RE: City Council behaviour at last monday's "topless" meeting

If you've ever served on a city council, town council, or any city related group representing people, you'll quickly learn it's a thankless job, often providing more grief than accomplishments. You go home after people have called you names and threatened you, and you wonder how we actually live together in communities when we display such disrespect and hate towards one another.

There will always be the "one topic" candidates and people who show up to scream and yell about their "issue", but those same people are often nowhere to be seen when the discussion is routine and there's no press coverage. It's actually quite pathetic.

Whether you're planning a carnival, putting in a walking path, approving a KFC, considering a playground for toddlers, or choosing a logo for the city, somebody is always going to be unhappy. More than likely, that person will spend the next four years telling you how you failed the city and you don't represent the people.

In this respect, Moscow is no different than a million other cities and towns. I'm surprised there are any people left willing to serve their communities. There have to be guidelines and time constraints, otherwise you'd have to listen to 400 people say the same thing over and over again. At what point do you turn off the microphone and tell people to go home? How many regular Joe's are willing to stay at their work to listen to an employee or boss go on and on? Yet we expect city representatives to listen to us whenever we think it's important. Night or day.

On the other hand, if the council doesn't make a decision on something in a reasonable amount of time, people come unglued and accuse them of stalling to gain more momentum, or accuse them of not having good leadership skills.

Gimme a break. When was the last time you actually thanked the council for their willingness to serve? I don't care if it's a paid job or a volunteer position...there's no amount of money that can make you feel good about serving people after someone has spit in your face simply because you voted your conscience. That's an aftertaste you don't soon forget.

I attended the city council meeting last monday, hoping to testify against the topless ordinance. What I saw unfold there really made me wonder about how our city council operates.

Most people in attendance were wearing "We need your support" t-shirts, a shirt with two breast emblazened on the front. A citizen asked if we could testify and the mayor denied her, saying that they've heard hours of testimony at the previous meeting regarding the ordinance. Although the ordinance presented at this meeting was reworded, the mayor said that the spirit was the same. Unfortunately, Peg Hamlett, the lone disenter of the ordinance, was not present at the previous meeting and therefore could not question those who testified there.

I understand that hours of testimony can be tedious, but our elected officials' job is to work for us. If they are not willing to hear testimony from citizens regarding a law that affects them, right before the officials vote for the ordinance, that seems a bit undemocratic.

Perhaps I should have testified at the previous meeting, but unfortunately I was unable to attend. Perhaps I should have emailed my comments like all the others who sent in their form email in support of the ordinance, but I decided to testify in person at the meeting. Little did I know that our council was in such a hurry to end the meeting.

When we were denied the right to voice our thoughts, when our council in their arrogance thought they could keep us silent, our distrust of these guys grew.

During the council members discussion of the ordinance, someone yelled out, "That's unconstitutional!"

The mayor responded by saying if there is another outburst, that person will be escorted out.

Jeez, when did it become illegal to express our opinions in a public building to our elected officials? Are we living in a fascist state?

Another council member said that this ordinance represents the dominate culture in Moscow. Someone yelled out, "What, you guys don't support mulitculturalism?" He was responded by the councilman saying, "Don't interupt me!"

I guess the answer was "No."

People, meetings can get heated. People say things as it unfolds. That is normal. It especially becomes understandable when we are forced to keep silent, not allowed to testify regarding a law that affects us. But that is no reason for our council to be rude to the people they work for. That is no reason to try to kick us out of a public meeting.

This is all more relevant considering the contraversial nature of this law.

Joan Mack was concerned that this issue is dividing our city. Well, then why did you write such a sexist, sweeping and stupid law?

I now know there is one sane voice on our city council. Someone who is willing to think issues through. Someone who is willing to stand up for principles rather than falling for laws that don't even address the cause of the commosion: the topless carwash.

Thank you, Peg Hamlett. You have my vote if you decide to run again.

Peace from Garrett Clevenger

ps Does anybody know how to get rid of bad aftertaste? Perhaps at the voting booth?

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