Here we are in 2018, sweetie pie. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been doing this thing since about 1971 and are still going at it. We were old then, and we ain’t getting any younger. So, after all these years we’re still haunting the denizens of the Actors Colony and telling tales that the politicos around here would rather we didn’t. With a new administration, by my count the tenth administration we’ve seen since the colyume began, Iyam sure we’re gonna have a lot to write about each and every week.
As I might’ve mentioned – I know I did – before the year was out, one of the things that is haunting the political classes about the new administration is the fack that so many old faces are finding their way back into the leadership positions. It ain’t the foist time. It jest seems like when an incoming administration looks to “make changes” what they are really doing is going to the status quo before the other people took over.
It don’t exactly look like we have a lotta change going on, just the same old characters going into the same old roles or new ones, but the faces never change. That is a complaint being hoid more and more around town. And before anybody wants to make the charge that it wasn’t so under the O’Brien people, they’d be telling a big fib. It was the same. Can’t we find some new blood in the city besides the same old faces that are a bit more age-lined and a bit more gray-haired than they were a few years back?
It seems not effen a body takes things at face value. Not that we do. Politicos are people who like familiarity. They also like their allies.
That’s only the foist thing people are worried about.
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Sammy Bluejay told me that over the holidays the angst that some people had regarding the make-up of the council – seven O’Brien types and five Rossi types – is scaring even some of the most hardened of political onlookers. Rivalry and political hardball have been a hallmark o’ what goes on in this berg for decades going back to when people wore Panama hats and used buttonhooks.
There are some members of the council who really don’t like each other and really have no problem in showing their disdain for t’other person. Whilst many are hoping the inner adult will come through, there is no denying the last mayoral campaign was a blood game with one side looking to massacre the other. That didn’t happen, so the the results are a mixed bag.
We know that administration people are wondering what they are gonna git beyond the legislative body only because they don’t have the majority of Demmies. Even with the minority member voting with the mayor the only way things are gonna git done is effen somebody gets above the fray.
One thinks that might be the chairman himself, Ron Quagliani. He made sure he didn’t git himself entangled in the bloodletting – a situation that helped him but made him poison to some Demmies. He might be a person to finagle, cajole or guide some things through.
With the budget process for the new fiscal year jest getting underway his ability to settle the hotter heads down might be good for everyone. We shall see.
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Before I forgit, I hope you fared perty well during the blizzard last week. Cobina herself was dutifully ensconced in her domicile, but did hafta venture out into the wilderness to do some shoveling. As Fibber McGee once said, “It’s amazing how something so light could get so heavy so fast.”
We had about a foot of the white stuff in my neck of the woods and it wasn’t quite as light as they said it might be. And the wind, lawdy the wind, Cobina. It was quite something. Even our pet feline, who likes to venture out even in the cold found a warm spot and stayed there.
I hafta say though, what I really was worried about was the gassamobuggy. She made some very rude noises and on one morning objected strenuously, but still started.
As far as the city plowing was concerned. One could always find something to complain about, but considering the fack that forecasters didn’t really have a handle on the thing until they declared it a blizzard the very morning of the storm, the plows did a good job trying to stay ahead of it. At one pernt it was coming down at about 3 inches an hour. So, no amount of tooling about town was gonna keep all the streets clear. Overall not bad.
Herroner has to be wondering what she signed up for. Since she took the oath we’ve had to snowstorms with the promise of more to come. Those things can be a real trial with all the time and effort. But, that’s why they pay her the big bucks.
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Nelly Nuthatch tells me that one of the things the people in the know are looking at is what herroner will do to hire a new Finance Director. Kevin McNabola was kept on, but that is supposedly temporary until a replacement can be found. Much like former administrations, who the new mayor is able to hire in that key position is gonna be a critical thing.
Over the years we’ve had good ones, bad ones, and sneaky ones. Some would say that the reason we’re in the situation we’re in is cuz of some of the decisions put forward by Finance Directors. Maybe, but they are still under the control of the person sitting in the third floor office in the southwest corner. The buck – literally our bucks – stop with the decisions made by the thoid floor.
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As mentioned before the budget-making process is getting started. This is gonna be a tough couple o’ months to git through, methinks. Even the wag was in t’other afternoon and sez that the inability of other administrations to make hard decisions might mean the reckoning we’re all expecting might be coming in 2018. This budget might be the biggest one in our history. We’ll soon find out.
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Meanwhile, Iva Lootey tells me that work is apace at the high school, and the bad old G-wing is getting abated as we speak and looks like a giant loaf of bread with all the plastic surrounding it. Still, the problem with that part of the building is what it represents – the failure of the school leaders to git what they want – that’s why they really, truly can’t wait for the thing to come down.
Meanwhile, the idea that the high school reconstruction is gonna be a smooth transition over the next few months is shrinking as we speak. One of the things that might be a real hurdle now that I think of it is the method of reconstruction and the fack that the building is filled with asbestos.
Think about it.
With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,