The fit of pique District 6 Councilwoman Marie Robb fell into over how Park Board of Trustees leaders disclosed an embezzlement problem was odd, unfortunate and made her seem petty and vindictive.
Robb took exception to the fact that park board Chairman Jason Hardcastle and CEO Kimberly Danesi met with Daily News editors about the problem soon after they learned about it themselves.
In Robb’s mind, they “chose to go to the newspaper before the council.”
That’s a dubious assertion based on a few facts of the matter.
Hardcastle said he told Mayor Craig Brown about the problem before going public.
Brown confirmed that and said he figured the council had been fully informed when the story broke in the paper the next day.
“What are your thoughts on the way that the recent embezzlement was handled in the fact that the board chose to go to the newspaper before the council?” Robb asked Kimberly Gaido, who wasn’t reappointed to the board.
She posed the same question to Hardcastle.
It’s never wrong to ask probing questions about problems with public money, but several things about this make it seem peevish and political.
For one thing, Robb didn’t seem concerned about anything except pecking order.
For another, she didn’t pose the question to all the trustees being interviewed, just Hardcastle and Gaido.
She didn’t question Trustee Bill Clement about it. But if Hardcastle and Gaido were guilty of snubbing the council, so was he.
Robb rated Clement very highly with a 14; 15 was the highest score anybody got from any council member.
She gave Hardcastle and Gaido zeros. Neither, in all their years of service to the community through the park board, did anything worthy?
It was as if there was some other agenda at play and the disclosure complaint was just a handy stick with which to beat selected people.
The fact is, the park board did exactly what it should have done — it went public, it went public early and it went public loudly.
The city could learn a lesson in transparency from its response, actually.
Nope. City officials just quietly stuck a little item about it on a public meeting agenda. That was perhaps sufficient in minimalist fashion, but it was hardly over-the-top transparency.
And where was Robb, or the rest of the council for that matter, with the probing questions after that $700,000 fiasco happened on their watch?
The bottom line is the money missing from the Galveston Lifeguarding Association is a public matter and park board leaders made a good faith effort to inform the public. They didn’t try to hide, deny or diminish the problem.
It was an example of good civic leadership.
What we saw from Robb last week was something other than that.
(21) comments
Did the GDN report that Peter Davis told City Manager Brian Maxwell about the missing funds prior to telling The Park Board? I hope that Ms. Robb is holding both of those individuals accountable as well.
I do not believe that Ms. Robb is originally from Galveston, but she appears to have obtained the behavior of the "Galveston Crab".
Galveston, largest small town in America.
Regarding Kimberly Gaido? What lapdog of judgement removed her? A better person could not be found to sit on that board. Period.
IF a certain council member is trying to stack this Board so the vote for his family’s MANY Lawsuits against the City could FINALLY go in his favor is at the bottom line this travesty? Then he needs to be removed.
Everyone, who could connect the dots, saw this coming. Let’s see who replaces her. Betting it’s someone who votes with him
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Thanks for sharing the truth and exposing the vindictive nature of some Council Members. Also, there was no tax payer dollars associated with the nonprofit, only volunteer contributions.
The ranking system the mayor imposes is inherently flawed. If he continues to use this system every CM should rank each candidate. CM Rob and CM Rawlins only ranked 7 candidates giving 8 candidates zeros. Better yet, give each CM 4 votes to make sure a cabal can’t appoint the Trustees.
Here’s my guess Marty—sand. At the tail end of any conflict from the west end is “Who gets the sand? Who pays for the sand? When will the sand arrive?” If I were a betting man ,Hardcastle and Gaido think the next-and thereafter-renourishments should be for the dense commercial sections like Babes beach and the hotel corridor.
Marty, you sure didn’t seem to protest much when the cabal appointed you. Can you explain? You got appointed under this same system!
Robert. You went a bridge too far on your
Last comment about Marty. As I recall, you were loud and adament that 4/b should remaine at the PB. While you and I were busy filling in BLOGS with our opinion Marty was busy risking his reputation as PB Chair holding the City back. Going after Marty shows your animus will go after anyone —even those who fight for your point of view. Keep it up and your attacks on allies will end up with you becoming a nothing-burger on these pages
Bill, you completely don’t understand my purpose for being here. I write what I see, I call out hypocrisy and advocate for good government as I see it. I don’t have allies or foes - this is not personal for me, at all. I don’t seek friends and I am not a member of any tribe, cliche or cabal.
If I agree with Marty or you it is on the basis of a fact pattern and if I disagree, it is based on a fact pattern.
Marty can’t call out a system/process when it does not serve him, but endorse it and accept its nomination when it does. The ruler has to be 12 inches all the time, for everyone.
If I am a “nothing burger” on these pages, than so be it, but I will be a nothing burger that stays true to myself and my ideals.
Robert. You might try an ally once or twice. It’s informative cause 1) it’s Galveston so no alley lasts long enough to become a group or cult and 2) any ally on one issue or some subject becomes no ally on the next issue.
This is what you call an observable fact is what I just said .
yes I did misunderstand your note but I probably would have said pretty much the same
See, I did not say you are a nothing-burger. I said you
Might become one in the future.
You can flip the question and say "So she didn't want the public to know until she'd had an opportunity for damage control." Not cool either.
There is our new mayor pro tem. Can’t follow clear instructions on appointment rankings so the process is skewed and flawed. Not a good start.
Charlotte & Lisa, your Mayor, how you supported, regardless of his flaws is the one that nominated CW Robb for Mayor Pro Tem - so let this be a lesson, you get what you vote for and elections have consequences. If you have a beef, take it up with the Mayor.
As to being transparent and open to the public …. Good job Park Board.
The current ranking system has been misused and manipulated for quite a while now and the mayor knows it. It’s time to acknowledge that the board and commission appointment process has nothing to do with qualifications, talent or willingness to serve. The process is purely political. It’s all about who you are, who you know, who can benefit, and most importantly who you’ve ticked off. The city is the poorer for losing out on the potential of its many citizens who want to serve.
Ms. Blair, I find it interesting how the same names often travel from board to board as if only six individuals are capable.
The idea that people continue to vote for individuals with personal grievances against the city rather than a plan for what is best for the city says all we need to know about American Political Culture.
BOI does not equate to Better Off Island!!!
So depressing.
Ever have one of those what the heck moments? Reading this article I did. Does Ms. Robb have to give reasons for her zero score? Why didnt the Mayor let council know not the paper? Do we live in Mayberry now? this is a mess.
Ms. Sawyer, As an elected official Ms. Robb is respobsible for supplying reasons for each of her decisions. I do not have to agree with them, but all elected officials are obligated to justify decisions. They work for us!
It has been Ms. Robb's behavior that she often only supports individuals for Board Appointments from her district. The fact that Gaido/Hardcastle are both District 6 residents, successful business owners/public servants and knowledgeable, yet she rated them with a zero, requires an explanation.
My intrepretatiin, "I'm running for Mayor and I am going to do whatever I can to eliminate any threat to that happening."
She has learned well from Senator Middleton.
Bingo! Weak leaders try to eliminate those who threaten them. Poretto, Rawlins and Robb are on a mission to impose their toxic political and personal ideology on all of us. No doubt they’re fervently looking for a fourth council person to give them a voting block. It looks like Ms Lewis is their target.
I’m curious Lisa, why did you have no problem with this strategy when Jim Yarborough & David Collins used it extensively over 6 years for multiple Boards & Commissions appointments insuring folks who aligned with your toxic political & personal ideology were appointed? So typical of people in your tribe, it is ok if we do it, but don’t you do it.
Could you please explain your duplicity please?
Lisa: it’s about sand and sand as first in line. That’s why the district is overrepresented. Sit back and watch this play out cause it promises to be tumultuous
The issue isn’t the ranking appointment process so much as the failure to follow the outlined procedure by deliberately NOT scoring some applicants which skewed the results. Not completing the 15 to 1 ranking for all applicants was the issue. The newbies can be given a pass because they are new. The mayor pro tem and the mayor KNOW better. Marie Robb scored correctly on the last planning commission and port applications. The council as a voting group should have rejected the PB scoring as incomplete and had a redo.
I would suggest not following Marie Robb’s lead and instead ask the city secretary when unsure of the scoring process. Marie is the person stopping routine audit reviews of the port.
As to the pro tem appointment, I do indeed hold the mayor and council responsible for the flawed vote, but never assume who I voted for.
While we keep hearing about falsification of documents and the hounding of Fullen before he gets a hearing, the newspaper gives a pass on years of false financial statements and withholding of records at the port while obtaining $210 million of bonds.
And so goes politics in Galveston and across the country.
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