Posted on 12/19/2004 12:20:13 PM PST by got_moab?
Mayor Stephen P. Laffey will have carte blanche to decorate the City Hall lawn to his heart’s content; the City Council last week decided not to vote on a measure than would put the City Hall grounds under direct council control and restrict holiday decorations to strings of clear lights.
The measure, sponsored by Councilor Paula B. McFarland, was introduced for discussion at last Thursday’s council ordinance committee meeting. McFarland did not attend the meeting because of scheduling conflicts, but she had previously said the mayor had no business covering the City Hall lawn with religious displays.
Although she did not comment directly on the extensive display that was installed by city workers on Monday at the mayor’s request, McFarland said growing up with a Catholic father and Jewish mother made her more aware of the inappropriateness of waving your religion in other peoples’ faces.
“I was raised to believe people have the right to believe what they want in the privacy of their own home,” she said.
And while Laffey has repeatedly said he’s just expressing the desire of the public for a festive holiday display, McFarland said Laffey is actually degrading the meaning of Christmas, Hanukkah and the other winter festivals by using the brightly lit lawn ornaments to highlight the increasing commercialization of what used to be religious observances. This year’s display, which was funded entirely by Laffey and community donations, includes an inflatable snowman and Santa Claus, a singing Grinch and a menorah, a Nativity scene and herd of reindeer all outlined in faux-neon lights.
“I think with what the mayor has done to City Hall, we’ve lost the meaning of what the holiday is all about,” McFarland said. “Right now I don’t feel comfortable in that building. It’s too much.”
She suggested that an alternative site for the display would be more appropriate, if Laffey insisted on having some kind of decorations.
“There’s a lot of other areas than a governmental building,” McFarland said.
The comments from the rest of the council members on the committee were more mixed, with a few agreeing with McFarland’s assessment of the display and others expressing reservations over making any kind of rules regarding holiday decorations.
Councilor Kirk McDonough made reference to the Superior Court decision handed down last month that stated the city had no right to legislate taste. The court said the city had been within its rights to host citizen-donated decorations, but crossed the line when it made the mayor the arbiter when it came to deciding what was appropriate for display and what wasn’t.
McDonough said just like the mayor had no right to decide what decorations went and which decorations stayed, the City Council also had no business taking over that role.
“I don’t think any of us should have the ability to decide what looks good and what doesn’t look good,” he said.
Council President Peter T. Pastore, Jr. disagreed, saying he was appalled by what Laffey allowed on the lawn last year and what he chose as decorations for his office Christmas trees this year. He implied that no decorations were preferable to tasteless and gaudy decorations and cited the flamingo tree-topper that adorns the Christmas tree in Laffey’s office as an example.
“Having a pink flamingo at the top of a tree I find disgusting and repulsive,” Pastore said. “I think it’s wrong to make fun of Christmas in this way.”
There was also some question over whether the city had the right to oversee the grounds around City Hall. Assistant City Solicitor Evan Kirschenbaum said the City Charter clearly stated the grounds, like other parks and most city facilities, fell under the jurisdiction of the mayor. Councilor Cynthia M. Fogarty disagreed, saying the charter suffered from a case of bad wording and logic dictated that the council would be the ultimate authority over the city’s capital assets.
“The charter places the buildings in the City Council’s hands, not the mayor’s hands,” Fogarty said. “Therefore, how can he say he’s going to decorate this weekend?”
Laffey apparently went shopping over the weekend and, by Tuesday, a large assortment of inflatable and illuminated holiday decorations, including a Nativity scene, a snowman, a Santa Claus and a menorah, had shown up on the City Hall lawn. Director of Administration Paul G. Grimes had previously said the city planned to follow the letter of the law and make sure the display included a “diverse” collection of holiday symbols so it didn’t appear the city was endorsing any one religion.
In the end, the council voted 4-1 to table the item without taking any comments from the audience. The vote effectively killed the ordinance because no items can remain on the table during a council changeover. It will be up to McFarland or another council member to reintroduce after the new council convenes in January.
Incoming Council President Aram Garabedian expressed disappointment that he wasn’t given the opportunity to speak on the measure. He said the charter made it clear that the council had supreme authority and if that didn’t seem clear to some in the administration, then McFarland’s ordinance was badly needed to clarify things.
“The point is to have the ordinance in place so the mayor can’t do things like this,” Garabedian said.
Laffey declined to comment on the committee’s decision.
Paula B. McFarland offends me. Remove her from the premises and toss her in an appropriately non-denominational, secular dumpster.
Oh, yes, and she makes me "uncomfortable".
Blue State.. check
Low Brain Function...check
Christophobic...check
'Nuff said.
"Mark my words, this is the guy that will take out "Limp Wrist" Linc in 06'!!"
Missing Linc is all done no matter what. Having Laffey run against him would be fantastic!
ROTFL!!!!!
Mean-spirited, hateful Liberal Bump.
MacFarland is a perfect example of what eventually will trigger a shooting war. I wish her and her "hypersensitive" minions luck.
Screw her and the horse she rode in one , and the butthead that shoe'ed the horse.
Anyone have a picture?
After all,
(Maybe some people don't like a day off and I know that some people don't get the day off.)
Oh in Cranston they have no problem with paid holidays! The firefighters get 16, including "9/11".
Here in Toronto, they planned to put up a nativity scene at city hall but called it off because nobody could find any wise men or virgins.
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent Rhode Island ping list.
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