Good morning.
Wednesday in Whitewater will be sunny with a high of 43. Sunrise is 6:56 and sunset 4:26 for 9h 29m 52s of daytime. The moon is a waxing gibbous with 75.1% of its visible disk illuminated.
On this day in 1963, President Kennedy is assassinated and Texas Governor John Connally is seriously wounded by Lee Harvey Oswald, who also kills Dallas Police officer J. D. Tippit after fleeing the scene. Vice President Johnson is sworn in as the 36th President of the United States afterward.
Yesterday, I linked to the agenda of the Whitewater Common Council session for 11.21.23. In that Tuesday post, this libertarian blogger listed several agenda items that drew my particular interest. Today’s post will consider one of those items, No. 27. Embedded above is a video recording of the session, with the discussion of Item 27 beginning on the video at 2:14:30.
Here is Item 27:
Item 27. Discussion and possible action regarding the formation of a council action plan to address Common Council self-governance- Common Council/HR
At the 11.7.23 session of the Whitewater Common Council — only two weeks earlier — the performance of the council majority had fallen so far that after returning from closed session the council issued the following statement:
At this time, the Council wishes to make the following statement:
The Council is respectful that each individual councilmember has distinct, competing, and divergent viewpoints designed to promote the best interests of the city and representation of the community.
The Council intends to work on a plan to enhance the effectiveness of the Council as a body and as that body works with the employees of the city. The Council is committed to Robert’s Rules as a guideline and the city’s Transparency Ordinance.
The Council will explore and conduct training as to governance, conduct of meetings, and open meeting compliance, and encourage appointed office holders to participate in such opportunities.
The Council will explore standards of decorum and civility for its meetings.
The Council will work with the City Manager for the development of an onboarding process for newly elected and appointed office holders. The Council will set expectations for self-accountability, individual commitment to one another.
The Council will consider whether the use of outside resources is of benefit to this process including resources from CVMIC, and the executive branch of the city, facilitators, or other resources.
The Council’s commitment to this plan is ongoing, which the Council will address at subsequent meetings.
See The Complaint Against (Some) on the Whitewater Common Council.
In all recent memory, over decades, no common council in the City of Whitewater has had to admit to performance so inadequate. (Council President Allen did not read the statement; he left it to another councilmember while he sat saying nothing on behalf of the council he leads.)
A few remarks about the discussion of Item 27 from last night’s session:
1. His “Bad.” One would imagine that having listened to the early November statement, Allen would remember its significance only two weeks later. One would imagine that an agenda item on 11.21 that plainly reads “Discussion and possible action” would cause Allen to prepare for discussion and possible action. Apparently not.
Instead, Allen tried to push on without discussion to Item 28. When he was reminded that he was skipping an item that directly addresses this council’s self-governance, Allen replied “My bad.” See video at 2:15:46.
Yes, his bad. A responsible leader would have remembered this item, prepared for it, and made it a key part of this meeting.
2. The Handouts on Robert’s Rules. It’s a commendable service to this city that HR Manager Sara Marquardt ordered and distributed laminated handouts with key points from Robert’s Rules. She was right to do so. These councilmembers should have made this purchase on their own when they first joined the Whitewater Common Council. (It’s obvious that some of the council members understand these procedural rules quite well, indeed. It’s equally obvious that the majority does not.)
3. “We Could Probably.” When considering the necessary and fundamental work of self-governance, Allen expressed a few qualms:
We could probably do some of them over the winter break, but you know, we all have other jobs too.
See video at 2:19:53.
Councilmembership is a volunteer position; no one is drafted. If the crucial responsibility of self-governance is too hard for Allen or others, then they should resign from the Whitewater Common Council.
Allen has a habit of looking for the easy road for himself and his majority. In August, when Allen learned that he, along with others, would have to meet a proper deadline for submitting his agenda items before a meeting, his first reflex was to make it easier on himself: “Oh, well, then I guess we’ll have to change that because that’s we’ve never enforced it before.” See Scenes from a Council Meeting (Responsibility).
By contrast, Whitewater’s residents fortunately show an admirable commitment to self-discipline and hard work that this council majority lacks.
How to Make Simple Mashed Potatoes | Thanksgiving Recipes | The New York Times:
Good afternoon, John. Happy Thanksgiving. It’s the old Attendee (I like that there’s also a new one.)
This is right on the mark. These are 101 level issues but Allen’s not getting it. He should be able to spot these things. Credit to you for a back to basics review. Two or three of them are pulling down the others. They took a ride but they’re heading to a dead end street aren’t they? They don’t know how to get out of the car.
Side comment for you, there are probably some school board members who are glad that you are focusing on the city council.Totally agree with the comment that said the cda could use a review. Did you catch how Allen calls him “Mr. Knight”? Allen argues with ordinary people who show up but it’s Mr. Knight for Jeff. Let’s hope that the new director is better than the crackerjack Wall Street team of Allen and Knight. Betting is that she has to be better than that.
Have a great holiday!
We’ve a new CDA director on the way, quite soon. I’ll write on Friday a bit about her welcome arrival.
Happy Thanksgiving!
it’s puzzling i guess because it’s like he doesn’t hear himself.
uhh, do we have to talk about my poor performance? uhh, i was performing too poorly too notice that part. lol.
Yes, indeed.
As the grand proclamations resound from the Council’s Great Halls, promising adherence to governance principles, my observations paint a starkly different picture. Witnessing from a distance, armed with public information and years of discerning observance, I perceive the undercurrents that belie these public declarations.
Recent public dispatches by the common council have laid bare deep-seated concerns regarding Mr. Allen’s behavior. This revelation, emerging from within the ranks of those who operate the city’s machinery, likely contributes to Allen’s recent expeditions into the coffers for lawyers and other tactical resources. It seems a desperate attempt to divert attention from a unifying outcry among staff and the community. This united front seeks to purge our great city of practices deemed unethical and self-serving, particularly those favoring the interests of the Landlord and the Lobbyist.
In the annals of our council’s recent history, a tale of subterfuge and failed stratagems emerges. A shadow operation, with Council President Allen at its core, nearly succeeded in an egregious misdirection of taxpayer funds. These resources, originally allocated for the construction of new single-family homes for our community’s needy, were at the brink of being usurped into the coffers of landlords. Their intention was clear: to convert these homes into landlord-owned, segmented rentals, a strategy diametrically opposed to the community’s welfare. It was during this pivotal moment that the city workers, standing resolute against such deceit, marshaled the community’s resources to counteract this scheme. The strategic release of communications and disruption of plans averted this near-catastrophic diversion, ensuring the rightful use of funds for the intended noble purpose.
Yet, this victory has not gone unchallenged. The current campaign to unseat the city manager, as I surmise, may well be a retaliatory measure by Allen, targeting the very individual who thwarted his prior machinations and orders from the great Landlord, aided and abetted by the Lobbyist. This conflict, a microcosm of a larger battle for the soul of Whitewater, lays bare the true intentions behind these power plays.
Despite the Council’s loud declarations of reform and integrity, the unfolding reality suggests a different narrative. Allen, entrenched in his ways and reeling from lost skirmishes, now appears as a figure lashing out against any who dare to expose years of questionable leadership. Better to destroy your own people’s homes and crops, so to speak, than to see successes contrary to the orders of the Landlord.
As I document these events, my greatest apprehension looms: the Council’s messages of change might merely mask the true state of affairs. Behind closed doors, a leadership spirals out of control, marked by self-interest and detrimental alliances. The evidence mounting behind the scenes reveals a leader whose time is overshadowed by the very shadows with which he consorts.
In these critical times, where the battle for Whitewater’s future integrity unfolds, it becomes evident that the Council, in their desperation not to be brought down by Allen’s repeated personal, professional, and ethical defeats, is attempting to distance themselves from his actions. The council’s strategy, however, seems driven by self-preservation rather than aligning with the will of the people. As the council scrambles to avoid the fallout of Allen’s machinations, one wonders if their efforts will be enough to steer clear of the blast radius of his implosion.
With a commitment to truth and clarity,
This small and beautiful city has experienced too many provocations from a tiny faction of cronies and self-promoters. They act, and expect others to act, contrary to both good-government and free-market principles. Having watched them overreach as they have, and knowing that the obstinate do not easily change their conduct, a persistent and thorough critique will only end when that ilk stops behaving in ways that merit a persistent and thorough critique.
Not before.
It’s not enough, however, to avoid the wrong; there must be a demonstrable, consistent commitment to the good. That commitment requires action beyond mere speech.
The public does not owe a few revanchist types from the council and CDA — they owe the public. The public does not serve a few revanchist types from the council and CDA — they serve the public. Their work is not organic but instrumental.
To be drunk on a false and failed nostalgia is a terrible intoxication, diminishing self and community.
A restorative holiday of gratitude awaits, in which intoxication of any kind is sensibly avoided for the comfort of a single, proper glass of white or red.
‘With a commitment to truth and clarity’ — now that’s a closing that will everywhere and forever be fitting.
My very best to you, and Happy Thanksgiving,
Adams
This just in!!!
Jim Allen’s ‘My bad’: a casual shrug as he plunges to new lows. Seems there’s no depth of duplicity he won’t sink to, no murky maneuver too underhanded for his playbook.
https://whitewaterwise.com/council-pledges-reforms-following-complaints-lodged-with-human-resources/
I’ve seen this reporting, of a reliable and professional standard, and it leaves me profoundly concerned. In the most serious matters, it’s useful to take a few days, match the reporting to my own notes and transcripts, consider carefully, and then address the issues presented.
It’s an understatement to say the reporting describes a grave issue. It’s been years since we’ve had something so serious.