The Martin Chronicles is deeply grateful to the resident who provided us the tattered copy of now-Councilman Mike Pope's 2006 mayoral campaign literature. What a stroke of luck it was that this person found the copy she was using as a bookmark in the Richard Condon novel, The Manchurian Candidate. Oddly appropriate, wouldn't you say? As we have shown you, the Pope literature is a treasure trove of hypocrisy and yes, falsehoods.
There is one phrase in Pope's literature that literally jumps of the page. What is it? "To work as a team with the City Council . . . ". Seriously? Did he really write that? Who was he trying to snow? Never mind. He was elected and then re-elected. So he has obviously snowed enough people so far.
We've already told you how Pope has used his wacky website and other forums to attack his council mates. So we don't need to revisit that part of Pope's passive-aggressive style. There is far more nuttiness to review.
It doesn't take much digging to discover that Pope has exhibited anything but teamwork since joining the council in January, 2009. Pope has spent most of the last four years engaging in eristic debate with his fellow council members designed to do nothing much more than derail progress. Watch some council meeting replays. If you have the stomach for it.
What is the most glaring example of Pope's failure to promote teamwork? We'd say the fact that Pope has never once attempted to work with his colleagues to repeal the dreaded UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX-the one Pope has railed against since its enactment-tops the list. A real team player would have proposed such a repeal-along with a reasonable alternative for funding the street repair program. But he hasn't. Again, we have poured over meeting minutes and watched endless hours of council meeting replays. Pope has never once suggested such a move nor has he provided any reasonable alternatives. Not now. Not ever. Never. It is the height of hypocrisy.
Finally, Greg Kilburn made a proposal at the December, 2010 council meeting to do exactly what Pope had always alleged he wanted to do. Specifically, Kilburn proposed placing a road tax on the ballot to let the voters decide. Part of Mr. Kilburn's proposal included the repeal of the UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX if the ballot measure was approved. So what did Pope do, he adamantly OPPOSED Councilman Kilburn's proposal. Once again, the height of hypocrisy.
For the purposes of full disclosure, The Martin Chronicles opposed the road tax ballot initiative. Mostly because Martin has done little or nothing with the money he has raked in from the UNFAIR $40 PER CAR STICKER TAX. Why give "The Little Man From Norwood" more money to mismanage? We also opposed it because Councilman Jim Noll and others falsely portrayed the vote as one to simply repeal the UNFAIR TAX. But it makes no sense, based on everything Pope has said in campaign literature, on his wacky websites and in his LOG (sic) TERM PLAN, for him to put anything less than his whole heart and soul into the effort. Pope did nothing of the sort.
There are also many examples of weird exchanges with council people when Pope is asked about something he either did or said. Rather than have the courage to take responsibility for his words and actions, Pope regularly responds with a childish, "I heard you did that" or "I was told you said that." Very Strange. Reminiscent of PeeWee Herman's "I know you are. But what am I?" Mike Pope. PeeWee Herman. Yup.
Pope is fond of saying he is "not a politician". The reality is that Pope is the worst form of politician. He is a perfect example of why so many people consider "politics" a dirty word. It is just 117 days before council stands for re-election. Are enough people paying attention?
