This is what I want the Revere City Council to doI was reading the Revere Journal this morning and specifically a story with the headline, "Conflict resolution - Meetings are marked by fighting, chaos."
Basically, the Revere City Council is spending taxpayer money to fight like little school girls, call eachother names, tattle tail, etc.
Actually, the Journal sums it up nicely in their opening graphs to the story:
The spiraling-out-of-control Revere City Council engaged in another catfight Monday night as Councillor George Rotondo tried to clear his name and other councillors took exception to his statements.
It’s the same story that has played out since January when Rotondo became an at-large councillor and declared an interest in running for mayor against long-time mayoral hopeful Councillor Dan Rizzo.
Rotondo asked for five minutes without interruption during the meeting on Monday to clear up statements that were made about him at the April 12 Council meeting by Councillor Charlie Patch and Council President Tony Zambuto.
At that April 12th meeting, apparently some of the councilors were not present and other councilors too exception to that. As a result, the councilors who were present broke an unwritten rule that's basically says there should be no trashing of other councilors unless they are present to defend themselves.
Fast forward to the last meeting and Rotondo wanted five minutes of uninterrupted time to clear his name and set some things straight. And, as you can clearly read in the Journal story, that five minutes was more like three and it set off a shit storm a heated argument between the members of the council.
Now, let me know if I'm out of line here, but are these people charged with moving the city along? Looking at ways to get us out of a massive financial hole; implement programs that beautify the city; deal with things like zoning, recycling programs, engaging the business community, etc. -- doing everything they legally can to help the city and the people who live in it.
Well, why the hell are they arguing like little school girls they were a high school debate team and not getting down to the business of the city? As a former reporter who covered politics for the Boston Globe, I know that politics can be a brutal sport. There is always arguing, back stabbing and political jousting as part of the process of doing business. However, despite what side of the isle your on, the business gets done. Sometimes you like what your governement does (reducing taxes) and sometimes not (eliminating funding for education).
But what appears to be happening in Revere is that the city is governed by morons who can't get their shit together come together around issues that are important to the people that pay taxes in this city.
So, I ask you, City Councilors, shut the f%$@ up (STFU) and get back to work.