Teresa Isaac Blames UK For Student Drownings

Snippets from the Herald Leader ...
http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/local/15617477.htm

Posted on Wed, Sep. 27, 2006
Mayoral hopefuls debate at UK
By Sarah Vos
HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER

The storm sewer runoff problems that led to the drownings of a University of Kentucky pharmacy student and a nursing graduate have been known for years but not dealt with, mayoral candidate Jim Newberry said at a debate last night with incumbent Teresa Isaac.

The two women who drowned were wading through knee-deep water near the intersection of Nicholasville Road and Alumni Drive early Saturday morning when they were swept into a culvert by the flooding waters.

[...]

Mayor Isaac said the city spent part of its budget every year to address storm sewer problems, but that part of the issue was runoff from parking lots.

"Each time the university constructs something new, they create more runoff," she said. "So that's something you have to discuss with them."

Isaac also said that campus safety officials need to educate students about the dangers of floodwaters.

"If you cannot drive through it, you cannot walk through it," she said.

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I recall that several years ago, the water company ran a commercial that made the point that the city of Lexington had many more urgent priorities than taking over the water company, and one of those urgent priorities was the storm drains.

Turns out they were right, yet nothing has been done, and now several innocent students -- Lauren Brooke Fannin and Lindsey Marie Harp -- have died.

I find Teresa Isaac's "blame others" political strategy to be outrageous. It is easy to say after the fact that no one should have been outside last Friday night, but according to reports, the two women were dropped off by a taxi that apparently had no problem driving in the water. This directly contradicts Teresa Isaac's statement "If you cannot drive through it, you cannot walk through it." Teresa Isaac shouldn't try to blame the victims or UK - the responsibility goes directly to her leadership. She has chosen to not make improving the sewers a priority. Some residents are prepared to sue about this, and the Herald Leader has editorialized about it (but surprisingly didn't mention that this is a more important priority than their pet project of taking over the water company).