POTPOURRI TIME WITH COUNCL OVERTONES

A respite from the Mackson controversy is in order with a little potpourri and some other Council gems.

The Republican core has been shakened by the upset loss suffered by Virginia’s House Majority Leader Cantor to an unknown ‘Tea Partyer”. The voter turnout is unknown, nor the forces behind this unexpected defeat of a solid member of the Republican core establishment.

Coupled with an unsavory primary race in Mississippi between a core incumbent Republican and a challenger with ‘Tea Party” and “Religious Right” the GOP is having serious doubts in this mid-term year.

9:30 am,from Sabato's Crystal Ball political column:

An old country phrase best describes the possibility of a turnout increase saving Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) in an upcoming runoff: That dog don’t hunt. But it’s also far from clear whether a bigger turnout would naturally help Cochran in the runoff anyway. Mississippi Republicans voted at record levels in the regular primary, and that of course wasn’t enough to push the incumbent over 50%.

As to the first point, turnout generally falls in runoffs held after primary and general elections -- significantly.

*Most states don’t have runoffs, and the lion’s share of the ones that do (11 total) are located in the South, a relic from the days of one-party dominance, where winning the Democratic primary was once tantamount to election. Underline mine, shades of Plainfield

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The Court has declared California’s Teacher Tenure Laws to be unconstitutional. The decision will be appealed to the Supreme Court. 

The following is quoted from the Times:

“The plaintiffs argued that California’s current laws made it impossible to get rid of low-performing and incompetent teachers, who were disproportionately assigned to schools filled with poor students. The result, they insisted, amounted to a violation of students’ constitutional rights to an education.

But lawyers for the states and teachers’ unions said that overturning such laws would erode necessary protections that stop school administrators from making unfair personnel decisions. They also argued that the vast majority of teachers in the state’s schools are competent and providing students with all the necessary tools to learn. More important factors than teachers, they argued, are social and economic inequalities as well as the funding levels of public schools.

Under state law here, teachers are eligible for tenure after 18 months, and layoffs must be determined by seniority — a process known as “last in, first out.” Administrators seeking to dismiss a teacher they deem incompetent must follow a complicated procedure that typically drags on for months, if not years.”

If upheld those laws will be attacked in States where they exist; New Jersey is one.

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A little Council Stuff; the Council led by Rivers and with Taylor’s input did not place on the agenda for first reading a proposed ordinance containing changes relating to "events" held by private promoters especially the 3 day ones in the Business area. 

That was done even after City Administrator noted that a date to make its provisions effective could be set for 1/1/15, since it should not impact on those already approved.  

After receiving a condensed explanation by the City Administrator focusing on the fact that individual entrepreneurs would only be allowed one event a year instead of the several that downtown promoters have been holding; the above objected to the break with "tradition".

It seems obvious that Councilors had not read the proposed changes because no one remarked on other positive changes such as these promoters would be held responsible for all of  the City’s cleanup costs and overtime expenses. Additionally there was stronger language among other things concerning closing times and noise control.

A cynical sceptic wondered if the objections could be related to campaign support.