[RP TownTalk] Cafritz Vote

[Lou King]

1. Your experience is defiantly different than mine. I see our elected 
officials on the street; Walking my dog; I talked to one at the RR 
crossing during the last car/train accident; I see them at the Farmer's 
Market. I talk to them at Council Meetings, Working Sessions, Committee 
meetings. I also use those opportunities to talk to our Chief of Police, 
heads of Code Enforcement and Public Works Department to express my 
opinion about what I think could be done better or what my concerns are. 
As I said early in these threads, when needed I get phone/email replies. 
Not only from my Councilperson (ward 1) but also Ward 2 (Head of 
Finance) and Ward 3 (Public Works Committee). It has been a while but I 
have also had useful conversations with Henry, Ward 4, (Public Safety). 
  Mayor Archer and I, Councilperson Henry and I, (when I was a Chief 
Election Judge) discussed what could be done to improve election 
participation. We all agree election turnout is horrid.

2. Who's fault is it that more citizen don't register and vote? We have 
been here before. We have discussed it before. Some people in town still 
are not registered to vote and those that are still don't bother to come 
to the polls. That has little to do with the current elected officials. 
That has been true sense I first came to Riverdale and became a local 
election judge for the County and Town. I know that Mayor/Council 
members, although unopposed, have provided rides to the polls so that 
residence could vote.

3. It is totally untrue that the Council Meetings do not follow Roberts 
Rules of Order. I believe (don't know for sure) each Council member has 
their own copy. During the Legislative Meeting (first Monday of the 
month) I notice frequent reference to electronic copies of "Roberts 
Rules" to make sure the proper procedure is being followed. 
Councilperson Alan Thompson has been stopped proceedings more than once, 
to make sure the votes, discussions, amendments are handled in the 
correct sequence according to Robert's Rules.

Accusations do not make facts. Some wonder why more people don't get 
into public service. Good people, good public servants, who have the 
public good as their objective, have to respond to every groundless snip 
and innuendo every time it is uttered. No matter how many times it is 
shown to be wrong/faults they need to respond. If left unanswered, those 
with no facts on their side can then say 'They did not respond (to my 
groundless innuendo) therefore it must be true.' And there are those 
that will believe that.

I think Councilperson Ebbeler, must have quit his day job, taken 
vacation or decided 'what life' given the time spent respond to the same 
old issues that have been brought up and discussed time and time again 
this last year in public meeting, in several towns and on this forum. In 
most cases the facts haven't change and it is obvious some opinions 
haven't either.

Louis King
Riverdale, MD

Lou
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Melissa Avery wrote, On 7/11/2012 12:49 PM:
> In my experiences the town government is a closed society, not
> particularly interested in the opinion of the citizens. the
>   entirety elected by less than 200 citizens out of a citizenry of close
> to 3000.
> The council people do not meet with the people in there wards, walk the
> streets of there wards or particularly want to hear from the people who
> live in there wards.
> The town charter has been altered to state they can conduct town
> meetings in any way they see fit, rather than following Roberts Rules of
> Order which is the accepted norm.
>