Elk Grove City Council take note - Throwing shade from the dais will get you called out, mocked
https://www.elkgrovenews.net/2019/04/elk-grove-city-council-take-note.html
While Elk Grove Mayor Steve Ly had a terrible night on the dais during the Wednesday, April 24, city council meeting, another council member had an equally, albeit, more subtly lousy evening.
That council member, who we shall not name - he knows for himself - took several from an Elk Grove resident. This resident, Lynn Wheat took the opportunity to ridicule this council member in several subtle and more blatant ways - see video below.
For those not familiar with Ms. Wheat, she has been a fixture at city council meetings since Elk Grove's incorporation in 2000 and has tirelessly advocated for environmental issues, fiscal responsibility, and smart land planning - the antithesis of almost everything the City of Elk Grove and the city council stand for. Even pro-development advocates like Joshua Wood of Region Business have acknowledged while he may be the polar opposite of Wheat, she is tenacious, knowledgable and deserving of the utmost respect.
If you have any doubt, ask Mr. Tom Waltman.
For as long as Wheat has been attending and speaking at meetings, and it should be as an Elk Grove Mayoral candidate in 2012, she has taken potshots from various members of the public, and more significantly, the city council. In the last few months, one city council member has been particularly disrespectful.
Some of the disrespect has included picking his nails during Wheat's public comments, yawning, and gulping water while she spoke. Wheat had noted this disrespect and has thrown shade on this council member when he was presented with a cup of coffee during a January 2019 meeting.
On Wednesday night, Wheat subtly ridiculed this council member on three instances.
To help guide the viewer of the video below, here is an explanation of the ridicule Wheat directed at the council member, as well as the actions of the city council.
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| Will Grover appear at the grand opening of the Swimmin' Hole? |
Wheat's first remarks came during public comment when she ridiculed the city's handling of the soon-to-open aquatics center or swimmin' hole as some are now calling it, and reminded them of uninspiring design of the facility. Wheat reminds the city council their project is over budget and behind schedule, but at least we can have Grover show up for the grand opening.
Throughout her remarks, Wheat sips on a large bottle of water - the same disrespect the council member has thrown at her. In the context of Mayor Ly's problems with yielding time during public comment, she also ridiculed that evening's city council fiasco.
In her next comments during consent calendar items, Wheat took direct aim at the shade-throwing council member and visibly picked at her nails. For her final display, Wheat seemingly mocked the shade throwing council member by exaggerated flailing of her and hands and arms like an auctioneer.
So for city Elk Grove council members or any elected officials for that matter, remember when you throw shade at the people you are supposed to represent, especially when conducting the people's business, don't be surprised when they throw it back.
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2 comments
Oh, Lynn Wheat, the late Tim Russert would be so proud of you – I still miss my Sunday morning ritual with Russert on Meet the Press.
Anyhow, Russert would often say, paraphrasing, that you could call a politician “fat, ugly, stupid, an idiot” and they wouldn’t give a damn. However, if you ridicule them, they will remember it forever.
Why does ridicule work so well? In this observer’s opinion, ridicule strips the political adversary of his/her mystique and prestige.
As we saw at this week’s Elk Grove City Council meeting, regarding Mayor Steve Ly’s behavior, ridicule can be a healthy part of democracy, it can weaken the tyrant.
And a message to the council member who would rather “pick his fingernails than listen to a speaker,” one would hope you would rise up, grow up, and terminate your childish behavior as a lot of people, as evidenced by the last council meeting, are now on to your petulance and will call it out every time it occurs.
In closing, Lynn, you standing in silence at the podium just taking a drink of water, your loud statement was your collective payback, that last laugh, empowered the powerless.
Bravo to you, Lynn Wheat!
If memory serves me correctly, was is not Mr. Hume who would pontificate from the dais about the Rotary Club's Four Way Test? You know, the fourth item which says "understanding, goodwill, and peace" and so forth?
Ooops, that's right, again if memory serves me correctly, Mr. Hume was run from the Elk Grove Rotary for violations of professional conduct.
Perhaps this explains his boorish behavior.
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