From "250 Or More" To 15! "I Mean, It's Possible." Gettin' It Done At The So-Called SAFETY Committee!

Just over two months ago, HPD Captain David Miller did his best to convince everyone at the May meeting of the so-called SAFETY Committee that HPD issued "200 to 250 or more" speeding tickets in the first quarter of this year.  It was laughable.  It was an outright lie, though Miller conceded that since he didn't have the data with him that he was just approximating.  And it didn't help that, as he admitted later in an email, he thought he was being asked (by two different residents!) about traffic tickets in general, not specifically about speeding tickets.  (Both residents uttered the term "speeding tickets" multiple times.)   Last month, Miller also didn't have the data with him when asked by the same concerned Warren Street resident who showed up to the meeting again and had asked him for the same numbers the month before.  During last Monday's July meeting, Miller didn't have the data again because, as Mishanda Franklin explained, he was on vacation.  It must have been an unplanned vacation, because at last month's meeting Miller was asked by committee chair Henry Haddad if he would bring the speeding ticket data with him to the "next meeting," and he said that he would.  Fortunately, Chef Franklin brought the speeding ticket data for the second quarter with her to share with everyone.

Just Six Months In Office, And He's Already Lost Support From People Who Got Him There

I first noticed the posters critical of our mayor's handling of the Mill Street Lofts project this afternoon at State & Dodge.  I don't recall seeing anything similar during his predecessor's six years in office.  Ferris has really disappointed a whole lot of residents who voted for him.

Scheme or Scam? Or Both?

 

It's not dumb enough that anyone standing in front of or interacting with one of the city's $10,000 sidewalk parking kiosks has no way of knowing what hours and days paid parking is in effect. No, it gets dumber than that, thanks to HPD Parking Captain David Miller. (Though, I imagine, he would deny being in charge of decorating, maintaining or programming the kiosks, saying instead, "that's someone else's responsibility, not mine."  Miller is glad to give his monthly parking report to the SAFETY Committee with data from the Parking Bureau that is supposedly run by someone else, but he'll take no responsibility for anything that goes wrong with the Parking Bureau's GREAT new paid parking scheme.) 

But WHY Was It Demolished? Simply Due To Neglect? Because Galvan Said It Had To Happen? Or Because It Doesn't Matter?

About two weeks ago, Galvan's long neglected and vacant house at 59 Short Street was demolished. Gone. Yet another case of demolition by neglect, brought to us in equal parts from City Hall (ignoring Galvan's neglect) and from the city's largest landowner (neglecter associate of City Hall, Galvan).

Dear Henry Haddad, Chair of the So-Called SAFETY Committee:

During the HPD report at this past Monday's Safety Committee meeting, I think you forgot to ask Police Chief Mishanda Franklin a few questions.  (At least a few!)  It seemed as though the cat got your tongue or you missed something that you were told.  Please forgive me if I am mistaken.

Is Hudson Run By Fools Who Want To Kill Us? Or Are They All Just Blind?

For readers who are unaware, one of the city's speediest and most dangerous stretches of road is Glenwood Boulevard/North 6th Street (from Parkwood to Washington, likely close to a half mile in distance), and it is most definitely more dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists than it is for drivers.  

Glenwood (I'm going to leave 6th street out of it for now) has got it all: a pair of steep hills, one with a sharp bend, long straightaways, two park entrances, driveways, and zero police enforcement of the speed limit.  A few years ago, complaints from nearby residents forced the city to install a speed radar sign designed to slow down traffic headed into town, found at the end of the long straightaway prior to the hill and bend leading down to the lakes.  Or, more accurately, the sign was designed to tell drivers how fast they were moving.  Most of them, at least. You see, not only is there no speed limit sign near that digital sign, but a few weeks ago I noticed that if drivers approach the sign going 30 miles per hour or faster, it won't display their speed until their speeding car is beyond the sign.  In other words, the fucking thing is useless.  Think Mishanda Franklin cares that that sign is no help?

May I Demonstrate What is Truly PROBLEMATIC at City Hall?! (It Won't Be Brief!)

If there was one thing that Tom Depietro and I agreed on, it was this:  Margaret Morris repeats herself to the level of annoyance. And he called her out on it at least twice at meetings -- it drove him nuts, as it should have.  Morris' habit of repeating her thoughts, ideas and comments -- sometimes within the same sentence, sometimes within seconds or minutes, sometimes within weeks or months -- is bizarre, concerning and it makes it difficult to pay attention to what she has to say.  And now that she is the president of the Common Council, her repetitiveness really is on full display (but, of course, no one can criticize her for it).  Morris is a time waster and progress killer, and I'm starting to see the annoyance on the faces of council members, particularly Henry Haddad, when she speaks (especially when she goes on and on).  Morris is also a huge interrupter, as Depietro was.   That habit, too, is concerning and annoying.  And rude; it seems to go along with the job.