By John Estridge
Dear Curtis and Brooke
How are you?
I am doing fine. Well, I have done better. It seems like I was having a much better time living here in Brookville before you, Curtis, became a president, and you, Brooke, became a vice president or male dictator and female dictator. Really, what is in a title?
Prior to 2021, things were good. I think they can be again.
Let’s start with something positive: 21 in 21.
Wow!!! Great idea!!!
I know it’s summer and school is out, but let’s have a little quiz: Do you know why 21 in 21 was such a good idea? Well, I will tell you. Both of you ASKED YOUR CONSTITUENTS what they wanted. And what they wanted THEIR MONEY to be spent on, if anything.
And they responded. They had great ideas. And you saw they had great ideas. And you are trying to put all of those great ideas into action, into reality.
Next time I see you, I will give each of you a gold star. It was that good, really. The gold stars are for being good town council members in that instance.
But see, you had a really bad idea when you TOLD YOUR CONSTITUENTS they could no longer speak at YOUR MEETINGS. And, Brooke to compare YOUR CONSTITUENTS to clowns, bad form. Do you know the definition of MEAN GIRLS? Check out the Urban Dictionary. The definition is too long to cut and paste, but here is a link: https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mean%20girls
Just a reminder, this is not middle school. Being a MEAN GIRL is no longer cool.
We may get back to that later.
But the whole “Do not speak at OUR MEETINGS” fiasco should have been a teaching moment for us and a learning moment for both of you. You should not demean YOUR CONSTITUENTS. When you two do anything it is with THEIR MONEY.
No gold stars, even though each of you had the sense to back off that big mistake. And I had hoped it had been a teaching/learning moment, but I was wrong because we moved somewhat immediately into the NEW TOWN HALL fiasco.
Bad idea.
I like the word fiasco. Again, summer school time: fiasco means “a thing that is a complete failure, especially in a ludicrous or humiliating way.”
With the NEW TOWN HALL fiasco you TOLD YOUR CONSTITUENTS what they wanted to have done with THEIR MONEY.
A second reason the NEW TOWN HALL fiasco was wrong is you did it in secret. Not good in America. Maybe, we should bring Civics back into the curriculum.
Now, we are not going to have a NEW TOWN HALL, but we are going to have a NEW STREET DEPARTMENT building and a NEW POLICE STATION.
Pop quiz time: Why is this still a bad idea? You did not ASK YOUR CONSTIUENTS what they wanted to do with THEIR MONEY.
Maybe, YOUR CONSTITUENTS do not want more empty store fronts on Main Street. Maybe YOUR CONSTITUENTS do not want to spend THEIR MONEY on a place that seems too large and probably too expensive for the result.
Just a guess here, but maybe you should ASK YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
Again, no gold stars.
Do you see the difference in these examples? ASK YOUR CONSTITUENTS as opposed to TELL YOUR CONSTITUENTS especially in cases where you are talking about spending a lot of THEIR MONEY. If you need me to get into definitions for ask and tell, I can but really I do not want to be condescending to you as you seem to be to us.
Condescending is a big word. I will give the definition to that: “having or showing a feeling of patronizing superiority.”
There are so many more subjects we are going to talk about in the near future: forced annexation, buying a golf course, how to treat constituents when they come to your meetings and code police.
We are going to have so much fun.
Kumbaya Curtis and Brooke
John
An open letter to Cathy, Eric and Chuck
Dear Cathy, Eric and Chuck
How are you? I am doing well, well maybe not as well as the beginning of 2021 and this new town council member configuration.
But you could each change that. You do not have to do everything Curtis and Brooke tell you to do. I know they can be intimidating, but I really do believe you three know the difference between TELL YOUR CONSTITUENTS as opposed to ASK YOUR CONSTITUENTS especially when it is about spending THEIR MONEY.
Please have Curtis and Brooke share my letter to them about good ideas and bad ideas.
You guys can have your own ideas. You can speak up. I know it is much easier to play follow the leader, but look and listen to whom your leaders are and where they are taking you. And when I say you, you understand I am saying us, THE CONSTITUENTS.
To paraphrase my now departed dear mother: “If they told you to jump off a cliff, would you?”
I do not think any one of you three want to be condescending to YOUR CONSTITUENTS. If you three start thinking for yourselves, I will give each of you gold stars, also. I promise.
Your friend and CONSTITUENT
John
https://www.remax.com/real-estate-agents/dennis-kolb-brookville-in/100081480
You go, sir. Curtis and Brooke need to remember who they work for: their constituents!
No I think they have their own agenda! The constituents are just getting in their way!!!
I look forward to seeing you.