Wrong resignation

Didya see that Michele Nisley, Monroe chamber president, resigned from the state chamber of commerce because of the nasty things the state group was saying about State Representative Kathy Angerer? This is pretty funny. It must be that the local chamber doesn't want to pay its state dues anymore and needed an excuse to bail out. Everyone was kinda hoping Nisley would resign from the local chamber presidency. It'll be interesting to see if she can salvage plans for the downtown spring carnival. That was the one meant to help downtown businesses. But last year it hurt them so they don't want it back. As a result, the city council denied the chamber use of a downtown parking lot where the carnival could set up. Good thing the chamber SIGNED A CONTRACT with the carnival company BEFORE GETTING CITY PERMISSION to hold the event. Duh!

Free the CCC 4

Well, the jury is in. Ah, not the jury actually. The county prosecutor has decided not to pursue charges against the four city councilmen (part of the Curmudgeonly Crass Coalition) who were accused of maybe holding an illegal meeting. It turns out they simply didn't know what they were doing when they went into a conference room before a city council meeting and closed the door behind them to discuss procedures for choosing a mayor pro tem.
Actually, it sounds innocent enough, doesn't it.
Well, maybe not to the uninitiated.
But anyone who knows these CCC members knows they're easily given to having brain farts that could account for such odd behavior.
The prosecutor hinged his decision partly on his view that their actions lacked the intent to violate the state's open meetings act. In other words, they're just dingbats.
Case closed.
Justice been served.
Sure glad she's blind.

Downtown in an old light

The trend of the new administration apparently seems to be to undo everything the old administration was attempting to do. That's cool. Custer did say not to change anything until he got back.
Anyway, the latest apparent preference of some of the brighter lights on the Downtown Development Authority is to ditch the old administration's idea of brighter lights downtown. The old mayor, of course, had recommended the change, but he was just a professional planner familier with trends in most other progressive communities. Those in the driver's seat now seem to like those hideous orangish lights that put everything into a nightmarish hue. It's kind of fitting -- the color matches the orangish yellow streak that you can see from Ediison's power plant on clear summer days.
Some say it's more compatible with the downtown's historic look of the city. Maybe they should go with gaslights. Afterall, I know when I'm walking downtown at night, I'd rather have less light than more.

Downtown going to the dogs?

Edison said it's deciding to close its office off Loranger Squarei in downtown Monroe because it's not used enough. But anybody who knows anything about Monroe knows there are some diehard customers who pay their bills only in person at that office. Regardless, at the end of the month it will close its doors. What will be done with the building? Someone has suggested that it be turned over to the Humane Society, which already has an administrative office in the building.
Now I like dogs as much as the next person, but c'mon, letting the Humane Society have it would be an incredible waste of a resource that has great potential. Maybe the city of Monroe should buy the place and turn it into an employee lounge. Or maybe it could raze the building and put up that parking structure that only would serve city employees. There are a lot of ideas just as stupid if we all put on our cone-shaped thinking caps.

Thugs at city hall? Oh my!

Word is that there were some physical menacing going on between some observers at the last city council meeting and a certain city council member. Seems like the neophyte councilman didn't like some of the remarks being made or insinuated by the political opposition.
Geez, that's all we need, another police investigation of city council.
Hey, maybe that's why the last administration wanted criminal background checks on people who were running for office.
The potential for threats or fisticuffs simply could be avoided if Mayor Al reverts to his old three-minute time limit rule. You remember that. Everybody's limited to three minutes of comment unless they launch into a self-aggrandizing, council-stroking sessions of hearts, flowers and good feelings.
How long do you think before someone invokes that old law?
I betcha you'll see it rear it's head within two months if council meetings continue to be so rancorous. And you know they'll continue to be rancorous.
Maybe they should just install audience cue lights in council chambers. One could flash APPLAUSE! and another could flash
"SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN YOU VERMIN!"