Character doesn't matter if you don't have any...

If what someone did when they were younger doesn't mean jack when they are older, then we had better let a lot of people out of prison.

If what someone did when they were younger doesn't mean jack when they are older, we had better stop giving out diplomas.

If what someone did when they were younger doesn't mean jack when they are older, we had better stop asking for references for jobs, teaching and coaching positions.

If what someone did when they were younger doesn't mean jack when they are older, we had better stop doing child abuse background checks.

If what someone did when they were younger doesn't mean jack when they are older, we have no right to track sex offenders.

If what someone did when they were younger doesn't mean jack when they are older, why do we celebrate families?

If what someone did when they were younger doesn't mean jack when they are older, why do we use credit reports?

If what someone did when they were younger doesn't mean jack when they are older, why do we have bank accounts, pensions and stocks?

If what someone did when they were younger doesn't mean jack when they are older, why do we have alcoholics and narcotics anonymous and about fifty other 12 step programs?

If what someone did when they were younger doesn't mean jack when they are older, why do we say someone is a "former," ie: "former" prostitute, "former" thief, "former" car thief but old politicians are still politicians, old lawyers are still lawyers and old insurance salesmen are still insurance salesmen?

(Is that an acknowlegement that prostitutes, thieves and car thieves can turn a blank page but politicians, lawyers and insurance salesmen can't shake the history of professions that, in my ever comedic opinion, have a different name but similar roles?)

If what someone did when they were younger doesn't mean jack when they are older, why have Veterans homes, Veteran's Day, a flag and pride in our heritage?

If what someone did when they were younger doesn't mean jack when they are older, why do the majority of us believe in heaven and hell and what is the purpose of being a good person when you would wake up every day with a clean record?

What someone does when they are younger is all to frequently what someone does when they are older. We learn from our mistakes and we improve our performance. But if a person's been down an easy road, very seldom will they take the road less travelled on the next trip.

People change their actions. People change their behaviors. People who, however, have had lapses in judgement in the past are prone to the same lapses again, even if the lapses are subtly or profoundly different in results.

If you believe the past doesn't matter, I suggest you spend a day with Manson, Wright or Kemper. Then ask one of the Enron gang to manage your savings. Perhaps you'd like to sign up to live your dotage with one of the many fine characters charged with letting their elderly clients rot while they collect their "guest's" pensions. After all, history doesn't matter, does it?

The past matters and people who ignore history pay the price when history repeats itself.

Any doubts now?

Your opinions, carefully crafted by a PR consultant you paid for!

Does council really matter when it's an extension of the Mayor's office?

The budget currently in front of council will pass regardless of public comment because the three council people in the majority belong to Doherty and a fourth is open to discussion.

However, it's the public's attention, cooperation and continued votes that Doherty needs. To that end, Doherty and his PR consultant know the average taxpayer doesn't understand or care what Nelson, Gervasi or Krake say. They don't hear them.

I have a friend who said it succinctly: "Nelson gives too many figures. I tune him out and haven't got a clue what the duck he's talkin' about."

What Nelson has to say is both important and relevant but the public hears what the carefully crafted PR says because the carefully crafted PR tells them what they want to hear in small snippets, with all negative, annoying details removed.

The result is a blissfully misinformed public that can go about its daily routine, ignorant of the growing debt, failing Public Safety departments and its future impact on them.

Our culture bombards us with news, advertising and information. The public's attention is captured by certain words, phrases and ideas. I would venture most of the controversy at council is carefully considered and orchestrated by the PR consultant before it ever hits chambers.

The public hears about the smoking ban, for example and the kids used to promote it. Nice fluffy story guaranteed to be attacked by smokers, who are considered evil. When the ban was shot down, it was a "terrible thing" because the council was only trying to protect the citizens from themselves. The businesses and workers who lost money became the bad guys and council wore white hats.

Nice diversion, if you didn't lose money or your rights because of it and the ban looked so good in print.

The PR around the Gatelli tearjerkers and Fanucci tangents are designed for one purpose- to discredit the speakers. Then, when speakers like Nelson, Gervasi and Krake take to the podium, their comments are ignored or simply thrown aside because of the reputation carefully constructed for them.

Dan Hubbard is another example. Make the man out to be a crazy and a spokesman with a very important message and the ability to deliver it is neutralized as a threat. Neutralization is very important. Neutralization is control and control is what this whole bag of rocks is about.

Add in Ray Lyman and you see the process is ongoing and effective. Lyman was a good choice, in my opinion, because his reputation for erratic behavior allows the message to be delivered and any admittance that he was "encouraged" to speak feeds his reputation.

Add in the deliberately shortened time speakers have to make their point, the arrests and threats of arrest for simply attempting to talk to council and you have a picture of a council with an agenda- to follow the mayor's agenda. No mere citizen will interfere with this agenda, because, as a person who speaks before council, that person is automatically "One of them."

Most frustrating is we were told the mayor was hiring a PR person to "drive" the news and "drive" he does. We have the wool pulled over our eyes and we accept it like the sheep we are and paying for the service, to boot. As one poster said, "You can't make this $hit up!"

There is one bright sign in this whole, sad calamity. Gatelli, in my opinion, is a loose canon and Tuesday night's performance was not what I would have expected from the PR professional. I believe the performance was ego-driven and delivered by a speaker who knows she doesn't matter any more but won't admit it and the show cost Gatelli more than she realized.

Understanding the PR game is the first step in benefiting from it. Hell, the people pay for a PR consultant, shouldn't We gain from it for a change?