Read today's Volunteer Hoosier for a definitive account of the larger local leadership issues stemming from the May 2 City Council meeting. Meanwhile, mainstream media coverage can be found in the Courier-Journal (limited shelf life for C-J links).
At tonight's meeting of the City Council of New Albany, the council's grandstanding regressive bloc served notice that it is prepared to posture politically to the very edge of the city's fiscal precipice, tabling consideration of Mayor Garner's proposal for dealing with the current crisis in the 2005 General Fund.
As expected, the battle cry of "no progress at any price" was sounded by 1st District Councilman Dan "Wizard of Westside" Coffey and the 3rd District's Steve "I'm with Stupid" Price.
There'll be more to say on this topic, but for the moment, let's open the thread for NA Confidential readers: What was the single most annoying moment of the evening?
Mine would have to be Councilman Cappuccino ... er, Coffey's response to the statement of Greg Roberts, who had praised Councilman Donnie Blevins for being of service during Saturday's Clean Up New Albany work day.
Coffey felt compelled to point out that his fawning acolyte, Steve Price, had been out there working along with all the others, and had in fact paid out of his own pocket for people to help clean the streets ... and, to Coffey, Price's dispensing of cash was more impressive than someone (i.e., Blevins) who was on the clock in his role as sanitation department superintendent.
As Coffey proved that he is far more than a demagogue (he's a playground bully, too), and Price made sounds like a lowing calf, we were reminded of the early M*A*S*H episodes, when Margaret Houlihan would defend Frank Burns while the camp rolled its collective eyes.
Tonight was my first return appearance at the City Council meeting since losing all hope of being able to come out of there without smoke coming out of my ears.
ReplyDeleteAlas, nothing has changed. My favorite part of the evening was Garner's reading of the newspapers to establish who had said what about what. If this isn't a sure sign of "we're not talking to each other around here", I don't know what is.
Then, of couse, tempers flared and the shouting ensued.
It's interesting to note that except for this part of the meeting, everything else moved along with a modicom of civility.
I think the lack of professionalism between the Mayor and the council-members is shamefull and embarrasing.
I just wonder what departments the Mayor will be shuting down first.
I was not at the meeting last night. However, I can attest to the fact that Steve Price provide a great deal of help to S. Ellen Jones NA on Saturday. I witnessed several loads being dumped from his van.
ReplyDeleteI have no knowledge of cleaners that were hired. That is news to me. The folks I worked with were all residents.
Ted Fulmore
S. Ellen Jones NA
Ted: My point is not to debate whether Steve Price worked on Saturday, and I have no opinion on whether Price spent money in doing so or not.
ReplyDeleteMy point is to illustrate Dan Coffey's characteristic, bullying, grandstanding lack of tact in pointing a finger at Donnie Blevins and implying that Blevins, an honorable man, showed up because he was paid to do so.
At various times last night, Coffey implied that Kay Garry was fudging the number of times he'd bothered to come to her office and speak with her to gain the information that Coffey prefers to claim is withheld from him, denied that politics has anything to do with his demogoguery, and claimed that he has ,earned most of what he knows from the Courier-Journal (although in a previous meeting, he denied reading altogether).
All this, and when the time came to take a stand, Coffey abstained, an act so craven that even Steve Price missed his signal and failed to follow Coffey in abstaining the second time around.
Furthermore, trash pickup day aside, in bellying up to the Coffey bar on a regular basis, and thus aligning himself with the single most malignant trend in local politics, Price is profoundly neglecting service to his district. I suggest that if this behavior does not undergo significant modification before the next Council meeting, that Price's removal be a priority.
Not sure, but Davy Jones of the Monkees was ... and Peter Tork was not along.
ReplyDeleteOkay - it's your dime, although I'm not sure whether you're demanding that I prove that you lied in general (see below) or lied specifically in reference to the Mayor.
ReplyDeleteJust now, you wrote:
Excuse me "Roger"- who was the two men walking out of Mayor Garner's office on Monday night before City Council Meeting. None other than you Mr. Baylor and your side kick "Kojak". (he must of ran outta lolly pops).
On Monday night, just as my friend Randy Smith and I prepared to enter the City County Building from its north entrance facing Spring Street, my cell phone rang and I stopped to answer it, so he entered the building without me.
I don't know whether he took the stairs or the elevator.
Minutes later I walked alone up the north stairs and then down the hall, past the immediate vicinity of the Mayor's office.
Since I've never entered the Mayor's office, I'm not sure which one it is, but of course there's no way to enter the conference room from the north stairwell without walking past his office.
So, I can't account for what you "saw" or why you believe you "saw" it, but to suggest that I was somewhere when I wasn't, and with someone when I wasn't, is definitely a "lie," although it quite possibly may be an unintentional one.
Furthermore, looking back at my previous posts, I can't even find the part where you are called a "liar."
And, finally, my objections to anonymity are universal, and don't apply only to one person or two. All I asked was to be informed of the identity of posters, you included.
Do I win a lollipop now?