Friday, February 16, 2007

New Albany Council Meeting Feb 16th

Thanks for the Memories

I have been attending New Albany City Council meetings just since the first of the year. I am just beginning to figure out some of the characters, with others I am still completely lost. However the entertainment factor never seems to waver. I can’t wait to get home to tell my wife and kids how much fun I had. If my memory serves me correctly there hasn’t been a meeting where I failed to come home and say, “I can’t believe they don’t have security there incase they need to break something up.” Well tonight when I got home my wife asked if I had fun at the council meeting. “OH YEH!! It was great, you should have been there,” I said. I ran in the house told my girls how much fun they missed, and that the police actually had to remove two people from the meeting. Since I had been somewhat predicting that, now my kids think I am smart or something. THANKS ROGER!!

Here is another first for a public meeting of any kind which I have attended. With Roger sitting to my right and Dick Stewart in front of me I just knew this was going to be good. Next thing I know I hear a comment from my right that lead me to believe Pee Wee Herman was sitting in the row in front of me and we were watching a movie. There I was stuck in the middle with the person to my right a foot taller than me and the person in front nearly 100 lbs heavier. I have to admit I “DUCKED.” THANKS ROGER!!

I actually witnessed a council man stick to his guns and force an issue to the end with Larry Kochert. Councilman Messor fought to the finish to see that yet another ordinance was not tabled. To his credit it was councilman Gahan who brought the issue up more than once tonight, but it was council man Messer who delivered the knock out blow to the business as usual “let’s table it method.” THANKS JACK!!

The funniest comment came from a unexpected source. Now this may not be as funny to you as it was to me but, when you’re 5’ 4” and a woman who is about 6” shorter than you calls someone a “sawed off little sh*t,” that’s just too funny. THANKS BEV!!

First impressions can be wrong, but I have always considered myself a pretty good judge of character. With all the bickering, name calling and just down right dirty politics that goes on in that council room, there was a bright light tonight. He took his shots from council and made his points in a manner that I had not seen from any other public officials. A man of stature, a man of integrity. THANKS CHIEF HARL

4 comments:

The New Albanian said...

Apologies for missing you. I began the session standing in my usual spot near the rear, then moved forward when the seat opened up. In retrospect, moving closer to the intemperate Mr. Stewart probably wasn't the best idea.

At any rate, good coverage.

John Manzo said...

Wow Coop. I keep reading comments about this meeting. Amazing.

John Alton said...

Nice article. Sounds like you had a ring side seat at the circus. Isn't it amazing how other council members are now all of a sudden questioning the routine "table it" method? Isn't it funny..the effect that an "election year" has on some incumbents?

Coop said...

let's set council term at 2yrs. That only gives us one year of do nothing governing. It's not like it cost city council a lot of money to run for office.