Shaking up Local Politics

Patte you will be missed

I was distressed to hear that Patte Newman has decided not to seek re-election to the City Council. I have enjoyed working with her on a number of issues. In fact Patte is the only Council Person that holds monthly meetings in her district that feature guest speakers from many of the cities Governmental Departments. These will be sorely missed if her replacement does not keep the tradition.

John Spatz for City Council

In the Northwest District John Spatz, (pronounced "spots") a Republican is seeking to unseat Annette McRoy for a seat on the council. In the brief half hour that I spent talking with him Johns seems to be on the same page as I am concerning most of the issues. If he is true to his word, and I think he is, he will make a good addition to the council.

If you live in the Northwest District 4 as I do and are as frustrated by the lack of representation by Annette McRoy as I am check out his website and consider donating or volunteering some time to his campaign. Even putting up a yard sign will help get the word out. The Northwest needs representation on the City Council that we have not had in a very long time.

I didn't even know McRoy was running

It appears that our current council person is taking her re-election for granted as the election is but a few short weeks away and I have not heard one word from her either from mailings, phone calls or a knock on the door.

That in and of itself is why we need a change. If Council Person McRoy can't even be bothered to associate herself with her constituency at election time it is a direct reflection on her lack of service to those that elected her in the first place.

Excerpt from a conversation I had with Annette last year;

Me: You do understand that any ordinance you pass must not contravene the State Constitution don't you.

Annette: The city has the power to pass our own laws irregardless of the State, we do it all the time.

Annette suffers from the same dementia that too many in local government do; They do not understand that any ordinance they enact must be in accordance with only those powers they have been granted by the legislature. If they (the city council) have not been given a power to regulate something then they specifically cannot do it.

There have been far too many ordinances, in the last few years, voted into law by the Lincoln City Council that cannot not pass Constitutional muster. City Council persons are bound by oath to obey the State Constitution and for too long they have been derelict in that duty.