05-03-09,
Herbert Molano’s Commentary in the Vanguard Weekly
News, “Weaver the Wonderful Wascal”
Councilman Weaver must be feeling his
oats again. He has re-introduced his
desire to cut public speech at city council sessions. He reminds me of the judge in Woody Allen’s
movie “Bananas” as he orders a hapless defendant, who is trying to be his own
lawyer, bound and gagged.
The funny thing about a
municipal democracy is the self-important, self-righteous attitude that
contaminates councilmen after a few years in office. Though Weaver does not have all the elements
of a demagogue, he does display one characteristic essential to a demagogue in
training – a willingness to bend the rules or bend the laws to his own benefit.
We already had one
former mayor move oral communications to the late night under the pretense that
other speakers should have preference in speaking about items on the agenda. But, what is hilarious about that excuse is
that the speakers at oral communications are often the same ones who speak
during the agenda items.
We now have another
mayor who wants to stop speakers from submitting request-to-speak cards while a
topic is in session. What tickles me
funny is that, often, those speakers turn in a card after hearing some absurd
claim made by a city staffer probably coached into giving some hyperbole or
misdirection. Some people even rush to
the city council from home after watching on TV or the worldwide Internet some
absurd interpretation of the law taking place.
What is almost too funny
for words, is watching our mayor Quintero, the proponent of term limits (now on
his third term), the proponent of campaign contributions limits (except for him
this past election) and the dedicated Democratic student of history given us a
lesson on Hispanic Vice-royalty with his fresh autocratic interpretation.
Somebody wake up
Latin-American populist leaders. Quintero, the history student of Hispanic
heritage, has learned how a liberal democracy can be turned on its head. Dan Kimber should
send history students to watch in person Tuesday nights when they can have a
re-enactment of silly government gone awry right before their very eyes at the
Stay tuned for next
week’s taping of the Wonderful World of Weaver. We just wove the wascal.
Now, where did I leave that duct tape?
Herbert Molano