Good morning.
Thursday in Whitewater will be rainy with a high of 66. Sunrise is 7:22 and sunset 5:55 for 10h 32m 46s of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 92.5% of its visible disk illuminated.
Whitewater Fire Department, Inc. will hold a business meeting at 6 PM.
On this day in 1944, the Battle of Leyte Gulf ends with an overwhelming American & Australian victory over the Imperial Japanese Navy.
In the discussion about whether the Whitewater Common Council should hire an attorney of its own (already having two firms and what should be councilmembers’ own judgment available), Councilman Jim Allen’s remarks are notable both for how nebulous and how limited they are.
Allen’s shifting explanations on 8.15.23 amount to five claims in a six-minute period: (1) “in regard to personnel matters or employees that the council oversees,” (2) separate representation when doing the city manager’s performance evaluation, (3) only as needed, (4) “don’t have a use for it right now, I don’t believe,” (5) “it’s just discretion.” See Allen’s Childish Pretexts.
In the two months between those shifting justifications and the 10.17.23 council meeting, Allen has offered nothing to Whitewater more substantial by explanation. He has, however, in that October session received approval for the sole authority to find an offering of possible attorneys to present.
(As it turned out, Allen received his approval from the council majority without ever offering a serious justification for what he needed. It’s not enough to say what others will or won’t do; a rational basis for decision-making requires Allen to explain why he needs a lawyer and why that sole authority should be in his hands.)
Almost as bad, Allen shows impatience with the very discussion to which he, himself, has been so vague and unpersuasive.
During that October session, Allen complained that the continued discussion of the issue would take too long:
Yeah, going out to, uh [cross talk] with, uh, would extend things out to December.
The man who told the community that a third attorney was only as needed and without a use right now shows himself to be in a rush.
Okay, we’re not going to continue debating this.
While others have spoken at length in opposition, Allen — a longtime politician — has said next to nothing, and even less of substance.
(His claim on 8.15.23 that “what we’re looking to do here is something different that puts our attorneys in kind of a pickle” reveals a complete lack of meaning. It also suggests, however, through the use of the first person plural that Allen has had an out-of-council and out-of-public-view discussion on this topic with other councilmembers. Video 8.15.23 @ 00:41.)
Allen may think that “in kind of pickle” is an adequate justification. If he’s looking for folksy sayings, however, another expression is more apt to this discussion:
Haste makes waste.
The weak rush; the strong discuss.
A reminder: Whitewater deserves better from its common council majority; this city is better than its council majority. Whitewater deserves better from its community development authority’s majority; this city is better than that authority’s majority.