Do Lincolnites Want to Vote on the Contract Ban?
Now that the City Council has decided not to let the public vote on barring elected officials from holding local government contracts, do you think Lincolnites should organize a petition drive to put the issue on the ballot? Is it something Lincolnites want to push, or do you think we’re generally fine with the way things have gone so far?
The Comments
Gene says Apparently, we shouldn't be more March 11, 2008 at 8:33am
Apparently, we shouldn’t be more like Omaha after all.
If there were a petition I’d probably sign it.
If this were approved by voters, what would happen to the contract that the city has with Jon Camp? Would that get grandfathered in? The expense to move that office might be considerable.
Mr. Wilson says RE: Apparently, we shouldn't be more March 11, 2008 at 8:41am
That’s a very good question. Unless the wording of the charter amendment states otherwise, I would think the contract would be nullified by default, unless Camp leaves office. But that’s just a guess.
Fletch says I think I've changed my March 11, 2008 at 9:01am
I think I’ve changed my mind about this, and I am okay with the law being what it is. I think politicians need to be smart and use discretion (ha ha ha - I could barely type that sentence, especially the day after Elliot Spitzer’s mess).
However, I think in a community the size of Lincoln (wasn’t it just yesterday we were fondly discussing how small a town and how you can encounter people you know so often?) you certainly could greatly reduce the number of viable candidates if you take away any business owner or person that has a contract.
If Jon Camp was a more likable guy, would it be an issue? If the weeds in the median had been curtailed, would it ever have come up? I don’t recall a lot of other issues like this in the 23 years I have lived here. It has taken the look of a witch hunt in recent weeks more than I think I had envisioned it to be.