So Open We're Closed

Good morning, Blogolanders.  Last evening, Thursday Nite Live were at their near best.  As usual, the meeting started late.  Ms. McBride is still pouting by refusing to sit in alphabetical order as council has done at least for twenty years.  A woman who engages in kindergarten playground behavior is an elected official?  Going back to the 2010 elections here in Trenton, every member of council took part in some sort of debate/meet the candidates event.  I know because I co-ordinated a couple of them.  Each sitting member of the current council promised, "open government," or, "transparent government."  In other words, no more secret stuff.  OK, Blogolanders, those are great sound bites because this council has held more executive sessions in two years than the previous council held in four!!  So much for open government.  They went into executive session last evening to discuss - are you ready? - the Linda Kelsey mess.  Like nobody knew about it.  By the way, it took them over an hour (God only knows what they decided; don't be surprised if Ms. Kelsey received a promotion).  My feeling is if this issue was so freakin urgent, Ms. Holly-Ward would have called an emergency executive session around noon yesterday.  After they strolled back into chambers, someone asked about the Paul Harris, "accident."  The answer was, get this, "We'll discuss it in executive session."  Bullshit!  First, anyone reading a freakin newspaper knows about it.  Anyone on the freaking compouter knows about it.  I want to know if Paul had permission to use that car, and if so, where he was going?  That car is public property - like you and I own it .  They can discuss this in public and stop hiding stuff.  My favorite fantasy is having council announce an executive session and having every citizen present in chambers stand up and block the door to the conference room and tell them, "If it's city business, you discuss it in public.  If it's not city business, do it on your own time."  Here's a cute one.  Sam Hutchinson, the accounting genius, stated he does not read newspapers!  For someone who is touted as brilliant, that was an asshole comment.  Council did confirm two permanent department heads.  I know nothing about the fellow heading public works, but I do know Cleveland Thomas having worked with him for years.  So more than halfway into this term, 60% of the departments have permanent heads.  That is more than half.  The Honorable Mayor can brag about that.  And Ms. Holly-Ward still displays a reluctance to use the g.d. microphone!  The Three Graces, of which P. Holly-Ward is one, still have their whispering campaign going.  The other four can be heard very clearly.  Even if I disagree, I at least know what they said. 

Blogolanders - please take this into consideration.  City council sits at the pleasure of the voters; they work for the voters; there are no unemployment benefits for those who lose an election; it's time to let them know they are on very thin re-election ice.