Will organizations scramble to make the oligarchy list?
November 8, 2007 | Filed Under Funny (sheesh), not funny (ha-ha) | 2 Comments
Livingston’s favorite conspiracy theorist and losing City Commission candidate has updated her list of People Who Run This Town. For a very long time, that list, often referred to as the Oligarchy or the Triumvirate, included these favorites: The City Commission and City Manager, the Livingston Gallery Association (LGA), and the Livingston Enterprise. There were heavily dropped hints of a Lesbian Conspiracy a few years ago, too, astonishing in light of the fact that there are not enough lesbians in town to form a string quartet, never mind a Conspiracy. But those barely-veiled homophobic remarks never made it into the Enterprise Letters to the Editor, so this imagined oligarchy remained a triumvirate.
In what no one would mistake for a graceful concession or a move toward reconciliation and healing, the losing candidate sent the Enterprise a written statement yesterday that included this update on the Oligarchy:
“My only regret is that the community is still, basically, run by the same small group of organizations that was in place three years ago: the Gallery Association, CNR (Corporation for the Northern Rockies), the Stafford Animal Shelter.”
The triumvirate became a Quinumvirate with the addition of Corporation for the Northern Rockies (CNR) and the Stafford Animal Shelter. [What’s next? The City Commission meeting agenda is secretly set behind a vegetable stand at the CNR Farmer’s Market?] The Livingston Gallery Association seems to have maintained its enviable status. It isn’t exactly clear if the two new conspiratorial organizations were in addition to the LGA, or replacements for the City Commission and the Enterprise. It seems doubtful
that these favorite targets were supplanted, so let’s go with the update of the Triumvirate to a Quinumvirate.
There’s also a math challenge here. If these two new conspirators were “in place three years ago,” then wasn’t it a Quinumvirate all along? [I’ll leave puzzles like these to a new LOL mascot, the Puzzled Lemur at right. LogicEscapesMe-ur.]
For those who are not able to follow conspiratorial logic, let alone the math challenge just posed, the theory here seems to be that if anyone who serves our city has ever volunteered for, contributed to, or been on a board for an organization, then that organization Runs The Town. Considering that about 4,367 Livingstonians volunteer, contribute, and serve on boards, that might mean that the only folks who should rightfully have an influence in our town, are–heaven forbid–those dreaded “outsiders.” Considering our favorite theorist’s unbridled contempt for Nontanans, that poses a conundrum. Her theories have shot themselves, basically, in the foot. And a word to you Rotarians out there; don’t even think about serving in government! I basically mean it!
If you buy the notion that there is no such thing as bad publicity, then I would think every organization in town is very, very eager to make the list. The good news for them is that it is, basically, pretty darn easy.
The bad news for us is that two more excellent community organizations with good reputations just got added to what is rapidly becoming very much like, and as long as, basically, the Nixon Enemies List.
VanAken and Jones win City Commission Election by wide margin
November 6, 2007 | Filed Under Seriously/Real Stuff, Local Government | 1 Comment
9:40 P.M. I have word from the polls at the Fairground that Rick VanAken and Juliann Jones were the top vote getters in today’s Livingston City Commission Election. With two available seats and three candidates, the top two candidates win the election. VanAken is an incumbent since January 2007, filling the seat vacated when Bob Ebinger went to the Montana State Legislature. Jones, who has lived in town for over nine years (longer than incumbent Commissioner Patricia Grabow who made much of residency before and during her campaign), is a newcomer to the Livingston political stage. Both VanAken and Jones ran relatively low-key campaigns, but won by wide margins. They also led the voting in every single precinct.
The ballots have yet to be certified, but here are the unofficial 2007 Livingston City Commission election results:
| 2007 Livingston City Commissioner election (elect 2) | ||
| Rick VanAken (appointed this year to fill Bob Ebinger’s term) |
962
|
*** |
| Juiliann Jones | 706 | *** |
| Patricia Grabow (elected in 2004) |
525
|
Livingston has approximately 4500 registered voters, and the turnout of around 1079 with 386 absentee ballots–each voter could have voted for two people)–is notable for a single-race year without ballot issues. I’m sure there will be a lot of interesting punditry and speculation, but my own gut feeling is that people were weary of the constant bickering, or galvanized by the heat of this election, or both.
With a presidential race, and statewide elections (including the gubernatorial race) to turn out the voters, the numbers in 2004 were:
| 2004 Livingston City Commissioner (elect 2) | ||
| Bob Ebinger |
1849
|
*** |
| Patricia Grabow |
1486
|
*** |
| Frank Horiel |
1256
|
|
| Kester Clyde Romans Jr |
772
|
Congratulations to Rick and Juliann for their clean campaigns and a mandate-sized victory. I hope this heralds a new era in City politics, and that everyone will feel a fresh will to participate in community government.
Jones will be sworn in and begin her duties at the first City Commission meeting in January 2008. I don’t know if there is an official swearing in for incumbent VanAken.
Candidates Forum at the Beanery, 7:30 PM tonight 11/2/07
November 2, 2007 | Filed Under Events, Around town, Local Government | 1 Comment
The Livingston Weekly is hosting a Candidates Forum at the Northern Pacific Beanery tonight at 7:30 PM. The Forum will be moderated by Reilly Neill, the Livingston Weekly publisher and a respected Park County journalist.
The Weekly did a great job in presenting an intelligent and useful panel discussion on growth in the county last February, during which the public had a chance to ask questions at an open microphone.
The format for tonight’s forum promises to be equally fair and professional. At the conclusion of the moderated part of the evening, from 9:00 to 9:45 PM, the public will be invited to comment or ask questions. The Weekly is also accepting questions before the forum. You can call Reilly Neill at the paper (222-3633), or Jessica Dahl at the Beanery (222-7288) for more information or to submit questions.
The forum provides an excellent opportunity for us to learn about all the candidates, and hopefully will bring balance to the amount of air time candidates get in an election season.
The Northern Pacific Beanery is on Park Street, on the east side of the Livingston Depot complex. There is plenty of parking in the Beanery lot and on adjacent streets.