Free Republic

United Teachers Los Angeles made a bold and revealing statement about its radical political principles when the union endorsed Ron Gochez for L.A. City Council this month. The endorsement is significant for a couple of reasons. First, Gochez is an extreme left-wing L.A. teacher known for racist, anti-American rants. He also has decades-long ties to the African People’s Socialist Party—which is very open and passionate about its hatred of Jews, whites, Barack Obama, Martin Luther King Jr., Jesse Jackson, Koreans, basically everyone. Second, the UTLA didn’t have to endorse him. The union’s leaders wanted to. …

When does a council member speak for the city without first seeking the formal approval of the city council where they serve? That is a question at the center of a brewing conflict on the Desert Hot Springs City Council. Continuing down a familiar path, Mayor Yvonne Parks recently sent a letter on behalf of the city endorsing enterprise zones in California. A statewide debate is underway over their effectiveness.

The Pledge of Allegiance has taken it on the chin over the years. Everything from the clause "one nation under God" to its recitation in public schools and public meetings has been challenged. This week, El Cerrito City Councilman Mark Friedman proposed eliminating the custom from the start of each council meeting. "I've always had problems with the Pledge of Allegiance," said Friedman, whose politics were shaped in the fiery days of the 1968 Democratic National Convention in his hometown, Chicago. In his argument to end the custom, Friedman said that in a world without "liberty and justice for all,"...

A candidate for a position on New York City’s 7th Council District said he opposed to the candidacy of his Jewish opponent, whom he referred to a “White/Jewish candidate”, because he was trying “to sneak into office like a thief in the night.” City Council hopeful Thomas Lopez-Pierre wrote an e-mail to the members of the Douglass Grant Democratic Club, stating his opposition to rival Mark Levine. The subject line of the e-mail: “A White/Jewish City Council Member representing Upper Manhattan?” In an interview with The Jewish Week, Lopez-Pierre, an African American, maintained, "I don’t hate Jews; I love black...

A Texas city council has voted to ban American flags from a local cemetary. Why? Because these people want to keep the cemetary free of "clutter." That's right... according to these "leaders," the American flag is "clutter" and cannot be placed beside a tombstone. It appears common sense and respect for veterans have gone out the window. As reported by KHOU.com in Houston, the city council in Mineral Wells, Texas voted to ban the display of flags and other items such as teddy bears from grave sites. Flags are now only allowed during the two weeks around Memorial Day and...

With the city of Stockton moving to become the nation's largest city to seek protection under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, Tuesday night's City Council meeting was quiet, with an evident sadness on faces in the packed chambers. The working-class port city -- from where many of California's agricultural exports set sail -- lived largely on credit during economic boom times. The city borrowed millions of dollars for ambitious, eye-catching projects in the mid-2000s. Up went a sports arena, hotel and promenade. The city booked a Neil Diamond concert as a kickoff to better times. Houses in sprawling tracts sold quickly...

Ward 8 Councilman Marion Barry made comments Monday about Filipina nurses who work in District hospitals, just weeks after Barry told his supporters that Asian businesses "ought to go." At a hearing, Barry told the president and board members of the University of the District of Columbia that the school should be supplying D.C. residents to serve in the "lucrative" posts of nurses and teachers. But that was not the case, Barry said. "In fact, it's so bad, that if you go to the hospital now, you find a number of immigrants who are nurses, particularly from the Philippines," Barry...

The City of Colfax, CA reportedly defeated UN Agenda 21 by a 4-0 vote and passed Resolution No. 12-2012. Ken Delfino, one of the City Councilmen, reportedly wrote a letter describing what he learned about UN Agenda 21 and urges others to educate themselves about it too. You can help by sending these three items of information to your City Council Members. If they’re uninterested, be sure to campaign against them, so that they are defeated when they run for re-election. 1. Here is the reported letter in its entirety (a link to the letter is not yet available). Dear...

(To see Cal Grondahl’s cartoon that goes with this post, click here) The LDS Church Library no longer allows access to the Nauvoo City Council and High Council minutes from 1839 to 1845. That’s a shame, but the minutes, when accessible, were recorded. Signature Books, with the assistance of historian John Dinger, has published the minutes, along with notes, and they’re just plain fascinating for enthusiasts of history. Without spin, they lay out the controversy that swirled in Nauvoo prior to Joseph Smith’s murder and the LDS exodus west. The documents lend credence to the belief that the then-secret doctrine...

Father Nathan Monk tells the City Council, "We have the right to redress our government without fear of being arrested," and is nearly arrested. I think more people should be involved in their communities. Father Monk was interviewed on "Freedom Watch" tonight and was very clear in his message. Father Monk stated that if we honor our military men and women, the ones fighting for our rights, we should not backdown. I remember back this summer, that a woman was arrested in Arizona for speaking up in a council meeting, with the Mayor telling the council she had the floor...

PROVO -- After a year of complaints, doing their own investigation and raising Cain at Provo Municipal Council meetings, a group of citizens knew they were heard on Wednesday when the Utah County Attorney's Office charged Municipal Councilman Steve Turley with 10 second-degree felonies and his fellow elected officials asked him to resign. The "exhaustive" official investigation from the Utah County Bureau of Investigations took into account complaints, Turley's activities on the Municipal Council and as a developer and landowner and a request from the city for an ethical investigation, although they only looked at possible criminal activity, not any...

"A longtime L.A. political operative who claims ties to the presidential campaigns of Al Gore, Jimmy Carter and Robert F. Kennedy, Abrams is alleged to have downloaded files from a content sharing website using the alias "Boy Wonder USA."

HOLLAND, Mich. — It seems like just yesterday Holland was basking in the glow of being named one of the happiest places in the nation. But those smiles may be a bit strained. Some people are painting Holland as unwelcoming after its City Council recently voted against adding sexual orientation and gender identity to its anti-discrimination policies. The fallout is drawing criticism far beyond the waterfront community’s borders. A Facebook page calling for a boycott of the city has more than 1,000 members. But it also could have ramifications for Holland-area businesses. Being perceived as intolerant could hurt local companies’...

The Cedar Falls, Iowa city council voted to take the keys of residents to enter their businesses and some residential properties for the sake of "security." This is clearly government in over-reach mode and is unconstitutional. The next meeting is set for June 13th.

And on the fifth day, they rested. It's a wild notion: Would the Los Angeles City Council really go so far as to cut an entire day out of the workweek for all city-run agencies? The LA Daily News thinks it's a real possibility, and Councilman Bernard Parks is having the Budget and Finance Committee take a good hard look at it, what with the $40 million city deficit and all. (So... We're going to briefly make this a selfish thing and complain about how we already can't get a hold of L.A. city politicians, attorneys and myriad secretaries --...

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. -- Some city commissioners in central Florida want to replace the stacks of paper they get before meetings with something more state-of-the-art -- the iPad. Ormond Beach's city commissioners say their plan to have the city buy the mayor and four commissioners iPads will save taxpayers money. Every two weeks, city leaders get stacks of documents before meetings at city hall. Officials say the paper alone costs $1,100 a year. The five iPads could cost around $3,250. It's not the first Florida city to phase out paper. Palm Coast city leaders replaced printed documents with iPads earlier...

An investigation has been launched into the behavior of a member of the city council in Vancouver City, Wash., after she lost her cool at a meeting when people wanted to argue over a light rail plan, ordered one member of the public out of the room, ordered the council chairman to "gavel down" a constituent, and ordered a colleague on the council to "Shut up!" The situation developed as members of the public were in attendance to express concerns about a light rail program. Harris told one speaker not to address individual members of the committee, and when he...

FREMONT, Neb. — A Nebraska city suspended its voter-approved ban on hiring or renting property to illegal immigrants, but opponents still want a federal judge to block the ordinance until all legal fights are resolved. Groups challenging the ordinance are expected in court Wednesday, a day after the Fremont City Council voted to suspended the ban. City officials said delaying the ordinance would save the city money as it fights lawsuits filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska and the Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund. The groups, which call the ban discriminatory, along with attorneys for...

Growing number vow not to do business in AustinAUSTIN (KXAN) - The city council’s decision to boycott travel to Arizona is resulting in organizations and individuals boycotting the city of Austin in protest. A growing number of political organizations, including the Odessa and Burleson Tea Parties, have decided not to do business with the city of Austin until the council resends the Arizona boycott they passed a few weeks ago. “We will try to minimize what the city gets from our stay there,” said Hood county Republican Party Chairman Randy Shelton. “We will not stay in hotels inside the city...

Earlier this month, I hosted the first of what I intend to be regular Tea Party Patriots meetings in my community. One of the roles considered for our newly formed group was monitoring local units of government by organizing volunteers to attend city council meetings, town halls, school board meetings, county commissioner boards, etc. Responding to my report of that meeting, Moorhead City Councilman Luther Stueland left a message worthy of forwarding: I cannot agree more with your comments regarding local government. As a newly elected liberty-minded council member, it is astounding the amount of control local governments can have...

You sometimes have to wonder about the city of Boston. Here we are in the midst of Marine Week 2010, with our servicemen and women everywhere–in fact the Marine Band has been all over the city, and I’ve been fortunate enough to see them three times in as many days... Sights and sounds that simply swell my being with pride, and choke me with unshed tears. And in the midst of all that, the City of Boston pulls something like this: The Boston City Council today passed a resolution ordering the city to yank any investments in Arizona companies in...

The D.C. Council has passed a measure to legalize medical marijuana, sending the bill to Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty. Under the measure passed Tuesday, the nation’s capital would join 14 states that allow medical marijuana. Patients with chronic illnesses such as AIDS or cancer could obtain marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation. It would be given out at five to eight distribution centers.

"Some D.C. Council members are looking to prevent police from joining a federal fingerprinting program that allows authorities to check the immigration status of people they arrest, officials said Tuesday," according to WJLA. [click on WJLA for full story]

Some D.C. Council members are planning to propose legislation that would prevent police from joining a federal program designed to catch illegal immigrants by matching fingerprints of arrestees against a database, officials said. The District announced it was joining Secure Communities in November, but as the Washington Examiner reported earlier this month, the program has yet to get under way because police say they have run into technical difficulties. Now, Councilmen Jim Graham and Phil Mendelson say they are sponsoring legislation that will prevent the program from ever being implemented. They plan to introduce it May 4. Police Chief Cathy...

LYNNWOOD — Lawns with grass taller than 8 inches are now illegal in this city. Placing the restriction on unsightly yards was one of several steps the City Council took on Monday to tighten up its nuisance ordinance. Provisions also were added to rules governing overnight parking of trucks in residential areas and “mother-in-law” apartments. “It is unfortunate that this ordinance has been tagged as the ‘grass ordinance,’ since there is only a couple of lines in the whole ordinance addressing lawns,” Councilman Loren Simmonds said. “This is not government weighing in on little people. We are simply trying to...

When it comes to "the progressive, activist social agenda being pursued by the D.C. Council," District residents are on board -- at least in the majority-white areas, according to a Washington Post poll conducted last month.

... The drive for gay marriage is ... forcing unwanted change within the Catholic Church. Last month, Washington D.C.'s City Council passed legislation legalizing gay marriage. Mayor Adrian Fenty, a Democrat, quickly signed the bill. To become law—which could happen as early as March—the legislation must undergo a congressional review period. By passing gay marriage, the City Council has put the Catholic Church, or more accurately, the Archdiocese of Washington, in an awkward position. Either the church will have to recognize gay marriage or it will be forced to abandon a large portion of its charitable programs. That's because the...

On the surface, it might seem like Jacksonville City Councilman Clay Yarborough is a real-life Grinch. He votes "nay" more often than his 18 other council colleagues, opposing public funding for feel-good initiatives like after-school programs, affordable housing and historic preservation. Most of the time, he's the sole dissenter.

The D.C. Council on Tuesday passed a same-sex marriage bill on a final vote of 11-2, prompting public witnesses in the Council chambers to erupt into cheers and extended applause. D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray allowed the applause for several seconds, then banged his gavel as the noise subsided and reminded the crowd that demonstrations are not allowed in the chambers. He chuckled as the crowd laughed in response. The bill, which could be signed by the mayor as early as tonight, must go to Congress for a review period of 30 legislative days before it becomes law. "Today...

The Washington City Council voted Tuesday to legalize same-sex marriage in the nation's capital. The bill will be given to Mayor Adrian Fenty, who has expressed his support and vowed to sign the bill. If the mayor signs it, Congress will have 30 days to intervene before it would take effect. It is considered unlikely that the Democratic majority on Capitol Hill will block the bill Tuesday's second vote was needed to send the measure to Fenty. The council passed the bill in an 11-2 vote December 1. If the measure becomes law, Washington will join Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and...

Tuesday December 1, 2009 D.C. Council Overwhelmingly Approves Same-Sex "Marriage" Law By Kathleen Gilbert and Peter SmithWASHINGTON, DC, December 1, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - By a lopsided majority, the District of Columbia City Council voted this afternoon to approve legislation that opens the legal definition of marriage to include homosexual couples. The vote went through despite strong protests from the city's religious leaders who said that the law violates individual conscience rights and religious liberty. The "Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009" passed on the first vote by an overwhelming 11-2 margin. The measure was predicted...

RICHMOND | The governors of Virginia and Maryland, both Catholics, said Tuesday that it would be wrong for the church to suspend or reduce social services in the nation's capital if the District approves gay marriage. Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley criticized the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington's response to the District's gay marriage proposal during a joint appearance on Washington radio station WTOP. The D.C. Council is expected to approve gay marriage next month. The archdiocese says that unless the proposal is amended to add a religious exemption, its Catholic Charities won't be able to continue...

The D.C. City Council took one step closer to allowing same sex "marriages" in the District of Columbia on Tuesday when they voted the legislation out of the Committee on Public Safety & Judiciary. The panel refused to include protections for religious organizations--putting at risk the numerous churches in the region that provide goods and services to the needy who would have to decide between their faith or compliance with the city's commands. One of the largest area provider of relief services, the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, took a stand yesterday, just as their counterparts in Massachusetts's had done in...

The D.C. Council is considering a law forbidding discrimination against those in gay marriages. The law would apply to all groups that have contracts with the District, including Catholic Charities, one of the city's largest social services providers. The Archdiocese of Washington says that because of the Church's opposition to same-sex marriage, it would have to suspend its social services to the poor, the homeless and others rather than provide employee benefits to same-sex married couples or allow them to adopt.

A cluster of socially conservative Houstonians is planning a campaign to discourage voters from choosing City Controller Annise Parker in the December mayoral runoff because she is a lesbian, according to multiple ministers and conservatives involved in the effort. The group is motivated by concerns about a “gay takeover” of City Hall, given that two other candidates in the five remaining City Council races are also openly gay, as well as national interest driven by the possibility that Houston could become the first major U.S. city to elect an openly gay woman

The D.C. Council introduced a marriage equality bill on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. Public hearings were held on Oct. 26 and Nov. 2 and supporters of marriage for same-sex couples significantly outnumbered those who testified against it. The full Council is expected to take an initial vote on Dec. 1 with a final vote by the end of the year.

WASHINGTON - D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty's use of government resources to facilitate his recreational activities isn't limited to a police escort while he trains with his bike team. The mayor has used a federal Homeland Security vehicle to transport himself and his bike to at least 14 races in the past two years. The District's Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency has two large SUVs, which are detailed to the city from the U.S. Government Services Administration. According to records obtained by WTOP through the Freedom of Information Act, the mayor's Executive Protection Unit has signed out one or both...

Greenbelt, a city that prides itself on its heritage as a New Deal-era social experiment, is finding its commitment to inclusiveness tested as two black candidates contend for seats on its all-white City Council in Tuesday's elections. Until this year, only two blacks had ever run for the council and none had been elected, even though blacks account for nearly half the 21,000 residents of the 6-square-mile city just outside the Capital Beltway, according to the most recent census estimates. Asians and Hispanics make up 20 percent. The disparity has caught the attention of the American Civil Liberties Union and...

Kevin Chavous is an African American and former Democratic city council member from Washington, D.C. He says he’s an Obama supporter, but he is distinctly unhappy with the president. Elections may have consequences, but no one expected that the White House would be so brazenly petty as to allow poor minority children in the nation’s worst school district to become the victims of political score-settling. That’s exactly what happened when the Obama administration killed off the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program several months ago. Of course, if the White House thought that it could pay off the powerful teachers’ unions, and...

The woman who successfully sued to have a Bible removed from a Harris County courthouse display is now suing to stop city council from opening meetings with prayers that she believes are too Christian. Kay Staley, a real estate agent and lawyer, argues religion and prayer are private matters that don't belong in government. She sued the city and Councilmember Anne Clutterbuck, saying the council's prayers are so overly Christian they violate the First Amendment separation of church and state. Clutterbuck was singled out for saying the Lord's Prayer. ...(Staley) argues the prayers are coercive to others who won't speak...

When Justin Tevis recently met with the Santa Barbara Police Officers Association to seek the union’s endorsement, he thought the meeting would be about ways to solve the city’s crime and gang violence problems. Instead, he was immediately handed a document with a pay scale showing how much Santa Barbara police officers made in comparison to similar-sized cities. He was stunned. In fact, reforming public employee salaries and pensions is among the top things on Tevis’ list of reforms if elected to the Santa Barbara City Council. “These are huge lobbying groups,” Tevis said. “These are huge power groups.” Tevis...

<p>The city of Lodi is facing a possible lawsuit after the City Council voted to support a policy of saying prayers before council meetings.</p> <p>After the vote Wednesday, an official with the Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation repeated the group's threat to sue the city.</p>

My Dear Activist Friends in Philadelphia, I have spent as much time on the city budget and the impact of the federal budget on Philadelphia as anyone here--and for more than 25 years. In 1980, I led a town meeting in South Philadelphia on the Reagan Budget cuts that was later blasted in a column by Pat Buchanan as 'fomenting class warfare.' I helped Mayor Wilson Goode coordinate the town meetings on the City budget that propelled him to run for Mayor. As a Councilman, I reported regularly on what the Reagan cutbacks were doing to us as a city....

Local city council invocations ...

As yet another exhibit in the ongoing argument against government education, I offer this video which was sent to me by one of my students. Two points. First, this partially explains why California is bankrupt. Second, you want to turn over your healthcare to the government that produced this girl’s worldview? It’s no wonder Obama won…

Brilliant Woman Solves All of California's Problems It's nice to see that Miss Teen South Carolina is trying to make a difference now that she's all grown up.

It's not easy having to choose between religion and education. Some would even say it's not fair. But for those people whose religious holidays aren't recognized by the public school system, that's the choice they have to make. Yesterday, the City Council's Education Committee advocated to eliminate that dilemma -- at least for Muslim families. The committee passed a resolution that would call upon the city Department of Education to incorporate two major Muslim holidays into the school calendar. The committee has also been pushing for the introduction of a state law that would require schools to close on those...

If you don’t understand the uproar in Friendswood about the city’s plan to issue $11 million in debt without voter approval, just ask yourself a couple of questions: What if city leaders are completely right about the legal question? Is it still a good idea to borrow money without asking voters for their approval? Is a good idea to obligate them when they have clearly indicated they want a say about any debt they’d be responsible for? City officials have asked a judge in Travis County for a ruling that says the city can issue certificates of obligation to finance...

FRIENDSWOOD — The city has asked a Travis County judge to say it is legal for Friendswood to issue $11 million in debt without voter approval. The city had planned to issue $11 million in certificates of obligation to fund roads, parks, an animal shelter and a records building, but some residents said the city charter prohibited the city from issuing certificates of obligation. While bonds require voter approval, certificates of obligation do not. The city charter was amended by voters in 1997 to prohibit the city from issuing debt without voter approval that it could not finance from its...

Not only does the City Council rake in nearly $180,000 a year, but they use taxpayer money for eight free cars per council member, and each of them employs a huge personal staff of 19 to 25 people. That's about 320 employees, costing Angelenos millions of dollars to support. Compare that figure to the White House Office Staff of 480. Yesterday, as City Hall squabbled over its groaning $530 million budget deficit, the City Council came under attack in the Daily News from Antonio Villaraigosa's spokesman Matt Szabo, who accused the 15 council members, even at a time like this,...