And what better way to kick off the new year we ask, than to open the discussion with news of our favorite community institution -- the Emerald City Council? In that connection we link tonight's City Council Agenda: our very first link of the year 2007.
We find two items of particular note on tonight's council calendar, the first of which is the topic of this morning's Scott Schwebke story. In a nutshell, developers and speculators are already scooping up property interests in the phase 2 & 3 areas of the Emerald City River Project. Boss Godfrey will be asking the council tonight to impose a six-month development moratorium in these areas, in order to allow time to put in place "picky" new zoning rules. Rigid central planning is alive and well in Emerald City, we are quick to note, as is illustrated by this telling comment from this morning's Standard-Examiner story:
"People can buy property in the river project and we can't control what they do," explains Dave Harmer.
We can't have property owners calling the shots on matters involving their own properties in our Brave New MattGodfreyWorld, can we (?)
Secondly, a gentle reader reminded us via email last night of a second council agenda item which we believe to be by far the most important item tonight and for the next year, all things considered (in the political long-run):
5. Election of New Council Officers.The Emerald City Council will be choosing its 2007 Chair and Vice-Chair (Council Leadership) tonight. Make no mistake. The choices our council makes this evening have great significance for the upcoming year. These offices are not merely ceremonial Not only do our "council leaders" "chair" council and RDA meetings; they control committee appointments and council policy. Moreover, they meet regularly with Boss Godfrey and other administration officials regularly, and serve as gatekeepers for the information which is passed on to other council members. In many ways they have the utilitarian power to set the entire council agenda.
6. Swearing In of New Council Officers.
Choosing the "right" leadership is particularly important in this municipal election year. We have heard from several sources that Boss Godfrey has been actively lobbying for the placement of "Gang of Six" council hold-over Brandon Stephenson into the council Chairman's seat. "He's a senior councilman," Stephenson advocates argue. "It's his turn," the Godfreyites whine.
Frankly, we can't think of a worse possible result than placing Stephenson in a council leadership role. Not only is he by far the most compliant Godfrey-gopher on the council; rumor has it he's getting ready for a 2007 mayoral run (in the event that Boss Godfrey has the good sense to sit out the next election.) Better to let him cool his heels outside the council leadership circle for the next year, we think. Better for him languish for the remainder of his council term on the relative sidelines, rather than to furnish him the opportunityity to use a council leadership position for furtherance of his neoCON political ambitions, we believe.
And if we had our preference, we'd opt for placing the chairman's gavel in the hand of one of our fine woman council members. With the exception of Amy Wicks, who presently holds the council vice-chair office, women are conspicuously absent from top leadership roles throughout our entire city government. Chairwoman Wicks, anyone?
How 'bout an ALL-WOMAN council leadership slate, we ask? That would certainly be a Emerald City novelty... and it would no doubt drive Boss Godfrey literally NUTS!
Comments, anyone?
