You know that "post-agenda" council session that we are going to have on Sept. 10, to further examine the police promotions?Late word from Team DeSantis:
Mark DeSantis will listen to the testimony presented at the hearing and implement the appropriate recommendations in his public safety plan that will be released next month. He also urges Mr. Ravenstahl to attend the hearing and listen to the concerns of the women's groups.
"Ravenstahl decided to golf at a celebrity golf outing instead of attending the last hearing. Clearly that was the wrong decision. He now has another opportunity to address these concerns. If he is serious about city leadership, he will make himself available, said DeSantis.
His attendance will be unusual for a challenger; it will draw focus and be viewed by some as opportunist.
From the beginning, DeSantis has taken the hardest of lines on this issue. He could easily have questioned Ravenstahl's final decision to promote those officers, and left it at that.
However, DeSantis has repeatedly insisted that it is part and parcel of the mayor's job to attend the most important public council hearings, and that the hearing on the domestic abuse allegations clearly rose to that level of importance.
Meanwhile, the DeSantis website currently has these frank words plastered on its homepage:
When the City was in a state of emergency, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl was watching the Steelers practice. The question that should be on everyone's minds: Does this guy ever go to work?
Posting:
ReplyDelete"His attendance will be unusual for a challenger; it will draw focus and be viewed by some as opportunist.
From the beginning, DeSantis has taken the hardest of lines on this issue. He could easily have questioned Ravenstahl's final decision to promote those officers, and left it at that.
However, DeSantis has repeatedly insisted that it is part and parcel of the mayor's job to attend the most important public council hearings, and that the hearing on the domestic abuse allegations clearly rose to that level of importance."
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Let's not forget the sentiments of many of the pro-Luke bloggers last month. At that time, they said that if DeSantis felt that attendance at the hearing was important, DeSantis should attend. I'm sure those same bloggers will now criticize DeSantis for this bold move. However, I think it's a bold move thay may pay dividends to DeSantis. Although I'm not optimistic that Luke will feel compelled to attend the hearing.
This is a post-agenda meeting, not a public hearing.
ReplyDeleteThe public can not present at a public hearing.
I am not so keen on Post-Agenda Meetings. The work of the council should occur within council's regular meetings, mostly.
If you want real insights, invite the public.
Post Agenda meetings turn into staged navel gazing. They all stroke each other. They grandstand.
DeSantis will attend, but he won't get to speak.
DeSantis could have spoken at the post agenda -- or any other public meeting of city council.
If DeSantis wants to be mayor, he should show up to city council meetings and open his mouth. He can share his insights with the rest of the city on cable TV.
The best thing DeSantis can do is be everywhere - in a campaign, everyone knows that attendance at anything is opportunist.
ReplyDeleteBy showing up at the important places, as well as places "no republican would dare to tread", it would do wonders to make him seem more a man of the people, an area in which it seems he is behind on Luke (sad as it is).
Improving all the intangibles will lend credibility when he rolls out the meat of the platform, which will be his biggest advantage over Ravenstahl. If he remains insulated, the criticism could be fatal.
Ditto the intern.
ReplyDeleteAnon. 12:15, I agree.
ReplyDeleteThey whined "Where's DeSantis?" b/c he wasn't at the Public Hearing. Now they’re whining b/c he wasn’t visiting sites hit by storms. It's useless to remind them that, as he is not an elected official, he would have no function at a disaster site & most likely wouldn't be allowed anywhere near it.
But they'll be in front of the choir whining that DeSantis' attendance at the Post Agenda is "political", "opportunist", etc. Who cares what they say, we've listened to their nonsense for too long.
Post Agendas are fact finding sessions that spring from Public Hearings. The people raise the questions & issues, then Council holds a Post Agenda, inviting experts with the answers to clarify & provide facts. After this, it is Council’s duty to implement/legislate changes.
Everyone who is able should attend this one, to let city government know how many of us care & that we are watching. By attending you become a witness and can report back to your community, without the filter & spin of the media, politicians & FOP bosses.
Electeds think twice about committing sins of omission when there are several hundred gathered in Council Chambers as witnesses. Also, an issue gains more gravity & traction when they see that many are concerned.
There's hardly a shortage of opportunities to speak before Council, so the fact that you can't speak at the Post Agenda should have no bearing on whether you attend or not. If you care about the issue SHOW UP.
Woops. I see I made a typo above. DeSantis could have spoken at the public hearing -- not the post agenda. Sorry. I think that was obvious.
ReplyDeleteAnyway...
Good to hear that DeSantis is going to show up with more frequency than he has in the past decade. Come alive Mr. DeSantis. Come With Me.