Well, I do feel that two members of the city council need a refresher course in Civics 101, or at least some needle and thread to sew together the split in their tongues.
At the March 26, 2007 council meeting it was Kevin "Pfrack" Straub who actually made the motion to form the smoking task force. This is from the minutes of that meeting, readily available on-line:
"Councilmember Straub, seconded by Councilmember Scott, moved that Mayor Meyers appoint a task force made up of residents and business owners to study smoking regulations in the City of Shawnee"
Then on 8/27/07 he tries to get the city council to accept the Overland Park Ordinance (with handwritten changes). This move was seconded by Dan "Pfrick" Pflumm. Straub was trying to subvert the very process that he had made the motion to place into being.
Maybe he was trying to play both ends against the middle? He could stand up and pound on his chest and pontificate to one group of citizens that he was instrumental in getting the process going to obtain citizen input. He could then boast to another group that he tried to get the OP ordinance approved and that the rest of the council (other than Pfrick) shot him down. Justifiably, as they wanted the process to play out the way it was intended to.
Some of you might remember that Pflumm basically tried the same thing back in April (to get the city to approve the OP ordinance), with Straub being the second on that one. Now here's the background. The 3/6/07 meeting of the Finance & Administration Committe was the meeting that recommended 4-0 for the council to take the action that it eventually did on 3/26/07. And guess what? Mr Pflumm was one of the "4".
So dear readers, do you see why I say these guys speak with forked tongues? Why I say they tried to subvert the very process that they helped to put into play? Oh, Mr Pflumm will probably say that he didn't vote for the task force. He's correct. But, he didn't vote against it either, since he wasn't at the 3/26/07 council meeting. But, again, he voted to recommend that the council do it. Is he trying to play both ends against the middle also?
Maybe they need a reminder that sometimes citizens will put up with just so much garbage. How about a framed copy of K.S.A. 25-4301 ? Just to keep them humble. For those not familiar with it, it reads:
25-4301
Chapter 25.--ELECTIONS
Article 43.--RECALL OF ELECTED OFFICIALS
25-4301. Officers subject to recall; exceptions. All elected public officials in the state, except judicial officers, are subject to recall by the voters of the state or the political subdivision from which elected.
History: L. 1976, ch. 178, § 1; April 14.
