Re: Resendiz booted from committees by council majority
I am fairly sure that we all remember our grade school days and I hope with affection because those days reminded me of the City Council meeting I attended and of which you reported. Let me explain.
The “teacher,” in fact the mayor, read to the class. Her reading was from the book of rules and regulations used in conducting council meetings. After a prolonged reading the mayor announced the issue concerned the behavior of councilman Rolan Resendiz. The teacher (mayor) explained that this council member had misbehaved citing complaints or hearsay from other council members and other unmentioned persons. She then opened the meeting to hear from those wishing to comment.
It seemed that audience participants were composed of two groups. Friends and constituents came forth to announce reasons for supporting Mr. Resendiz.
Reasons put forth were: many suffered from a bad smell at the sewer pond because their housing was within unhealthy foul smelling air. Many asked for adequate housing as they were sharing limited space with relatives or friends. A very worried mother voiced concern about loaded guns at the high school. Many voices repeated that Mr. Resendiz listens to them and wants to help.
Others voiced support for his position and his right to speak as an elected official.
Another group of speakers approached one at a time, seeming like “wise parents” before the “teacher.” These voices represented financial interests of the community like real estate, property owners, building and construction, retail and wholesale trades. Their issue was singular. They lectured the importance of proper behavior while metaphorically wagging their fingers at “the bad boy.”
Without further discussion, the council members voted. Each of the other four seemed like “teacher’s pets” and without further discussion voted to remove Mr. Resendiz from his committees.
The net result was that of silencing the voters in Mr. Resendiz’s district. With this strike at democracy no one batted an eyebrow. Those with financial interests of fast growth rejoiced. The rest of us were left dumbfounded.
It now seems that this whole classroom drama worked as a distraction. It was a distraction away from the real business of a city council which is to serve all of its citizens and not to abandon all in favor of just one segment.
Mary Zanger
Hollister
