In another one of her notoriously thin-skinned outbursts, Annapolis Mayor Moyer has attacked Alderman Dick Israel for introducing a charter amendment that would adjust the powers of the mayor and city administrator. CP can only shake his head and sigh as she hammers another nail into her coffin of incivility. She used her bully pulpit to write a news release about this and it is posted on the city web-site as well.
I don't think I'd be out of line to suggest that Alderman Israel is one of the most respected elected officials in recent memory. He is highly regarded for his thoughtfulness and integrity, but the mayor writes, "I am amazed that Alderman Richard Israel, who has spent most of his career as a lawyer in the office of the Attorney General, would begin 2008 with an assault on Representative Government as he does with Charter Amendment CA-01-08."
Without any sense of irony, she also states that "Democracy is a partnership between the people and their elected representatives. Mechanisms fostered by distrust only fan divisiveness."
Oh puhllleeze Mayor Moyer! Can the hyperbole and viciousness. Dick is not assaulting representative government, and stop acting as if it's an attack on you. It's not! The only one who is assaulting anyone here is you and if anyone is assaulting representative government, it is you by your irresponsible and negative attitudes, posturing, unwillingness to listen coupled with a trigger-finger readiness to condemn.
Many of us had certainly hoped that Dick's proposal, which is not perfect by any means, would bring about discussion and evaluation of our charter. As you well know, I testified against it--the only citizen to testify on the bill at all, and I began my testimony by saying how it pained me to come out and oppose Dick, but I felt he was wrong. It is not necessary to accuse him of anything!
Everyone knows that one of Dick's favorite stories is about how he sat down with you and said "Madame Mayor, if two people in a room together always agree, only one of them is doing the thinking." We the citizens of Annapolis know of what he is speaking. Unfortunately when anyone sits down with you, only one is doing the talking and only one is doing the listening--you! My father was in business with a partner for fifty years and they each had a sign at their desks that read, "When two men in business always agree, one of them is not needed." You continue to tell eight Aldermen and 36,000 residents they are not needed.
No Ellen, the only one who is assaulting representative government is you but the fundamental problem is that the office of mayor has way too much power, with little separation of powers that also leaves Aldermen--the direct representatives, with little power.
Readers may see the mayor's comments at
annapolis.gov/headlines.asp?ID=12151
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3 Comments:
I've given this some careful thought and although it pains me to say this, I agree with Moyer. (cringes...) There's a reason why our gov't is designed as it is. We have to look back 300+ years to find that answer. I agree with Dick Israel and CP too... that the proposal should bring forth discussion and debate over how the city gov't currently operates.
I don't think that the structure of gov't in Annapolis is the only problem. It's the people employed/elected in those positions not doing what the people want that is the bigger problem. Many of the Annapolitans who dislike Moyer and her staff are taking that negativity out on the entire system of Annapolis gov't instead of the elected officials. Annapolitans must continue applying pressure to the people that need to work for 'the people' rather than working only for their 'constituents'. As Moyer points out in the link CP provided, she has essentially admitted that she's only working for the people that elected her and that's the core of the problem with the elected gov't in Annapolis right there in a nutshell. Moyer must acknowledge and work for the WHOLE city, not just the constituents.
And it pains me to say this too but... since Moyer is not re-electable after this term, she's going to spend her remaining time in office repaying all those that got her elected in the first place! Unfortunately, that's just how politics work in America. There's only one way to stop that and it's a recall election. We can either sit back and NOT enjoy the ride for the remainder of her term OR put together a campaign for a recall election. I think I've got a better idea. We should start campaigning behind the next potential mayor and make sure this candidate embodies all that Annapolis wants and needs without any interference of corrupted campaign money. If we want a good mayor, it must start with clean money.
Those that benefit from the status quo will always resist change. Moyer and her predecessors, and even a few who plan to replace her, prefer a monarchical executive who heads the legislative branch, without any checks or balances. Those who benefit from this system are now facing a building desire among sophisticated and educated citizens who are ready to scrap our version of Tammany Hall.
There are many reasons to support or not support a certain style of government. CP has consistently supported a city manager form of government, with a mayor acting as figurehead, chair of city council and an alderman-at-large. CP has written about this, made it a major plan in his campaign for Alderman last year, discussed this with many citizens and is gratified to see that many people are coming around to discussing this. There are many reasons to be concerned about Alderman Israel's amendment, mainly that it makes the city administrator more powerful, yet still answerable only to the mayor. Furthermore, the position pays less than the department heads he or she supervises and the current administrator is nothing but a sinecure. A city manager will need to earn about double the current salary for city administrator but will be chosen after a nationwide search and will be answerable to a super-majority of Aldermen--which will also include the Mayor as their chair. (Not only that--he or she will be qualified, certified and sworn to ethical standards...).
I too believe that it is hard to find a qualified replacement from among our residents who are willing and capable of being CEO of this large corporation. However, the mayor's race should not start until about six months before the election, so please wake me when it starts!
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