Closed Feedback Loops Do Not Equal Open Government.

Today's theme: I love this city, but hate the way it's run.

Here's an example:

Nick Kotsopoulos' article in the Sunday paper summarizes every frustration I have with how our city government does business. Basing the Council's inaction on whether or not some elected officials supposedly have issues with Chief Gemme is irrelevant and unprofessional. Some councilors were responding to multiple complaints from the people they were elected to represent. Bringing these concerns to the City Manager and to the Chief was the correct course of action. While the charter forbids Council members from advocating the hiring or firing of a City employee, it is incumbent upon them to ask pointed questions and return that information to their constituents.

Elected officials should have approached the City Manager with their concerns, which by all accounts, happened. I hope the City Manager conveyed these concerns to Chief Gemme, but we have no idea if that happened.

Nick Kotsopoulos made the point that back room conversations that left pro-Gemme Council members out of the loop wasn't the best way to do business. I agree. Where the civil process of government broke down was the alleged actions of the City Manager or other City Councilors feeling out the Council's positions behind closed doors. These actions should be public, and on the floor of the Council where we can see the results of our quesitons.

I was one of the citizens who questioned the actions of Chief Gemme. I don't know the man at all, personally or professionally. But as a citizen of Worcester, I wanted information. I could care less about the his Twitter feed, or his feuds with local journalists. From the tone of his posts, and his few interviews, he said he was unsatisfied with the reporting on the WPD, and felt that parts of the story were being misrepresented or details were left out. Fair enough. It's entirely possible- I don't trust any single source either.

The whole point of hiring a media specialist with taxpayer dollars was to present the WPD's side of the story. That hasn't happened at all, and when questioned on it, the Chief cites confidentiality agreements, personnel privacy issues, and the standard quote of "I can't comment on an ongoing investigations." Silence from our chief law enforcement officer on vital issues is not acceptable.

Here's a perfect example:

 

Here is my response:

I have yet to receive an answer in any sort of forum, public or private.

When I don't receive an answer, I turn to my elected City Council and the City Manager for answers. If we silence debate in the Council chambers, and do not allow the public to speak on issues before the Council, then how can we get any satisfactory progress, besides the illusion of a silent, happy Council and City? We end up with a closed cycle of legitimate questions with no answers. Silence on these issues create allegations of misinformation, unprofessionalism, and then a call for everyone to behave and be quiet.

I do not accept silence and secrets from our government. An open and accountable government is the only way we can have a civil society.

Something doesn't add up.

I haven't made up my mind about the proposed CSX Expansion Plan.  While that area of the city is already used by CSX, and the expansion would take abandoned factory buildings and an abandoned supermarket, I'm not sure that dropping this in the middle of downtown is the best use of land.  (Plus the added traffic on Franklin Street would mess up my summer bike rides to work.) 

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When I got to work this morning, I read Nick Kotsopoulos's article in the T&G which detailed opposition to the expansion from The Grafton Hill Business Association.  The article made some good points, and then one point that baffled me.

"Ron Gestone, owner of Frank’s Flower Shop, 165 Grafton St., said he hopes the city will stand by those residents and property owners who he said will be “totally impacted” by the CSX plan. His business, which has been at that Grafton Street site for more than 40 years, is just before the I-290 eastbound on-ramp “My property will no longer be of use for me because I will have more than 500 trucks on a daily basis going by my place of business,” Mr. Gestone said. “With all those trucks, no one will be able to get in or out of my driveway.”

I go by that piece of property every day on my way to work.  There hasn't been any business in that building for the past year or so.  There used to be a flower shop there (I bought my senior prom date's flowers there in 1993, but I don't remember the name of the florist.)  Until recently, 165 Grafton Street was the sight of Upscale Consignmint II (still viewable on Google Maps.)  On my way home from work, I stopped by to see if my memory was faulty.  Maybe something had opened up while I was away on vacation.

Here's the sign for Frank's Flowers:

Here's the building:

Here's the front door, with a sign (no one answered when I knocked and called):

If Ron Gestone's business has been at Grafton Street for more than 40 years, my question is this:

Which 40 years?

Because on March 15th, 2010, there wasn't any business to be seen at 165 Grafton Street.

Will Frank's Flower Shop open up at 165 Grafton Street in the near future?

When you search for Frank's Flower Shop, 165 Grafton St, Worcester MA on Google, you end up with this link.  It's for a flower shop in Mississippi.

I'm confused.  Can someone please explain this to me?