Yesterday a woman told me that when she heard the news about the election results she turned to her husband and said, "OK, we won't move." Another woman said she won't put up a "For Sale" sign on her house after all. Both women were feeling that there was hope in this community. For many years despair had set in and one couldn't help but notice the population decreasing and the downtown businesses closing. While some people in leadership wore blinders on their eyes and stayed focused on "their agenda" the people were losing hope. There is now a spark of hope and people are seeing a chance to change the situation. (You will notice below some people's names or things are highlighted in a different color. You may click on those for a link for more information.)
This election is a "New Hope" but it is not and end. It is a beginning. The
Rat Pack has been rejected. There are still people in place who have been supportive of their agenda and one can't help question what happened. Char Grossman is suddenly found with a mark on her record and she resigns? Enter David Lang as new City Clerk/Administrator. The EDA secretary unexpectedly resigns on the very day the EDA vote to forgive a loan to a board members father. Enter
Vicki Oakes new coordinator for the EDA. A member of the public asks to see the Balance Sheet and the Profit and Loss Statement for the EDA and
David Lang will not release the
financial data of the EDA? What will happen now? That will be the decision of the City Council. Someone asked if Mouthpiece and I would be as hard on the incoming council as this outgoing council. They missed the point. All that Mouthpiece or I have been doing is promoting good government. I said it before and I'll say it again. No one has to fear anything from Mouthpiece or Lady Hawk as long as they are doing their job and being honest and obeying the law. If there is any question that abuse of power or conflict of interest is involved it is a duty to speak up.
For instance according to the City Charter
Section 2.05 Prohibitions it stated that:
{a} No member of the council shall be appointed city clerk-administrator, nor shall any member hold any paid municipal office or employment under the city; and until one year after the expiration of his term as mayor or council member no former member shall be appointed to any paid appointive office or employment under the city which was created or the compensation for which was increased during his/her term as council member. Mayor Blair Johnson keeps books for the city and is paid for it. He, along with the majority of the council ignored city policy. There are other incidents where the city council ignored written city policy and the employee handbook. Employees were being tossed aside with disregard for the rules that were set up to protect them. I know of five city employees that were misused (some with blatant disregard for city policy that was in place to protect them). Where was City Attorney
Craig Ash? Another follower of the Rat Pack. Could the City Council have gotten away with such behavior if the City Attorney had done his job? Was the City Attorney used to intimidate the city employees and the citizens into submission?
I still remember the remark that City Attorney
Craig Ash made to the people at the Open Meeting on McCloud Street. He told them they needed to come into the city and sign an easement because they didn't want to have to litigate. A threat? The City Attorney didn't tell the people that if they sign the easement they would not get paid. Craig Ash never told them that if they didn't sign the city would be obligated to pay them for the property that the city wanted.
The City Council will be appointing a city attorney. If they do they need to appoint one who will use his or her skill to defend the laws of the city and not rubber stamp the city council. Let's see a city attorney who defends the people.