Ron Edwards, addressing the city council. (If I am wrong about that, my apologize). asking the city council to look into the excessive amounts that were being paid to people who sit on the Civilian Review board. ($50 each day when a member attends one or more meetings or hearings). I began to do a little search and found out there is a quite of few of these boards, or commissions that were providing stipends, or receiving compensated salaries.
WM: There is a good side to the boards having honoraria or stipends: People who have to take off work or hire baby sitters so that they can attend can participate. It helped Charlotte Anderson, who sat on the library board for several years, be able to get compensation for time lost at work. Had I been elected last election (losing has turned out to be a blessing), that little bit of money would have allowed me to serve. The question is not why do they pay that sum, or that the sum is excessive, it usually ain't, but who is getting that fee and does that person have a positive or negative effect on getting anything accomplished.
Why pay a person who has an interest in helping or serving the city in some capacity, a fee for doing what is in not only the interest of the city, but for all residents. I think, just being a part of process in city government, should be a learning, rewarding experience.
WM: This is the $64,000 question. When no compensation of any sort is offered, the only people who can attend are the feckless and the very powerful/wealthy. While both can make a contribution to any endeavor, having all the board members be on the opposite edges of the lives of most people may not provide the best range of intelligences. Though it could be rewarding, and it will certainly be a learning experience, odds are that it's mostly a pain in the butt which generates tons of paper and takes forever. Bureaucracies are designed to slow down processes to a wounded snail's pace.
WizardMarks, Central
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