Saturday, June 30, 2007

A few headlines for a midsummer weekend: Plotting pachyderms; sewage heist; conjoined CMs vs. police; and Taj Ma(city)hall.


Note to readers: The senior editor is taking a vacation day on Sunday, July 1. We’ll be back on Monday morning.

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Headline: No quorum at Floyd County GOP caucus, vote delayed, by Eric Scott Campbell (News-Tribune).

Low attendance pushed Thursday night’s Republican caucus to tonight, but with no competitors emerging, Brenda Scharlow is a virtual lock to be selected as the party’s District 3 City Council candidate.

Less than a majority of the district’s six precinct representatives came to the Admiral Bicknell Inn for the caucus, said party chairman David Matthews …


A more hospitable venue to encourage Republican unity can scarcely be imagined, although the toadstool scones and hemlock tea kick butt.

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Headline: New Albany's sewer utility, EMC renewing pact, by Eric Scott Campbell (News-Tribune).

Environmental Management Corp. has agreed to a new five-year contract to operate New Albany’s sewer utility.

I’ve searched high and low, in dusty history textbooks and seldom visited web sites, and there is nothing to be found therein to contradict New Albany’s utter uniqueness in being the only city in the United States, and perhaps even in the world, where a shadowy group of citizens plot and scheme not to seize the government, but to stage a “coup d’egout” for the purpose of controlling the city’s sewers.

Speaking only for myself, it would be more pleasurable to forcibly grab the library, or wrest away the underutilized Trinkle Dome. In the end, I’d rather nationalize the railroads. To the Luddite cabal, all I can say is: "Take the sewers."


Please.

Headline: NEW ALBANY: Take-home car policy loosened, by Jennifer Rigg (News-Tribune).

Following last week’s shooting of two Floyd County police officers, the New Albany Police Department is loosening restrictions on its take-home car policy to reassure residents with a strong police presence inside the city …

… “If they want to enact it they can,” said (Dan) Coffey, of District 1, out of frustration that the City Council was not consulted about the change. “They know the dire situation that the city is in in the way of funds. It’s just a shame that some would take that attitude.”


Predictably, the Wizard of Westside is more concerned with his own prickly vanity than any substantive discussion of police, public safety and law enforcement – matters of certain importance to CM Coffey’s isolated Hermit Kingdom, just so long as he filters them through his 1932 model Huey Long Ego Strainer before passing the information along to the less fortunate, who’ll be enduring four more years of grandstanding and ward heeling at the expense of their betterment.


Hence Coffey's campaign slogan: "Dan Coffey: Protecting you from improvement, 24-7."

NAC predicts that the take-home car topic will resurface during speaking time allotted to public officials at the July 2 city council meeting, that Coffey’s subsequent long-winded demagoguery will be judged superior to the effort expended by Sir Laurence Olivier in “Hamlet” at the Old Vic, and that if a council vote is ever taken on the matter, Coffey will dramatically lead off the roll call by holding to the code sacred to all Westendians matriculating at Bazooka Joe University, solemnly rise to his feet, and courageously intone …

“I’ll pass this time.”

What the heck; it worked on the fringe area vote last time. Meanwhile, two seats away:

District 3’s (Steve) Price said he would rather see the officers keep a mileage log and be required to reimburse the city for the personal miles they put on their cars. He also scoffed at the 10 and 20 gallon requirements per month.

“My God, I probably burn up $25 of gas a week just riding around here locally. In a time of high gasoline prices, they have got to contribute mileage. It’s just good business.”


As if we needed more disturbing evidence of CM Price’s obliviousness to the design features built by past generations into the fabric of his district, it now appears that he has taken no notice of the urban phenomenon commonly known as the “sidewalk.” Rather than use this pathway for pedestrians, the ever parsimonious Price gets places by “riding around,” preferring to “burn up” gas rather than use his legs.

How very sad.


From the councilman’s digs on Dewey Heights to the cluster of stellar rental properties he owns near the NA Confidential office suite is no more than a ten-minute walk, and probably less at a heart-healthy faster pace. By bicycle, it would be little more than five minutes for him to ride west on Main, and then north on 11th.

A whole fifteen minutes on foot would take our own “36% Solution” right into the heart of New Albany’s revitalizing downtown, but it may be unrealistic to expect him to walk or ride a bike into a part of his district where he has seldom been seen for four years, and in which the most good things are happening in spite of (because of?) his serial indifference to progress.

As Price merrily strums the coda of “Speeding along in my Automobile,” Cpl. Todd Bailey gets the final word on this topic, as quoted by the Tribune’s Rigg:

“We think it’s more important to have officers in the field than to bicker over insignificant gas dollars.”

Amen, brother Bailey. Please consider moving into the 3rd district. We need a counterweight to Price’s vision of institutionalized mediocrity as the “answer” to what ails us.

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England: Shuffle offices to save money, by Eric Scott Campbell (News-Tribune).

Democratic mayoral candidate Doug England is proposing moving city offices into the Spring Street firehouse and building a new fire headquarters in New Albany’s west side.

I’m uncertain as to whether the firehouse idea is the best one being floated for relieving the strain in the current City-County Building, but the comeback kid is to be commended for acknowledging that there is merit in the notion of adaptively reusing a downtown building for local government, and commencing public discussion of it. That’s a start.

Understanding that any such plan will require expenditures, it nonetheless would be heartening to see all or part of a historic block in downtown devoted to the same purpose, or, as County Councilman Randy Stumler once suggested, eventually constructing a new building as part of Scribner Place, phase two.

Perhaps Caesar’s will give New Albany $20 million more so that we can expend four more years fractiously arguing about not how, but if we should spend it.

See you Monday. I’m going for a walk.

8 comments:

All4Word said...

You're on point, Roger, as it has been a "newsy" week, for sure. I'm happy to see you took note of Mr. England's proposal, one that has resided on my hard disk for many months.

While I would have preferred the Fair Store as the new City Hall, the investment already made in the 4th Street Fire Station induces a bout of reality-based thinking. In any other city with any other city council, such a move could be put in the works now as Mr. England suggests. But if the city council is involved, we can count on three years of "debate" followed by a chorus of "why are we hearing about this for the first time tonight?"

The professionals in the fire department do not believe the station as built meets their needs. I don't believe anyone is going to sneak in one night and cause the building to cave in like its predecessor. So let's put it to use.

A move to 4th Street would integrate City Hall into the community and, one hopes, still the cry from the "jail 'em all" crowd for a mega-million dollar expansion of the jail. Delaying any jail expansion by moving minimum security inmates into the third floor (plus giving our new judge a courtroom) will keep us out of mind-numbing debt while giving us a chance to explore regional correctional facility options over the next ten years.

I reject the idea that we should build a new jail simply because the jail bonds are paid off.

And if Mr. Coffey winds up serving his jail time in the local hoosegow he can be the one trusty guide for all the inmates. After all, he's more a trusty than a trustee.

Leave us not forget the source of these news nuggets, either. The Tribune staff is coming into its own. NAC is peachy, but the full-time research and reporting being done in our fair town has matured to a level of reliability and central importance that deserves recognition. If you want to see it continue, getting a subscription is the easiest thing in the world.

Mr. England's idea deserves applause on its merits and it shows that he has been listening. More importantly, it shows boldness and even a degree of political risk-taking. Now that the issue is raised with England taking the point, it will be interesting to see who will rally to the idea and who will condemn it.

Having City Hall occupy this architecture award-winning building is a great idea. And just imagine the possibilities for a multi-media assembly room where the citizenry can watch its government in action.

Iamhoosier said...

Although it pains me to do so, I must disagree with my friend on the issue of gas money.

If an officer would drive his/her personal vehicle on "personal" business they would pay for the gas. Not only that, they would also pay for the insurance, maintenance, depreciation, etc. They would pay ALL costs, out of their own pocket, with after tax dollars. Just like most ordinary citizens. How would the individual officer be "put upon" by contributing more to the gas for private use? The officer is still getting a good deal. The "non gas" cost of operating a vehicle is as much as the actual gas cost. I fail to see where an officer would not use their police vehicle because they had to pay for the gas. If that is true, they need to get a calculator out and do some cipherin'.

There is a benefit to the citizens of NA in the take home program. An undeniable benefit, for the reasons stated by the NAPD. I don't want to see it end. However, the "insignificant" amount of gas dollars argument cuts both ways.

What am I missing?

New blood for New Albany said...

I for one would ask that our host dig a little deeper into the caucus that Val Anne hosted and if you could bring to light the horrible, dirty and down right dispicable behavior that the,so called CSX represenative, Val Anne showed that night. You should be proud Val Anne, you truly showed us your true colors!

Christopher D said...

What our esteemed council members fail to see is that SOME issue rise far and above the mighty dollar. They scoff and blow at the mention of the expenditure for gas for our ploice cruisers, they ridicule any attempt by the department to set standards of how mych and when an officer should contribute to gas out their own pocket (which we pay for anyway, since we pay them).
BUT what they fail to look at is the fact that regardless of what vehicle an "off duty" officer is in when he goes to the store, they are NEVER off duty. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365, including holidays they are a sworn law enforcement officer, and are required to act if they see a crime in progress.
I would rather have a higher tax bill for funding gas expenditures, than to have one single officer, who is off duty be confronted with a major crime, and all they may have is a gun and cell phone, no two way radio, no 12 gauge shotgun in the trunk, no bullet proof vest in the trunk, no first responder jump kit in the trunk.
Seem a little bit on the extreme side to take this conversation? Well I tell you what If Sergeants Drake and Helm were still alive to talk about it, it may change some thoughts if they were able to convey the horror of being "off duty" and walking into a store for a cup of coffee, and instead walking into an armed robbery, gun fire insued at them, they had no communications, no other back up. Three people were shot that night, one got away. Drake and Helm were not injured physically, but the take home program started not too long after that.
It needs to stay, and it needs to stay as unrestricted as possible.

The New Albanian said...

Renovating the 4th street fire station into a new city hall implies the need for a new fire station, which candidate England said would be located in the west end -- something CM Coffey has tirelessly advocated.

If I remember correctly, CM Coffey supported candidate England during the primary in the labyrinth of Westendia.

Say what you like about the former mayor, but he's shrewd tactician, isn't he?

The New Albanian said...

New Blood: Indeed, let's bring it to light ... but which of the operatives there will speak publicly? After all, it's hard for me to get the GOP chairman to answer an e-mail when it's to his benefit to do so.

Me thinks they'll be mum, althugh somewhere downtown, attorney Fox is sticking pins into a LoveShack voodoo doll.

The New Albanian said...

Having City Hall occupy this architecture award-winning building is a great idea. And just imagine the possibilities for a multi-media assembly room where the citizenry can watch its government in action.

100% agreement here.

I can already see CM Price proposing to "make do" with his old Viewmaster slide projector rather than spend taxpayer money on newfangled things like power points.

Heck, he'll even come operate it for free.

Shea Van Hoy said...

Roger,

Thanks for linking so many stories from The Tribune. It can't hurt our page views!

In a competitive media market, it's impossible to get every story first, but I hope readers are now realize the current Tribune (and Evening News) provides more local news, no matter if you live in Clark or Floyd counties.

Best, Shea Van Hoy