Elk Grove Vice Mayor Ly Condescends Constituents, Overly Accommodating to Monied Interest

Elk Grove Vice Mayor Steve Ly..

At last Thursday night's joint meeting of the Elk Grove City Council and Planning Commission, Vice Mayor Steve Ly put on a blatant display of hypocrisy.

Ly, who conducted the meeting for an absent Mayor Gary Davis, was condescending to constituents, while being more than accommodating to a real estate developer. 

In the video posted below, Elk Grove resident and smart planning advocate Lynn Wheat was speaking during the public comment portion of the proceedings. Almost immediately after her allotted three minutes had lapsed, Ly abruptly interrupted Wheat mid-sentence and flatly said "please wrap up."

Of course, it probably didn't help Wheat's cause that she was criticizing the financial, and political influence developers have on the general plan update, which was the sole agenda item for the joint meeting. But rules are rules, and Wheat ran over her three minutes, so Ly enforsed the rule and abruptly cut her off.

But is the three-minute rule consistently enforced? As you will see in the video, no, it is not. 

Ly, to paraphrase George Orwell's Animal Farm seems to think all people are equal, but some are more than equal than others. 

  

Following Wheat was attorney and housing developer advocate Tim Taron who addressed the joint panel and when the three minute mark buzzer goes off, he proceeds as if nothing happened. Ly, for his part, was suddenly silent - no "wrap it up" - he just let Taron drone on threatening the city's development plans for two more uninterrupted minutes.

When Elk Grove resident Sharon Lynes called Ly on the inconsistent treatment of speakers, Ly said he will allow speakers finish their points and go a few seconds over. As you see from the video, Ly was lying.

Of course, anyone who has watched Elk Grove City Council for any length of time can see Ly is simply following the well-established practice of councilmen disrespecting anyone who speaks truth to power. If you are a Granite Bay or El Dorado Hills monied interest and can help fund a campaign, you are more equal that mere residents who live here and are working to make sure Elk Grove isn't more of a dumping group for fast food joints and low-quality projects than it already is.

For all of Ly's talk about wanting to represent the people at city hall, he is just another hack for the home builders and fast food operators. Ly is a lying hypocrite.