To the Editor:

When you published my letter last week, I promised I would continue to voice my opinions.  Thank you for the opportunity.  Unfortunately I have too many words again so I will offer the Mayor and Council constructive ideas next week.

Madam Mayor, morals are a person’s standards of behavior.  There is such a thing as right and wrong.  It is important to me that government be done right and I will continue to pursue those who have crossed the line.  And Madam Mayor, because of your own personal conduct of late,  I will not debate you regarding morals.  You might have some somewhere some time ago.

I confess that I know very little about atheism.  And since you are a committed atheist, I must ask, when you say the Pledge of Allegiance, what do you do when you get to “under God”?  And when you took your oath of office?   And why do you allow invocations at Council meetings if you do not believe in God?   I assume that you are accepting the U.S. legal tender.  How can you handle money with “ In God we trust” printed or embossed on every denomination?  You, Madam Mayor,  are a hypocrite.

Madam Mayor, you are responsible for running city Council meetings.

So, when Setterstrom, Odgers, and Switzer verbally attacked a council member about her keeping them after hours and accused her of sexual harassment, you sat by and let the assault go on for nearly an hour…….

So, when Setterstrom rattles on for 45 minutes about things so unimportant no one can remember what the topic was and in the next breath he says “these meetings last too long”, you sat by and did nothing…..

So, when a city employee requested a transfer to another department,  Judge Coster assaulted her work ethics and abilities during a public comment period, you sat by and did nothing…..So, when a motion is made, you allow so much confused discussion that the people are confused as to the exact wording of the motion, you sit  by and ignore requests for clarification…..So, when people complain in meetings that they cannot hear, you sit by and do nothing…..

You said my letter to the Editor is embarrassing to the City.   You should be embarrassed, Madam Mayor.  If you watched a video of your meetings you would see what I see: a bunch of professional idiots who have no regard for the laws.  You are disrespectful and the elected officials, attorney, and administrator are the ones who deserve to be embarrassed.

I do believe that you and city council members have made up your mind about issues before they are even discussed in an open meeting.   I received a phone call that you, Odgers, Switzer, Setterstrom, Gardner, and Hanson met to discuss putting the city attorney and administrator under contracts. They fear losing their jobs when the new Council is seated in a few weeks. Here again, Madam Mayor, you are breaking the law.  I understand that this agenda item, along with many others, was removed from the agenda for the meeting held May 25th.  Perhaps you got wind that the contract item was illegal (maybe for being discussed in an illegal meeting, maybe because you allowed the City attorney to write his own contract, maybe because ???…).  Having been found guilty of violating the open meeting laws 4 times in the last six months, I find it hard to have confidence in you and the Council. Congratulations to Councilwoman Pat Robison for recognizing the violation and the courage to submit the complaint to the Attorney General.  And congratulations to the Attorney General for ordering that you, the Council, City Attorney, and Administrator attend training in the Open Meeting Laws.  After training, you should have no excuses for inventing your own laws.

Thank you for the opportunity to voice my opinions. Next week, part 3.

Lin Burleigh