Common Council Wordsmith Committee (as a whole)

I have a degree in English. Not many graduates of Texas A&M can make that statement. Still, while words are an interest of mine...I had an overdose tonight After the Public Safety Meeting (for which I arrived late which I may have made a few happy...hey, I had to work!) and the contentious caucus which included a landfill expansion debate (thanks, Mr. Calsalaro) the entire group of CC members and die hard citizens moved into the council chamber for the much anticipated final discussion of the draft Ghost Ticket report.

So, we started at 7:36 with Mr. Conti announcing he'd like to finish by midnight. The final report for "adoption" has an anticipated ETA of July 20th. Before we even got into the discussion, Mr. Sano debates the title saying final should be something like interim (well, that term was offered him, he didn't come up with it by himself.)

First up, Rozy questions Mr. Condon's statement about seeing the bulls-eye sticker on the chief's niece's car. To that, Mr. Condon stated "yes" there was a sticker. Asked in a rather round about way (same question) Mr. Condon says (and remember this specifically said with a little annoyance as he had already answered) "to the best of my recollection...yes." Seemed that Rozy claimed that Condon perjured himself and his whole testimony should be tossed. Duh? To quote Rozy, "let's stick with the facts." Twenty minutes later, Rozy concedes to the consensus.

Next up, Mr. Timmons again tries to defend Ms. Barnette stating that just "cuz" she was "issued" tickets she may not have "received" them. He went on to state he wants the entire paragraph about BB stricken. Timmons goes on to state that this is JUST 7 tickets in five years and it was on a city vehicle. (Timing is everything!) To which Ms. Samel cites a letter acknowledging her tickets to Mr. Timmons and Mr. Conti educates the CC in reference to the plates being registered to Ms. Barnette personally even though it was a city vehicle.

Mr. Igoe requested the term for Ms. Barnette's practice of supplying tons of "junk" to the council rather than what was requested, "diversionary tactic," changed to "questionable tactics." To this Mr. Sano compromises with moving this "attitude of noncooperation" to the internal controls section rather than leaving it in the ghost ticket section of the report. Gee, Bets...rats leaving a sinking ship? Me thinks..."we like to think of them more as guidelines."

Oddly, the BJ/BB defenders have some form of amnesia as they keep forgetting that the part of the report they wish stricken was thumbed down by the majority. Can't blame the boys for trying. They be determined. I can just see the pre-meeting pep rally..."okay guys...challenge, challenge...challenge...when you get voted down, ignore and continue to bring it up." "Forget the rest of the committee...feign amnesia!" "Do it...they'll be so worn down eventually they'll slip up."

Then, out of the blue, Rozy forgets that this report is being derived from testimony received under oath and strongly suggests that all CC members who have had parking tickets excused to be listed in the Ghost Ticket report. Dude?! off the record isn't part of the record (I know there are two words in there that look the same but they ain't.) Funny,Igoe corrects Rozy's logic (is this cannibalism of the machine?)

The wordsmith committee of the whole, adjourned as a whole with the hope of a final draft report promising sweet dreams all around. For me, I know I'll be getting up early to report the landfill meeting...hey, gots to keep the peeps happy.