live blog of this critical vote.
John Klimm doesn't have the intestinal fortitude to run for Mayor
Barnstable would be a far better place, if John Klimm hadn't retired to Town Hall. Klimm's lack of political ambition and his obsession with dominating every aspect of Barnstable's political life cheapens all of us.
I had a pleasant conversation with Bob Jones last night after the public hearing for the proposed new Charter. Jones was clearly disappointed by the two hearings and was visibly annoyed that we hadn't given the proposed new Charter a "fair" hearing. He suggested we consider a weak mayor similar to the City of Worchester. Those who advocated for an elected Chief Executive won't be satisfied with this option.
As a fourth generation Coddah and former Town Councilor, Jones was in an unfamiliar role last night. Only a handful of the faithful came forward to support the work of the Charter Commission. We filled the room with malcontents - mild mannered, gray haired malcontents.
In all seven people spoke in favor of the present Charter. Three of them were legitimate citizens expressing their opinion on municipal affairs. Then, the Klimm-boobs staged a very short parade of the usual suspects. But even they were incapable of mustering support for Richard Clark's new Charter. They liked things as they are.
The good ol'boys who spoke included a former President of the Centerville Civic Assoc. (known here as John Palmer), a former WB Fire Chief, a former Chairman of Hyannis Water (and dedicated Klimm-boob), and a former Town Councilor from Marstons Mills. They spoke fondly of sharing "a cup of coffee" with their fearful leader.
The rest of us spoke for accountablity in Town government. We had 12 or more folks speak including the President of the Hyannis Civic Association and several HCA members who also spoke on behalf of expanded authority for the CFAC. We outnumbered the Klimm-boobs 2-1 and still they call us malcontents.
Bob Jones said as he turned to walk out with Royden Richardson, "This town sure has changed.."
Yes, it has.
We'll know tonight if Jones makes his move for a weak Mayor. Calling the top vote getter a Mayor and asking him/her to stand election every two years won't produce the sort of candidates we need to lead our Town. But, it could distract the voters enough for John Klimm to serve his remaining years retired on our dime in Town Hall.
This could be Bob Jones' Last Hurrah - a non-Mayor Mayor from Worchester.
Reader note: John Julius is fighting the good fight alone tonight. He'll be attending the Charter Commission meeting at 7 pm. There is some talk that Fitton may speak in favor of a Mayor tonight. We'll be live blogging this event. Please add your comments.
Bob Jones supports changing the name of the Town Council President to Mayor. He wants to adopt a mayoral form of government similar to Worchester with two year terms and an appointed Town Manager.
Posted by: bugsy | March 26, 2009 at 07:24 PM
Sheila Gieler lent her voice to Jones' suggestion that we go with all at-large and doesn't mind calling the top vote getter a mayor.
Posted by: bugsy | March 26, 2009 at 07:49 PM
Where is my comment?
Editors note: Your comment is in the spam bid. I requested that you identify yourself by emailing me. You are not John Palmer.
Posted by: John Palmer | March 26, 2009 at 07:53 PM
Greg is still pressing for a Chief Executive Officer.
Jones/Gieler wants only the top vote getter from the 5 or 6 at-large councilors to be called a mayor.
The chief administrator would still be appointed - presumably by the Town Council as a whole.
Posted by: bugsy | March 26, 2009 at 07:57 PM
Richardson just walked in. Poyant is in Fla. Fitton is a no show.
Greg has a motion on the floor for an elected CEO.
Posted by: bugsy | March 26, 2009 at 08:22 PM
Greg's motion failed 6-1.
This is how if went down. Fitton was told to stay home by Rohrbch. Fitton was told that no vote would be taken tonight. Clark badgered Milne into making a motion. Greg took the bait and minutes later Richardson appeared from his other meeting at the Council of Delegates. Poyant is in Florida. A vote was taken and John Alden threw Milne to the wolves.
John Julius walked in and asked to speak.
Clark denied him a voice.
Looks like we're back in the business of collecting 5,000 signatures for Charter reform.
Posted by: bugsy | March 26, 2009 at 08:27 PM
Greg just said that the two missing Charter members are also against mayor, making the vote 8-1. What happened?
Posted by: Michael | March 26, 2009 at 09:04 PM
What happened is that we have to start over. Gray pulled the papers already. We just have to get together and organize a new drive.
Posted by: bugsy | March 26, 2009 at 10:21 PM
There seems to be some misinformation floating around - not that that should surprise anyone.
In Worcester mayoral candidates must run for election as a mayor. They don't run for city council and the top voter becomes mayor. The mayor is the mayor. The city then employs a city administrator who manages day to day operations but must answer to the council and mayor.
Klimm is a town manager and the chief executive officer is like the President or Governor.
Posted by: I stand corrected | March 26, 2009 at 10:44 PM
At 9:04 Michael asked, "what happened?"
Michael, here, please do me a favor so I don't have to repeat myself. Log onto capecog.com. See what I wrote......
And people should please start righ now. Have THIS site, capecodliving.blogspot.com and the other one, capecog.com on your radar screens.....
Michael, please go there. Read what I said. it sums it all up.....
This was a BAG JOB from the start... No problem as we will do this all over again, omly THIS time the VOTERS WILL NOT have to make the same mistake by voting for the KLIMM HACKS and stooges put in place by this incompetent MORON! John, did you get this?!
Here, it's lae..... Almost 12:30 so I need sleep, but first the good news.....
We have bodies. People are very pissed. WE think many people will sign with no questions asked, once they find out they were betrayed BY MAGGOTS like Clark, Rohrbach, Geiler, Jones, Richardson and Alden!
The biggest surprise? John Alden. Hey John, and YOU planned to run for council? John, do yourself a favor. Don't waste any time or any money for signs. John, YOU are scum like the rest of these FIVE other maggots! What a MORON this idiot is!
Posted by: John Julius | March 27, 2009 at 12:32 AM
from a David Still editorial in the Star Tabloid:
Among the problems with the preliminary report is that the unique position of a directly-elected town council president has no ready definition for Barnstable voters, or voters in most other places, for that matter. Those interested in an elected top executive see the elected president as a figurehead and those who fear consolidated power object to the special status the position confers. Both will vote against the current proposal.
In an effort to find a middle ground and correct the present charter, the commission has a well-thought out compromise that bears little chance of success at the polls.
The commission’s effort to clarify sections that have been left to the vagaries of legal interpretation is worthwhile and worth saving. So too is the work to provide voters the ability to vote for more than 50 percent of council members instead of the 1/13th they now “enjoy.”
Without a change in the overall direction of the charter draft, these needed changes will need to find another path to passage, because the document will be rejected.
Posted by: excerpt from David Still | March 27, 2009 at 06:51 AM
exerpted from the CCT:
Commission member J. Gregory Milne, who is also a town councilor, proposed a motion to suggest an elected chief executive.
"This is what I think the community is looking for," Milne said.
But the motion was defeated in a 6-1 vote. Two charter commission members, Lucien Poyant and Deborah Shiflett-Fitton, did not attend last night's meeting.
"At these two public hearings, I did hear quite a few people saying they were in favor of a mayor ... but I can't say I'm totally swayed by the same people saying the same things over again," charter commission member John Alden said, echoing the sentiments of other commission members.
"What's in a name?" commission member Robert Jones asked, expressing his doubts over the mayoral government proposal. "To just call somebody something without giving them the powers doesn't change much."
Note to John Alden: The reason we're stating our position over and over again is that you are NOT listening.
Posted by: ghost of John Alden | March 27, 2009 at 06:59 AM
This was the biggest betrayal of voters ever witnessed by anyone in the history of any government anywhere around the world. Plain and simple.... 7,000 voters signed a simple petition for change and the ability to simply elect the person who runs our town.
The voters signed. the voters came and spoke, and as someone here pointed out, in this so called 'public process', only seven spoke in favor of this rag produced by a bunch of complete MORONS, with the lone exception of Greg Milne.
And if anyone sees John Alden, tell him for me not to ever waste his time EVER again running for anything in this town! He told me just yesterday that he is going to run for town council JOHN, YOU ARE NOTHING BUT ONE BIG JOKE! Quite honestly I am not sure who is worse, Clark or Alden. No, scratch that.... it is s tie between them all---- CLARK, JONES, RICHARDSON, ROHRBACH, ALDEN and GEILER!
People had to see this last night with their own eyes to actually believe it! Roy Richardson spent MOST of his night at his OTHER appointed hack job at the County--- then he walked off the elevator just when Greg had already put his motion on the floor. Five minutes later Clark called for the vote. ALMOST like it was scripted!
Here Richardson MISSED 99% of last night's meeting, HEARD NOT AN OUNCE OF ANY DISCUSSION that the PARTIAL BOARD had had and then, bingo, this idiot waltzes in and votes NO! Screw ALL the voters in our town. WHO CARES?!
I will also point out as well that TWO other members were NOT PRESENT LAST NIGHT so HOW COULD these IDIOTS in good conscience discuss this in ONE foolish half hour and then take a VOTE with ONLY SIX of the NINE members present??!!!!!!
Two reporters were there. One from the Patriot and one from the Enterprise. But don't expect to read any of what I JUST WROTE in their reporting. I doubt you will see it!
Folks, this is about as DISGRACEFUL as anything can get!
But we will rebound. We will regroup and we will get signatures this tim FROM ONLY PEOPLE WHO WANT A MAYOR in this town. And NEXT time, Klimm can run any PHONY he wants. It will be different.
Posted by: John Julius | March 27, 2009 at 07:50 AM
Alden would be wise to spare himself the embarrassment of running for office in this town. Some of us will go out of our way to take him out. A better man would have stood next to Milne and taken a 5-2 defeat last night. The irony is that, with his craven and cowardly move, he has lost all support. His former allies now despise him. The GOB network, which he sought to please, continues to hold him in utter contempt. They detest a turncoat the same as everybody else. As for Fitton and Poyant, one hopes they retain enough self-respect to never present themselves for candidacy ever again.
Posted by: shame on you , John Alden | March 27, 2009 at 12:43 PM
It wasn't that long ago that Alan Goddard tried to cross over to the good ol'boys by pandering to Skip Simpson on the Hyannis Water Board. That strategy back fired when he failed to garner an endorsement from the Citizens for Barnstable Business PAC. Goddard placed almost dead last on the 2007 Charter Commission vote.
Posted by: malcontents no more | March 27, 2009 at 01:29 PM