COMMENTARY

Mark Hallburn

ON THE MARK... Change? What Change?
Commentary
By Mark Hallburn
Publisher
PutnamLIVE.com

When the People's Party campaigned for Hurricane CIty Council and the Mayoral seat, their platform was, "It's time for a change."

Now that Lana Call, Donald                                        Chaney, Brian Ellsi, and                                                  Patty Hager are in office,                                                     the people of Hurricane are                                           wondering when they will                                                        get that promised, and long                                      overdue, change.

During the July City Council meeting, The People's Party had a golden opportunity to flex its new political muscle.

The People's Party had the chance to reject Mayor Scott Edwards appointments to city boards. It had the chance to reject Linda Gibson's re-appointment as treasurer. It had the chance to fire City Manager Ben Newhouse. It had the chance to raise the limit of dogs that are allowed at each home in the city. It had the chance to require Hurricane's Department Heads to live in Hurricane. It had the chance to buy out the Wal-Mart neighbors. It had the chance to establish a nepotism policy. It had the chance to set term limits for elected and appointed officials. It had the chance to vote to properly enforce the noise ordinance. And it had the chance to fire Dog Warden Frank Stover.

The People's Party had those chances, and failed to make the changes. It failed miserably.

People's Party members are united in chanting the same excuse: "We're new. Give us a chance!" I could plant 50 rows of corn in front of City Hall on Teays Valley Road with that fertilizer.

The truth is that The People's Party had months of campaign time to learn the issues and forge its direction. Playing "The new kid on the block" card is a lame excuse that falls on deaf ears.

Yes, Call, Chaney, Ellis, and Hager initially turned down Edwards' appointment of Gibson as treasurer. But when he was caught with his pants down (figuratively speaking this time) and didn't have another option, they caved into his charms and reversed their vote.

They also re-appointed her husband to the Water Board, continuing the nepotism around Hurricane City Hall.

Since The People's Party obviously lied to the voters of Hurricane, and obviously doesn't have an agenda, let me set one for them:

In an emergency meeting that must be called for July 23rd, the People's Party must:

1) Appoint a new treasurer. Replace Linda Gibson with John Mangus.

2) Fire Ben Newhouse.

3) Fire Robert "Frank" Stover.

4) Buy out the Wal-Mart neighbors and start developing the rest of the area bringing badly needed jobs, retail stores, and restaurants to Hurricane sooner than later.

5) Replace Jack Gibson on the Water Board.

6) Establish a real policy against nepotism.

7) Allow citizens to own more than two dogs.

8) Vote to properly enforce the noise ordinance and add a sentence that specifically says that construction noise is not exempt from enforcement.

9) Set term limits for elected and appointed officials to no more than two consecutive terms. Allow someone to sit out one term then run for office or be appointed again.

10) Require Hurricane Department Heads to live in Hurricane. (An exception could be made for the Chief of Police due to potential threats to his home and family.)

Unless The People's Party does these things in a special meeting July 23rd it will be obvious to the voters of Hurricane that only the faces on council have changed while the policies of Hurricane remain the same old garbage!