BY GUEST COLUMNIST MICHAEL CEREMELLO

FORMER MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBER CITY OF DIXON

The downfall of city hall.  That kind of has a ring to it.  There is also a saying: “give a person enough rope and he will hang himself”.  Another way to say it is “I don’t need to make you look foolish; you do a great job all by yourself.”  Damn … and I thought no one knew about Dixon.

You know, in the good old days of the wild west, if a city slicker came into town and tried to control people with rules and regulations, such as they had in the civilized eastern seaboard of the US, the people would have either formed a lynching squad or rode the person out of town on a rail after tar and feathering him.  Somewhere along the line, the civilized members of society chopped off our manly parts, making us all impotent eunuchs.

I find it very interesting that immediately after I write a column identifying “the people” as the enemy of city staff, staff decides to do something really stupid.  When someone makes a deal with you to grade the lot across from Bud’s for free with donated labor, which was estimated by others at around $5K to $8K, and you get your panties in a bunch because no one asked your permission to put up a sign advertising the event, you are a certifiable lunatic.

The “beautiful people”, a certain segment of the Rot-ary uncontrolled by the majority of their membership, can be sensed to be behind this.  Stating that “you just can’t cowboy your way around Dixon putting up signs” begs the question “who actually asked for permission for the signs already up?  Did Dixon Family Services? … the Relay for Life people? … the rugby people? … Dixon Florist?  Is this even city property as it is part of the redevelopment agency’s holdings which are now being held for ransom by the State while being administered by a diverse group including county bureaucrats?

You have the Rot-ary on one hand asking one of the founders of Grillin’ and Chillin’ to become a member because they see the money he controls and the city controlled council and staff on the other hand creating fantasy problems each year.  You can’t do anything the easy, common sense way because city staff finds a rule to force you to do it their way.

In case you are wondering where the “banjo playing” part originated, look no further than another “beautiful people” organization, the Dixon Chamber of Commerce, who felt this barbeque event which has far surpassed anything your “citizens of the years” have ever produced is beneath their sense of dignity and opprobriousness on their part.  As if part of American heartland musical culture which is a distinctive instrument of American origin, is something to be abhorred because they associate it with the movie Deliverance or low class Appalachia society.  I thought the educational elite wanted music included as part of their children’s school programs

Again, this is all about control.  Certain people figure they should be able to control the actions of others even if it amounts to cutting off their noses to spite their faces.  It is okay with us if you grade the lot but it is not okay for you to hang a sign advertising the event?  Come on.  And now I hear it gets even worse.

There is a push to force charitable organizations to get a city business license.  I want to be there when they break this to Ted Hickman.  Ted may be on the breaking end if they attempt to pull this stunt.  Or, as usual, will they pull the Obama Health Care stunt and allow their buddies, the organizations run by their bad old boy supporters, a waiver?

First off, a business is just that.  It is an ongoing concern attempting to turn a profit for its owners.  Considering Grillin’ and Chillin’ gives away $15,000 or more each year and those who run it don’t receive a dime, much like Toys For Tots which simply disperses donations, and the event actually creates tax revenue for the city, perhaps it is time for the senior official pushing this crap, yes the editor allows me to say what it is and that is crap, to retire for real this time.

I keep trying to tell those who come to work in Dixon that this city wants to remain a throwback to real small town times.  Yet they, including your bumbling buffoon of a mayor, keep attempting to follow the path set by past mayor Mary Ann Courville and the real mayor Warren Salmons.  We don’t want to be a big city.  Go away.

I also found it very interesting that a councilman, Jerry Castañon helped to put the sign back up after staff refused to do it until Monday.  It was also interesting listening to what he had to say and his response to my one question about being asked to join Rotary.  Three times they have asked him and three times he has said no because he knows the obligation it creates.  I never said Jerry was dumb and this proves it.  My criticism is he usually isn’t prepared to speak and all that comes out are sound bytes.  On the other hand, if the pressure is off and Jerry can assess the situation, he has at least in one instance had the light bulb turn on.

Although Jerry still has trouble making eye contact when speaking to me, I will give him the benefit of the doubt and say there is hope for him yet.  When the special meeting is held about sewer rates and options to treatment, it will tell the real tale as to whether Jerry should keep his job or be recalled.  The proof is in the pudding.  If his performance changes and he does what is right, I can and will change my tune and tone.  I am not Jack Batchelor.

I don’t get any great joy in destroying people … or towns …

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Just a short note on the foregoing statements about Castañon.  During last night’s council meeting, Jerry once again proved who he really is.  Although he was thrown under the bus by those with whom he obviously had made a deal to eliminate the Independent Voice as a publisher of legal notices, what really came out were statements confirming this man’s ignorance of American principles ingrained in the Bill of Rights as well as a blatant violation of the oath of office he took to defend the Constitution.

It was illuminating that after Darth Bogue read out of context personal criticisms of himself followed by stating it is the right of the press to do just that, the pea brained Castañon promptly inserts his foot into his mouth and spills Jack’s beans.  Castañon exemplifies the absolute worst in personal animosity driving his decision making and has no business remaining on the dais.

More on this and Batchelor’s inference that those who oppose his will are worse than the inmates he managed …

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If you get a chance, go over to Vacaville to the Brenden Theaters and view the new documentary film by Dinesh D’Souza entitled America.  I went to see his first film 2016 about why Obama is doing what he is doing and I was disappointed that it wasn’t as grand of an exposé as advertised.  This film was far more educational, brought up facts that are rarely taught in school, and more damning of the Sol Alinsky crowd headed by Hillary and Barrack than anything I have heard from the talking heads on the right.

Did you know that there were over 3500 black owners of black slaves.  In the late 1600’s, they even owned some white slaves.(That I got from other research to verify the facts and not from the movie.)  One of the first on the books was a black man.  Yet only the European white ancestry male ever gets persecuted for this tragedy and travesty of morality.

The accusation that America stole half of Mexico during the Mexican-American war?; that Americans murdered and committed atrocities on the American Indian population?  D’Souza pointed out the history of the world was built on the fruits of conquest and that same concept.  The different and separate tribes took territory as the spoils of tribal war from each other.  The same occurred in Europe among nations.

The difference between those societies and American consideration of right versus wrong, led us to give half of Mexico back to the Mexicans.  Our troops arrived in Mexico City after a complete defeat of Mexican troops.  In my opinion, the Mexican people would have been far better off if America had eliminated the corruption and disarray created by French and Spanish rule by giving these people our rule of law.  We wouldn’t be having the immigration problems we are experiencing today nor would there be a need for the welfare entitlements as they would have productive industry throughout that country.

I will let you learn the rest for yourselves, as D’Souza debunks the “victimization” mentality of those on the Left who hate America.  It was enlightening to see him interview some of these well known haters as well as provide clips of them in their contemporaneous settings.  The real hope for America comes from those who have experienced the degeneracy those on the Left want to impose on the rest of us.  But they won’t be here after millions are executed to achieve their goal of equality.

America remains the only beacon of hope.  We are being destroyed from within just as Abraham Lincoln and Cicero stated would happen within any strong national power.  The Karl Rove check pants republicans and the communist democrats are only concerned about who gets to rule, not about whether the ruling is done correctly or conscientiously.  America remains sick.  The people remain as the cure but they must educate themselves.

I have attempted to educate you on a more local level.  One person can not do this all on his own.  The solution on the national level is the same as it is on the State level as it is on the local level.  You need to rid yourselves of the politicians who are only interested in ruling.  I am only interested in giving you freedom by eliminating the control attitude of the legislative bodies.

We can begin with Dixon.  First, the council must be recalled except for the two up for re-election.  As I said earlier, Castañon will get his opportunity to convince me otherwise at this coming Monday’s special meeting.  (Yes I will give him one more chance)  Education of the masses was missed in the supervisor’s race.  While Dixon voters understood, it seems that no other communities have a real paper willing to investigate and print the truth.

I had wanted Dixon to be the model other cities could emulate.  Instead you chose those who are now going down the same path to bankruptcy I, with the help of two others, averted.  As the one guy said the other night, I voted you in and I can recall you just as easily.

It seems that time has come …