To the editor:

My fellow Cape residents I wish to make you aware of what I consider to be the best reality show on TV – even better than what prime time has to offer. I miss the first hour and a half as it starts at 4:30 Monday afternoon while I’m still at work, but I rush home and still catch several hours as there is no set episode length. Sometimes special episodes are aired during the week. You can tune in on Cape TV or on the web. What is this show you ask? Well, you guessed it; it’s our own Cape Coral City Council hammering out what affects all of us in the Cape.

Now I know you probably think watching city government in action must be as exciting as watching grass grow during the dry season. I used to think the same, but I can assure you it can be riveting! I’ll admit it might take a few episodes until you understand the various plot lines so I’ll try to give you a head start. For a long time, our city councils have blamed the prior incumbents for putting things in motion that now plague the Cape; sometimes putting more effort on the finger pointing while speaking before the council at citizen input (one of my favorite parts of the show) than as a council member once in office. The shows have a strain of Chicago-style politics with a little bit of Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall thrown in for good measure. The current cast has an actors’ union called the “Road Ahead Gang” (RAG) and a trio of non union members. Two of whom are RAG antagonists as they were elected over two RAG candidates. One of these defeated RAG candidates still manages to get on the show most every week as he sits in the studio audience within camera shot so as to be in the background whenever a speaker before the council is shown. The other defeated candidate made a cameo appearance on April 26 during the great swim center debate when he addressed the council with inappropriate innuendo directed at local swim team coaches and parents. Members of the studio audience became vocal and the mayor was forced to take action rarely seen-shutting down a fellow member of the RAG. The last of the trio of outsiders was already sitting on the council and can be a thorn in the RAG’s side as he usually tries to bring things into balance when RAG members go overboard.

The RAG signed a document pledging to do their collective best to “save” our city. Right now this has meant trying to secure one of their group in almost every position of power within the city. This has been played out in an interesting cat-and-mouse game of plausible denial and matters of coincidence. To avoid blatantly giving the outcome away, some red herring scenes are added to make the show more interesting. One of my favorite episodes aired March 15 and is one which I attended as part of the studio audience. Seventeen candidates for a vacant council chair were “interviewed” for the job. Many were praised for their excellent qualifications and six were nominated for a final vote. When the vote was cast however, two of the RAG members dropped their support of their own nominee and voted in favor of one of their own, a fellow RAG member.

A similar story line has played out in the past few weeks with the finale this past Thursday, June 10. In this sequence of shows, a long list of qualified city manager candidates was whittled down to a final set of five. In a veiled attempt to throw viewers off, one RAG member attempted to get a friend who didn’t meet the basic HR job qualifications added to the list, but was voted down as the other RAG’s “refused” to show support. This is a ruse used from time to time to make the viewers believe they’re independent thinkers.

Then the RAG voted not to cover transportation costs for out-of-town finalists as a show of their staunch fiscal responsibility they had pledged to bring to the city. Hmm, why spend money for this when the “non”-predetermined selectee already lives here? After all, wasn’t enough money spent soliciting candidates nationwide? In a surprise move by non-cast members, funds were raised to provide said transportation which caused RAG members to go through the motions of another “interview.” In a special episode that lasted over nine hours, each candidate was “interviewed” well over the one hour allotted for each. This served to conceal that the “non”-predetermined selection was not already written into the script.

But in the end, the candidate with the least amount of qualifications to hold the position of city manager was selected. His best qualification was that he is a RAG union member. An intriguing plot twist was injected when the acting non-RAG city manager was selected as the alternate and asked to assist (train?) the newly selected city manager during an interim period to allow him to learn the position. I believe this is a set up for a great future episode when city positions are being eliminated and it’s decided the city just can’t afford the salary of an assistant city manager!

You can catch up on back episodes on the city website as the show will be on hiatus for a few weeks. After you watch the show a couple of times you’ll get to learn the characters and where their loyalties lie. I also encourage sitting in the studio audience several times as you get to see the off camera action which can be very enlightening. You may formulate your own opinions, but I assure you this show is very educational. What at times seems so absurdly humorous becomes suddenly tragic when you realize that unlike network shows, this really is a REALITY show for and about our city. At times it is hard to believe your eyes and ears at the things that go on and the things that are said but it’s our city government in action and it affects all of us. And while a Hollywood screenwriter would be hard pressed to do better, the RAG members of our Council have successfully crafted and followed a script allowing them to get what they wanted – a solid voting block and a like-minded city manager. I’m sure other RAG or friends of RAG will find a way into other city positions as some already have-maybe even the non-qualified friend who failed to make the city manager list?

Mr. King, I wish you much luck and success. You must know your friends have put you in the spotlight. I’m glad you understand you’ll be held to a higher standard. I trust you will work well with all members of council and city staff. Now it’s time for the RAG to get to work. Whether we like it or not, the city is riding the road ahead with you. Hopefully we’re not on a road to nowhere.

And yes, we’ve “had enough” of the shenanigans. One of the tenants of the contract the RAG members signed was to instill trust in city government. I have not witnessed any actions taken in the last several months that meet that goal. If anything, what I’ve witnessed is just the opposite. This includes the statements and actions of a certain RAG Councilman I watched minutes ago on tonight’s episode (June 14) as he attempted to intimidate other council members. I’m betting more than 18 percent of the population votes next time. Remember, just because we’re not sitting in the audience doesn’t mean we’re not watching!

Eric Mills

Cape Coral