Yes, the gong is sounding.
Kochert, Messer seek president's post on New Albany City Council, by Eric Scott Campbell (News and Tribune).
Democrats Larry Kochert and Jack Messer will vie Thursday night for the City Council’s presidency, which two-time incumbent Jeff Gahan said he is not seeking again …
… The council president moderates meetings and assigns sponsors to pieces of legislation, among other responsibilities. Gahan said he is pleased that meeting guidelines adopted over the past two years had made discussion among members and residents in attendance more issue-oriented.
Although it would be deliciously ironic to spend the next twelve months watching Slippery Larry grapple with the decorum and impartiality traditionally expected of the council’s president, it remains that I cannot in good conscience support the originator of the Kochert Doctrine, which calls for the potential good of any measure intended to enforce the city’s ordinances always to be compared unfavorably to the possible loss of votes from friends and neighbors, who would object to being held accountable.
However, I’d gladly trade a single year of CM Kochert seated at the head of the council table, if – and only if – he were to consider the position of president as a coda to his long and always reactive council career, and announce his retirement from politics, effective at the end of his current term.
Not unexpectedly, I support CM Jack Messer, but his selection would not be without certain deleterious implications for the sanity of onlookers.
Already, with Mark Seabrook gone, the most effective counterweight to the incessantly self-serving Coffeyite blather that mars so many meetings has been taken from the chamber, and with CM Messer serving as president, his like-minded reality checks against the incoherent ramblings of the 3rd district’s foremost embarrassment, CM Steve Price, also would be missing.
In the end, one thing’s for sure: CM Gahan has done a good job during his two terms.
The fourth and final year of the current council configuration kicks off Thursday night with only one personnel change: Kevin Zurschmiede replaces Mark Seabrook (now a county commissioner) as the body’s lone Republican. What’s more, it’s an election year, so hold on to your hats. It stands to get far thicker before the dawn.
You know, my personal rule is never to drink alcohol before attending a council meeting.
But it may well be that kind of year. Hip flasks, anyone?
forgive me if you've made this point already but my gut tells me that the dysfunction in local government is deeper than the trading of favors for votes. Think Tammany Hall. Then think City Council - Democratic party - Redmen Club. Reformers beware, there is a long history of the "politics of reciprocity" here in river city.
ReplyDeleteIt goes to show how far behind we really are, Gina. In other cities, politicos conspire to make the overall pie bigger because it increases the scale of the potential take.
ReplyDeleteHere, they continue to pick over the same bleached bone.
I *hiccup* have to say...I never attending Council *hiccup* meetings as think as you drunk I am.....
ReplyDeleteIf LK was in charge and he ran the council like he does the 4th district, we can at least rest assured knowing that there definately would be no expenditure increases in the the portions of the budget controlled by the council. We would see this freeze in increased expenditure because not a *&%$ing thing would ever be done!
So, have at it Jack M., I am sure he can and will do a wonderful job. Hopefully Jack (if elected) will have the common sense to run the council in an orderly and structured fashion!
Sloburn,
ReplyDeleteYou're in the 3rd district. Steve Price is your representative. Sorry.
I'll personally place my vote for Kochert. We really don't want a City Employee, alongwith being a City police officer ruling the Council. Just our family's opinions.
ReplyDeleteDFC,
ReplyDeleteI on the other hand, living in the district where LK is supposed to work, would much rather see Messer get the title.
True Jack is a long term Veteran with the NAPD, with a good service record, and sure he is a city employee.
Experience has taught me quite well that the only time LK will talk to his constituency is when they finally get fed up with his never answering his phone, being unable to leave a message, he does nto respond to written correspondences, or messages left for him with the city.
However he will call you up in a heartbeat cussing and throwing a temper tantrum when you call his bluff in the paper. I have experienced this first hand a few times, and I think there are others who post here who have as well.
LK probably once used to be an advocate for the people he was elected to represent, but anymore he could not be more out of touch with his district if he tried. And if he can not manage to take care of the concerns of his own district, how can we expect him to be able to take care of the entire city be being appointed to council president?