.

This is exactly what Anaheim needs right now – a public meeting in a much larger venue – and the bold Mayor knows it.

And the decision for this emergency public meeting follows from the meeting he and councilwoman Lorri Galloway – the only councilmembers the Anna Drive residents trust – had with them Monday night, at the home and invitation of Sra. Rojas, the mother of the kid who was bitten by police dogs directly following the fatal police shooting of Manuel Angel Diaz.

As the whole world knows, there wasn’t room at the last Anaheim Council meeting for all the aggrieved residents to speak out about the abuse they’ve been taking from the Anaheim Police Department, and other concerns. The Fire Marshal wouldn’t allow much of the crowd in, Mayor Tait tried to communicate that they could take turns coming in to speak, but by then the crowd was too upset at being shut out and went forth to riot.

As many of you also know, two important (or controversial) questions were also set to be voted on at that July 24 meeting – whether or not to put two democracy-related measures onto November’s ballot for Anaheim’s people to decide:

Whether to change from 5 at-large councilmembers (all of whom end up being from rich neighborhoods) or 6 councilmembers from different DISTRICTS plus an at-large Mayor – in keeping with what is asked in the ACLU’s praiseworthy suit; and Whether to institute a new policy of “letting the people vote” on future hotel subsidies, so that we can make sure the community gets something out of future subsidies (local jobs, investment) rather than them just being giveaways to friendly politicians.

And we know how relieved the three fascists* on the Council (Murray, Eastman, Sidhu) were to not have to cast a vote publicly against those matters.

Well, next Wednesday’s emergency meeting, August 8, beginning at 4pm, at Anaheim High School’s Cook Auditiorium, will go exactly as the July 24 meeting was SUPPOSED to go. This auditorium holds 900, so anyone from the community will get their say. And these two important ballot measures will finally get their public vote from the Council. Hurray for Mayor Tait and Councilwoman Galloway!

Or will this meeting happen? Not if the three fascists get their way…

I was told late last night that there is a CLOSED Council meeting TODAY at 1pm on a few matters – the Register has mentioned it now too. But what I was warned is that the three fascists are expected to try to use phony “safety concerns” to call off Wednesday’s meeting – so that they can once again avoid seeing the public, and keep the democratic measures off the ballot without making uncomfortable public votes.

Sure enough, the Register lists (in their bland way) the three items to be discussed at today’s closed session:

a discussion on the ACLU lawsuit for district elections; an annual review of employees who directly report to the City Council; and a discussion with police Chief John Welter about the safety of public facilities.

Let me translate. That is:

Deciding whether to hire an expensive team of attorneys to defend the town from the heightened democracy of district elections; sounds like a purge of Anaheim employees who displease the fascist majority; and trying to get the police chief to say that there’s no way he can keep next Wednesday’s meeting safe!

It turns out there are public comments before this closed session after all, they will start at 1pm – in FOUR HOURS. EMERGENCY, ANAHEIMERS! Don’t let the Axis use phony “safety concerns” to call off next Wednesday’s vital meeting!

And oh – ANAHEIM TAXPAYERS??? An expensive team of attorneys to fight democracy? Are you freakin’ Costa Mesa now? And this on top of the million-dollar state of siege these clowns are putting you under each week to try to squelch protestors? Speak out, stop this coup! I’ll see you there in four hours – 1pm, council chambers!

[Update – If you CAN’T make it to council chambers at 1, you can submit comments at cityclerk@anaheim.net. They will be shared with council members and entered into official record.]

*I don’t know, I’ve been trying to come up with a handy phrase for the Murray-Eastman-Sidhu majority. You think “three fascists” is too extreme? I know the word became a little cliched, overused, since the 60’s, but I think it fits here. I tried stealing from Fullerton and Bushala: “the three bald tires,” “the three clogged sinks” … but those just really didn’t fit these guys, the way fascist does. I’m thinking of their complete full-frontal embrace of corporate interests over popular ones, their squelching of democracy once they’re in power; and their reliance on an increasingly militarized police state to keep the status quo. I dunno, what do you think, readers, the Three Fascists or no?

UPDATE: After a grueling marathon (seriously, like 1-7pm) closed session, our heroes Mayor Tait and LoGal somehow prevailed against … what I’ll now downgrade to crypto-fascists because apparently there’s some point at which they’ll give in.

Attorneys will be contracted to fight district elections. Hopefully either two good new councilmembers or a popular vote for district elections will allow us to back out of this wasteful futile fight.

I do not know too many details, except that a certain councilperson got chewed out for giving this blogger too much information, so I will say here that everything I know, I know from Harry Sidhu.

I’ll see everybody who cares a lot about Anaheim, 4pm Wednesday afternoon (I’m sure if you can’t get there till 5 or 6 you can still talk) – Cook Auditorium, Anaheim High School. Agendized – whether to put on November’s ballot the question of changing to district elections, and whether to put on November’s ballot the “Let the People Vote” initiative. Also expect a LOT of public comment on the recent police abuse.



