Where should I start? If Tompkins County’s policies are not lies: they are certainly fraudulent. Policy making is a jenga of misrepresentations: whose cunningly shaped pieces are glued together with power, cronyism, and corruption – to prevent the removal of any piece and threaten their collapse. There is no meaningful participation by the people – just the assertion that there is.
The County’s policies are released with the trumpeting of a royal proclamation – and a “take it, or leave it, but there’s nothing you can do about it” arrogance. The smugness of plans well laid by superior intellects.
In this college controlled fiefdom; there are many strata – and the lowest is occupied by the rural poor. We are treated like the tenants of the Irish Landlords: disposable goods. And when you’re disposable — you can’t be a victim.
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This is a good place to recap the four step defense of politicians, bureaucrats and criminals: 1) Discredit the source, 2) Discredit the facts, 3) Discredit the situation, 4) “It’s legal.”
Their quibbling is frequently not with any intent to correct or clarify – but to avoid the issue. If they make the questioning too difficult: they hope you will give up.