Life Of Jason

A couple thoughts on tonight’s Council meeting and a follow up to something that happened.  You may have noticed that Councilman Dan Chiles voted no on one issue:

COUNCIL BILL 2008-073 A special ordinance approving the plans and specifications for the Scenic Avenue Force Main Extension; authorizing award of the construction contract for the project to Rosetta Construction, LLC; and amending the budget for the City of Springfield, Missouri, for the Department of Public Works for the fiscal year 2007-2008 in the amount of $1,143,845.00.

I asked Councilman Chiles after the private session why he voted no on the measure and it was as I and some other media people had speculated…it was because the bid was not given to the lowest bidder but to a local business that was a little higher but within an acceptable margin.

“In construction, the lowest bid wins,” Councilman Chiles told me.  He went on to say it made him wonder what construction companies outside our community will think when it comes to bidding for our projects.  He said we want them to come here and we cannot leave the impression it’s not fair to all bidders.

Now, on to other things.

First off, the CU gas rate hike.  I am completely against it because it’s too hard to pay their utility rates right now.  They may want to keep saying their rates are 20% lower than other big cities in our area but our incomes are much lower as well.   My gas bill is more than my insurance for my car and home, cell phone and cable bill COMBINED.  That’s with me keeping my heat at 60 degrees on nights it’s colder than 50 and off any other night.  Don’t tell me that the gas rates are so reasonable.  I’m on the lower income side of the spectrum but there are many here in Springfield worse off than I am who can’t pay their bills now.

CU needs to show us what they’re cutting and how they’re trimming their budget before asking for this increase.  There’s another thing with this as well…the avoidance of answering the question regarding the statement about the increase rates being due to less gas usage.

The statement being made is that according to a statement from CU the rates are going up because there was less gas used by consumers.  So consumers say they’re being punished with higher rates because they are using less gas.  The response tonight from Mr. Twitty…which was the same response he gave me during a session of City University…was “well, if you use less gas then you will have a lower bill.”

I’m sorry, Mr. Twitty…that does not answer the question that is being asked of you.

You’re being asked to explain why customers who are conserving already…using less gas…changing their lives to lower their gas consumption and therefore have a lower bill are now going to be given higher rates because they were conserving and using less gas.  You ARE raising their bills because they were conserving and using less.  It’s simple black and white numbers here, Mr. Twitty.

Why should someone conserve and use less gas if you’re going to make them pay more for it with a rate hike?  Of course using less lowers your bill.  That doesn’t explain your raising rates because people overall are using less gas.

Now, as for Mayor Carlson’s slip of the tongue tonight.  KSPR’s already made it a major story on their website.  I have little doubt the “ends justify the means” crowd will begin their mocking of the Mayor in the morning.  It doesn’t change the fact that the essence of what the Mayor was saying is a valid concern.

When the gentleman tonight stood up and made his crack that he had to be careful what he said or he would be executed I know that some thought it was really hilarious but that kind of comment is out of line in the Council chambers.  You may think you’re some kind of great citizen patriot by insulting the Mayor but all it does is disrupt the proceedings of City Council and it contributes absolutely nothing to the discussion and it does nothing to add any credibility to you or the argument that you are making to Council and to your fellow citizens.

While I disagree with the Mayor in terms of people applauding if they agree with the comments of a speaker I can certainly see why he does not want that happening in the chamber.  If people are going to be applauding and cheering then the natural tendency of people is to try and do or say something that will continue to encourage that kind of behavior.  It won’t take long before the proceedings get out of hand.  Then you’d have the same people who are causing an incident complaining about how the City Council is out of control and doesn’t get anything done.

There is a difference between clapping in approval of what’s being said and clapping and cheering because someone “just got ‘em.”  You’re not cheering the points made or the issues that were being raised but rather you’re cheering the fact someone just made the Council look stupid/inactive/ineffective in the eyes of a small group in attendance that evening and their supporters who will be writing letters to the News-Leader to talk about how great it was to see the citizens put the Council in their place.

This is not the way to get things done.  This is not the way to get the City Council to take you seriously.  All this does is make people like myself who would be on your side in terms of not wanting to see a rate hike for CU think you just gave more credibility to Mr. Twitty and the CU staff for presenting their case in a calm, professional manner.

As I was leaving tonight, I was talking to the Mayor about a local group of citizens who are banding together to make a difference.  They’re going to be getting their candidates together to run for office and try to bring a wholesale change to the city hall.  The Mayor agreed with me that as long as they go about it in the right way it’s a great thing for this community to have citizens that fired up to make a change and make a difference.

This is the way change can be truly made by the citizens in action.   Don’t bring in props or stand up and make cracks that insult the Council.  Show up in numbers like we had happen tonight.  Get a dozen or more speakers ready to talk to the Council and present different information in a professional, calm manner to show parts of the whole picture.  Give some light and polite applause when they’re finished.  If you’re organized, have solid information and lay out a case for your side then you will get results.  It may not be from the Council but you will get it from the citizens and when election time rolls around you can get changes put in place on Council.

Finally, the man who made the crack to the Mayor that he didn’t have to run for office if he was concerned about security in the Council chambers.  It’s absurd to tell someone that one of the conditions of running for City Council is that they need to be comfortable with the idea they can be shot for serving their city.  (And that’s what you’re saying when you tell the Mayor he doesn’t have to run for office when he expresses concern about the Kirkwood issue.)

There are sympathetic voices on the Council when it comes to standing against the CU rate increase but you need to present your case to them without histrionics or overly dramatic displays or insults to CU’s executives or city staff.

But back to the main point, there has to be a level of decorum in the Council chambers for all people concerned from the Mayor down to anyone who wishes to address the Council.  This is an official business proceeding and everyone involved needs to act in that manner.  Follow the rules of the chamber that have been long established and show respect to each other while in that setting.

I know that some will disagree with showing respect to others while in the Council chambers (or, really, showing respect to others they disagree with at any time) but it’s not in the best interest of advancing a cause in the city to insult, mock and belittle your opposition instead of just presenting your case.