You're probably going to be surprised by my post -- I am.
Two good things happened at the council meeting last night. First, Mayor Weber moved beyond the posted closed agenda and allowed citizens to speak. This simple but meaningful gesture shows respect for good citizens willing to take the time to be involved in our city. Interestingly, a reciprocal benefit of showing respect is that it is often returned by those of good intention. A small act, but key none the less.
More importantly, the council returned from closed session with a plan to resolve the OB allegations. Please don't be misled -- I still believe the city should never have reached the point of acting on MOB's wild accusations without him providing concrete proof. This will be an expensive lesson the city did not need to learn, one citizens did not need to pay for. I'm not just talking about money -- the price paid includes lost time, hurt feelings, lost trust. I also believe a couple of the new council members, who have yet to acknowledge their shared responsibility of pushing the city into this position, will have to answer for their actions before it's all over. But last night, the council as a whole moved forward. The surprising part? The first public acknowledgement by the unified council on this matter . Here is a part of their prepared statement:
"The multitude of various allegations raised against the City Manager/Police Chief led to an internal City review which found no basis for any of the matters as alleged."
Even as they move forward with a legal review, the council, both old and new members, now acknowledge as one the allegations have no foundation. Translation--- all members now believe MOB's allegations are based on lies.
So now let me return with surprises of my own. First, thank you city council. Thank you for recognizing the truth, thank you for having the courage to acknowledge it out loud. Secondly, let me tell the council you were wrongly portrayed by the newspaper article headline this morning.
Last night I witnessed coverage of the meeting by Eli Ross and Channel 10. His reporting was even handed, accurately revealing the statements made by Mayor Weber. Channel 10 truly seems sincere in getting all sides of a story and avoids unfounded commentary and distortion of facts. Thank you Channel 10 for due diligence. To Channel 25, I'm sorry I did not see your story. I really need to learn to work the DVR. Thank you for taking an interest in Woodway.
Then this morning I read the front page article by Erin Quinn.
The article headline gave a different impression compared to what actually happened. Erin once again seemed to show MOB some credibility. Hey sizzle, conflict, scandal-- I get it. It sells. But accuracy is important if you want to be considered a top tier news source. Food for thought. I do sincerely thank the Waco Trib for considering Woodway an important part of the greater McLennan County community.
Anyway, thank you council for moving forward. And thank you again for acknowledging truth.
Back on track next post.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
What Needs to Happen Next
Tomorrow, Monday June 28th, the mayor has called a special city council meeting, a closed session. This will be the 3rd executive session in 4 council meetings. According to the posted agenda, there will be:
"1. A closed meeting will be held pursuant to Section 551.074 of the Government Code (V.C.T.A.) so that the City Council may deliberate the employment, evaluation, duties, discipline or dismissal of, or complaints/grievances regarding, a City officer or employee and Section 551.071 of the Government Code (V.C.T.A.) so that the City Council can seek and receive legal advice from its attorneys regarding pending or threatened litigation, settlement offers, claims, or other matters for which the attorneys� duties to their client under the Texas State Bar Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct conflicts with the Open Meetings Act (Ch.551, Gov. Code), including, but not limited to: allegations against City Manager made by a citizen.
2.Discussion and consider action regarding retention of outside counsel to consult with the City Council and review allegations against City Manager/Police Chief."
The mayor is not allowing any open time for citizens to comment - on this matter or any other. At the last meeting visitors were put last on the agenda and made to wait; this meeting no visitor comments will be allowed. Mayor Bill Weber missed the first council meeting and did not show up for the Banquet held last week to recognize the good people that serve on Woodway's Boards and Commissions. From a man whose campaign flyer promised an engaged leader, his actions say something different.
So, what needs to happen at this point? What do the councilmen and the city council as a whole need to do to restore trust and the idea that they serve the city and all citizens?
Concerning the New Council Members:
They ran for office and won. They wanted leadership positions and voted two of their own to mayor and mayor pro-tem, in spite of a lack of experience. They have had almost two months to get up to speed. The " be patient with me I've never done this before" card has expired. Time to conduct the city's business with integrity and efficiency.
More importantly, they owe the citizens of Woodway honesty. They owe citizens the truth about their campaign contributions and they owe the truth about their relationship with MOB.
They will be voting on how to proceed with the allegations against Yost Zakhary yet they themselves have not filed all their campaign funding reports. As of last week, Gil Lillard had yet to file anything. Gil is the same man that announced ( at the last council meeting) that he was not a politician, but a statesman.
You might ask, "Why is this important?" It's important because according to MOB, Dr Scibielski and Dr. Garner took campaign funds from him. It is known Mayor Weber took campaign help from MOB. Although Mr. Lillard has waffled on his "knowledge" of MOB's involvement in his campaign, he has admitted to a strategy session with MOB and the other new members (pre-election). It's important because it is unethical for any office holder to vote on matters where they have received favor or have an influenced relationship with any of the concerned parties. They can't take money from MOB and then pretend to vote from an unbiased position on allegations he has made. And this extends to matters about his wife. Any man that received favor from MOB must abstain from any voting concerning Karen's court case. That is the correct and ethical thing to do. Said another way, if they vote on these matters, given their history, then they prove unethical. Giving back money now won't square the deal - they simply must abstain.
Concerning the existing Council Members:
The existing council has a responsibility to the citizens as well - they must be honest. Any allegation they know to be a lie or false, they must speak out against it. If they know an allegation to be true, they must expose it. They must vote the truth regardless of it's affect on their popularity with either citizens or other council members. The citizens of Woodway, those for and against Yost, deserve the truth.
Concerning the Council as a Whole:
They must put aside personal agendas and take care of all the citizens. They must honor their oath of office and not their egos. They must represent the city of Woodway with honesty, dignity, and integrity. They must be humble enough to openly admit when they make a mistake, apologize and learn from it. They must openly support the city staff and volunteers. Each councilman must remember his vote is no more important than other member's, his position no higher than that of citizen. They must be frugal with the citizen's money. They must not show favoritism for any one group of citizens, but treat all equally. Finally, they must put themselves last - they are servants of the city. Do these things, and they will preserve the wonderful place we call Woodway.
Next Blog..The Doctor's Dilemma
"1. A closed meeting will be held pursuant to Section 551.074 of the Government Code (V.C.T.A.) so that the City Council may deliberate the employment, evaluation, duties, discipline or dismissal of, or complaints/grievances regarding, a City officer or employee and Section 551.071 of the Government Code (V.C.T.A.) so that the City Council can seek and receive legal advice from its attorneys regarding pending or threatened litigation, settlement offers, claims, or other matters for which the attorneys� duties to their client under the Texas State Bar Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct conflicts with the Open Meetings Act (Ch.551, Gov. Code), including, but not limited to: allegations against City Manager made by a citizen.
2.Discussion and consider action regarding retention of outside counsel to consult with the City Council and review allegations against City Manager/Police Chief."
The mayor is not allowing any open time for citizens to comment - on this matter or any other. At the last meeting visitors were put last on the agenda and made to wait; this meeting no visitor comments will be allowed. Mayor Bill Weber missed the first council meeting and did not show up for the Banquet held last week to recognize the good people that serve on Woodway's Boards and Commissions. From a man whose campaign flyer promised an engaged leader, his actions say something different.
So, what needs to happen at this point? What do the councilmen and the city council as a whole need to do to restore trust and the idea that they serve the city and all citizens?
Concerning the New Council Members:
They ran for office and won. They wanted leadership positions and voted two of their own to mayor and mayor pro-tem, in spite of a lack of experience. They have had almost two months to get up to speed. The " be patient with me I've never done this before" card has expired. Time to conduct the city's business with integrity and efficiency.
More importantly, they owe the citizens of Woodway honesty. They owe citizens the truth about their campaign contributions and they owe the truth about their relationship with MOB.
They will be voting on how to proceed with the allegations against Yost Zakhary yet they themselves have not filed all their campaign funding reports. As of last week, Gil Lillard had yet to file anything. Gil is the same man that announced ( at the last council meeting) that he was not a politician, but a statesman.
You might ask, "Why is this important?" It's important because according to MOB, Dr Scibielski and Dr. Garner took campaign funds from him. It is known Mayor Weber took campaign help from MOB. Although Mr. Lillard has waffled on his "knowledge" of MOB's involvement in his campaign, he has admitted to a strategy session with MOB and the other new members (pre-election). It's important because it is unethical for any office holder to vote on matters where they have received favor or have an influenced relationship with any of the concerned parties. They can't take money from MOB and then pretend to vote from an unbiased position on allegations he has made. And this extends to matters about his wife. Any man that received favor from MOB must abstain from any voting concerning Karen's court case. That is the correct and ethical thing to do. Said another way, if they vote on these matters, given their history, then they prove unethical. Giving back money now won't square the deal - they simply must abstain.
Concerning the existing Council Members:
The existing council has a responsibility to the citizens as well - they must be honest. Any allegation they know to be a lie or false, they must speak out against it. If they know an allegation to be true, they must expose it. They must vote the truth regardless of it's affect on their popularity with either citizens or other council members. The citizens of Woodway, those for and against Yost, deserve the truth.
Concerning the Council as a Whole:
They must put aside personal agendas and take care of all the citizens. They must honor their oath of office and not their egos. They must represent the city of Woodway with honesty, dignity, and integrity. They must be humble enough to openly admit when they make a mistake, apologize and learn from it. They must openly support the city staff and volunteers. Each councilman must remember his vote is no more important than other member's, his position no higher than that of citizen. They must be frugal with the citizen's money. They must not show favoritism for any one group of citizens, but treat all equally. Finally, they must put themselves last - they are servants of the city. Do these things, and they will preserve the wonderful place we call Woodway.
Next Blog..The Doctor's Dilemma
Sunday, June 20, 2010
The Real OBs
The real OBs. We've all seen the letters. We've all heard the lies. We've all seen the self promotion. Who are they really - what kind of people are they?
I described the OB "Cycle" in my 5/23 post - how they enter an organization, volunteering and working hard, gaining a position with responsibility. Then their attacks begin on any who oppose their goal of ultimate power. I've described two other local organizations they have run " the Cycle" on -- Baylor's Track Program, and the Marine Corp League. Let me offer a little more information on each.
With Baylor, MOB volunteered to help. He was described as helpful, and in return was asked to help with track events. What you may not know is why the OBs chose the track program. It was because one of their closest family members was a track athlete for Baylor during this time. Unfortunately, MOB wanted to start telling and demanding things from the paid professionals at Baylor. By example, MOB demanded a key to the stadium so he could come and go at will, and wanted a mailbox at the stadium with his name on it. It went on from there, and Baylor's track program had no choice but to severe the relationship with MOB. By the way, letters were written - surprised?
At Baylor, MOB was sent off. The Marine Corps League situation ended in a stronger reprimand. Do your homework and discover that the Marines had their veteran's organization federally chartered in 1923. This organization is the Marine Corps League, and they are represented at the national, state, and local level. Their website states they are over 76,000 members strong. Besides the good work they do with Marine Veterans, they also have programs to teach youth values of "honesty, courage, and respect" . After arriving in Waco from California, MOB sought out and joined the local chapter. He became Adjunct Paymaster ( the equivalent of a Treasurer ) then began "the cycle". Two honorable men stood in his way - Commandant Ken Bates and Joe Martinez. MOB began writing letters to everyone in the organization with lies about these men. He also describes himself as the only honest, self sacrificing individual. I have seen the letters, and the slander goes on, but here is the important part. The Marine Corps League investigated, called MOB to a hearing, which I am told he refused to attend. In the end, the Marine Corps League expelled MOB from the organization for his actions. Since MOB is always promoting his past accomplishments as a marine, this is a telling piece he leaves out of his resume.
So, what happened to MOB, why did he suddenly change when arriving in Waco? The answer is he didn't - he came with habits intact. On a website for a military prep school, MOB lists among his accomplishments that he was a school district superintendent. According to the LA Times, that's not quite true. In one of his California employments, MOB became an assistant superintendent in the Bellflower Unified School District ( Los Angeles area). An August 13, 1978 article notes MOB as a subject of controversy among trustees ( school board members) and the community. The controversy revolved around his performance and self promotion to a higher paying job classification. An article written one month later describes MOB as a man of questioned credentials, and notes he came from the Fountain Valley United School District. At Fountain Valley as well, MOB was a point of controversy due to questionable credentials. By 1979, the LA Times writes that five key administrators left the Bellflower District, with only one administrator left --- MOB, assistant superintendent for planning and operations. Several former employees complain of overwork and dissatisfaction with the administration. This real life example shows the damage done when MOB gets the power he craves.
MOB is a man of controversy where ever he goes. One more piece of his past from California makes this even more interesting. The Jan 1978 article notes that the man in question was originally named Micheal Brick and that he changed his name to Micheal O'Bric during this time frame. In California, my understanding is that there are two main reasons men change their name - to seek a career in Hollywood, or to run from something in their past. Did MOB ever tell any of his candidates about his past? Did they ask before embracing his agenda? I don't know, but the implications are scary.
Allow me to reflect about KOB. I have said that MOB and KOB are inseparable. What one is involved in, so is the other. At the first council meeting MOB spoke on record and said he had nothing to do with KOBs lawsuit. That is a lie. MOB personally sent me two letters last year when I was on council, letters from the attorney representing KOB. The letters contain his name as well as hers. Once again, MOB is caught in a lie. Secondly, at the third council meeting I disclosed a problem I discovered concerning KOB denying revenue to the city of Woodway. I pointed the direction and told the new council it needed to be investigated. Two days later Councilman Garner had announced on his blog site that the OBs explained it away.
This says many things. For starters, Chuck is now conducting city business through his blog.He obviously is not worried about the ethical implications of this action as a city representative. With the overwhelming tide of facts to the contrary, Chuck did not look at city records, he simply turned once again to Bricopedia for his information. I have a written document, sent by KOB last year, listing all the Arboretum donors eligible for free rentals. KOB is not on that list, a list that came from her. A list that I believe will be confirmed as truth. Chuck is demonstrating a double standard - put Yost under the microscope, but accept the OBs version of the "truth" without investigation. Sadly, Chuck's actions suggest he is still eager to please the OBs or repay their help in his election. I still hold out hope that the remaining council members will look into how KOB cut unapproved "special deals" with groups like the unofficial track booster club.
One note of clarification. I find anyone that got a "deal" from KOB innocent. They simply took advantage of a great offer, something any group would do. KOB on the other hand, should never have bent the rules - not as a city employee. The irony is that the couple crying foul of everyone elses actions are the actual abusers.
So here are the real OBs. Verifiable. Next blog - What Needs to Happen Next.
I described the OB "Cycle" in my 5/23 post - how they enter an organization, volunteering and working hard, gaining a position with responsibility. Then their attacks begin on any who oppose their goal of ultimate power. I've described two other local organizations they have run " the Cycle" on -- Baylor's Track Program, and the Marine Corp League. Let me offer a little more information on each.
With Baylor, MOB volunteered to help. He was described as helpful, and in return was asked to help with track events. What you may not know is why the OBs chose the track program. It was because one of their closest family members was a track athlete for Baylor during this time. Unfortunately, MOB wanted to start telling and demanding things from the paid professionals at Baylor. By example, MOB demanded a key to the stadium so he could come and go at will, and wanted a mailbox at the stadium with his name on it. It went on from there, and Baylor's track program had no choice but to severe the relationship with MOB. By the way, letters were written - surprised?
At Baylor, MOB was sent off. The Marine Corps League situation ended in a stronger reprimand. Do your homework and discover that the Marines had their veteran's organization federally chartered in 1923. This organization is the Marine Corps League, and they are represented at the national, state, and local level. Their website states they are over 76,000 members strong. Besides the good work they do with Marine Veterans, they also have programs to teach youth values of "honesty, courage, and respect" . After arriving in Waco from California, MOB sought out and joined the local chapter. He became Adjunct Paymaster ( the equivalent of a Treasurer ) then began "the cycle". Two honorable men stood in his way - Commandant Ken Bates and Joe Martinez. MOB began writing letters to everyone in the organization with lies about these men. He also describes himself as the only honest, self sacrificing individual. I have seen the letters, and the slander goes on, but here is the important part. The Marine Corps League investigated, called MOB to a hearing, which I am told he refused to attend. In the end, the Marine Corps League expelled MOB from the organization for his actions. Since MOB is always promoting his past accomplishments as a marine, this is a telling piece he leaves out of his resume.
So, what happened to MOB, why did he suddenly change when arriving in Waco? The answer is he didn't - he came with habits intact. On a website for a military prep school, MOB lists among his accomplishments that he was a school district superintendent. According to the LA Times, that's not quite true. In one of his California employments, MOB became an assistant superintendent in the Bellflower Unified School District ( Los Angeles area). An August 13, 1978 article notes MOB as a subject of controversy among trustees ( school board members) and the community. The controversy revolved around his performance and self promotion to a higher paying job classification. An article written one month later describes MOB as a man of questioned credentials, and notes he came from the Fountain Valley United School District. At Fountain Valley as well, MOB was a point of controversy due to questionable credentials. By 1979, the LA Times writes that five key administrators left the Bellflower District, with only one administrator left --- MOB, assistant superintendent for planning and operations. Several former employees complain of overwork and dissatisfaction with the administration. This real life example shows the damage done when MOB gets the power he craves.
MOB is a man of controversy where ever he goes. One more piece of his past from California makes this even more interesting. The Jan 1978 article notes that the man in question was originally named Micheal Brick and that he changed his name to Micheal O'Bric during this time frame. In California, my understanding is that there are two main reasons men change their name - to seek a career in Hollywood, or to run from something in their past. Did MOB ever tell any of his candidates about his past? Did they ask before embracing his agenda? I don't know, but the implications are scary.
Allow me to reflect about KOB. I have said that MOB and KOB are inseparable. What one is involved in, so is the other. At the first council meeting MOB spoke on record and said he had nothing to do with KOBs lawsuit. That is a lie. MOB personally sent me two letters last year when I was on council, letters from the attorney representing KOB. The letters contain his name as well as hers. Once again, MOB is caught in a lie. Secondly, at the third council meeting I disclosed a problem I discovered concerning KOB denying revenue to the city of Woodway. I pointed the direction and told the new council it needed to be investigated. Two days later Councilman Garner had announced on his blog site that the OBs explained it away.
This says many things. For starters, Chuck is now conducting city business through his blog.He obviously is not worried about the ethical implications of this action as a city representative. With the overwhelming tide of facts to the contrary, Chuck did not look at city records, he simply turned once again to Bricopedia for his information. I have a written document, sent by KOB last year, listing all the Arboretum donors eligible for free rentals. KOB is not on that list, a list that came from her. A list that I believe will be confirmed as truth. Chuck is demonstrating a double standard - put Yost under the microscope, but accept the OBs version of the "truth" without investigation. Sadly, Chuck's actions suggest he is still eager to please the OBs or repay their help in his election. I still hold out hope that the remaining council members will look into how KOB cut unapproved "special deals" with groups like the unofficial track booster club.
One note of clarification. I find anyone that got a "deal" from KOB innocent. They simply took advantage of a great offer, something any group would do. KOB on the other hand, should never have bent the rules - not as a city employee. The irony is that the couple crying foul of everyone elses actions are the actual abusers.
So here are the real OBs. Verifiable. Next blog - What Needs to Happen Next.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Detour # 2
Tonight will be the third council meeting. I will post my entry "the Real OBs" next entry. I want to take a moment and share some observations and comments.
The Waco Trib printed an article about Woodway blogs this past Saturday. Two items discussed in my interview, but not in the article, were the value of blogging (not subject matter) and allowing comments to be posted.
Speaking to Erin Quinn at the Trib, I emphasized that blogging allowed me to have my voice heard "unfiltered". By that I mean no editing by others or interpretation by third party analysts before becoming public. The words in this blog, like them or not, are my words and deliver a complete message.
Concerning blog comments, I elected not to allow them for similar reasons. Commenting works great on do-it-yourself websites, but prove problematic on any other type of internet report. Erin acknowledged the Trib quit allowing comments to their website articles. Mr. Garner reviews his comments and only allows certain ones - he has pulled some off or disallowed them on his blog. As a blogger, it is too tempting to keep the ones you like and remove those you don't. For readers, it's too easy for some to portray themselves anonymously and have no responsibility for their comments or worse portray themselves as many different individuals. In the end, a comment section becomes subjective and not an accurate portrayal of your readership. I'm comfortable the Trib came to similar conclusions.
Not wanting to fall into that trap, I have left my blog in simple format without comments. I trust you the reader to decide for yourselves in an honest environment without the filtered influence of others.
Next blog will be back on task - the Real OBs.
The Waco Trib printed an article about Woodway blogs this past Saturday. Two items discussed in my interview, but not in the article, were the value of blogging (not subject matter) and allowing comments to be posted.
Speaking to Erin Quinn at the Trib, I emphasized that blogging allowed me to have my voice heard "unfiltered". By that I mean no editing by others or interpretation by third party analysts before becoming public. The words in this blog, like them or not, are my words and deliver a complete message.
Concerning blog comments, I elected not to allow them for similar reasons. Commenting works great on do-it-yourself websites, but prove problematic on any other type of internet report. Erin acknowledged the Trib quit allowing comments to their website articles. Mr. Garner reviews his comments and only allows certain ones - he has pulled some off or disallowed them on his blog. As a blogger, it is too tempting to keep the ones you like and remove those you don't. For readers, it's too easy for some to portray themselves anonymously and have no responsibility for their comments or worse portray themselves as many different individuals. In the end, a comment section becomes subjective and not an accurate portrayal of your readership. I'm comfortable the Trib came to similar conclusions.
Not wanting to fall into that trap, I have left my blog in simple format without comments. I trust you the reader to decide for yourselves in an honest environment without the filtered influence of others.
Next blog will be back on task - the Real OBs.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
2nd Council Meeting
Serving the citizens of Woodway was a privilege and pleasure. City employees were great to work with, making the rest of us look good. They were professional, they were courteous; above all they were efficient. The volunteers and elected officials I served with were of high integrity and shared a common goal of meeting the needs of greater Woodway. We always treated visitors to council meetings with dignity and respect. Together as a team, we quietly took care of Woodway business and continued the legacy of our wonderful community. I have been a part of a number of community efforts, but this ranks as the most satisfying.
Looking back, I have two regrets. One - while we were great stewards, we were lousy politicians. I say that because in retrospect, we did not do the one thing all politicians do - brag on their accomplishments and abilities. I believed balancing the budget, holding tax rates, increasing spending on road repair, developing high construction standards, promoting quality commercial development, and standing with citizens when Oncor started cutting trees, that all these things would be noticed and appreciated by citizens. The incumbent backlash on election day said otherwise. My second regret was that instead of standing up to MOBs slander, lies, and wild allegations, we did nothing. At the time, I felt that "turning the other cheek" was the best course of action. I felt engaging him would serve to validate his hate and encourage him to continue. Unfortunately, reality was just the opposite. MOBs onslaught of letters, in the absence of a response, became "self validating" in many citizen's eyes.
I can't correct my first regret, of not being a savvy politician. Quiet frankly, I don't think I would if I could. It's not how I'm wired; it's not my value system. But the second regret, standing up to the city liar and deceiver, that's different. Both MOB and KOB have a history of hurting good people, and with the help of the new council members, are posed to hurt more.
My commitment is now to my family, to neighbors, to citizens of Woodway, and strangely to MOB. At the first council meeting, Mike O'Bric asked for "sins to be exposed and corrected". That is what I plan to do -- expose the OBs for who they really are, expose the OB Party and it's true agenda, and expose any politician that serves that agenda over truth and the meaningful interests of Woodway.
With that understanding, I went to the second council meeting. Brand new Mayor Weber was absent, missing his second meeting. (Okay, allow me to indulge in humor. If MOB were to write a letter about Weber, he would exclaim our mayor has missed 50% of the meetings in his tenure. Not only that, but that he had employees play army in his backyard with city funds!) Back to the meeting. In his place Mayor Pro Tem Gil Lillard opened and officiated the meeting.
Calling for visitors to speak, Gil recognized MOB first. MOB got up and started his rants. He finished this time within 3 minutes. Next I rose to speak. I introduced myself to the council and asked for the same 10 minutes given MOB by Mayor Weber in the first meeting. Hearing no objection, I began. First I spoke about the great condition the city was in when handed to the new council, giving them a written report card of the city under the previous council. I asked them not to take credit for things those before them had accomplished. I then asked the new members to answer the following questions with a show of hands:
1. How many of them had toured city facilities prior to election? ( No hands raised.)
2. How many of them had reviewed the city budget and financial statement with the city controller prior to election? ( No hands raised.)
3. How many had met with city employees and asked about the work environment prior to election? ( No hands raised.)
4. How many had campaign help or involvement by Mike O'Bric? ( No hands raised.)
I then discussed the statistical results of the recent election, pointing out that with other facts (no new member has any volunteer history or city experience) voters had voted incumbents out more than voted them in. That understanding should cause smart men to be cautious and slow a rush to judgement of any kind. At the 3 minute mark, Mayor Pro Tem Lillard told me my time was up.
I protested but Lillard insisted. The week prior Mayor Weber allowed MOB 10 minutes, even though it was not approved. No other council member objected at that first meeting. Now as a voice in opposition to the OB Party, I was being shut down. So I simply asked Gil Lillard if he was going to discriminate against me. I asked a second time, and he stood and replied "Yes". This became his defining moment. MOB is shown favoritism, but those in opposition are not.
Amazing. I left and went into the lobby, asking others to come hear the truth. Instead, most people stayed in the council chamber. They stayed, but one by one, stood at the podium to speak against MOB and his lies. Councilman Don Baker stepped to the podium and spoke against Gil's decision as well. Don also called for an independent audit. Finally De Smith took the podium and deferred her time to me. I came back, and with passion, addressed the council.
Councilman Garner believes I attacked him and attacked Councilman Csibielski. That is incorrect. I spoke against his platform statements, his political statements in the paper. I spoke against him as a city councilman who spreads rumors via the Internet. I spoke directly against Dr. Csibielski's claim to bring integrity to the council when he printed MOB lies in his campaign literature. I spoke against his claim to not be a rubber stamp when in reality his wild claims were the words of MOB. I called on him to follow through with his campaign promises and shut down the "duplicate city hall" he claimed as wasteful spending, and save us the $100,000s in utility bills he said were wasteful. Since he said taxes had been repeatedly raised in the past, I told him to give the citizens a tax reduction. Finally, I told Gil he scared me without publicly disclosing his behavior. I have since exposed his behavior in my blog.
More than anything else, I spoke against MOB. I openly stood up and called him what he is -- a liar. I exposed the fact that he never has proof for any of his wild allegations, in spite of YEARS of making these claims. I told the new council how he had done similar things with Baylor's track program, similar things with the Marine Corp League. Baylor finally ran him off, and the Marine Corp League reprimanded him. It was now their turn to come clean with the citizens.
The first council meeting was memorable for MOB's 10 minute victory speech, favoritism repaid, and the new members taking control of the Woodway City Government. The second meeting was a response to those actions -- a ground swell against MOB, his agenda, and a rush by new members to foolish behavior. The time of Good Stewards is sadly past; the time of the OB Party begins. Next Blog...the Real OBs.
Looking back, I have two regrets. One - while we were great stewards, we were lousy politicians. I say that because in retrospect, we did not do the one thing all politicians do - brag on their accomplishments and abilities. I believed balancing the budget, holding tax rates, increasing spending on road repair, developing high construction standards, promoting quality commercial development, and standing with citizens when Oncor started cutting trees, that all these things would be noticed and appreciated by citizens. The incumbent backlash on election day said otherwise. My second regret was that instead of standing up to MOBs slander, lies, and wild allegations, we did nothing. At the time, I felt that "turning the other cheek" was the best course of action. I felt engaging him would serve to validate his hate and encourage him to continue. Unfortunately, reality was just the opposite. MOBs onslaught of letters, in the absence of a response, became "self validating" in many citizen's eyes.
I can't correct my first regret, of not being a savvy politician. Quiet frankly, I don't think I would if I could. It's not how I'm wired; it's not my value system. But the second regret, standing up to the city liar and deceiver, that's different. Both MOB and KOB have a history of hurting good people, and with the help of the new council members, are posed to hurt more.
My commitment is now to my family, to neighbors, to citizens of Woodway, and strangely to MOB. At the first council meeting, Mike O'Bric asked for "sins to be exposed and corrected". That is what I plan to do -- expose the OBs for who they really are, expose the OB Party and it's true agenda, and expose any politician that serves that agenda over truth and the meaningful interests of Woodway.
With that understanding, I went to the second council meeting. Brand new Mayor Weber was absent, missing his second meeting. (Okay, allow me to indulge in humor. If MOB were to write a letter about Weber, he would exclaim our mayor has missed 50% of the meetings in his tenure. Not only that, but that he had employees play army in his backyard with city funds!) Back to the meeting. In his place Mayor Pro Tem Gil Lillard opened and officiated the meeting.
Calling for visitors to speak, Gil recognized MOB first. MOB got up and started his rants. He finished this time within 3 minutes. Next I rose to speak. I introduced myself to the council and asked for the same 10 minutes given MOB by Mayor Weber in the first meeting. Hearing no objection, I began. First I spoke about the great condition the city was in when handed to the new council, giving them a written report card of the city under the previous council. I asked them not to take credit for things those before them had accomplished. I then asked the new members to answer the following questions with a show of hands:
1. How many of them had toured city facilities prior to election? ( No hands raised.)
2. How many of them had reviewed the city budget and financial statement with the city controller prior to election? ( No hands raised.)
3. How many had met with city employees and asked about the work environment prior to election? ( No hands raised.)
4. How many had campaign help or involvement by Mike O'Bric? ( No hands raised.)
I then discussed the statistical results of the recent election, pointing out that with other facts (no new member has any volunteer history or city experience) voters had voted incumbents out more than voted them in. That understanding should cause smart men to be cautious and slow a rush to judgement of any kind. At the 3 minute mark, Mayor Pro Tem Lillard told me my time was up.
I protested but Lillard insisted. The week prior Mayor Weber allowed MOB 10 minutes, even though it was not approved. No other council member objected at that first meeting. Now as a voice in opposition to the OB Party, I was being shut down. So I simply asked Gil Lillard if he was going to discriminate against me. I asked a second time, and he stood and replied "Yes". This became his defining moment. MOB is shown favoritism, but those in opposition are not.
Amazing. I left and went into the lobby, asking others to come hear the truth. Instead, most people stayed in the council chamber. They stayed, but one by one, stood at the podium to speak against MOB and his lies. Councilman Don Baker stepped to the podium and spoke against Gil's decision as well. Don also called for an independent audit. Finally De Smith took the podium and deferred her time to me. I came back, and with passion, addressed the council.
Councilman Garner believes I attacked him and attacked Councilman Csibielski. That is incorrect. I spoke against his platform statements, his political statements in the paper. I spoke against him as a city councilman who spreads rumors via the Internet. I spoke directly against Dr. Csibielski's claim to bring integrity to the council when he printed MOB lies in his campaign literature. I spoke against his claim to not be a rubber stamp when in reality his wild claims were the words of MOB. I called on him to follow through with his campaign promises and shut down the "duplicate city hall" he claimed as wasteful spending, and save us the $100,000s in utility bills he said were wasteful. Since he said taxes had been repeatedly raised in the past, I told him to give the citizens a tax reduction. Finally, I told Gil he scared me without publicly disclosing his behavior. I have since exposed his behavior in my blog.
More than anything else, I spoke against MOB. I openly stood up and called him what he is -- a liar. I exposed the fact that he never has proof for any of his wild allegations, in spite of YEARS of making these claims. I told the new council how he had done similar things with Baylor's track program, similar things with the Marine Corp League. Baylor finally ran him off, and the Marine Corp League reprimanded him. It was now their turn to come clean with the citizens.
The first council meeting was memorable for MOB's 10 minute victory speech, favoritism repaid, and the new members taking control of the Woodway City Government. The second meeting was a response to those actions -- a ground swell against MOB, his agenda, and a rush by new members to foolish behavior. The time of Good Stewards is sadly past; the time of the OB Party begins. Next Blog...the Real OBs.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Time to Take a Stand
Sorry to take so long to put out this edition -- my original goal was to post every three to four days. Family life has a funny way of requiring my attention every now and then.
Backing up, my last blog dealt with the first council meeting. So many things occurred that I want to recap:
1. The total number of seats on the council is seven.
2. Four new council members took the oath of office and were seated.
3. None of the four have any city volunteer experience - not on any council, board, or commission. As a group, they now hold a majority.
4. The four new members nominated and seconded one of their group for mayor, and voted as a block to elect him to the position.
5. Woodway now has a mayor with no city experience ( Weber).
6. Woodway now has two former mayors as incumbents (Baker & Giddings).
7. The new members nominate and second one of their own as mayor pro tem, and he is elected.
8. Woodway now has both a mayor and mayor pro tem with zero city experience.
9. New Councilman Garner writes the four new members voted the " Party Line".
10.Woodway for the first time has a political party.
11. The common denominator of these new councilmen -- Mike O'Bric.
12. MOB is founder of the OB party. He donated money, helped write campaign flyers, and contributed in other ways to each new member's election campaign.
13. When the council moves to accept Roberts Rules of Order, Mayor Pro Tem Gil Lillard postpones the vote for a month because he said he has never read it.
14. In his first act, during the hearing of visitors, Mayor Weber overrides the time limit rule of limiting visitors to only speak for 3 minutes. This privilege is granted to one man Mike OBric, political mentor and party patron to Mayor Weber. He is allowed to rant for 10 minutes.
15. Mayor Weber's second action is to try and act on MOB's request for an investigation of Yost Zackhary. Incumbents remind him he can't do that during the hearing of visitors.
In addition to these realities were the events leading up to the first meeting:
1. Councilman Garner runs on a platform to evict Yost Zackhary from office.
2. Councilman Csibeilski promises not to be a rubber stamp, condemns what he calls a "second city hall worth $2,000,000", condemns $100,000 plus dollars in wasted utilities for this duplicate city hall, all while his campaign promises are the words put forth by MOB in his letters.
3. Councilman Garner, in a newspaper interview, states after being elected that he may have been "harsh" in his words about Yost. He quickly reverses course again by belittling his orientation with Yost (in his blog).
4. Councilman Garner tries to scare citizens by spreading a rumor about a rumor (sorry, sounds confusing) that a "high city official" was trying to undermine new members concerning the Arboretum, and that this official is going to pack the council chamber with an unfriendly crowd. ( The rumor turns out to be false, but interestingly the only other person to talk in detail about the rumor is MOB who actually mentions Yost by name).
I want to add one last thing, that happened outside the council chamber, something only a few people know. Friday prior to the first council meeting, Gil Lillard spoke to Don Baker and asked if he would take the Mayor's position again if he nominated him. Don replied he had decided not to, but that others had encouraged him to take the position if the votes are in his favor. Don said he would but only if Lillard, as a new member, would accept nomination as mayor pro tem. Gil said he didn't know if he should, but would think about it. Don called Gil back the following Monday, the day of the first council meeting. When he finally got hold of Gil, Gil said he would not take the position, he did not want it. So imagine Don's surprise when Gil failed to second Don's nomination, failed to even vote for Don. Imagine Don's additional surprise when Gil accepted the OB Party nomination for mayor pro tem and was elected. Although these actions are not illegal, they do expose the true character of Gil Lillard and how he deals with people.
I really expected to be doing other things after losing my council seat. But the sudden rise of the OB Party was just too scary to ignore. During a two week period, these four "Brickies" brought back-room politics to Woodway. Their focus was to quickly get Yost out of office, repaying MOB in the process, and follow the Party Line. With all their calls for a more open government, why did they "forget" to tell people they were part of a party, one with MOB's agenda? Why didn't they tell people they were supported by MOB? Why did all their "facts & figures" come from MOB and not city records? For the record, none of them had ever sought information pre-election from the city. They campaigned against wasteful spending, yet now the city has no real choice but to spend tens of thousands of dollars for an audit to confirm the independent audit you as citizens have already paid for. Why would Garner put forth a rumor to citizens when he was calling for a more responsible government? And finally, in perhaps the cruelest irony, if they truly thought people were concerned that Yost Zachary had too much power, why did they think that Mike OBric running the city through their majority would be acceptable?
In this moment I knew it was time to take a stand, expose these men and their OB Party in the "light of day". I decided to attend the 2nd council meeting and speak directly to the new council.
Next Blog - the Second Council Meeting.
Backing up, my last blog dealt with the first council meeting. So many things occurred that I want to recap:
1. The total number of seats on the council is seven.
2. Four new council members took the oath of office and were seated.
3. None of the four have any city volunteer experience - not on any council, board, or commission. As a group, they now hold a majority.
4. The four new members nominated and seconded one of their group for mayor, and voted as a block to elect him to the position.
5. Woodway now has a mayor with no city experience ( Weber).
6. Woodway now has two former mayors as incumbents (Baker & Giddings).
7. The new members nominate and second one of their own as mayor pro tem, and he is elected.
8. Woodway now has both a mayor and mayor pro tem with zero city experience.
9. New Councilman Garner writes the four new members voted the " Party Line".
10.Woodway for the first time has a political party.
11. The common denominator of these new councilmen -- Mike O'Bric.
12. MOB is founder of the OB party. He donated money, helped write campaign flyers, and contributed in other ways to each new member's election campaign.
13. When the council moves to accept Roberts Rules of Order, Mayor Pro Tem Gil Lillard postpones the vote for a month because he said he has never read it.
14. In his first act, during the hearing of visitors, Mayor Weber overrides the time limit rule of limiting visitors to only speak for 3 minutes. This privilege is granted to one man Mike OBric, political mentor and party patron to Mayor Weber. He is allowed to rant for 10 minutes.
15. Mayor Weber's second action is to try and act on MOB's request for an investigation of Yost Zackhary. Incumbents remind him he can't do that during the hearing of visitors.
In addition to these realities were the events leading up to the first meeting:
1. Councilman Garner runs on a platform to evict Yost Zackhary from office.
2. Councilman Csibeilski promises not to be a rubber stamp, condemns what he calls a "second city hall worth $2,000,000", condemns $100,000 plus dollars in wasted utilities for this duplicate city hall, all while his campaign promises are the words put forth by MOB in his letters.
3. Councilman Garner, in a newspaper interview, states after being elected that he may have been "harsh" in his words about Yost. He quickly reverses course again by belittling his orientation with Yost (in his blog).
4. Councilman Garner tries to scare citizens by spreading a rumor about a rumor (sorry, sounds confusing) that a "high city official" was trying to undermine new members concerning the Arboretum, and that this official is going to pack the council chamber with an unfriendly crowd. ( The rumor turns out to be false, but interestingly the only other person to talk in detail about the rumor is MOB who actually mentions Yost by name).
I want to add one last thing, that happened outside the council chamber, something only a few people know. Friday prior to the first council meeting, Gil Lillard spoke to Don Baker and asked if he would take the Mayor's position again if he nominated him. Don replied he had decided not to, but that others had encouraged him to take the position if the votes are in his favor. Don said he would but only if Lillard, as a new member, would accept nomination as mayor pro tem. Gil said he didn't know if he should, but would think about it. Don called Gil back the following Monday, the day of the first council meeting. When he finally got hold of Gil, Gil said he would not take the position, he did not want it. So imagine Don's surprise when Gil failed to second Don's nomination, failed to even vote for Don. Imagine Don's additional surprise when Gil accepted the OB Party nomination for mayor pro tem and was elected. Although these actions are not illegal, they do expose the true character of Gil Lillard and how he deals with people.
I really expected to be doing other things after losing my council seat. But the sudden rise of the OB Party was just too scary to ignore. During a two week period, these four "Brickies" brought back-room politics to Woodway. Their focus was to quickly get Yost out of office, repaying MOB in the process, and follow the Party Line. With all their calls for a more open government, why did they "forget" to tell people they were part of a party, one with MOB's agenda? Why didn't they tell people they were supported by MOB? Why did all their "facts & figures" come from MOB and not city records? For the record, none of them had ever sought information pre-election from the city. They campaigned against wasteful spending, yet now the city has no real choice but to spend tens of thousands of dollars for an audit to confirm the independent audit you as citizens have already paid for. Why would Garner put forth a rumor to citizens when he was calling for a more responsible government? And finally, in perhaps the cruelest irony, if they truly thought people were concerned that Yost Zachary had too much power, why did they think that Mike OBric running the city through their majority would be acceptable?
In this moment I knew it was time to take a stand, expose these men and their OB Party in the "light of day". I decided to attend the 2nd council meeting and speak directly to the new council.
Next Blog - the Second Council Meeting.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
First Council Meeting
The first council meeting was actually three events! First the standing mayor, in this case Don Baker, opened a council meeting with pre-election council members. Tabulation of election day votes, called canvassing voting results, is conducted. It is then voted into adoption. Unless there is evidence of impropriety at the booth, the results are accepted as a true reflection of citizen votes. The votes were accepted. Next the standing council moves to adopt the results. They did and the results were adopted. Finally, that first mini-meeting is brought to a close. As a point of reference - all council meetings are subject to the approved rules of Robert's Rules of Order.
The second event is a ceremony, where all new members elected to the council are sworn in. This is done by the city attorney ( David Cherry) and all new members sign an affidavit.
The final event is a second council meeting. Standing Mayor Don Baker called the meeting to order and opened with a prayer. This begins the first official meeting by the new council.
The first two items on the agenda become the election of mayor followed by the election of the mayor pro tem. Another point of reference -- cities differ on how a mayor is seated. Some are voted in by citizens in the general election ( think Waco), while some are are voted in by the council from among seated members. The path and mechanism is determined by approved city ordinance. Woodway's ordinance allows for the seated council to elect the mayor and mayor pro tem. Point of Reference - the term "pro tem" comes from the word temporary, so the mayor pro tem is actually a person that can serve as mayor temporarily or for a limited time.
David Cherry, city legal council, called for nominations. Incumbent Jane Kittner nominated Don Baker; after a moment, incumbent Scott Giddenings seconded. Immediately Bill Weber, new member, was nominated and seconded by fellow new members Paul Scibeilski and Chuck Garner. A vote was cast, and as noted by Chuck Garner in his blog, Bill Weber was elected by "party line" vote. Bill takes the mayor seat, voicing a word of thanks. By his words, Bill will be stumbling through the meeting since he has never been elected to a public office before. David Cherry is asked by Bill to continue and nominations for mayor pro tem begins. New member Gil Lillard is nominated and seconded again by party members Paul Scibeilski and Chuck Garner. No one else is nominated and Gil is elected mayor pro tem. Weber states he thinks as a matter of protocol, the mayor pro tem should be seated next to him.
The meeting is now in the hands of the new mayor. Following the agenda, he calls for the annual acceptance of Roberts Rules of Order, tenth addition. Mayor pro tem Lillard quickly makes the following motion - he wants to defer acceptance as he has not read Roberts Rules of Order. He asks for this to be postponed for a month, until the third council meeting. The motion is seconded by a new member. With the OB Party holding majority, it passes. Comment --The new council did not accept Roberts Rules of Order. Forget that it is taught in high school, used by almost all non-profit organizations. The OB party wants to take a month to look at it. Love the job but not the homework I guess.
Dear Citizens of Woodway, with dust settling on the first moments of the first meeting, here is a recap of your 10' Woodway City Council:
1. Four O'Bric party members with no experience in city service. No experience on city commissions. No experience on city boards. They nominated and elected the mayor and mayor pro tem from their ranks.
2. Three experienced incumbents ( no party affiliation). They have decades of city experience - service as mayors, as councilmen, and as members of Planning & Zoning among others. All have a proven track record of results and responsibility, verifiable by city records.
Change has come - did you know you elected the OB party to majority? is it what you expected?
Back to the meeting, a call for visitors to speak was made. The stated time limit is to be 3 minutes, but that is discretionary by the Mayor's voice. Party founder Mike O'Bric is the first to talk. He immediately asks for 5 minutes and and receives mayoral approval. Point of reference - Bill's first act is to grant special favor to the man who handled his election campaign.
Now MOB launches into all his lies and slanders against Yost Zakhary, while stating he represents all citizens. During his rant, he brings up a rumor of a clandestine action by Yost to scare people into thinking new members will shut down the Arboretum. Point of reference - the first and only other person to broadcast this rumor was Chuck Garner on his blog. Now five minutes into his speech, Mayor Weber reminds MOB he is up against the granted limit. Mike asks for more, stating his handicap of a "struggling voice" ( remember my earlier blog about the MOB sympathy technique?). The mayor laughs and allows him to continue. At the ten minute mark, the mayor urges him to wrap up again. Then Mayor Weber asks what action MOB is asking for, and must be reminded by incumbents that council can only do that with an agenda item, not a visitor's request. Remember Bill said he would stumble? His actions show he is stumbling towards MOB and the OB Party.
The meeting goes into closed session. The legal representatives were to advise new members on all pending litigation for/against the city, the most prominent being Karen OB's lawsuit against Woodway. At some point the council comes out, finishing misc items and adjoins.
A lot of folks turned out to observe the first meeting. Some well wishers. Some concerned citizens. Some wanting to understand the impact of four new members.
I did not attend the meeting knowing MOB would be taking a verbal "Victory Lap". And why not? His stable of party candidates all won. But I did file an open records act and get a recording of the meeting, using that to write this entry. The conduct and actions of the OB councilmen proves profound. They feel good, but their actions galvanize a number of citizens into motion. I am one of those citizens.
So what about this meeting caused such a backlash - wasn't this just basic stuff?
Next blog: Time to Take A Stand.
The second event is a ceremony, where all new members elected to the council are sworn in. This is done by the city attorney ( David Cherry) and all new members sign an affidavit.
The final event is a second council meeting. Standing Mayor Don Baker called the meeting to order and opened with a prayer. This begins the first official meeting by the new council.
The first two items on the agenda become the election of mayor followed by the election of the mayor pro tem. Another point of reference -- cities differ on how a mayor is seated. Some are voted in by citizens in the general election ( think Waco), while some are are voted in by the council from among seated members. The path and mechanism is determined by approved city ordinance. Woodway's ordinance allows for the seated council to elect the mayor and mayor pro tem. Point of Reference - the term "pro tem" comes from the word temporary, so the mayor pro tem is actually a person that can serve as mayor temporarily or for a limited time.
David Cherry, city legal council, called for nominations. Incumbent Jane Kittner nominated Don Baker; after a moment, incumbent Scott Giddenings seconded. Immediately Bill Weber, new member, was nominated and seconded by fellow new members Paul Scibeilski and Chuck Garner. A vote was cast, and as noted by Chuck Garner in his blog, Bill Weber was elected by "party line" vote. Bill takes the mayor seat, voicing a word of thanks. By his words, Bill will be stumbling through the meeting since he has never been elected to a public office before. David Cherry is asked by Bill to continue and nominations for mayor pro tem begins. New member Gil Lillard is nominated and seconded again by party members Paul Scibeilski and Chuck Garner. No one else is nominated and Gil is elected mayor pro tem. Weber states he thinks as a matter of protocol, the mayor pro tem should be seated next to him.
The meeting is now in the hands of the new mayor. Following the agenda, he calls for the annual acceptance of Roberts Rules of Order, tenth addition. Mayor pro tem Lillard quickly makes the following motion - he wants to defer acceptance as he has not read Roberts Rules of Order. He asks for this to be postponed for a month, until the third council meeting. The motion is seconded by a new member. With the OB Party holding majority, it passes. Comment --The new council did not accept Roberts Rules of Order. Forget that it is taught in high school, used by almost all non-profit organizations. The OB party wants to take a month to look at it. Love the job but not the homework I guess.
Dear Citizens of Woodway, with dust settling on the first moments of the first meeting, here is a recap of your 10' Woodway City Council:
1. Four O'Bric party members with no experience in city service. No experience on city commissions. No experience on city boards. They nominated and elected the mayor and mayor pro tem from their ranks.
2. Three experienced incumbents ( no party affiliation). They have decades of city experience - service as mayors, as councilmen, and as members of Planning & Zoning among others. All have a proven track record of results and responsibility, verifiable by city records.
Change has come - did you know you elected the OB party to majority? is it what you expected?
Back to the meeting, a call for visitors to speak was made. The stated time limit is to be 3 minutes, but that is discretionary by the Mayor's voice. Party founder Mike O'Bric is the first to talk. He immediately asks for 5 minutes and and receives mayoral approval. Point of reference - Bill's first act is to grant special favor to the man who handled his election campaign.
Now MOB launches into all his lies and slanders against Yost Zakhary, while stating he represents all citizens. During his rant, he brings up a rumor of a clandestine action by Yost to scare people into thinking new members will shut down the Arboretum. Point of reference - the first and only other person to broadcast this rumor was Chuck Garner on his blog. Now five minutes into his speech, Mayor Weber reminds MOB he is up against the granted limit. Mike asks for more, stating his handicap of a "struggling voice" ( remember my earlier blog about the MOB sympathy technique?). The mayor laughs and allows him to continue. At the ten minute mark, the mayor urges him to wrap up again. Then Mayor Weber asks what action MOB is asking for, and must be reminded by incumbents that council can only do that with an agenda item, not a visitor's request. Remember Bill said he would stumble? His actions show he is stumbling towards MOB and the OB Party.
The meeting goes into closed session. The legal representatives were to advise new members on all pending litigation for/against the city, the most prominent being Karen OB's lawsuit against Woodway. At some point the council comes out, finishing misc items and adjoins.
A lot of folks turned out to observe the first meeting. Some well wishers. Some concerned citizens. Some wanting to understand the impact of four new members.
I did not attend the meeting knowing MOB would be taking a verbal "Victory Lap". And why not? His stable of party candidates all won. But I did file an open records act and get a recording of the meeting, using that to write this entry. The conduct and actions of the OB councilmen proves profound. They feel good, but their actions galvanize a number of citizens into motion. I am one of those citizens.
So what about this meeting caused such a backlash - wasn't this just basic stuff?
Next blog: Time to Take A Stand.
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