Posted on 12/12/2008 7:55:40 AM PST by SmithL
The city of Oakland no longer operates under a representative democracy - it's now a monarchy.
And within the confines of that form of government, any criticism or disloyalty directed at the king - whether real or imagined - is dealt with.
Consider the case of Anne Campbell Washington, an assistant city administrator who resigned her position last week under unrelenting pressure from the mayor's office.
Her crime: She gave an affectionate hug to an elderly woman who spoke at a City Council meeting against a Dellums appointment to the city's housing authority commission in early October.
When word of Campbell Washington's treason got back to the mayor's office, it didn't matter that the woman was a relative. Nor did it matter that Campbell Washington was widely recognized as one of the most capable people connected with the mayor's office.
The hug, which took place before the woman spoke, was quickly misinterpreted as an overt act of disloyalty by unidentified members of the mayor's staff and Campbell Washington's fate was sealed. The affectionate hug raised suspicions that Campbell Washington had helped prepare the woman for her address to the council, said one city official.
"I don't think she was ever confronted directly, but it was made very clear to her that it was a whisper campaign," said another City Hall staffer.
The news of Campbell Washington's departure last Friday cast a pall over the next staff meeting, where people just sat dumbfounded and speechless.
"When someone like Anne leaves, it's like losing bone from the body of the organization," the staffer added.
Campbell Washington's ill-timed hug fed the rumor mill and spawned a campaign that led to her resignation. It also revealed the petty nature of some of the mayor's closet advisers - and helped illustrate the absolute chaos...
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Obama will rule the same way.
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