Council meets tonight at 7:30, will select officers prior to Gang of Four floorshow.

The Common Council of the City of New Albany gathers tonight for its first meeting of 2006, and here’s the rather short published agenda.

One way to gauge the energy level of the council’s "Gang of Four" obstructionist bloc is to watch when they’re asked to consider seemingly simple items of business that must be viewed as “no brainers” by any sane sense of the concept, as is the case tonight with these appointments:

Historic Preservation Commission (reappointment of Mayoral appointments) ... David Barksdale, Ted Fulmore.

In this vein, those meeting watchers who doubt the potential for self-serving, oratorical grandstanding inherent in the statement, “2 + 2 = 4,” keep your eyes on Councilman Dan Coffey. He'll find a way to inject himself into this equation, having studied alegbra at Bazooka Joe U.

Speaking of the Wizard of Westside, who anticipating the ripple recently relocated his antiques and rag picking business to a Main Street location closer to Scribner Place (the redevelopment project that he’s done so much to derail), CM Coffey is among those rumored to be interested in the position of council presidency.

As a public service, here are links to NA Confidential's week-long December series, a compilation of the reasons why Dan Coffey should not be selected city council president on January 9 – or, for that matter, any other time:

"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.”

In other council news, NA Confidential has learned that SOLNA's "potty police" are planning a shitdown strike for the third-floor corridor.

See you in the funny papers, Cappuccino.