What first interested me in City Council was the Chauncey and an article published in the Little Village February-March 2013. According to the article, to decide among the three [design proposals for Gilbert & College] alternatives, the council planned to develop a “decision matrix.” However, in the end, the matrix was ignored in favor of Chauncey. “As for why my colleagues on the council chose not to use the proposed decision matrix, I think they could explain their own rationale better than I can,” Councilor Jim Throgmorton said. “I think it is fair to say, however, that they felt they already knew which project they preferred and that it would be best to simply have each of us state our rank orderings.”
The five city councilors who preferred the Chauncey plan (Throgmorton opposed, Michelle Payne recused herself due to a potential conflict of interest) were able to approve that project with little debate and without presenting a concrete rationale or side-by-side comparison.
Even some who were heavily involved with the process were left scratching their heads about how the decision was made.
FALL FROM GRACE: CORE OF FOUR
As a result of his honesty, Throgmorton is now the favorite target of Hayek’s ire believing that Throgmorton is the head of an insurgency of candidates called the “Core Four,” similar to the Gang of Four that wanted to replace Chairman Mao; Hayek warns that Throgmorton will succeed him as mayor.
Even John Thomas, a quiet unassuming man who knows his business and how to plan a growing city is being maligned by implication.
Pauline Taylor, a former nurse at University of Iowa Hospitals, notes the need for affordable housing, responsible development and racial equality as key points of focus in her campaign, is guilty by association in Hayek’s eyes.
Hayek is accusing an un-named candidate, Rockne Cole, of running while suing the City over what has become known as The Shadow.
The latest iteration causality of the Shadow can be viewed on City Channel 4 as council meeting June 2, 2015, in which Hayek beneficently tells Trinity Church it “has no rights that he and City Council need respect.”
THE HAYEK SLATE
At the Coralville Library Forum, Councilor Rick Dobyns’ intentions of shuttering the Senior Center unless it becomes self-sufficient office space is why the doctor did not attend the Oaknoll Retirement Community Forum Oct. 15.
Hayek calls Dobyns a family physician, but when he served on the Senior Center Task Force, he was introduced as a gerontologist — an expert on old people.
Payne has spent her weekend backtracking from saying “Colored people” at the South Side Forum. But I say to her don’t backtrack because as — Luke and James have predicted the outcome of speech: Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant.
For every kind of beast and bird and serpent and thing in the sea is tamed, and hath been tamed, by mankind. But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Payne objects to the living wage of $10.10 and has been a main opponent to bus shelters being installed in the neighborhoods and other small amenities which will help the working and middle classes feel part of community.
Tim Conroy and Scott McDonough are replicas in public policy myopia of Hayek, Payne, and Dobyns in seeing Iowa City as composed of Clinton Street on the west, Gilbert Street on the east. Iowa Avenue on the north, and the Riverfront Crossings creeping west shift-shaping like an amoeba — all supported and fueled by TIF.
The neighborhoods only exist in this paradigm to (financially) support the major development of the downtown area and its landowning oligarchy/class, the members of the Downtown Association-Chamber of Commerce Gang, Hayek–a major player, and his cronies who support the Official Mayoralty Slate.
Mary Gravitt
