Pulling at the Thread
Here's an open invitation to friends and enemies alike. Use the comments section to tell us where New Albany has progressed in 2005, and to whom you would give the credit. And likewise, if you believe New Albany has regressed in the past 12 months, tell us which areas you see that occurring in.
Tell us which policies and decisions you agree with, and those you disagree with.
And as we enter the second half of the term for this council and mayor, tell us those areas, initiatives, and policies you think are most in need of being addressed.
For those of you who fear to identify yourself, you know how I feel about that. But that hasn't kept me from allowing anonymous comments here at VH. To the extent we don't share the same goals, to the extent we disagree, that's what makes for a ball game.
Be prepared, however, to answer any challenges. At VH, we don't confuse facts with opinions. If you assert a fact that is unsupported, I'm certain another commenter will ask for a reasoned response.
Collectively, we can compile the boners, groaners, and mistakes of 2005. Who's up, who's down. And at the same time, we can chronicle the winners and losers, the defeats and the triumphs.
There won't be any comments deleted. Instead, comments will be responded to. Anonymity, if desired, is allowed. But failure to defend will be met, I'd bet, by an overwhelming rebuttal on the facts.
Are you game? Then bring it on...
Tell us which policies and decisions you agree with, and those you disagree with.
And as we enter the second half of the term for this council and mayor, tell us those areas, initiatives, and policies you think are most in need of being addressed.
For those of you who fear to identify yourself, you know how I feel about that. But that hasn't kept me from allowing anonymous comments here at VH. To the extent we don't share the same goals, to the extent we disagree, that's what makes for a ball game.
Be prepared, however, to answer any challenges. At VH, we don't confuse facts with opinions. If you assert a fact that is unsupported, I'm certain another commenter will ask for a reasoned response.
Collectively, we can compile the boners, groaners, and mistakes of 2005. Who's up, who's down. And at the same time, we can chronicle the winners and losers, the defeats and the triumphs.
There won't be any comments deleted. Instead, comments will be responded to. Anonymity, if desired, is allowed. But failure to defend will be met, I'd bet, by an overwhelming rebuttal on the facts.
Are you game? Then bring it on...
posted by All4Word at 9:34 PM
16 Comments:
Randy -
I find it very interesting that you are pursuing this type of information on behalf of the City.
As a matter of clarification, before any exchange of perspectives, I have a couple of questions.
What is your position within the current administration?
What will the information gathered under this inquiry be utilized for? Re-election campaign, or rescue mission?
Laura, "as a matter of clarification, before any exchange of perspectives, I have a couple of questions."
Can you point to any single word or combination of words in Randy's statement that would suggest either of the the conclusions you've drawn?
Take your time.
This is the point that you typically drop out of the debate, i.e. at the first sign of another point of view.
This time, it would be nice if you engaged ideas rather than split.
Do you somehow believe that it is inappropriate for a citizen to instigate a discussion about issues?
Do you feel that such a discussion cannot be pursued without ulterior motives?
Be aware that the answers to either of these questions might apply to your own blogging career.
East Ender, you overestimate me. Again, grammar may be interfering here. I wouldn't put it that way - on behalf of the "City" - but perhaps one could call the effort something on behalf of the "city."
My opinions come from observation and asking questions. How else does one find out what the problems are?
For example, I've yet to see for myself, or meet anyone who has seen, raw sewage running in the streets.
What little investigation I've undertaken points to poor development standards in the 1950s that allowed developers to build substandard and even unconnected sewer lines.
Granted, the old clay and brick main sewer trunk collectors are a disaster waiting to happen, but I'm still waiting for reliable evidence that the current administration is committing some kind of fraud.
Many of the people hollering about sewers (city-owned, but independently operated and funded, by law) are the first to fight when efforts to build the tax base are suggested. Maybe it's just priorities. Maybe it's just a different understanding.
I'll assume your question is sincere. I'm a citizen who's trying to find answers. The "information gathered under this inquiry" will be utilized to help me learn and, together with my readers, find out what can be done to solve the problems and what can be done to salute the good things going on.
The New Albany Community Housing projects are one of my priorities, and the expected future benefits to this city are staggeringly huge.
Full municipal support of the Moser Tannery/Loop Island Wetlands is another of my personal priorities.
I advocate for both of those. Longer term, revising city traffic patterns is a priority. And someday, I hope that New Albany will be known as a much friendlier city to new businesses than it was when I was making my location decisions. Some of that involves changing the mindset of city officials, elected or otherwise.
And finally, I want our elected officials to understand that they needn't be afraid to offer bold solutions for progress. I contend that the vast majority of the citizenry, when they know the facts, will cheer such officials.
That's the problem I see with some of your initiatives. The methods and manner you use reinforce the belief that a majority of residents have their heads in the sands, but will rise up with pitchforks at the mere suggestion of change.
Were your Web log managed in the same manner as your cogent presentation at the last City Council meeting, we would merely be in disagreement.
But this isn't about blogs or blog administrators...unless you wish to put the emergence of public affairs blogs as one of the bright spots in New Albany and Floyd County in 2005.
I have no position within the current administration, and I think you know that. But if any candidate takes a peek at this post to measure the pulse of the city, isn't that a good thing?
So, if your post is a light dig, but sincere, I look forward to reading what you have to say. Hope I've answered your questions.
(crickets chirping, pins dropping, and only the shadow of a fleeting EastdistEnded to remind us of yet another ignominious skeedaddle)
I think my biggest complaint is lack of building code enforcement. It isn't a problem that originated with this administration, by any means. But the current administration hasn't addressed the problem of building code enforcement in any meaningful sort of way.
I don't understand why our codes are not enforced on an ongoing basis. It just doesn't make sense. And I believe that this lack of enforcement has contributed negatively to the appearance of and perception of New Albany.
We've made improvements with the hospital's 65 million dollar heart center expansion at the expense of preventing a second hospital bringing in new revenue to the city.
We have made some advances in the downtown Y-project while continuing to battle poor vision from city leaders.
Housing development is continuing to expand in the county at the expense of city housing.
We have a new middle school in the county, renovated high schools, a new Christian Academy, and IUS enrollment continues to expand.
Charlestown Road continues to expand but the road doesn't.
Ann, I couldn't agree with you more.
The building department is a mess, and that is something that needs to be fixed. I recently heard a defense of the new commissioner that was weak, but plausible.
Honestly (and I've stated this long before it came up here), I think that is something that cleaning up the building commission awaits either the second Garner term, or the term of a new mayor.
I believe it will be fixed, and I'm committed to doing everything I can to make that happen.
Politics is the art of the possible. That truism has been attributed to many, and many of us idealists find that disturbing. But this mayor, with vigorous opposition from within the council, must fight for every inch of progress. I truly don't think he believes he has the mandate, the requisite support from the political class in this city, to make that operation work cleanly and effectively.
Would it be too much to hope that a citizen-led uprising could turn the tide and make that happen earlier than 2008?
Probably not. There's far too much suspicion and acrimony at play between those citizens who are paying attention.
That's why I've continued to decry the paranoia and blind, anonymous accusations. If the goal is to make government accountable, and there are people in power who are fighting to make that impossible, what better strategy can there be than to divide the populace by planting outrageous and scurrilous "facts" and having them circulated by puppets.
It's called co-option. Keep the voters divided, and the venal triumph. I know the Gang of Four aren't our champions. My own efforts are designed to embolden those few who I believe can be our champions, who can be the ones who advance OUR cause, the people's cause.
One of my earliest political mentors, a brilliant tactician and analyst of the historical and political scene, with a national reputation for same, primed me to be wary of institutional co-option. People power can only be stopped by dividing the people.
If champions don't arise, the next step is revolution. After World War II, in many cities, towns, and counties, when the veterans returned from Europe and Asia to find entrenched corruption, they ran fusion tickets made up of veterans.
Of course, many of those idealists became co-opted themselves, became the corrupt establishment. But faced with no other choices, they did root out the corrupt.
My close observation and discussion with our current slate of elected officials in New Albany leads me to believe that there are champions in place. They need our support. The entrenched interests have become corrupt.
Keep it coming, folks. This is exactly the dialogue we need to be having. Support the champions. Expose the charlatans. The truth will win out.
Thanks, HB. That's exactly the type of thing we're looking for with this solicitation.
I'm not sure I agree with your vis the private cardiac hospital being an unmitigated good, but that is, indeed, an issue deserving of attention.
Don't be too tough on Laura. I don't know her personal situation, but based on the management of her own blog, I'd guess she simply doesn't have the time to keep up with quite the frequency some of us expect.
Dialogue is delayed, but I don't want anyone to think that the thread is closed or has a time limit.
Yes, she impugns my motives, but that does not mean she won't be back. Give it time. After all, she may be working a late shift - note the frequency with which she posts in the early, early a.m.
New Albany High School's thespians received national attention in the spring for their program, and this fall hosted a benefit featuring Oscar-winner Shirley Jones that raised over $12,000 for Broadway Cares.
And the story of NAHS's drama program has been optioned by a top Hollywood producer.
All of those are good things. Now, what does the city do if Hollywood decides to shoot the movie here? What can we be proud to see on screen?
The operative word is "talented," and the sad fact is that most will leave New Albany or accept underachievement as a necessary precondition of existence here.
This is what must be changed.
Today, I want to highlight one of the positive developments of 2005, that of a meaningful role for the Historic Preservation Commission.
At its inception, the HPC was tentative in its enforcement efforts, but from the beginning it has been diplomatic and accommodating to owners in the historic districts.
Combined with the historic appointment of a dedicated ordinance enforcement officer for the greater city, the HPC's efforts are beginning to bear fruit.
At this point, no homeowner or business within the district has any excuse to claim ignorance of the historic district guidelines, and the HPC is moving forward accordingly.
And, rather than being bureaucratic about its role, the HPC is a consultative commission that works with homeowners to preserve the character of the historic districts.
For 2005, the expanded role of the HPC has to be one of the top ten signs of progress.
One of the truly reprehensible acts of 2005 was the attempt, purportedly by a member of the city council, to intimidate and discourage bidders for the city's sanitation contract.
In what has become known as "Rumpkegate," what was transparently a lie cast the administration and every member of the council in the worst possible light.
If the allegation is true about a council member or members being involved in spreading this lie, it is felonious conduct and should be addressed by the council president without delay.
But beyond the extortion and intimidation of current and future bidders, it nurtures a conspiratorial belief that the city's bidding process is broken and corrupted.
There are those who want to cultivate this myth that New Albany is a town where laws don't matter. Without evidence, they insist that the only way their regressive views could continue to be rejected is via the violation of the law.
If a council member did this (and none but Beverly Crump have publicly denied it), the council must refer the case to the state's public integrity enforcement apparatus. Failure to do so is an endorsement of such behavior and any council member who fails to support such a referral, or at least a public censure of the member(s), does not deserve to continue in office.
As our friend NA Confidential puts it, "It is an ethical lapse, and it does matter."
Why would anyone want to cultivate a belief that New Albany is lawless? Who benefits from that?
First and foremost, the belief that New Albany is lawless encourages the activities of people such as slumlordis ordinaris, who wishes to extract maximum profit from often powerless tenants at the mere expense of property degredation.
Lawlessness means clouds. Ordinance enforcement is sunlight.
And sunlight is the best disinfectant.
Sanitation issues: done
New forums for discussion of local issues: done
Great civic debates: done
I see a lot of progress in NA in 2005. I'd like to see more available child care options; that's been an issue for me. Part-time child care is virtually non-existant. I'd like to see a good, large local grocery store that stocks a large variety of food. I'd like to see a greater variety of locally-owned restaurants.
2005 has taught me to have patience; these things will come. I'm sticking around.
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