Since the mayoral elections are coming up very soon, I decided to re-watch the mayoral debate from the Chamber of Commerce. Have you ever read a book, picked it up at a later date and then read something completely different that you didn’t read before? I had the same experience while watching this debate again, and I honestly cannot believe that I missed such a grand statement from Mr. John Curtis.
When the issue of Downtown Development was being discussed, Mr. Curtis was talking about his disdain for studies. He talked about how we have performed studies and done nothing as a result of them; even what he considers “simple changes” the City is not even touching (i.e. new signage, more advertising, etc.). But the biggest statement of all came when he stated, very clearly, the following:
“What we need to do to Downtown is to do is something. I don’t even care if it is wrong. In my business, we make mistakes all the time. We need to be prepared to make some mistakes Downtown and just do something.”
Honestly, the only word that is coming to mind is “wow.” After I heard this, I had to rewind, listen, and rewind again. I could not believe what I just heard. Some might say “we do need to start doing something and stop talking about it!” I agree that if we continue on our current route that nothing will happen, but reread what Mr. Curtis has stated. He plainly stated that he wants to do something, and he doesn’t even care if that “something” is completely wrong for Downtown! But be not afraid, little citizens of Provo, because Mr. Curtis is a businessman and in that world “[they] make mistakes all the time.”
You have heard me say it before, and I am going to say it again: this statement shows, unabashedly, that Mr. Curtis has absolutely NO understanding of municipal financing. Allow me to explain for those of you who are not catching my drift. If Mr. Curtis wanted to make a personal business move or investment with Action Target, he would weigh the cost versus benefits of any decision he would potentially make. He might invest hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions into a cause if he felt that it would yield a desirable return (he would ‘study’ the issues). However, if the investment did not yield the desired financial outcomes and he lost hundreds, thousands, or millions, only he would be out that much capital for his personal gain.
Now, let us compare this to a municipal organization. The City of Provo is funded by the tax-payer dollars of the citizenry, and these funds are continually watched to ensure they are safeguarded against fraud and waste. Now let’s say Mr. Curtis is elected as Mayor of Provo and he decides to implement his personal belief that we just need to do “something” in Downtown Provo, because he’s a businessman and knows that mistakes are made. Let’s say that he invests hundreds-of-thousands of dollars into infrastructure, signage, or some other item that isn’t needed and it yields nothing to benefit Downtown. The consequence of such a decision is that a large portion of tax-payer funds is now gone, but to John Curtis, that is simply the price of business.
This is why, ladies and gentlemen, you can’t run government like a business. When tax-payer dollars are financing operations, you need to be accountable to the people who are writing your checks. Mr. Curtis has yet to separate himself from the business persona; he is diluted into thinking that he can jump into the Mayor’s Office and frivolously spend tax-payer dollars for campaign goals and ambitions, regardless of the consequences. Why? Because he doesn’t care if the City does something wrong and wastes money in the process, because that is the reality of business. I’m going to be the pinch in your sugarplum world, Mr. Curtis. You are not running for a business, you are running for a political office. If you are elected and believe you can simply implement anything, whether it is wrong or not, in Downtown, then you will make the iProvo fiasco look like a walk in the park.
This is why I have been telling my readers, nearly since day one, to ask Mr. Curtis how he plans to pay for his plans and operations. If you cannot see that Mr. Curtis is fiscally irresponsible in terms of municipal financing, then I do not know what else will open your eyes. The City of Provo literally cannot afford a Mayor who believes that tax-payer money is a revenue source for risky investments that fit a personal agenda. Mr. Curtis states he doesn’t like studies, task forces, or ideas that come from group sessions. He wants to blaze his own trail here in Provo, regardless of the consequences, and you’re along for the ride whether you like it or not. Mr. Curtis, PROVO IS NOT YOUR PERSONAL BUSINESS!
