But besides that this community fer all its problems, particularly those caused by the politicos, is still a nice place overall. A little gentrification is jest whot’s needed hear-abouts, and there is every reason to believe it’s gonna happen. We’ve had 20 years of the bad, maybe things are startin’ to pick up.

And one o’ the big reasons is the choo-choo station. A lot more people from outlaying districks will find their way here – and let’s hope they have lotsa kopecks.

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In the same edition we had a story about the WHEAT Thanksgiving Day Dinner at the Congo Church Hall. Artie Yost, the chairman o’ the yearly event, sez that the dinner is about 2000 bucks behind last year. That don’t mean the thing ain’t gonna happen. It jest means that some o’ the extra cash that’s put in for seed money for the follying year, and the excess that’s given to other groups ain’t there jest yet.

By jest yet, methinks Artie was hopin’ people would read it and reach deep in their pockets. Y’know whot, sweets, so does Cobina. Iyam sure there is 2000 kopecks around that could give the group all the money it needs, even in this economy. Based on the fack we’re a great place fer kids, methinks it’s gonna happen. I jest have faith in our people – not the politicos – jest our people.

~~~

Getting back to politics as usual, I see that a few members of the City Council have their BVDs in a knot cuz the Office o’ Policy and Management sat down with Bob Barron and read him beads last week. They made sure they let the papers know, too.

Effen yew’ve read the editorial in today’s paper, yew know whot we think about the whole thing., Ever since the deficit was discovered by hizzoner and hizzoner more or less told OPM to pound sand, the OPM-ers are not and have not been happy.

Bureaucrats who don’t git their way gen’rally try to wage a war of public opinion against those who don’t do whot their told. Consider this latest kurfluffle that.

OPM didn’t wanna git involved seven years ago when the hijinx that created this deficit was goin’ on. In fack, they wanted to stay as far away from it as possible. Why should anybody listen to ‘em now? Hizzoner has the ear of some higher-ups in Hartford, and they like whot’s going on. That’s whot Sammy Bluejay told me over tea today, and I believe it.

The OPM? They can continue to pound sand…

~~~

That said, hizzoner ain’t doin’ himself any favors by keepin’ people in the council chambers outta the loop. I know he thinks effen he gives something to the chairman it’s gonna git disseminated – and should, but that’s beside the point. With the political fractures, alliances, and self-serving yahoos that make up that council, he’d be better off givin’ it to ‘em straight. They’re gonna complain, jest don’t give ‘em any more to complain about.

~~~

Before we go on, Iva Lootey told me about the passin’ o’ Conroy Taylor. I can’t tell yew how many times Conroy was in these offices either when Bob Joyce ran the old City News or Colby Dreissens had the Town Voice, or when our editor was with the other papyrus or this one. He was always there and always ready to give a photo or three. We’ll miss ol’ Conroy. Now he’s with his lovely wife, whom he missed for the last decade.

~~~

Madame Olga told me about the recent decision by Allingtown taxpayers to reject the budget for the current fiscal year once again. This is the thoid or fourth time by my count. Tennyrate, it’s a puzzlement whot’s gonna happen. The people over there don’t want a tax hike, and they want cutting.

The districk is sayin’ they can’t cut anymore and are dangerously close to staffing and other problems. I ain’t sure how this is gonna wash out, but right now, it don’t look like their gonna have an official budget before the foist of the year. Keep yore eyes glued to this one, it could be interesting.

~~~

As we git close to the end of the calendar year, sweets, I git to thinkin’ whot the big story of the 2009 might be and I think I have an answer: Charter revision. Yup, this little revision that happens every so often is gonna be very big.

Hizzoner has some ideas on how to improve things, particularly as they apply to the finance department. Ain’t it interestin’, fer example that the OPM report criticized somethin’ the mayor has been harpin’ about fer years: the finance director is a mayoral appointment.

Maybe with that agreement that could be one change made. We’ll see.

~~~

With that bit o’ chatter, I’ll close this time till next, mitt luff und kizzez,