I write as a longtime Evanston resident and longtime board chair of an organization focused on transparency, efficiency, ethics and good government in Illinois to respond to some recent comments that I have heard and seen complaining about an alleged lack of “transparency” by the current mayor and City Council, particularly regarding the process by which Northwestern was permitted to replace its old stadium with a new one in essentially the same location.
In the interest of full disclosure, I was not personally involved with or seriously affected by the issues. I personally regard the deal that the city made with Northwestern as reasonable, though I recognize others might have different opinions about that. (Just as they might have other ideas as to how the university could have better spent an $800 million donation.)
However, even as an outsider to the process, it is apparent to me that there is no legitimate basis for criticizing the transparency of the process by which the deal was arrived at. There were innumerable public meetings and hearings as the negotiations proceeded, with much back and forth from all sides in the debate. What more anyone could reasonably expect in the way of transparency is beyond me.
The current complaints strike me as the less than credible claims that frequently pop up in political campaigns, when there is nothing better to talk about.
Thank you for allowing me to share my point of view.
David Melton, Third Ward resident and Reform for Illinois board president
Letter to the editor: A note on the Ryan Field deal and transparency is from Evanston RoundTable, Evanston's most trusted source for unbiased, in-depth journalism.