OPINION: Lead by Example? Current Cerritos City Council Lacks Fortitude

By Brian Hews

The city councils below all agreed that one of their colleagues deserved censure. As you read on please note that some are very close to what Mayor pro tem Barrows committed after a council meeting June 4.

Gloria Kappe, Jim Edwards, Paul Bowlen, and Laura Lee voted to censure John Crawley for email violations.

The Hawaiian Gardens City Council, in a 3-1 vote, censured Councilmember Barry Bruce for violations of council policy regarding the conduct and decorum for council meetings and council norms and procedures.

West St. Paul City Council censured council member Ed Hansen over allegations he was “aggressive” and “confrontational” to people who were working at two houses that are for sale next to his.

The Coopersville City censured one of its own member for verbally attack one of the Downtown Association’s merchants.

The City Council of Stockbridge voted to censure Mayor Lee Stuart, who council members accuse of harassing city employees and disrupting the government’s functions.

The Pekin City Council is censuring Councilman Tom Blanchard for violating the city’s code of conduct and e-mail policy.

Wilkinsburg councilman censured, stripped of vice presidency Wilkinsburg council voted to censure council member John Thompson for intimidating several borough employees about their job security.

The Helena-West Helena City Council voted to censure a city councilman accused of sending a racist e-mail.

”Helena city councilman said city officials are monkeys running a zoo,” said city council member Marvin Jarrett.

There are many more, but you get the picture.

It is very interesting that this current city council has done nothing to admonish Barrows for his actions June 4. Does Barrows know something about each council-member that he is holding against them? How does one explain the lack of action? The lack of comments by council-members in contrast to the many comments aimed at John Crawley is also interesting.

I just spoke to a resident that received a letter from Code Enforcement about a car in their driveway that “looked inoperable”. The letter threatened to bring that person in front the council and admonish them.

So if you have an old car in your driveway you get dragged in front of council, if you (admittedly) assault a resident you become Mayor.