The Council's School Yard Bully Policy

City council decided to explore the idea of requiring two signatures for an item to be put on the city agenda.

Let me be clear, this is a bad idea wrapped up in slick rhetoric.

While it may be an old expression that rules are meant to be broken, the reality is that rules are meant to protect the minority.

Before I get into all the ways this is a terrible policy, lets start with speaking a little truth to power.

Council should be honest about what this rule really is. It really should be called the We Are All Sick of Lily Limon Rule. Anyone who doesn't realize that this is a rule that is one big giant city-sanctioned F-U to Limon is either lying or stupid.

I can't even call it "thinly-veiled" with a straight face. This is overt. You know how you know? Because they require two signatures. Typically Limon only has one ally on council and its Representative Robinson. So she will usually be a short vote unless another council member agrees to sign off.

And what does that create? Something for the other reps to hold over her head.

Has Limon earned it?

Yeah, probably. Maybe if she were just less obstructive and nicer to people they wouldn't dislike her so much, but the whole seating thing wore everyone's patience thin, including the public.

But does it make it right? Hell no it doesn't.

Lets get into why this is a terrible idea. First of all, it doesn't pass the smell test. What problem are you really solving? Oh the meetings last too long?

Give me a break! I'm sorry your one-day a freakin' week job that you campaigned for in the first place is inconveniencing you by forcing you to be there so long. Boo-freakin'-hoo. Hell the city is only open 4 days of the week as it is!

Thats why its called public SERVICE.

Is it done at other levels? Yeah sometimes. Do I even need to give the if-other-levels-of-government-told-you-to-jump-off-a-bridge sermon?

But every level of government uses rules to screw over someone else. Especially in state and federal government. Its almost a blood sport how state and federal government use process to kill something rather than use it to facilitate good government.

Plus other levels of government have a whole lot more members that can be approached to sign off on a bill. Literally there are hundreds to choose from. Council has 7, 8 if the mayor can be one of the people to sign off. So you essentially need 1/4 of council to sign off to even have something put on an agenda. That is why its slick rhetoric wrapped around a bad idea. Because no legislature would require 1/4 of its body to sign off on a bill in order for it to be filed.

I can't believe that was a serious argument.

Frankly I think Limon gives a crappy argument against the policy as well. Walking quorums are the easiest thing to get around and the hardest things to prove. You're better off trying to prove the Loch Ness Monster is loose in the Rio Grande. Representatives always talk amongst themselves before an agenda item is discussed in council, including Limon. I know that for a fact.

This is a policy that is usually done by school boards and municipalities that can't get along and it is almost always done as some slick way to screw over someone in the minority. In fact, the intent is typically much more sinister. It is meant for the majority to be able to ram home their agenda with basically no lube and provides the minority with no way to offer their own policy initiatives.

Would you like an example? Well I'm glad you asked. You know who does crap like this?

This guy:

For those of you that don't recall, that is former Socorro City Council Cappo Jesse Gandara, Jr. He calls himself "El Teflon" these days. I know, leave it to a Gandara to think mafia nicknames are a good idea, but really he's the only one that refers to himself by that name on his little fake Facebook page that everyone knows he runs. Most everyone else just calls him Little Jesse.

Gandara spearheaded this exact rule while he controlled the majority on Socorro City Council. He made the EXACT same argument about how it made the meetings more efficient. But really, it was just a way to ensure that his council nemesis Maria Reyes was prevented from putting forth agenda items.

Point blank it was a way to oppress the opposition and minority.

School yard bullying at its finest. All the popular kids are picking on the slow, poor, fat kid with piojos.

I get it, Limon is a pain in the rear for you sometimes. I get it. No one really debates that.

You guys aren't the first group of people to have co-workers you don't like. Figure out a better way to deal with it than this.

Every one of the efficiency enhancements that were packaged in this argument can be implemented without requiring two signatures.

Two signatures is one more ally than she has on council. So the bullies get to take her homework from her and hold it over her head, just out of her reach. Nice, way to go city council.

What problem is really being solved here?

None, other than the rest of council can get out of their meetings a little faster.

This essentially undermines the spirit of free speech. It disenfranchises the constituents that are represented by Representative Limon. If they don't like her being a time-waster they can always vote her out. Trust that constituents are smart enough to pick their own leaders. They shouldn't have their voice minimized by a Gandara-style ploy at oppressing the minority opinion.

Give me a freakin' break.