Esslinger has opposed the parking lot since fall, when it was included in the city’s annual capital improvements program. He argues it is a luxury the city cannot afford in light of pressing needs to upgrade sewers and other infrastructure.But if you don't like it, why not just vote no when it's in front of you?
Still, he and McHugh voted in favor of borrowing $972,000 for the project in late April. Esslinger said he signed off on the bond issue on the assumption that he’d have one more chance to kill the project. That opportunity will come up when construction easements and bids for the work go to the council this summer for approval.
"I was under the understanding from our city staff we would have one more kick at the cat," Esslinger said. "I think the staff needs to be more clear to the council when these issues come up. We need to be told ‘This is it. You need to vote no here.’ Or they need to explain exactly what the vote means."
By the way, an animal abuse metaphor is just plain creepy.
MORE: From "logichead" (a misnomer if ever there was one):
Good for you , Paul....stick to your guns and listen to the majority of voters. Downtown is dead. Don't spend more of our tax dollars on it. Also....can the Grand. It's a old pile of bricks that needs to go, It wil be less expensive to build a new theatre that to repair the old junk pile.Esslinger is flip-flopping and this putz is telling him to "stick to your guns" ... what guns are those?
(emphasis added)
That's right, the guy also said "screw the Grand" ...
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16 comments:
Most things about Paul Esslinger are just plain creepy.
"In last year's budget hearings I tried to amend the Capital Improvement Budget so that 1 million dollars allocated to a parking lot could instead be used for additional sewer and street projects, but unfortunately we did not have 4 votes for the amendment"
Tony Palmeri March 30 2009 ONW candidate questions
I see people in the forums acting like only Esslinger wants to kill the parking lot, all the anger is directed at him, but was it Palmeri's idea all along? How is Teflon Tony able to avoid the same kind of rancor that is directed at Esslinger? When is a citizen group going to take away Palmeri's breakfast? Fair is fair. Go grab that guy's bowl of All-Bran before it's too late.
Poor Pitiful Pancake-less Paul. No breakfast for you, young man. Not until you finish every bit of that parking lot.
Mildred-
Difference- Palmeri tried to amend it to allocate dollars elsewhere. He didn't approve it so he could vote against it later. Esslinger did.
That's just little schizophrenic.
1) The whole "Kick at the cat" metaphor came about during Ms. Blochels tenure on the council.
2) The tactic of voting yes when you feel you are on the losing side, to be able to bring it back at another time, is a tactic used by just about every councilor. Bain used if frequently.
3) Esslinger ran on a platform of fixing streets and flood related chaos. His rational for submarining this project would be in favor of using any and all funds for those purposes.
4) Many Oshkosh streets and roadways are in far worse shape than this parking lot.
5) Priorities first.
6) The lot is servicable and will suffice during Main St. reconstruction.
PE is stressing infrasturcture.
Right.
Well, the sewer lines were laid in that area around 1885. They need to be separated into sanitary and storm lines. Preferably before they collapse and need emergency repair.
This is not just a cosmetic repair. It's an infrastructure repair.
The federal funding can not be diverted to "other" projects.
This is not THAT hard to understand. Or is it?
Birds of a feather flock together,11:58 and if this Blochel person said it first then Esslinger has no originality and she's just as creepy as him.
Mac says "Difference- Palmeri tried to amend it to allocate dollars elsewhere"
CJ says "It's an infrastructure repair.The federal funding can not be diverted to "other" projects.This is not THAT hard to understand. Or is it?"
You two kids should get together and have a soda, I'll bet you could have a lively little chat. When you're done talking about sewers you could talk about Teflon. Did you know that DuPont Chemical calls Teflon "The Housewife's Best Friend"? Yet scientists say that it gets in all our blood, and reaches toxic levels before you even know it. Pet birds just keel right over if Teflon gets into the house. Oh dear, my poor little Budgie.
Of course the DuPont folks deny this. I wish that nice young Nader fellow would look in this.
Whatever happend to him?
Well, you kids have a nice day. I see that nasty Esslinger boy coming down the street with his band of hoodlums. I better go make sure the cats are in.
What's all this talk about Teflon and DuPont? Someone has no rhyme or reason to their posting.
It's a metaphor, sonny.
And don't get snippy with me, or I'll have a little chat with your mother.
Ms. Muck-
Say what you mean and mean what you say. Please.
If you insist.
When I watch council meetings I see people in power who really have no idea what they are doing. They don't know what is and is not within the scope of various municipal groups or committees. They do not understand accepted procedure, they place no faith in staff, or rather show outright contempt for staff, seeming to believe that there could be no greater mind than that which is encased within their own hard skulls. Some have such strong personal filters in place that even though they may have physically been present at a variety of previous meetings they may as well not ever have attended. It is as though years ago they had decided it would be fun to play at government, or to play “revolutionary”.
It also seems to me that no matter how outrageous the behavior of some of these people becomes, their supporters work overtime to find excuses or simply look the other way while continuing to have the temerity to point fingers at everyone else. That is not democracy, that is a personality cult. Those supporters then bear partial responsibility for the misguided behaviors of their guru. I see an overall element of mockery and disrespect to institutions and offices that I take very seriously, and I am both alarmed and offended by that.
I hope that was frank enough for you. Good day.
I agree with Muckenfuss that Esslinger is nasty.
I agree with Muckenfuss that our previous Manager Wollangk is to blame for our poor downtown.
Since Mildred never mentioned the name Wollangk we have to presume that an inability to properly read is among the many issues you have.
Thank you Ms. Muckenfuss-
Still slightly cryptic, but I understand. Or I think I do.
Cults are creepy. For the rest of us, we sometimes agree with councilors, and sometimes not.
Ms. Muckenfuss,
Are you related to Mrs. Twinkledorff?
Good day to you too.
"They do not understand accepted procedure, they place no faith in staff, or rather show outright contempt for staff, seeming to believe that there could be no greater mind than that which is encased within their own hard skulls. "
Accepted procedure....
Does that mean, "That's not how we do things here in Osh?"
If an "accepted" procedure is inhibiting progress, filtering information presented to steer the outcome of a decision or is just not working well, it's time to review those procedures and update them to fit the goals we want to achieve.
If it's not working, fix it. If it needs to be refined to achieve greater output, do so. "Accepted procedure" is a dinosar in a dynamic world.
"...they place no faith in staff..."
Faith? Faith is for the holy or for those who've earned trust. Let me emphasize--Earned trust. (Five Rivers, 100 Main, Akcess, lost sanitiation maintenance records,....I'll stop now.) Asking hard questions is part of their job. Isn't it?
"... or rather show outright contempt for staff.."
I've seen that go both ways. There seems to be an equal amount of contempt and annoyance on staff's part as well. Let me call it the, "Your term is over in two years, and I'll still be here, running things the way I want to" attitiude. I've noticed attitiudes have toned down greatly since Mr. Rohloff's come aboard, but I still see the passive-aggressive tendencies exhibited.
There is little fluidity or flexibility in the corporate culture of city hall. That is changing. Slowly.
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