My son and myself attended the 5th ward meeting last night, and I though Alderman Lynn hosted an informative meeting. One of the things that came up is the meeting change deal. Besides not being put on the agenda legally, or legally giving the public a 24 hour notice of the change, these people pushing it through didn't even change the proposal that much. Arthur Anderson, in a letter to the editor in the QC Times, says pretty much what I've been thinking all along. What he doesn't mention is the fact that it would further take away our public comments when there are meetings. I also think this is going to go down in flames at tonight's meeting. If people on the council don't start acting like adults soon, it's going to be hard to get anything done.
Since all the news seems to be at city hall, I'll mention Malin. Instead of studying dictionaries to come up with bigger words to confuse people, this guy should do his job. It's real convient that when this latest stage of the harassment suit gets mentioned he's out of town. Sounds to me like his lawsuit might be bigger than the original, and if so, how much is all this going to cost Davenport? There's a story on this at the QC Times.
The rumors I'm hearing about some of the council being kept in the dark is troubling. The Mayor has spent tax payer dollars for a consultant to tell them how to work together, then still condones a split council. From what I understand, some council members didn't even know about the harassment lawsuit until they seen it in the QC Times. While some people don't want to admit a crime problem, this goes on. Your comments are welcome
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19 comments:
This party is going to get bigger and louder. We may have to shut down 4th Street for parking.
By the way, great article by Aurther Anderson. He's the man of the hour!
How ridiculous is this article? So what exactly will the additions to the juvenile dept of the police accomplish? Where is their plan of how they will spend the new money allocated to them? What measurable goals have they set?
I'm tired of talk while our city gets picked apart.
Sorry for the rant, I'm cranky today and my job is frustrating me. Going for a long leisurely lunch to change my 'tude.
anon,
I've heard a lot of comments about Mr. Anderson and none bad.
snarky,
Sometimes reading about these things can be depressing. Especially when so many think there is no crime. The jerk in the article should go straight to regular court and then adult prison. But around here it will probably end up a plea bargin to simple assault.
In talking with local PO PO, it was mentioned that juvie crimes out number the adult crimes almost two to one, just too many to investigate. If we don't acknowledge the juvie crimes, they will grow to be adult crimes. We need to appoint someone to follow up on all kiddie crimes going on. I know that its hard to convict a child but this starts a paper trail for further judgements. By the way, did you see Bogan on the tele last night, smiling and flashing gang signs to the camera?
This clown thinks he can get out because he is above the law being a juvie.
LOL @ "po po".
I've been saying for awhile we need to take the small things these little punks do seriously or they will escalate. The fact that a kid this young would do something so violent really makes me sick. What will he be doing in 3 years if they don't do something to deter him NOW?
The deal is with something like this, when nobody gets killed is that the two or three people who could make a difference downplay it. Malin and Chief Bladel don't seem to care, and it seems as if our Mayor follows thier lead. If these people don't wake up pretty soon it's going to get scary for a lot of people to go anywhere. All these people are doing is building mistrust towards the whole City Council. And that's sad because there are some good people on this council who do want to make a difference.
...yawn...
I agree Cruiser, but maybe not with the same personel as you. The two that stick out to be "keepable" are Meyers and Frink. As far as Malin and Bladel, they are political pawns that have become loose cannons because this council doesn't pull in the raines, not that they could even handle their own affairs. But thats my opinion.
Malin got the upper hand from the Brooke council with his golden parachute deal. I'm still leaning toward Alderman Lynn on the keepable list. He did get the Guardian Angels here. Time will tell.
Lynn did put us eight months behind on rental housing inspections and did not support the fire departments request for additional help. Where is his priorities? He IS very close to the Dan Lubell-QCRPA group and that scares me to death.
I don't know about Lubell, and that is scary if true. The deal with the inspectors is the same with the Police department. According to sources we currently have more of both per capita than other cities in Iowa. I just can't figure out why if we have more personel that we get less done. I have seen the report on the police study, but just heard the rumor about inspectors. Seems to me the public wanted the change with inspectors, but of course I could be wrong. As for Alderman Lynn's priorities I couldn't say. The only thing I know about him is that he got the Guardian Angels here, I just hope there's enough interest to start a chapter. I heard Chief Bladel already saying about the citizen police doing the same thing. But it's a while before elections and around here anything can happen by then.
Don't believe everything that you read or hear. It was the QCRPA and groupies that wanted the NEO gone, force the city into driveby inspections or go to a complaint base inspections only. This is not good business given the older housing stock in Davenport. Even Dr. Joanne Grailer approched the council, admitted that she was wrong and asked for the reinstatement of the NEO. Known that she was one that, at the begining, supported the NEO gutting, she had seen the errors of her ways after the NEO helped her close a slum property on W. 15th St.
As for the stats on inspectors per capita (no proof given, only quoted), no other city does the full scope of enforcement that Davenport did. Nuisance vehicles, high weeds and grass, securing abandoned housing and board ups, rental inspections, zoning enforcement, delapitated housing demolishion, and of course loose debris and trash on private properties. Sixty-seven square miles of city and all of these responsabilities covered with ten inspectors. Never were they presented as code enforcement officers but only as housing inspectors doing just that. Mike Steen and Dan Lubell ran the smear compaign addressing the rental housing issues and never presenting the full scope of the job. Now if you do your own study you'll find that other cities have separate departments handling these nuisances and if you were to add up the inspectors that it takes to preform these duties, you'll find Davenport is in line with all the others.
Like I said, there's always more to the story than what is given at the podium.
joe american,
I said it was a rumor, but I guess I'm not getting my point accross. I have nothing against the Fire Department, or the job they're doing. I just feel it would have been cheaper and better for the city to keep it where it was with a little reworking. I never researched the NEO because I didn't have a problem with it.
Sorry if I came on too strong but this issue eats at me. I believe we are on the same page here. The NEO needed to be updated and supported by us and the council. Knowing what I do, the NEO will now be more effective under the fire department umbrella and part of public safety. Who wants to mess with fire and police right? Prof. Lynn did nothing but put the inspections 8 months behind schedule and tax other departments of more resposibilities with no money savings. If Lynn really was a good alderman, there would have been open discussion and a plan in place before council dumped it on Chief Frese. This whole thing smells like dirty politics.
joe american,
You didn't come on too strong, I was just getting tongue tied. It just seems every time something gets changed for the better, and to save money, it turns into a huge mess. But I actually think it is more effective, I just wish somebody would figure out what it's going to cost us.
The old NEO was budgeted for $1 million to operate. With a outdated fine and fee schedule, the department raised close to $700,000, all to which went to the general fund. Though with the new proposed fees and fines schedule that the fire department worked out with the assistance of Mike Loos, the department would have been self supportive. No cost to the city what so ever. Now, with knowing that, why did the council axe the entire department? Doesn't make sense, does it?
Plain and simple...dirty politics.
joe american,
I do remember. I seem to remember also part of the rain water run-off fee going to the general fund for street sweepers. The sad thing is this stuff has been going on for so long, we're used to it. Let's wait a few months and see how many get laid off due to budget cuts.
Joe American, er Wally, has really distorted what is going on. First of all, the new fines and fees had nothing to do with Mr. Loos, who is no longer a City employee. It has been rumored that he could never get his old job back in a million years.
Secondly, I am no supporter of Dan Lubell, Mike Steen or the QCRPA, but it is documented that the old NEO was a mess, they did NOT clean up our central City, and refused to do so when confronted with specific cases.
Finally, after having attended the meetings at United Neighbors, I want to than Alderman Lynn for what he has done with the Angels. That is the best thing to ever happen to Davenport and it is long past due.
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