Archive for edgewatertalkingstick.myfreeforum.org The talking stick has been used in many cultures to promote discussion and community. It is our hope that citizens will join in and gain a greater sense of community involvement. Note: This is not a government sanctioned forum.
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Guest
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Comments and critiques of Candidate answersIf you are not a candidate or asking a question of a candidate but would like to comment on something a candidate says, please feel free to use this topic.
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Admin
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Please noteAdmin
Site Admin
Joined: 26 Sep 2007
Posts: 42
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 10:33 am Post subject: Response to Fairness
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Quote:
I think people have a right to know about it.
That may be so however, it is the position of the Talking Stick that:
Please do not post the names of private residents on the Talking Stick. Making accusations of wrong-doing by private citizens, as opposed to public elected officials, even in jest and with the best of intentions, is inappropriate here. I'm sure you can see where this could become a problem.
Thank you.
You have to draw a line somewhere. If an incumbent has a record to run on that is fair game. If a candidate who formerly held office and has a record to run on, that is fair game, however, citizens running for public office should be scrutinized here based exclusively on what they have done in an official capacity for the City, for example their work on boards or commissions or their public resume.
Due to the anonymity protection for posters, this is not the appropriate forum to examine candidate's private lives.
You may debate this, it is your Talking Stick but unless I am convinced otherwise, any personal information of that nature will be deleted.
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Old Timer
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Boards and Commissions | Quote: | | You state you want strong boards and commissions, however you also state you are agains PAYT, which came directly from a board and commission. So do you really mean you only want boards and commissions that come to the conclusions you want? |
I'm not a candidate but I would like to note my dissatisfaction with this post. Devon Barclay has stated he is in favor of strong boards and commissions, and I think that is a reasonable stand because it allows more citizens to participate in the direction Edgewater takes.
This response to Mr. Barclay's position seems to imply that the Recycling committee was a board or commission. That isn't factual. They were neither board or commission but an ad hock group of residents. Now, I'm not trying to discredit their work, I am trying to point out they were unsupervised, except that the Mayor allowed they some credibility but no guidelines and under the new Charter these groups can no longer be formed.
If the City Council doesn't commission the work and the group works independently of Council or the City Manager then how is it this poster thinks this is the conclusion of a board or commission? It is simply not so.
The implied judgement, by this poster, that Candidate Barclay would not consider or accept the conclusions brought forth from genuine boards and commissions is an argument based on a false premise, if you ask me.
It also gives a heck of a lot of power to a group who has concluded the Payt plan is the only way to go. We don't know what else they considered if they don't have any minutes and we don't know how thoroughly they studied this issue before they brought their answer to Council for approval. That's the problem with these groups, even with the best of intentions, since you don't know how they arrived at their conclusions you just about have to start all over again and redo all the research and question all the conclusions. And again, I figure they had good intentions but they lacked the authority and it is this kind of presumptuousness that gets us in trouble every time.
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Guest
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Authority does not equal credibility.
The research was made publically available every step of the way for those who bothered to pay attention. Thier meetings were always open to all and noticed to the public. They did their work before the new charter and disbanded after a couple of people made a fuss. They have since moved on and continue to work on many community projects with more member than ever before. Authority is often times nothing more than bragging rights. Success is a whole different story. I would prefer a candidate that understood and focused on success and credibility rather than authority.
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Another Old Timer
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Using the last posters reasoning, we do not need a City Council. We have a Manager and an Attorney to do the technical stuff. Let the citizens form all manner of ad hoc committees for whatever purpose holding meetings God knows when and where. Who need rules of procedure?
Barclays got it right on this issue. We need to use our B&Cs to their fullest potential to advise our elected officials. If a board or commission gets out of line then it's up to Council to set them straight. It is a tried and true system as old as civilization. The credibility comes with well established authority.
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Guest
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recycling committee rocksAs I read this, I don't think anyone is questioning the quality of their work, only that the person who misrepresented the committee as a Board or Commission was mistaken and then concern that our City government maintains some Q&A over the information it receives and acts on.
Process and accountability are important too but the recycling committee rocks.
| Quote: | | You state you want strong boards and commissions, however you also state you are agains PAYT, which came directly from a board and commission. So do you really mean you only want boards and commissions that come to the conclusions you want? |
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New Timer
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Thanks!Thanks, Old Timers and Guest, for some clarification on the Recycling Committee and its history, and for some polite and reasoned discourse on the subject. I'm a PAYT fan myself, but I respect Mr. Barclay's honesty in answering the original question and having the gumption to put his positions in print - unlike the other candidates.
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