Ninth member of city council gets sworn in today, and I'll be there.

New guy joins city council today at 2 pm.

I'm not too sure what to blog about with the arrival of Jeff Koch, D, to city council today. I have mixed emotions. So take what you want from the photo above -- as I'm not sure if that is to show him or me -- or just my mood. We need a watchdog, for sure. And, the dog show just concluded. That puppy didn't win. And, every dog has its day in the sun. Enough.

The other day on another forum (and with various conversations) I heard some 'down-beat' comments about Jeff. One person said or posted that 'he (Koch) does NOTHING for me.' Jeff might score 0 for some on a 1-to-100 scale. I'd like to re-frame that position in a few ways.

First, the scale I hold as a measure spans from minus 100 to plus 100. With that in mind, I'd also score Jeff in the low zone. I'd give him a "zero" -- if that zero means right in the middle. To me, now, Jeff becomes a neutral addition to city council.

I could be a lot worse. Some might have come to council with a minus 90 score, in my opinion, given my score methods. Your mileage may vary.

Furthermore, I've talked to a few on Grant Street and the impression I get is that Jeff needs to prove himself. He'll need to do things in the first months as he does come up for a re-election in a year for the Ds endorsement and November 2007 for the general election.

If Jeff is slow to move on items -- he'll be a weaker candidate. He's going to need to show some action. Jeff doesn't have much of a honeymoon. Bob O'Connor is still in a honeymoon -- but Jeff Koch's time to shine is NOW.

I'd like to see and hear a big opening day pitch from Jeff at the microphone. But, he isn't a 'talker' -- so he says himself. Well, he had a couple of weeks to plan and prepare. I hope he takes a good and bold first step. I'll be there -- and with my recorder.

To be sure, Jeff is a supporter of Bob O'Connor. And, the support went to Jeff from Bob as well. Some, but not too much, I'd say. And, we've got a new mayor and we should be charting a new direction for the city. That's great. I want to get rid of all the Murphy ways and notions as quickly as possible. So, this election give more wind into O'Connor's sails -- and he had better make good progress as there is much to do.

Let's not forget to LISTEN close to the words as Jeff takes his oath of office -- as this was a point I made here and on the trails. He'll swear to uphold the consititution -- NOT to be a hallmark of service to the citizens who all want a hand-out.