| I have been listening to the whole story about the Move on ad with half an ear this week. Because I am living in my own private hell regarding government and the press on the Municipal level.
Being an engineer, not a politician I tend to speak up. Now, as you all know, that tends to get me in hot water frequently with the power players. Part of me thinks I landed in this position as a councilwoman because I speak up and God finally found a niche for the troublemaking Muckraker in me. It ain't easy, though, I gotta tell ya. When you speak up - you have to be prepared to take the heat, because there will be heat. There always is. The hard part is to stand your ground even when you know you practically need body armor to walk in that room and defend your position.
When you tell another politician looking only to his fame and legacy that his law has a few flaws and needs a little work, be prepared to be treated like you've just told someone their baby is ugly. In the past few months I have been having my own private little struggle with the power elite in my own Borough. Why? It all started with a newpaper article. Not even an ad. Just an article and a favorable one at that.
I had discovered that the actual mathematical equations used to calculate Floor Area Ratio in Tenafly were incorrect and broke down in some zones. And so I came up with a mathematical solution to fix them. It worked in every zone, in the entire town on a sliding scale and used only one simple equation rather than three different methods per zone like the Planning Board (actually they made the zoning officer come up with the calcs) had come up with the year before.
I had just taken a good look at their baby - the one that the current Mayor had pinned all his hopes on to get re-elected. I had just told them in no uncertain terms that their baby was ugly.
When I realized I had found the solution that had eluded Tenafly for 20 years, I asked that it be put on the agenda so I could give a presentation to the Planning Board about the new method.
Silly little naive Carol. I assumed that confronted with the FACTS, the Planning Board would be thrilled we now had a way forward that the public would be happy with. Unfortunately, newspapers do funny things to politicians. The local reporter called me as he usually does about issues in town. I explained the new method to him so that he would understand it when it was presented at the meeting and that he could educate the public about it so they could ask educated questions.
Not only did the Chairman and several other members of the Planning Board read the paper that day. They had cut out the article and highlighted certain passages and had it sitting prominently in front of them during the meeting. In fact, they read it a lot more carefully than all the Excel spreadsheets I had made to show them exactly where the previously proposed equations did not work. And so what started as a positive meeting where I hoped to share a success with the Planning Board, turned into a lynching. And guess who they wanted to hang. I was later told, that never in his career had the reporter seen a councilmember so badly treated. In fact, while attempting to give my presentation, I was repeatedly interrupted by the Chairman and not allowed to continue. He tried to pull a Closed Session while fixing me with the absolute most withering stare. The reporter, thankfully was the only public person in the entire room and stood up to say that calling the Closed Session was illegal.
At that point, realizing I was getting nowhere, and that the Chairman had crossed the line, I stood up and leaving my presentation materials behind, I simply walked out. Not only did the meeting make it into the next paper, but an editorial too, about the Sunshine laws and how what the Chairman had tried to do was reprehensible.
(The only funny part of this story is that after that meeting, I went to Borders and bought Robert's Rules for Dummies so I could see just where things went wrong. Turns out, Roberts Rules was written by a Civil Engineer in the 1800's after a really bad presentation like the kind I just experienced. Guess I'm not the only one this happened to. I recommend to anyone considering public office - you have to know the rules - it WILL help you. )
I was being harassed and told to be quiet by people who are simply in love with the IDEA of being on the Planning Board, without an understanding of the actual issues involved. One longstanding member was angry at me for using the term buidling footprint, because he did not know what it meant. The Chairman himself once asked me what a driveway apron was. I was stunned and dumbfounded. What do you do when the Planning Board members are more woirried about who gets more press, or what is in the paper than about how much we accomplish?
The article was favorable and made Tenafly look good. The fact that I had a solution was a positive. Yet they were angry. Why? They did not want me to speak to the press. After I left the meeting, I was told, they gave my materials to the Borough Engineer and told him to use them and come back with a new ordinance, so that they could "get the credit". This is how petty and small some of those involved in government get. They are more worried about press than policy.
The Republicans are freaked out after pinning all their hopes on this one military man - Patreus that they can't deal with any bad press. They put all their eggs in one basket - the PERCEPTION of accomplishments that they care not for actual progress in policy. I am dealing with this craziness on a tiny level and a safer one, but the craziness is there all the same. A sane person would think - they are upset about an AD???? They shouldn't be wasting valuable time discussing an ARTICLE or an AD. They should spend time getting results.
Ego, PR, and perception. I can't make any other sense out of it.
In Tenafly the hardest part of my Council term so far has been fighting the class issue. Before it was known I lived in a 4 family house - the other members of the Planning Board would whisper to me on the side during meetings when they assumed- as an engineer that I was on their economic level. They had no knowledge of my medical expenses or my lifestyle. I won this election on my engineering skills but my apartment is modest at best. The Board has been trying to get rid of 2 family houses at the Mayor's request - another issue he is running for re-election on.
The thing is, nearly all my neighbors live in two family homes. The Mayor lives on the East Hill with a pool and tennis court. He has absolutely no clue who lives in my neighborhood. And yet every chance he gets he is decrying the proliferation of 2 family homes in MY neighborhood. He and the other member of the Planning Board who is extremely wealthy and lives on the East Hill. I try to speak up for my neighbors, many of whom have been here for decades, and it is getting me in deeper hot water. The Planning Board attempted to pass a new law outlawing 2 family homes in most of the town, but the map did not include homes like my rented apartment - a 4 family. When I pointed this out and the Council would not pass the ordinance and another article was written in the paper making the Mayor look elitist simply by quoting him accurately, I was again the target of the wrath of the Planning Board Chairman, (who prefers to hypenate his first name - James-Robert - who does that? - One of these days I'll slip and accidentally call him Jim-Bob) except this last time there was no one present from the public or the press to witness the abuse. He accused me of thwarting the Planning Board for political reasons and he actually sneered that I was catering to MY constituents.
As elected officials, we are the ones accountable to the public, not political appointees. I have to speak up for ALL the residents in town - not just those on the East Hill who think the town would be just great if it weren't for all "those people" who live on my side of the tracks. I have to tell you, sometimes I just want to give up, these folks look at me like I'm a bug now that they know where I live. But, I am going to try to keep speaking up, because I can't let them waste taxpayers money and time on foolishness like who gets more press or what ad made them look foolish. Their goal may be to feel important at the country club, but my goal is to get things done. Besides, I can't afford the country club dues and I don't play golf.
The Democrats in Congress need to get tough. It isn't easy and it isn't fun, but we didn't elect them to brag about being Congressmen or Senators, we elected them to legislate. Without staying focused they'll continue to fall into the Republican distraction trap.
I was punished in my town for something POSITIVE written ABOUT me by SOMEONE ELSE. The Democrats in the Senate were being tarred and feathered for an AD put out by someone else. I should be held accountable for my actions and my votes. And we should hold the House and Senate accountable for letting George W. Bush get away with war crimes Are our leaders in Congress letting themselves get distracted because the established Democrats as well as the Republicans in DC want us to forget how they gave George Bush a free pass? |
