Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Q the Eye/10.13.09

Dear LakeCountyEye,

I'm so into my bitchin night-job, bein queen of the city-council is totally awesome! Except for all the dweebs who won't ever STFU, I'm all like hello I'm talking over here, but whatever.

So what's up with this thingy they got, what's a recall proposal? Everyone's just cold sayin it's totally not about me. I'm so sure! I was all like, earth-to-spazzes: who was elected in the frickin landslide? I'm so totally like: deal with it.

Whatever. Should I be freakin now or what?

Totally Recalled

Dear Malibu-Blarney,

Relax, get your freak on another day. No body of elected representatives has ever voluntarily enacted a recall ordinance. When you see the word recall on the agenda, take it as a sign that backs are against the wall, sabers are rattling. That recall proposal is meant as a shot across the bow. Trust your LakeCountyEye, no elected rep of any stripe is looking to be held accountable -- particularly by a recall mechanism.

All you need to do is chill out, play nice and avoid the obvious pitfalls your LakeCountyEye found the time to compile below. Before you know it that totally non-tubular recall proposal will be a distant memory.
  • The filibuster is a time honored parliamentary maneuver. However no one likes 6 hour meetings. Or driving after 3am.
    Daily Herald

  • You may not agree with how other trustees vote, but never FOIA their e-mail.
    Daily Herald

  • If you're nudged by another trustee at a little league game, don't file a police report.
    Daily Herald

  • And don't request police protection from the trustee who nudged you.
    Daily Herald

  • While it may be technically OK to hire the local professional atheist as your consultant, it is not OK to consult the atheist during public meetings.
    Daily Herald

  • BONUS Pitfall/A
    Even if the Springfield Democrats are desperate enough to return your calls, you don't help your cause by leaking it.
    Daily Herald

  • BONUS Pitfall/B
    Don't get a court order to force the, erm, Daily Herald to reveal sources.
    Daily Herald
Observe these simple rules and you'll find yourself cutting major-league legislative deals quicker than you can say Michael J. Madigan.

If you are an elected official, or a previously elected official, or just a private citizen under indictment, send your political questions to Q the Eye c/o ... LakeCountyEye@gMail.com

5 comments:

Team America said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Team America said...

Barney, that is all pretty good advice. An enjoyable post.

A lot of my friends have been asking who you really are lately. Better watch out, Lisa may help them find out if you keep posting about her! ;-)

Barney Baxter said...

TA, thanks for the tip. I thought my days of watching out for the process server were behind me.
-BB-

IllinoisJim said...

Here is my take. Two possibilities. First possibility. I know nothing about politics in Buffalo Grove. I know something about politics in a major suburb located miles south of Buffalo Grove, where pols are too comfortable, continual reform is no longer possible, voters are last in line. This southern suburb might be better off with a council member using behaviors to call attention to problems and to compel change. Is this the status of Buffalo Grove? I don’t know.

Second possibility. Ms. Stone may be utilizing a style that has benefited many pols. Rudy of New York, Blago of Illinois, Michelle of Minn., Sarah of Alaska, Dennis of Cleveland (when he was mayor) all used behaviors that were shocking, and fascinating to some, appropriate to others. But for me, the political life of these five famous people was not about service, not about representation, but about themselves.

Barney Baxter said...

Hi IllinoisJim,
Good points. My take is someone can only go so far on schtick alone.
-BB-