Friday, January 25, 2008

Why?

Just a quick note this morning ~ a personal observation. Why does RC choose to define the new council rules as 'rules of engagement'? Why does this have to be such an all-out war? Whenever there has been even the slightest disagreement to any RC position in the last 3 years, it has been met with open hostility and contempt.

I ran across my testimony from one of the hearings on the Commencement condo’s, in that long-ago and far-off time when we had some shred of a ‘community’ (I don't sound bitter do I?): “The way this conflict is playing out is ugly, mean and downright evil. We can and should speak our minds and engage in the civic debate that a small town affords us. But we’ve turned into a lynching mob, out to kill anyone who disagrees with us. At this point, I’m not so concerned about this building. It’s only wood and steel. What’s important is what’s happening between us as human beings.”

Why can't we just disagree without hating each other? I don't feel hatred those who are in the RC inner circle. But I sure feel it from them. I tried to approach Council Member Albertson with that message a week ago, but he rolled his eyes and turned away. When I tried to talk with Council Member Huson after the last meeting, his insults were overwhelming. That's their right, but why work so hard to create bitter feelings?

Any attempts to ease tension or make things better have not only been squashed by this group now in power, but met with lethal force. This does not have to be a war ~ no one wanted it.

I don't have any answers. I wish I did. ~ Karen

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

After much thought & some rearranging and changing of letters,Council person Wayne Stubner has come up with a new spelling for Ruston.The new spelling shall be TACOMA.

Anonymous said...

Even more perplexing they profess to love the small town setting in Ruston all the while working to undermine and destroy the small town atmosphere and annex it to the big town. Makes little sense, except to those afflicted ones.

Anonymous said...

For American people are a very generous people and will forgive almost any weakness, with the possible exception of Stupidity!



~Wil Rogers~

Anonymous said...

Slogans for Ruston.
Ruston:
1.Badges,badges...we don't need no stinking badges.
2.we're still Toxic!
3.Subject to foreclosure.
4.Let me introduce you to my lil
fren.
5.We could have been somebody.
6.You can take the fools out of the
city...But why do they have to move
to Ruston?
7.Send in the clowns.
8.Fight in the parking lot!

Anonymous said...

Rules of engagement pretty much reflects the entire attitude of the council (except for one, and the mayor). Is this what we signed up for? Is this who we elected to represent us? In reviewing Bradley's letter he doesn't even extend the courtesy to address us as constituents, or tax payers, but rather as if he writing to a bill collector To Whom It May Concern. Doesn’t anyone else find this to be odd, to say the least? I believe this too reflects the contempt he and the others have towards us…..the taxpayers. Funny. Remember when Nixon was in office and yet at the end, we couldn’t find anyone who had voted him into office. Kind of like Bradley. Those who believed his rhetoric during the campaign are now no where to be found. They don’t want to admit they voted for him. And Albertson. Who elected him anyway? I fully expect that the next meeting we will be required to salute him rather than the flag, hence the need for the police officer to serve as sergeant of arms. Having a police office assigned to the meetings will be a really good and effective use of our taxpayer money.
I keep thinking about the fact that this town is over a hundred years old. We’ve been without the smelter as generating income for more than twenty years. Yet we continue to thrive and so far, have not needed to declare bankruptcy. So why then are these few people sitting on the council trying their best to move us to insolvency? That’s really not a question.
I noted that Silent No More, should have remained just that. Here we go again with the rumors and innuendos. SilentNoMore wrote “… they failed to inform the Ruston residents that their homeowners insurance would drop. I heard this from another source…” Now does this sound like someone who’s knowledgeable, articulate and expert on the subject of the Ruston Fire Department? But hey, this is what the RC is all about.
I also found it very interesting that the RC and company find it necessary to secretly tape record individual conversations and or public meetings.
So now, where are we? We’ve been reduced to 2 minutes of time, relegated to the end of the meeting, spoken to with such contempt, and addressed in letters as “To Whom It May Concern”. We have no face, no voice, and no one representing US! The Mayor can’t vote and Councilman Hedrick is a lone voice. Stebner continues to be a puppet on a string. I must apologize here because he isn’t responsible for what he does, he just isn’t very bright. Probably what the school teachers used to refer to as “a bit slow”. Oh, but by the way, the Easter Egg Hunt………what audacity. But the frosting was the fact that Bradley has decided he has no intention of complying with Freedom of Information Act so he won’t respond to emails, send letters, or anything that even remotely might fall under the perusal of the FoIA! Dictators and royalty is what we elected? I thought we broke away from England, and fought WWII because of these issues.
I suggest that we do exactly as Bradley asked that we go to his home and camp out if necessary to get his attention. If nothing else, the sidewalk is still public!

Anonymous said...

Karmichael, camping out on the sidewalk sounds good but which of Bradley's houses do we camp out in front of, the Seattle, or the Ruston house?