A lie can travel halfway round the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.
Mark Twain
Tuesday night was pretty eventful, but after all, we had a couple of weeks without meeting so there was a good deal of pent up orneriness from the regular characters who have made it their mission in life to attack five on city council. “Nazi Germany” and the KKK both were used regarding Council. Both analogies were over the top. Council did well to bite its tongue and take the lumps as graciously as we could. In closed session we were encouraged not to respond to the political attacks that were coming...I will admit, that’s not easy to do.
Since I have this outlet, I wanted to respond to some things said that night without using names. It was mentioned that every election involves fraud (see Florida and Ohio in the past two presidential elections for really swell examples) and this may sadly be true. There is an important difference between fraud committed during an election that is called for by law and happens at set intervals and fraud that is committed by a sole group that is calling for a special election to undo the votes of others.
Imagine if you will, you go to the polls on election day, you do your civic duty and participate in government. You are happy with some results and not so happy with others. A few months later, a corporation funds the recalls of those members of government who they oppose. They then install their chosen “representatives” and nullify your vote. Is this the path we want to take as a city, state or nation? With this action we hand yet more power to the powerful and disenfranchise the everyday citizens who have done their duty and have expressed their limited authority — an authority that appears to be of less and less value in a nation that seems to equate wealth with virtue and special privilege. The book, “The Best Democracy Money Can Buy” just keeps coming to mind over and over again. Let us not roll over and surrender to moneyed interests but stand up and state that we are tired of ‘for sale’ signs on the doors of city hall, our state houses, and on the doors of our Congressmen and women.
About once a week I take time to write down some thoughts to put into the First Capitol News. A friend of mine on central committee and I still laugh at my rambling the first couple of times I wrote. It wasn’t my intention to write every week and I tried to say everything in one article with the result of maybe ranting, just a little. Anyhow, I will admit that sometimes I don’t have a lot of time to get this little article better articulated and I have never claimed to be a journalist of any sort. As anyone who has written anything knows, some days ideas are there and other days it’s like fishing in a rain puddle — nothings biting and nothing much will. Sometimes a council meeting or news article will give me something to write about too.
So was the case last week with, I’m sorry to say, an awful story written in the Journal. Not from the writing standpoint but from content. A front page news story about a little bit of fighting going on at city hall. If you missed the story, it will be played again many more times, so don’t worry. Well, the night of Council I was scolded for writing a parody involving local journalist, Jason Lee. I like Jason and I don’t think the tongue-in-cheek story phased him in the least. I thought it was rich irony though that I was scolded for writing a jab at a journalist. Lord knows I have taken my lumps from the publications of Lee Enterprises (no relations to Jason). I was called Barney Fife, and many others on Council have had a sophomoric sobriquet manufactured for them as well. Anyone worried about the press, don’t be — they do just fine getting their message out.
Here are a few things I have learned these past two years, mostly from fellow council members, Lee Enterprise, and the Recall Gang:
Not using the police department to do a background check on their potential boss — bad!
Using the police to investigate an alleged local crime — bad!
Doing work for someone and then voting on any future issues that they have before the city council — bad!
Having a home builder do you a personal favor - OK!
Name calling on the part of Sonderegger - Good!
Criticism of *local press - Bad! *Local Press does not include the First Capitol News.
Putting legal notices in the First Capitol News to the tune of around $45,000 - Bad!
Putting legal notices in the Post and Journal to the tune of $200,000 - Good!
All actions of the ‘Fab Five’ - Bad!
All actions of the ‘Other Fab Five’ - Good!
Elliot Davis doing a “You Paid For It” story where nothing was paid for - Good!
First Capitol News doing a story of things taxpayers have really paid for - Scandalous!
Voting with Riddler, ever - Automaton, lockstep and Bad!
Voting with Kneemiller - free thinking, enlightened, and very Good!
Eric Tolen working without a contract - Bad!
Alan Williams working without a contract - Good!
Council putting a vote before the people regarding a stalemate between Council and Mayor — power grab!
Local state representative grabbing power from the city and giving it to special interests with no vote of the people — shhh, it’s OK!
A paid PR firm and two or three local papers writing in concert one-sided stories - News!
A local independent paper writing stories - Bad!
Flying an airplane over councilman Brown’s house during a block party with a political message - Freedom of speech!
Questioning anything done by developers - Police State!
A little bit of fraud - OK!
Repeating your message of “fighting at city hall” - OK!
Repeating your message that frivolous recall tainted with questionable activities - Police State!
Threatening residents with bodily harm - OK!
Standing up and saying that that is wrong - Police State!
Appearance that everyone is happy and in agreement - Good!
Disagreement and questioning others on Council - Bad!
Paying $11 per signature to a staff of mainly people from outside of the ward and City they are working in - Grassroots!
Administrative Branch of City government - Good!
Legislative Branch of City government - Bad!
10 people = 1,000 people
Sorry if I rambled on here this week. You know, I really wanted to write about Hannibal Days and Max Cleland. That will have to wait.
