DarylGriffith

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Bippus Thinking of Leaving?

Three Rivers Area • Dec 12, 2007 9:42 AM

Originally posted by Stillwaters If I were a commissioner and I read Pepa's post I still would have gut laughed out loud. Buck/Ronda, The first time the Durango came up it was worthy of a smirk, the third or fourth time it starts to loose its edge, seven years and dozens of posts later it gets damned old. Maybe it just me worn thin with 10 pages of posts regarding Wendy's accusations hammering Joe for actions he was not even responsible for. Critique of government for decisions the persons actually makes are justified. Making up stuff to blame people for is not. After a long while it has just become really old and I have to ask myself if it is worth it. Am I leaving the forum? I don't think so but I am taking a break for a while to recharge... Daryl

Bippus Thinking of Leaving?

Three Rivers Area • Dec 11, 2007 3:38 PM

Buck & Ronda, Maybe I am getting sensitive in my old age or that thick skin is just getting worn thin. Let me pose this: If one of your children is having fun incessantly poking at another do you let this behavior continue because he or she is having fun...do you encourage it...or do you correct the child on polite behavior? I suppose whether you consider the poking as "tongue in cheek" or not depends on which side of the stick you happen to be on. I'm sure Michael Richards and Don Imus were certain their comments were intended tongue in cheek. I am equally sure the recipients thought otherwise. I myself, considered these comments quite offensive and justifying them as critique of government is awfully lame for impolite behavior. Maybe my expectations are just too high. Mudslinging is indeed a very old activity as is voter fraud, as is corruption, and as are a whole host of unwanted political activities. Familiarity should never breed acceptance of rude behavior. One can maintain civility and still criticize but then again maybe my expectations are too high. Daryl

Bippus Thinking of Leaving?

Three Rivers Area • Dec 11, 2007 8:00 AM

I pray he would not leave but I sure wouldn't blame him for doing so at this point. Originally posted by trading tales WOW! If he does leave could you imagine what the commissioners would be like...they would be lost with out Joe! Originally posted by pepa Truth is around the corner and he must leave town while the getting is good. Beside Lowry is no longer the mayor anymore. I wonder if Saline will buy a new Durango. Maybe we can entice him to stay by removing the $28,000 owed to the city....If he leaves? They're going to have to give him a colonoscopy to remove some of the commissioners.[:D] Originally posted by Stillwaters in response to the last comment above LOL....LOL...Oh Pepa! Leave it to you to make me gut laugh out loud...tsk tsk I'm so unlady like.[:p] It is comments like these that occasionally make me seriously consider why I, or anyone, would want to get involved in trying to improve their community. Stillwater, you have chastised mud slinging in the past. I am surprised to see you encourage it now. I do however have to give you credit for at least standing behind what you have to say with your own name and not cowering behind anonymity. In one three-day period a handful of you have lowered this from an intelligent debate of issues to little more than a mindless gossip chat room justifying the reason nearly a dozen commissioners and mayors have used for choosing not to participate. Several times, I have chastised them for this. For the first time in seven years I have to reconsider, are they justified? If this is truely the future evolution of the forum that would be sad indeed. Wanynemicheals and Tabletop, You have the only posts on this thread worthy of a response so... Much to the displeasure of a few here, the city manager is just that. He is in charge of managing the city. He works for the city commission who (by majority rule) provide him direction and financial oversight. Think of it like the commission as a board of directors and the city manager as a CEO and you have a very good analogy of powers and responsibilities. Every other city manager has moved on because we are what is known as a stepping stone community. Our community is growing under Joe because he is has roots here, family here, friends here thus he has motives for improvement are not merely financial. Any non-local manager we have had or ever will have is simply building a resume to move on to the next stage in a career. Even the best of professionals could not accomplish the growth we have experienced if their eye is not on "what is best for my home town" but instead "what is best for me". Daryl "Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.", Unknown

Dirty Laundry: Termination of Finance Director

Three Rivers Area • Dec 7, 2007 4:05 PM

Originally posted by vblainev So my situation was my fault? Must be quite difficult dealing with us little people, you being infallible and all. Is it really that difficult to accept your troubles might be, at least in some part, your own making? On second thought don't answer that. I don't think I want to know. Mattie, Ronda and others, thank you for speaking up. I know it is not always easy volunteering to be in the line of fire. Just in case anyone has questions I am going off line for the week end and will try to get back to the forum early next week. Daryl

Dirty Laundry: Termination of Finance Director

Three Rivers Area • Dec 7, 2007 12:03 PM

Jen E Jac, Venting here is part of what a forum is for. If I had a problem with that you would not find me on the forum much less with over 900 posts under my name. I do indeed have specific problems with Blaine's motives and tactics. I do not automatically lump anyone in his "posse" but there are one or two others I have dealt with on forum and off who have been on similar if not the same band wagon. I occasionally get tired of it and loose my restraint as I did in my response further below. As to the numbers, Blaine asserted there was a "clear call for action". If you look strictly at the forum as the voice of Three Rivers that might be true. I re-read every post in this thread counting those who already jumped to conclusion, were suspicious but undecided, presumed innocence and those who specifically called for an "independent investigation". I found 13, please let me know if you have a different tally. I represent a whole lot more people than the couple dozen posting here and certainly more than the 13 calling for investigation. As I indicated to Blaine, I am sure there are others, not on the forum, who would call for it for though none except those I highlighted have chosen to say it to me. I do not live in a box. My first six months as a commissioner I was pretty anonymous. The last seven year there are a lot who stop me at Meijer, Home Depot, the book store, gas station, etc.. to talk and not one has said "independent investigation". Most thought it was a bunch of bunk. That is simply my word against Blaine's and I do not ask you to make that call so I choose to leave them out. A few raised an eye brow when the allegations were made but most have known Pat long enough and well enough to have no reason to doubt his account of facts. Even Mr. Bob White (better known here as cuzimrite), wrote a letter to the editor rather critical of the administration and then later posted here the words "for myself, I consider the subject closed". There are those calling for investigation. Many seem to have already made up there minds, but certainly not all such as yourself. If not the clear voice of Three Rivers, it is certainly the majority voice that have heard echoing Bob's comment, "I consider this subject closed". That will not satisfy those who do not trust the city attorney and none of us (commission) are at liberty to discuss the details until the possiblity of litigation has passed. Pure and simple, the question before me is do I want to support a third party investigation. With the facts I have at hand I do not see sufficient value in spending local, county or state tax dollars on verifying an answer again. That is not intended to upset you, it is simply a fact of the hand I have been dealt and the rules I must follow. Now on to my intended response. Buck, I apologize for going over the edge with the last half of this post. If you feel this borders too much on "personal attack" I will understand if you choose to remove it. Blaine, Not one single difficulty you have had in Three Rivers ever seems to have been your fault, not even in part, so why should this be any different? (start sarcasm) I am sorry I ever doubted you (end sarcasm). From your very firsts posts I tried repeatedly to get you to keep it polite, factual, and verifiable. Eventually I had to try to get you to stop blaming Joe for the sun setting each night. Just in case you have not noticed it is not just me anymore. On numerous occasions, many have attempted to let you know what makes your posts questionable in our eyes. You have chosen to ignore that and plow on unhindered. Personally, I got tired of fighting that battle and gave up so I choose my battles and try to contain my responses to rebutting your claims that do not mesh with my observation of events. I'm sorry if that upsets you but from where I sit there isn't much that does not do that. By the way that is not sarcasm, I really am sorry. Partially for you, maybe more so for your family because that has to make for a hard life being that angry about everything all the time. You say you are not angry but in 350 posts you have not said much of a kind word about anything. I am most sorry though for unsuspecting visitor to the forum who may not have the time to read all of the postings here to judge for themselves which to believe and which to take with a grain of salt. Aaaak. Time to move on... Daryl