I would have taken the greatest satisfaction in saying:
"No Sir, you will not. That is not what the rules intend.You have one minute more, wrap up your comments or I will silence your microphone"
It was the second meeting of the new council. We were elected three months ago and it's only our second meeting.As might be expected the agenda was full of significant items for discussion. The meeting was scheduled from seven until ten-thirty. It would take considerable discipline to complete the task.
We did not.
Despite referring the greater part of the business, we finished after one in the morning too tired to make a decision on a very serious matter indeed.
The owner of a late entry private swim club got all the time she wanted for a second time to make her pitch about why two other swim club businesses should be pushed aside to make room for her while she continues to grow her business and sign up more clients than she has space to accommodate.
Most towns provide the privilege of addressing council under certain rules.
Elections determine the decision-makers.
A rail separates the council chamber. The elected body sits on one side, visitors on the other. In a House of Parliament, the public space in the chamber is called " the stranger's gallery". It distinguishes between those who are in their place and those who are not.
It dates from the first parliament in history. It hasn't changed.
Last night, we had a long list of delegates. More than two hours were spent listening.
In the end, we did not deal with the town's business. Only two items were discussed and even they ended in a tie vote and had to be referred to the next meeting.
The tie was; Councillor Humphreys, Gaertner,Ballard and Gallo versus Dawe, Abel,
Buck and Pirrie.
A councillor argues "that's democracy"
It is not.
It is falling down on the job.
Democracy means standing on a soap box in a park expounding one's views to all and sundry.
it means renting a hall and rallying all to the support of whatever.
It means demonstrating with placards that tell the world.
It means writing a blog and freely expounding views on any subject under the sun.
It means requesting the privilege of addressing Council
It doesn't mean abusing or cynically exploiting the privilege and hindering the public's business.
We have had two meetings and at both the owner of Selkies, a private swimming club, has done just that.
The first time a meaningless memorandum was placed on the agenda by Councillor Ballard ,to get past the rule the delegate may only speak to an item on the agenda.
Three named delegates requested the privilege, including Selkies owner,
When the owner was advised by the chair to wrap up because the five minutes,(another rule) was almost over:
" No " she said "there are three delegates and I'm using fifteen minutes"
Had I been in the chair, I would have responded.
"No,you are not, that's not what the rules intend. I am in presiding member of this council. You will do as I say"
The same stunt was pulled again last night. Got away with it again.It was like Mormac had never left. Susan Walmer was there too.
Aggressive,abrasive,plays ducks and drakes with the facts, doesn't much care what harm she does to get what she wants. Selkies owner steamrolls over everybody.
The amazing thing is how many people are ready to lay down and be steamrolled.
Being on a council allows one to observe patterns. Different faces, amazingly similar characteristics.
I expect three more requests for delegation status each,on two separate issue next week.
The town's business will fall further behind.
The play will be the same. Only faces will be different.
Wednesday 19 January 2011
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6 comments:
Does this mean more of the same old crap and dysfunction?
Dear Evelyn:
Is there any sort of provision in the Procedural By-law relating to the number of delegations that may be received at any single Council or GC meeting, and further, is there a stipulation of time allowed per delegation?
If the answers to these questions permit unlimited delegations and unlimited time, it is quite conceivable that Council and GC meetings might never even get to their respective agendas.
Democracy permits individuals to speak and express opinions, but within the confines of the rules governing the body before which they do so. Otherwise you get mob rule and elected officials would effectively prevented from doing the work that brought them to office.
You have another recent post referring to your form of "government" as a "Dictatorship." Whoever sent this is obviously many cards short of even half a deck.
If people want to spout of without limit then have them move to Haiti, where in the depressing disaster that has befallen that impoverished country people appear able to talk all they want - but no one is listening, and even more seriously, no one is doing a damn thing to improve the lot of the people. But there, talk is cheap and everyone can do it, until someone gets tired of being harangued and beats the hell out of the talker. That freedom is also known as mob rule.
It's time to Man up Mr. Dawe
“Democracy is cumbersome, slow and inefficient, but in due time, the voice of the people will be heard and their latent wisdom will prevail.” --Anonymous
Occasionally time is of the essence.
And democracy can still function if its practitioners agree to move at double time.
I often wonder why participants in a meeting, especially meetings governed by rules, are too timid to apply them in order to reach timely decisions and adjournment.
What the hell are they all afraid of? If life in the rest of the work world operated this way, just imagine the mess we would be in.
Councillors, get with the program and let's get on with business, not indulging chronic complainers who have no regard for rules and consideration for others.
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