The Downtown Plan: Wilder Plays Reporter

Too bad Mayor Doug Wilder went editorial in his effort to be a junior radio reporter today during his three-hour stint as host of WRVA's morning radio program. On the one hand, it's what makes the man so damned interesting -- his ability to jaunt off on tangents, ask leading questions to justify his positions and to spin the PR Wheel of Fortune in a way that lands him on the Daily Double every single time. On the other hand, it's just plain distracting.

The City of Richmond's website has plenty of details on Wilder's radio cheerleading show, which included interviews with his own officials.

A number of City officials were interviewed, including Sheila Hill-Christian, chief administrative officer; Rachel Flynn, director of Community Development; Art Dahlberg, building commissioner; Chris Beschler, director of Public Utilities; Rodney Monroe, police chief; Paul McWhinney, director of Social Services; John Winter, chief project manager for Public Works; and Jeannie Welliver, project development manager of Economic Development.

Nothing like having your performance review broadcast on Richmond's 50,000 watt voice. I was particularly interested in Wllder's discussion with Rachel Flynn on the city's proposed Downtown Plan, which is winding its way through the Planning Commission on its way to City Council.

Wilder begins by asking "Miss Rachel" about the plan itself; listen to it here.

"We started this summer with a very extensive public process to hear from the people what they wanted for their downtown..." she began. "They're the ones who live here, they have visitors here, they have kids here. They know what they want for their city, and we thought 'Let's create this very open ... process' and put it to them and say 'What do you want for your city? You live here every day, you work here every day, you know what works and what doesn't.'"

It didn't take too many minutes before Wilder dashed away with questions about Flynn's background and credentials, which appeared to be a way of justifying the salaries of his top officials (which came under scrutiny by the Times-Dispatch recently).

Comments

[Paul H]

Gee, that must have been an entertaining and informative broadcast, almost as much fun as listening to Paul Goldman for 3 hours a day, 5 days a week.

[Bear]

It's funny how Ms.Flynn shifted the conversation to converting streets will make it easy for cars to get around... What about my pedestrians, Ms. Flynn?