Imagine my surprise when I read today's follow-up in the Providence Journal regarding Jim Skeffington's stadium proposal, and the now open meeting being held between team owners and the I-195 Redevelopment Commission. While most news outlets reported that the meeting was opened due to a request by the team owners, I happen to know that the I-195 Commission received quite a bit of public push-back on the closed-door, executive session.
In today's Journal story by Kate Bramson, Skeffington is quoted as saying, "We're certainly willing to have discussions with them, but as a private company, our financial information is confidential," our financial capabilities," he continues, "They know our proposal, but we'd be happy to put it in writing."
I read this about a half-dozen times before the absurdity of the statement really sunk in. They'd be "happy" to put it in writing? There hasn't been a hard copy of the proposal submitted to the I-195 Commission already?
Later in the article, Skeffington says, "I know you and other people are eager to have these answers. "You don't negotiate these in public. You sit down with the people who are the parties of interest here, and in our case, it's us and the state and the leaders of the state government."
Bramson writes:
In today's Journal story by Kate Bramson, Skeffington is quoted as saying, "We're certainly willing to have discussions with them, but as a private company, our financial information is confidential," our financial capabilities," he continues, "They know our proposal, but we'd be happy to put it in writing."
I read this about a half-dozen times before the absurdity of the statement really sunk in. They'd be "happy" to put it in writing? There hasn't been a hard copy of the proposal submitted to the I-195 Commission already?
Later in the article, Skeffington says, "I know you and other people are eager to have these answers. "You don't negotiate these in public. You sit down with the people who are the parties of interest here, and in our case, it's us and the state and the leaders of the state government."
Bramson writes:
He compared the taxpayers, whose money would help finance the deal, to "shareholders of a corporation," who don't negotiate all details of a transaction. Company chairmen and boards of directors do that, Skeffington said. Such discussions have taken place "in executive session" in Rhode Island for 25 years, he said, and those detailed financial questions would again be "considered confidential."
There is a serious flaw in Skeffington's logic here. While we may be compared to 'shareholders' in the deal, there is one huge difference between the shareholders of a corporation and the public at large. If shareholders don't like the direction in which their investment is headed, THEY CAN DUMP THEIR STOCK IN THE COMPANY! If this deal goes through, in any fashion, we, the people of Rhode Island, will be saddled with a bad investment with no conceivable way out of it. Moreover, he literally says that's the way we've always done it. I don't know about you, but I'm getting pretty damn sick of the way we've always done it.
I've been criticized over the last couple of weeks for 'caricaturizing' Mr. Skeffington, and while I agree that the level of discourse needs to be raised in Rhode Island, I also believe that Skeffington et al. have done a damn fine job of turning themselves into caricatures.
Lets' not forget, Skeffington will benefit doubly from this ill-conceived deal. The law firm at which he is employed is the contracted legal counsel for the I-195 Redevelopment Commission, and while Skeffington has recused himself as the go-to legal beagle for the commission, I doubt that he will recuse himself from the profits his law firm will cull from their lucrative contract with the I-195ers.
As one internet commenter put it, regarding the art of negotiation, "If the first offer is 'We want everything' the only way to get a fair deal is if the first counter-offer is 'You get nothing.'
The term "unmitigated gall" comes to mind...
I've been criticized over the last couple of weeks for 'caricaturizing' Mr. Skeffington, and while I agree that the level of discourse needs to be raised in Rhode Island, I also believe that Skeffington et al. have done a damn fine job of turning themselves into caricatures.
Lets' not forget, Skeffington will benefit doubly from this ill-conceived deal. The law firm at which he is employed is the contracted legal counsel for the I-195 Redevelopment Commission, and while Skeffington has recused himself as the go-to legal beagle for the commission, I doubt that he will recuse himself from the profits his law firm will cull from their lucrative contract with the I-195ers.
As one internet commenter put it, regarding the art of negotiation, "If the first offer is 'We want everything' the only way to get a fair deal is if the first counter-offer is 'You get nothing.'
The term "unmitigated gall" comes to mind...
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