The topic that they refused to answer inquiries about was their votes for Lisa Larson-Bunnell to fill part of the term of Justin Adrian.
So, I decided to ask Ms. Larson-Bunnell about the situation. The exchange of emails is shown below. Mine are in blue, hers in red. If she does what she says she definitely will be more open than her four arrogant fellow councilmembers. I find her comments to be very interesting, since she won't comment directly on the actions of the others.
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Mornin’ Lisa,
Happy New Year.
If you have followed my blog you will see that I have been critical of 4 of the 5 councilmembers who voted for you for being non-responsive to an inquiry.
It was felt by myself and others that they needed to explain the reason(s) they voted for you over an individual who received in excess of 1000 votes in an election for the seat. When the council appoints an individual to fill an open seat they are acting on behalf of the ward and the city as a whole.
There is nothing wrong with asking any legislator to explain the reasoning behind their vote. As a matter of fact, when asked, they have an obligation to respond.
So, as the person who was the beneficiary of their vote I
feel it is imperative to ask you the following: Do you feel it is
appropriate or inappropriate for the four councilmembers to ignore the request
for the answer to the question as to why they voted for you?
I await your reply
Ray
Good morning, Ray, and a most Happy New Year to you!
I will
not comment on the actions of other council members, but I am happy to have the
opportunity to show you what to expect from me. I hope you have seen
through our conversations that your voice and the voice of other community
members is important to me. If you ask me a question about a policy or
why I voted a certain way, I will give you an answer.
I suspect we will not always agree on what course of action to take, but I will always treat you, and others who reach out to me, with respect and dignity. As I stated in my public interview, I am committed to being engaged and responsive. While I sense that you were disappointed in my selection, I hope to earn your respect over time.
Please
do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. E-mail is
the best way to get ahold of me, but I am also happy to speak by phone, or
before/after council meetings.
Lisa
Larson-Bunnell
P.S. I will be out of town and not responding as
quickly as usual to e-mail between January 9th and 13th.
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for your reply.
I can understand your hesitancy in commenting on the actions/inactions of your fellow councilmembers
So, let’s look at this from your perspective, regarding these statement of yours: “If you ask me a question about a policy or why I voted a certain way, I will give you an answer.” “As I stated in my public interview, I am committed to being engaged and responsive.” “Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.”
Based on those statements of yours,
is it safe to say that as far as you are concerned you feel that you
have an obligation and a responsibility to answer any and all citizen
inquiries?
Looking forward to your reply.
Thank you
Ray
Good
evening, Ray. Yes, I consider it my responsibility to listen to our
citizens and engage in a conversation about the issues facing our city.
To
that end, I always welcome your input and will do my best to promptly respond
to your questions.
Thanks,
Lisa
