After attending the Syracuse BMV Hearing and then reading the ridiculous comments made by Governor Daniels' appointee, Joel Silverman, in the local paper, it caused me think a little about what I think he SHOULD have said - if he could have been honest and upfront about it.
Here is what I think Mr. Silverman should have said at the beginning of the meeting.
I want to thank everyone for coming tonight to express your interest in the Syracuse License Branch. Before we begin I would like to be open with everyone about why we are here. Last year the Democrats tried to close 44 license branches to save money. To stop it, the Republicans created a law which says the BMV must hold a hearing in every county where they are considering closing a branch. Now we have a Republican Governor who has appointed me to make the BMV more efficient. To do this, I have to close some branches just like the Democrats wanted to do. Now we wish we had never passed this law, but we are now stuck with it. After examining the issue we have found that due to the lease arrangements of various branches, we must close a few branches that on the surface might seem like illogical decisions. Syracuse is one of these. The law requires that we have the hearings, so we are. However, we feel it only fair in the interest of openness and honesty, to tell you that the Syracuse branch is likely to close no matter what is said at this hearing, and while that might seem like a closed case to you, we don't feel that we have any choice. The lease arrangements of each branch are dictating many of these decisions and we feel we should let you know about that right up front. As a part of this hearing I am willing to listen to your opinions for as long as you wish, but as a way of influencing the decisions, the lease arrangements are likely to trump all other arguments. I will stay and discuss it with you as long as you like. I wish it didn't have to be this way, but I see no other way around it at this time.
Then Mr. Silverman should have sat down and listened politely to all comments and stayed until the last person left. He should have refrained from insulting the Syracuse residents by inferring that he "couldn't have an intelligent conversation" with us or by indicating that he thought "we should behave in a certain way."
Unfortunately for Governor Daniels, Mr. Silverman is representing the Governor in 24 public hearings around the state. The way these hearings are going, he isn't doing Governor Daniels any favors. The Indy Star has given the governor rave reviews for his openness, but even party insiders are having trouble seeing it these days. It is clear that many of the governors appointees are not accustomed to public service.
Just my .02.
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3 comments:
You hit the nail right on the head...I HOPE you sent this letter to Mitch, the governor that no one will fess up to voting for last November!
This has nothing to do with the Syracuse Branch closing, however this has to do with Wawasee Community School Corporation Non-Discrimination Policy. As I carefully read the policy there was nothing stated about Sexual Orientation. As a openly homosexual student of WHS i believe that the Policy should include that. Each day i hear comments reffering to my sexuality and noone at the High School will do anything about it. Not the dean nor the Principal. I believe that I should be able to attend school and not have to worry about constantly being harrassed and being degraded.
The population of homosexual students attending is greatly increasing, and i believe we should all be treated equally... Has there ever been any discussion of starting a Gay Straight Alliance. I know that their would be a lot of people who would be interested in joining if that was added to the list of clubs... However it seems to me that Wawasee and the school board is too worried about what the community will think adding such a club. I feel like i am put in a social class of its own while attending Wawasee and I am scared to attend school daily... I am not looking foward to going back in a little over two weeks! Please do something to help YOUR students...
As a teacher in this system, I hope that your concerns will be addressed. I feel as though every student has a right to feel safe in school. We are a diverse population and that should be celebrated and accepted, even if it does not align with personal preferences or beliefs. I commend you for the courage to speak out and state your needs. I look forward to a response from Dr. Stock and am hopeful that you will soon feel more supported. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
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