In a letter to the editor in today's Daily News, City Councilman Bob Bialkowski urges Council President Charlie Mallow to resign. He writes:
Mr. Mallow has been demonstrating some unusual behavior lately. At our last meeting he would not allow any new business to be brought to the floor. He blocked several of us by asking for a motion to adjourn, moving to adjourn and then adjourning the meeting. He executed the entire sequence by himself, which violates all rules of conducting a meeting. Mr. Mallow should resign as council president because he has failed miserably as a leader. A good leader does not use the press to criticize and ridicule memers of his assembly.
The Batavian has requested a response from Mallow. We've included it in full below.
The skirmish between Mallow and Bialkowski has been going on for weeks now, reaching a fevered pitch at the last meeting of the City Council when Mallow asked for Bialkowski to recuse him from voting on the purchase of a sign by the city for the mall. Within days of the meeting, the city attorney, George Van Nest, drafted a letter requesting the city's Board of Ethics to convene and consider whether a "councilman" exhibited a conflict of interest in voting on the purchase of a mall sign as his "wife" is manager of the mall. Van Nest never returned calls made by The Batavian.
Mallow, in his turn, authored a pair of letters to the editor that appeared in the August 2 and August 5 issues of the Daily News. In the first, Mallow writes:
Mr. Bialkowski and Bill Cox are new on Council, very new. They believe they can coerce the rest of the Council into bending to the wishes of the (Mall Merchants Association). They have also shown me deep seated hatred for our city manager and city attorney. I'm not prepared to allow him to take political retribution out on our city staff. Enough is Enough!
Obviously, both Mallow and Bialkowski—despite the latter's own claims that he "detests conducting the business of the citizens by writing letters to the editor"—are fond of hyperbole. While the mall merchants have threatened the city with litigation, there is no "pending case" with the group, as Mallow asserts in his first letter. Van Nest said so at the last meeting of the council. And while Bialkowski may not be in a direct conflict of interest regarding the vote for the city to purchase the sign for the mall, his wife is the manager of the mall, and he would exhibit a sense of good behavior, if nothing else, if he just gave in and recused himself.
instead, both Mallow and Bialkowski—both grandstanding, both citing his moral superiority—turn city business into vehement personal attacks. I have to feel bad for Bill Cox who got dragged into the mess just because he wanted the city to look at a potential health hazard. While I can understand the exasperation of both Mallow and Bialkowski, I just can't understand why they opt to play out this farce in these terms: this one accusing that one of despotism, that one accusing this one of hatred. Hatred!? What is this? And I don't even want to hear any of these "Well, he started it" arguments, which amount to nothing more than further propagating the feud by couching it in terms of cause and effect, action and reaction, and villifying one term to the favor of the other.
Here's Bialkowski:
Lately some of us councilmen have received e-mails from Mr. Mallow in which he is very sarcastic, calls us names and as of late has used foul and abusive language.
Here's Mallow:
As of late Mr. Cox. has ... developed a strong interest in bird droppings on the roof of the mall. So much so, that he wrote a long rambling letter to the paper about this issue and how he believes he is being treated unfairly.
Why should Cox's letter be demeaned this way? Isn't that, in fact, treating him unfairly? Why can't he voice his opinion—no matter how much others feel it may not be relevant—without being cut down by his peers?
The following is Mallow's response, in full, to Bialkowski's letter:
I don’t give much weight to the things Bob Biakowski says. He wants to run roughshod over our city manger and attorney and expects me to stand aside while he intimidates them. Bob has an agenda that doesn’t include working for the taxpayers of this city. I am deeply embarrassed that Bob Biakowski was the first sitting city council person to have an ethics body called to discuss his actions. Bob is going about his short term on council in an unhealthily way that limits his effectiveness. His actions have turned most of council against him and he is acting out in an unprofessional way. I have 1 ½ years left on council and I’m going to spend that time watching Bob and his friends very closely. Bob and Bill Cox are both trying to bring a little taste of Albany politics to Batavia. We are a small city and have a non partisan government lead by a city manager. I’m sorry that things are not going Bob’s way and he feels he needs to have a temper tantrum to bring light to his problems.
For more background on these issues, check out some of our earlier posts:
Philip, you seem to be a bit
Philip, you seem to be a bit off base on this one. Let me try to start with a few basics. We have a City Manger form of government. That is a type of government that is run by a hired city manager and is overseen by an elected part time council. Council can only act as a body of the whole. No single council person has the ability to negotiate or undermine the city manager.
Our council meetings have order in that we have to run them by a set agenda. Council people cannot add things to the agenda during the meeting. Everyone on council has to be given the respect of being prepared for a topic, especially our city manager. Bob and Bill wanted to add discussion to an agenda that would have put the city at a disadvantage in ligation with the MMA. You don’t seem to understand that the city attorney is the one that asked me not to add that to the agenda and that the topic of the MMA should have been discussed in executive session. Bill and Bob then attempted to add that topic to the agenda in an improper way. When I wouldn’t let them they then, went to an MMA meeting with the attempt to undermine our cities legal standing.
There is no unusual behavior on my part. I simply won’t let the city manager be undermined or our taxpayers put in a weakened position during a potential lawsuit. Your thinking about whether there is a lawsuit is also a bit of base. The MMA has voted to bring suit against the city, have the filed the paper work yet, no. Should we act as though they are not bringing suit against the city?
Thanks for getting some
Thanks for getting some clarifications in here, Charlie. But I don't see anywhere where I was off base. If a lawsuit is not filed, speaking of a "pending case" just isn't accurate. Considerations of a "potential lawsuit" is better stated, as you put it here in your comment.
All that being said, I agree with you that the move by the mall merchants to pursue litigation is one where the Council should tread lightly and cautiously. But is it true that Bob Bialkowski and Bill Cox attended the meeting of the mall merchants to "undermine" the city manager? Other Council members were also present at that meeting. Were they, too, undermining the city manager?
I seek only more accuracy and less accusation. Municipal representatives have a hard job, and most of you do a good job taking on the burden.
Council people have an
Council people have an obligation to sit and listen to concerns. They also have an obligation not to join into public discussion revolving around whether our city manager should be replaced in his job duties.
Bob Bialkowski should examine
Bob Bialkowski should examine himself and his record before he calls anyone a 'miserable failure'....more coming from me soon.
Philip..if your going to tell
Philip..if your going to tell the story,why not add what was said by Tim Paine in the letter to the editor yesterday..he seems to have a good read on all this..I myself have email Bill Cox wondering why he was doing the mall managers job by getting the health dept to check on all this bird crap on the roof ..health dept said there was no problem..i think charlie is trying to move on..for some reason the mall merchants seem to thing the tax payers should pay them for having there business in the mall...why don't these mall merchants just move some where else..the city should just tear out the concouse ..make it and outdoor side walk ..problem solved..now the can shovel the snow off there side walk all winter...
I agree with Mark on Tim's
I agree with Mark on Tim's letter. He had a reasoned take on the issue.
Mark: I'm not telling a
Mark: I'm not telling a story, let alone "the" story. My post was intended to juxtapose the public statements of two City Councilmen relative to the other's behavior. That's what I did.
Why should Tim Paine's letter have been included?
Russ: the whole "issue" is that the "issue" isn't allowed to be an "issue". It's crowded out by shouts of moral this and ethical that — he's a bully or he's a hateful underminer or he's a complainer or whatever. That's what I wrote about, and pretended to nothing else.
My comment was an opinion on
My comment was an opinion on Tim's letter and his take as a 3rd party.
Phillip, I will address the
Phillip, I will address the issue of who was at the MMA meeting and what was said. Mrs. Clattenburg, Mr. Bialkowski, Mr. Barone, and Mr. Cox were the Council people present. Mr. Barone barely uttered a word. The same goes for Mr. Bialkowski except for a few muffled "anti-Mallow" comments (I sat right across from him). Marianne spent most of the meeting defending herself (and quite well I must add) from attacks. Her only mention of Jason was that he is our Chief negotiator. Her comment came in response to Bill's assertion that "we can use someone else". That is where he crossed the line. The meeting then spent a lot of time centered around no one on the MMA having any faith in Jason. City Council members are alwys welcome to sit and observe meetings. There are questions they can ask and can make comments. However, the content they inject has restrictions and they know it. Mr. Cox went beyond the scope of what's allowed. Like them or not, rules are rules. I am the taxpayers representative on the Mall Operating Committee. I am not restricted in what discussion I can participate. I wrote about what I observed. My job is to save tax dollars for our community. I have no ties to anyone on the MOC. I have stated my opinions. I would love to hear from anyone who feels "We must save the Mall" or thinks it's a good idea to lay another huge debt on our kids.
Phillip, First, you either
Phillip,
First, you either didn’t know or chose not to mention that Bob Bialkowski not only has his wife as the Mall Manager, but works for the Mall himself part time. Now, that is a major ethical problem.
Second, Tim Paine was at the Mall meeting where he is a member. His letter should be taken into account.
Third, Bill Cox didn’t get dragged into this; he jumped in with both feet for Bob. He is Bob’s close friend and took up Bob’s cause over the Mall. Do you really think that without Bob, Bill Cox had people running up to him about bird crap? How come long term Council members like Mr. Ferrando and Ms. Christian don’t have people demanding bird crap on private property be cleaned up at public expense? Ask them how many times people have gone to them over this issue.
I understand you are trying to keep the discussion going and interesting, but you seem a bit biased.
Bob works for the Mall part time. His wife runs the Mall and does the hiring. Bob should not vote on the City giving the Mall public money, period.
this why i would take tim
this why i would take tim paine's view of the whole mess..which needs to be included in this.Phil you are the one that made it a story..you give both sides,hyped it up like some kind of WWF main event,so adding an outsiders view would give more of a clearer picture of what is going on with this mall bs...batavia's downtown is dead..the mall is one reason why...i thought a mall was a place with shopping stores in it..not dr. offices and a city hall..let just start calling it an office building..because thats what it is...
Bob Bialkowski has had a
Bob Bialkowski has had a record of destruction in his political life, from putting the city on dangerous ground with a huge conflict of interest to costing the taxpayers millions after tarnshing the image of the Genesee County airport back in the 1990s.
Bob is the only one that has 'failed miserably', he should resign.
Conor, Charlie is not
Conor, Charlie is not protecting Jason. Jason is a big boy and can defend himself just fine. Where the problem lies is Council members are not part of the negotiation process. They vote on the proposals that are presented after negotiating is done. Charlie's point is when rules are broken that undermine the process it costs us taxpayers more in the end. That is exactlly his job, knowing when to step in. Protecting the interest of taxpayers should be entire Councils job. Dealing with bird droppings is the job of the MMA, not City Council. They have an operating committee and a manager to do that for them. The City Center is the taxpayers responsibility and has been maintained accordingly. I agree with you that Doctors' offices should be well cared for from top to bottom. Just not on our dime. I also agree with you that the R's and D's after someones name or title shouldn't mean a thing. I work with the same dedication whether it's Council person Clattenburg or Council person Briggs and so on. I'm passionate when it comes to the debt my kids will be left with. You're in that very group as well. I want nothing more than to see your future skills remain in this area. What hope do I have of that happening if there aren't enough patients here for you to have a practice. We have to stop driving people away due to over-taxing and poor government.
Connor, The “mall” has been a
Connor,
The “mall” has been a failure since the 1980’s and only a fool would say what you did. We had a guy who worked for the city once who was supposed to be in charge of economic development. Odd, he had the same last name as yours, he was Ed Flynn. Anyway, he was one that said if we would just build the City Hall where it is, we would have a boom in the mall. Je also worked against a Doctor who wanted to buy the property for retail stores that City Hall is on, which might have saved it. He was dead wrong, again.
The mall has been covered for years by the paper, try reading it. The problem with the Mall is not Bob, Charlie or even Ed Flynn. It is that each business owns its own property. Each one opens at a different time, closes when it wants and may or may not be open on the day you want to go. It may or not cooperate with the other businesses. Most malls are owned by one group, who leases the stores and sets standard rules for operation. It was one of a handful of Malls that ran like this and they all failed. Maybe in college you’ll do better research.
Now, if your one of the many Flynn’s in Batavia, good luck in school. But if you’re related to Ed, who was let go by the City in the budget crunch, then you hid a fact the reader should have known about, and remember, Bill Cox supported Ed Flynn, Bob didn’t.
Taking a cue from John
Taking a cue from John Roach. I did run against Bob Bialkowski for the 4th Ward Council seat. I lost by 4 votes. I rely on Bob's wife for all the paper work I ask for and have always received. She has never been anything but helpful and courteous. I have no ill feelings towards Bob. As I said in the paper after last years final count, "I felt we ran the cleanest and most respectful race in the City". As I stated above, my convictions lie with what will be my childrens inherited debt.
John: Honestly, did you read
John: Honestly, did you read my post?
First, it's stated that Bob Bialkowski's wife is the mall manager. It's also stated that he probably should have recused himself from the vote, just as you want me to say.
Second, why should Tim's letter be taken into account? Again, this post isn't about the meeting at the mall. It's about how Bob Bialkowski and Charlie Mallow behave towards one another in the press.
Third, if Bill Cox said people are asking him about "bird crap," we have no reason not to believe him. He's allowed to ask about it. If it isn't an issue, then it isn't an issue, but that shouldn't mean he can't have a voice about it.
I seem biased! How? In whose favor? Toward what? I felt that my post was equally critical of both Bialkowski and Mallow for using language and tactics that exceeded the severity of the situation.
And again, John, I agreed with you on whether Bialkowski should vote. Seriously, did you read the post?
Congrats on your awards
Congrats on your awards Philip
Thanks, Tim. I could never
Thanks, Tim. I could never have done it without that newsroom. The editors and journalists at the "Daily Messenger" in Canandaigua are second-to-none.
what did I say that would
what did I say that would only be said by a fool?
Conor, first of all, good
Conor, first of all, good luck in school, I'm sure that your going to be a great Doctor.
Firstly, you claim that everything was all hunky-dory until a few years ago, the reality is that the Mall has been anything but since the mid 1980s, the reason for this being the gradual allowing of disrepair and the lack of taking care of the concourse, thats how the mall slowly began to take holding into the most part empty space that we have now.
On the second issue, downtown has made improvements, but its still not the bustling center that it used to be, nor has it even been competitive with the outlying stores on the West end of the city (Wal-Mart etc). Furthermore, any real economic development, as in companies with a profit and product producing model, even in service industries besides Doctors offices (who have a limited clientèle) haven't grown much, we've added Pioneer Credit Recovery and Hershey's Ice Cream, thats really about it in terms of newer large scale employers.
Is this your Dad's fault? No. Is it anyone who's currently in office, from either side? No. This was a mistake that was made in tearing down profit-generating businesses as part of the failed strategy of urban renewal. Fixing the problem means making hard budgetary decisions and holding people in accountable for failing to disclose a conflict of interest, thats my point with Mr. Bialkowski.
By the way, I came to these conclusions on my own by attending almost every single council meeting this year and a good number of them last year as well, my conclusions are my own, I've explained to you before that I happen to agree with Mr. Mallow on many of the issues facing the City based on my own judgements.
As to me riding on anyones coat-tails, the current Council has reduced the tax increase from 24 to 8 percent, that means that without the current leadership property taxes would have been 16 percent higher, if you ever want to associate me with tax cuts and reform then be my guest.
Conor, You might want to
Conor,
You might want to scroll up and read your own comments before taking another commenter to task about theirs.
no no no no. I never said the
no no no no. I never said the mall was honky dory until a few years ago. I said it was slowly showing signs of improvement until a few years ago. It still sucked then. And please stop bringing my dad into this. He has nothing to do with any of this. Last time I checked, I was also a citizen of Batavia- just like the rest of you. I have every right to complain about how the city is being mismanaged.
And about Wal-Mart. I absolutely hate everything that store represents. However, I still find myself oddly attracted to it whenever I need something. It's like a guilty pleasure, and it's killing downtowns all over the country.
downtown is dead...the
downtown is dead...the sooner people all see this ,then we can move on to a new phase and do some kind of redevolpement for the downtown area..look across the street from the mall..no more main street coffee house...no more art gallery..nothing new in the old carrs building ...i would call that a dead down town area..So Conor i dont know what new things you see happening ..rochester just tore down there downtown mall..because it just isnt the way to go..maybe be like leroy and put up a walgreens in the center of town..might work...the one thing that doesnt work it high
taxes..until batavia learns how to down size and cut taxes at least by half..everyone will build in the town of batavia were there is no town tax...they seem to be attracting all kinds of new stores..why is that...they dont have a mall..go figure..
Conor, Stop being so angery,
Conor, Stop being so angery, your a young man with a bright future. You have a great family and they raised you in a wonderful place. My advice is to stay away from politics as well, stick to something that allows you to see the better side of life.
To be fair, Mark, where's the
To be fair, Mark, where's the land in the city to build the megastores?
And you're right, the mall and downtown are deader now than they were when we moved here 17 years ago. We used to be able to actually do Christmas shopping downtown, but I was in the mall today, and the only movement is from the street and parking lot directly to the doctor's, tax preparer's and optical shop. A telling observation is that the anchor store, J.C. Penney's, sends next to no one <b>into</b> the mall. People come in on the parking lot side, circle the store, and leave by the same entrance. The offices in the mall are there because its cheap real estate, not because the mall is thriving. All it needs is a stiff breeze and tumbleweeds to be a ghost town. And after 5 or 6, about the time working people are getting out of work or back to Batavia from Rochester and Buffalo, these 'thriving' mall businesses are already closed. The mall serves the merchants better than it serves Batavia. They should count their lucky stars that they get the deal they get.
Mark, the last thing downtown
Mark, the last thing downtown needs is to repeat the mistakes of the past. Much of what's wrong with downtown Batavia can be explained by the very existence of the Mall. All of those wonderful old buildings were taken down in the name of progress and it forever scared downtown, taking away charm and character.
Having covered a number of small communities over the years, I've seen that the ones that pursue a strategy of revitalization (facade rebate programs, help for building owners to improve their existing buildings, incentives for small businesses to locate in the business district) have been successful. Redevelopment projects, repeated abject failures.
Batavia is just another example of that. If anything, the mall should be leveled and new Main-street-facing storefront buildings built to return some level of pedestrian friendliness to that side of the street. Put some mix-used office space and apartments over the buildings, some apartments behind so there is more residential right downtown to support the local businesses. You can't recapture was was lost, but at least minimize the damage.
There were many voices in
There were many voices in opposition to the plan to use the Urban Renewal funds to tear down the existing buildings. The plan was flawed from the start with little regard for the best interest of the community as a whole. Greed, the underlying factor, won the day.
However, you are right. There is no going back.
Some communities used the funds to keep the historical assets as well as attract new merchants to their downtown area. They blended the old with the new.
Batavia, with it's rich historical background, could have been a mecca for tourism. Instead, we ended up with a mall that was doomed from the start. We have a 'skyline' that is as flat as any prarie town in the midwest. Our downtown gives visitors no indication of what Batavia was nor gives any promise, to those who might consider relocating a business, that their venture would be successful.
Lets not forget who's great
Lets not forget who's great idea it was to build a new city hall and attached it to the mall..thinking that would grow the mall...another smart move..now on top of all the other empty
buildings we have a empty old city hall building..couldnt put a new city hall into one of the many vacant buildings .
I COMPLETELY agree with Mr.
I COMPLETELY agree with Mr. Owens. He has the right idea.
Mr. Mallow, you're correct. I have a wonderful family. I absolutely love them. Please don't tell me to stop being "angery". Please don't advise me to stay away from politics. I will do whatever I feel necessary with my life. I'm not "angery". My family has never been happier, now that we've been able to escape the mess that we call city government. I still disapprove of how it's being conducted.
Mr. Potwora, it is attached to the mall. It was the first step in Urban Renewal, a beginning of the end for the mall. Perhaps you don't understand.
Let's not call attention to
Let's not call attention to other people's typing mistakes. The web is a place of rapid and instant communication. It's very easy to blast out a thought and click submit.
s
This leads to two thing: hard words that probably never should have been spoken in the first place, and typing mistakes.
Even if somebody is a poor speller or sub par with grammar, it really isn't productive to make an issue of it.
Of course, noting this is really a matter of self-preservation as much as a desire to keep this a friendly and inviting forum for debate -- I'm a lousy, lousy proofreader. And thank God for spell check in Firefox.
Was government being
Was government being conducted better when we ran up debit, chasing after utopia? The budget problems we face right now were created by the hired guns who ran this city for the last 10 years and councils who went along with their ideas.
No it was not being conducted
No it was not being conducted better then, obviously. It's still not being conducted better now. There is still room for improvement. The fact that the way the government was conducted in years past was sub par does not make it okay to be sub par now.
And Mr. Owens I understand what you mean, but considering that Mr. Mallow is in charge of council, anything he says should be held to a higher standard. The fact that this is the electronic age doesn't excuse anyone from saying harsh words or spelling mistakes. I deleted some harsh words I had earlier about spelling because there was no need. With great power comes great responsibility. This is the kind of accountability the citizens of Batavia deserve.
I'm in charge of council and
I'm in charge of council and have "great" power? LOL
There are many reasons city government is being conducted better now, you seem to have decided not to pay attention. Balenced budgets, cost reductions and much more oversight has been baked in to the system. We are on the verge of a quick recovery. Wait till the numbers come out on the 18th, the proof is there.
Conor...so glad that you are
Conor...so glad that you are a great speller...i'll bet you won a few spelling bees.....lol...way to go charlie...
Top of my fourth grade class
Top of my fourth grade class spelling wise ;D
I'll be gone by the eighteenth. I frankly don't care about any of this. I'm just on this because I'm bored. I have no real interest vested in the city of Batavia, but it is funny to see Chuck get aggravated with an 18 year old.
When the city manager tells
When the city manager tells me that our bargining position has been hurt by the actions of a council person overstepping his duties, then the city attorney tells me that a council person has an ethical issue, I'm going to say something. Sorry, I'm just NOT going to play the game.
Three of my four kids have
Three of my four kids have left the area even though they appreciate that Batavia and Genesee County and Western New York are a big part of what made them what they are. They didn't abandon this area. They didn't thumb their noses at the people like their father and mother who choose to stick around and battle. They would never disrespect two people who have lived in other countries, who have lived in other states, other parts of <b>this state</b>, and who chose to make Batavia and Genesee County their home. They went where they had to go because <b>they had to go</b>.
The past is part of the present. It might not be politically correct to re-hash what was done wrong, but to paraphrase, "those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it". It might seem that the sturm und drang surrounding the issues in the mall is overwrought, but look at the interest it's engendered. The passion surrounding this issue isn't drawing from other issues; its adding interest, its adding energy, its energizing in general. Its good that people are paying attention.
Russ,I agree totally..we as a
Russ,I agree totally..we as a city need to really sit down and figure out a way to turn the ship around as they say..and i think it is time to see that the mall or office building as i call it, isn't part of the future of this city,and its time to cut ties with it and move on..if it is in such disrepair lets tear out what the city owns..meaning the concourse...put sidewalks in and the store owners can do what they want..end of problem..then the city will be out of the mall business..there are a few offices in there now that are only accessed by an out door entrance.And if we can't do that why not sell the naming rights like they did with the ice rink..then they can pay to put up a sign with there name on it..
I believe in Batavia. That
I believe in Batavia. That isn't entirely a statement about Batavia itself. I believe in rural communities. I believe in small town. When you look at the energy situation, the environment, the growing digital economy -- there is a lot of reason to believe that small towns can be revitalized.
I would like to see Batavia approach any planning with that in mind -- there is an opportunity to build a great standard of life, a great community; but that isn't going to come from more urban renewal/redevelopment. It's going to come from communities like Batavia taking assessment of what makes them unique and valuable and building on that strenght, because the people attracted to such communities aren't going to be interested in rehashing big metro areas or suburban tracks -- they're going to be looking for a community lifestyle that is connected and satisfying.
You hit the nail on the head.
You hit the nail on the head.
I also have three children who left the area for work. Two stayed in NY (one in Batavia, the other in Caledonia).
Those who left also appreciate the education they received in the Batavia school system and the security they felt growing up in our rural community. "We could walk anywhere!", is something they remind their own children.
I suspect that, someday, they may do the reverse and move back to the area when they reach retirement age.
They faithfully follow the Bills (for the son in Alaska, that means getting up very early in the morning to watch a televised game) and they are interested in the state of the city. It will always be 'home'.
Three of my four kids have left the area even though they appreciate that Batavia and Genesee County and Western New York are a big part of what made them what they are. They didn't abandon this area. They didn't thumb their noses at the people like their father and mother who choose to stick around and battle. They would never disrespect two people who have lived in other countries, who have lived in other states, other parts of this state, and who chose to make Batavia and Genesee County their home. They went where they had to go because they had to go.
The past is part of the present. It might not be politically correct to re-hash what was done wrong, but to paraphrase, "those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it". It might seem that the sturm und drang surrounding the issues in the mall is overwrought, but look at the interest it's engendered. The passion surrounding this issue isn't drawing from other issues; its adding interest, its adding energy, its energizing in general. Its good that people are paying attention.