1.22.2008

My hat's in.

Hey I'm back!
Apologies to the two readers of this blog for my hiatus. I've been wicked busy.
I would love to spend paragraphs catch'in ya'll up on my adventures, but good sense tells me to keep this reasonably short.
So let's talk about the paper; our beloved Mirror.
After a three day weekend our local rag is wafer thin. Hard to believe that there was so little going on on this community that all four pages, (subtract the comics and classifieds), had little to say about what is really going on.
I have wondered for some time about the escalating brevity in the "Letters To The Editor" section of the local pulp. There is so much happening in this community, why is this section getting so spartan in it's commentary?
I hesitate to believe that so many have so little to say. Perhaps the same machine that stifled Nick in his prime, has persevered and we have given up on the hope that we have something to say.
That said I need to address one thing.
The Borrough assembly is in the midst of legal and personal turmoil. Talking with some colleagues I learned that all is not well in Camelot.
I did not realize that "attendance gate" is far from over. Come to find out that Mr. Stephens lawsuit is far from over. Sure the judge ruled and our assembly members acquiesced. They did the right thing, given the circumstances. However; I come to find out that three of the current board members are co-plaintiffs in this law suite.
This is what spurred the heated discussion at the last meeting.
Fellow voters, I ask this. Why should we pay for extra attorneys when board members choose to seek private representation? Why would we allow standing members to sue our community and pay their costs to do so?
I think it is time for the details of this law suite to be made public. Not an unreasonable expectation; given the outcome and burden this community will have to pay.
There are a few members of this assembly who really want to enable change on our island. There are also a few that want to maintain the status quo. or who signed on with personal axes to grind. Can you say RECALL?
Look at this, get informed, make a decision!
If our elected officials are not informing the constituents, are not listening to the will of the people, then CUT THEM LOOSE!
That said;
Our local rag. Where is the impartial. non-partisan , information we desire? The majority of the drivel that is printed is available on the I-Net or any major national pub. If the local media is not shining light in the corners then who is?
I challenge the Daily Mirror to pick up that spotlight and shine it in the dark corners that drive the economy of this island. We must hold our elected officials accountable, otherwise we are sheep. KMXT; keep looking into those dark corners, but look deeper. Who cares if you lose a sponsor? If you pursue truth and shine that light into the real business of this community, more sponsors will appear.
To my fellow Flat's Rat's and other borough citizens.
What up? Ask those uncomfortable questions. Expect reasonable answers. Demand public accountability.
In closing: someone publish the details of this law suite, give us names and grievances. Let us decide what to fight for. What is right is right, but the government is not our parents. Rather it is the other way around. We give you the chance to sink or swim, and we should hold you accountable for your actions or in-actions.
Wow,; I am spent.
I have thrown my little hat into the ring. Disagree? Then step up, but put it in a public forum for all to see. Yep, that's my last challenge to the paper and our elected officials. Put your cards on the table. I welcome all rebuttal. If the blog-o-sphere daunts you, ask around, I am not hard to find.
The right thing is not always the easy thing, but is always right thing.
Peace
Griff

9 comments:

Ishmael said...

Great Rant, Flats Rant!

As I understand it, the three assembly members who hired an attorney on their own did not file suit against the borough. They were sued by Mel Stephens like the rest, the mayor and the borough itself. The only difference is they did not agree with the borough attorney's opinion on attendance gate. I'm not a lawyer and don't play one on TV, but I think the upshot is they disagreed with the borough's position and hired an attorney to represent their dissenting position, not to join in the suit on Stephens' side. As to whether we should be paying for their attorney ... I don't know. I do know I don't want an assembly that agrees on everything all the time.

That being said, those three (mostly two of them) certainly are not agents for positive change in Kodiak, in my opinion. We could make such strides in energy independence and economic development on this island if there weren't those who are against virtually everything.

As for the Mirror: I think the new reporters are doing a better job than the last two. Check out last Friday's paper. And I too am getting kinda tired of the usual suspects appearing in the Letters section. Perhaps an outreach for Op/Ed contributors wouldn't be out of line.... Hmmmm... Maybe they did try that sometime last year....?

Ishmael said...

Of course I meant "Great Rant, Flats RAT."

Anonymous said...

You can go to the courthouse and get a copy of the lawsuit since it’s public record. I think you’re off base regarding that there are assembly members who are plaintiffs. You should make sure of something like that before you post it.

The KDM is lame. Always has been, always will. The town is too PC to allow distention in their paper. They survive by sponsors and will never do anything to alienate them. They get threatened all the time by sponsors who will pull their ads. Anywhere else the KDM would be one of those small town papers in the foyer of the grocery store where the free real estate ads are.

As far as the quality of the members of the assembly. Some are good and really do care but for the most part the only people who throw their hat into the ring are egocentrics who would brow beat quality people to the point of people not seeking reelection or resign due to “personal reasons”. Quality folks who are used to reasonable discourse get on the assembly with the best intentions and then get stabbed in the back so often that you only get the Reed Oswalts and Tom Ables and Louise what-ever-her-name is type.

The recent attendance compromise will make things worse. There are so many provisions that it will be real easy for Mel Stephens or that crazy old lady who is always there to get one of their cronies to say someone isn’t physically or mentally able to serve. They will push for psychiatric evaluations etc. Remember the new code. The assembly gets to decide if you’re physically or mentally able to serve not a doctor. I see great opportunities in the future for Mel.

This fall is a great opportunity to get two of the big problems off the assembly. To do so it will require people of high character and quality to apply. People like Ish and….YOU! You want to throw your hat into the real ring? Do you have answers to the problems we face? If so, why don’t you run? I would vote for you. Are you going to hide behind the Coast Guard and say you can’t run because of that, or you’re too busy? We have had active duty people seek election on the school board in the past. Finally, do you want to discuss our problems or do you want to do something about our problems? You and Ish are smart, you can knock these two jokers off the assembly and half the problem will be over. If you don’t I have a feeling we’ll see Mel back on there real soon.

Kodiakbear said...

It seems to me that when you are in the minority on any issue that comes to a vote before the assembly, you swallow your disappointment and get on with the next issue. You don't sue the body of which you are a member! Imagine if every time people in the minority on a vote sued the borough and then asked to have the borough pay their attorney's fees. What a mess that would be. The people who sued have hidden agendas and various personal issues with other people on the assembly or relatives and friends of other people on the assembly. It's not as clear-cut as they make it out to be. There's a lot of unspoken history there, although they would never admit it.

Anonymous said...

The Bear man sounds right on with this one. Listen to his sage advice.

kodiakgriff said...

Yippee! People seem to be reading my drivel.
I will answer as much as I can on the blog.
As for Assembly watcher's comments I have one quick reply. I never hide behind anything.
More to follow
Peace.

Anonymous said...

Assembly Watcher is right Griff, you should run for office this fall. Ish should run too but I'm not sure how he can run and protect his ananimity and still run his blog with the same high quality he presently has. Your blog ain't so bad either Griff! Run! Run! Run!

Ishmael said...

John, you're very kind. Maybe I can wear a mask. Naw, people deserve to know who their representatives are and how to contact them. Speaking of which, did you know Jerome Selby does not list an e-mail address? I don't know if he just doesn't have one, or if he just choses not to communicate that way....

Keep up the great posts, Griff!

kodiakgriff said...

Any publicly elected official, who does not provide an avenue for public response bears watching.
I may not always agree with the responses, but I will always agree with and respect the right to have them.
Peace
Griff