Today's statement by Councilwoman Burns is certainly appropriate as you should say something and there is a need to feed the beast before you shut up and await the disposition of the legal case.
I fully support her efforts to address the circumstances that led to this and am sure she has the fortitude to do so.
Having said that, as I told the reporter who called today asking for my response to her statement....how many other employers and coworkers of people arrested for DWI have you called today ? How many others have the media lead the charge to see about someone losing a job over something like this ?.
Politically, Ms. Burns will always live with the paragraph about the event and the file photo of the booking shot....There is an obvious glee in some pursuits of these stories that serve as parables about the failings of all of us and the moral certitude of others.
It is different for a "public figure", but make no mistake...when you are entertained by the travails of the electeds there are lots of others for whom such news of arrests, marital nastiness, back child support and bankruptcies are never told or downplayed because someone felt such things are not relevant.
I learned that early on in the news business when I was waiting in the usual spot to get a perp walk of the son of a prominent person....The suspect was taken in through a basement entrance...No film at eleven for me.
Conversely, the media also protects some and not others.
It's the modern equivalent of shaming...of putting some in the stocks and throwing rotten fruit at them. The consolation is the attention will soon shift to someone else.
City Councilwoman Roxanne M. Burns
40 comments:
You got it. I took a great dislike to 7 news this morn. when they had to show a close up of Ms. Burns all the while they were talking about the City meeting. Then at the end they did their quick....By the way run on her. That isn't a news story. It's a witch hunt.
Hey remember the Jeff. Co. Legislator that got a DWI? And as long he said he was sorry it was OK, We have sneakers of the same name. The "Real Test" will come when her sentence is handed down, I see we already have a special judge and maybe a special prosecuter as well.
Give some money to the lawyers, the counselors and government and all is forgiven.
Burns should just pay the usual five to ten grand to the system and be on her way.
I support Roxy!
What about Bill Owens ? That was news on the Hotline;an elected official,held to higher standards, people had a right to know. But ,funny, when it hits close to home, its unwarranted,unprovoked, and glee to some. I myself, find no glee, nor do I defend her ,for what happened. Why even blog about it?
So dogs are dangerous and a safety hazard and drunk drivers are not? How many people are killed by drunks on the roads?
Difficult time for her and her family? She simply should have left the car where it was and taken the cab... there, situation avoided. But just like the knee-jerk dog ban legislation... common sense was left at home!
"It is different for a 'public figure', but make no mistake ...when you are entertained by the travails of the electeds there are lots of others for whom such news of arrests, marital nastiness, back child support and bankruptcies are never told or downplayed because someone felt such things are not relevant."
Well written spotlight on the selective schadenfreude set.
If she were sincere, she'd have been at rehab and not at the meeting.
Seriously.
Seriously!
"how many other employers and coworkers of people arrested for DWI have you called today ?"
No need to obfuscate the concerns.
Was she, or was she not, representing the city at the event in which she consumed the amount of alcohol that gets her to a .20 BAC?
If she was there as a representative of the city, she was 'on the clock' in her position as an elected official.
How many employers will let you get enough alcohol in you to get to .20 while 'on the clock', let alone the unfortunate results?
It was Graham's fault. She was representing him because he took the night off to go to a radio Christmas party. If Graham hadn't played hooky, it wouldn't have happened.
Cheers
Pretty cut and dry case here if you ask me. If she is found guilty she's got to go. If she is found innocent she can stay.
You can save all of the other frivolous comments, wise cracks, jokes, etc. It all boils down to her guilt or innocence.
Bill Clinton got a blow job in the oval office. Then, lied about it.
She made a mistake, got arrested, and has entered the legal system. I have friends that have gotten DWIs.
They still are productive workers. I hope however that certain other officials will choose their words about "bad elements" and the events that "influence" them more carefully.
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Well she has been charged with a crime.
I guess the only thing to do now is hand down the sentence.
Or am I forgetting something?
Yes Sandra,there should be more dwi laws..or not,maybe they got that covered..but walking through a venue where you choose to do your "socialization" experiment with your mutt, should remain unregulated, according to you..however those of you blaming Jeff Graham for this are right,after all as Jim Brett said it best.."He scares me.."haha
I agree with L.A. Our newspaper is filled with DWI offenders daily. I don't see anyone dragging out the cross for them to be hung on. Mrs. Burns will go through the legal process just like all the others. Likely she will be assigned to some alcohol awareness classes. IF, and I mean IF, she has an alcohol problem, I would hope that she would consider this a wake-up call and get the help she needs.
Unless there is some specific clause in her work contract for her regular job or for city council, she should not lose her position.
I support Mrs. Burns 100%.
Guilty or not? Excuse me, doesn't the on-the-spot test exceed standards for DUI/DWI??? So, plead the test is what, wrong, not legal, unlawful, unconstitutional, or what?
Look it happened, she's guilty IAW the law - deal with it, but please stop with the sugar-coating.
DUI/DWI, etc, are bad - but the weak justifications are worse.
I sure didn't sugar coat it. I just stated that not many people ever get fired for it and that it's none of your bee's wax or mine. You could even play a Judge on tv Dan, but it doesn't make you one.
The test was not on the spot, it was an hour later in a different spot. Who knows how much she had to drink in that hour. Danny does I guess.
Danny, if you big government guys didn't shame Reagan into forcing all the DWI laws along with the age of majority laws, to ridiculous standards, then maybe the public would take them more seriously. But right now they are a joke. Its the same old story about a MADD that cried wolf.
There was a baseball coach here in Watertown last year who was fired for not only being drunk at the game, but also for taking a drunken piss along the baseline during the game. I think he worked for the school district.
Notice how some here duck the argument by shifting from the topic at hand and Ms. Burns' woes to me and my observation about the case? Public officials get more attention in these cases, and righttly since they impact policy so often on such matters.
Shifting from message to messenger is an old trick and ploy to duck the topic with one's argument or justification for/or against the topic (as in this case) are weak.
I think it's perfectly acceptable for a public official to have a glass of wine with dinner at an official function. It is not acceptable for a public official to drink enough to where she would show up with .20 BAC an HOUR after being arrested. That is unacceptable.
Your New York State EMTs, firefighters, police officers, and other public servants don't get to drink on the job. We don't even get to drink within 8 hours before our shifts start.
If I were coming back from a function where I worked as an EMT, and I were stopped and found to have a .20BAC, I would lose my job. I wouldn't have the mayor sticking up for me saying, "well, it wasn't a big deal, really, I support her efforts, etc. etc."
This doesn't need to be "excused" by Mayor Graham. She needs to stand up and say, "Yes, I have a drinking problem. Yes, this wasn't the first time I drove drunk. Yes, I will pay whatever fines and do whatever community service I am required to do - IN the public eye. (As elected officials, you should be setting an example, after all.) And yes, I will be seeking counseling / help / detox / whatever to help me deal with this problem."
...
As far as Anonymous at 9:06 goes ... I happen to know Sandra. She has no "mutts". She has extremely well trained Search-and-Rescue Dogs and belongs to a local SAR K-9 team. If you ever find yourself lost in the woods, you could only hope that these wonderful dogs have all the training and socialization they need to do their job!
Oh let's add some realism to this burp. Blaming Reagan for DWI laws is a bit gooonie, don't you think? Even for the most Donkey among us. These laws have been cranked, tightend, cracked down upon, blah blah for decades, not just under The Great One.
Dannie, I don't know what "IAW" means. Therefore I have no idea of what your post means. Typical.
10:29 PM ; well spoken, you are exactly right,to the point.
Okay Dan let's get the whole deal clear. She went to a dinner and a party. She did her part right away for the city. Gave a little talk and what ever. Then she was ((OFF)) the clock at that point. So she had her meal and had to much to drink. Then at that point she made a bad choice (BECAUSE SHE IS A HUMAN BEING). Now she has to go to court (HER NOT YOU) and face the music. Again it has nothing to do with you over there in your nice warm house. It had nothing to do with me at the nursing home. (IT IS ABOUT HER)! Why don't you get that? She didn't run over your expensive dog or cat. All the childern are still safe. You expensive house is still all there. All is okay. Go buy a tree and injoy Christmas.
This part I will make about you. No one cares that you don't like Ms. Burns. NO ONE! Go talk someone else to death. I'm going with Bush over to Cuba for the season to do some more waterboarding. As you have to suggest on every little talk on the radio and the blogs. It's boring. It's time to get a hobby. Make small boats in a bottle. Fishing with Joe. Anything but bothering elected officials.
Ms. Burns messed up. Let it be.
Was that retirement party paid for and organized by the city? Was it really a city function?
If the ambulance drivers want the council members to have an "8 hour before reporting to duty clause" then maybe you should throw them in on your cowardly first responder laws too. You know...the one where it is a bigger crime to kill someone in the Cape if he is an ambulance driver then to kill a young grandmother in the Cape? That is the law you guys fought and lobbied for.
10:34 we have had this discussion before and you keep getting your a$$ handed to you. Reagan was a liberal and he got the ball rolling on mandating state alcohol laws and tying it to funding. You can spin that fact anyway you want but it is still the truth.
When you take a position as an elected official it's your duty to hold yourself at a high moral standard. She failed to do so and put peoples lives at risk. The people elected her and she put them at harms risk in her actions. Yes, everyone is human and makes mistakes, but you should be held accountable for the mistakes made.
Mausergirl I don't know her,or that she owns the dogs you described so more power to her,but I believe the ordinance is not looking to ban service dogs.I still think the law is a good idea after seeing the child's scars,I think we are lucky he was not killed..still think we have enough dwi laws and enforcement,and it is up to the legal system to see Mrs Burns is punished,as I believe she will..I agree with Idi,enough on this matter let the courts take their course..
Idi Amin Duda said...
Ms. Burns messed up. Let it be.
So, I guess if your child, husband, neighbor ended up under that drunks car...it's ok- she messed up.
WRONG- she was representing the city at that event and I don't think we deserve a drunk representing up and all the liability that goes with such ! !
Could it be that you defend her because she a friend and also you support drinking hence you own a bar. Also people are smarter than you Mr.Graham and I can see the anger in your responses to these people who question you about her. It is a sad state when our Mayor can not just be honest and say how he really feels. This town is falling apart. Be a mayor and take a stand.
Dan, when are you going to learn… thinking logically, rationally and intelligently around here with the prevailing mentality is a never-ending exercise in futility.
As a tax paying citizen with legitimate concerns, you don’t have the right to question ‘certain matters’ without be labeled a judgmental ‘hater type’ -- and believe it or not… be accused of “bothering elected officials.”
How dare you?!? Why… why… I never heard of such a thing --“bothering elected officials!?!” It’s downright treasonous!!
Mr. Duda… you seem agitated. Don’t worry... In a few months or so it will all be forgotten (as intended) and we can all sit down together for some milk and cookies.
In the meantime… relax, have a couple of drinks...or a couple of dozen, if so inclined. Take a xanax or something.
Just don’t drive.
Hey 635 shes on the Clock for the whole evening.
I know someone who worked for Watertowns DPW. He got a DWI and was fired before going to court because the CITY has a zero tolerance for drinking and driving. Please explain that one. This guy worked for the ice arena so his job requirements were not to drive. And he did not lose his license. If city employees are fired for it, why not her?
I will try one more time. She didn't run anyone over. All the childern are okay. Grama is okay. Grampa is okay. My wives are okay. Your dog and cat are fine. No house was ruined or burned. Just a rail and Ms. Burn's vech. suffered. Regular everyday people and elected officials don't get fired for DWI in this country. It just doesn't happen. Before you tell me (like on facebook) over and over, give me a real person's name that got fired. Make it several. Because yes I am sure one poor crapper got nailed some place by a boss who hated him or her anyway.
Yes everyone is lucky they are ok, but does it still make it ok what she did? What if she did hit someone? Oh it's ok. It's just a broken leg she didn't mean it. Like12:45 the city will release employment for DWIs. I worked for the city for many years and saw it on a few times. Should the elected official not be held to the same standards?
Names and exsamples. Or your just riding the one wheel bike around town so everyone can see you.
Hey 1109 and 1245 was the person a part-timer or seasonal? If either he has no protection against this happening.
Get it 7-46....
No names means no story. Just a bunch of people saying I heard that....
Ride that big one wheeled bike around the town. Look at me. Look at me.
C'mon Ray... if it has one wheel it's a Uni, not a bike.
Again with this. Yes I'm a fat man. But no I'm not a fat old man from Uganda. I'm from Chaumont.
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