Guest Blog by WeRwatching: Citizens, Forget About Getting any Good Charter Changes! Posted by Geniusofdespair

Remember a few months ago when there were many public hearings held by the Charter Review Committee? The public was encouraged to participate in person, by e-mail or by phone. The people had a lot to say, most of it worthwhile and genuinely aimed at changing our dysfunctional County government for the better. Except for a couple of usual suspects (insider lobbyists), the committee was respectful, engaged with the people and listened intently. The Chairman, Victor Diaz, did a Herculean job of keeping order and direction.

The committee took all of that public input and generated a list of recommendations for charter changes to go on a ballot. But first, they had to be blessed by the County Commission. On Thursday the Commission held a “workshop” to discuss the committee’s recommendations. Comment from the audience was allowed IF a commissioner requested it.

The tone was set early with the first recommendation, that subsequent charter review committees could put things directly on the ballot, bypassing the wacky 13. Moss came out of the box bashing his own appointee for not “following the marching orders” given by Moss. Moss was so incensed he said he would never appoint that person again. Huh? (Hit read more).

I thought the committee was to listen to the public and formulate recommendations based on public input. There you have it, stated clearly in one short tirade, it was never about what you want but about what the commissioner’s want. The public hearings were window dressing, a sham, a bait and switch. Makes me think of the People’s Transportation Plan, now shown to be a bait and switch. Let’s face it; the commission is capable of dressing up a pig and selling it to the public as a racehorse.

Vile Natacha had her two cents on the recommendations to make citizen’s petitions more public friendly. She only wants commissioners recalled for cause; malfeasance, misfeasance or criminal activity. Hell that should be automatic loss of office. With an impotent Ethics Commission and a State Attorney who will not investigate commissioners, fat chance! Just doing a bad job is not a good enough reason to recall a commissioner, says Natacha. She railed against ‘outsiders’ recalling commissioners. Last I heard, only voters of the district could submit a petition, sign a recall petition and vote on the recall. And if people outside the district get involved, maybe that commissioner’s votes screw those people.

The downward spiral continued with self-important Barbara Jordan wanting to put a question on the ballot to reverse the strong mayor charter change approved 2 years ago. Sounds like Jeb Bush wanting to reverse the school class size amendment approved by the people.

I am not a masochist so I turned off the TV. But it was very clear that there ain’t going to be anything good for the people on the ballot.

Nevertheless, Commissioner Carlos Gimenez deserves credit for drafting all the ordinances to put each recommendation on the ballot. At the least he forced the commissioners to show their hands and it isn’t pretty.
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Some Commissioner Appointments to the Charter Review Task Force:

Jordan - Robert W. Holland
Rolle – Larry Handfield
Edmonson – H. T. Smith
Moss – Murray Greenberg (Former County Attorney)