Text -Gate and the Lowell City
Council
Richard Howe
While we here in New England were
cheering on the Celtics, the rest of the
basketball world was debating disgraced
former referee Tim Donaghys
allegations that NBA executives routinely
directed referees to manipulate games in
order to boost ticket sales and TV
ratings, a charge the NBA vigorously
denied.
Amidst this focus on officiating, William
Rhoden, a sports columnist with the New
York Times, asked former Lakers
great Magic Johnson if the players could
get by without referees. While
stressing that the NBA needed on-court
officials, Johnson acknowledged that
every player grew up policing themselves
in playground games.
According to Johnson, these games were
as pure as it is when you have
referees although the game
may be a little longer, some of the calls
may be disputed, and then theres
going to be more trash-talking.
Sounds like Johnson was describing the
recent behavior of the Lowell City
Council. Usually, the councils
self-policing is invisible, relegating
procedural rules to the background and
letting substance dominate the debate.
But this summer, the council has spent
more time arguing about the rules than
debating the city budget.
A motion by Rita Mercier at the June 10th
meeting to prohibit the use of cell
phones and/or any communications device
during city council meetings
ignited the most recent
controversy.
In explaining the motion, Mercier said
the use of cell phones during meetings
created a negative appearance and
cast a dark shadow over the city council.
She said it was apparent that some
councilors were sending text messages to
other councilors during meetings, adding
Im all for socializing, but
during the city council meeting is not
the place for such behavior.
She went on to say that some councilors
retreat to the cloak room to receive
telephonic instructions from their remote
handlers, although she offered no facts
to support that allegation.
Councilor Mike Lenzi seconded the motion,
saying cell phone use during meetings
sets a bad precedent. There are
important things being said and everyone
should be paying attention.
Councilor Alan Kazanjian also supported
the motion, saying he was taken
aback by city councilors using cell
phones during meetings and that they
should not be used out of professional
courtesy.
Councilor Armand Mercier also spoke in
favor of the ban, saying that he always
turned off his phone at the start of the
meeting. While Mayor Bud Caulfield did
not expressly state his position, he
strong-ly implied that he supported the
motion.
Councilor Kevin Broderick, who many
suspect was the primary target of Merciers
motion, acknowledged that he did
occasionally use the text message
capability of his phone during council
meetings but that many such messages were
in response to queries by constituents
who had grown use to rapid electronic
responses. Broderick added that
this dispute was an example of some
councilors being more comfortable than
others with advances in communications
technology.
Councilor Jim Milinazzo was critical of
Merciers motion, saying that he,
Mercier and Broderick had all discussed
the matter in a collegial and
light-hearted way just days
earlier. As far as he was
concerned, the matter had been
appropriately addressed in that informal
manner and that raising it again as a
motion was disappointing.
Councilors Bill Martin and Rodney Elliott
both observed that this issue was a case
of fitting modern technology within rules
written before such technology was even
imagined. While acknowledging the
need to maintain council decorum, both
Martin and Elliott seemed unprepared to
support an outright ban. In support
of their position, both councilors
pointed out how the same behaviors
routinely performed by some city
councilors making whispered
comments to neighboring colleagues or
reading from notes - were now condemned
because of technology.
Anyone who has ever attended a city
council meeting has observed councilors
including all supporting the cell
phone ban - routinely whispering
something to a neighboring
councilor. How does that differ
from two councilors sending the same
words as a text message rather than a
whisper, Martin asked?
Elliott pointed out that he stores
information on his cell phone and having
that information at hand during meetings
makes him a better councilor. He
asked how reading his notes on his cell
phone differed from another councilor
reading prepared text from a piece
of paper during a council debate.
In the end, the council referred the
matter to the Rules Subcommittee for a
report and recommendation. From the
comments of the councilors, however, it
was apparent that five support the ban
while four oppose it.
Because the motion would be a rules
change, it would normally require six
votes to pass, so its probably
destined to be defeated. In the
end, thats probably the best
result. Councilors who may have been
using cell phones and text messages
frivolously during meetings know that
theyre now under scrutiny and will
refrain from that practice.
But enacting an outright ban would slam
the door on innovative uses of technology
that could make the councilors who wisely
use such capabilities better public
officials.
Richard P. Howe Jr. is the creator of
www.richardhowe.com,
a blog that provides commentary on
politics in Lowell. He also serves as
Register of Deeds of the Northern
District of Middlesex County. You can
email him at lowelldeeds@comcast.net
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