Posted on 10/05/2010 6:15:26 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
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 questioned the censorship she appeared to be suggesting, she stated, "This is our meeting and we'll have it the way we want it."
When the speaker again mentioned a council member's name, she erupted, "What are you doing?"
She ordered the chairman to "Gavel him down. Gavel him down. Gavel down."
Harris eventually left the meeting while it still was in progress, only to return after its conclusion and berate other members of the council.
"You do not chastise me like that," she warned, prompting the comment from Councilwoman Jeanne Stewart, "You need to go somewhere and get sane. Go somewhere and fix yourself ... You need to settle down."
Harris' response? "Shut up!"
According to the Oregonian, Harris, whose antics have brought considerable unwanted attention to the city, was out of the country on a fellowship but issued an apology, stating she, "behaved in a manner that is not normal for me."
Mayor Tim Leavitt in a statement to the newspaper came her to defense, saying the videos have resulted "in more of a condemnation of Councilmember Harris than is deserved."
But the newspaper reported locals are so upset they've demanded her removal from office.
(Excerpt) Read more at wnd.com ...
Willie Green’s sister perhaps?
What a bunch of jokers! These individuals are pathetic excuses for leadership. Especially the female fat councilwoman needs thrown out for disrespect to citizens and to freedom. Hey...all you LIBs in Washington, vote these bums out.
Having been a citizen activist attending out of control school board meetings in the early 90s, (school district had drunken, incompetent, former banker Supt. of Education), I know what it is like to sit for hours while the board gives awards, back slaps, brown noses etc. and then be treated rudely at a "public" meeting. Most of our board members were really decent people, but there was a cartel that clung to power by any means necessary. The ringleader was a battleaxe former school secretary who was beligerent to any opposing view. It was truly discouraging to sit for hours then be rudely interrupted.
YouTube is your friend! Wish we'd had it then!!!!
“This is our meeting and we’ll have it the way we want it.”
Says it all.
Jeanne Harris
Council Member
My wife and myself witnessed exactly this same attitude, same identical protocol if you will at the Council meetings of the City of Carson in California in 1995 as we attended several of their meetings trying to save the business, the jobs of twenty people the City was focused upon destroying.
Anybody that raised a hand to be called upon for input at their meeting was put down, and if they insisted to be heard by raising their hand again was ushered out of the meeting by security. NOBODY was allowed any input. Multiple citizens were thrown out of the meetings we attended.
It was one of the most incredible experiences of Leftism at work we have ever encountered.
We lost our business, and had to lay off everybody just prior to Christmas 1995.
First of all, this is World Nut Daily attempting to catch up with a story that is weeks old and has been posted here several times already.
Next, the name is Vancouver, not Vancouver City.
Last, the public hearing was last Thursday and it will not be approved until the City Council meeting on the 11th.
What a cranky beyotch she turned out to be. Fascinating.
Sorry you lost your business and had a bad experience at a public meeting.
This is SOP by some at publict meetings. It was before the internet and YouTube, but I'll bet that meeting had some very YouTubeable moments!
Could you do me a favor? Call me Councilor. I worked so hard to get that title. I’d appreciate it... and another thing.. Who do any of you think you are questioning my-, err... OUR decisions?
HAHAHAHAHHAHA! That’s funny.... WILLIEGREEEEEEEN!
“VANCOUVER COUNCIL POSITION 3
Jeanne Harris, Incumbent (D)
Anne McEnerney-Ogle, Challenger (D)
Both candidates voted in the 2008 Democrat Presidential Primary.”
We need to help everyone learn the Sunshine Laws and push for the right to video every public meeting.
In my local community, one of the three township supervisor’s husband is the township solicitor. He has already crossed the line far enough to cause big problems. I am just waiting my time to let allow the whole mess to blow up as financial transactions have been pushed through in favor of the solicitor’s family members. Even biased zoning laws.
I already talked to the attorneys on the state ethics board and reviewed the bar association ethics guidelines. Now I am just letting the solicitor take a big enough bite to hang himself and lose his legal license in the process. And, possibly be required to return several years legal fees. What a nightmare when they have to reopen several years township ordinances for review and hold him liable for the damages. The key is to make them uninsurable for malpractice coverage in the future thus limiting their power.
Everyone, make yourself aware of the Sunshine Laws and the government agencies responsible for judicial review, and ethics violations. Most important, learn to file formal complaints against your municipal auditors for not performing proper compliance testing on federal contracts administered by the municipality. The CPA’s will be between a rock and a hard place as they do not want to lose their licenses by not following up on known problems! If they pass on disclosure on a known problem, they are liable financially for damages. The tools are there to make the corruption transparent by using their tools against them.
Scare people honest if you must by showing that their individual exposure is not worth getting involved in the corruption. It’s easier than you think.
Yeah, I saw this when it was first reported, on Drudge as I recall. BTW, WND didn't call it "Vancouver City," unless the article has since been corrected. It must have been a transcription error by the poster. Second, the news hook here is the fact that an investigation has been launched on the incident, and citizens are now demanding this triple B's ouster.
Sounds like the HOA I’m in...
What a cnut!
And my point is that I live in Vancouver, Washington; and the “investigation” such as it was, concluded last Thursday, and the entire Council will vote on the results October 11th.
Council Critter Harris is going to be removed from a couple of committees, and absolutely noone here expects her to resign much less expects Council to call for her recall. She cannot be “ousted” without a dead body handy, and we are nowhere close to that level of misconduct, so that call from whomever is making it is simply misguided.
Still, let’s all welcome WND to last month...
The Mayor looked like a wimp.
This kind of behavior would not fly in my town. The council lady and Mayor would be toast after an episode like this.
The radio interview that she did the next day was great (with Lars Larson-there is a link at the end of the original you tube video) He told her that he sent the tape of the meeting to Bill O’Reilly.
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