Blaming Someone Else for Aspen Swamp

Assuming that there won't be a major correction printed tomorrow, there is a good article by Marsha Melnichak today showing how rich people mud wrestle. May Construction Company of Little Rock and Hal Forsythe, the Chicago developer hiding behind the corporate shield of Town Creek Development and Construction Company LLC, are fulsome in their blaming each other for the debacle of Aspen Swamp and the liens, unpaid subcontractors, and a lawsuit between the developer and contractor.

Nobody owns up to responsibility for the destruction of a community and an ecosystem. Lewis May says that his company did everything just right, but Forsythe didn't know what he was doing and could never make a decision. Forsythe blames the disaster on the “endless delays and poor workmanship and just bungling mismanagement” of May Construction. Two big corporations involved, and neither one of them big enough to take responsibility for leaving the earth scared and the Audubon promises broken.

Forsythe says, "I believe that being honest in the things you do is what counts in the end." So do we, Hal. Then he says, "I just hope that everybody understands that we did do a lot to that area." You can be sure about that, Hal.

“I do take it personally when you invest hundreds of thousands of dollars of your own money, four-plus years of your life working 12-15 hours a day on your project and you have people come and, you know, can’t see what you’ve done for the area,” Forsythe said expressing his disdain about mere citizens “stirring things up” about his wonderful gift to the neighborhood and expecting him to deliver what he and Hank Broyles promised two years ago.

Got that, Aubrey? Hal blames you for exposing the disaster and wants you to STFU. We say keep up the good work. Citizen bloggers speaking truth to power are too rare and much needed these days.