D-I-S-C

Discretion, Ignorance, Stupidity, Common Sense

I'm going to try to make some posts between Christmas and New Year's while I'm off work to catch up on some issues I made note of over the fall but just didn't have time to make entries for.

The words identified in the title, Discretion, Ignorance, Stupidity, Common Sense will be used in the posts as follows:

• Discretion - discretion can be a good thing if it's used wisely
• Ignorance - is the lack of knowledge. The nice thing about ignorance is it that it can be over come by education unless of course the target of education is stupid
• Stupidity - per the folk saying "Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time, and it annoys the pig." It's often not worth the effort to try to educate the ignorant, especially those that make most of their decisions based on common sense (see Albert Einstein quote below)
• Common Sense - Voltaire said "Common sense is not so common.". I think he refers to what most people call "good sense". Unfortunately for most individuals, the reality is closer to what Albert Einstein said, "Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen.". When I post and refer to common sense it'll be the Einstein variety. I'll use the term "Good Sense" to refer to the Voltaire type

With all that said, I'd like to address one of the petitions from the Public Safety Committee meeting from 18 Dec 2007.
229-07. Kathy Barns and various Brigham Park residents, to allow overnight parking during the winter snow bans on Brigham Parkway on the outside of the street.
Some residents were present and spoke on the issue. To summarize the residents claim that they (not the city) clean up the area. They clear the street of snow and should be allowed to park on the street, since it is already cleared and their parked vehicles have no affect of snow removal operations. They also noted that resident vehicles were ticketed (in the wee hours of the morning) during the most recent storm despite the street being completed cleared of snow and no additional street clearing of snow being necessary.
IIRC This petition was held in committee because it would have come down to a 2-2 vote (councilor Donnelly having left early). I think the committee and the full council should give this petition leave to withdraw. There is no legitimate reason to make an exception for Brigham Park residents.

OTOH if as residents claim the area is completely cleared of snow there is absolutely NO reason for the police department to ticket vehicles. The purpose of the parking ban is after all to ensure that vehicles parked on city streets do not keep the DPW and contractors from getting the streets cleaned. Police should use DISCRETION in ticketing. Generally officers on patrol are given much latitude and are allowed to use discretion when deciding to give a verbal warning, written warning or a citation. If what the resident claim was true then something in the system is broken. If officers are not using discretion wisely then it needs to be addressed by the (acting) chief. If the chief has instructed officers to ticket all violators regardless of the circumstances then the Mayor should straighten the chief out. And if the mayor doesn't get it - oh yeah he's history in less than two weeks anyway.

I think you get it though. Petitions like this should get trashed long before they get to the council chambers. Stuff like this is the purview of the executive branch and the council should make that clear to the petitioners.

More later this week. Items I hope to get to -

• other items from the public safety committee meeting
• Rt. 12 project status
• Rt. 31 and John Fitch Hwy roundabout, hearing and current status
• implications of the november election results
• recent commentary by our borrow and spend Governor