Now, before we get too excited by this news, let's understand that this is simply the City Council's latest attempt to screw us. Still, it's progress because we've forced them to respond in a way they never imagined they'd have to throughout their three years of sullen rudeness and ignoring us (or trying to) from the dias.  Poor things, we're distracting them from their joy:  the joys of wheeling and dealing; of social climbing and endless grant getting and lavishly spending the taxpayers' money.  What an inconvenience! They all must be gnashing their fluoride-perfect (grin)  teeth right now.

Friday, the following item appeared on the draft agenda for next Thursday's City Council meeting: 

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RESOLUTION NO.___________________
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN:

The City Council supports the City Manager’s recommendation to do the following:

•           to continue to keep Austin water fluoridated because fluoridation of public drinking waters is good, population based public health per the CDC and ATCHHSD
 
•           to post information on Fluoride and Infants on the City’s website and  at ATCHHSD Neighborhood Centers and WIC Stations, in English and Spanish; and
 
•           to mail information to Austin Water Utility customers highlighting Fluoride and Infant information from the City’s website

 ADOPTED: _____________ ,2011
ATTEST: _______________________                                   Shirley A. Brown
            City Clerk

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Since it's a draft agenda, it won't be absolutely final until Monday, but we can expect to see something comparable to this at that time. The item is very curious in that it includes a resolution to do what they are already doing - surely a first.  Beyond that, they propose to disseminate the spun-out-of-recognition pseudo-information on the City's website to a wider audience.  Wouldn't want to miss the large and vulnerable Spanish-speaking  population, after all. 

The development has several important ramifications.  First, we don't know at exactly what time Thursday it will come up.  Unlike citizens communication, which always takes place very close to noon, agenda items can be and often are moved around with abandon.  As Item #11, it theoretically should come early in the day, and be dealt with in short order.  (Since the wording would appear to make it a package deal, I'd expect a unanimous vote in favor - that is, keeping fluoridation and spreading bilingual misinformation about infant formula in a systematic way.) 

The fly in their ointment, though, is that we get a chance to talk prior to the vote.  And, again unlike citizens communication, there is no limit to the number of speakers, and people can assign their 3-minute slots to others, thus giving some individuals enough time to actually say something. If enough of us show up to annoy them, they could decide to put Item 11 off until 10 p.m. Or next month.  There's no overestimating the vindictiveness of this bunch.   But hopefully, that won't happen.  

Despite its nearness to Christmas and the time investment involved, we'd like a good turnout for this, the last Austin City Council of the year.  For those able to take a day off to observe our city government in action, we recommend you arrive at City Hall at 10 a.m. - starting time - and promptly sign up at the computer kiosk to speak on Item #11. (If you don't want to speak yourself, that's OK; you can give away your 3-minute slot to someone else). Come prepared for a long day: bring a book or your knitting or whatever you'll need to amuse yourself during those times when watching the antics of our elected and unelected "civil servants" becomes unbearable and you need to step out for a break.  Then settle down to enjoy the show, either within chambers or on the large screens generously provided out in the atrium.  With luck, they'll get to it in the morning and then we can all go home.

Although the Council can be expected to rubber-stamp whatever shoddy proposal city staff comes up with, it won’t do them any good.  We’ll be back in 2012, energized and ready for the next round.

Merry Christmas, and hope to see you on Thursday.