CHC 1979-02-20 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

The other thing that I would like to perhaps caution you about because I fell victim to it. I think the whole Charter Commission that finally worked on this one fell victim. We were so convinced that we had the perfect document', that we had the answers to all of the county' s problems, that we really went all outfor this. We had an advertising budget which was permitted. We went out and we campaigned for.. it We advertising for it and we really pushed it. We were, in effect, campaigning for the charter and we got it passed.' Now I think some of us may look back from time to time and say did we really do the right thing. You are going to have the same problem. You are going to come up with some changes and._+ -you are going to feel very strongly about those changes and this is good. This is what makes) us all tick. You are going to work like the devil on getting those things through. Internally, within the commission , you are going to work for your point of ,;uiew because you think it is right. And once the thing is adopted by consens'.us then you are going to work for the consensus point of view. And it is important that you do. But at the same time maybe you shouldn ' t feel too bad if on some of it the public says no. Because, basically, I get back to what I said in the first place, the form is not as important as the substance and the good will of the people that are going to make it work . And with that I would like to thank you for inviting me. I will be happy to answer any other questions but those are L ?ust' my own personal feelings.. MR. ISHIDA: On this Initiative and Referendum I notice that recall is left out. What is the rationale of that? MR. KOEHNEN: We thought that recall really • should be for malfeasance not merely because you are an un- popular guy. Sometimes you have to do some very unpopular things. Sometimes I wish that some' elected' officials would do more unpopular things because I think they really are the right things-_todo. And yet you can get recalled if you do something like- that. " I 'm not saying that Bilandic is a good mayor or anything else, but you know you have a perfect example - there of he does something the people don 't like so ypu throw ; out a recall petition against him. - The charter does provide that anybody can be removed for malfeasance. They can be removed for malfeasance or misfeasance or what have you. So that we felt was basically the only reason he should be removed. That is why no recall. Well , again , I 'd like to thank you very much.' CHAIRMAN SAKATA: Thank you, very much, : Mr. Koehnen. RECESS: At 4:50 p.m. the Chair called for a short - recess. • -22-