Allen, Picard, Becker,Mayor

It sounds to me like they do this precisely because of a lack of volunteers to fill the Board posts, Randy, not because there are people they are trying to keep off the boards.  Additionally, I would MUCH rather have a business owner, who has some perspective on how to run a successful enterprise (but happens to live out of town) than exclude the business owner in favor of some yahoo whose only credential is that he happens to live in Middletown. 

I realize that there was no requirement of owning a business to serve on a Board, I was responding to Randy's example of a business owner as a person who might be interested in serving on a Board even if he didn't live in the city. 

Voice of Reason:

My last question was for you, Kelly, I realized later that I wasn't clear on that.  And to your point about candidates who are suitable for the '4' on the Board--what if their judgment is correct in most cases? 

C'mon VOR. You state- "I think it is reasonable to assume that these 4, with their experience as attorneys, bankers, and police chief would actually make pretty good selections to most Board posts."- Really? Considering the decisions that these "bankers","lawyers" and "police chief" have made to date, it would appear that the profession of the councilperson/board member has nothing to do with competent decision-making. Because a councilperson/board member is a so-called "professional" doesn't give them a license to reign as a decision-making guru. There are many people out there that are not considered "professionals" nor are "college educated" that are perfectly capable of understanding what is presented to them, asking the appropriate questions and making rational, competent decisions just as effectively as any "professional". Doesn't common sense and logic trump "professional status" in matters like this? Perhaps we should get away from stereotyping a person with leadership skills as having a higher education as a requirement. If we continue to do that, don't we limit our selection and exclude some potential logic being injected into these boards? In over 42 years, I have worked around many "highly educated" people in the corporate world. Some had no clue what common sense nor logic was about. Most were Chem E's at Procter.

Voice of Reason
For the past 60 years we have had council members from many professions and not one has been able or willing to step up and solve the problems at the cemetery.
In 2005 when I presented my 3 Year Restoration Plan for the Middletown Cemetery to the City of Middletown, Middletown Community Foundation and the Middletown Historical Society…not one requested to see my resume.
Over the past 6 years while I have been researching and correcting the official burial records of the Middletown Cemetery...not one city official has requested to see my resume.
In 2009 when the City needed to know about the storm damage at the Middletown Cemetery they requested that I meet with the FEMA rep at the cemetery and provide him with the info, photos of damaged tombstones and quotes for repair of the tombstones...the City didn't request to see my resume that time either. 

...and yet the City is not willing to take my advice because I'm not an EXPERT on the Middletown Cemetery.   

VietVet, I do not deny that an education is not necessary for making sound decisions; however, AJ has prettty clearly made some very poor decisions in his short span as a council member--his vindictive comment about the city employee's death, the bizarre encounter he had with the police and his sister, to name a few instances. 

Voice of Reason wrote: VietVet, I do not deny that an education is not necessary for making sound decisions; however, AJ has prettty clearly made some very poor decisions in his short span as a council member--his vindictive comment about the city employee's death, the bizarre encounter he had with the police and his sister, to name a few instances.    As far as the other 4 go in terms of representing the city and making policy, consider this--if a representative of a major company, say an auto manufacturer or other company was considering Middletown as a site for a new location and wanted to meet with some members of city council--which 3 members of council would you want representing the city at such a meeting?  I would much rather have any of those 4 represent Middletown and be the face of the city than the other 3.    There are some very revealing qualities about the others that I think are enlightening.  First, why didn't Scott Jones ever finish law school after attending for 2+ years?  It's not as though you have to be a lawyer to make good decisions (I agree with you there, there are plenty of bad leaders that get elected that are lawyers), but to go for more than two years and never finish is bizarre--it's not as though you only get one chance, you can always finish up at some point in the future, but it is a total waste to not finish and not pass the bar somewhere.    Also, I seem to remember AJ saying that he would get a "degree" and be firefighter.  First off, attending a 6 week course at Butler Tech/Sinclair or wherever he finished up is not a degree, and it is very illuminating about AJ's lack of awareness and understanding of matters if he considers that a "degree" on par with a college degree.  Secondly, if he does wish to be a firefighter, why does AJ seem to have antagonized Becker so much in the past?  Doesn't he realize that Becker is so well connected to all the local police/fire leadership?  Becker could black ball him for life if he wished (and maybe he already has).  It strikes me as foolish for someone to act that way, even if he doesn't really care for Becker.  This is pretty basic, and AJ's lack of foresight tells me a lot.

Maybe AJ is on his way to be the next mayor. Looks like the same path that got Sciavone there.

Voice of Reason wrote: VietVet, I do not deny that an education is not necessary for making sound decisions; however, AJ has prettty clearly made some very poor decisions in his short span as a council member--his vindictive comment about the city employee's death, the bizarre encounter he had with the police and his sister, to name a few instances.    As far as the other 4 go in terms of representing the city and making policy, consider this--if a representative of a major company, say an auto manufacturer or other company was considering Middletown as a site for a new location and wanted to meet with some members of city council--which 3 members of council would you want representing the city at such a meeting?  I would much rather have any of those 4 represent Middletown and be the face of the city than the other 3.    There are some very revealing qualities about the others that I think are enlightening.  First, why didn't Scott Jones ever finish law school after attending for 2+ years?  It's not as though you have to be a lawyer to make good decisions (I agree with you there, there are plenty of bad leaders that get elected that are lawyers), but to go for more than two years and never finish is bizarre--it's not as though you only get one chance, you can always finish up at some point in the future, but it is a total waste to not finish and not pass the bar somewhere.    Also, I seem to remember AJ saying that he would get a "degree" and be firefighter.  First off, attending a 6 week course at Butler Tech/Sinclair or wherever he finished up is not a degree, and it is very illuminating about AJ's lack of awareness and understanding of matters if he considers that a "degree" on par with a college degree.  Secondly, if he does wish to be a firefighter, why does AJ seem to have antagonized Becker so much in the past?  Doesn't he realize that Becker is so well connected to all the local police/fire leadership?  Becker could black ball him for life if he wished (and maybe he already has).  It strikes me as foolish for someone to act that way, even if he doesn't really care for Becker.  This is pretty basic, and AJ's lack of foresight tells me a lot.

I don't think that we will have a problem with a major company inqiuring about locating to this town with the terrible roads,high section 8 housing, no entertainment,poor school system,and the high taxes.This sounds more like the voice of crap instead of reason.

No mention of that huge chip residing on the shoulder of Mr.Picard?

VOR- For cryin' out loud! AJ is just starting out in life. He has made some poor decisions, certainly. Hell, I'm 62 and still make some poor decisions. There is no age limit on poor decisions being made. We ALL do it, including you. As I understand, the AJ/ sister thing was reported as AJ defending his sister in an altercation and his insistance that it be handled by the courts with his arrest. He is a public figure and made known to the public, his business. He hid nothing. Give him credit for that, at least. He has a right to defend his sister, doesn't he. Wouldn't you if this were your situation?

Again the difference between you and I. I would choose from the group of 3. There is a major non-trust issue with the group of 4. I would have no problem at all sending Ms Scott-Jones, Mr. Smith and Mr. Laubach to the table to represent the city to sit with a new employer and entice them to town. Could any be any more offensive than what Mr. Picard demonstrated the other night? Could any of them be any less animated and disinterested than Becker or Allen? Could any of them be anymore unable to make a decision than what Mulligan demonstrated in refereeing the argument on council the other night? Doubtful.

How do you know that Becker could "black-ball" AJ for life"? How do you know that Becker has the overwhelming respect in the police/firefighters community. It wouldn't surprise me to hear that he wasn't that popular with the personel in the police department when he was running the show. He doesn't have the personality to persuade or influence people. I would venture to guess he turns many people off with his attitude and personality and he probably has many detractors out there in the police/firefighter professions. He doesn't have to stay in this area to continue his quest to be a firefighter, does he?

Ms. Scott-Jones and her degree? That's her business. It she has an MBA, she's done much better than I.

AMEN to that post Mr. Nagy