pitbull113
04-28-2006, 10:22 PM
By Marty Smith, NASCAR.COM
April 28, 2006
05:11 PM EDT Reports that International Speedway Corp.'s first public hearing in Staten Island, N.Y., triggered a "near riot" are overblown, according to ISC director of corporate development Michael Printup, who was present at the event.
"That was our first public hearing [Thursday] night, and capacity was about 900 people or so," Printup said. "There was a lot of opposition, and a lot of supporters, about 60-40 in favor of supporters.
"What happened was that both sides got a little active. It started right off the bat, with them booing [ISC president] Lesa Kennedy when she came up. Her three-minute speech was interrupted multiple times. Right then you knew you were in for a long evening."
Printup said no fists were thrown, and that reports of Councilman Andrew Lanza being placed in a headlock by a union worker were false.
"That wasn't a headlock at all," Printup said. "It was a hug for the TV cameras. It wasn't a near riot. No way. There was a lot of yelling and screaming on both sides. Both sides were equally responsible for it."
Printup agreed with reports that Lanza incited the disdain, and elevated the crowd's hostility by referring to local union workers -- which Printup confirmed are the same individuals that would be hired to build the racetrack -- as "goons and thugs," and their professions as "Onetime garbage jobs."
"How'd you like to tell a family working on Ground Zero, 'Your Dad has a one-time garbage job working on the World Trade Center?'?" Printup said. "That got the opposition riled up. Pretty soon the police were there."
Printup said the Department of City Planning, which is led by Robert Dobruskin, did a poor job of controlling the meeting.
"They did just the opposite, did nothing to control the meeting," Printup said. "Dobruskin didn't monitor it well, didn't take control. The easiest answer was to say it's a public safety issue, and therefore they have the right to shut down the meeting.
"We'll be rescheduled and hopefully next time the Staten Islanders will conduct themselves better."
Rescheduling means a slight setback, Printup said.
"It's not a significant setback," Printup said. "It's a minor 30-day or 40-day delay, just takes that long to reschedule. That's a New York City process. It sets us back a little bit, but doesn't slow us down any.
"There's a long way to go. This was the first meeting of many that was to culminate in 15 months. Now it will be 16 months.
"We'll still be ready to go racing in 2010."
April 28, 2006
05:11 PM EDT Reports that International Speedway Corp.'s first public hearing in Staten Island, N.Y., triggered a "near riot" are overblown, according to ISC director of corporate development Michael Printup, who was present at the event.
"That was our first public hearing [Thursday] night, and capacity was about 900 people or so," Printup said. "There was a lot of opposition, and a lot of supporters, about 60-40 in favor of supporters.
"What happened was that both sides got a little active. It started right off the bat, with them booing [ISC president] Lesa Kennedy when she came up. Her three-minute speech was interrupted multiple times. Right then you knew you were in for a long evening."
Printup said no fists were thrown, and that reports of Councilman Andrew Lanza being placed in a headlock by a union worker were false.
"That wasn't a headlock at all," Printup said. "It was a hug for the TV cameras. It wasn't a near riot. No way. There was a lot of yelling and screaming on both sides. Both sides were equally responsible for it."
Printup agreed with reports that Lanza incited the disdain, and elevated the crowd's hostility by referring to local union workers -- which Printup confirmed are the same individuals that would be hired to build the racetrack -- as "goons and thugs," and their professions as "Onetime garbage jobs."
"How'd you like to tell a family working on Ground Zero, 'Your Dad has a one-time garbage job working on the World Trade Center?'?" Printup said. "That got the opposition riled up. Pretty soon the police were there."
Printup said the Department of City Planning, which is led by Robert Dobruskin, did a poor job of controlling the meeting.
"They did just the opposite, did nothing to control the meeting," Printup said. "Dobruskin didn't monitor it well, didn't take control. The easiest answer was to say it's a public safety issue, and therefore they have the right to shut down the meeting.
"We'll be rescheduled and hopefully next time the Staten Islanders will conduct themselves better."
Rescheduling means a slight setback, Printup said.
"It's not a significant setback," Printup said. "It's a minor 30-day or 40-day delay, just takes that long to reschedule. That's a New York City process. It sets us back a little bit, but doesn't slow us down any.
"There's a long way to go. This was the first meeting of many that was to culminate in 15 months. Now it will be 16 months.
"We'll still be ready to go racing in 2010."