This Is Show Biz, Isn’t It?

The frolicking friction between the dandy duo at the top of City Hall’s titular totem pole occasionally gets red-faced but dependably is entertaining. The subject is secondary, typically benign. Whether Culver City can afford an animal control officer has been an animating theme of City Council meetings for the past two years, and a peripheral matter reared its woolly head last night. From the outset, Mr. Silbiger has been a passionate advocate of hiring an animal control officer. His sympathetic colleagues counter that it is a nice idea but as unaffordable as renting a mink farm for a week would be for a minimum-wage worker. The question before the Council this time was whether to authorize an animal control canvassing program — essentially a licensing procedure — for the present fiscal year at a cost not to exceed $15,000, same as the last time. What looked like a drop-dead cinch to roll through unimpeded was immediately detoured by Mr. Silbiger.

Deciphering the Mayor’s Reasoning 

Mr. Corlin, who quarreled with him, said later, “I don’t know what Gary’s objections were.” The Mayor appeared to have two objections, the sheer expenditure of $15,000, and procedurally on the grounds that the subject should be returned to the two-person Animal Control Sub-Committee for further scrutiny. Mr. Silbiger is one half of the sub-committee, Mr. Corlin the other.
Exasperatedly, Mr. Corlin explained this very subject was heartily approved by everyone in attendance at the last sub-committee meeting. Trouble was, the Mayor left early. Mr. Silbiger contended that he had been at the meeting long enough, officially, before a family obligation forced him to depart after 90 minutes. Mr. Corlin said if the Mayor had stayed at the meeting, he would have seen that everyone supported the plan. Ms. Gross, tapping her pencil on the desk, mentally, stepped into the brewing tiff at this point. No stranger to the land of tiffdom, she opened ominously. “I respectfully disagree with the Mayor,” said Ms. Gross, who normally wades in directly, scorning linguistic niceties as folderol. She wondered why the two were quibbling over what has become a conventional function of City Hall. Besides, added Mr. Corlin in the form of an exclamation point, the last canvassing netted a $10,000 profit. So what, he inquired, is your beef? Personalizing his reply, Mr. Silbiger, in the middle of the dais, turned to his right to more directly address Mr. Corlin. “I will briefly disagree with Mr. Corlin,” said the Mayor who attached a noteworthy addendum. “Despite (our differences),” Mr. Silbiger announced at length, “I am going to vote for the proposal.” Compelled to respond, Mr. Corlin opened on a note of passive fatigue. ”Not to belabor the point,” he began. But it was too late. By that time, the point was lying on the floor, cowering.