I spoke in the public comment period in the Oct. 13 City Council meeting and raised the possibility that the order to remove signs was possibly related to the fact that the “No on R” side had no signs to counter the displays by residents exercising their voice. That point is much more clear now that I have had the time to photograph how our own elected City Council members are violating the very law they deem you and I receive publicly funded and harsh enforcement of.
I have submitted to The Malibu Times editorial staff photographs of the front yards of John Sibert, Laura Rosenthal, Joan House and Lou La Monte that show there is one set of “laws” in our community for residents and a completely different interpretation of the “laws” for them. I have an email from the City Manager that included the City Council members. The email is an admittance that the City did trespass past the right of way and wrongfully took our signs.
I have knowledge that City Council is aware of this and has not acted in the manner which Council Policy Customer Service Principles covers. I raise the question to the public through this medium: Should we demand that our leaders model the behavior that they demand from you and me? How can they have been so obtuse and ignorant to think that their in-your-face actions would be acceptable and excusable?
Each City Council member is sworn into office by taking an oath. Within the scope of that oath, I believe their actions can be called into question as Abuse of Power. Not only in the defense and acceptance of the enforcement taken against residential private properties, but also in how they feel no adverse comments should be directed toward them for their own display of violating the same ordinance.
(Skylar Peak’s residence is in a private, gated community that I believe was not included in the citywide theft of campaign signs.)
Mari Stanley