Here's another thing to admire about Stan Beckham. Besides the City Attorney, he's the ONLY one who wears a suit with shirt and tie. That's not his usual manner of dress, but he does it out of respect, for US! Jim Richards P.S. The article I posted on April 17th. regarding Hall Ambulance was viewed over 1,250 times and had over 40 responses. I think that might be some kind of record. It shows this to be a REAL Hot Button issue with the people!

I would not say I "admire" Stan. I am just glade there is someone on the Council that doesn't just rubber stamp everything Jason Caudle wants. He has his spot on the Council for a reason. We got tired of all the nepotism/ cronyism and we still are. HINT HINT HINT  I think Stan just needs to pick his battles better. Sometimes it seems he is against everything and everyone. I love it when ED gets all mad at him.  "OUT OF ORDER, OUT OF ORDER, I am in charge HERE!!!!"       ;       LMAO

WELL SAID medicone!
What bothers me about Stan is he'll get on a roll about something totally off topic and then try to insert it into the middle of something else, like right in the middle of a motion, just as he did on Monday night. I think it makes him look contentious (at best) and foolishly random, to say the least.

When they were voting on the residential development that was approved a year ago, he didn't even seem to catch on that it was put on hold because of the moratorium. And yet, he belittled the council for that delay right in the middle of their motion.  He didn't seem to get it that it had already been approved well before that, and if the city were to re-neg at this point over pre-zoning issues, it could cost the taxpayers a bunch of money — in the form of a big, fat lawsuit. Not to mention the fact that the developer has other projects in the city, actively participated in the charrette and is willing to make design changes that conform with the Charrette.

I believe that if you want to claim the privilidge of being part of a democracy you have to show respect for the process. You can't just holler out and rattle on about your latest half-baked pet project in the middle of ongoing business (like the oxygen lady does). You have to present it properly and be prepared to follow the order of things. That's democracy and that's what gives everyone an equal chance to be heard. If our politicians don't understand the process, or how/why meetings are run, or even how to read an agenda, what kind of results do you think we - the people/the taxpayers - can reasonably expect?

Even if there are two new council people elected in 2008, they will still have to work with the remaining elected officials. Yes, elected. Enough people voted for them, hopefully because they trusted them to do their jobs. I've  seem some say on the blogs that Stan is "outnumbered" and can't do any of the things he promised in his campaign, but we all knew that going in. Running a city shouldn't be like WWF or else I'd be in charge of things here! Nyuk, Nyuk! (Although I can't say I haven't been bored to the point of occasinally mentally picturing some of the council members wearing tights, pancake make-up and bad wigs and going all Jerry Spring during one of those meetings!)  

I love the updates and encourage Jim and Shane to continue to bring the news to those of us who can't get into town.  And continue to remind us when the meetings are coming up, just in case we have an evening and decide to drive on down the hill.

Thank you.

I'll be glad to do that, Lori. The more people that show up the better. They are beginning to get the idea that some of us are "not going to take it anymore!" (APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE!)

I have a large wall calender in my home office and prominently mark every 1st. and 3rd. Monday as Council Meeting. The last meeting was a real eye opener...for everyone. More and more people are starting to "come out of the closet" and even if they don't speak up they can at least give a speaker with whom they agree a good round of applause. THAT sends a very definite message in itself.

Jim Richards

Shane, do you live in the city now? If not , will you be at the time of city counsel applications?  Someone is stating that you currently do not reside with in the city limits.  I don't know if this is correct or not.