Putting Away Childish Things

I've demurred when asked a few times about the "incident" at the last PBID meeting. But since the rumors seem to have taken on a life of their own, here’s my perspective on what happened during and after the public comment period that night. Then, perhaps, we can get back to an adult discussion on the merits of the issues that face us and the "solution" proposed.

To set the stage, I was sitting in the second row, immediately behind Chris Lavin and Dexter Levy, at the opposite end of the row from Jen, the Vons Center rep (who had nothing to do with this, BTW. I'm just orienting the players). During the main part of the meeting, the Committee addressed the matter of private liability for actions taken by the PBID. I was paying close attention because this has been a big concern of mine, in part because the PBID is being marketed as a way to force the homeless out of the Village. I’ve explained several times without contradiction that while the City of La Mesa can delegate a subset of its powers to a private entity, it cannot grant powers the City did not originally possess and that this is one more PBID fiction that should be dropped by the “pro” side.

Leave the humaneness of the policy goal aside; I am stating basic law and logic, supported by numerous court cases.  If PBID security starts shoving the homeless around, the PBID is one multimillion dollar civil rights lawsuit away from bankruptcy and I’ve asked Ed Henning to look into whether the law would allow a plaintiff to “pierce the corporate veil” and go after individual property owners. Ed found a slip-and-fall case up in the LA area suggesting my concern is meritorious.

About this point, Jim Wieboldt asserted that some members of the audience and the committee are actively undermining it via a misinformation campaign. I made a note to request clarification during public comment. I also noted when Commissioner Levy interjected an out of turn comment from the gallery, as he has in the past and for which this time the chair, Lynn McCrea, remonstrated him. When he again spoke out of turn to urge a quick vote on one matter with no discussion, becoming very insistent, at which point Mayor Madrid spoke up for proper procedure, I made a final note to commend the Mayor and the Commissioner McCrea for standing firm for good government.

During public comment, I:

1) Thanked the Committee for taking the issue of individual liability seriously;

2) Noted that the budget that night had been increased by 40% (with about twenty minutes’ discussion) and pointed out since we had saved the residents from being taxed, that really meant a greater than 50% increase on individual commercial properties;

3) Mentioned that since double digit inflation is staring us in the face, a Proposition 13 style tax protection might be in order to keep the PBID surtax from outpacing the main property tax bill. (Resident-at-Large Bill Walton later took up that idea with the engineer.)

4) I thanked the mayor, the chair and the board standing up for process.

5) I offered some other suggestions and then tried to ask Commissioner Wieboldt to attach names and specific incidents to his charge of sabotage by committee members lest the whole board have to operate with its integrity impugned by one of its own, who holds an office of public trust.

Before I could get more than a few words out, Planning Commissioner Levy turned around, facing halfway between Chris and me, and interrupted three times from the gallery (for which he was never admonished, nor was my time restored). Commissioner Wieboldt chose not to supply names but sat quiet during his time to respond while he let Dave rant that:

1.  I was wrong to accuse board members of impropriety (again, that was Commissioner Wieboldt, not me),

2.  I was a liar who made up phony people (I don’t think he meant “Zack”, but instead was referring to a previous meeting when I had refused to divulge a confidence without permission, since subsequently obtained and information passed on to a more attentive committee member)

3.  He was sick of hearing from me (which is his right) and that nobody on the board was interested in my opinion (which is presumptuous and I hope untrue if public comment is to be anything more than window dressing) and that,

4) In his view, I was, “quite frankly a nut case”.  When I asked to be allowed to respond to this personal attack from the table, Commissioner Levy took it upon himself to instruct me to be silent, again without rebuke from the chair who leaned over and whispered to her husband after which Dave then issued an apology for his tirade.

At this point, Rick noted that as to misinformation, a pseudonymous commenter has been spreading false internet rumors about him too. Mayor Madrid joked to both of us that this is the nature of politics and what he’s put up with for years. We laughed, and moved on.  After the meeting, Jim interrupted my private discussion with Dave, who was apologizing again. Jim moved into my space yelling that he too was sick of hearing from me during public comment, and that if I have a problem with the PBID, I should “Bring it on! Just bring it on!” I asked if he was speaking under color of authority and he seemed to calm down.

Let’s hope that tonight’s meeting sees a more adult approach. The issue should be won or lost on the merits, not by who can shout loudest.

Update: 

 I decided to bring my camera again for its civilizing influence and it seems to have worked. Now, let’s move forward addressing the real issues., such as the further 8% increase in budget just approved. More to come.