A Yakima City Council meeting to be specific. Coverage is available from the Yakima Herald-Republic and via video. Predictable gloating from the local liberal blogs - some of it more cogent than others - is here, here, and here.
Putting aside the Yakima-specific issues Eyman was speaking to, he was shaky ground for two reasons:
1) Legislative bodies have the right to conduct business in the manner they see fit and are ultimately responsible only to their own constituents - and the law - for such decisions. If a city council wants to cut off someone's public testimony, particularly a non-resident, if they deem it inappropriate that's well within their right. Eyman's apparent belief he had the right to say whatever he wanted in front of them was more than peculiar.
2) Speaking of what Eyman wanted to say, his real complaint was the local paper's refusal to run a guest op-ed he had authored on the Yakima City Council-related issue we discussed here. Beyond the basic concept of editorial discretion, many a non-major media market paper chooses not to publish guest columns from all persons outside their community, some even extend that "no non-locals" policy to Letters to the Editor (though the Herald-Republic appears to have offered Eyman that opportunity). Eyman just isn't on solid ground when he takes time to publicly complain that a Yakima paper isn't interested in publishing his thoughts on a local issue to which he has no clear tie.
Thus, what is the point of using public comment time at a Yakima City Council meeting to read an unpublished opinion column? City Council meetings are not a public forum to say whatever one pleases; they are a gathering for the people's representatives to conduct the people's business. Speaking to something not related to that business and then refusing to yield when one is gaveled down is not exactly behavior that elicits much sympathy.
Similar incidents and events are no small part of the reason Eyman's reputation is what it is despite an admittedly outstanding track record of getting initiatives past passed that either a) restrain taxes or b) hold government accountable. His is a self-inflicted wound.
Councils usually have a section at the beginning of the meeting for citizen comments. They are given 3 minutes to talk. Just because the council didn't like the topic doesn't mean they should abandon their format. Believe me that Eyman's comments weren't the most irrelevant to events in Yakima as some I have heard through the decades.
And your comment regarding "people's business", I believe, is too narrow. City councils are indeed, as you say, for the people's business, but they have also traditionally been the "public meeting place" which expands its purpose. I believe it is the latter that the public comment portion of the agenda is for.
If it was just for "people's business" why honor Boy Scouts, or Girl Scout Troup PPP or any one of a number of organizations that traipse through the council meetings. They are hardly business but they sure function as a public meeting place.
I think that if more councils and people understand the role of government (to include the meeting as a public meeting place) we would have more involvement in our governments.
That said, why did Eyman do this? Why not just gracefully just shut-up? Of course, on the other hand, I know many electeds that relish the idea of stomping on their own citizens and get away with it because no one is involved.
Posted by: swatter on December 7, 2007 07:29 AMEyman did get his way, though.
Posted by: swatter on December 7, 2007 09:33 AMThis is a made-for-show action from both sides. Spare us the drama folks. It reminds me of the hyperventalating that comes with almost every Goldy post at HA.
Posted by: Jeff B. on December 7, 2007 10:11 AM
Here's some perspective for who are interested:
Here's a link to the press release sent to Yakima's media outlets Tuesday evening which fully explains what happened. It was during the public participation portion where any citizen can talk about any topic for three minutes. It speaks for itself:
http://www.permanent-offense.org/Yakima.pdf
I went there to calmly read the column I wrote which the Herald had refused to print and then walk out the door. I had come to town for this:
http://www.yakima-herald.com/page/dis/293449945858212?print=1
The Herald and I came to an agreement where they will print a short version of my column and include in it a URL link to the complete version -- http://www.permanent-offense.org/Yakima.pdf -- a fair compromise.
If you watch the video ...
http://video.syndication.msn.com/v/Legacy.aspx?g=e7c6894a-e2db-4f2e-afc9-0bb4cf9ea5c7&mk=en-ap&f=wayak&fg=email&partner=en-ap
... you'll see me smiling broadly as I read the opening sentence: "As this city's highest ranking Unelected representative, I want to comment on the Ensey/Bonlender thing." The Yakima Herald made a big deal about the Mayor, the highest ranking Yakima official, asking Ensey to resign. It was my way of responding to that.
I thank him for many of his initiatives, but this is really stupid and does him nor our causes any good. Even if the Council was out of line, this was not the way to deal with it.
Posted by: cliff on December 7, 2007 12:50 PMBig deal Tim wanted to get his opinion out there. Tim's problem was he is right and he is white and in this day and age defenders of the status quo like Eric and this council think they are the mighty and brave. Thank god (small g god) that Tim at least was not heard here they were all thinking. Give me a break on the reason! These councils are as viscous as it can get and they could not take a few minutes from Tim?? Pass the pampers! We got peoples lives to run without this non-sense of elections and initiatives. Let the Supremes tell them they are confused shout these councils!!!
I can't imagine without this single finger in the dike fighter where we'd be. I'd like Adam "Chicken S" Kline to tell me where I can cut!!! These mighty and brave council members can't take it for 3 minutes or some goof ball with a newspaper is more worried about the fall out from letting Tim point out a few things than just letting the op ed run. What was he worried about not getting his favorite seat at the buffet place or something??
Oh so mighty a land we have where even Eric must get his pile on in. His Holiday Season Cards (uh er Chistmas Cards around other places) must have frowny faces on them so he too is working to help us confused folks see the darkness uh wait I mean the light!! (and get back into those good moderate graces I guess) Thanks Eric!! I had no idea what an a$$ this man was!! Happy Faces all around now. I am going back to my confusion!
Bottom line folks Tim is Tim is Tim and Tim is the ultimate giver in customer service in this state. He gives the people what they want and no one need to apolgize for who he is or is not. Fake Repubs do and Queens do need to lie at us all the time because they want to give us crap, they want us to shut the hell up!! They hate democracy, they hate life.
Fake Repubs and Dems proove it everytime and goofy little pile on posts like this are perfect examples and goofy little councils like Yakima's are like this. You watch for Eric to start piling on Dino Rossi folks, you watch (is that a pun in light of Tim's business???)
State employees have a Union that protects them
Tax payers have a Union rep named Tim Eyman who protects them from out of control and inefficient spending plus Joel Connelly general sillyness
Given the foolishness that passes for thoughful input on the public channels of Seattle, King County, Washington State, and SCAN, Tim's performance was "perfectly normal, perfectly acceptable"
Someone appears to have had a Paul Andrews movement
(Paul normally has well written articles and books about software and computers but when he deviates into social comments, things go sideways)
The presiding officer under Roberts Rules of Order and most City Council Rules is allowed discretion to shut someone up. HOWEVER, I'm surprised some other Councilor sympathetic to Tim did not jump up and make a motion to overrule to Presiding Officer. That can be done. If that motion is seconded, then there is a vote. A majority would overrule the Presiding Officer.
Perhaps someone in Yakima who follows the Council can recall an example of where the Mayor allowed Public Comment unrelated to City Business. If so, you could make it politically embarrassing for the Mayor that
"Free Speech at a Yakima City Council Meeting is only allowed if it is something the Mayor approves of."
Sheesh...what's 3 minutes anyway.
At least Tim didn't call the Mayor an "A$$HOLE"!
Did ya Tim???
never was there profanity or calling anyone a name. Here's my offending line that the Mayor called the cops on:
"But rather than be a man and accept the voters rejection (again), Bonlender and his de facto public relations machine, the Herald, have railed and moaned for weeks."
The Mayor, the highest ranking elected official, used the city council chambers a few weeks ago to read a speech asking the Republican to resign. So I used the line "As this city's highest ranking UNelected representative" to satire the Mayor. So it's OK to criticize a Republican but not OK to criticize a Democrat (Bonlender). a total double standard.
My statement was calmly read during a 3 minute public participation period when any citizen can say anything about any topic not on the normal agenda.
Today the Yakima Herald basically said I'm scum but even scum have First Amendment rights:
Eyman's harangue should've been allowed to continue
www.yakima-herald.com/page/dis/294341751585772
And from my comments above, you know I supported your rights and felt the City should have just given you the 3 minutes and moved on and gave reasons why.
Posted by: swatter on December 7, 2007 03:34 PMyou asked "is it even that big of a deal?"
my response? it shouldn't have been. I went there to read a three minute statement on an issue I felt some connection to (Ensey's situation compared to the 10 year media witch hunt against me, my own screw-up 7 years ago, the lack of balance by the Herald, the fact that Ensey's spouse embarrassed him where I've embarrassed my wife for years, the fact that Ensey's thing ain't a big deal because some blog that maybe six people read didn't swing a 53-47% election, the blog connection, if you read what I wrote then you'd know why I wanted to weigh in, etc).
It wouldn't have been a big deal if they'd let me finish my 3 minute statement but having not raised my voice, not used profanity or said anything not within the confines of normal political free speech, they made it a big deal.
If they'd let me finish, the public access channel in Yakima would have recorded something that my fellow Yakimaniacs could have heard and considered.
You may not feel connected to your hometown but I do. I'll always be proud to be a Yakimaniac and I felt strongly that something was happening in my hometown that I wanted to comment on.
Some may wonder why do an initiative on $30 tabs, aren't there more important things. why do an initiative on property taxes, performance audits, making it tougher to raise taxes, maybe others don't see those as a big deal. But we shouldn't live in a country where others get to decide what is OK and not OK to feel strongly about.
It's called free speech, baby. Use it or lose it.
Posted by: Tim Eyman, proud to be a Yakimaniac on December 7, 2007 05:43 PMI am a litte disappointed that he didn't clarify that he grew up in West Valley, not in the city of Yakima, though.
Tim is our union rep, and we ought to thank him for it.
No doubt learned his craft at his daddy's knee, who I used to terrorize Olytown and Dee Cee with when we were young men.
You go, Tim.
The Geezer
Posted by: The Geezer on December 7, 2007 06:53 PMHowever, the council and their fragile sensibility got the best of them for, at the particular moment in his speech they voted to boot him, he had not said anything out of line by any reasonable person's measure and because of that, it is city council who is the issue. They say he was being disruptive but that's not true, but he was only being disruptive in their minds, not in reality. The true reason is they simply did not like the topic he had chosen to speak on nor did they like his message and that just isn't a good enough reason to stop him from speaking.
Also, Tim received much more media coverage than otherwise and he got his message out anyway.
Eyman wins again.
Posted by: Tim L. on December 7, 2007 08:02 PMKeep doing what you do!
Posted by: GS on December 7, 2007 09:02 PMTim had the right to say whatever he wanted. They infringed on that right. Yakima was wrong; Eric is wrong, and Tim L. hits it on the head: Eyman wins again.
Posted by: Hinton on December 7, 2007 09:07 PMI'll grant you that I've only watched Tacoma City Council and don't know how things operate in Yakima. But in these parts, we have restrictions. You can't walk up and reel out profanities for three minutes, belch the alphabet, or advertise a candidate or initiative. Clearly, the city council speech limitations are under what most Americans would call, formally or informally, "free."
(With a little like "Eyman gets tossed in Yakima," I was expecting - and hoping for - something a little more drunken. Mr. Eyman, you disappoint.)
Posted by: Benjamin Johnstone-Anderson on December 7, 2007 11:49 PMYou wrote: You can't walk up and reel out profanities for three minutes, belch the alphabet, or advertise a candidate or initiative.
Response? And nothing I had said or was about to say was anything like that. Calmly reading from a statement on a local issue, no profanity, no name-calling.
Core political free speech protects citizens (or at least its supposed to) from government shutting them down when the citizen calmly criticizes their government or its officials.
Posted by: Tim Eyman, West Valley native on December 8, 2007 09:09 AMI tried to make it clear that I was referring to swatter's post, not yours. Sorry if there was confusion. I was simply making the point that "free speech" in such a forum is limited and that you couldn't say anything that you wanted to. I meant for no other inferences to be made.
Posted by: Benjamin Johnstone-Anderson on December 8, 2007 11:10 AMkeep the pressure on, and dont listen to goldy & co, they're not normal.
Posted by: chardonnay on December 8, 2007 01:56 PMYou might want to worry less about someones ego and worry more about your taxes!!!
I do not agree that we have to kiss anyones ass to get our message across. And I certainly don't believe we should go groveling and begging to anyone in order to be heard. Screw them. They're liars, manipulators and theives. They will never compromise. EVER!!
The only way to win is to keep the pressure on them. Look how Crissy jumped on the property tax issue after Rossi spoke out. LOL! That was great.
It's like he's already the governor.
She does not like bad press. Remember that.
GO TIM
GO ROSSI
Where's my g.d. money?
Posted by: WVH on December 8, 2007 06:55 PMFrom what I hear from many of the callers to that station I think there might be some more city council changes next year. I know its not any kind of reliable indicator but a good many folks in Yakivegas are a bit torqued off about it.
it will be interesting to see if they follow through...
Posted by: M167A1 on December 11, 2007 04:35 PM