Every citizen in Ramsey was greatly insulted by the mayor in the mayor-council input session at the meeting televised tonight. This individual, Thomas Gamec, said people in Ramsey are too stupid to tell a worksession, televised, from a voting meeting, televised; and for that cooked up phony "reason" he wanted to quell the responsible suggestion that work sessions be televised.
What a crock. What a total manufactured bunch of nonesense. He wants to hide the process and the two new members, either of whom would be a better mayor than the mayor, want reform. Gamec wants to dissemble, bloviate, and keep people treated like mushrooms. It is offensive. It is a disgrace.
Second point, any councilmember, traditionally, can put an issue on any agenda. It has traditionally been a perogative of the office. Hendriksen frequently exercised that perogative; Goodrich did not render any legal opinion to the contrary; and the charter is silent. If Thomas Gamec has any authority in the resolutions, ordinances, or charter - let him please come forth and present it. The days of James Norman are over. The days of untelevised meetings should be. The power of councilmembers should be acknowledged to be as great as tradition has had it.
TELEVISE THE WORK SESSIONS. IT HAS BEEN AN ONGOING INSULT TO HAVE HAD THAT EFFORT ENDED SINCE THE 2002 ELECTION AND THOSE VOTED ON COUNCIL THEN, WITH HOLDOVERS, ENDED WORK SESSION TELEVISING. KURAK, SHE VOTED TO CONTINUE TELEVISING THEM. OF THE CURRENT HOLDOVERS WHO VOTED BACK THEN, ELVIG, THE MAYOR, OLSON AND JEFFREY, TO MY RECOLLECTION, WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN KILLING THE EFFORT.
TELEVISE THE WORKSESSIONS. TRANSPARENCY IS GOOD. SECRECY IS BAD. ANY F0OL KNOWS THAT, MAYOR OR OTHERWISE. OTHER FOOLS WILL ADMIT IT. THAT'S THE ONLY DIFFERENCE.
SUNSHINE IS THE BEST DISINFECTANT. JUSTICE BRANDEIS SAID THAT BACK IN 1914. IT REMAINS TRUE TODAY. IN RUSSIA THEY PROBABLY DO NOT TELEVISE WORK SESSIONS. THIS IS AMERICA.
JEFFERSON, MADISON, HAMILTON, WASHINGTON - THEY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AFRAID OF SUNSHINE ON THEIR ACTIONS. AND TO NOT ONLY OPPOSE IT BUT TO OPPOSE IT VIA BLOVIATING NONSENSE - WE DESERVE BETTER. END OF STORY.