The Fatted Calf

A.H. is not a person. It is unflattering nomenclature, by defintion, vulgar.

I simetimes tire of being polite. It's not a natural  facet of my character.

Politeness is an acquired discipline.It's an essential of politics . For an argument to be effective  it must also be emphatic.

It's difficult to be emphatic while being cloyingly polite.

There's  has to be a way  to say what you have to say, so the opposition can't lay a finger on you for lack of civility .

The challenge is two-fold. Persuasion and if that fails ,make  sure the public understand your side of the argument.

That's what drove the last lot out of their minds.

They thought having a majority block  of votes meant absolute power.

Mr. Wilson was quoted ;"She's got to be stopped. She is undermining everything Council is trying to do."

Repeatedly advice  was demanded from town solicitor , Shelley Pohjola.

The advice was finally put into writing. "Councillor Buck has every right to say what she has to say.
 She goes right to the line but she doesn't cross it."

They found a lawyer at a municipal conference who  advized them  how to fix that,

 Create a new line.

Adopt a Code of Conduct  and create a new line. Insert a clause  prohibiting comment by a Coucillor after a  decision is made.

Adopt a procedure and  appoint an Integrity Commissioner to adjudicate complaints. The line up a couple.

Don't give him independent status. Make sure he knows he can be fired if he doesn't make the right decision. Have a second lawyer on  retainer to make the sytem foolproof.

All at taxpayers' epense.

The clause was a "deal-breaker" but he signed it anyway and soon had reason to regret.

It was a race to deliver the first decision before being terminated. He won the race and lost the job.

Had to retain legal counsel to protect his own reputation. He wasn't the first and he  wasn't the last.

Town reaources flowed unimpeded.

Councillor Abel put forwarded a motion last week that looked like a bit of a witch -hunt. It didn't pass.  Who was the intended witch wasn't clear either.

The beat goes on.

Sleeping-dog sleeps still.

For a while yet.