Maintaining order
How many Deputies does it take to maintain order at a City Council meeting? Usually, one or two. So why did we have so many at the City Council meeting? In the almost 25 years I have lived here, I can’t recall any violence or anything other than mild rowdiness at a City Council meeting. I was unaware of any threats made to disrupt the proceedings. So why so many Deputies?
As I watched the proceedings on TV, I heard Mayor Bond say there were seats available and could see seats empty.
So why were some people told to go to the overflow room and others let in? Why were Deputies controlling entrance to the Chambers? Some that attended felt that those that “looked” like they supported Muir or had pro Muir signs were let in while those that “looked” like they were opposed to Muir or had anti Muir signs were not let in.
The official story will be that the Deputies were there to prevent overcrowding.
I certainly hope that the powers that be are not so concerned over the public voice that they are willing to put on a Soviet style show trial for the media.
I really hope we have not gotten to place where the Police are used to “manage” political free expression and freedom of speech — that would be abhorrent to Democracy.
Herb Patterson,
Encinitas
Encinitas and the Arab Spring
In case you were on another planet last Wednesday, a major affront to democracy and open government took place in our beautiful little beach community. As a group of citizens protesting the council majority’s appointment of Mark Muir to fill Maggie Houlihan’s vacated seat attempted to enter the council meeting room, they were shunted away by police to a separate room, while supporters of Mark Muir, wearing “Thank you Mark” stickers were allowed in. Within the council meeting room, a surreal portrait was presented, as though you were in the streets of Tripoli, or Cairo, or Dara’a, when the rulers filled the squares with pro-government ringers to create the facade of popular support. In the absence of popular legitimacy, power always strives to create its impression, so that the malfeasance, incompetence and arrogant disregard of the public can continue unnoticed.
The question here as in the countries of the Arab spring is — whose government is it anyway? By selectively filling the meeting room with supporters, the current council majority has made the statement that our city government is strictly for them, and those who support them. Unlike the Middle East, their tools of tyranny are not guns and tanks, but rather the tyranny of the majority. The essential strategy is the same though — use power to gain power, and hope that the public either doesn’t notice or is powerless to do anything about it.
Cyrus Kamada,
Encinitas Highlands
Occupy Wall Street of occupy a job?
Hey, all you Wall Street occupiers, I have a great idea; how about occupying a job? Is that too novel or what? Thanks to all of you progressives, which espouse massive entitlements, more government intervention, we are all blessed with occupy Wall Street.
Whatever happened to the idea you must work to take care of yourself and your family? Oh, I see, you want to stay on the government dole like your brothers and sisters in the European countries. Why work when “Uncle” takes care of your every need? Greece being the most recent example for our occupiers to emulate.
I vividly recall during the 2008 presidential campaign as some unsuspecting free-loader was interviewed by the lame stream media. “I will not have to worry about paying my rent, making a car payment, Obama money will take care of all my needs.” The reporter asked this victim of insanity where does Obama money come from? “I don’t care where it comes from.”
The Obama money the victim is referring to is redistribution of wealth. Take from those who have worked hard, made fortunes, and reinvested back into the economy. Is that the Obama money the victim is referring? You bet! Obama, Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid and other progressives are the perpetrators of the occupy fiasco.
Hopefully, the respective mayors of the occupy cities, with take the bull the horns and run the bums out and maybe, just maybe they will get into the work force and become productive citizens of our society.
Jim Lowery,
Vista
