just having read of Sheldon Mains conversion experience, I thought i might pick up the flag and carry it forward a bit. one suggestion that has come out of our conversation on dog parks and the library referendum, etc has been the efficacy of independent boards. i want to weigh in here with a few thoughts. first i want be supportive of the boards in the tireless work they do on these issues. i have no idea what their salaries are but i'm willing to bet we are getting our money out of supposed part-timers. whether or not the system as it stands is efficient is another issue. i see where the left hand is not coordinated with the right hand and it cannot be easy fulfilling your function on an independent board, trying to satisfy your demanding constituents at the same time you are dependent on the largesse of the parent city government. for that reason alone it might make sense to disband independent boards and fold their functions into the greater city government. steve minn, i know, floated this idea as someone else has said and was roundly criticized. steve talked mostly about efficiency and cost savings. i forgot what figures he tossed out at the time and i would welcome his contribution on this matter. one thing i do not recall from that conversation years ago was what effect that would have on the city council other than to put greater power in fewer hands which in and of itself might not necessarily be a bad thing. I have always had a flirting romance with the idea of enlightened despotism. not to be confused with g.w.b.'s compassionate conservatism. smirk,smirk! this might tie into the earlier string on the charter commission's ideas vis a vis the constitution of the city council. it seems to me that if we start having the city council be responsible for parks and libraries we then might need to increase the size of the council and/or shrink ward boundaries(the same thing i suppose) though i've never been on the council it appears that they work long hours. i'm not saying i think they all work efficiently with their schedules or that i have ever or often agreed with their decisions but i'm not sure i would want to do the job they do for the kind of money they make. and now we would be telling them to take on more work. there is a real penurious streak in this city when it comes to the city council. i'm not advocating a pay scale equal to the private sector. we could not afford it given the sorts of dollars they pay executives in corporations. one should still be motivated by love or a sense of service rather than money. i'm about to be thrown off my machine so i'll sign off by wishing dore mead the best of luck in the future and offer a belated apology for my rough treatment of her. i hope she subscribes to this forum or perhaps our moderator can forward my apology. Tim Connolly downtown ward 7 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Messenger - Talk while you surf! It's FREE. http://im.yahoo.com/
