This week's council meeting was difficult to edit because the majority's behavior towards Barth though outwardly polite, was hyper-mocking in history re-writing, dismissive of her comments and motions and patronizing. At the end of the meeting the Deputy Mayor even claimed Barth's comments as her own. This is by no means the first time for openly taking credit for Barth's words and accomplishments; Wayside Horns anyone?
People at the meeting and those watching at home shared with each other how proud they were when Teresa Barth spoke boldly, openly about being in the Twilight Zone. We need to tell Teresa too, I guess. Whoops. Anyway, this is what she had to say.
On Saturday, February 18, Teresa Barth released this statement summarizing the situation.
It’s Not Broken, “It’s Fixed”
I have been passed over for
the position of Deputy Mayor or Mayor for three years and been denied a position
to affect change or implement any creative solutions unexplored by the
majority. I have been put into an unwholesome place, marginalized and
disrespected. It poisons all discussions.
After more than four years
the tactics used to stifle dissent are clear; like using a nugget of truth to
misinform. It’s true; there are no
formal criteria for the position of mayor or deputy. The past decades are filled with the ethical
approach that each council member should be given the opportunity to serve in
these positions. The criteria was simple
- being elected to the council and sharing these roles. It was an expectation
of professional courtesy and civil behavior.
Yet this council majority had
an "excuse" for breaking this tradition each year:
In 2009, Dan Dalager
nominated out-going Mayor Maggie Houlihan back to the position of Deputy Mayor
claiming her chemo treatments meant she’d "missed out" on some of the
mayoral activities. Yes, he used her cancer as an excuse.
However, Councilman Jerome
Stocks was later quoted in the Coast News. “The bottom line is I wanted to send
a message to Ms. Barth." He went on to say . . . "Don't be
petty, don't be rude and duck hard votes." Yes, he spoke of petty,
rude and ducking hard votes without a trace of irony.
· Questioning the city's open government policies (or
lack of) is my job, it’s not petty.
· Jerome Stocks is not allowed to define rudeness and
expect to be taken seriously.
· I have never ducked a vote but Kristin Gaspar can’t
say the same.
Deputy
Mayor Gaspar has recused herself repeatedly from votes on the Pacific
View property because "she wasn't on council when the issue
began." Using that reasoning she shouldn't participate in
discussions about the Hall property, the General Plan Update or numerous other
issues. So who is ducking hard votes?
I
am not alone in seeing the hypocrisy of their actions.
In 2010, the North County
Times editorial board gave Bond, Stocks & Gaspar a "Reindeer Games Raspberry"for choosing petty politics over civility by failing to appoint me to mayor or
deputy mayor.
UT columnist and political
writer Logan Jenkins gave Gaspar the “Bonehead First Play” award for
"failing in dramatic fashion to live up to her campaign pledge to bridge,
not widen, the bitterly personal schism on the council....She's either naive or
she's secretly spoiling for a fight while pretending to be Ms. Sweetness and
Light"
In 2011 the North County
Times editorial board gave Gaspar a “Find a Better Excuse Raspberry” for her
position on Pacific View.
North County Times columnist
and political writer Tom Arnold made this "Christmas Wish" for me..."The
ceremonial position of Mayor....I know they don't like you, but hey, they need
to take the high ground."
Yet at last Wednesday's
council meeting my colleagues pretended that the process was "broken &
needed to be fixed" a bizarre statement considering they broke it. They have plans, I’m not included and neither
is the public.
