{"id":1232,"date":"2016-04-26T09:10:52","date_gmt":"2016-04-26T14:10:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/?page_id=1232"},"modified":"2016-04-26T09:10:52","modified_gmt":"2016-04-26T14:10:52","slug":"whats-getting-deeper-isnt-factsbe-careful-or-your-shoes-will-get-soiled","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/?page_id=1232","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s Getting DEEPER Isn\u2019t FACTS\u2026Be Careful or Your Shoes Will Get Soiled"},"content":{"rendered":"

What\u2019s Getting DEEPER Isn\u2019t FACTS\u2026
\n<\/strong>Be Careful or Your Shoes Will Get Soiled\u2026
\n<\/strong>By Susan M. Halpern
\n<\/strong>Former Addison Councilmember (1992-1999)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This last weekend brought us a torrent of misleading statements and outright misrepresentations from those supporting the incumbents. And, while spewing all this venom, they repeatedly assured voters that they were providing \u201cthe facts.\u201d\u00a0 It just isn\u2019t so.\u00a0 So let\u2019s talk about it.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the successful recall that occurred 24 years ago. On Election Day 1992, then-councilmember John Branch (a) was recalled and (b) lost his reelection bid.\u00a0 But that wasn\u2019t before Branch tried to derail the matter by refusing to put the recall issue on the ballot.\u00a0 By law, Branch had no discretion in the matter.\u00a0 He was REQUIRED by law to vote to place the matter on the ballot.\u00a0 He still refused.<\/p>\n

Unwilling to tolerate Branch\u2019s disobedience of the law, a group of Addison citizens sued Branch, asking the Dallas Court of Appeals to ORDER Branch to comply with the law and place the recall issue on the ballot. In that lawsuit, Branch made the exact argument quoted in the flyer: that the issue of recalling Branch was mooted by the impending end of his council term.<\/p>\n

Branch\u2019s \u201cmootness\u201d argument was REJECTED by the Dallas Court of Appeals. That Court ruled AGAINST Branch and ORDERED him to obey the law.\u00a0 The rest, as they say, is history.\u00a0 So it is patently false to suggest that Branch\u2019s unsuccessful, rejected argument represents an accurate recitation of \u201cfacts.\u201d\u00a0 Branch\u2019s position was held to be without merit then, and it continues to be without merit now.\u00a0 The Court\u2019s opinion is a matter of public record and can easily be confirmed.<\/p>\n

Only these incumbents and their supporters would criticize Addison citizens who refused to tolerate a councilmember\u2019s disobedience of the law. But then, this group certainly doesn\u2019t like to be questioned, do they?\u00a0 Publicly chastising the successful litigants in the Branch case has no purpose other than to try to intimidate and discourage those who now stand for what\u2019s right, including by criticizing the current regime.<\/p>\n

Regarding Kanter, I have written a lot already. Addison\u2019s Council continues to conceal documents reflecting management\u2019s views and positions regarding Kanter\u2019s inflammatory accusations.\u00a0 And yet, the incumbents and their supporters continue to beat the Kanter drum, asking the public to accept as \u201cfact\u201d a pre-arranged, one-sided, two-year-old, recycled presentation that disparages prior management whose views (see point A) are being withheld.\u00a0 How can any of it be taken seriously, including because this same Council bought Lea Dunn\u2019s silence with our taxpayer money.\u00a0 None of the prior management and staff are around to defend themselves and provide the facts.\u00a0 All of which makes them easy targets.\u00a0 Stated simply, Meier and his cadre have positioned themselves to tell only one side of the story, and they are doing exactly that.\u00a0 Sorry, but the \u201cfacts\u201d have yet to come out in their entirety.\u00a0 When they do, my guess is that these people will have a lot of explaining to do.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, the disparagement of Addison\u2019s history and its prior management and staff are beyond shameful and are harming Addison\u2019s reputation.<\/p>\n

Look carefully at the quotes attributed to Police Chief Paul Spencer. Essentially, he says that being somewhat underpaid is better than being \u201cgrossly underpaid.\u201d\u00a0 OK, that\u2019s probably true, but being underpaid is still being underpaid.\u00a0 Are we really down to quibbling about adjectives?\u00a0 Further, had the people authoring this drivel checked their \u201cfacts,\u201d they would know that Addison currently has seven police officer positions open, with only three applicants.\u00a0 THAT is the reality of a compensation system that is not competitive with neighboring communities.<\/p>\n

Whether you agree or disagree with the concept of more structured compensation systems for police and fire personnel, Addison\u2019s REALITY is that such systems are our competition for qualified candidates. We can either deal with it, or remain understaffed and continue to lose qualified, experienced personnel to other more palatable compensation systems.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk ethics. Two years ago, Addison\u2019s Ethics Ordinance prohibited councilmembers from using their \u201cofficial positions\u201d in connection with political campaigns.\u00a0 The idea was that one\u2019s position in the Town should not be used for political advantage, making elections more of an even playing field.\u00a0 So, the Ordinance prohibited councilmembers from using their<\/p>\n

\u201cofficial position or town-owned facilities, personnel, equipment, supplies, vehicles, printing facilities, postage facilities, long-distance telephone services or any other resources for\u2026 any political campaign for himself or others.\u201d<\/p>\n

The policy reasons for the ethics provisions are set forth in Section 2-92 of Addison\u2019s Ordinances, which states in part:<\/p>\n

\u201cProper operation of democratic government requires that:\u00a0 (1) Officials be independent, impartial and responsible only to the people of the town\u2026,\u201d and that the code of ethics was adopted to \u201cserve as a guide for official conduct of the town\u2019s public servants.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the 2014 election, many of us felt that Meier did not comply with this provision, and did use his \u201cofficial position\u201d in campaigning for the three people he is now trying to get reelected. A number of people complained to then-City Attorney John Hill, who ultimately wrote an email stating that in three different instances, Meier\u2019s conduct \u201clikely\u201d violated Addison\u2019s Ethics Ordinance.<\/p>\n

Then the three obedient incumbents, Moore, Heape and Carpenter, were elected. Shortly after the election, they joined with the mayor in LOWERING Addison\u2019s ethical standards.\u00a0 Now they can do whatever they want.\u00a0 When the mayor recently bragged about using his title in the election, he didn\u2019t mention that he\u2019d arranged it for himself.\u00a0 Kind of an important omission, don\u2019t you think?<\/p>\n

Consider with me the abject irony of incumbents who LOWERED Addison\u2019s ethical standards criticizing Ron Whitehead, a private citizen, for participating in Addison\u2019s political process. Ron has been a private citizen for two years, and he has the same rights that all other private citizens have, including the right to participate in Addison\u2019s elections.\u00a0 The disparagement of Ron that has occurred is disgusting.\u00a0 Ron gave 32 years to Addison.\u00a0 Look around you.\u00a0 The beauty, amenities and developments you see occurred because of Ron\u2019s leadership.\u00a0 It is hypocrisy for politicians who brought us LOWER ETHICAL STANDARDS, and are now throwing their political titles around to get people to vote for them, to criticize Ron or anyone else, or suggest that any private citizen has less of a right to participate in the election.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s before we get to the ethical question of infiltrating an email list and then bragging about it! Now we\u2019re into \u201cspying\u201d on the opposition?\u00a0 What\u2019s next with these people?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk about the Rolfe report. First, I note with interest that Mr. Rolfe is of counsel to former judge Joe Kendall\u2019s law firm.\u00a0 Kendall was the moderator at the political event held for the three incumbents under the guise of a \u201cforum.\u201d\u00a0 There seem to be some tight connections there.\u00a0 In any event, these \u201cfacts matter\u201d people have taken huge license with the language they quote. They unquestionably lead you to believe that the quoted remarks were intended to apply broadly to all aspects of the Town\u2019s finances, and that Rolfe singled Ron Whitehead out specifically.\u00a0 Both suggestions are patently false.\u00a0 The quoted language actually dealt only with certain trips taken by then-mayor Jerry Redding and perhaps other councilmembers.\u00a0 And, the conclusion didn\u2019t use Ron\u2019s name, these \u201cfacts\u201d people ADDED it.\u00a0 What a gross misrepresentation of what is stated in the document.<\/p>\n

But then, are we really talking about things that happened thirty years ago? If we want to go there, my take away from Rolfe\u2019s report was that Jerry Redding was heavy-handed and somewhat of a bully.\u00a0 His exploits taught Addison about the dangers of a heavy-handed mayor who meddles far too much in the day-to-day affairs of Addison.\u00a0 In fact the report concludes by stating that the City Manager and Finance Director \u201cmust have the authority without interference from the Mayor or Council, to carry out their responsibilities.\u201d\u00a0 Those are the words that resonate, given the conduct of the current misguided, heavy-handed mayor.<\/p>\n

Lastly, the flyer uses GIANT letters with inflammatory and suggestive headings. But oh how you have to read the fine print.\u00a0 In huge letters, they announce an audit by the State Comptroller.\u00a0 But keep reading\u2026\u00a0 There it is\u2026\u00a0 In the small print: The audit is ROUTINE.\u00a0 What a ridiculous effort to mislead Addison voters who deserve far more respect.<\/p>\n

The incumbents should be condemning these tactics. But they\u2019re not doing that.\u00a0 The truth is that this is what your current government is all about.\u00a0 Deception, innuendo, slash and burn, destruction of anything needed, including Addison, to win at all costs.<\/p>\n

It is beyond shameful that that sitting members of Addison\u2019s council are willing to unjustifiably trash Addison\u2019s reputation because they perceive it to be of benefit to them personally. What a disgrace.<\/p>\n

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