After reading last week’s story regarding the duplicitous nature of members of our current City Council, I can’t resist writing and pointing out that yet once again our elected officials choose to respond to citizen input with insults and personal attacks. Completely absent is any type of reasonable answer to understand how the City Council can choose to apply rules that they do not abide by themselves.
I again pose the question that remains unanswered: Why doesn’t the Brown Act apply to the sitting council members who freely utilized this means to eliminate opposing voices from public seats? In deciding to instead deny and deflect the question and resorting to such mean-spirited tactics, I challenge Andy Stern on his personally vindictive statement as detailed in last week’s papers – Robert Adler is not a bitter man. Rather, Mr. Adler is a concerned citizen with the right to pose questions and concerns just as anyone else is freely entitled to.
This is not the first time that I have publicly reminded elected officials that they are elected to serve the community and there is absolutely no tolerance for the denigrating personal attacks that seem to roll off their minds so lightly in response to hard and valid questions.
I’d like to see the other council members weigh in on this issue as they may be fighting for their own political futures based upon the abuses of others. It really is time to get off the playground and work like well-adjusted adults are expected and called to do when performing public service.
That last piece about “rumors” that Mr. Stern has overheard makes me nervous that the city council is busy listening to rumor mills and nasty gossip rather than addressing the many ills that beset our lovely city. Gossip doesn’t run this city, never has and never will. I remember quite clearly phone campaigning for Mr. Stern and at that time he attacked quite a bit of gossip about himself, his qualifications and his employment. The fact that he now employs the very tools he chastised previously is laughable. An apology is due for the personal nature of your response, Mr. Stern, and an answer to the original questions posted would certainly be appreciated.
Mari Stanley