SHEsaysWITHaSMILE.blogspot.com

A PAINFUL VISIT TO SAN JOSE CITY COUNCIL MEETING for (me! & all of us..) #NOTonNOBLE

 there is a great deal ahead to do to fight this thing, so i'll keep this brief:

i have not been to a city council meeting since i was in college and it was mandatory for journalism/mass comm students.   [wait a minute.. i was at a pleasanton city council meeting when i was appointed poet laureate]   i only vaguely remember it being boring, but i do not remember it being so ugly!  so self-serving/narcissistic-ish..   so wasteful of absolutely everyone's time.. and i mean wasteful for both the members themselves, and the citizens visiting.

i'm a poet not a politician, and have been voluntarily/intentionally out of the political loop for as long as possible.. 

but i did, until this recent visit, really still have a part of me who still thought..  who still believed,  for the people, by the people, of the people..

and that is laughable..

and i don't have the power/position/influence to make this law, but if i did

the number one, most immediate thing i would change about city council meetings is this:

there would be, by law! a specific time set, and kept for open forums.    -this way that the members can go on and on, ad nauseum, about a topic, with what appears to be no restrictions on time, and this ability to put off open forum time, until..     whenever; if ever..   and then limit 'the people' from 2 to 1 minutes, on the spot, like it or not..

it is all so utterly wrong.  it is so opposite of 'for the people, by the people, of the people..

it is like they all have amnesia about who they are there to serve! 

     -SO, they get away temporarily with their ugly, underhanded, politics, and vote, behind the entire communities back, 8-2 to place 100 beds, homeless, tiny homes..  (don't need to repeat/already here)

in an entirely inappropriate, sensitive and sacred location;  this then forces the hand of who knows how many parents into the political arena, 

and, let's say it clearly:  these are parents not politicians.  in most cases, wonderful parents, devoted, very hard working, very busy, working and raising children, and dealing with increased crime rates in our neighborhoods, and unjustifiable inflation, and mass-shootings in the news no parent should even have to explain to their very young children, plus recent home invasions.. 

but this underhanded vote, forces these busy, already overwhelmed parents down to city hall, with signs to express their upset and opposition to 100 bed homeless/tiny home community in entirely inappropriate location..

these parents have to spontaneously find care for their children so they can get to city council, they have to work out transportation, they have to shuffle figuring out dinner for..   and need a time they can tell their children/babysitters they will return.

THESE PARENTS DESERVE! A SPECIFIC TIME for open forums at city council.  

the way this meeting went, they changed it from 5:30 to 6, on a whim, and then 6:30..    we all (maybe some 30 of us total) went through the security gates/process to sit in the chambers, and then were asked to leave and return 1/2 hour later,  -going through security gates a second time..

and then, no specific time for open forum, so, the council members go on and on..   very conversational, leisurely, intentionally stretching out their monologues with all kinds of fluff and nonsense..

meanwhile, parents (not politicians) are waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting for their 2 minutes...

2 minutes!! only, to speak

and then,  -on a whim, because city council just decided it would be..    the citizens/parents promised 2 mintues, got cut to 1 minute.

  yes.. you all who scrambled to find sitters/care for your children; you all who left work early so you could attend..  all you working parents raising children who had to figure out new dinner, homework, bedtimes for your children that you love and our trying to protect..

after all that, you get 1 minute! to every one, two, or three hours... the city council members to choose speak.

SHAME ON YOU SAN JOSE CITY COUNCIL...    embarrassing! representation of U.S. government

you have lost your way..

and you do not deserve the leadership positions you currently hold.

and, 

i could go on, but you have forced my hand, and all these parents hands into written, verbal, community action to undo/prevent your shortsighted, self-serving, negligent, underhanded decision

the only thing i want to make sure i include before i move forward:

the asian mom at city council..    the very angry asian mom at city council meeting..   she was just as livid as any and every neighbor who found out  -after the vote-  that the vote even happened.

she came with some charts/graphs which depicted the asian population at the variety of schools that would be directly effected by 100 bed homeless, homeless/tiny home site

her point was this:   -as a culture, the asian community is hard working, mostly keeping to themselves, they are more reserved and less "in your face" and confrontational generally/culturally speaking.  

bless her heart/appreciate her anger..   because, i could see that she felt her entire community was being exploited and taken advantage of exactly because they are not known to be confrontational/in your face.  She was carrying the opposition torch for so many who do not have it in their personality/nature to suddenly become political and join in on an uprising; even when they are opposed to the idea/thinking.     

amen.  

posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 1:51 PM