Sunday, March 4, 2012

ER #35: Don't Ask/Don't Answer

City Hall Elevator Rumblings #35



Rider #1: Council meetings are becoming a bit uncomfortable for some members of the city staff. And I’m not talking about the din or tone of the public debate. As you know, this Entertainment Center debacle has really stirred all the ‘little people’ into a frenzy.


Rider #2: What is the problem then? Are staff members being terrorized?


Rider #1: Oh gosh no. What I’m talking about is when council members ask us or the paid city consultants semi-bogus questions -- with council spin applied -- in hopes that we will provide a ‘sound bite’ answer to fit their flimsy justification for when they vote. Sometimes, it is even laughable when our answers directly contradict the council member’s desired or expected response. That’s about the only time some council members will go mute.


Rider #2: I know what you mean. It seems as if Santoscoy and Cannaday are guilty of trying to trap us into giving an answer that they want to hear...not an answer that addresses the factual reality of the issue they asked about. How shallow is that?


Rider #1: As they say...that’s politics and some council members play the game instead of doing what is in the best interest of the city. Luckily, most audience members can see through the council member’s questioning ruse.


Rider #2: Hold that thought. A couple members of the Kool-Aid brigade just arrived for the meeting.




A note from counsel: These “candid” elevator conversations have been injected with fabricated nouns, verbs, adjectives, conjunctions, adverbs, modifiers and maybe a few dangling participles….Mark Holbrook