Prestidigitation
by Harry Houdini Allen Thomas Step One: Suggest you’ll achieve a seemingly impossible feat, like freeing yourself, with hands cuffed behind your back, from a packing crate submerged under water. getting re-elected despite the continuous exodus of highly talented city staff, the city being sued over revisions to the occupancy code, and the installation of [...]
But Who Installed the Screws in the Speed Cushions?
Silly-seeming at first glance, issues like the speed bumps in Uptown Greenville, which were discussed at length during the February 11 meeting of the city council, provide an opportunity to review what council is supposed to be doing, and reflect on whether they are doing it. “The Mayor and City Council,” reads the elected officials [...]
Respect, Decorum, Civility
One of the most interesting parts of a city council meeting, and one of the most overlooked due to its place on the agenda, is “Comments from Mayor and City Council.” Occurring near the end of every meeting, it is a time when councilors – free of time limits – share announcements, thank people doing [...]
Making Greenville Grow. Up.
When four of Greenville’s six city councilors voted Thursday to increase occupancy limits for unrelated people living in homes of the city’s Tar River-University neighborhood, each – along with the mayor – displayed a blatant disregard for the will of the people. Despite clear-cut and overwhelming public opposition from city residents, from the Planning and [...]
SAVE GPAT
6/6/2012 update: Commissioners reconvene at 6 p.m. tonight to resume budget discussions. No decisions were made in last night’s session. There was a great show of community support for GPAT at the public hearing. GPAT provides full coverage of local government proceedings. Sunshine, as Justice Brandeis said, is the best disinfectant-so if it costs a [...]
Marriage and Family, State and City
What does a local rezoning issue have to do with a statewide constitutional amendment? Not much, except both of them involve definitions of familial status. ————————- IN OUR OPINION ————————- State-wide definition of marriage A couple of weeks ago, our state decided to adopt a strict definition of which domestic partners receive legal recognition and [...]
Question Austerity
Though some might hate to admit it, there are certain things government does best. Tonight city council will take up the future of Bradford Creek Golf Course, a city-owned and -operated facility that some have cited as an expense Greenville cannot afford. Apparently taking their cue from the national (indeed, international) trend that has seen [...]
Circus Maximus
Greenville city councilmember Max Joyner played to pity in attempting to justify the last-minute pay raise council granted itself and the mayor at its June 14th meeting. Check out the meeting video. Click here, then advance the video to the 1:44:45 mark. Joyner says: “If you’re going to put me in charge of a $114 [...]
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Jun 24, 2012 | Categories: Feature, In Our Opinion, Opinion | Tags: 27th Amendment, budget, Greenville council, increases, Joyner, mayor, Mercer, money, public comment, raises | Leave A Comment »