Starting With The Stinky Stuff

How ironic and humorous that the clean up of city government is starting with a garbage contract.Charles Taylor and Mike Stone were elected to clean up a municipal government that has been run in good old boy fashion for years. This is exactly what they are doing when questioning the incestuous relationships behind the City of Sanford's solid waste contracting process. (See Sanford Herald editorial) . According to the editorial,

At least two council members, Charles Taylor and Mike Stone, have expressed concerns about Sanford’s familial ties with Waste Management (which has had a cozy relationship with a number of current and former city and county officials and has, according to Taylor, wined and dined council and staff at a recent trip to a city conference in New Orleans and to entertainment and sports events in Raleigh).

What of the other council members? The Herald says all this has "divided" the council. It is pretty easy to see why those who were "wined and dined" might be none too happy to have this disclosed, but aren't there at least some other council members concerned, too? Or did they miss the message sent by Sanford voters that they want city government to end its good ol' boy practices and put the public interest first.