Maury Goldberg provided the first blogosphere notice of the city council's presidential machinations on Thursday at New Albany Today:
In today's New Albany Tribune, Ms. Ali reports City Councilman At Large Mark Seabrook (R) would rather see current City Council President Jeff Gahan(D) remain in that position for 2006. Mr. Seabrook is reported to have stated his preferences for Mr. Gahan over Mr (Dan) Coffey and Mr. (Donnie)Blevins.
The Tribune story from Thursday is here:
New Albany council presidency up in the air, by Amany Ali (News-Tribune).
“I’d like to see Gahan stay there,” Seabrook said, pointing out that Gahan runs good meetings and tries to be accommodating to everyone. The council president basically helps set the meeting agenda with assigning ordinances, and heads the meetings, Seabrook said. He said the council president’s seat should not to be used as a platform.
There you have it.
New Albany’s dozen-strong Babble Belt urges CM Coffey’s selection as council president precisely because he has a transparent obstructionist agenda and will use the post “as a platform,” while the potential swing council voter, the outnumbered Republican CM Seabrook, cautions that he doesn’t see it that way at all, and suggests that it is improper to view the seat in such a manner.
Comparing SOLNA with a broken clock is thus proven to be mistaken, as SOLNA's not even (inadvertently) right twice a day.
In the Tribune article, CM Blevins suggests that he no longer is interested in the presidency, and CM Gahan could not be reached for comment.
We’re left with Coffey’s inanely coy evasiveness as to the reporter’s question of whether he “is seeking the council’s top post” …
“I haven’t made a decision on anything,” Coffey said.
… followed by a certifiable instance of Coffeyesque grandstanding so sufficiently stereotypical that it might serve as the succinct epitaph for another entire year’s worth of non-achievement by the Wizard of Westside:
Coffey said he is concentrating on an effort where he and other volunteers will feed the needy on Christmas.
Given his long council career devoted to doing absolutely nothing to help the cuty's needy escape their poverty, it’s right where CM Coffey should be during this “most wonderful time of the year.”
Here are the links to NA Confidential's week-long compilation of the reasons why Dan Coffey should not be selected city council president on January 9:
"PART 1 (January – March, 2005): Why 1st District City Councilman Dan Coffey should not be selected as the council’s 2006 President.”
"PART 2 (April – June, 2005): Why 1st District City Councilman Dan Coffey should not be selected as the council’s 2006 President.”
"PART 3 (July – September, 2005): Why 1st District Councilman Dan Coffey should not be selected as the city council’s 2006 president.”
"PART 4 (October - December, 2005): Why 1st District Councilman Dan Coffey should not be selected as the city council’s 2006 president.”
Happy holidaze, New Albania!
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4 comments:
After rereading the preceding, it occurs to me that I’m leaving myself open to charges that I doubt CM Coffey’s sincerity.
My basis for writing what I did is the councilman’s laughably disingenuous plea that he’s too busy caring for the needy to contemplate his future political ambitions.
Christmas or no Christmas, I believe his statement to be absurd, and I believe his political record of non-achievement speaks for itself.
NAC, I have no doubts either, about the sincerity of Mr. Coffey's Christmas Day efforts to be Santa to the residents of his district. It, and the community council he has formed, are to be commended.
Perhaps next year time will permit us to offer more than praise to that program.
And yet, it is not credible to think that Mr. Coffey's evasion was sincere. Of course he has given thought to seeking the presidency of the council, although I think it would stifle his ability to sound off on every single agenda item.
If the state of play is as described in the Tribune article (which, by the way had a subhead stating "Grahan" wants to stay in place, but no backing evidence of that wish in the story - JT, are you listening?), then I am more than content to see Gahan remain as president. And Mr. Seabrook might be an adequate candidate for the vice presidency for 2006.
Stumler is a County Council Member; if Seabrook is running, it might be for County Commissioner in John Reisert's seat, expected to be open this election year.
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