Since August 2013, a month before Plainfield View began, I have not missed a single City Council regular meeting or agenda fixing session. However, I admit that over the past couple of months I have not covered them like I used to.

I think you understand. As a full time worker, after sitting as long as several hours looking at two dysfunctional factions attempt to operate the city, it’s hard to write enthusiastically about the preceding train wreck late into the night all while taking care of my other duties. Not to mention that Plainfield View is involved in several exciting things coming up in the near future that take up their own time – much of it involving increasing the reach into our community.

But, you know, it’s a little deeper than that.

Truth be told, I am losing faith that almost anyone on the council, Regular or New Democrat, is acting based on the moral imperatives that they so readily cite. Sure, at times I agree with one faction on a particular issue, and sometimes I agree with the other, but from my observations I consider those instances to be almost mere coincidence, not based an any underlying dignity. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut from time to time, after all.

From both the inconsistencies shown at City Council meetings and what I know from sources elsewhere, the real concerns seem to be power, political patronage obligations, and disruption – I’ll let you decide who does what.

Not too long ago, while I was at a grass roots community function, a member of the organization took me aside before the meeting began. Knowing that I attend and cover the city government, she explained to me that the real people who care about this city and have its best interest at heart are here, not down there with those self serving politicians.

It rings truer and truer.

Just look back at Plainfield’s Queen City 5k Walk/Run – a wonderful event that we all hope continues to grow year after year. At this past year’s event, only one City Council member bothered to show up on that Saturday morning – Councilman Adrian Mapp, who happened to be running for Mayor. It’s a shame, and rather telling, that serving on the governing body doesn’t lead one to attend what may be Plainfield’s crowning event – let alone volunteer and work a booth. So much for all of the “rebranding Plainfield” rhetoric that we hear from both sides.

So my apologies for lacking motivation to cover these City Council meetings closely lately, but you can understand why.