Don't Council members Ludye Wallace and Charlie Tygard make the perfect couple? I know I should be jealous that Ludye is trying to carry Charlie's water harder than he's trying to address the interests of those of us in his district, but the two were made for each other. Charlie has a reputation for resisting Council ethics reform; Ludye has a reputation for participating in immoral activities. They compliment each other. It's not like Ludye's ever around anyway. I've never seen him at a public meeting in District 19. That includes the Salemtown Citizen Advisory Committee of which Ludye enjoys the title "ex-officio member." He's never attended a single meeting of this committee, which is vested with the responsibility of deciding how best to spend over $500,000 in federal block grant money. For all I know, Ludye already lives in Bellevue, which may explain why he drums up votes on behalf of Charlie's initiatives. Rumor has it Ludye doesn't even live in District 19. Now Charlie wants to pay Ludye back by making him El Capitán of the Council when Vice Mayor Howard Gentry is absent.But despite my admiration of Ludye's yin to Charlie's yang, I must admit that hell hath no fury like a constituent scorned: rather than laying back and trying to enjoy Ludye's promotion, I'm wondering whether it would be worth the effort to recall District 19's lead slacker. Bellevue only needs one Council member. Downtown and neighborhoods north-by-northwest need a non-neglectin' someone who ain't going to be triflin' with our interests any longer. Should we just wait until Ludye's term-limited out or is his probable appointment to the Pro Tem position merely the final insult that motivates us to kick him to the curb before his term is out?
Council term limits are structural reason why your Councilman has no incentive to listen to his constituents. Once elected for a second term, Council members can feel free to pursue their own self interests since they will not face the voters again, unless they choose to run for another office where the quality of their district representation may have little impact. Developers are the big winners from term limits since Council members in their second terms have little or no fear of retribution and may have self interested motives in advancing the projects of certain developers. The only long term solution is the removal of term limits.
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