HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND OUR VERY BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY, PRODUCTIVE AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR

          A very heartfelt thank you to all who continue to read the blog, engage in and support the efforts of many citizens in their continued quest to promote and preserve the integrity, beauty and peaceful living in this community.

          Wishing you and your families a wonderful holiday season and a healthy and peaceful
New Year.

YOU'VE GOT MY BACK...

...AND THAT'S ALL YOU'VE GOT!

That seemed to be the message Supervisor Steve Madden was sending loud and clear to a fellow Eureka citizen at the December Town Board Meeting!!

This individual addressed the Board during the Public Comment portion of the agenda.  She stated that she had sent an email-- the subject doesn't really matter- to the Clerk to distribute to the Supervisors. She had received a reply from one Board member and wondered what the usual procedure was in such instances: do all the Supervisors answer, just one, what?  What is proper, accepted procedure? Vice Chair Cory Behrendt, who was chairing the meeting at the time, said that that could vary greatly by Supervisor. The individual also wanted to know if her email content were being considered regarding the topic.

Early during this exchange, the citizen had directed comment directly to Supervisor Madden, confronting him, and Vice Chair Behrendt had asked that she direct her input to him, which she then did.

Apparently, Madden had sent the citizen a response via email that must not have been very pleasant, because the citizen stated that whether her "information was good or not," she "had every right to send an email to her Town Supervisors" and that her comments should be taken into account.  Behrendt assured her that this is so, of course. 

Having personally been a recipient of such an email from Madden and knowing of another public official who also received an even less pleasant one--in fact, it was truly insulting-- I wasn't greatly surprised.
   

What did surprise --even shock me-- was that, during this matter, Supervisor Madden actually rotated his chair around so that he faced the wall and turned his back to the citizen while she continued to give public comment. Would this seem like a snub to you? What kind of behavior is this from an elected public official?  

Similarly, at the November Town Board Meeting, Supervisor Madden accepted a piece of material that I had handed him as well as the other Supervisors on a separate topic that I was addressing. A friend who was sitting in the audience in front of Madden saw him take my paper, crumple it up, and toss it under the desk without even looking at it, apparently after my back was turned!  When her face registered her dismay at his actions, she said he mouthed something rather "inappropriate" back at her.

It might be noted that in neither of these incidents did any other Board member say anything to Madden about what in my opinion is his lack of decorum.  It's possible that some may not have recognized or seen what he did, to be fair, but surely if one were sitting right next to him, someone must have noticed.

Remember the post on incivility in local government from a bit ago?  It would seem that treating people with simple respect and just a modicum of courtesy is still beyond some of us.  I find this level of disrespect for any citizen appalling; I trust that you do, too.

REMINDER: We assure you that what we print on this blog is supported by video, recording, other audience members, and/or minutes of meetings.

MARY JANE HAS LEFT THE BUILDING!

Medical marijuana will be manufactured elsewhere, according to news from the state.  For details, use link below..


SELECTION MADE- NOT EUREKA APPLICANT