Good morning.
Wednesday in Whitewater will be cloudy with a high of 38. Sunrise is 7:11 and sunset 4:20 for 9h 09m 26s of daytime. The moon is a waning crescent with 37.6% of its visible disk illuminated.
On this day in 1917, Finland declares independence from the Russian Empire.
Yesterday’s post linked to the agenda of the Whitewater Common Council session for 12.5.23.
Here’s Item 16 from that agenda:
Discussion and possible action regarding the timeline of a council action plan to address Common Council self-governance — Common Council/HR.
Nothing matters more than the essential nature of one’s work: baking for a baker, sewing for a tailor, medicine for a physician, etc. The rest is secondary. Performing the essence of one’s work is the least that others should expect.
And so, and so, if a councilmember will not embrace self-governance as the essence of his work, then he is unsuited to governing others.
And yet, and yet, for the second time in a row, Whitewater’s council president has skipped over this agenda topic, requiring others on the Whitewater Common Council to remind him of his negligence.
See previously The Complaint Against (Some) on the Whitewater Common Council and Puzzling, Ongoing Irresponsibility.
About Allen’s first omission of this topic until others reminded him:
One would imagine that having listened to the early November statement [on 11.7 about committing to self-governance], Allen would remember its significance only two weeks later [on 11.21]. 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.
Now, a second omission in a row on 12.5.23:
Allen: Oh, missed one.
As it turned out, other councilmembers caught the omission and there was then general agreement on an action plan for this council.
To lead, however, is to go first, to take the initiative, and to guide others in that initiative. No one leads from behind, being pulled along by others.
Worse, of course, is to hold leadership only to neglect the essence of one’s work. That’s what happened last night.
Later, when asked about a motion to approve a timeline for a self-governance program, Allen replied:
No, it was just an understanding.
Other councilmembers rightly and properly saw the need for approval of a concrete timeline and made a motion to adopt one.
By the second omission, Allen’s negligence looks willful.
Whitewater is, and always will be, deserving of more.
Here’s the solid plan others remembered when this council president didn’t; here’s the specific plan others saw as actionable when Allen saw only a nebulous “understanding”:
Atmospheric river soaks Pacific Northwest bringing floods, mudslides:
guess he thinks if he skips over something it doesn’t exist
that’s not how it works
Bye, bye, bye…
“I’m doing this tonight,
You’re probably gonna start a fight.
I know this can’t be right, hey Allen, C’mon
Bye Bye Bye (Bye Bye!)
Don’t wanna be a fool for you,
Just another player in your council game for two.
You may hate me, but it ain’t no lie,
Allen, Bye Bye Bye.
Just hit me with the truth,
Now, council’s better off without you!
You’re sure not welcome anymore.
You didn’t want to listen to our plea,
So now it’s time to leave and make it be.
I know that we can’t take no more,
It ain’t no lie,
We wanna see you out that door!
Allen, Bye Bye Bye…”
It’s odd (but telling) to be uninterested in the fundamentals. The normal leadership response to situations like this would be to dive in. That’s not what happened here. A second concern, worth considering tomorrow, is how some members of the government in a small town behave toward each other. (There’s no one on council or in city hall who isn’t an official or employee of a small-town’s local government.)