June 19, 2004 |
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Editorial |
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From the volume of the voices
Tuesday night in the Chapel, you’d think somebody was trying to fold up
Roosevelt Island, stuff it in a suitcase, and make off to Panama.
Some very hard-working Roosevelt Islanders were made out to be unscrupulous brigands, when all they’ve been trying to do is renovate a Residents Association constitution that has grown feeble with age. They’re the officers you elected, and your trust in them is wisely placed. Streamlining the constitution is a good idea – downright necessary, in fact, if the Residents Association is going to be agile enough to deal with some serious challenges on an ever-shortening horizon. So what were the objections? One misguided soul spoke of a power grab, telling residents who had been rounded up to vote against constitutional reform that they were being used as stepping stones to power. There were suggestions that the RIRA President would suddenly be able to deny Common Council representation to some buildings. There was an implication that somebody had theft in mind by simplifying check-writing for items below $750. There were even suggestions – get this – that a resident community-minded enough to campaign for a volunteer, non-paying seat on the Common Council would surely, if she moved from one building to another, suddenly turn on her former neighbors in some building vs. building war. In fact, allowing dedicated, community-minded residents to serve out their terms after a move is a good idea simply because hard-working volunteers are truly scarce in this over-busy world. And we’re not aware of any impending first-strike strategy being cooked up by the residents of Westview against neighbors in Island House. But from the clatter Tuesday night, you might think that first strike was imminent. Mistakes were made Tuesday night, no question about it, and that exacerbated the anger that had been whipped up among residents who came to the Town Meeting under various mistaken impressions. One thought the Chapel was going to be closed to the public. Another thought the meeting was to prevent somebody from taking away her apartment. It didn’t matter what the real question was – the answer was to be “no.” But there are remedies when mistakes are made, and the good-hearted neighbors who serve on your RIRA Common Council are in the process of making them (see extensive coverage throughout this issue of The WIRE). We’re confident that when the merits are made more clear, and people have been encouraged to reason rather than run off in all directions, the right decision will be made on some very important constitutional changes. The simplest one is moving a lot of procedural plumbing from the constitution itself into a set of bylaws, where changes – like adding Common Council seats for delegates from new buildings – will be easier. There’s lots of coverage, lots of letters, much to follow in this issue. That’s one place to start, but as you start, know that the villainous behavior attributed to very good people is deeply fictional, and you have nothing to fear from efforts to make RIRA work better for you. Dick Lutz
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