During yesterday's Board of Supervisors meeting, I was shocked to hear some of the statements
made by the supervisors. You see, my wife and I spoke to the board and were very critical of them.
Apparently they took umbrage with our criticisms. Tough. A note to the board...You ran for public
office and got yourself elected. Deal with it. When you're a public official, you are subject to scrutiny.
I , along with my wife, scrutinized you. You as public officials have the audacity to tell me and other
members of the public who were present that you resented what we said? Who the hell do you think
you are? Perhaps you gentlemen have forgotten that you work for us! And if we feel that you are not
doing your job, you will be scrutinized and held accountable!
But let's discuss the whole “you work for us” issue, shall we?
One of the supervisors, in response to our criticisms, went on to say
“If you think we're doing something to your rights and personal liberties, we're LETTING you
come up here and speak....If you think we're violating your rights by LETTING you come to OUR
board meetings, then I'd like to meet with them afterward because maybe they haven't been to many
countries. They need to open their eyes and see what's going on in the world...We, as a board, are
LETTING people come to these meeting.”
Another supervisor made mention that we should be thankful we don't live in another country where
we wouldn't be afforded these rights. Oh really? Quite frankly, I don't care. I'm an American citizen.
I was born here. I live here. It really doesn't matter how other countries conduct their affairs and it
most certainly has no pertinence when it comes to the rule of law within my country. Besides, am I
to suppose that the comment was made to make me aware that I should be thankful that the board is
gracious enough to “grant an audience”?
Let's think about that, shall we? It's nice to know that you gentlemen are “letting” us speak. It's warms
my heart to know that you “let” us attend “your” meetings. What's next? The next time we attend shall
we be required to address you all as “my Lords”? After all, weren't the “lords” of the past owners
of large tracts of land? Did they not have others under their employ? Did their families not go back
generations? Perhaps you gentlemen have lost sight of who you work for. You work for ME....not the
other way around. And furthermore you do not grant me the right to attend public meetings. But don't
take my word for it gentlemen; allow me to quote CAL. GOV. CODE § 54950 : California Code -
Section 54950 of the Brown Act for you:
“In enacting this chapter, the Legislature finds and declares that the public commissions, boards
and councils and the other public agencies in this State exist to aid in the conduct of the people's
business. It is the intent of the law that their actions be taken openly and that their deliberations be
conducted openly.
The people of this State do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them. The people,
in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the
people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so
that they may retain control over the instruments they have created.”
Please take note of the second paragraph in the code...The people in delegating YOUR authority do not
give YOU the right to decide for us what we can and cannot know, and you most certainly do not “let”
us attend. How dare you! You gentlemen have already violated the Act with your “special meeting”
held on 12/27/2011. I was watching the BoS calendar before and after Christmas and your special
meeting was not posted. Had it been posted, you can be assured that my wife and I would have been
present.
The fact that you said what you said and none of your counterparts made mention of the audacious
statements speaks to me. It tells me that perhaps this is the general consensus and mindset of the board
in general. Ruling Class indeed. This county is in dire need of a changing of the guard.