"It's not easy being Green"

I have to steal Charles Brennan's line on the BJC-Forest Park deal from Donnybrook last Thursday night: "It's not easy being Green."

It didn't get any easier on Friday.

If the first Board of Estimate and Apportionment meeting on the BJC deal was marked by Comptroller Darlene Green's silence, Friday's meeting on the same issue was marked by her fury.

The special meeting, called by Green, was intended to approve the BJC lease, with Green's new conditions; but it ended with threats to pull the plug on the deal.

At issue was how the funds freed-up thanks to BJC's $2 million lease would be spread among the city's other parks.

Green focused on the geography and wants at least half of the $1.2 million the city currently spend on Forest Park to go to parks north of Delmar.

Mayor Francis Slay attempted to forward language supported by the Aldermanic Black Caucus that focused on the ward boundaries and distributed the funds based on the wards; the 14 wards represented by African-American aldermen and two with majority African-American voters (the 17th and 20th).

Green argued the change defeats the point of promising the north-side parks greater attention since redistricting could move wards across town. This most famously happened in the contentious redistricting in 2001 when the 20th ward move from north city to south of Gravois Rd.

The move seemed to outrage Green who accused Slay of not being serious about passing the lease. Slay initially abstained from the vote on Green's proposal.

"You're not voting on the first item indicates you are not serious about the lease with BJC," said Green.

"This is outrageous," said Green after the meeting. She referred to Slay's amendment as "onerous".

And so it went, with feint and dodge Slay and Green parried with procedure. Slay and Green faced off with the only weapon they had, the BJC lease.

Slay's attempts to explain his position were often overrun by Green who insisted on an up-or-down vote on the whole package. As an added incentive, Green's language also included a $2.5 million penalty if BJC further expanded into Forest Park. A deal, she insisted, BJC supported.

All the while, Shrewsbury stood aside. He has made his opposition to the lease known. That said, he opposed Green's proposal saying it was a "purely legislative" move that is the exclusive purview of the Board of Aldermen.

In the end, Slay approved Green's language in order to gain her approval for the BJC lease.

"I changed my vote for the good of the cause," said Slay after the meeting.

Slay's half-hearted support was not lost on Green. Green assured the assembled that she would refuse to sign the lease if the Board of Aldermen do not include her conditions. According to Mayor Slay, Green does not have that ability.

"This is a ministerial act and she does not have the discretion to sign or not to sign," said Slay.

The Board of Aldermen has been asked to hold two special meetings to address the legislation creating the BJC lease.

Despite apparent forward progress towards passage, the lease deal has been a bruising process.

Opponents of the deal were not happy with Friday's events.

"Back room politics is running the city today," said Carla Scissors-Cohen who heads-up Citizens to Protect Forest Park.

The debate has even brought old faces to the table.

"This is all politics," said Irv Clay a former alderman who now works in municipal recreation on the East Coast. "If it's so important, why not let the people vote."

The Board of Aldermen will have the final approval, but the last vote on the issue was 24-2 in favor; 4 more than necessitated by the city charter for major leases. Given the likely support for the Black Caucus' amendment (how many will vote against kudos for their colleagues?), Green is not likely to find satisfaction.

Green has gambled away her final bargaining chip by signing off on the BJC deal. Despite her threat not to sign the lease if it is passed by the board without her language, she will have to debate whether she wants to take it all the way to the courthouse.