Let's have a little Fun

The fun I say is by totally reconstituting the City Council:

We know that Bullock and Summers were elected to a first term for Wards 2 and 3 respectively.

Well, with Ed FitzGerald as the new mayor that certainly provides a little fun in deciding who gets his seat. Which I have already talked about previously.

Now, lets talk about how FitzGerald can really stack the council in his favor.

Lets take Ward 1 - Kevin Butler, Kevin is a lawyer with some trial experience and has public law experience, he would make a good Law Director, whoops that opens Ward 1 seat to someone.

(Kevin: I know you are denying this rumor, but, stick your tongue in the side of your cheek for the rest of this diatribe)

Ward 2 & 3 are off limits

Ward 4 - Mary Louise Madigan is a keeper at that spot, the only movement I would see is to an at-Large spot.

The at-Large spots with Niki Antonio and Mike Dever really could shake things up.

Let's really have fun:

Let's move Niki Antonio over to Director of Humans Services and Mike Dever into the Streets Department.

Now that opens two more at-Large seats.

With this little scenario, you'd be filling up to four seats, if FitzGerald could do that then he have no problem it pushing through his agenda in the first year. I think the smart play there would be to push in 3 Democrats and a very moderate Republican that is well known and liked in the community. The Republican would be be able to settle a little bit of what be considered of political payback for some of his supporters.

The drawbacks:
1) People would still think FitzGerald is stacking the deck for his own cronies;
2) Kevin Butler has repeatedly denied this rumor of him being Law Director;
3) Who would be the Republican that would be selected and perhaps be willing to run in 2009;
4) Not much in the leadership on council that would have the institutional knowledge of what has transpired on council;
5) Would Mike Dever leave the county for what could be a very thankless job that may have a shrinking budget. Not likely.
6) Having to let Dottie Buckon go, probably the best member in Tom George's cabinet, the case should be made for her to stay on at her post in the FitzGerald administration.

This was fun to think up and try to figure how it would all take place and would it work. Some folks that I mentioned this scenario have helped add to the evolution and the hilarity of it.