Shall we put to rest a falsehood that’s been banging around Amarillo in recent months?

Yes, we shall.

It has to do with the canard that the downtown Amarillo revitalization project has been carried forward in darkness. That the city is advancing a proposal with zero to little public input. That it’s been done without prior notification and that the public has been deprived of the chance to speak out.

http://downtownamarillo.publishpath.com/Websites/downtownamarillo/files/Content/5143768/Report_PublicOutreach.pdf

The link attached here is lengthy, but I think that’s by design. It’s meant to illustrate all the meetings, public hearings, testimony and public conversation that’s occurred since 2006 about downtown revival plans.

I think what’s happened is that many of today’s critics weren’t paying attention nine years ago when this stuff first came to the public fore. They were occupied with other matters. Hey, that’s all understandable.

What’s not understandable is why the critics today are leveling unfounded accusations and assertions against the city, its business community and its civic leadership that they’ve all conspired to foist something on residents that they don’t want or need.

The media have done their job in posting these events in advance. They have given the public ample advance notice of these events. The public has had plenty of opportunity to speak up and speak out.

We can debate the merits of what’s been proposed. Let’s do so without leveling accusations of underhandedness.

They are falsehoods intended to spread fear.