Mayor's Report
Samuel Kendal, one of our founding fathers said,
"The government,
whose object or tendency is any other than the public good, or whose
administration is guided by any other motives than the general interest,
neither comports with the design of Heaven, nor merits the esteem and
confidence of men."
This report is about flashing lights, cops, water, roads, and flying
monkeys. Yeeehaaaaa!
We appear to be winning our battle for the flashing light in the
school zone. Our posse has unsaddled the night horses, and we'll not be
forced to steal Billy's light after all. We've received the go ahead from
the state, thanks to your letters and help. Working together, the village
and school want a flashing light in our school zone the first day of school.
We're looking toward the cost and moving forward. I salute you, thanks.
Chief George has hired another good officer, in Steve Minner. Be
proud of the department the Chief and the board are building. If you
get a chance, thank them for the great job, they work too many hours
with too little pay.
Many of you've endured hardships in the form of your water being
turned off for hours on end. We're approaching an end of our water project
and your water department has logged some major league hours ensuring you
have water when you turn the tap. We're almost there, thanks for understanding
and not breaking out our windows at Village Hall.
The blade has been kicking up sparks and dust on the roads in hopes
you don't have to have your front-end realigned more than every other month.
I hope you see the improvement but it's a never-ending battle being fought
in the dirt every day.
Your money has been taken from escrow. During the June 11th board
meeting Trustee Tippin made a motion ordering me to pay the Lincoln County
Solid Waste Authority (LCSWA). Trustee Whitaker seconded the motion and
the motion carried. As ordered, I mailed LCSWA a check for $10,071.25. In
my mind a conflict still stands between LCSWA prices and our ordinance.
During one of our heated, red-faced, finger pointing, high pitched,
desk-pounding discussions on trash, Trustee Whitaker pointedly told me
"You just don't get it!" John and I like each other, we just don't agree
sometimes. This is not bad. Paul wrote
"there must needs be disputes among
us so the truth can be known". John and I get at the truth quite often.
As John and I sat back laughing, I had to admit he was right, an
admission that pained me. I don't get it. I'm not a politician, explaining
why I don't get it. In my nonpolitician mind, I see the board of the LCSWA
is made up of non-elected officials and non-elected officials don't have
the right to raise rates to the public. Under the New Mexico Solid Waste
Authority Act, 74-10-1 and following, the law sets forth that the area
where the solid waste authority operates will be divided into districts
and one representative from each district
shall be elected by the
people to serve on the board. According to law this is the only way the
board of LCSWA can raise rates to the public.
I don't get it. Why don't we restructure our trash board under the
Solid Waste Authority Act? It would solve the problem of rate hikes.
Then if the public feels its trash board is getting out of hand with rate
hikes you kick them to the curb with your vote.
If we chose to restructure LCSWA under the law, it'd solve many problems.
First, we'd be in compliance with state law. Second, we'd eliminate an
ordinance and a trash board in direct contradiction with one another.
Third, we'd place the power of a governmental agency where it belonged,
in the hands of the people. And last and more importantly, we'd not have
to read about the misguided Capitan Mayor in the Lincoln County News, thus
freeing me up to get into trouble on other issues.
I met last week with the LCSWA Chairman Don Coleman and Trustee Whitaker,
your representative to that board. Trustee Whitaker told me in our meeting
he would take these issues to the next LCSWA board meeting. I am waiting
for him to get back to me.
Flying Monkeys; when I was a little cowboy, the flying monkeys of
the Wizard of Oz scared me under my bed. You remember those nasty, little,
one-watt-brained, run-on-all-four, dirty brown, pugnosed, hairy, winged
monkeys who's sole purpose for breathing was to destroy anything and everybody.
The wicked witch would send the flying monkeys to destroy everything good.
It was that vision that had me scooting under the bed. After my dad drug
me out from under the bed, screaming, he told me everywhere I would go there
would be flying monkeys, people who lie, cloud the truth, drag you down,
or attempt to haul you off.
This past week flying monkeys appeared on my radar. Report after
report of flying monkeys swooping around town with a recall petition to
have me removed from office has flooded into my office. Either the flying
monkeys found out I don't get it, or they didn't get the memo that the
election is over and now's time to build. I am tired of this and at the
point if one of the monkeys would bring the petition by, I'll sign it. The
flying monkeys don't scare me anymore but do provide great entertainment.
How boring it would be if they had a job and had to go to work.
This week Judge Goodwin, of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, ruled
the words "under God" in the pledge of Allegiance was un-Constitutional.
The liberals and I have something in common, they don't believe in God,
I don't believe in liberals.
Here's yet another area where I'm in trouble. At our monthly meetings
we say the Pledge of Allegiance after a moment of silence. We in Capitan,
New Mexico shall continue to say the pledge proudly and un-Constitutionally
with the words "under God". Sorry Judge. So show up to the meeting and
proudly be un-Constitutional with us.
I bid you an un-Constitutional farewell, God Bless,
Steven M. Sederwall; Mayor
