Friday, January 05, 2007

State of the Kochert address: “Ask not what your city can do for you ... no, wait ... here it is … the beatings will continue until morale improves."


A bizarre sensation pervades a relationship of pretense. No truth seems true. A simple morning's greeting and response appear loaded with innuendo and fraught with implications. . . . Each nicety becomes more sterile and each withdrawal more permanent.
--- Maya Angelou

At the first city council meeting of 2007, Jeff Gahan oversaw a peaceful transition of presidential power to Larry Kochert, who was elected on the second ballet following what may have been the single most surreal abstention since the current council came to bat in 2003, this one coming courtesy of Donnie Blevins, who opted out of the first presidential ballot. The result was a 4-4 stalemate between CM Kochert and Jack Messer.

With ominous Wagnerian music queued, and the Gang of Four marching in lock/goose/misstep behind the 4th district’s ever slippery chameleon, CM Blevins could only have been seeking sufficient breathing space to gather his senses and offer a preconceived, laborious mea culpa to the two contestants, which he accordingly did. Seconds later, CM Blevins folded like a cheap canvas camp chair in favor of Shelby Street’s favorite ward-heeling son, who in turn later was spotted beaming autocratically as the Wizard of Westside, Dan Coffey, was anointed vice president of the council for 2007.

Not since the sainted duo of Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew have we seen two high ranking public officials of such singular obfuscatory caliber, all of which somehow reminds me of the valuable, yet unrelated, insight contributed by the late Dr. Hunter S. Thompson’s in his eulogy of Nixon, entitled “He Was a Crook”: “Nixon was so crooked that he needed servants to help him screw his pants on every morning.”

Thompson's hilarious piece has nothing to do with the council, but you're encouraged to read it.

After a five minute break to organize his first official assault on decorum (see “Montessori” below), our new arbiter of unctuous occupied the council love seat and began dispensing profuse thanks to the academy even as his trigger finger unaccountably began twitching.

“But this is the one I shoot with … no, wait, here it is … this is what America’s all about,” began a predictable torrent of clichés, which included chestnuts like “serve the taxpayer” (make mine medium rare, Chef Dave) and “be courteous to one another.”

Then it was over, and the time came for the public to speak. Oddly, and with grating inconsistency, President Kochert referred aloud to the first speaker by his formal name of “Mr. Duggins” (sic), but for the second citizen, decided instead to use her more familiar …

(Sorry for the interruption. At NAC, we’ve decided that because the person in question actively seeks to be known by her first two names as an obvious form of political branding, we will refrain from taking the bait, and will instead refer to her formally as Ms. Bolovschak, and satirically as Auntie V. Thank you, and we now return you to the continuing beatings)

… “non-surname.” She then spoke for longer than five minutes, mentioning a potpourri of topics, most of which you’ve already read about here at NAC, and was cheered enthusiastically as a returning, reconquering heroine by a huge crowd of exactly one – the blushing, adoring Professor Erika.

There was a brief lull as Al Goodman was unanimously approved to join the Storm Water Board, and then it got strange.

R-07-01 Resolution to fund Community Montessori Charter Public School (Coffey)

CM Coffey, whose public stance toward most educational pursuits might be fairly characterized as hostile to the point of pathological, introduced the ordinance as required of him, perhaps randomly. Not one of the seven other councilmen (not counting CM Kochert himself) who were able to do so chose to second the resolution, and so it died an immediate and unceremonious death. However, it can be reintroduced at a future meeting.

Hmm.

The pros and cons of the Montessori method are open to honest debate among people, as is the suitability of its application within the public school structure. Moreover, there may be perfectly legitimate concerns with the timing of the resolution, with the council’s lack of information as to its merits, and so on.

And yet …

At least twenty parents and a half-dozen children had come to the council meeting ready to take up the newly enthroned president on his “this is America” boast, not to mention his request for “courtesy,” and to become a part of the governmental process. They appeared eager to share their story with the world – or, at least, that portion of the world with nothing better to do on a Thursday night in January.

Nope.

Thanks to an inexplicable measure of adult childishness run completely amok – precisely the frame of mind that this council will be remembered for in years to come – these almost certainly exemplary parents and children left the chamber with understandably bad tastes in their mouths, having been summarily kneecapped in a benignly procedural fashion, and without having the simple chance to present their case to the council, which could have then tabled the measure indefinitely using the always handy excuse that there isn’t enough information, or otherwise found someone to blame for being out of the Montessori loop.

But why cop the non-seconding attitude?

Don’t these citizens – don’t any of us -- deserve better from public officials who constantly pontificate about how badly they’re treated by city hall? A few scraps of dignity, perhaps, rather than a smirking, preening, good old boy’s nod ‘n’ wink orchestration of a non-second?

Talk about bad actors; some of these council guys couldn’t get a part on Baywatch if they bribed the producers with a mountain of cocaine the size of the Trinkle Dome. In three years, how many other such funding requests have been manhandled in such a mind-boggling, transparently staged fashion?

Does President Kochert, self-described steward of courtesy, really believe that it is honorable to deny these sincere people the courtesy of a hearing, and even worse, to do so while groaning aloud about unforeseen procedural matters and whining for the umpteenth time about harmful precedents that will ensue if the council gives money for education to one group without giving money for education to all groups (well, come to think of it, that is rather revolutionary … way too socialistic for a New Albanian of CM Kochert's antiquity).

Will more brilliant non-seconding fiascoes be contrived as a means of not having to face the council’s responsibility?

Shall this be Kochert’s legacy in the chair? Does he understand how embarrassing it was to watch?

Ironically, and with a rare display of humility, the only council member to get it right was CM Coffey, who said, “In the future, I’d rather not have this one,” meaning the task of introducing a resolution he decided long ago to abhor.

That’s good, because putting anything even remotely pertaining to education in CM Coffey’s “to dew” folder is risking cosmic hypocrisy on such an epic scale that fish might begin quoting Shakespeare, the Arizona Cardinals could win a Super Bowl, and a typhoon would blow into Floyd County straight from Japan without stopping for coffee in Albuquerque, sweeping New Albany into oblivion as punishment for our unprecedented impertinence.

Come to think of it, at least that would take care of those dilapidated houses, eh? Maybe there’s a method in this madness after all. Posted by Picasa

9 comments:

Ann said...

I think they should have at least discussed some funding for Montessori . . . but I also wonder, has Montessori asked for funding from any other local governments? Although they are physically located in Floyd County, they draw students from many different areas. And also, I wonder why the funding request didn't go to the County Council? Does anyone have further info?

Anonymous said...

A champion of courtesy huh? I guess the same courtesy of never returning phone calls before a constituent grills him in the paper, and only then after the fact calling them up and cussing at them is a model of courtesy.
I can not beleive that the council has such a incurable case of temporary blindness as to fail to see that by electing LK to the lofty role as council president, that they hav ein fact probably ruined what little chance for progression this city had.
But yet hope springs eternal, and in that hope we can only hold on to a shred that one of the potentially half dozen persons who will seek to dethrown the king will be chosen by his majesties humble plebs.
But yet it does afford the opportunity to be able to use this as a tool for change in the fourth district..I can hear it now, how can you act as president over the entire city council, when you can not even manage to correct or discuss (insert favorite 4th district problem here)

The New Albanian said...

Ann, these are good questions.

And, by the tactical manuever of denying a second for the motion, the opportunity to learn the answers was denied, at least for now.

As with Bill Schmidt's resurrection last evening of his decrpeit buildings list, the council's Montessori ploy illustrates that there are no core strategies beyond the expedience afforded by case-by-case disassembly.

"Can't give to one without giving to all" seems sensible on the surface, but is that really a strategy, or is it an excuse?

Thundering about tearing down houses plays well, until you realize that CM Schmidt's not proposing to fund the action any time soon.

We're left with smoke, mirrors and the art of the grandstand.

Jeff Gillenwater said...

What's really damning is the hypocritical double standard employed last night. An educational institution so successful that New Albany parents have their children on a waiting list to attend is denied the right to even speak, supposedly based on the desire to avoid setting an unfair precedent.

Fully aware that they don’t even reasonably fund their own Economic Development Director, the Council then totally ignores concern for that precedent a mere few minutes later, allowing an economic development organization to make their presentation for substantially more money and granting them the consideration of a committee.

As usual, the integrity to maintain a standard from one agenda item to the next is missing from the Council equation. I don’t think it unreasonable to make the obvious suggestion that political fear may have played a role in the quick dispensation of precedent concerns.

The New Albanian said...

Leave it to the barely functional Professor Erika to chalk up Montessori's downfall to the presence in its program of the mayor's son.

I don't know whether it's true, and I'm not sure why the masked assasin thinks it absolves the council's chicanery, but Auntie V must regard it as relevant to the discussion, or Erika wouldn't have known to blunder forward with the scoop.

She lacks that degree of conniving guile. Barks loud, though.

Karen Gillenwater said...

You are right, Ann, Community Montessori does serve students in several Southern Indiana counties. Any student in the state can attend without paying tuition. However, a significant number of the students do come from New Albany and Floyd County. The school is planning to go to other entities to request funds. The staff and parents have also applied for many grants and worked tirelessly to raise funds on their own.

While charter schools receive state funds on an enrollment basis as do other public schools, they do not receive funds for building projects. Community Montessori just completed phase I of a construction project and is preparing to begin phase II. Previously they were leasing space and built the new building in order to provide a better learning environment and to serve more children. The school currently educates over 350 students and will serve 600 by the year 2010.

It is also important to note that Community Montessori has agreed for its playground to be available to the community as a part of the public parks system.

Please visit their website:
www.shiningminds.com
for more information about the school

More information on charter schools can be found on the Indiana Department of Education's website:
www.doe.state.in.us/charterschools

John Alton said...

To be a "steward of courtesy" you must first display courtesy. "This is America"...yeah, but THIS little corner of it is New Albany. Community Montessori School provides a much needed alternative to students in a much more non-confontational setting. Ball State University is the major backing for this school, and schools of this type are held to very high standards in order to keep their funding sources. As was stated in r.mutts/K.G.'s comment, the school serves students from various counties. Federal and state statutes prohibit a charter school from charging tuition. unless it's for a preschool program, and, unless barred under federal law, and a latchkey program, if these programs are offered. To deny the parents and representatives of Community Montessori their right to be heard, violates their civil rights. "Mr. President", Listening is a huge courtesy. Responding to constituent needs is courtesy. While the school is located in Floyds Knobs, as was noted, many of the students come from New Albany. It was also noted that the school is also seeking funding from other entities. Perhaps the "President" too was thinking it's a county issue and that's why he snubbed them. It would be extremely courteous if both the city and county government could work together on this one and come to the aid of this institution. Kids are our future and it is up to us to provide them with all of the necessary tools they need to succeed. See you Monday at Rich O's

Jeff Gillenwater said...

John,

Just one quick correction that I think strengthens your point: The new Community Monstessori building is in New Albany on St. Joseph Road. It used to be in the Knobs when they leased space.

John Alton said...

Thanks Jeff, I didn't know when I made the comment that their address was NA now, I saw the CJ article afterwards that said the school's in NA but I didn't enter another comment here. I do agree that it further stregnthens my point.

The new "President", according to the Dick Kaukas article in Friday's CJ said, "he and others were uncomfortable about giving money to the school because it might set a precedent that would make it hard to resist similar requests".

WHAT kind of "precedent" is set when government, at any level, doesn't want to support education projects? Isn't it our responsibility to provide the absolute best learning environment for the kids? What kind of "precedent" is set when request after request for um-teen million dollars for more medical buildings to be built in areas that could now could already be called "Scrubbsville"...are granted? Good grief! The Community Montessori School is needing $25,000 to help pay for their new building..a building that provides needed space and proper environment to properly educate the kids. This City Council "could" consider an alternative way to assist in raising the $25,000, and possibly more, rather than giving the royal snubb. The alternative way would be to ask the people of New Albany if they would be willing to donate $1.00, just a one time assist, not a monthly or an annual payment of any sort, to help pay for the new building at Community Montessori School. $1.00 per household within the city would raise more than enough money to cover the $25,000. A special bank account could be set up at one of the local banks as Community Montessori Building Fund, and the $1.00 checks could be mailed to the bank and forwarded to the school. The last I heard, donating to a non-profit organization is also tax deductable, so if someone wanted to send more than $1.00 that would be their option to do so. This idea "could" be done without the co-operation of the City Council by taking it directly to the people, consulting a local banking institution, finding one willing to set up the special account, bringing in the local media (i.e. TV, Newspapers), and making sure that it is known to the media, how the current City Council is un-willing to help the families of this city.

What kind of "precedent" is set by this City Council if it's members are not willing to explore alternative ways to help the very people, and their families, that placed them on the Council to represent them?