Friday, October 21, 2005

Social chaos fetishists swoon at Thursday night's City Council meeting.

Just a passing thought ...

When does the image in the magnifying glass cease to be that of the sum of a column of numbers, and becomes instead a ready made, self-referenced ethical system, complete with dry arcana of sewer audits magically transformed into decrees fit for publication on stone tablets, conspiratorial decade-old meeting minutes blossomed into manna suitable for roasting over a burning bush, and colorless accountants converted into matinee idol Moses clones?

Obviously, a mass movement is one thing, and a bowel movement something else entirely.

Speaking of last evening's performance by Trog Sham and the Brambleberries, here's today's media coverage.

Shall We Gather at the River?, by Randy Smith (Volunteer Hoosier blog).

Somehow, Li'l Stevie's fan-girls define shall as some exotic weasel word. Hey girls! Maybe next time, instead of muttering "bullshit" (I kid you not) all night, you could pick up a dictionary. Some experts!

But Randy, precious little expertise is required to throw a brick through a plate glass window --- you merely need be "mad as hell."

Here's the C-J's take:

Council action may spur sewer rate hike, official warns; New Albany won't repay board's money, by Ben Zion Hershberg (short shelf life for Courier-Journal links).

The council also rejected that proposal (for interim user fees to pay for storm-drainage improvements), with opponents citing concerns about the additional cost for taxpayers and doubts about whether all the money raised by the proposed fees would be needed to meet state and federal requirements for drainage improvements.

Finally, prior to the usual three-day weekend gap in Tribune on-line updates, here's Council vote could bring big fines, by Amany Ali, Tribune City Editor.

Before voting down the ordinance that would have established a fee to fund the interim stormwater management plan, Schmidt suggested using Tax Increment Finance (TIF) dollars or money from the Redevelopment Commission. Redevelopment Director John Rosenbarger said after the meeting that he hasn’t researched whether TIF dollars can be spent in such a way, but said it is highly doubtful.

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Previously, we wrote:

There were things to be done, and they needed to get done, so I did them.

Consequently,
NA Confidential missed tonight’s City Council meeting, and we’ll rely again on reports from observers and the city’s other bloggers to fill in the gaps.

Did you attend tonight's meeting? Give us the skinny.

3 comments:

The New Albanian said...

Thanks Tim, I was hoping to hear your viewpoint.

All4Word said...

My one cent? Maury's right, as much as I regret it. It must be reintroduced and go through three readings. Two special meetings can address it, though, and so long as Mr. Gahan or the mayor or a majority of the council give proper notice, there is still time to get the first few months on the Indiana American Water bill. Mr. Schmidt's first useful contribution of 2005. Dec. 15 is the deadline to apply the billings to county tax rolls.

By the way, have you heard that the city's budget crunch AND the fuel price increases are being more than offset by a remarkably high return on fees collected for police call reports. It seems one report in particular has become a "bestseller."

The New Albanian said...

By Mr. King's own words, as I overheard him say repeatedly during a council meeting a month or so ago, "chickenshit."