John,
I appreciate your willingness to discuss this.
I think part of the problem. However, is characterizing my advocacy as attacks, tantrums and name calling. All I said is that you are wrong and that your politics are not in the best interest of the City. That”s my job. At the end of the day, the way the City Council votes is what is important, not how it got there. It”s also my job to help people understand what the City Council is up to.
What we have here, in my opinion, is the formation of two parties on the City Council. Not in the traditional sense, of course, as Democrats and Republicans, but in a local sense. We have the Viramontes Party that supports developers, industry, public safety unions and the ill-conceived initiatives of some egotistical and arrogant City staff members, and then we have the McLaughlin Party that supports, for example, community, neighborhoods, public participation and local solutions to global warming.
Now, parties aren”t a bad thing. They help people focus on issues and the way elected officials deal with them. Debate, passion and advocacy, don”t constitute attacks. When Democrats and Republicans go at it about Iraq, immigration reform and abortion, this is political debate, but the results will change the lives forever of many people. When Pelosi said Bush had a “tin ear,” was that elitist? Was she out of line for saying that Bush ignored the facts? Maybe our local issues don”t have the same level of life and death consequences, but they are still important. I feel the same way about the Viramontes Five that Pelosi feels about Bush and the Republicans. I feel like you all have been given a set of compelling facts and evidence on more than one issue but that you simply ignored them in favor of your personal beliefs and perhaps the influence of the special interests that support your political campaigns. Does this rile you up? I wouldn”t be surprised, but I believe there is some truth there that has to be confronted.
I”ve been at this City Council game almost as long as you, and I believe I have learned that where there is smoke there is fire. I know a hidden agenda when I see one. There is something going on here, and I don”t like it.
I”m on the City Council for only one reason, to make Richmond a better place. I will do anything that I can to make that happen, so long as it is legal. The day I pull a punch in favor of decorum is the day I”ll stop doing politics because I will no longer be doing my job.
You and I probably have more similar votes on issues over the years as any two Council members. I hope we can find a way to rekindle that.
Tom
From: johnemarquez@aol.com [mailto:johnemarquez@aol.com] Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2007 1:42 AM To: Butt, Tom Cc: City Council; mariatv@pacbell.net Subject: Re: Your Chance to Help Out Two of the the Viramontes Five
Tom:
I agree with you that we have a serious problem of divisions within the Council. However, it will never get better as long as you continue to publicly attack members simply because they don’t agree with you. In my humble opinion, it makes you look like an elitist who thinks you’re smarter than the rest of us. To say that decisions made by the majority are against the best interest of the people of Richmond, are truly your opinion. Likewise, your statement about the persons who don’t support the direction the “five” of us are trying to take the City. Most persons that say that to you probably enjoy your idiosyncrasies. However, many, many people that don’t talk with you, don’t agree with your ideas. So, let’s talk and see if we can find a “happy medium” without calling each other names. You see, I get just as annoyed with your statements sometimes as you get with my votes, but I don’t throw tantrums. Perhaps we can agree to disagree without publicly attacking each other. John E. —–Original Message—– From: Butt, Tom <tom.butt@intres.com> To: Marquez, John Cc: City Council ; mariatv@pacbell.net Sent: Wed, 6 Jun 2007 7:12 pm Subject: RE: Your Chance to Help Out Two of the the Viramontes Five
John,
We have a serious problem here. This is the worst and most blatant schism of the City Council since I have been on it. I don”t know what you all are trying to prove, but in my opinion it is against the best interests of the people of Richmond. I have yet to find a single person who supports the direction that the five of you are trying to take this City.
I hope we can find a way out before it sinks the boat and we all go down with it.
Tom
From: johnemarquez@aol.com [mailto:johnemarquez@aol.com] Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 7:27 PM To: Butt, Tom Cc: City Council; mariatv@pacbell.net Subject: Re: Your Chance to Help Out Two of the the Viramontes Five
Tom:
Now you are truly showing your blatant cynicism. John E. —–Original Message—– From: Butt, Tom Cc: City Council Sent: Tue, 5 Jun 2007 11:03 pm Subject: Your Chance to Help Out Two of the the Viramontes Five
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