In 2011, as it was in 2009: Redistricting matters.

Given the deflating and seemingly universal disappointment (pervasive and numbing apathy has a way of precluding words like "anger") that followed Irv Stumler's surreal coronation as heir apparent to the retiring Doug England in New Albany's mayoral sweepstakes, it is entirely possible to view the probable entry of city council member Jeff Gahan into the race as genuinely interesting, if only to provide something approximating choice to an unstimulating mix.

In looking back at past blog posts, I found this passage, which reminds me of an epochal event that CM Gahan will need to address if he decides to run. It's a little matter of the Constitution, redistricting, and who did what to maintain a cynical sham when there was the chance to repair it.

September 3 (2009) city council notes: “It shows what the council has been putting up with.”

In the absence of connectivity, here are city council meeting notes for Thursday, September 3.

As opposed to the city clerk's obligation to record minutes a certain way (see below), I have no statute or precedent to follow when making these observations (usually in italics and red text).

Accordingly, I'll begin with a reminder.

Our current council members were elected according to plainly illegal districts owing to the previous council's refusal to do its statutory duty and fairly redistrict. The previous council sat just as illegally as the current one sits now, owing to the refusal of the preceding council to do the very same thing.

Councilpersons like Jeff Gahan continue to believe that none of this matters, and I heard him say it aloud after the meeting last night.

I continue to believe that it does, and the Constitution should in fact matter to one elected to uphold it, and furthermore, I believe that citizens should not have to earnestly beg their representatives to perform custodial tasks that are part of their job description from the beginning.

When such omissions occur, and when representatives muddy the waters by yawning through continual and flagrant displays of illegality (and poor taste, which although indicative of the Open Air Museum is not illegal) from the person they have conspired to select as president of the council -- when council actions at each and every meeting are tainted by the president's biases -- we must likewise expect that all nine of our council members will become tainted by association, and if someone like CM Gahan happens to be a part of this group, he should expect to be asked periodically: Exactly how is any of this synonymous with leadership by any coherent definition of leadership?

And, if someone like CM Gahan is unable to answer this question of leadership in a satisfactory manner, according to accepted definitions of qualities that pertain to "leadership" and similar concepts ... well, then he shouldn't expect someone like me to gaze in his general direction and say, "job well done, sir."

Because: It isn't being done, and isn't being done well.

The rest of it I explained to him in person early this morning. But I thought this public reminder is appropriate. I can point to dozens of unelected community members who are proactively leading, not merely regressively reacting. Many of them reside in my district, where we have nothing approximating representation. I'm still looking for a council member who fits this description of leadership.

The lamp is held aloft, but it is illuminating dead air.