Madison City Council Could Learn Some Manners

Last night the Madison City Council took up the matter that would have forced homeowners next to a concrete  padded bus stop to shovel away the snow and ice.  Around 12:20 A.M. the lone speaker from the community, Scott Thornton, was finally able to address the city council in regards to this matter. Though Mayor Dave Cieslewicz had tried several hours earlier to allow the lone speaker to be heard as the other pressing matter of the night had over 20 speakers, it was Alderperson Mark Clear who found it impossible to allow Thornton’s agenda item to be moved up.

That was wrong.

I was able to watch the whole meeting at my home on cable television, making it through the event with the help of some carbs (pasta) at about 9:3o. Meanwhile Thornton had to wait for what must have seemed like an endless amount of time as the longest parade of speakers had their time along with follow-up responses to the alders questions over an apartment housing matter.   The issue for college students and the city is important, and needed to be debated.  But with over 20 people to speak, and then considerable debate among the council, was it fair  not to have allowed the snow matter to be moved up on the agenda?

But Scott Thornton did wait,  and once given the chance to speak made his case why the proposed idea against homeowners is a bad way to proceed.  In rather quick fashion the alders sent the matter off to other committees for more work.

What concerns me about the meeting are not the issues the confronts the Madison City Council but the way Alder Clear handled the matter.  As one of those guys who watches council proceedings on a regular basis I know agenda items are moved around to allow for people to speak and then leave.  That courtesy was not allowed last night, and one has to wonder why.

Was the exposure of the issue about the new definition of a sidewalk not to have been made known to the public and just slipped through at the meeting?  After all, even the author of the proposal said last night the matter has had no press coverage.   While one can blame the press for not hunting the issue down, one has to wonder why the proponents of such a ‘great’ idea did not call a reporter at some point in the recent past and alert them to this matter.  When a politician wants coverage of an issue they know how to get it.  Therefore it is telling when they do not want any press attention.

Once Scott Thornton blew the whistle on the matter on a local listserve, and others made news with it, was there then a little anger against the one who made an issue of it?   I think  there was, and that is why Thornton did not get to speak until after midnight.

As a former Research Assistant, with duties that included clerking a committee in the Wisconsin State Assembly, I know that it is very easy to get folks who wish to comment on the stand, and then on their way so to make it easier for them. I did that all the time.  The process of government is not to shut people out, but always find ways to make the process more open and easier.

The Madison City Council failed at that last night.