This Father’s Plea Falls on Deaf Ears
Today, Dr. Neil Troost, the Evansville physician whose young daughter was stuck by a hypodermic needle that was discarded in Sunset Park made a presentation to the Evansville Parks and Recreation Department. His day in front of people of authority that are on the payroll of the City of Evansville in his words was a “raging disappointment”.
Dr. Troost expressed particular disappointment in the demeanor and verbalizations of Steve Bohleber. He paraphrased Mr. Bohleber’s responses to his pleas for help as follows:
“things are tough all over america”
“money is tight”
“we dont have control over the budget”
Dr. Troost gave specifics and was met with platitudes and a dismissive attitude. This is of course coming from an appointed and compensated board of Mayoral appointments that are currently engaged in disparaging SMG over low pressure water fountains and other routine maintenance issues at Roberts Stadium in support of the Mayor’s efforts to replace them with another manager for the new downtown Evansville Arena. After viewing the pictures of the state of the parks of the City of Evansville it is difficult to see how the Parks and Recreation board of directors could opine on the state of maintenance of anything.
It is one thing to inconvenience someone over a drink of water. It is quite another to have 6 year old children playing in public parks where needles discarded by drug addicts, used condoms, and F Bombs painted on playground equipment constitute business as usual.
My fellow citizens, the state of these parks is so far beyond unacceptable that it is inexcusable. If this is what the people of Evansville expect and are willing to tolerate from local government then this is not the Evansville of our youth. When did it become okay for public boards and officials to be dismissive to citizens who bring up safety issues in public areas? When did it become okay for the discards of drug addiction and outdoor sex to be littering the ground?
We don’t think that it has ever become okay to treat public places in Evansville like a crack house in Detroit. This is an utter disgrace. As residents we should all feel shame for this situation. It is time to take the blinders off, to reach a state of awareness about the condition of a park system that was something to be proud of years ago, and to demand both performance and accountability from public officials that treat citizens and public property with neglect and dishonor.
Look at the presentation. Determine for yourselves if this is acceptable. Let your elected officials know one way or the other. If this is fine with you please tell them, but if you see this as the culmination of a blight that has been building for years and it is time to STOP IT, please let them know that too.
Here is a link to the powerpoint presentation. Please censor this from young children.
This story makes me sad. The response from the Evansville Parks and Recreation Department makes me angry. I am ashamed of a community that would allow this to happen. I will no longer be able to take my children to Sunset Park to play. Shame on us, shame on the mayor. I suspected that he was deaf, not listening to what the citizens of Evansville have to say. Now I know that he is also blind. So sad, so sad.
For years the E Parks Dept has been giving lip service. Truth is, many of our government officials don’t have any idea what quality of life is for residents, yet we see younger adults moving to other places. Too much emphasis is placed on making a profit in our park system and less on the quality.
So what now? Is this issue dead like all the rest? Sad.
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