{"id":1829,"date":"2018-04-20T08:16:45","date_gmt":"2018-04-20T13:16:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/?page_id=1829"},"modified":"2018-04-20T08:16:45","modified_gmt":"2018-04-20T13:16:45","slug":"dont-be-distracted-by-false-issues-the-council-speaks-for-addison-of-course-its-in-the-charter","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/truthinaddison.com\/?page_id=1829","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t Be Distracted By False Issues: The Council Speaks For Addison, Of Course (It\u2019s In The Charter)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Don\u2019t Be Distracted By False Issues:<\/strong>
\nThe Council Speaks For Addison,<\/strong>
\nOf Course (It\u2019s In The Charter)<\/strong>
\nBy Susan M. Halpern<\/strong>
\nFormer Addison Councilmember (1992-1999)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Well, I was partly right. As predicted, the negative spinners went on the attack at the Town Hall meeting. Under the guise of a question, a resident railed on about recent blogs by Councilmember Paul Walden and Truth in Addison regarding the Farmers Branch creek dispute.\u00a0 The sarcastic question was: \u201cWho speaks on behalf of Addison?\u201d That was followed by the statement \u2013 it seemed like more of a complaint \u2013 that \u201cthe people of Farmers Branch\u201d didn\u2019t agree with some of what was stated in our writings.\u00a0 This, of course, was followed by a nasty blog claiming that Addison lacks leadership.\u00a0 These folks are predictable, and as I suggested before the Town Hall meeting, they are desperate to find something negative to say about the current council and, well, anyone who isn\u2019t them.\u00a0 So, let\u2019s break this down a bit.<\/p>\n

I first wondered who \u201cthe people of Farmers Branch\u201d were. And, more importantly, I wondered how the questioner and the negative spinners felt somehow authorized to speak on their behalf.\u00a0 The best I could come up with was that I wrote a second article about the creek issue because my first article was challenged by two members of the Farmers Branch council.\u00a0 I think \u201cthe people of Farmers Branch\u201d must mean those two guys.\u00a0 I feel like I answered their comments politely but firmly, calling them out for what I think are unhelpful tactics, all while expressing my hope that both sides will try to mediate their dispute.\u00a0 Beyond that, I think the overwhelming majority of Farmers Branch citizens have never heard of me, and I certainly don\u2019t sense widespread angst about my articles.<\/p>\n

The irony is that the questioner and the negative spinners seem to be taking up the cause for Farmers Branch. They are essentially announcing their view that Addison is somehow divided on this issue, which I don\u2019t believe at all.\u00a0 But sowing the seeds of division is the stock in trade of the negative spinners, even as it is unhelpful to the current issues Addison faces.\u00a0 And yet, these folks rattle on about how Addison needs \u201creal\u201d leadership?\u00a0 Good grief.\u00a0 Try reconciling those positions! I sure couldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

And here\u2019s the other thing I found bothersome. The questioner and the negative spinners have shown absolutely no concern for those impacted by Farmers Branch\u2019s cancellation of the interlocal agreements that have nothing to do with the creek dispute.\u00a0 Or the businesses that might be impacted by Farmers Branch\u2019s latest tactic: encouraging its citizens to boycott Addison\u2019s events and businesses.\u00a0 It\u2019s just more of the same old tactic we\u2019ve seen time and again from the negative spinners: the welfare of Addison is always a distant second to their insatiable quest for control.\u00a0 Sorry, but taking up the cause for Farmers Branch doesn\u2019t show leadership when it comes to Addison.<\/p>\n

And here\u2019s the other thing that\u2019s really disturbing. When you read what the negative spinners think \u201cleadership\u201d is about, it\u2019s downright scary.\u00a0 Consider that these folks proudly published comments from the Town Hall questioner\u2019s email to City Manager Wes Pierson, who was advised as follows: \u201cTime to get a hold of the message, stop other voices from Addison<\/strong>\u201d and \u201cI think it is imperative that you control the narrative<\/strong>\u201d and \u201cIt does not help to have other council members or the Truth in Addison bloggers addressing Farmers Branch officials.\u201d\u00a0 Stop other voices?\u00a0 Control the narrative?\u00a0 Holy cow, have these people ever even heard of the First Amendment?<\/p>\n

But you know, this is exactly how Addison\u2019s ex-mayor acted for six years before Joe Chow was elected last year. \u201cStopping other voices\u201d and \u201ccontrolling the narrative\u201d allowed the ex-mayor to dominate the message and mislead Addison\u2019s residents and voters.\u00a0 He fed them a steady diet of conclusions, all the while concealing the facts and, in the end, the TRUTH.\u00a0 It was all about power, and was nothing less than a subversion of our democratic form of government.\u00a0 It caused Addison untold harm.\u00a0 Indeed, those six years were a case study in the danger of \u201cstopping other voices\u201d and \u201ccontrolling the narrative.\u201d\u00a0 We should all be concerned about such comments, and it should not be lost on any of us that these folks quoted them proudly.\u00a0 All of which tells us that these folks are not in any position to tell the rest of us about leadership.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, the creek issue is yet another problem inherited by the current Council. It is common knowledge that it was resolved years ago, until Addison\u2019s ex-mayor got involved and blew that settlement.\u00a0 So, tens of thousands of dollars later, it has fallen in the proverbial lap of the current Council, and Farmers Branch has escalated its tactics.\u00a0 I hate to say I told you so, but I did.\u00a0 I\u2019ve said many times that it will take years for Addison to recover from all the harm the ex-mayor did to our Town.\u00a0 This is simply one more example of what happens when you \u201cstop other voices\u201d and \u201ccontrol the narrative.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most importantly, we can all rest easy knowing that Addison does not lack leadership. We have plenty of leadership in Addison. True, democratic leadership.\u00a0 Leadership genuinely dedicated to Addison\u2019s best interests. Leadership that acts in a manner consistent with Addison\u2019s Charter. Seven leaders who respect each other, and a Council that speaks with one voice regarding Addison\u2019s affairs.<\/p>\n

And you can count on Truth in Addison continuing to speak TRUTH to power. Because TRUTH is the Addison Way.<\/p>\n

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