Same old people saying the same old things
Commissioner Valery, at the August 12th meeting, expressed his feelings about hearing “the same old things from the same old people” at commission meetings. This comment totally ignored the words of a very well-spoken woman who doesn’t regularly attend. She came to the podium to say that she runs an international business with 160 employees and does business all over the world—and she’s never seen tax increases like what's being proposed ANYWHERE.
Yes, there is a group who attend meetings regularly that has been, unfairly or not, labeled as “complainers.” Since when is pleading for answers considered complaining? Is this just another ploy by our five elected officials to keep from answering the very pointed questions of many more citizens than just those who regularly attend commission meetings?
Let’s see…We can’t get answers about how $1.1 million of our tax dollars were apparently misappropriated. We are denied public records and forced to pay for any record that takes longer than 15 minutes to locate. Consultant after consultant keeps happening on the scene, yet we can’t seem to determined how or when these folks were hired—and by whom? Things that normally would have been workshopped and discussed in public appear on agendas out of the blue and pass unanimously—5 to zip--few questions asked.
All we want are answers to our questions. If the end result is the same—then so be it. But at least answer the questions of the growing numbers of concerned citizens who don’t attend meetings--for whatever reason. Are they too busy? Do they not care? (Not even a possibility in IRB!) Or perhaps, it’s the IRB Fear Factor at work? (“If I dare to disagree will I be denied permits, red-tagged for code violations, etc.?”) Would the commission rather only see those who agree with them in the audience? If so, why not just eliminate "Public Comments" entirely and be done with it.
There is frustration on both sides of the dais. It came to a head at a recent social event when one citizen asking for answers got a nose-to-nose F%*# you!" from one commissioner. Whether the anger stems from knowing the answers but not wanting to share them or from flat out not knowing is anyone’s guess. I hate to think that politics are making us forget that we are--first and foremost--neighbors. That, in and of itself, should be enough for the commission to consider clueing us in.
If asking for answers is considered complaining. Could not providing answers be considered stonewalling?
Nancy Obarski
Beach Trail/IRB
P.S. We do urge more folks to turn out for commission meetings—regardless of your political leanings. It’s a crucial time for IRB and maybe if the commission sees some new faces, that might make a difference.
Commissioner Valery, at the August 12th meeting, expressed his feelings about hearing “the same old things from the same old people” at commission meetings. This comment totally ignored the words of a very well-spoken woman who doesn’t regularly attend. She came to the podium to say that she runs an international business with 160 employees and does business all over the world—and she’s never seen tax increases like what's being proposed ANYWHERE.
Yes, there is a group who attend meetings regularly that has been, unfairly or not, labeled as “complainers.” Since when is pleading for answers considered complaining? Is this just another ploy by our five elected officials to keep from answering the very pointed questions of many more citizens than just those who regularly attend commission meetings?
Let’s see…We can’t get answers about how $1.1 million of our tax dollars were apparently misappropriated. We are denied public records and forced to pay for any record that takes longer than 15 minutes to locate. Consultant after consultant keeps happening on the scene, yet we can’t seem to determined how or when these folks were hired—and by whom? Things that normally would have been workshopped and discussed in public appear on agendas out of the blue and pass unanimously—5 to zip--few questions asked.
All we want are answers to our questions. If the end result is the same—then so be it. But at least answer the questions of the growing numbers of concerned citizens who don’t attend meetings--for whatever reason. Are they too busy? Do they not care? (Not even a possibility in IRB!) Or perhaps, it’s the IRB Fear Factor at work? (“If I dare to disagree will I be denied permits, red-tagged for code violations, etc.?”) Would the commission rather only see those who agree with them in the audience? If so, why not just eliminate "Public Comments" entirely and be done with it.
There is frustration on both sides of the dais. It came to a head at a recent social event when one citizen asking for answers got a nose-to-nose F%*# you!" from one commissioner. Whether the anger stems from knowing the answers but not wanting to share them or from flat out not knowing is anyone’s guess. I hate to think that politics are making us forget that we are--first and foremost--neighbors. That, in and of itself, should be enough for the commission to consider clueing us in.
If asking for answers is considered complaining. Could not providing answers be considered stonewalling?
Nancy Obarski
Beach Trail/IRB
P.S. We do urge more folks to turn out for commission meetings—regardless of your political leanings. It’s a crucial time for IRB and maybe if the commission sees some new faces, that might make a difference.
5 comments:
Could it be the same commissioner who confronted one of our police officers? I makes one wonder doesn't it?
Commissioner Valery is a not very intelligent, arrogant, a liar and a cheat. His short and painful tenure as our commissioner has proven that he lacks judgment and understanding in its simplest form. From bumbling procedures to struggling with understanding just about everything, this man is a total failure as a representative for the people. The “same old things from the same old people” - what a shameful remark. But he doesn’t care. Valery stinks of arrogance and is as superficial as them come. He’s the only one up there who has a record of temper tantrums and lets the F word fly freely. He has lied about a number of things, from what he stood for during his election to the whys and how’s of whom he answers to and what he backs. This man has cheated this city. Some day that foul mouth of Valery’s is going to meet up with a fist, and I hope I’m there to see it!
I want to be there too!
Why do we demand the commission show courtesy to us, when we are so insulting to them? People's behavior and out right rudeness on both sides of the dias is how we got to this point. Everyone needs to step back. I for one, am really tired of people hurling insults, specially in the comment section on this blog. No matter what anyone thinks, we all have the same goal, to enjoy living in IRB. Hoping to see someone get a fist to his face is just wrong on every level. This needs to STOP!
Yes, it needs to stop. The Commission, individually and collectively, establishes decorum. The citizens follow the Commission's lead. When the Mayor lets Commissioners, of and off the dais, insult residents; refuse to answer questions, insturct staff to keep or delay information to citizens (the secret goverment has developed) citizens respond in kind.
RB frets over what citizens say in their five minutes but does noting to reign in Commissioner conduct on and off the dais. He should admonish them publically when they get out of bounds. Disgusting lack of standards by RB.
None of the Commissioners are looking out for us citizens. Pass tax increases and utility increases with no attempt to respond in a professional way to basic questions. Does this group even know what the questions should be? My image is this is a group being led around by the nose by a bunch of outside experts and staff.
Oh, we citizens are going to pay in dolalrs for the fiasco five, worse yet this group is going to open this town up for rape by developer interests.
No wonder the citizens are hurling insults, no one in city hall is listening.
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