"Round here, we measure our mayors in inches."

I was reminded of this by a wise, mature woman whose knowledge of New Albany and its politics goes way back.

It sounds as if it could be a double entendre, and I'm sure it created a grin or two from January 2000 to December 2003.

But in case you haven't heard it before, it reflects this fact: A mayor's first big snow is his (or her) first big test. The mayor is measured by the number of inches removed from the streets in the shortest amount of time.

I called it "Doug's First Crisis." It will be interesting to see how Mayor England and his team deal with this unexpectedly bountiful snowfall.

We invite you to contribute your own "New Albanisms" in the comments section below.

Speaking of Appointments

Does anyone have a unified list of all the positions, paid or volunteer, that the mayor is entitled to appoint? We all have a vague sense that the number of people he can hire or appoint is sizable, but it sure would be nice to see the list in black and white. Or in pixels.

Four Years of Fear?

Nineteen more days before we learn our fates.

For the vast majority of New Albanians, there is nothing significant about Nov. 6. Assuredly, most won't vote. Most don't think it has anything to do with them.

Shadow5, this writer, hopes to "meet" others willing to shadow the council destined to be sworn in after New Year's Eve. NA Shadow Council is intended to be a log for nine men and women, good and true, who will study the issues and figuratively cast votes on the agenda over the next few years.

But in reality, we will be, for four years, at the mercy of nine men and women and a new mayor and his administration.

Will New Albany's destiny be for sale to the highest bidder? Blogger Supreme, Roger Baylor, seems to embrace the possibility of a restoration of the England style of municipal government. There is speculation that the incoming council will, in distinction to the past four years, be compliant and complacent about Doug England's initiatives.

NA Confidential, among others, has advocated strongly for ordinance enforcement and the institution of a rental inspection program. Presumably, Baylor is satisfied that England is the best hope for such initiatives.

But what if he is wrong? What if, instead, Doug England, with literal or figurative palm outstretched, governs for those who "back" him, with cash or other valuable consideration? Worse, what if England chooses to use the estimable powers at his disposal to punish or otherwise extort those who don't?

Whichever of the two men triumphs on Nov. 6, this blogger promises to remain independent. Willing to be convinced, but independent and wary.