Water Conservation, Hot Air Conservation

I watched a bit of the Pasadena City Council meeting last night—the part about water conservation. Yes, we’re behind on changing our behavior, and we need to start being careful now. The Council used up about 30 minutes last night stating this obvious fact. A brown lawn should be considered high fashion. Council members could bring in photos of their own brown lawns and see who has the brownest. Or maybe we can make it an intra-district competition.

The Scout practically leaps out of his skin when I tune in to the Council meetings. He starts gesticulating wildly (due to the immediate threat of boredom). “Are we really gonna watch the horseshoe hot-airs wag their jaws tonight? Dancing With the Stars is on!”

It takes a will of steel (or a paycheck) to sit through a City Council meeting. Some council members need to understand that IT IS OKAY to let things move forward without commenting. We don’t think you’re stupid or unaware if you keep your mouth closed once in a while.

City Council-generated hot air is an impediment to public participation. Things get rolling late, meetings drag on, and folks who sign up for public comment give up and go home.

Our own Miss Havisham was apparently traumatized last night (her shell-shocked, oblique comment here–scroll way down).

City Council meetings should be run like a good business meeting. Instead, some of the participants act like their future political careers depend upon their performance. Sadly, this may be true, but even worse–This Takes Up Time. In business, in all of life fergawshsakes, time is a valued commodity. In politics, apparently, it is not.

My thanks to Mr. Howdya Like My New Haircut? for inspiring this post.