Well, it looks like the freedom-hating liberals at Los Angeles City Council have decided that they are a little tired of listening to the rabble-rousers of this City. A new motion made by mini-tyrant Richard Alarcon states that he wants the City Council to move the pesky "Public Comment" part of the meeting toward the end of the days agenda. There are many problems with this.... where do I begin?
First, let me state that I understand City Council Members and their frustrations with the Public Comment process. There are several players in this City who I feel are a bit abusive of the process. Zuma Dogg, Matt Dowd, and Arnold Sachs will sometimes put in a comment card on every, single subject up for discussion at City Council meetings, even if the subject is uninteresting or non-controversial.... like building a parking structure or paving a street. There are also some very odd public comment speakers who go there day after day and complain about the same off-topic subject without ever changing their monologue. There are, indeed, times when I question the sanity of some of these more "abstract" public comment speakers.
HOWEVER, as elected officials, it is their job to listen to the people of this City, however irritating it may be.
If they don't like it , they can resign and find employment elsewhere. Here's another original thought... maybe they should find some solutions to the problems so they don't have to see these people day after day.
Incredibly, they don't see the hypocrisy in themselves. These same City Council members who don't want to listen to you, the voters, have no problem going off on long-winded rants that go nowhere...then they turn around and vote for something that they themselves were protesting against just five minutes earlier. Some of the Council Members are truly egomaniacs who love to hear themselves talk.
Their behavior on Fridays is truly repulsive. They waste hours of official City time on obscure personal items and nonsensical, capricious behavior. They kiss the asses of every person who owns a donut shop or an auto body shop...Flowery speeches to praise average citizens... City Certificates of Recognition... There is no doubt in my mind why these people continue to get re-elected. They are Democrats. They buy votes with other peoples money.
As much as they hate some of the nuisances associated with Public Comment, it doesn't cost them any extra money to listen for a few minutes. Their behavior, on the other hand, costs the taxpayers millions.
The value of public comment is to put these officials feet to the fire and force them to do their jobs. Representative Democracy is what it is called, and it has served this country well for over two centuries.
Moving the Public Comment to the end of the day is not right. It should be the first thing on the agenda.
Sometimes I thank God for the presence of a Zuma Dogg, or a Matt Dowd, or an Arnold Sachs. Sometimes they are the only people in the City of Los Angles who are trying to catch the City when it does deceitful and underhanded things with our money. Things just like this motion.
I'm listing the email addresses of these City Council Members.
richard.alarcon@lacity.org
cardenas@council.lacity.org
garcetti@council.lacity.org
jhahn@council.lacity.org
jose.huizar@lacity.org
Paul.Koretz@lacity.org
labonge@council.lacity.org
bparks@council.lacity.org
jperry@council.lacity.org
reyes@council.lacity.org
councilman.rosendahl@lacity.org
greig.smith@lacity.org
hwesson@council.lacity.org
zine@council.lacity.org
It is time for the voters of this City to remind these selfish, self-centered egomaniacs exactly who they work for.
(Thanks to Mayor Sam friend Daniel Wiseman for bringing this subject to our attention.)
