CITY ISSUES by R. L. Greer
In January 1903, McClure’s magazine ran three articles that followed the same theme. That of big corporations and its executives contempt for the law, another concerning union committing and excusing crimes, and then another regarding city officials knowingly breaking the law. This disregard for the law was stated by McClure in his writing, “We have to pay in the end, every one of us. And in the end the sum total of the debt will be our liberty.” Their crusading journalists targeted injustices, and everyone knows today there are numerous injustices. McClure’s writers wrote that democracy wrongs can be righted by an informed voting citizenry. They developed a new kind of journalism called investigative journalism. One of his writers published a remarkable story about John D. Rockefeller and Standard Oil. She wrote, “…it was not capitalism but an open disregard of decent ethical business practices that lay at the bottom of the story, a thing won by breaking the rules of the game is not worth winning. It is regarded as a portrait of greed, secret dealings and brazen contempt for the law.” The prior paragraph is written for the sole purpose of encouraging you, the city residents, to get in touch with your council representative, with your city governments practices, attend council meetings in person, ask questions, and read the First Capitol News weekly. They do investigative reporting. Reporting the facts not rumors, not untruths but genuine information to help you make conscious informed decisions.
There appears to be a movement underfoot to consider some charter amendments to be voted on prior to April 2007. Apparently the reason given for the changes is resulting from the Charter change approved in April 2004. During the 2004 campaign, Council Representative Dottie Greer was the only candidate who publicly stated she did not favor that amendment. Remember folks the original charter and its subsequent change was spearheaded by an attorney who was a member of the interview committee for the 2004 candidates. A very interesting column was reprinted in last weeks FCN that had been written in April 2004. If you did not read it you need to.
The entire situation we the resident/taxpayers of ward 3 and 7 find ourselves in 2006 follows very closely with the events of the Book of Esther. If you have not read it yet, please do. See if you find any correlation. It appears our society does not want to acknowledge their individual responsibility and accountability for their actions. Remember the day when a person gave his/her word, it had value. When a person did something wrong or out of character they suffered the consequences. Now its blame someone else for his/her mistake or violation of the law by concocting reasons he/she did what he/she did. They attempt to discount the severity of the action but saying its something less than it really is.
The truth is you may fool some of the people some of the time but not all the people all the time. Truth does have a real way of revealing itself. It is found in the character and integrity of the individual. The tenacity to continue on even through the toughest times knowing you have done everything possible to the best of your ability for the residents your were elected to represent.
I wrote previously in an article about the value of our name and signature. We are finding out how that value had been taken away from some folks. And how misinformation was given to obtain a signature. Truth does have a way of revealing itself.
Just heard that since the city needed more space and moved out the fire department they are now going to locate the Allied Waste office in City Hall. I have nothing against Allied Waste but why should the City spend $25,000 over the next 3 to 4 years plus installation costs to move the Fire Department into the old County Administration building but not consider remodeling the old firehouse on Booneslick and Fairground Blvd ? Parking is a premium around city hall and looks like it will be more difficult for residents to transact business with Allied than the previous convenient location on Booneslick. Especially if the parking fee increases to $3 and you park in the garage it will cost a total of $16.50 for 6 yard waste bag stickers or $2.75 each. Maybe this idea should be reconsidered for the benefit of the residents.
“The lips of the wise spread knowledge;
not so the minds of fools” Proverbs 15:7 NASB
