Thursday, Aug. 31, 2006 | Why doesn’t Mayor Sanders want the council members to be held accountable for their “negligence?”
Because, Sanders has promised to run interference for the Scott Peters Four in return for their unquestioned support for whatever he wants to get passed through the City Council. He has formed a “lap dog” coalition. He wants these council people right where they are. The last thing that Sanders wants is some reform minded elected council folks that would question his Yellow Brick Road fantasy for solving the debt issues (no new taxes and magical cuts that will save billions).
Please notice the numerous items that have been before the City Council this year. On multiple occasions hundreds of citizens appealed to the City Council as sort of a “court of last resort.” The presentations were meaningless to the council members because the mayor was opposed (and so were the cadre of special corporate interests standing behind the mayor). They had already made political deals with Mayor Sanders, before the public council meetings. The general deal is: you keep your council seats (I won’t suggest publicly that you resign, etc.) and you provide support for me when I ask and/or demand it.
To some folks that is the way the political game is played. To others, this type of strong arm political maneuvering is exactly how we got our city to where we are now.
Recent history is repeating itself. Instead of the names being Golding, McGrory, et al, it is now our popular mayor who is manipulating a compliant and submissive council.
Get ready to start writing some big checks.