Editorial/Op

I Wish I Could Say

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    I wish I could say that Tuesday’s Council meeting was professional, productive, and was responsible for good legislation…but I can’t…because it wasn’t.  It was just more arguing, posturing, grandstanding, ambush tactics, and virtual legislative gridlock.  (This Council reminds me of Congress.)
   I wish I could say the half-condemned building at Hooper and Sullivan could now be replaced because Messina, Washington and LoBue listened to the experts who advised that it should be…but I can’t…because they didn’t.  Once again it was defeated by a 2-3 vote with “DeMoak” in favor and “WashBueSsina” against. (I figure I can save a bunch of ink if I just call Council Members Washington, LoBue and Messina “WashBueSsina” and DeJohn and Moak “DeMoak” since that seems to be the 3-2 split on every controversial issue.)
    I wish I could say that our City Council worked diligently in the four weeks since the introduction of the Hooper and Sullivan rezoning case to investigate and solve all of the procedural questions that might get in the way of meaningful discussion at the Council meeting…but I can’t…because they didn’t.  Instead, Council Members trotted out technicalities and legal questions that could have been answered weeks ago and spent most of the time arguing about those instead of talking about what zoning decision might be good for Central.  (Do City Council Members think that the citizens who give up their time to come to Council meetings actually have nothing better to do on a Tuesday evening than watch their political maneuvering?)
    I wish I could say that our City Council understands zoning law…but I can’t…because they don’t.  WashBueSsina has maintained throughout this rezoning issue that they want to wait until FUTURE zoning ordinances are passed before rezoning this corner that is in “City Center”.  I can find nowhere in zoning law that gives the Council the right to deny rezoning based on ordinances that MIGHT get passed in the future. (I also wonder how the other two identical cases got approved over the last 15 months without the same standard being applied.)
    I wish I could say I promise not to write any more opinion pieces about a gridlocked, ineffective City Council that splits a predictable 3-2 on every big issue…hey…maybe I can…if they would stop doing it.  Now THAT…would be Good News for a Great City!
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