As we approach the election...just a reminder of one voters opinion of the council meeting last month.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I agree with you 100%! I attended the meeting last night as well and it is an embarrassment.
What I observed:
All members of the council including the mayor have much to be desired.
C. Desatnick basically sat there and did not say a word or offer any intelligent input (he is both a lawyer and a lame duck council person..maybe that's why)
C. Merse offers questions and comments that seem at best simple...and at worst shows that she is either not paying attention or is unable to keep up.
C. Rose wears all of her thoughts and positions on her sleeve. She is basically spewing populist positions and tries to come off as the "voice of reason" but for many reasons/years...lacks credibility.
C.Hogen is her own worst enemy. She is obviously an intelligent women but always gets caught up in her emotions and comes off "baffoonish" on many issues. Second only to Valorie in rudeness...Hogen has been crying for traffic studies and careful consideration of all issues relating to the ferry but as soon as the first consulting company ([paid for by the way by the Port Authority) comes in to present their plans for conducting a traffic study...proceeds to treat the gentlemen from the professional traffic study consulting firm in an extremely rude and unprofessional manner. One minute she is trying to tear his position in shreds...and the next minute trys to act like a government leader with appropriate questions. I don't care if the guy works for the PA (which the Val-Hog gang and alot of other people don't trust), or whether he came at the last minute brought in by Bryan with no notice to the council members or whether he just landed here from outer space...he did not deserve the treatment he got overall from Valorie and Mary. I firmly believe that every single person, regardless if demo, indy, pro or anti ferry in that meeting last night would say the same thing about their behavior.
C. Gallagher...seems glazed over most of the time and then every once in the while asks some inane question. For example...the traffic study guy says the traffic survey will focus on weekday morning and evening commute hours and Saturdays between 10am and 2pm (the heaviest traffic hours overall...you would think) All of sudden, Mr. Gallager speaks up and says why don't you study late Sunday afternoons because "that's busier than Saturdays". Everyone in the room, including ALL of the other council people start shaking their heads and saying no, that Saturday's traffic is much worse than anytime on Sunday (thanks to the Blue Laws)....Whereby Gallagher still says he disagrees and that he KNOWS that Sundays are busier. What town does he live in???? That is just a wrong observation/conclusion plain and SIMPLE. Overall, C. Gallagher always seems half asleep up there and offers VERY Little to the mix.
C. Bardinas....where do I begin....this women is very aggresive and comes off as a person with very little scope. She treats the traffic expert rude out of the box...does not let the man at least go over his outline which includes from the beginning his intention to allow input at all levels in his report by the council members. But rather, Valorie HAS TO CUT THE GUY OFF and throw questions at him before she...or anyone else in the room has a chance to listen to the EXPERT. And once she was done with her opening 4 or 5 simplistic questions, she starts looking around the room with that uneasy smile and seems not to be interested in listening any more. It's the old "some people just like to hear themselves talk" routine. Both her and Mary Hogin jump on the guy for including Richmond Marina as one of the 5 study sites......which he responds came from the 5 locations that were recommended to be studied by the mayors ferry committee.....whereby both women at the same time state was not in that report ...then it becomes immediatly clear to eveyone in the room that the Marina IS INCLUDED in that report which makes you wonder if either women really read it?
I could go on and on, and I know....I don't have the time or talent to do the job....but I'm afraid most of the sitting council members may have the time, but do not have the talent, intellect and leadership qualities that we need.
At least that's the way I see it.....over and over and over again. If your still here, thanks for reading.
