How Elk Grove and other elected officials disrespect constituents, stoke cynicism for their own purposes
Longtime Elk Grove City Council observers undoubtedly understand and have seen firsthand how elected officals disregard and disrespect constituents during public comments. Elk Grove has a long and glorious history of disrespecting speakers, whether it be former City Councilmember Pat Hume trimming his fingernails and avoiding eye contact with speakers he disagreed with, city council members texting, or, more recently, Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen calling a constituent a liar.
Unfortunately, this practice is not confined to Elk Grove. Similarly, this disrespect from elected officials is across the political spectrum from ulta-progressives to hard-core right-wing elected officials.
And not to make too fine a point of this, it is not about policy disagreements. It is outright disrespect directed at constituents.
They just can’t be bothered if it takes them away from their agenda or the devotion, some might say enslavement, to their mobile computing devices that they can not let go of even as their constituents petition them for their attention.
Below are four videos of comments from constituents about how elected officials disrespect them.
The disrespect towards constituents by elected officials will go on unabated. Unfortunately, disrespect generates cynicism that generates discouragement, which invariably leads to unengaged citizens, which is fine with them. After all, if no one is looking, elected officials and their bureaucrats can do anything they want.
Nonetheless, please take a few minutes to look at these videos and ask your elected officials what they have done to improve your quality of life.
1. ) These comments were made today and directed at the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors.
2.) During public comments at the Ranco Cordova City Council meeting, this speaker not only criticized the city council for having sidebar conversations during constituent comments, but she also noted one member was often unprepared. Does that sound like anyone from the Elk Grove City Council?
3.) A female member of the Sacramento City Council, or perhaps a staff member on the dais, was told by this speaker they looked like they were asleep. The speaker directly asked the person to focus their eyes on him>
4.) Even though the culture wars have, for the time being, settled down at the Elk Grove Unified School District board meetings, one person earlier this year presented video evidence showing a trustee eating on the dais and touching up their makeup (2:00 minute mark).
