No joke: Alderman offers apology for prank resolution
Roddy
ST. LOUIS — Alderman Joe Roddy is known around City Hall for a wry sense of humor, using his perch as one of the board’s senior members to take lighthearted cracks at his fellow lawmakers.
But, recently, even Roddy admits that he went too far, and offered an apology.
Roddy, who represents the 17th Ward in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood, began today’s meeting with a mea culpa after beginning last week’s session with a mock resolution targeting Alderman Fred Wessels.
Wessels, whose wife operates a travel agency, was away on a trip and missed the Oct. 30 meeting.
The veteran Holly Hills alderman does not miss many meetings; in fact, he’s the alderman who offers the customary motion to excuse other members for “necessary absence.”
So it might have seemed funny or ironic to insiders when, last week, Roddy playfully excoriated Wessels for missing the meeting, going so far as offering a resolution, again, playfully, chiding Wessels for his truancy.
Only later, apparently, did Roddy realize that some outsiders — say, Wessel’s constituents watching the meeting on the city’s cable access channel — may not have gotten the board’s inside joke.
“I was out of order, and I offended somebody who has been a good friend of mine and a mentor down here to me,” Roddy said at today’s meeting. “I was out of line and I won’t let it happen again. I want to apologize publicly if anybody took that the wrong way last week on TV.”
Roddy called it a practical joke gone awry. “The last thing I wanted to do was portray the alderman in the 14th in an unkind light.”
Wessels, though, actually represents the 13th Ward — no doubt a slip-up by Roddy, who stuttered a bit during his apology.
The verbal flub, however, makes it difficult to know whether Wessels truly accepted the apology.
“I heard the alderman from the 17th talk about his good friend from the 14th,” said Wessels. “He’s right — he is a good friend.”
After 24 years representing the 13th Ward, Wessels certainly did not forget his own ward number, which makes it seem like he hasn’t forgotten his colleague’s misplayed comedy routine either.
Let’s be honest. Half of those guys could miss the entire year and no one would notice. It is past time to trim down the number of wards to fit the population of the city.
Roddy’s sense of humor not always evident; like when I lived in the 17th ward and called me to say he heard I was thinking of running against him (I wasnt that I recall) and told me he could tell me of several wards I could move to that I would have a better chance of winning in; he forgot to mention the 1 year residency requirement; it was within a year of the election; I thanked him for his unselfish interest in my political future.
Then there was the time I called to talk to him about some parking issues on Laclede and he said “you ran against my father for committeeperson” (true, tho I didnt know his wonderful father was committeeperson when I filed; might have anyhow, tho),”I’m not going to help you” and hung up on me. Nice enough guy, but Joe Roddy, you’re no Joe Roddy, Sr., and I’m thinking you know that. Not that funny a guy, really, but I guess trying is good. ps he got Tom Eagleton and two other bigwigs (I forget whom) to write a letter endorsing his father against me - in a committeeperson race! I was flattered.
yeah…Agree with this post.You may recall that he was the elected official who was a New Britain officeholder who falsely registered his car(s) in West Hartford to take advantage of the lower mill and insurance rates. Incidentally, he lost in 2005.
Mr. Haas, is your ego going to screw up the Democratic primary in Missouri’s 2nd Congressional District again?
Maybe we could look forward again to your enlightened leadership on the City School Board instead, eh?
Hogan, are you discouraging a fellow American of the exercising of his right to run in any campaign he sees fit?