Monday, August 10, 2009

Small reflections

Well, well, well ... it appears that the mayor thinks the capping of the landfill is going well.

Or he regrets not issuing the administrative order last year ... or something. Read all about it here.

The mayor, it says, "took some time last week to share some reflections as he heads into his final fall in office."

Apparently his reflections only require a small entry in the City Notebook column.

2 comments:

Tired of Spin said...

Item from John Moak’s new resume:

Employed clever legal trick to subvert city council authority and public opinion so that 100,000 cubic yards of additional trash could be brought into the city, allowing the landfill project ‘to move forward.’ Hoping for the best, despite mounting complaints about nuisance conditions and health effects.

Dan Sweeney said...

Or an 'appointment of one'?

How can one be so satisfied of his accomplishments when he is not living the daily day/nightmare of mis-implementations of rules and skittish behavior of reaction to threats of legal action being the base point of all communications and negations in representing the public in just this one area. a premature claim of victory will miss the mark and record the substandard decisions when one looks back to the record on paper. Many issues this administration (albeit some inherited) will claim as addressed, will be even longer term projects due to such self appointed logic and absence of a better portion of public opinion . Exiting Mayoral Tricks are not so 'clever' as much as they are misconceived and and misdirected and of a more personal flavor than representative of the public heath, safety and service expected from a community service position and not representative of a 'paid professional management' as the request for a raise in income suggested.

Reminiscing of your critique of "Friends with Money' relates to the same attitude Newburyport has faced with the 'surprise, I am an imported 'native' and do not understand your opposition to my wants and needs when it comes to striving for my needs and ignoring others position. To 'claim' premature closure (or even 'movement towards closure' ) on the Water front issues is politically premature and not in step with the public's wants for the 'Publically owned lots' that some how have become the private projects of many a past and present Mayor. Parking garages, Access to the Downtown, Waterfront, Landfill, Windmills, Solar Panels, Sidewalks, Infrastructure among many 'other' required services have failed this administration due to the attention span and generous implementation of personal views. yet another 'Plant' of a person of specific opinion and attention span loss at the cries of the public, will fail as miserably as the past attempts and cause even further indecision as to the real 'wants and needs ' of these parcels.

A split in classes of residents has been nourished and implemented over specific issues and actions taken this political season and no attempt to listen to the voters as a whole has taken front seat to solve the issues that encompass the majority of the people who pay the majority of the freight in this City. Less and less public encouragement on boards and commissions has shown the failure to inject a good general knowledge in the opinions that are needed to fairly run this City. Requirements of board members and appointees have taken a path of attempting to 'hire' consultants and experienced persons to prejudge the needed input of the general public. Too many positions have been left unfilled by this administration, or worse, left seated when it is clear that the occupant no linger wants to serve, but to the lack of professional volunteers, that share specific likes, to stack the deck, so to say, in using an overeducated pool of opinions and not a voice from the majority of the populace of public that understands what most 'professionals' do not in the operation of our City. Feelings, opinions and directions other than specific and narrow issues.

It is the prerogative of an out going Mayor to implement as many 'changes' as they can as a last 'hurrah', but seldom with such vigor in changing processes, programs, procedures and directions that could not have been accomplished in his four year term in the waning months left in the reign! And at what cost?

Dan Sweeney