Due to illness, our loyal city hall reporter was unable to cover Tuesday’s Town Hall Meeting. Though the agenda stated that the event was to be a council meeting, it was in fact a town hall meeting, and well run at that.

Four members of the old régime attended, and three of them even provided comment. But it pains me to even mention their names. I’m gradually acclimating myself to the new, peaceful, respectful, businesslike, and highly productive meetings produced by our new city council, and don’t want to remember the bad old days. Our new staff, council members, clerk, and interim city manager are doing a terrific job.

Things are really looking up. The agenda set up four issues for discussion: the treatment of businesses at city hall, economic development, attracting new business and support for current businesses, the sewer treatment plant and new ways to generate revenues and reduce rates, and the swimming pool complex cash flow.

The filming commission reported that we have taken in more than $90,000 in the past five months. Shirley Spitler has volunteered to assist in seeking new businesses for the downtown area. Rigo Landeros praised Patrick Maynard for his great assistance with filming contracts and permits. Mayor Rick Neal kept the discussions on topic and the meeting ended promptly at 9:00 p.m.

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After viewing Hillary Clinton’s performance during the Benghazi committee inquiry into the attack on our embassy I became so nauseated I thought I would skip this column. What a piece of work this first lady leftover is. For someone directly responsible for the death of four heroic Americans, including our ambassador, I would expect a little humility and contrition. Instead we get the usual Clinton lies, stonewalling, and arrogance. When I look at the sorry feminist stable at the state department these days I have to abandon hope for the security of our nation. One question posed to Hillary today: “Why weren’t you the one to go on the Sunday shows after the Benghazi attack, in place of UN Ambassador Susan Rice?” Answer, Hillary: “I have to confess here in public, going on the Sunday shows is not my favorite thing to do. There are other things I prefer to do on Sunday mornings, and I haven’t been on a Sunday show in over a year.” Any president with a normal sense of moral values would have booted her out of that office for such a casual attitude towards such a grave matter.