I will readily admit that last night was not my regularly scheduled bout with hotheadedness but every now and then you have to speak up when you’re being publicly reduced to an ash heap. Something happens to the personality of small local politicians after being in office for a number of years where they jump the shark from public service to complete unadulterated Self Service. Last night was a wide open public display of self serving power in local government. Except 1, Bob Kellar.
Had Mr. Ferry won his seat with a comfortable lead, we wouldn’t be talking about this. However, the thought of losing the last vestige of freedom to feel important and fulfill his thirsty need for name calling and bullying was a position too unbearable to lose. With the incumbent advantage of well entrenched interests (donors) he knows, as well as the rest of the council, that this will widen the fund raising gap that challengers will most likely never jump in order to unseat an incumbent; at least prevent a 32 vote nail-biter that almost cost Mr Ferry his ivory tower.
In past years I have to say that I respected and enjoyed Frank’s leadership, but I don’t know what has happened to him in the last few years. Everything I have ever known to be respectful, right and good about public service is nowhere to be found with him anymore. He is so proud, emboldened, entitled and in true narcissistic fashion, untouchable so that he has no public humility left. He can’t say I’m sorry and he can’t give clear, respectful and educated responses to those with concerns. He, as well as others, ignore public requests for answers to important issues like campaign reform. It’s truly the fox guarding the hen house in it’s purest form and he knows it. They have further entrenced their power of incumbency making the peoples’ concerns even more irrelevant.
After speaking last night and closely listening to others who shared their true individual feelings it physically hurt when the first words out of Frank’s mouth were disparaging and dismissive comments and taunts to the audience. Stating he saw an email from David Gauny that was sent out and most of the people who spoke were on that list, I was immediately offended and ticked off that he would marginalize me and everyone who was there speaking their true feelings. Regardless of how people learned about an issue, to suggest that people are puppets and a shill for someone else, and thus disqualified from being important voices of common sense and concern is truly the most arrogant and offensive behavior that I would expect out of a public servant.
It was so cowardly of Mr Ferry to infer that I am some brainwashed Pavlov’s dog that hears a secret code word from Dave Gauny or Timben Boydston then mindlessly appear in city council chambers salivating and with programed speeches to help their cause. Is he serious? Does he think that our own craniums are unable to think and act for ourselves? Then he taunts speakers with provocative dismissive questions in Lincoln/Douglas debate fashion knowing that he can blast and dismiss citizens with no rebuttal. I understand that he sits for hours and listens to speakers saying a lot of things, but he opens up a can of kerosene and throws it out there and lights the match. This time I flamed up on him to say, “you’re not doing this to me today”!!
That is where I had it. I stood up and told him to knock it off and to not throw out such disrespect without giving us another chance to answer him. I felt he needed to know that I won’t stand for that arctic cold disregard for the public. That’s when I took my party and left the chambers. I couldn’t help it. There is right and wrong in all we do that is not governed by law and then there is getting away with all we can within the law. The council knows they have jumped the shark from ethical moral behavior on this issue and it’s their conscience that will inevitably disintegrate while mine is firmly intact.
Sterling King
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