While everyone is denying they are starting the 2011 elections already, what would happen if the the RCA had all 7 seats. Could they rewrite the entire village code having a super majority? Thus changing anything, getting rid of commissions, anything they wanted. This power hungry group is already bullying the Parks & Rec, the schools, what's next?
Riverside Info » About Riverside
RCA Power Play
(14 posts)-
Posted Saturday Jun 5, 2010 09:27 #
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Yes they can. Just look to the federal government and what they have done to the constitution.
Posted Saturday Jun 5, 2010 10:53 # -
Maybe that's what they meant by "Rip it all down" "Top to Bottom", "Everything on the Table"!
Posted Saturday Jun 5, 2010 11:38 # -
The RCA has a simple majority right now (4 of 7). Isn't that all the votes that is needed to put agenda items through into local law? What would adding a couple three more board votes do?
Maybe it is the case that, like the previous administration with the TIF, which adminstration COULD HAVE simply voted on and passed (they had the votes), these folks might also listen to the people's input when voting in the board room. So maybe it is not all about mere power.
And, it is to our benefit now that there is more than one political party in town to provide the proper counter weight. Without the RCA, and its leading a grassroots opposition to the TIF initiative, we would have a TIF now.
The RCA ran on doing a rigorous top - down , look-everywhere inspection and audit of all of the Village's operations to try to find ways to save some money, and that is what they are doing now. I have several elderly friends in town who are paying something like $18,000 in taxes each year and I know people out of work in town struggling. These are people who elected the RCA folks to do the top down audit.
Posted Saturday Jun 5, 2010 14:19 # -
A simple majority is different from a super majority. They ran on fiscal responsibilty, open and transparent government, and sustainable downtown businesses. 13 months and they are 0 for 3. When are they going to start doing something?
Posted Saturday Jun 5, 2010 16:41 # -
MRT,
I don't know what Village you live in, but here in Riverside there has been no sign whatsoever of the RCA bloc undertaking their promised top down audit. Perhaps that's because they are not fools, and they realised that there are few, if any, efficiencies to be found in what is already a leanly-staffed and cheaply-run Village. Actually, I suspect they knew that all along, and that thie promise of such an audit was just an empty gesture to win the votes of the people you spoke of.
You are correct that they have a majority and can impose any agenda they want. So far we've had the rejection of a donation for trees and the rejection of a proposed parking lot. I suspect the next thing on the agenda is the dismantling of the Parks and Rec Board. I guess this what you voted for--hope you're happy.
Posted Saturday Jun 5, 2010 16:56 # -
The RCA is only interested in one thing. Total Village Domination! If only they worked as hard in office as they did during the election. Does anyone know what is better than doing nothing?
Posted Saturday Jun 5, 2010 18:57 # -
Anything. The answer is anything. Anything would be better than nothing.
Posted Saturday Jun 5, 2010 18:59 # -
There seems to be *something* going on:
On the cbd, offhand, recently we have the attention paid to and the beautification of the facade of the Arcade with the murals, an owner for the Arcade (this is huge for such an important property in such an important location), a pretty good looking replacement for the periennial hot dog stand in Mi Casita, Mollie's Public House , and the Landmark Kitchen design place in the empty space that was the laundry mat. It is something, *some* movement there.
There has been the volunteering effort led by Mr Sells - let's be clear that there are not two boards , but one board - to clean up the CBD with the plantings. There is the essential infrastructure work on Burlington that is being done, too.
We also have the Bike Way approved and kicked off that might help bring some people into town to see our fine village and frequent our businesses. Thank you, thoughtful citizen Tom Jacobs.
The board has also made it clear that it wants any ideas from citizens for other CBD enhancments and allows all kinds of input, email, public comment during the meetings.
I am not sure one has to call the Board's work as 'the top - down audit', but it seems like they have been doing detail examination of the Village work. It seems like whatever they look at, they are asking, is this the cheapest best way to do it ? For example, I see lots of stuff in that latest packet about contract details for the workers, COLAs, and the like. I noticed that the packet also included a cost analysis on the rec re-structuring proposal from the Village manager - the hiring of which was also an exercise in cost savings that the current board has done. JohnM, you say they stopped a parking lot; I say they saved the village X thousand dollars.
Posted Saturday Jun 5, 2010 23:28 # -
MRT, Those were works of private enterprise and private citizens, not the RCA. The question remains. What has the RCA done in a year?
Posted Sunday Jun 6, 2010 10:31 #
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