It is interesting that the Rhino’s John Hammer took a totally different angle when writing up the Greensboro City Council’s Tuesday night meeting.
Instead of leading with the heated redistricting debate, Hammer goes with the controversy surrounding three council members —Danny Thompson, Dianne Bellamy-Small and Zack Matheny —participating by telephone. I don’t think elected officials should participate in meetings by telephone, period, and Hammer says “according to a strict interpretation of the rules, none of the three should have been allowed to participate by phone.”
Yet for some reason, City Attorney Rita Danish ruled that Thompson alone could no longer participate in the meeting because he hung up and —according to Danish’s interpretation, the ordinance “does not allow people to call in, hang up and call back again.”
Hammer says Danish’s interpretation was exactly what council member Robbie Perkins wanted, leaving Hammer to conclude that “although Danish may not be a full-fledged member” of the Perkinettes, she “is certainly a pledge.”
Danish’s legal opinions aside, having three members participate by phone is awkward to begin with, and the fact that the council took on a controversial issue like redistricting in such a situation shows incredibly bad judgment.
That does not excuse the behavior of citizens speaking out against redistricting, either. This is the type of mess that just makes you throw up your hands and sigh.