By Ulysses Arn -
In an interview Thursday on WROK with host Michael Koolidge, Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey said that the opponents of a planned Rockford Housing Authority low-income housing project on New Towne Dr. on the city's east side and Winnebago County board member John Sweeney were "racist" for their opposition. The mayor said those opposed to the plan were using "code words" to hide their "racist bias" against moving people from the Fairgrounds housing project, which the RHA wants to demolish and partially rebuild, into the new multi-unit housing project off of East State St.
Morrissey told Koolidge that, "What I've been really shocked at is the number of emails I've gotten and some of the comments from people saying, 'You shouldn't let 'those people' come to the east side, which is a (racist) code word in my opinion."
Morrissey was also critical of a town hall meeting held recently about the project that was ruckus and decidedly against the plan. (More below the fold)
In an email obtained by WTVO, Morrissey also said that county board member Sweeney's opposition to the project was rooted in a racist bias. "To call the plan 'terrible' without actually having an actual plan upon which to comment, tells me that you are tearing down rumors instead of facts. You are demonstrating a racist bias instead of reasoned analysis," he said.
The Mayor also was critical of Sweeney for a Facebook post that the mayor alleges was border line "slanderous" because he thought it implied the Mayor had a financial ties and benefit to the project because the company involved in also working on a downtown redevelopment project. Sweeney says the post didn't say or imply what the Mayor thinks it does.
Mayor Morrissey should have some thicker skin when it comes to criticism of him having a financial stake in major city projects. Its something that has happened nearly every time there has been one since he has been in office.
