The Press Conference for the Transportation Funding Bill
Later on in the afternoon Move America Forward also attended a press conference for Assemblyman Guy Houston who has a bill coming up before the CA Assembly Transportation Committee that would intend to strip some transportation funds (about $3.3M) from Berkeley coffers because of the misuse of city funds to subsidize one group’s point of view and freedom of speech over others (ie. Code Pink)
Assemblyman Guy Houston
With Blue-Star Moms
Deborah Johns, Mother of USMC Sgt. William Johns
In the press conference, Guy Houston explained this rationale for his bill, as quoted by the Contra Costa Times here.
“Berkeley’s City Council has granted anti-military activists a public resource to assist in barricading the Marine recruitment office,” Houston said. “The public right of way has been violated, and the state must not stand idly by.”
NBC 11 Coverage on Houston’s Bill
While it remains to be seen if this bill would ever make it through a democrat-controlled state legislature, this bill makes the statement that we cannot be allowing city governments to take sides on issues, especially when there are the civil rights of multiple parties to think about.
The city council has a right to pass a resolution stating their opinion on the war, and anti-war groups have the rights to protest like any other group but the situation is out of control and the city sanctions this type of thing. They called on citizens to “impede the work of recruiters” that is part of the resolution they passed and that language has never been rescinded.
It’s because of the city’s stance that Code Pink is bold enough and freely blocks roadways and sidewalks, parks their abomination of a vehicle in front of the office, graffiti’s and defaces the recruiting center regularly, blocks entry to the station, harasses the Marines who work out of there, and have no begun trespassing and occupying the recruiting station.
This goes beyond a simple protest: its harassment, it’s seditious and should not be permitted to continue.
It was not long after the press conference began that Code Pink’s Zanne Joi and friends began shouting out questions or making dissenting remarks out loud. One of them, who apparently has some kind of…Berkeley Liberation Radio credential (I guess you can get anything laminated at Kinko’s) posed a non-question along the brilliant rhetorical formula “what about…X”
I remember that one from 4th grade, I think the proper response is “So?”
Code Pink looking interested
Radio Personality
Anyways they tried to be disruptive as usual, but they just weren’t on their game today…or they just couldn’t bring enough whiney girls with them…so the troop supporters in the room easily drowned them out with the applause for Assemblyman Houston’s great bill.
Assemblyman Houston greets supporters of his legislation
After that press conference, both bills came up again in the Assembly Transportation Committee Hearing. Move America Forward and others testified their support for both bills, which went to votes. The License plate bill went out of committee, while Houston’s bill is waiting for more votes from members that were not present.
Deborah Johns said “this is an organization that is designed to harass a particular class of citizens that is protected by our constitution.”
John Bringuel said “It was appalling to me, to be in Berkeley on February 12, and watch the City Council support Code Pink.”
“Move America Forward believes that the State of California should send the city of Berkeley a strong message that this state will not spend taxpayer’s money in cities that work to impede the lawful work of a United States office.” said Catherine Moy, our Executive Director. “Would you find it appropriate to use taxpayer’s funds to sponsor an organization’s efforts to occupy your offices and impede your daily work?”
There was also a representative from Berkeley there who said, in defense of the City, something to the effect of, “the city of Berkeley did have a follow-up meeting ….that lasted until 2 in the morning and everyone had the opportunity to speak and rescinded much of that language”
Yes, we’ve heard it all before. That the speech-loving Berkeley city council has gone to such lengths to accommodate both sides, and give everyone a voice…yeah right.
Move America Forward has been fighting these un-American, hateful groups that try to undermine our troops for years now, and we’ve been fighting against some of the inept and quite frankly…stupid…people of the Berkeley City Council for months.
They haven’t been genuine in any of their supposed ‘offers’
They’re aligned with Code Pink, and they’ve been doing everything in their power to support that group at the exclusion of dissenting groups.
There’s no other way to slice it.