Frontal Assault on Common Sense
Like water torture, the antics of a faction on the City Council are an incessant drip that calls for immediate repairs. There's nothing at all subtle about these diversionary tactics. It is a frontal assault on common sense.
I'm not at all sure to whom these council members are playing. Do they really believe that the citizenry at large appreciates their bluster, their delaying tactics, their transparent contempt for the administration?
It has become clear that they do believe they have the support of their constituents. They are wrong, but unless a vocal constituency for progress emerges, their antics will continue.
Whatever your opinion of the Garner administration, these folks will be operating the machinery of city services until at least January of 2008. Can it be possible that a majority on this council want to hobble the mayor and his team for that long? Can it be that personal spite will win out over the good of the city? Is a majority of council prepared to stand in the way of progress and then stand for election again?
The assault on the Garry Plan is but one evidence of their bad faith.
I've stated before that no elected official is irredeemable, but the upcoming vote to fix the budget for 2005 will serve as a litmus test. It will demonstrate once and for all which council members belong on the honor roll, and which belong in the hall of infamy. It will define exactly who is who.
The candidates for dishonor have, so far, assaulted education, in fact and in principle, dismissing its value in their public utterances. They have refused to educate themselves or take the advice of experts. They regularly substitute their corrupted shade-tree wisdom for the expertise of financial professionals, engineers, geologists, recreation professionals, fire and safety officials, zoning and planning experts, and law enforcement workers. They go out of their way, then, to insult and question the motives of these same professionals. And finally, they publicly broadcast innuendo to question the integrity of these same officials.
No legislative official is to be expected to accept such advice blindly. But when a member of council brags about his ignorance and then proceeds to substitute his own prejudices for the opinions of experts, he should be called on it.
A cursory reading of the daily newspapers won't reveal the pettiness and theatrics involved. You truly have to see it to believe it.
Unless things change dramatically in the waning days of May, unless the council adopts the Garry Plan, don't expect much from your city. Only the council can appropriate the money to fund city services. If they fail to do so, remember the names of those mounting this frontal assault on common sense.
I'm not at all sure to whom these council members are playing. Do they really believe that the citizenry at large appreciates their bluster, their delaying tactics, their transparent contempt for the administration?
It has become clear that they do believe they have the support of their constituents. They are wrong, but unless a vocal constituency for progress emerges, their antics will continue.
Whatever your opinion of the Garner administration, these folks will be operating the machinery of city services until at least January of 2008. Can it be possible that a majority on this council want to hobble the mayor and his team for that long? Can it be that personal spite will win out over the good of the city? Is a majority of council prepared to stand in the way of progress and then stand for election again?
The assault on the Garry Plan is but one evidence of their bad faith.
I've stated before that no elected official is irredeemable, but the upcoming vote to fix the budget for 2005 will serve as a litmus test. It will demonstrate once and for all which council members belong on the honor roll, and which belong in the hall of infamy. It will define exactly who is who.
The candidates for dishonor have, so far, assaulted education, in fact and in principle, dismissing its value in their public utterances. They have refused to educate themselves or take the advice of experts. They regularly substitute their corrupted shade-tree wisdom for the expertise of financial professionals, engineers, geologists, recreation professionals, fire and safety officials, zoning and planning experts, and law enforcement workers. They go out of their way, then, to insult and question the motives of these same professionals. And finally, they publicly broadcast innuendo to question the integrity of these same officials.
No legislative official is to be expected to accept such advice blindly. But when a member of council brags about his ignorance and then proceeds to substitute his own prejudices for the opinions of experts, he should be called on it.
A cursory reading of the daily newspapers won't reveal the pettiness and theatrics involved. You truly have to see it to believe it.
Unless things change dramatically in the waning days of May, unless the council adopts the Garry Plan, don't expect much from your city. Only the council can appropriate the money to fund city services. If they fail to do so, remember the names of those mounting this frontal assault on common sense.
posted by All4Word at 8:47 AM
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