Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Stand, And Be Counted. If You Count.
It's hard to choose a time when I would say this started. I could pick February, but for simplicity, I think I'll pick yesterday.
Yesterday very early in the morning, I sent an e-mail to all five of our Commissioners. The short version is that I complained that they're not doing their job, because they keep not even starting the process of finding a permanent manager, and they waste massive amounts of time doing other unimportant things. You know my style, so you know how gently I expressed this, and how friendly I was.
At some point yesterday -- in one case, within probably an hour -- I got return e-mails from two of our Commissioners. The content of the replies was either to acknowledge receipt of my e-mail, provide substance, or even agreement, or both. If you want to guess which two Commissioners responded, go ahead. If you tell me your guess, I'll tell you if you guessed right.
Several minutes ago, a little less than a day and a half later, I sent the same five Commissioners another e-mail, pointing out that only two Commissioners had bothered even to acknowledge receipt of the first e-mail, and I suggested that this kind of "failure to communicate" was simply an example of the "you're not doing your job" problem. At that point, I heard from one of the three who couldn't be bothered yesterday, and his response was sort of a combination of he was busy, and he didn't feel well, and it ended with his reassurance that he'd look at the e-mails, including the one that was now about a day and a half old, when he got home.
Then, one of the two Commissioners who could be bothered to read and respond to yesterday morning's e-mail wrote back again, to tell me about last night's vigil/walk at the park. I had already said I couldn't go, because I already had an appointment booked at that time. He told me that (only) two of our five Commissioners came (could be bothered to come) to the vigil, and he made me the same offer I made you: would I like to guess which two Commissioners came (could be bothered to come) to the vigil. This Commissioner then added that MSV also had a demonstration/protest/vigil in their downtown, and all of their electeds came.
Take your pick. Either we got trouble here in "River City" (and it's not a pool table), or "Houston, we have a problem."
We have a Commission that expends breathtaking amounts of time -- consecutive 5 1/2 hour meetings, which do not result in addressing the whole agenda -- and does not accomplish our most urgent goal, which at this moment is finding a new manager. We have two Commissioners who understand the issues, are locked onto the tasks, and bother to communicate with their constituents. The other three do no more than take our money. And pat themselves on the back for being Commissioners.
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I know which Commissioners responded to your email because those are the same two that responded to my emails of a couple of weeks ago asking them to please look at the situation with the 6th Avenue FDOT project, which "someone" was trying to steamroll into existence without the knowledge of the residents. Yes, nary a response to something that might happen in front of my house for the rest of time. I was beyond upset and still am. I don't even know why I am posting this because I just feel hopeless about the state of affairs in the country and locally.
ReplyDeleteIt was sort of a trick question, because there are only two of this group of Commissioners who ever respond to anything.
DeleteBoy, do I hear you. My mother is 93 1/2, has had two strokes, and is in generally bad shape. If Trump gets re-elected, and my mother dies, I'm out of here. My plan is Jamaica. It's warm, I sort of don't have to learn another language, and I've been there and like the place and the people.
They do dribble in. Now, I have another response. It was in two parts. Part 1 was "thank you for your opinion." Part 2 was "I have no plans of getting into an argument with any residents or Commissioners."
ReplyDeleteI have to say two things about this response. One, which is a "pet peeve," is the reference to "residents and Commissioners," as if Commissioners were not residents (too), or were of some different status than non-Commissioner residents. As I pointed out to the prior Commission, everyone on the Commission then/now didn't used to be, various/many Village residents used to be Commissioners, and aren't now, and everyone on the Commission now won't be any longer at some point. And other currently non-Commissioner Village residents will be Commissioners at some point. It's somewhat, um, arrogant to refer to "residents" as if they weren't the same as Commissioners. It deprives the Commissioner of essential humility.
My second comment about the response I got is the frankly bizarre ambition not to get into arguments either with non-Commissioner Village residents, or, worse, to fantasize that anyone can be on the Commission without arguing with Commission colleagues. If you can't stand that heat, you need to get yourself really, really far away from the kitchen.
But I did reply to that Commissioner, and I said I wasn't looking for an argument. I was looking for a proper manager. And I suggested the Commissioner, too, should be looking for a proper manager. That was my whole point.
"Argument." "Debate." Semantics. That's my job: to debate, then get shit done. Some of my colleagues are barely able to debate, which requires participants to study up on the topic, do their homework, listen, form opinions using lips/tongue/teeth, and engage. Presently, we have two commissioners who fully debate, one who mumbles through half-assed thoughts, another who whines about not being being able to form cogent thoughts, and another who gives one-word opinions at best. By my measure, we presently have about 2.75 commissioners. Yet, they're each allowed to vote. That's how the system works.
ReplyDeleteWell, it's Friday. I sent the first e-mail to our Commissioners on Tuesday. I sent the follow-up e-mail to them on Wednesday. I wrote this blog post on Wednesday. I heard back from one of the Commissioners on Wednesday, and he made his excuses for Tuesday, and said he'd get back to me Wednesday. Do you want to know if I've heard from him yet?
ReplyDeleteSee, here's the problem. Or maybe it's just the most intrusive of the growing list of problems. What I told the Commission on Tuesday is not only that they're not doing their job, by not searching, and searching quickly, for a properly credentialed and experienced permanent manager, but that they should set aside everything else on the agenda for the upcoming meeting, and pay complete attention first, or only, to the manager search. And that upcoming meeting is this coming Tuesday. The clock ticks, and three of our Commissioners only smother it with a pillow, so it won't disturb their sleep. But CITT, and the coronavirus, and our requirements to create a meaningful budget, and the increasing water problem don't care that the majority of the Commission prefer to continue sleeping. Things are happening, and will continue to happen, while a collection of people are asleep at the wheel.