Citizen Staff Writer
RealFAST ONLINE COMMENTS
The story: In an editorial, the Citizen applauds the city of Tucson’s decision to put on hold planned Rio Nuevo museums and to route rapidly shrinking tax revenue into the construction of a new arena and convention center-hotel.
Your take: The Citizen’s online community doesn’t buy the editorial’s contention that the worst-in-eight-decades economy is at the root of the downtown revitalization project’s economic woes. Readers blame city officials, who, as Spirit of Zenger puts it, “dropped the ball in nearly every way possible” on Rio Nuevo. Some representative comments:
• “Rio Nuevo is a sinkhole for taxpayer money. . . . Everyone involved should be fired and made to account for their waste of money.” Blythechris
• “The current economic situation has nothing to do with the state of Rio Nuevo. Rio Nuevo is a failure because of city government, the local developers and the sorry group that passes for community leadership.” 6495
• “If we . . . continue to show the state that we cannot handle simple projects, it will be a long time before we receive funding or consideration for future projects.” Thebigshmoog
• “(One hundred) million dollars and nothing has happened. No wonder Phoenix views Tucson as a city full of thieves.” mtrued
• “I’ve lived worldwide and all over the U.S. Never have I seen such a mismanaged city.” Ohiorat
• “No more Rio Nuevo! Keep downtown Tucson crappy! That’s how people here seem to like it!” fidel
Compiled by PAUL SCHWALBACH
pschwalb@tucsoncitizen.com
The big debate:
Rio Nuevo retrenchment
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