An Opinion Piece By Co-Editor Katherine K. Kelly – May 26, 2012

What to do about unchecked power in those who were elected to represent us?
We have in this city people who were elected as our representatives, yet when they
take office the power goes to their heads and the meetings become a dog and pony
show. I quit going to council meetings because Kelly Schellong was turning our local
government into her personal showcase so she could roll her eyes and flip her hair
and try and look cute. Kelly, it’s been a while since you wore a crown and you just
aren’t that cute anymore. If looks is all you have to ride on, the bus stops at the next
corner and you need to get off.

Another example is Mayor Murray. It’s embarrassing enough we have a mayor that
when asked about her stand on fluoridation she bubbled that her doctor and dentist
say it’s good so that’s good enough for her. Wow. Breathtaking anti-intellectual,
that Kathryn. Did it ever occur to you Kathryn that your doctor or dentist might
be either financially entangled or perhaps not up on the science? I’ve spent years
studying the issue and I guarantee I know more about fluoridation than your
doctor or your dentist. But rather than look into the matter our mayor just repeats
industry propaganda and we’re supposed to trust her judgment. My faith just isn’t
that strong.

Charles Slert is another joke of a public official, albeit a former one. He has the
nerve after leaving with his tail between his legs to recommend Roger Gitlin for
supervisor. Have you talked to Mr. Gitlin? I did. Wow again. His grand idea for
a compromise on the fluoridation issue is to provide whole-house reverse osmosis
filtration systems for those of us who cannot tolerate fluoride. This is a Tea Party
guy, you know, get rid of government and stop wasteful spending, advocating
$10,000 filtration systems for people who don’t want fluoride in their water.
Someone mentioned in a letter to the editor to Triplicate that he felt maybe Mr.
Gitlin was just telling him what he wanted to hear. I think my story about Gitlin
verifies that. It makes sense that Slert would endorse him.

An issue with Slert involves my grandson, Daniel Kelly. While collecting signatures
for Slert’s recall he came upon a particularly nasty old woman. Rather than argue
with her he was polite and left. This woman is purported to be Kelly Schellong’s
mother, so the story actually makes sense in that context. This woman supposedly
calls up then-mayor Slert and is crying because some young man was rude and
threatening to her. Well, if you knew my grandson you would know that’s a crock
of crap. But wait! There was a witness and the old lady lied! Yet Slert uses his bully
pulpit to slander my grandson and use the story as a sympathy ploy and an effort to
discredit the recall effort. Real classy there, Slert.

These are just small examples of what I think of as embarrassing Crescent City
leadership. Kathryn Murray is a joke for a mayor. At the last council meeting she

cut off public comment because people were saying things she didn’t want to hear,
calling it off topic when it clearly wasn’t. We have the right as citizens to address
and redress our local government. If we are not allowed to do so then it is no longer
a democracy but a dictatorship. Is that what we voted for? Voted? Hmmm. Sounds
more like a dictatorship. So what to do about these goons in high places who don’t
answer to the people or even feel they need to listen to us? Especially when they are
dead wrong and insist the world is flat.

From my experience, there is no avenue of redress when a council person does
something wrong, unless that council person is Donna Westfall. Then magically
they are very responsive and create ways to censure her based on ETHIC
VIOLATIONS. Are they freaking nuts? ETHICS? They violate ethics all the
time. My grandson Daniel wanted to file a complaint about Slert who used a public
forum to blatantly lie about him. There’s no one to complain to. That’s the way it
is here. Every agency, every department, they are all filled with cohorts that cover
for each other and watch each other’s backs. And the people? Nevermind, they will
eventually give up and go away. Seriously. Is this the kind of government you voted
for? The people of this city should be respected and listened to and have an avenue
for redress if a council person is out of line. I wouldn’t wait for the council to vote
on that one. They like it just fine the way it is.