Council approves 1Si's funding request. Greg Phipps disagrees, and Dan Coffey denounces free speech. In tonight's performance, the role of Jeff Gahan was played by Mike Hall.

This post has been edited to reflect Pat McLaughlin's vote against A-17-02 (1Si funding. Apologies for missing this; thanks to Greg Phipps for the correction. 

Earlier this evening, I read both of my prepared statements during their allotted time.

(1 of 2) My comments at tonight's city council meeting, during the public hearing for A-17-02 (funding for One Southern Indiana).

(2 of 2) My comments at tonight's city council meeting, during public speaking time prior to A-17-02 (funding for One Southern Indiana).

Bob Caesar looked greatly pained. What if the cool kids and the in-crowd held him responsible for the words of wild-eyed, dissenting, anti-establishment types like me?

Naturally there wasn't the slightest doubt that A-17-02 would pass, with $30,000 going to 1Si for vocational training initiatives, although Citizen Cassidy raised an excellent point. He asked why 1Si's tithing hat is not extended in the direction of Floyd County government, too.

It was gratifying to have Greg Phipps join me in defending the virtue of liberal arts and humanities majors. Phipps and council president Pat McLaughlin cast their votes against A-17-02.

1Si's Wendy Dant Chesser was in attendance, and when asked by Phipps to clarify, she denied speaking with disdain about art history majors. I have two things to say about this.

First: I wasn't the only LSI class member in attendance to come away with the same impression as mine. She did as she did.

Second: If Dant Chesser's objective (then as now) is to urge the expansion of vocational training as well as encouraging college degrees in areas of most interest to employers, this is fine and dandy, but is it really necessary to mention the college degrees one shouldn't pursue?

Put another way, if her argument is sound, why even tell the anecdote of the embittered art history major and risk being misread?  

Consequently, I stand by my statements.

Of course, no council meeting would be complete without Dan Coffey going full gonzo reactionary.

In Coffey's schoolboy zeal to agree "100%" with Dant Chesser, who would detour down the alley lickety-split if she saw Coffey approaching her on the street, he announced with agitation (paraphrasing) that taxpayers simply shouldn't be allowed to come to council meetings and use the podium as a "bully pulpit" in order to say what they think.

So much for the Constitution.

Say it ain't so, Adam -- Dan Coffey opposed to free speech?

Well, DUH, but of course this doesn't stop Jeff "Dear Leader" Gahan from parleying with the lapsed Wizard in pursuit of emptied public housing blocks accompanied by a fully remodeled Riverview Towers, where the barbecued bologna always hits the fan at just the right time.

Just imagine a public housing tenant packing his or her belongings in a Kroger shopping cart on the way to the rail siding, and seeing Gahan's face staring back with an $8,000 reminder to eat healthy and visit the aquatic center often.

But I digress.

Funniest of all was Al Knable's brief reply to Coffey. Knable upheld the wisdom of allowing taxpayers to speak even when they disagree with Dan Coffey, and clarified the meaning of "bully pulpit" as originally used by Teddy Roosevelt, to which Coffey nodded vigorously and insisted he knew the meaning of a concept he'd butchered just moments before.

No wonder Coffey and Gahan have been joined at the hip for so long.

Neither of them has made a mistake, ever.  

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TWITTER LOG for MONDAY, JUNE 5 (from start to finish)

I've returned to city council after a hiatus. So far. too busy reading prepared statements to tweet. If anything happens ...

Mayor Hall is here. His attendance is stellar. Except he isn't the mayor.

A-17-02 One Southern Indiana's $30K for vocational training advancement. Caesar vouched for 1Si's integrity v.v. $

A-17-02 Phipps grills Dant Chesser about the value of liberal arts education. Bravo.

A-17-02 Coffey says what we all know: it's good to have all sorts of jobs.

Coffey denounces public speakers who use council time to exercise free speech. Somewhere @DeafGahan is smiling.

5 minutes later, Coffey is still talking. He doesn't understand why such a great idea should be discussed #OhDonald

Coffey thinks A-17-02 will transform the planet.

Coffey now says of course he knew what "bully pulpit" meant when he misused it moments ago. Of course. Ha ha.

A-17-02 is going to be approved unanimously. Even I'm not sure why the questions have broken out. But that IS why I spoke.

Phipps opposes A-17-02. Bully for him. Final score 8-1 7-2 in favor of the 1Si Oligarchs.

(Edit: McLaughlin also voted against)

A-17-03 New police car funding. 9-0 in favor.

3rd reading on the last two, meaning they both got final approval.

R-17-08 Lots of abatements and stress relievers for Beach Mold and Tool. Caesar's mayoral campaign is in full swing.

Duggins thanks everyone. His mayoral campaign is in full tumescence, too. So many engorged members, so little time.

R-17-08 The choreography is awesome for what probably be another unanimous vote. The ritual can be fascinating even w/o martinis.

R-17-08 Vote is 9-0 in favor. Now who'll take credit for this in 2019? Caesar? Duggins? Nod?

Adjourned. Thank you.