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Post by Clipper on Oct 1, 2009 8:48:31 GMT -5
One needs only to go to Strikeslip's Faultline blog and click on the link "council gone wild" to watch video proof of why the city cannot accomplish anything productive.
You have a room full of blithering idiots, with no regard for parliamentary procedure, babbling and fighting like school children, a police chief who is sitting there texting rather than listening to what is going on, and a menopausal chick with a knife. What the hell can be accomplished when simple rules for conducting a meeting cannot be followed, and there is no banging gavel to bring it back to order.
Why a knife at a common council meeting? Would it not be more fitting to leave tea and crumpets or coffee and cake for after the meeting? Did they come there to feed their faces or to conduct business.
Just a quick observation from afar. I think with the way the meetings are conducted and all the angst that is shown among the council members, they all should be put through a metal detector before entering the meeting, and they should not be allowed to carry anything sharper than a crayon into the meeting.
The video shows what a disgrace the council really is, and why Utica is stagnant and not able to move forward or progress. I am sure that some of the council persons have a true agenda of working for their constituents, but the video gives the impression that the poor constituents are being represented by a gaggle of knuckleheads, and mayor spinny is the head knucklehead.
One would hope that someone would come along that truly had a vision for Utica, and could raise enough interest in the cause to vote out the council and mayor, and start with a clean and progressive slate, rather than the same old political warfare within the administration.
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Post by rodwilson on Oct 1, 2009 9:32:32 GMT -5
And they're NO better at the County level. "Robert's Rules of Order" for everyone?  Your hope may not be as far off as you think. I personally know a couple of outstanding people that are gearing up for runs in '11. I'm talking about people that will go in and get the job done, work with both sides of the aisle and get this city moving forward again. People that will willingly accept and respect the accountability that goes with being in public office. AND set an example to the community with regards to what they should expect from their elected representative. |
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Post by Clipper on Oct 1, 2009 10:43:58 GMT -5
Wow, that would be a great day in history, when an entire new roster of progressive representatives moves into City Hall and the Board Room at the county office building. There are a couple of legislators, including my friend Larry Tanoury Jr, that would fit into the new plan, and most likely there is a council person or two that would be able to conform to the new regime and the new goals for the city.
It is going to take a combination of intelligence, good sense, charisma and just plain balls to move the city out of the dark ages and the depths of despair, and into the sunshine again.
There is a firmly planted demographic group that has followed the local "gang of thieves" for so long that they need only see a familiar name on a ballot, and say to themselves, "oh, that is the DA's brother, or the mayors cousin," and they vote family or ethnic loyalty rather than to use common sense and look for a workable platform.
Control has to be wrestled from the grips of the "old guard". It has to be dragged out of the back rooms and taverns of the East end, and those playing the nepotism and patronage games need to be stomped on like the cockroaches that they are. We didn't build a city hall so that city business could be conducted from a funeral home or from a restaurant in East Utica.
Utica and Oneida county politics has sunken to such a low level that those like Roefaro and Picente not only are self serving, patronizing crooks, but have become so bold as to actually FLAUNT their arrogant disregard for the citizens and taxpayers on a daily basis.
I praise anybody that has the guts and the love for the area, to put their name, face, and reputation, into trying to turn things around. I hope it is a successful effort to be victorious in next terms elections for those that want to end the corrupt manner in which the city and county are being run.
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Post by Ralph on Oct 2, 2009 2:34:52 GMT -5
Keep in mind that this IS NOT the Common Council meeting. This is their caucus meeting, this is where everyone gets to argue their points on legislation that will be voted on.
This is not how they act on the floor.
I have seen caucus meetings go down the tubes faster and more brutally than this.
And the "knife" thing is really stretching the point and going nowhere, Teresa is hot blooded and very invested in her position, one of the better Council people there, she gets the job done for her constituents.
This is normal and expected behavior at these meetings. Yes, they are open to the public, but not part of the public process. It's their meeting.
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Post by Clipper on Oct 2, 2009 9:25:48 GMT -5
I have seen Larry Jr's videos of the county level caucus meetings also. The term "caucus" has come to mean "free for all". Is this where Lorrie Arcuri and Theresa should be putting on the gloves in their own little personal hate fest? I wonder if anything was ever accomplished in regard to the item up for discussion?
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Post by Ralph on Oct 4, 2009 1:28:56 GMT -5
I know that it may sound like I am sticking up for them, and in a way maybe I am. But keep in mind that whenever any of them meet in what would be considered a “quorum” and they even think about discussing City business, they fall under the States Open Meetings Law. Hell, even when three of them meet someone thinks something crooked is going on!
The Caucus is for them, it’s only open to the public because it has to be.
While I think that this Council is one of the strangest I have seen, the meeting shown on those videos is nothing compared to some of them I have been at, both as a spectator and a participant. It is for all purposes the only place they have to work and hash things out together, and far from the slugfests they actually used to have many years ago right on the Council floor.
As far as the item in discussion……it was probably tabled until the next meeting, and until then they will play phone tag for hours on end with each other to figure out what to do.
While I firmly believe in the democratic process, open meetings and full disclosure……with the hoops they all have to jump through it is surprising that they get anything done at times.
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Post by Clipper on Oct 4, 2009 11:40:47 GMT -5
Well thanks for the insight Ralph. I guess it is the only way that they get anything at all done. Too bad though that Theresa and Lorrie couldn't do their fighting by telephone tag, and then bring their manners to the caucus meeting.
I also think that LaBella could be out of touch for an hour or two for a meeting. Unless the city is burning down or there has been a major crime that needs his immediate personal attention, I am sure that his deputies can handle the city for an hour or so.
He doesn't need to be slumped in his chair playing text message with someone. I guess he was only there for the refreshments.
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Post by Ralph on Oct 5, 2009 0:55:48 GMT -5
Unless there is legislation on the table that directly affects his department of public safety, he doesn't need to be there period. It's for the Councilpeople to go over pending legislation, not for him to enjoy the refreshments and text himself to death in the process. That was just plain rude! There are three doors in that room.........he should have used one.  |
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Post by Clipper on Oct 5, 2009 12:04:23 GMT -5
He was sitting on the wrong side of the mayor to be of any use as a bodyguard, haha.
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Post by rodwilson on Oct 5, 2009 12:58:31 GMT -5
Hell I watched him doing it one evening in a Leg session. A few minutes later, he got up and walked out. In the elevator, after the session one Leg rep asked the other "Where did Danny go?". "He had a party to go to" was the response.
And Ralph I get your point about that being "their" session but true professionals don't carry on like that whether the door is open or not.
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Post by Ralph on Oct 6, 2009 1:37:37 GMT -5
You're absolutely right Rod! They shake each others hand whilst the other is sliding the knife through the ribs in the back and then they apply the twisting motion. |
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Post by rodwilson on Oct 6, 2009 11:20:49 GMT -5
You're absolutely right Rod! They shake each others hand whilst the other is sliding the knife through the ribs in the back and then they apply the twisting motion. Exactly! ;D |
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Post by lucy on Oct 8, 2009 15:36:09 GMT -5
When I first read the name of this thread, I was thinking it was going to be about Larry taking his top off during the council meetings.
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Post by Ralph on Oct 10, 2009 3:25:45 GMT -5
When I first read the name of this thread, I was thinking it was going to be about Larry taking his top off during the council meetings. Lucy......no one would notice. That's how much attention they pay at most of those meetings!! |
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Your hope may not be as far off as you think. I personally know a couple of outstanding people that are gearing up for runs in '11. I'm talking about people that will go in and get the job done, work with both sides of the aisle and get this city moving forward again. People that will willingly accept and respect the accountability that goes with being in public office. AND set an example to the community with regards to what they should expect from their elected representative. 
