement. Our goal from the outset with this
Web site has been that it will be a space for the community to gather and
discuss community and cultural issues.
