Clowncil Closes for 2011

[XLFD]

Looking at the latest City Council meeting, I noticed that there was a lot of smiles and laughs, but I noticed a few other things.  Here's the meeting as posted on the Mason County Library's website:

 

 

After having reviewed it, my first impression was:  "Weren't they supposed to be voting on the budget that had it's first reading and was finally proposed at the last meeting and eventually posted afterwards?"  I reviewed the minutes of the previous meeting and found that they not only introduced the budget on 12-5, they passed it on that day as well as shown in the minutes of the 12-5-11 LCC Meeting  and occurred at about 15:20 into that meeting.  The minutes of the 11-14-11 LCC Meeting told us there would be a hearing on 12-5, but the budget itself was not publicly available until afterwards, nor did the LDN, to my knowledge, give the required two week notice of this public hearing as discussed before in John Shay fails to budget...

 

In all previous years, the City Council has had an initial reading of the proposed budget at the open meeting, allowed the concerned public to look through it for at least two weeks, and then adopts it the next meeting.  The City Charter sec. 8.5 says the budget should be available for public perusal before this public hearing, and that when and where it is available shall be published in the local paper at least two weeks prior. 

 

Problems dealing with the budget has been pointed out here, and although back in the 11-14-2011 DDA meeting minutes, John Shay says he is presenting the budget that night at the CC meeting and that it would be up for presentation on 11-28-11, neither was ever introduced at either meeting.  Methinks something smells fishy here. 

 

The meeting also featured the rehiring of the law firm of Gockerman, Wilson, Saylor and Hesslin under rave reviews by the mayor:  "They've done a wonderful job this last year.  We've asked them to do some extra special things..."  (at the 13:35 point in the video).  No elaboration was given on those extra special things, but I know they have spent many hours blocking two citizens from getting public information from the City, and many other hours writing ordinances making tables, and constructing policies to obstruct and/or punish those that do.  As the firm's principals have not sworn an Oath of Office as required by the state and city to uphold laws and work for the benefit of the people, can we expect any less?  They are just hirelings to protect the City Hallers from their illegal and unethical acts.

 

Lastly, at the 23:55 mark in the video, Mayor John is presenting CC Pete Engblade with gifts for his service.  High among these is a generic "rubber stamp" that the mayor intimates is a running bit amongst themselves, and then Engblade remarks:  "... I look at some web site that says I have a rubber stamp (laughter)...".  Three guesses where that "rubber stamp" gag originates from: 

1)  XLFD 4-26-11 the rubber stamp mentality so ingrained in the Council

2)  XLFD 10-27-11then rubber-stamped "no", by the City Council

3)  XLFD 5-27-2011  Most applicable-- With Pete Engblade, the only Councilor without a rubber stamp, reti...

4)  XLFD 10-22-10  but he is not a rubber stamp

5)  XLFD 9-2-11  Judge Wadel has shown he does not have "guilty" as a rubber stamp

6)  XLFD 3-10-11  the 'rubber stamp' mentality in those elective offices

7)  XLFD 8-27-11  Our elected officials are too often just the rubber-stampers

 

I'm guilty of overusing that cliche, but I think it has been the most applicable to what I've witnessed.  If I've been successful in one front, it's been letting the City Council know that what John Shay puts forth as policy is exactly one and the same as what the City Council wants-- the relationship between these two is symbiotic in nature.  A government, any branch of government, any level of government, that is totally in agreement with itself is a dangerous government. 

 

I hope that Mr. Engblade loses that rubber stamp now that he's just a citizen like the rest of us, and joins us here for spirited commentary about things that affect this area.  That invitation goes out to you as well, Mr. Peterson.

[Marty Redman]

That video has one think that they had already started the "Holiday" party earlier that day.  Their mirth was enhanced by spiked water I'd wager, eh?  I've never seen a budget handled so cavalierly.  Something is wrong there, you can sense it.