We’ve received this comment from Streuth and decided to put it up as a full post.

Streuth Steven, Gee you do get yourself into a bother don’t you? You do want the truth but can you handle it? Here it is the way I see it. You don’t bother to communicate with people when they want you to communicate with them; you don’t respond to emails; you don’t respond to voice mail. You only pontificate on those things that you think people need to hear without listening to what they’ve got to say first of all.

And what do people complain about? That the council including administration and including each councillor do not listen to residents views. We wanted change, change in the culture of the council that has been around now for ten years. The opportunity was there at the time of the CEO appointment because the CEO creates, controls, and spreads the culture. At the reappointment time there was a choice. A clear choice between advertising for a change, or continuing along the same course for another 5 years. Instead we got a total compromise of extension for two years. A disaster for all involved. As a result we got a third municipal investigation. What a catastrophe!

Tell me how does a young whippersnapper like you become so arrogant? How can you even mutter the following words that the Herald Sun (Jan, 11th) picked up: “Glen Eira Council needed a new start, and what says new start better than a young face?” Hells bells Stevey boy, to be Mayor takes a lot more than a ‘young’ pimply face! Besides, you’re so sure of yourself aren’t you? So disdaining of others’ points of view? So who is the guilty party? Who is the culprit? You are Steven. You proposed the compromise! Everything then was stuffed up. Newton went to lawyers, and the bill to residents reached over $40,000 – at least!! Tell me Stevey, what would have been so wrong with advertising the position? Don’t tell me that there’s anything wrong with testing the waters out there? Perhaps Glen Eira might have got an absolute champion. But your decision to compromise was the start of everything. Newton fought like hell, and lawyers licked their chops. What a stuff up of gigantic proportions!

Now let’s get to real business. You complain about character assassination. I’m not talking about Mr. Steven Tang. He is an undoubtedly a nice guy, clever, articulate (if a little verbose). I’m talking about Cr. Tang – the Mayor, our leader, our saviour, our representative!! The checklist that was put up a few weeks back on this site is what I’m talking about. How do you reckon you go on that checklist Stevie? Do you really believe that as Mayor you have done justice to the majority of those criteria? Well, I had a really close look at this checklist and awarded you, as Mayor, the following scores –
Governance: 15/75 which equals 40%. A fail Steven. Why you ask? What have you done about leading and supporting councillors? And I love the bit about ‘inspiring’ others. You’ve inspired them all the way to the Municipal Inspector. Instead of ensuring ‘effective communication’ we’ve had one councillor resign under your watch and conflict between administration and councillors. Great stuff, great governance!

Next is chair of council. This is your only pass mark Stevie – 13/25 equalling a bare pass mark of 50%. Have you really promoted high standards of democracy and ‘internal governance’? Sorry mate, no way!

Then there’s ‘supporting the community’. Oh woe is us on this criteria – a dismal 12/30 which equals another fail at 40%. How can you advocate on behalf of the community’s needs, when you don’t even know what these needs are cos there’s never been any attempt on your part to really find out! As to community governance and enterprise, of course not. That would go against the grain of autonomous organisations beyond the ken of council.

In the end Stevie boy, you might be a bright spark at Uni, but as a Mayor there’s a lot left to be desired. Let’s call a spade a shovel shall we and state that in your reign things have only gone from bad to worse. Oh by the way if you doubt any of my marks then just ask – I’ve got plenty of arguments to put forward that will conclusively prove my judgements.
Of course your failure is in actual fact not just your failure but the team’s failure – that is, the nine councillors and the CEO. I do not believe that it was you that lead to this behaviour, although I said it was your fault, I do not believe it was only you. A mentor, much more experienced than you, much more politically minded and getting much more out of being a Councillor than you. And that person is of course the powerbroker and ‘kingmaker’ – Cr Lipshutz. As the saying goes, with a ‘mentor’ like this, who needs enemies.