.
Well, I'll say it again. As my dear departed Father used to say, "Jiminy Christmas. What's goin' on?"
I took a stroll through downtown Friday afternoon, did some banking, bought stamps at the Post Office, got a cup of coffee, and picked up the first copy of the New Times I've seen in months. I scanned the cover and flipped to the Shredder to see what if anything was noteworthy.
Much to my surprise, old Shred was following up on my questions about the wayward Councilman Allen Settle from a couple of months ago. Sad to say that it was no surprise that Shred didn't note where it got the lead, but at least someone (something?) is checking up on Settle. I guess I'll just be satisfied that the information is becoming more widespread.
Shred noted, "When the city attorney was asked, he said it's tricky to say exactly what the rules are about where an elected city official has to live. Funny. Doesn't seem too terribly tricky to me. If you represent a place as an elected official you should actually live there. And not just part time."
No doubt about that. The only thing tricky is, as usual, the City Attorney, but that's yet another story for another time. It's not real complicated -- you run for the City Council, you live in the city.
Shades of Jerry Lenthall and his complicated living arrangement.
A recent puff-piece in Cal Poly's Mustang Daily called "Professor" Settle a "Man of Law" and started the piece with, "If you've never had the privilege to meet Allen Settle, you only have to peer inside his cramped and cluttered office to understand just how academically involved this professor of municipal government, public law and finance, and member of the San Luis Obispo City Council, truly is."
Well, Settle may be "academically involved," but it certainly seems that he may also be ethically challenged. Quite an example for a professor of ". . . municipal government, public law and finance . . ." to be setting for his students.
Some "Man of Law." Shame on you Allen Settle.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Who Knew They Could/Would Read?
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Well heck, that respite on the Central Coast was lots briefer than I intended or expected.
Who would have expected that one of the reports I mentioned back in November would find its way to the desk of a Deputy Assistant Undersecretary -- or maybe that was Assistant Deputy Undersecretary -- of an unnamed Federal agency? Not me. And who expected that anyone would read it? Again, not me. I just write those things because it's what I get paid to do. I don't expect anyone to actually read one (actually I do, but they usually don't), and I sure don't expect anyone to act on one (ditto).
Apparently over the Christmas Holidays when most of Washington shuts down, a few people -- including the aforementioned DAU or ADU -- stick around to get caught up. One of my reports must have been misrouted to someone who cared -- because the next thing I knew they wanted me back within the Beltway to brief the Undersecretary and some pals in mid-January. Then some folks over on Capitol Hill got wind of it and insisted on being briefed, and that ended up in a seemingly endless round of briefings/discussions. I doubt that anything will come of it all (one never knows does one?), but by the time it was all over and yet another "in-depth" report was written and submitted, nearly two months had gone by. That's good for my bank account, but it's bad for my psyche.
It was good to fly into SLO over the weekend and decompress with family and friends. We took the opportunity to have dinner one evening over at the 10th Street Grill in Los Osos. It's another of my favorite spots and reinforces the feeling that I'm back to our great Central Coast.
I'll take a day or so to get caught up on "what's goin' on?" and see where that takes me. Thanks for stopping by, and I'll try to stick around for a few months this time.
Well heck, that respite on the Central Coast was lots briefer than I intended or expected.
Who would have expected that one of the reports I mentioned back in November would find its way to the desk of a Deputy Assistant Undersecretary -- or maybe that was Assistant Deputy Undersecretary -- of an unnamed Federal agency? Not me. And who expected that anyone would read it? Again, not me. I just write those things because it's what I get paid to do. I don't expect anyone to actually read one (actually I do, but they usually don't), and I sure don't expect anyone to act on one (ditto).
Apparently over the Christmas Holidays when most of Washington shuts down, a few people -- including the aforementioned DAU or ADU -- stick around to get caught up. One of my reports must have been misrouted to someone who cared -- because the next thing I knew they wanted me back within the Beltway to brief the Undersecretary and some pals in mid-January. Then some folks over on Capitol Hill got wind of it and insisted on being briefed, and that ended up in a seemingly endless round of briefings/discussions. I doubt that anything will come of it all (one never knows does one?), but by the time it was all over and yet another "in-depth" report was written and submitted, nearly two months had gone by. That's good for my bank account, but it's bad for my psyche.
It was good to fly into SLO over the weekend and decompress with family and friends. We took the opportunity to have dinner one evening over at the 10th Street Grill in Los Osos. It's another of my favorite spots and reinforces the feeling that I'm back to our great Central Coast.
I'll take a day or so to get caught up on "what's goin' on?" and see where that takes me. Thanks for stopping by, and I'll try to stick around for a few months this time.
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