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.