[00:00:03]
[ CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Bill Wells]
GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO THE ALCOHOL CITY COUNCIL MEETING.THE MEETING IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER, AND I'D LIKE TO ASK OUR CITY CLERK TO PLEASE CALL THE ROLE COUNCIL MEMBER MITCHELL IS ABSENT ALL OTHERS PRESENT.
WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND WITH ME FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND AFTERWARDS REMAIN STANDING FOR A BRIEF MOMENT OF SILENCE, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THE CITY CLERK POSTED ORDERS OF ADJOURNMENT
[ POSTINGS: The City Clerk posted Orders of Adjournment of the March 11, 2025, Meeting and the Agenda of the March 25, 2025, Meeting in accordance to State Law and City Council/Housing Authority/Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency Policy.]
OF THE MARCH 11TH, 2025 MEETING AND THE AGENDA OF THE MARCH 25TH, 2020, 2025 MEETING IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE LAW, CITY COUNCIL AND HOUSING AUTHORITY POLICY.THERE ARE NO PRESENTATIONS ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
UM, STAFF, DO YOU HAVE ANY AGENDA CHANGES? NO, SIR.
[7. CONSENT ITEMS: Consent Items are routine matters enacted by one motion according to the RECOMMENDATION listed below. With the concurrence of the City Council, a Council Member or person in attendance may request discussion of a Consent Item at this time.]
ITEMS, CONSENT ITEMS, AND ROUTINE MATTERS ENACTED BY ONE MOTION ACCORDING TO THE RECOMMENDATION LISTED BELOW WITH THE CONCURRENCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER OR PERSON IN ATTENDANCE MAY REQUEST DISCUSSION OF A CONSENT ITEM AT THIS TIME.COUNCIL MEMBER, DO YOU WISH TO PULL ANY OF THE CONSENT ITEMS? OKAY, STAFF? NO.
UH, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THEN TO APPROVE THE CONSENT ITEMS. SECOND, PLEASE VOTE.
AND FOR THE RECORD, SIR, THERE WERE NO, UM, SPEAKER CARDS FOR CONSENT ITEMS. THANK YOU.
AND MOTION CARRIES BY UNANIMOUS VOTE OF THOSE PRESENT.
[ PUBLIC COMMENT: At this time, any person may address a matter within the jurisdiction of the City Council/Housing Authority/Successor Agency to the El Cajon Redevelopment Agency that is not on the Agenda. Comments relating to items on today’s docket are to be taken at the time the item is heard. State law prohibits discussion or action on items not on the Agenda; however, Council, Authority and Agency Members may briefly respond to statements or questions. An item may be placed on a future Agenda.]
COMMENT.AT THIS TIME, ANY PERSON MAY ADDRESS A MATTER WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL HOUSING AUTHORITY SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO THE ALCOHOL REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY THAT IS NOT ON THE AGENDA.
COMMENTS RELATING TO ITEMS ON TODAY'S AGENDA ALREADY BE TAKEN AT THE TIME THAT THE ITEM IS HEARD.
STATE LAW PROHIBITS DISCUSSION OR ACTION ON ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA.
HOWEVER, CITY COUNCIL AND HOUSING AUTHORITY MEMBERS MAY BRIEFLY RESPOND TO STATEMENTS OR QUESTIONS, AND OF COURSE, AN ITEM MAY BE PLACED ON A FUTURE AGENDA.
AND, UM, ONE THING I WOULD, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS IN HERE I HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE, AND I I IMAGINE MANY OF YOU WANNA SPEAK, UH, THIS ROUND OF SPEAKING IS PUBLIC COMMENT IS NOT RELATED TO AN AGENDA ITEM.
SO IF YOU, IF YOU WANNA SPEAK ABOUT A SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEM, GO AHEAD AND WAIT FOR THAT TO COME UP.
FOR RIGHT NOW, WE'RE LOOKING FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS ABOUT ANYTHING GENERAL TO DO WITH THE CITY OR THE CITY COUNCIL.
SIR, WE HAVE SIX, UH, SPEAKER CARDS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
HI THERE EVERYBODY ICON, THERE WE GO.
I'M FIRST, UH, RE RECENTLY STEVE WENT TO A LEMON GROVE SPECIAL MEETING REGARDING THE COUNTY'S MEGA SLEEPING CABINS PROGRAM IMPLEMENTED WITHOUT THE LEMON GROVE RESIDENCE CONSENT WITH USEFUL YET COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT STATS.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE COUNTY DOES NOT CARE WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T WORK, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE VERY EXPERIENCED AT WHAT DOESN'T WORK.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE COUNTY'S WINDSOR POINT MESS AND CARLSBAD HAS CAUSED A SERIOUS SAFETY TO DISASTER FOR RESIDENTS.
THERE, EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT THE COUNTY WILL BRING TO LEMON GROVE WITH 72 SLEEPING CABINS.
IT'S GONNA BE THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT EL CON'S SMALL SLEEPING CABINS PROGRAM HAS ACHIEVED SO MANY.
WERE FURIOUS WITH STEVE, AS WELL AS WITH PATRICIA DILLARD AND JACK SHU FROM LA MESA, FROM MAKING AN APPEARANCE AND EVEN BEING ALLOWED TO SPEAK AT THE BEGINNING, WHICH CAME ACROSS AS MORE BACKROOM DEALS JUST FYI NEXT SOME OVERDUE TRANSPORTATION NEWS.
THERE MAY SOON BE THREE NEW TAXES COMING OUT TO FUTURE VOTING BALLOTS.
TS IS SEEKING A TAX OR TWO, INCLUDING A NEW ADDITIONAL $10 VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEE TO FUND THEIR FAILED PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM.
SANDAG WILL ALSO BE SEEKING YET ANOTHER TAX, AND WITH THEIR RECORD OF COVERUPS, CORRUPTION, COERCION, FACO AND FLUBS, I CAN'T SEE ANYONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND SUPPORTING ANY OF THESE TAX SCHEMES, ESPECIALLY WHEN PEOPLE FIND OUT THAT SANDAG WANTS TO PUT MANAGED TOLL ENDS ON EVERY SINGLE HIGHWAY IN THIS COUNTY.
SOME MAY CLAIM IT'S JUST A DRAFT PLAN OR IT'S JUST HOV LANES, WHICH CAUSE TRAFFIC, BUT WE ALL KNOW THIS HAS ALL BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
AND REGARDING MY SEEING STEVE AT THE SANDAG JOINT MEETING, UH, THAT MEETING WAS HELD AT THE CALTRANS BUILDING WHERE THERE'S SECURITY, UH, WAS DEMANDING EVERYONE PRESENT AN ID TO ENTER A PUBLIC MEETING THAT WAS AN UNLAWFUL IMPEDIMENT.
AND IT SHOWS THE HYPOCRISY OF THOSE RUNNING THE STATE WHEN THEY'RE WHINING
[00:05:01]
ABOUT NOT CO COOPERATING WITH ICE FOR THE UNDOCUMENTED ONLY PAPERS.PLEASE FOR US AMERICAN CITIZENS AND TO SUMMARIZE FULL THOUGHTS ON SB 54 TO QUOTE ST.
AUGUSTINE, AN UNJUST LAW IS NO LAW AT ALL.
PHIL SAID IT'S AMERICA'S COMMITMENT TO RULES AND LAWS THAT MAKE AMERICA DIFFERENT AND MAKE PEOPLE WANNA COME HERE.
THE REST OF THE WORLD IS STEEPED IN NEPOTISM, CORRUPTION, OPEN BRIBES, NO ACCOUNTABILITY, ET CETERA.
HOWEVER, MORALLY AND ETHICALLY, I'D SAY WE'VE BEEN HEADING THAT SAME DIRECTION FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHY WE NEED TO START BEING THE LIVING EXAMPLES OF THE CHANGE WE WANT TO SEE SELF-RESPECT NEEDS TO COME BACK INTO STYLE.
AND MICHELLE, THE WORD SHE WAS LOOKING FOR REGARDING BILL AND GARY IS MANIPULATION, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE AT ANY AGE.
ALL IT TAKES IS A SKILLFUL DECEIVER AND A WILLING RECEIVER.
AND I ACTUALLY SHARE A CONCERN THAT MICHELLE HAS EXPRESSED THAT THIS COUNCIL'S BECOMING INCREASINGLY PARTISAN AND POLITICAL.
UH, AND WHEN I SAY INCREASINGLY, I MEAN IT'S JUST BECOMING MORE AND MORE OBVIOUS IN WORDS AND ACTIONS.
IT'S THE TYPE OF NONSENSE THAT I'M USED TO WATCHING, LIKE A CAR CRASH AT THE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, BUT I ACTUALLY DO NOT WANT TO SEE AT THIS CITY COUNCIL LEVEL IN ANY CITY.
SO I HOPE THIS MEETING IS GONNA BE THE LAST ONE WITH BLATANT POLITICAL POSTURING.
AND THAT'S NOT MAKING A POLITICAL STATEMENT, I'M JUST SAYING WHAT I DON'T WANNA SEE.
MR. JOHNSON, ARE YOU HERE? OH, BACK THERE.
UM, WE HAVE A, UH, DO WE HAVE THE MIC? YEAH.
UM, HOW ARE YOU DOING? LET'S SEE IF THAT MIC MICROPHONE'S WORKING.
HEY, I'M DISABLED AND FOR SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS I'VE BEEN TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, GET TO YOUR FACILITIES, UH, HELP ASKING QUESTIONS AND STUFF, BUT I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE ONE PERSON WORKING ON IT.
I DID TALK TO TRACY YESTERDAY AND SO SHE REMEMBERS MESSAGES THAT WERE SENT TO HER EMAILS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT STILL PEOPLE DIDN'T FOLLOW UP.
UM, YOU HAVE PHONE LINES THAT WEREN'T WORKING.
I UNDERSTAND YOU MIGHT HAVE THAT STUFF WORKING NOW, SO IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR SOMEBODY DISABLED TO GET, YOU KNOW, THE CITY'S ATTENTION OF OTHER PROBLEMS. YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO ONE DEPARTMENT, NO ONE PERSON, AND YOU DO TALK TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
I SENT A BUNCH OF MESSAGES TO YOUR COUNSEL, UH, PEOPLE.
I DID GET ONE LADY THAT DID RESPOND OR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, I JUST FOUND THE INFORMATION.
IT JUST TOOK ME A LITTLE WHILE TO FIND IT.
BUT OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW, GETTING PEOPLE TO RESPOND IN ANYTHING REALLY HAD NO, NOT MUCH LUCK.
NOT KNOWING WHO REALLY TO CONTACT AND, AND BILL WELLS.
I TRIED TO GET AHOLD OF YOU, I GUESS, YOUR OFFICE AND TRY DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT LIKE I SAID, EVEN YOUR, SOMETIMES YOUR VOICEMAILS DON'T WORK RIGHT EITHER, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY ARE NOW.
I UNDERSTOOD THAT MAY BE A POSSIBILITY YOU MIGHT HAVE DONE SOMETHING WITH YOUR PHONE SYSTEM HERE IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO.
SO I HOPE IT'S A LOT BETTER, YOU KNOW, BUT LIKE I SAID, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME.
WELL, AS FOR MYSELF, MR. JOHNSON, I'D BE HAPPY TO MEET WITH YOU SOMETIME.
UM, YOU CAN LE LEAVE YOUR NUMBER.
I'LL, SOMEBODY WILL GET BACK TO YOU.
I'LL GET BACK TO YOU TOMORROW.
OKAY? I'D BE HAPPY TO MEET WITH YOU AND TALK TO YOU.
I APPRECI WAS THERE ANYTHING SPECIFIC THAT YOU WANTED TO ASK? UH, NOTHING.
THANKS FOR COMING AND THANKS FOR GIVING US FEEDBACK.
I'M HERE ON A TOTALLY DIFFERENT ITEM.
WE ARE, I HOPE YOU GUYS KNOW, CELEBRATING THE OLAF HORS BIRTHDAY ON APRIL 30TH.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO, AND MAKE SURE YOU GUYS ARE ALL INVITED.
UM, IT'S GONNA BE A BIG CELEBRATION AND WE ARE HOPING TO HAVE A BIG TURNOUT.
WHAT, ONE MORE THING WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, IF YOU COULD MAKE A PROCLAMATION FOR A, UH, A OLAF WEEK HORSE DAY FOR THAT CELEBRATION.
GRAHAM, CAN YOU HELP WITH THAT? YEAH.
AND, UM, WHAT, WHAT TIME IS, IT'S AT THE MUSEUM, RIGHT? YEAH, IT'S AT THE MUSEUM FROM THREE TO SIX.
UH, IN CASE THERE'S PEOPLE THAT ARE WATCHING ON TV THAT WANT TO GET TO A WEBSITE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT OR PHONE NUMBER OR WEBSITE? UM, IT, THERE'S A, IT'LL BE ON THE WEBSITE.
WE'RE SENDING OUT INVITATIONS, SO EVERYBODY'S INVITED.
[00:10:12]
HEY, BRENDA.MR. MITCHELL, HAPPY SPRING AND
I'M MISSING A COUPLE COLORS, BUT I RAN OUTTA BREATH, SO JUST TO REMIND YOU, THAT RED AND BLUE MAKE PURPLE.
I KNOW THAT SOUNDED VERY GOOD PURPLE, BUT THAT'S ALL I HAD.
SO, UM, JUST, AND THEN I'LL, YOU'LL HEAR MORE LATER, BUT JUST REMEMBER THAT, 'CAUSE THIS IS THE, UM, AFTER ALL THE UNITED STATES, RED, WHITE, AND BLUE.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NOT HERE, UH, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE CONCERN ABOUT PARTISANSHIP.
AND JUST TO GIVE YOU CONTEXT FOR MY COMMENTS, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, I BELIEVE IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN MARTHA, THAT, THAT TALKED ABOUT THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.
WAS THAT YOU? MARTHA? MARTHA, MA'AM.
SHE BROUGHT AN ELEPHANT FOR Y'ALL LAST, UH, COUPLE LAST MEETING, AND I BROUGHT MINE AND SHE TALKED ABOUT THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.
AND I WANTED TO CLARIFY MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE DEFINITION IS A BIG ISSUE THAT'S SO OBVIOUS TO EVERYBODY AND EVERYBODY SEES IT, BUT NO ONE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT'S CONTROVERSIAL OR DIFFICULT.
SO FOR ME, THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM IS WHY HAS THIS COUNCIL RECENTLY BECOME SO PARTISAN? NOW, I'LL BE HONEST, I'VE ONLY BEEN FOLLOWING IT SINCE JANUARY, BUT I'M PRETTY SHOCKED TO SEE, LIKE EVERY TIME I LOOK AT THE AGENDA FOR ONE THING, I SEE, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER PARTISAN BILL POPPING UP.
AND IT'S LIKE, WHY ARE WE SPENDING SO MUCH OF OUR LOCAL RESOURCES ON CONTROVERSIAL, SOMEWHAT DIVISIVE, UH, ISSUES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE STATE.
SO FOR ME OR THE FEDS, SO FOR ME, THE, THE ELEPHANT IN, IN THE ROOM IS THIS PARTISANSHIP MEANS THAT SOMEBODY IS RUNNING FOR A HIGHER OFFICE.
THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO ME.
AND THAT THEY'RE USING THEIR POSITION ON THE CITY COUNCIL TO, UH, TO CAMPAIGN AND THEY'RE WASTING RESOURCES.
AND I, I REALLY WANNA URGE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO LOOK CLOSELY AT THE CITY CHARTER AND SAVE YOURSELVES BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THE, THE, THIS PARTISAN ACTION IN ADDITION TO BEING WASTEFUL IS, UH, POSSIBLY AGAINST THE, UM, UH, CITY MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT THAT YOU HAVE HERE IN EL CAJON, WHICH IS INTENDED TO AVOID THAT AND KEEP A PROFESSIONAL, UH, CITY GOVERNANCE THAT IS SPENDING ITS TIME ON THE IMPORTANT ISSUES OF THE CITY AND NOT SPENDING IT, UH, TIME ON AS WE'LL SEE TODAY, EVEN IRRELEVANT, UH, UH, LARGER ISSUES THAT DON'T, AREN'T WITHIN CITY GOVERNANCE.
SO, I'M SORRY I CAN'T GIVE YOU MY, UH, MY ELEPHANT BECAUSE, UH, MY GRANDKIDS STILL, UH, LIKE IT FOR NAP TIME, BUT A MOMENT OF ZEN FOR EVERYBODY.
LAST SPEAKER FOR PUBLIC COMMENT IS DAISY MOLINA.
HI, GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR WELLS AND THE WHOLE COMMUNITY AT LARGE WOW.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE TIME.
TODAY, I HOPE TO SHARE SOME LIGHT AND RELEVANT COMMUNITY NEWS WITH THE COMMUNITY HERE.
I WANTED TO INVITE EVERYONE TO I, I REPRESENT PARKWAY PLAZA.
IF I DIDN'T SAY THAT, MY NAME IS DAISY, I'M THE GENERAL MANAGER OVER THERE.
I STARTED AFTER COVID AND WE'RE REALLY DOING WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO TO GET THE COMMUNITY AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON AT PARKWAY PLAZA.
SO WE HAVE A COUPLE EVENTS I WANTED TO SHARE.
WE'LL BE HOSTING OUR STANDARD EASTER EGG EXTRAVAGANZA.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO GAMES, GIVEAWAYS, SUPPORT FROM REROLL, PANDORA BOX LUNCH, AND, UM, PARKS AND RECS.
SO COME OUT, GET THE KIDS OUT.
IT'S AT THE BEGINNING OF SPRING BREAK.
THAT'S WHEN WE USUALLY LAND IT.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE HAD THAT ON YOUR CALENDAR.
THEN WE HAVE APRIL 12TH, THE NEXT SATURDAY.
THIS IS BACK TO BACK SATURDAY.
WE'VE GOT OUR FIRST EVER EID FESTIVAL.
NOW TELL ME YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT EID IS.
COME ON OVER TO PARKWAY, WE GOT SOME EDUCATION FOR YOU.
WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE HAVING SOME VENDOR MARKETS.
UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER ON THIS FIRST EVER E FESTIVAL.
IT'S, UM, RELEVANT FOR THE COMMUNITY.
I APPRECIATE EVERYONE COMING OUT.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYONE.
[00:15:01]
THANKS FOR COMING, SIR.WE DID RECEIVE ONE MORE SPEAKER CARD WITH YOUR PERMISSION.
HEY, GOOD TO SEE YOU, MY FRIEND.
I DID TELL YOU THAT I'D SNEAK IN HERE AT SOME POINT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ACTUALLY ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO WHEN IN THE HEIGHT OF THE, THE COVID EPIDEMIC OR PANDEMIC, YOU, YOU HAD THE FREEDOM RALLY OUT THERE.
AND THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAD A CHANCE TO SEE YOU SPEAK.
AND IT WAS, IT WAS A GOOD EXPERIENCE.
IT FEELS, IT SEEMS LIKE A LIFETIME AGO.
YOU KNOW, I WAS, I WAS JUST ACTUALLY IN, UH, IN, IN, UH, DOWNTOWN AND, YOU KNOW, IRONICALLY, YOU KNOW, CAMPAIGN ADS, WHATEVER LITTER IS, WHAT IT BOILED DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS PARTICULAR ONE IS FOR THE UPCOMING, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY WITH THE, HOW NORA VARGAS VACATED HER, HER RESPONSIBILITY, HER, SHE, SHE, SHE LEFT TOWN.
OKAY? UH, SO THERE'S OBVIOUSLY GONNA BE SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT ARE VYING FOR THAT SEAT.
AND YOU KNOW, THE, THE MESSAGE THAT I TOLD YOU WHEN I WANTED TO CREATE A BETTER WORLD, UH, I'M NOT KIDDING.
AND, AND WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO, YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT, WHAT EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM HERE IS GONNA AGREE UPON IS TO ESSENTIALLY TAKE THE MONEY OUT OF THE POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS.
THIS, THIS PARTICULAR PIECE OF GARBAGE.
UH, NOT TALKING ABOUT THE THE HATE, BUT I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THE LITTER, UH, AD PAID FOR BY THE SAN DIEGO WORKING FAMILIES AGAINST PALOMA AGIRI FOR SUPERVISOR 2025.
I MEAN, I, I'M, I'M A WORKING MAN, UM, WORKING FAMILIES, I SUPPORT THEM, AMERICAN WORKERS, THAT TYPE OF THING.
BUT WHAT I AM NOTICING IS SAYING IS REALLY OUR, UH, OUR COUNTRY, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE FALLING INTO DISREPAIR IN A LOT OF WAYS.
OKAY? UH, THE, I'VE I'VE EXPRESSED IT AS BEING REALLY THE, THE FRUITS OF THIS AS, AS THIS EXPRESSION HAS BEEN GOING LATELY, IT'S, IT'S COMING OUT TO BE, UH, PRETTY MUCH NOT, NOT EDIBLE OR I MEAN A WASTE.
OKAY? WE NEED, WE NEED TO, TO CHANGE A LOT OF THINGS.
AND IF THE CITIZENRY DECIDED TO BE ENGAGED, TO PROVIDE THE PLATFORM BASED ON THE REPUBLICAN FORM OF GOVERNMENT, WHERE THEY SOUGHT POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS, GUIDANCE FROM PEOPLE MAYBE THAT HAVE THEIR SAME VALUES, PEOPLE THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY LIKES TO FOLLOW EACH OTHER ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, WE COULD KIND OF GO ALONG THAT ROUTE, BUT, BUT THEM PROVIDING THE PLATFORM, YOU KNOW, TAKING THE BIG MONEY OUT OF, OUT OF POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS IS GONNA FINALLY SOLVE OBVIOUSLY THAT CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM.
IT'S GONNA ALLOW THESE PEOPLE'S VOICE TO BE HEARD.
THEY'RE GONNA REALIZE THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO LISTEN TO EACH OTHER AS WELL.
THEY'RE GONNA REALIZE MAYBE IF, IF THEY ARE 90 DEGREES, 180 DEGREES OPPOSED TO THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
OKAY? AND THIS, THIS CAN BE DONE, THIS IS, IT WAS THE SAME MESSAGE THAT I WAS TRYING TO GET OUT, YOU KNOW, 2020.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE IS, THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY HERE AND I, I'M GLAD TO BE HERE.
I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK, SIR.
OKAY, WELL, EVERYBODY IS HERE FOR ITEM 12 AND, UH, SO I'M GOING TO MOVE ITEM 12 UP TO BE OUR NEXT ITEM.
WE'LL MOVE EVERYTHING BACK AFTER THAT.
AND REMEMBER, THERE IS, UH, AN EMERGENCY MEETING, UM, THAT WE NEEDED TO CALL FOR AN EMERGENCY DECLARATION.
THAT MEETING IS SET FOR FIVE 30.
AND SO WHEREVER WE ARE WITH THE AGENDA, I'LL PROBABLY INTERRUPT AT THAT POINT.
'CAUSE WE'LL NEED TO OPEN THE MEETING AND THEN WE CAN CONTINUE THAT ITEM.
BUT JUST SO YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT, THESE FOLKS ARE ALL GONNA BE BRIEF AND SUCCINCT AND WE'LL, WE WILL BE DONE BY FIVE 30.
SO I'M GONNA, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS ITEM, BUT BEFORE WE GET STARTED, UM, WHEN WE HAVE THIS MANY PEOPLE IN THE ROOM, UM, SOMETIMES THEY, THE SUGGESTION IS TO CUT THE SPEAKING TIME DOWN IN ONE MINUTE.
I THINK THAT SHOULD BE ENOUGH TIME FOR EVERYBODY AND IT'S, IT'S, SOMEBODY NEEDS A FEW SECONDS MORE THAN WE WILL WORK ON THAT.
BUT LET'S, UH, LET'S TRY TO KEEP EVERYTHING IN THE TWO MINUTES AND, UM, LET'S GO TO THIS ITEM.
WELL, THE SECOND AND LAST LEG, UH,
[12. Resolution Defining Antisemitism and Promoting the Nondiscrimination of All Residents RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council considers a resolution (attached) "recognizing the growing problem of antisemitism in the United States and calling for the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (“IHRA”) Working Definition of Antisemitism and directing the City Manager to ensure that the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism is available as an education resource for City departments to address antisemitism and all other forms of discrimination directed toward anyone within El Cajon."]
ITEM 12 IS REGARDING RESOLUTION DEFINING ANTISEMITISM AND PROMOTING THE NON-DISCRIMINATION OF ALL RESIDENTS.AND OUR CITY MANAGER, GRAHAM MITCHELL, WILL TELL US ABOUT THIS.
THANK YOU MR. MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE
[00:20:01]
COUNCIL, IF WE CAN GET MY PRESENTATION UP, THAT'D BE GREAT.UM, MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AT THE, AT THE LAST MEETING, BOTH, UH, MAYOR WELLS AND DEPUTY MAYOR KENDRICK BROUGHT FORWARD AN ITEM HAVING TO DO WITH A RESOLUTION, UH, DEC DEFINING ANTISEMITISM FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER.
AFTER, UH, TAKING SOME DISCUSSION AND ALSO SOME PUBLIC COMMENT, THE CITY COUNCIL DIRECTED STAFF TO BRING FORWARD A RESOLUTION THAT WOULD DO THAT.
AS PART OF THAT AGENDA PACKET THAT THE MAYOR AND DEPUTY MAYOR BROUGHT FORWARD, THERE'S A SAMPLE RESOLUTION INCLUDED, STAFF INDICATED, UH, AT THE DIRECTION FROM THE COUNCIL THAT WE WOULD BE UTILIZING THAT, THAT RESOLUTION AS THE BASE AND WE WOULD WORK OFF OF THAT RESOLUTION.
UM, STAFF HAS MADE SOME, I'D SAY FIVE SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES TO THE, THE DRAFT RESOLUTION THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE CITY.
AND, UM, I'LL WALK THROUGH THOSE FIVE CHANGES RIGHT NOW.
AND I'VE ALSO INCLUDED IN THE AGENDA PACKET A RED LINE VERSION OF THE RESOLUTION.
SO YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE EVERY SINGLE WORD THAT WAS CHANGED OR WORD THAT WAS ADDED.
SO, UM, FIRST, UH, ONE, THE FIRST THING WE DID IS WE MADE IT ELCON SPECIFIC.
SO WE REFERENCED CITIES, THE FIRST POPULATION.
WE ALSO CALLED FOR THE NON-DISCRIMINATION AGAINST ALL.
UM, AND THIS IS MR. KENDRICK'S DIRECT WORDS, MINORITY GROUPS, REFUGEES, IMMIGRANTS, AND ASYLUM SEEKERS.
SO THAT WAS INCLUDED AS PART OF THE RESOLUTION PER THE COUNCIL'S DIRECTION.
UM, STAFF ALSO IDENTIFIED, UH, THE, THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND EXPRESSION.
UH, WE ALSO STREAMLINED THE RESOLUTION.
I REMOVED ANY REFERENCES TO FOREIGN ORGANIZATIONS.
I TOOK OUT REFERENCES TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THINGS THAT WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER, FOCUSED ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND EL CAJON ISSUES.
UM, I ALSO TOOK OUT ANY OVERLY SUBJECTIVE STATEMENTS FROM THE RESOLUTION, AND SO IT HAS BEEN STREAMLINED.
UM, WE ALSO, IN THE RESOLUTION INCLUDED A REFERENCE TO TWO CITY POLICIES THAT THE CITY ALREADY HAS ABOUT NON-DISCRIMINATION.
SO I THOUGHT IT IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THOSE POLICY STATEMENTS AS PART OF THIS RESOLUTION.
AND FINALLY, UNLIKE THE ORIGINAL RESOLUTION PRESENTED TO US, I ACTUALLY INCLUDED THE DIRECT EXACT WORDING OF THE I IRA'S WORKING DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM.
UM, IT DOES MAKE REFERENCE TO THE CONTEMPORARY EXAMPLES OF ANTISEMITISM, BUT DOES NOT INCLUDE THOSE VERBATIM IN THE RESOLUTION.
SO WITH THAT STAFF IS HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE ABOUT THE DRAFT RESOLUTION.
AND THAT CONCLUDES, UH, OUR REPORT.
UH, ONE THING I DO WANNA SAY BEFORE WE GET STARTED, UM, SOMEBODY SENT ME A, UH, SOCIAL MEDIA POST PURPORTEDLY FROM A GROUP CALLED THE JEWISH VOICES FOR PEACE.
AND IN THAT, UM, POST, THE PERSON WHO WROTE IT SAID THAT IT WAS MY INTENTION TO GIVE ORDERS TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO ARREST ANYBODY FOR A HATE CRIME THAT SAID ANYTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT ISRAEL.
AND I JUST WANNA CLEAR THE AIR THAT THAT WAS, UH, NOT ONLY IS THAT NOT MY INTENTION AND I HAVE NO, NO, UH, WILLINGNESS TO DO THAT.
I ALSO DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT, THAT THAT WOULD TAKE, I, I I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW YOU COULD DO THAT.
SO I, I JUST WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR.
SO IF, IF, UM, IF THAT'S GONNA BE COMING UP TODAY, I JUST, I WANNA SAY LOUD AND CLEAR THAT THAT IS NOT PART OF THIS ISSUE.
MR. MAYOR, IN ADDITION TO THAT, EVEN IF THAT WAS YOUR INTENTION, THERE'S NOTHING IN THIS RESOLUTION THAT I'VE PRESENTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL THAT WOULD DIRECT THAT TO OCCUR.
ALRIGHT, LET'S, UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
WE HAVE, UH, AS OF NOW 39 SPEAKERS.
THE FIRST ONE IS FROM ALBERTO MANSOUR.
PERHAPS THE NEXT SPEAKER CAN GET IN LINE.
THAT WOULD BE JULIE LITMAN AND THEN MICHAEL SIMON.
THANK YOU FOR, THANK YOU FOR OPENING THE FORUM TO ALL OF US.
I AM A MEXICAN-AMERICAN JEW AND BEING A JEW IS EASY.
YOU'RE EITHER BORN OR RAISED AS A JEW.
IT'S NOT EASY WHEN PEOPLE HATE YOU FOR BEING A JEW, NOT BECAUSE OF WHO YOU ARE, BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU ARE BEING A JEW BEING HATED BY PEOPLE ON THE
[00:25:01]
LEFT AND ON THE RIGHT FOR MUCH THE SAME REASON OUR OTHERNESS, US JEWS ARE THE PERENNIAL OTHERS, THE OGS, OTHER RELIGION, OTHER FOOD, OTHER CLOTHING, OTHER LANGUAGE, OTHER COLOR.WE'RE NOT WHITE ENOUGH OR BROWN ENOUGH OR BLACK ENOUGH OR RED ENOUGH, EVEN IF THERE ARE WHITE, BROWN, RED, AND BLACK JEWS ALL OVER THE WORLD.
WE'RE JUST NOT QUITE THE RIGHT IN THE WRITER ENOUGH COLOR.
WE'RE ALSO ALL POWERFUL, BUT NOT POWERFUL ENOUGH.
WE CONTROL ALL THE MONEY, ALL THE BANKS, ALL THE MEDIA, ALL THE GOVERNMENT OF ALL THE WORLD, EVERY SCHOOL AND MUSEUM AND GALLERY AND NEWSPAPER AND TV STATION.
JUST NOT ENOUGH FOR THEM NOT TO BE CONSTANTLY AGAINST US.
THIS, OF COURSE, IS A STEREOTYPE LIKE THOSE, THE INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE ALLIANCE WORKING DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM TRIES TO FIGHT AGAINST THE IHRA DEFINITION PROVIDES A CLEAR AND STANDARDIZED FRAMEWORK TO IDENTIFY AND COMBAT ANTISEMITISM IN ALL ITS FORMS. ADOPTING IT IS CRUCIAL IN SAFEGUARDING JEWISH COMMUNITIES FROM HATE, VIOLENCE, AND DISCRIMINATION, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF RISING ANTISEMITISM TODAY.
UM, BEFORE MOVING TO CALIFORNIA, I GREW UP IN PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, WHERE IN 2018 MY MOTHER'S CLOSEST FRIEND, JOYCE FEINBERG WAS MURDERED.
SHE WAS EXECUTED BY AN ANTISEMITE AT THE TREE OF LIFE SYNAGOGUE WHERE SHE WAS WORSHIPING.
SO IT'S IN HER NAME THAT I CAME HERE TODAY TO JUST TELL YOU THAT ANTISEMITISM IS VERY MUCH ALIVE.
I STAND HERE AS A JEWISH WOMAN WHO BELIEVES IN JUSTICE, COMPASSION, AND THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT FOR EVERYBODY TO LIVE FREE FROM HATE.
THE ADAPTATION OF THE IHRA DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM IS NOT SIMPLY A SYMBOLIC ACT, IT'S A MORAL IMPERATIVE.
ANTISEMITISM IS A PRESENT DAY CRISIS, AND IT'S GROWING.
JEWISH COMMUNITIES LIKE MANY OTHERS, LIKE ALL OTHERS, DESERVE TO FEEL SAFE, RESPECTED, AND VALUED.
AND WHEN WE LET HATE GO UNCHALLENGED, AND WHEN WE LET PREJUDICE AND FALSE ACCUSATIONS FESTER, WE ALL SUFFER.
BY ADOPTING THE IHRA DEFINITION, WE'RE SENDING A CLEAR MESSAGE THAT WE WILL NOT TOLERATE HATRED NO MATTER WHAT FORM IT TAKES.
AND WE'RE ENSURING THAT THE NEXT GENERATION GROWS UP IN A COMMUNITY THAT STANDS UP AGAINST INJUSTICE AND STANDS WITH THOSE WHO FACE DISCRIMINATION.
THIS IS MORE THAN JUST ABOUT THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, IT'S ABOUT OUR SHARED HUMANITY, AND IT'S ABOUT MAKING EL CAJON A PLACE WHERE EVERYBODY, REGARDLESS OF THEIR BACKGROUND, CAN LIVE IN PEACE.
WELL, SIR, WELCOME, UH, MI MITCHELL SIMON, UH, MAYOR WELLS AND, UM, CITY COUNCILMAN.
UM, SO WE JUST MENTIONED ABOUT LETTING HATE GO UN CHALLENGED.
I'M JUST WONDERING HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE, UH, CHILDREN IN COLLEGE OR, UH, HAVE HAD CHILDREN IN COLLEGE? UM, MY SON IS AT, UM, UNIVERSITY OF OREGON, AND I CAME BACK FROM A TRIP FROM ISRAEL AND GAVE HIM A BEAUTIFUL JEWISH STAR PAST OCTOBER 7TH.
HE WON'T WEAR THAT STAR BECAUSE HE IS AFRAID.
UM, IMAGINE YOUR, YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER IN COLLEGE WAKES UP ASLEEP IN THEIR BED AT TWO O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, AND THERE ARE A GROUP OF STUDENTS HURLING PAINT AND BREAKING WINDOWS AND THROWING FURNITURE AND SHOOTING FIREWORKS AT THEIR BUILDING.
THAT HAPPENED ABOUT SIX MILES AWAY AT SAN DIEGO STATE JUST LAST MONTH.
NOT ONLY THAT, THE STUDENTS THAT WERE THROWING GARBAGE WERE GIGGLING, CELEBRATING ECSTATIC ABOUT THE DAM DAMAGE THEY WERE CAUSING.
NOT ONLY THAT, THE STUDENTS WERE YELLING DEATH TO THE JEWS.
NOT ONLY THAT, THEY'RE FILMING THEMSELVES PROUD OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING, LOOKING AND TRYING TO UP ONE ANOTHER IN CREATING MORE DESTRUCTION AND MORE HATRED.
AND ON THE NEWS AND IN THE PAPER, REPORTERS ARE CALLING THIS AN ALLEGED HATE CRIME.
AND I ASK AN ALLEGED HATE CRIME.
I MEAN, IS IS THE ACT OF DESTRUCTION IN YELLING FOR MORE DESTRUCTION AND ESPECIALLY DESTRUCTION OF A PEOPLE NOT A HATE CRIME IS LIKE, IS THIS REALLY A DISCUSSION? UNFORTUNATELY, YES, WITHOUT LANGUAGE THAT EXPLICITLY STATES THAT CALLING FOR THE ELIMINATION OR DESTRUCTION OF, OF A PEOPLE, OF ANY PEOPLE, THESE ACTS AND THESE WORDS ARE MERELY WORDS.
I'VE LOOKED AROUND THIS CITY AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL CITY.
YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL CITY HERE, AND SAN DIEGO STATE IS, IS ONLY SIX MILES AWAY.
IT'S ALSO ABOUT SIX MILES AWAY FROM MY HOME.
UM, I HOPE THAT, AND I URGE YOU TO KEEP THIS CITY SAFE SO WE DON'T HAVE ACTS LIKE THAT AND WE DON'T HAVE PEOPLE TELLING YOUR CHI, TEACHING YOUR CHILDREN HOW TO HATE.
[00:30:01]
THANK YOU SO MUCH.THE NEXT THREE SPEAKERS, AND IF YOU GUYS COULD PLEASE STAND IN LINE AND BE READY TO SPEAK, IT WOULD MAKE IT EASIER FOR US, PLEASE.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS, UH, RAQUEL JACOB ALMEIDA, NICOLE RAMIREZ AND TALIA GOLD.
HELLO, UH, MY NAME IS RAQUEL AND I AM PART OF A SMALL GROUP WE'VE CALLED VOICES FOR PALESTINE.
I'M GOING TO READ A PASSAGE WRITTEN BY MY FRIEND WHO IS PALESTINIAN, AS YOU'LL HEAR.
MUCH OF THIS IS ABOUT THE DEFINITIONS, EXAMPLES OF ANTI-SEMITISM THAT INCLUDE CRITICISM OF ISRAEL AS BEING ANTI-SEMITIC, FOR EXAMPLE, CLAIMING, UH, THAT ISRAEL IS A RACIST ENDEAVOR AS CHARACTERIZED AS ANTI-SEMITIC.
SO HERE IS MY FRIEND'S, UM, WRITTEN RESPONSE.
MY NAME IS TANYA AND I'M A PAL OF PALESTINIAN HERITAGE.
MY FATHER WAS BORN IN THE CHRISTIAN QUARTER OF JERUSALEM AND RAISED IN BETHLEHEM.
MY FAMILY, LIKE MANY OTHERS IN THE PALESTINIAN DIASPORA, HAS DEEP ROOTS IN THE HOLY LAND AS EDUCATORS, FARMERS, AND BUSINESS OWNERS BEFORE WE WERE DISPLACED.
MY VIEWS ON ISRAEL'S ACTIONS AND POLICIES ARE SHAPED BY GENERATIONS OF LIVED EXPERIENCE, ACADEMIC STUDY, AND MORAL CONVICTION.
THESE VIEWS ARE NOT ANTISEMITIC, LET ME SAY THAT CLEARLY MY CRITIQUES OF ISRAEL ARE NOT ROOTED IN PREJUDICE AGAINST JEWS OR JUDAISM, BUT UNDER THE IHRA DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM, THEY WOULD BE MISCATEGORIZED AS SUCH.
THE IHRA DEFINITION CONFLICTS LEGITIMATE INFORMED CRITICISM OF A NATION STATE WITH HATRED TOWARDS A PEOPLE.
IT RISKS SILENCING, NECESSARY DEBATE AND PUNISHING THOSE OF US, ESPECIALLY PALESTINIANS WHO SPEAK ABOUT INJUSTICE.
ANTISEMITISM IS REAL AND MUST BE FOUGHT, BUT CENSORING CRITIQUE OF ISRAELI STATE VIOLENCE DOES NOTHING TO PROTECT JEWISH COMMUNITIES.
IN FACT, IT UNDERMINES BOTH JUSTICE FOR PALESTINIANS AND THE URGENT FIGHT AGAINST GENUINE ANTISEMITISM.
THIS DEFINITION IS NOT GOOD FOR JEWS, IT'S NOT GOOD FOR PALESTINIANS, AND IT'S NOT GOOD FOR DEMOCRACY.
I URGE YOU TO REJECT THE IHRA DEFINITION AND STAND UP FOR FREE SPEECH, MORAL CLARITY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS.
MY NAME IS NICOLE MARY RAMIREZ, PAST VICE CHAIR OF THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION AND CURRENT CHAIR OF THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO'S HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION, WHICH JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO UNANIMOUSLY VOTED YES.
I'VE HAD THE HONOR OF ADVISING, SERVING THE LAST EIGHT MAYORS OF SAN DIEGO, FIVE REPUBLICANS AND THREE DEMOCRATS, AND CURRENTLY ALSO CHAIR OF THE POLICE CHIEF ADVISORY BOARD AND SERVE ON THE SHERIFF'S ADVISORY BOARD.
I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY AS A LATINO, AS A CHRISTIAN MAN BECAUSE I'VE HEARD SO MANY WRONG ARGUMENTS THAT THE IRH DEFINITION FOCUSED TOO NARROWLY ON ANTISEMITISM WHILE RESPECTING, NEGLECTING OTHER FORMS OF HATE AND DISCRIMINATION AS A PERSON OF COLOR.
I CAN TELL YOU THIS IS NOT TRUE, BUT I CAN ALSO ABSOLUTELY TELL YOU THAT THE HATE CRIMES AGAINST THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IS AT ALL TIME HIGH.
JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, SWA STICKERS WERE SPRAY PAINTED ON A JEWISH SYNAGOGUE AND TWO CHRISTIAN CHURCHES.
JEWISH STUDENTS ARE NOT SAFE AT OUR REGIONS.
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AND HAVE BEEN THREATENED AND HARASSED.
NAZI HATE MATERIAL HAVE BEEN PLASTERED AROUND JEWISH NEIGHBORHOODS AND TEMPLES THREATENING JEWISH FAMILIES.
IN MY OVER 60 YEARS OF STATE, COUNTY AND CITY SERVICE, I'VE NEVER WITNESSED SUCH HATE AND THREATS TOWARDS THE JEWISH COMMUNITY.
AND NOW MORE THAN EVER, WE NEED THE IHRA AS I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT ADOPTING THE IHRA DEFINITION WILL ENCOURAGE GREATER ATTENTION TO ALL FORMS OF HATE AND DISCRIMINATION.
AS A LATINO AND CATHOLIC MAN, I HAVE BEEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF HATE AND BIAS ALL MY LIFE, SO I AND SO MANY OTHERS STAND WITH THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, WHICH HAS NOT FACED SUCH HATE AND ATTACKS SINCE THE HOLOCAUST.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO.
I'M A RECENT GRADUATE COLLEGE GRADUATE WITH, UH, SORRY.
I'M A RECENT COLLEGE GRADUATE WITH HONORS FOR WRITING A THESIS ON ANTI-SEMITIC IDEOLOGY.
[00:35:01]
I WANTED TO BRING UP A POINT THAT I DON'T SEE GOING AROUND VERY OFTEN.UM, WITH EVERY NEW AGE SOCIETY REACHES ANTISEMITIC EXPRESSION MORPHS TO ENCOMPASS THE PERCEIVED SOCIETAL ILLS IN A COMMUNITY.
TODAY, THE ISSUE TAKEN UPON BY THE SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY IS WHITE COLONIALISM AND THEIR TARGET IS THE JEWS.
ZIONISM IS MISPERCEIVED AS A COLONIAL MOVEMENT WHEN IT'S A MOVEMENT FOCUSED ENTIRELY AROUND JEWISH SELF-DETERMINATION.
I'M NOT HERE TO TALK ABOUT ISRAEL, BUT I WOULD BE DOING MY COMMUNITY OF DISSERVICE BY ABSTAINING FROM MENTIONING THAT ANTI-ISRAEL SENTIMENT IS NOT THE SAME AS ANTI-ZIONISM.
ONE CAN BE ANTI-ISRAEL AND NOT BE ANTI-SEMITIC, BUT ONE CANNOT BE ANTI-ZIONIST WITHOUT BEING ANTI-SEMITIC.
ZIONISM IS INSEPARABLE FROM JUDAISM AND JEWISH CULTURE.
IN THE EARLY 19 HUNDREDS, THE MOST WIDELY SPREAD PIECE OF ANTI-SEMITIC PROPAGANDA, WHICH IS STILL BEING USED AND IS SORRY, IT'S STILL BEING USED AND CIRCULATED, BEGAN CIRCULATING, WHICH ELIMINATED A FORGED PLAN OF JEWISH WORLD DOMINATION.
THE DOCUMENT IN QUESTION WAS TITLED THE PROTOCOLS OF THE ELDERS OF ZION.
I ASK YOU THEN, IF ZIONISM WASN'T INHERENTLY A PART OF JUDAISM, WHY DID SERGEY NILES THE THOUGHT AUTHOR OF THE FORGERY, NAME THEM AS SUCH? WHY DIDN'T HE NAME THEM THE PROTOCOLS OF THE ELDERS OF JUDAH OR THE PROTOCOLS OF THE JEWISH ELDERS? INSTEAD, ZIONISM IS SO DEEPLY INGRAINED IN OUR BEING THAT EVEN THE WORLD'S MOST NOTORIOUS ANTI-SEMITES HAVE INCLUDED IT IN THEIR RHETORIC.
AND SO I ASK YOU TO PLEASE CON, PLEASE ADOPT THE IRA DEFINITION THAT INCLUDES ANTI-ZIONISM INTO ANTI-SEMITISM AND HELP PROTECT THE JEWS OF SAN DIEGO.
COUNCIL MEMBER MITCHELL HAS JOINED THE MEETING.
AND THE NEXT THREE SPEAKERS ARE OMI NAND, FABIAN PERLO, AND A RO COUNCIL MEMBERS MAYOR WELLS WELCOME.
MY FAMILY'S QUITE FAMILIAR WITH ANTISEMITISM.
MY HUSBAND AND I WOULD GET COMMON TROPES AND OUR KIDS WERE TOLD THAT HITLER SHOULD HAVE FINISHED THE JOB OR TO GO BACK TO GERMANY TO THE OVENS.
THEN WE STARTED GETTING THE WORD ZIONIST USED AGAINST US AS A SLUR TO KEEP ME OUT OF PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO KEEP OUR KIDS OUT OF CLUBS AND SOCIAL GATHERINGS.
AND SINCE OCTOBER 7TH, WHILE THERE IS A NEW ADDITION, YOUR RESPONSIBLE FOR A GENOCIDE, THEY SNARL YOUR FAMILY ARE BABY KILLERS.
SEE ANTISEMITISM SHIFTS AS THOSE WHO WANNA VILLAINIZE ISRAEL AND JEWS CO-OPT WORDS LIKE ZIONISM AND GENOCIDE TO MEAN SOMETHING ELSE, WHICH IS WHY THE IHRA DEFINITION IS IMPERATIVE.
THE DEFINITION INCLUDES EXAMPLES SUCH AS DEMONIZING ISRAEL OR DENYING ITS RIGHT TO EXIST AS ANTISEMITISM FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA.
PALESTINE WILL BE FREE IS ANTISEMITISM BECAUSE IT'S OPENLY EXPRESSING THE GOAL TO REMOVE JEWS FROM THEIR 3000 YEAR OLD ANCESTRAL HOMELAND AND DENYING ITS RIGHT TO EXIST.
THE DEFINITION DOESN'T DIRECTLY MENTION THE TERM GENOCIDE, BUT THIS ACCUSATION CAN BE ANTISEMITISM UNDER THE DEFINITION BECAUSE IT'S BASED ON FALSE OR EXAGGERATED CLAIMS THAT DE LEGITIMATE DE-LEGITIMIZE THE STATE OF ISRAEL.
THE REPEATED LIES OF THE LIKES OF JEWISH VOICES FOR PALESTINE CLAIMING ISRAEL COMMITS GENOCIDE ARE SIMPLY OUTRAGEOUS.
ALTHOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN TRAGIC CIVILIAN CASUALTIES IN MILITARY OPERATIONS BECAUSE HAMAS EMBEDS ITSELF AMONG CIVILIANS, ISRAEL TAKES EXTRAORDINARY STEPS TO MINIMIZE HARM AS IT DEFENDS ITSELF FROM TERRORISTS.
ANY LOSS OF CIVILIAN LIFE IS TRAGIC, BUT THE WORLD IS NOT WITNESSING A CONCERTED EFFORT TO DENY PALESTINIANS THE RIGHT TO EXIST AS A PEOPLE.
IN 2020, THE PALESTINIAN POPULATION WAS 5.1 MILLION.
TODAY IT'S 5.6 MILLION PALESTINIANS IN PALESTINE, THERE'S NO GENOCIDE WHERE A POPULATION HAS INCREASED, MA'AM.
NOW THIS IMAGINE WRONGDOING IS USED AS A WEAPON TO HARASS, BULLY, DISCRIMINATE, EXCLUDE AND SCARE NON-JEWS.
I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU MA'AM.
UH, WE HAVE TO STICK TO THE TIMELESS, BUT I APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PROTECTING FAMILIES LIKE MINE WITH THIS DEFINITION.
I AM THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR THE ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE IN SAN DIEGO.
AS YOU MAY KNOW, A DL IS A NATION'S LEADING ANTI HATE ORGANIZATION COMBINING ANTISEMITISM AND BIGOTRY OF ALL KINDS.
[00:40:01]
I'M SPEAKING TO YOU TODAY IN SUPPORT OF YOUR RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE CITY OF EL CAJON TO UTILIZE THE INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE ALLIANCE WORKING DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM AS A NON LEGALLY BINDING REFERENCE POINT OR TOOL THAT CAN PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND ADDRESS CONTEMPORARY MANIFESTATIONS OF ANTISEMITISM.WE ARE IN A MOMENT OF GREAT DANGER FOR THE JEWISH COMMUNITY.
SINCE OCTOBER 7TH, 2023, A DL HAS TRACKED A WORLDWIDE SURGE IN ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS AND ATTITUDES.
IN SAN DIEGO, WE RECORDED A 200% INCREASE IN ANTI-JEWISH INCIDENTS INCLUDING ANTISEMITIC THREATS, SLURS, VANDALISM, VIOLENT THREATS, TARGETING JEWISH SCHOOLS AND INSTITUTIONS.
THE IRA DEFINITION HAS BEEN ADOPTED BY HALF OF US STATES AND OVER A THOUSAND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, UNIVERSITIES, AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS TO HELP MONITOR, TEACH ABOUT AND COMBAT ANTISEMITISM.
IN THIS MOMENT, THIS RESOURCE IS LY CRITICALLY NEEDED.
THE IRA DEFINITION DOES NOT PROHIBIT CRITICISM OF ISRAEL.
THE TEXT CLEARLY STATES CRITICISM OF ISRAEL SIMILAR TO THAT LEVEL AGAINST ANY OTHER COUNTRY, CANNOT BE REGARDED AS ANTISEMITIC MANIFESTATIONS OF ANTISEMITISM CHANGE OVER TIME AND THE IRA DEFINITION IS AN IMPORTANT RESOURCE IN IDENTIFYING ANTI-JEWISH HATE THAT TARGETS JEWISH MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
WHETHER THE DISCRIMINATION IS MOTIVATED BY ANTI-ISRAEL SENTIMENT OR ANY OTHER FACTOR, WE THANK CITY MANAGER GUAM MICHEL FOR INTRODUCING TODAY'S RESOLUTION AND ENCOURAGE ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS TO ADOPT THIS IMPORTANT LANGUAGE, WHICH IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR NEW LAWS, BUT CRITICAL GUIDANCE ON HOW TO ASSESS AND EDUCATE ON ANTISEMITISM IN TODAY'S CLIMATE AS A MEMBER OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY.
I HOPE THIS WILL LEAD TO CONTINUED ACTION TO UNDERSTAND ANTISEMITISM TODAY AND WORK TOWARDS GREATER INCLUSION, BELONGING AND RESPECT FOR ALL COMMUNITIES.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
WELL SIR, WELCOME MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS OZ AND I'M, I SERVED AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF STEM WITH US IN THE SOUTHWEST STEM WITH US IS AN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION THAT EDUCATE ABOUT ISRAEL AND FIGHT ANTISEMITISM.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING FORWARD THE I DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM AND LET'S BE CLEAR, THE OTHER SIDE WILL REPEAT.
THE LIE DOESN'T MAKE IT THE TRUTH.
ADOPTING THIS DEFINITION DOES NOT SILENCE CRITICISM OF ISRAEL.
IT DOES HOWEVER, DRAW THE LINE WHEN CRITICISM CROSSES INTO DANGEROUS TERRITORY WHEN CALLING AND BLAMING EVERY JEW FOR THE DECISIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL.
YOU MAY HEAR FROM ORGANIZATIONS TODAY THAT THERE THAT POSE THIS UH, DEFINITION, BUT MANY OF THEM, INCLUDING JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE AND CARE, HAVE CONSISTENTLY DOWNPLAYED OR EVEN EXCUSED ANTISEMITISM ONLY WHEN IT, WHEN IT TARGETS JEWS WHO SUPPORT ISRAEL.
THAT IS NOT PEACE, THAT IS NOT JUSTICE, THAT IS NOT SAFETY FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'RE ASKING YOU TODAY TO ADOPT THE IRA DEFINITION.
IT'LL SEND A STRONG CLEAR MESSAGE THAT ELON STANDS AGAINST ANTISEMITISM IN ALL OF ITS FORMS AT THE TIME WHEN ANTISEMITISM INCIDENTS ARE IN THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN HISTORY, INCLUDING RIGHT HERE IN THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY.
THIS IS NOT SYMBOLIC, IT'S ESSENTIAL.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND FOR STANDING WITH THE JEWISH COMMUNITY.
TINA BERNARD, LESLIE ANN AND TINA LES.
I WAS RAISED CHRISTIAN BUT EMBRACED JUDAISM NEARLY 20 YEARS AGO.
SHE GREW UP DURING WORLD WAR II AND MY GRANDFATHER AND GREAT-GRANDFATHER WERE NAZIS.
MY HUSBAND IS NATIVE AMERICAN.
[00:45:01]
TOGETHER WE DEEPLY UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY OF ANTISEMITISM AND BIGOTRY.AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING, JEWISH VOICES FOR PALESTINE CLAIMED THAT THE DEFINITION SILENCES PALESTINIAN ACTIVISM BY CONFLATING CRITICISM OF ISRAEL WITH ANTISEMITISM.
THE DEFINITION PREVENTS HATE THAT CROSSES INTO ANTISEMITISM LIKE CLAIMING ISRAEL'S EXISTENCE IS, IS INHERENTLY EVIL.
IT DOES NOT TARGET LEGITIMATE DISCUSSIONS OF PALESTINIAN RIGHTS OR CRITIQUES OF ISRAEL'S POLICIES.
BUT CHANTING MAY ISIS BEHEAD, YOU GO BACK TO THE GAS CHAMBERS OR FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA OR EQUATING THE STAR OF DAVID WITH THE SWASTIKA.
WE'VE SEEN THIS HATRED SPREAD ON CAMPUSES AND STREETS.
WHEN I CONVERTED TO JUDAISM, MY RABBI SAID, YOU ARE WALKING WITH US.
I THINK I WOULD BE WALKING AT A TIME WHEN ANTISEMITISM WOULD BE THIS RAMPANT.
THOSE OPPOSING THIS DEFINITION, THEY'RE DOING IT BECAUSE THEY WANNA CONTINUE THEIR BEHAVIORS UNCHECKED.
THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, ALONG WITH ALL COMMUNITIES, DESERVE A CLEAR DEFINITION THAT PROTECTS AGAINST HATE, SAFEGUARDING NOT JUST JEWS, BUT THE VALUES OF MUTUAL RESPECT AND COEXISTENCE THAT UNDERPIN OUR WESTERN DEMOCRACY.
IT HELPS DRAW A LINE BETWEEN FREE SPEECH AND HATE CRIMES AND THAT LINE HAS GOTTEN WAY TOO BLURRED LATELY.
TODAY I WANNA SPEAK ABOUT THE IRA DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM AND HOW IT HAS DEEPLY AFFECTED ME AND MY FAMILY, THE INTERNATIONAL AS AS A REMINDER, THE INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE ALLIANCE DEFINES ANTISEMITISM AS A CERTAIN PERCEPTION OF JEWS, WHICH MAY BE EXPRESSED AS HATRED TOWARDS JEWS.
IT INCLUDES BOTH TRADITIONAL FORMS OF HATRED AND MORE CONTEMPORARY EXPRESSIONS, SUCH AS DENYING THE RIGHTS OF JEWS TO SELF-DETERMINATION OR TARGETING ISRAEL IN WAYS THAT ARE DISPROPORTIONATE OR DISCRIMINATORY.
FOR ME, THIS DEFINITION IS NOT JUST A SET OF WORDS.
IT REP REPRESENTS A GROWING REALITY.
I AM A PARENT OF THREE CHILDREN WHO ARE JEWISH IN SAN DIEGO.
THEY'RE ACTIVE IN OUR JEWISH COMMUNITY, ATTEND MULTIPLE SYNAGOGUES AND PART AND PARTICIPATING IN JEWISH LIFE.
BUT IT'S PAINFUL TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEIR SAFETY AND THE ABILITY TO PRACTICE THEIR FAITH OPENLY IS INCREASINGLY UNDER THREAT.
WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO WALK INTO A SYNAGOGUE OR A COMMUNITY CENTER WITHOUT FEAR OF VIOLENCE OR DISCRIMINATION.
ANTISEMITISM IS NOT JUST A PROBLEM OF THE PAST, IT'S A THREAT TO OUR PRESENT AND FUTURE.
WHETHER IT'S THE RISE OF HATE SPEECH ATTACK ATTACKS ON JEWISH INSTITUTIONS OR SUBTLE, BUT DANGEROUS FORMS OF BIAS.
THESE ALL AFFECT THE WAY MY CHILDREN EXPERIENCE THEIR JEWISH IDENTITY TODAY.
EVERY TIME THEY STEP OUT INTO THE WORLD, I WORRY ABOUT THEIR SAFETY.
IT'S A CONCERN THAT NO PARENT SHOULD HAVE TO CARRY YET.
IT'S ONE THAT WEIGHS HEAVILY ON MY HEART, ESPECIALLY WITH MY OLDEST GOING TO COLLEGE NEXT YEAR.
THE ABILITY TO PRACTICE JUDAISM FREELY WITHOUT FEAR IS SOMETHING I HOPE ALL PEOPLE CAN ENJOY, BUT RIGHT NOW FOR JEWS, IT'S SOMETHING WE MUST PROTECT.
AND IT STARTS WITH UNDERSTANDING AND ACKNOWLEDGING WHAT ANTISEMITISM TRULY IS.
HOW ARE YOU? HI, GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WELLS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS TINA COIS AND I'M A REGISTERED NURSE AS WELL AS AN EDUCATOR.
AND I'M HERE TODAY, UM, SHARING WITH YOU THE FACT THAT I'VE DEDICATED MY CAREER TO SHAPING YOUNG MINDS.
I'VE COME BEFORE YOU TO EXPRESS MY RESPONSIBILITY, UM, IN THE CLASSROOM SHOULD CLASSROOM SHOULD BE A PLACE WHERE STUDENTS CAN EXPLORE, LEARN AND GROW, WHERE RESPECT, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION ARE NOT JUST TAUGHT BUT PRACTICED EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UNFORTUNATELY, ANTISEMITISM REMAINS A PERVASIVE THREAT IN MANY OF OUR SCHOOLS, MANIFESTING IN BOTH SUBTLE AND OVERT WAYS, OFTEN IN THE FORM OF HARMFUL STEREOTYPES, PREJUDICE, AND DISCRIMINATION.
THIS IS WHY I URGE YOU TO ADOPT THE IHRA DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM.
BY DOING SO, WE SET A CLEAR STANDARD THAT WILL GUIDE EDUCATORS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND STUDENTS IN IDENTIFYING AND ADDRESSING ANTISEMITISM WHEREVER IT ARISES.
THIS DEFINITION IS A CRUCIAL TOOL IN PREVENTING ANTI ANTISEMITISM FROM TAKING ROOT IN OUR SCHOOLS, ENSURING THAT JEWISH STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND STAFF FEEL SAFE AND RESPECTED JUST AS EVERY STUDENT DOES AND SHOULD.
ADOPTING THE ARY DEFINITION IS NOT ABOUT LIMITING FREE EXPRESSION OR
[00:50:01]
UM, STIFLING POLITICAL DISCOURSE.IT IS ABOUT ENSURING THE, THAT HATE AND DISCRIMINATION HAS NO PLACE IN OUR SOCIETY.
IT ALLOWS US TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN LEGITIMATE CRITICISM OF ISRAEL AND TARGETED ATTACKS AGAINST JEWS BASED ON THEIR IDENTITY AND RELIGION.
WE AS EDUCATORS HAVE A MORAL DUTY TO CREATE SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS.
YOU AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, HAVE A MORAL DUTY TO CREATE SAFE LIVING ENVIRONMENTS BY ADOPTING THE I-H-I-H-R-A DEFINITION, WE SEND A MESSAGE THAT ANTISEMITISM IS NOT TOLERATED AND WE AFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT TO FOSTERING A CULTURE WHERE EVERYONE, INCLUDING JEWS CAN LIVE PEACEFULLY.
STACEY WAX, LARO STONE, AND ESTHER HOGUE ES NOT SPEAK.
I HAD A FULL SPEECH WRITTEN THAT I WAS FULLY PREPARED TO SAY, BUT IT SOUNDS A LITTLE BIT REDUNDANT AND REPETITIVE AND I'M ACTUALLY SHAKING AND IN SHOCK THAT THE GENTLEMAN IN FRONT OF ME ARE STANDING THERE LAUGHING WHILE PRETENDING TO BE PEACE ACTIVISTS, WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT OUR CHILDREN ARE SCARED FOR THEIR SAFETY, THIS DEFINITION AND THIS RESOLUTION SHOULD NOT BE CONTROVERSIAL.
THERE'S NOTHING CONTROVERSIAL ABOUT IT.
IF IT WAS ANY OTHER MARGINALIZED GROUP, NOBODY WOULD BE QUESTIONING US WHATSOEVER.
SO I'M COMING TO YOU AS A MOTHER.
I HAVE DEEP ROOTS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
I HAVE FOUR CHILDREN, MY CHILDREN OF ALL EXPERIENCED ANTISEMITISM FIRSTHAND.
MY SON HAD SWASTIKAS WITHDRAWN ON HIS CAR AND ON OUR PROPERTY.
MY DAUGHTER HAD HER MEZUZAH TORN OFF THE DOOR OF HER COLLEGE DORM.
THEN SHE HAS BEEN CONSTANTLY TARGETED SINCE OCTOBER 7TH FOR HER VOCAL SUPPORT OF THE HOSTAGES IN BRINGING AWARENESS TO THE ATROCITIES.
HER EXACT WORDS AFTER OCTOBER 7TH WERE, I KNEW THAT ON OCTOBER 8TH, I WOULD NOT EVEN HAVE TIME TO GRIEVE THE AWFUL TRAGEDIES OF OCTOBER 7TH.
I WOULD BE TOO BUSY HAVING DEFEND MY RIGHT TO SIMPLY EXIST TO MY CLASSMATES.
THIS IS AT GEORGETOWN LAW SCHOOL, BY THE WAY.
AND THAT'S HOW I FEEL RIGHT NOW.
LIKE I HAVE TO SIMPLY EXPLAIN MY RIGHT TO EXIST AND THAT IS NOT AMERICA AND THAT IS NOT WHAT SHOULD BE HAPPENING IN 2025.
SO I ASK YOU, PLEASE, LET'S COMMIT TO NAMING THIS WHAT IT IS.
LET US ADOPT THE IRA DEFINITION AND MAKE IT CLEAR THAT ANTI-SEMITISM, NO MATTER HOW IT DISGUISES ITSELF, HAS NO PLACE IN OUR SOCIETY.
I JUST RECENTLY MOVED BACK TO SAN DIEGO AFTER LIVING IN LAS VEGAS FOR 25 YEARS.
I THERE RAISED MY NOW YOUNG ADULT CHILDREN, MY THREE CHILDREN, WHILE PARTICIPATING IN BOTH GENERAL COMMUNITY AND JEWISH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND ACTIVITIES.
MY CHILDREN HAVE ALL RECENTLY ATTENDED COLLEGES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, AND THEY HAVE ALL ENCOUNTERED AND EXPERIENCED DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS AND HATE SPEECH TODAY.
WHY DO WE NEED A DEFINITION FOR ANTISEMITISM RIGHT NOW? THERE IS AN ANTISEMITISM CRISIS SURGING THROUGH AMERICA.
YOU'VE BEEN LISTENING TO THIS ALL AFTERNOON.
JEWS COMPRISE OF APPROXIMATELY 2.4 OF THE AMERICAN POPULATION, BUT THEY MANAGE TO SUFFER MORE THAN 60% OF ALL RELIGIOUSLY MOTIVATED HATE CRIMES.
TODAY WE SEEK TO INCORPORATE THE INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE ALLIANCE DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM AS ADOPTED IN THE USA IN 2019.
THIS DEFINITION HAS THE VAST MAJORITY OF SUPPORT FROM THE JEWISH COMMUNITY AS THE CONSENSUS DRIVEN DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM, IT HAS BEEN ADOPTED BY MORE THAN 95% OF ALL MAJOR JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS.
ADDITIONALLY, THIS DEFINITION HAS BEEN ENDORSED AND ADOPTED BY 1,100 ENTITIES WORLDWIDE, 43 COUNTRIES, 37 US STATES, AND ALMOST 100 US CITIES.
TODAY I ASK FOR THE CITY OF EL CAJON TO JOINING THIS MOVEMENT OF PROTECTING THE JEWISH COMMUNITY AND
[00:55:01]
ADOPTING THE IHRA RESOLUTION.THANK YOU MS. ESTHER HOGUE, UH, DECIDED NOT TO SPEAK.
THE NEXT UH, THREE SPEAKERS ARE LI LEON, STEPHANIE NISAN, AND ROBERT HERBERG.
I ALREADY VOICED MY OPINION EXTENSIVELY AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING TODAY.
I WANNA ASK YOU, WHY IS IT THAT THE ONLY OPPOSITION THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IS RECEIVING BY TRYING TO ADOPT IRA AND EL CAJON IS FROM JEWISH VOICES FOR PEACE CARE AND SIMILAR GROUPS WHO ARE NOTORIOUS FOR THEIR ANTISEMITISM AS COUNCIL MEMBER ORTIZ POINTED OUT AT THE LAST MEETING WHEN HE READ THE DIRECT LANGUAGE OFF IRA.
CRITICISM OF ISRAEL IS NOT CONSIDERED ANTI-SEMITIC.
ONE CAN DISAGREE WITH NETANYAHU'S APPROACH OR ISRAEL'S STRATEGY IN THEIR CURRENT WAR.
BUT AS PER IRA, DENYING JEWISH PEOPLE THEIR RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION BY CLAIMING THAT THE EXISTENCE OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL IS A RACIST ENDEAVOR OR HOLDING JEWS COLLECTIVELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ACTIONS OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL IS CONSIDERED ANTI-SEMITIC.
JVPN CARE ARE THREATENED BY IRA BEING ADOPTED BECAUSE THEY WANNA KEEP BEING ALLOWED TO POST SIGNS THAT SAY NO ZIONISTS ALLOWED ON CAMPUS LIBRARIES TO KEEP THE JEWISH STUDENTS OUT, AND THEY WANNA BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO TARGET JEWISH STUDENTS BY PUBLICLY NAMING AND SHAMING THEM FOR BEING ZIONISTS.
THIS IS ANTI-SEMITIC CRITICIZING ISRAEL IS NOT.
REMEMBER, 95% OF AMERICAN JEWS CONSIDER ISRAEL AS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THEIR JEWISH IDENTITY.
THINK ABOUT THIS AND PLEASE THINK ABOUT WHO'S REPRESENTING THE OPPOSITION HERE TODAY AND WHAT THEIR ULTERIOR MOTIVES ARE.
WHILE THEY'RE CLAIMING THAT IRA THREATENS THEIR FREEDOM OF SPEECH, WHAT THEY'RE ASKING YOU FOR IS THE FREEDOM TO CONTINUE TO SPEW THEIR HATRED, ANTISEMITISM AND EVIL.
REMEMBER THAT JVPS COMPRISE OF MOSTLY NON-JEWS AND IN NO WAY REPRESENT PEACE LIKE ZERO WAY.
DO THEY REPRESENT THE JEWISH VOICE OR PEACE THEY'RE MADE OF ANTISEMITES WHO TRY TO DISCREDIT THE BROADER JEWISH COMMUNITY BY CLAIMING THAT THEY ARE JEWISH.
I'M A PROUD NATIVE OF SAN DIEGO.
ACTUALLY, MY, UM, NONPROFIT DOG RESCUE THAT I FOUNDED IS UP THE STREET ON AVOCADO.
AND WHEN I WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, I WAS ONE OF THE FEW JEWISH STUDENTS, OFTEN THE ONLY ONE IN MY CLASSES.
I REMEMBER MY DESK MATE WHO INSISTED I WRITE THE WORD JEWISH ON ALL OF MY BELONGINGS SO THAT HE WOULDN'T TOUCH THEM BECAUSE TO HIM THEY WOULD THEN BECOME DIRTY.
THAT STUDENT FACED NO CONSEQUENCES YET.
THIS IS A SCAR I'VE CARRIED WITH ME FOR MY ENTIRE LIFE.
AS I GREW OLDER, ANTISEMITISM FOLLOWED ME.
OFTEN PEOPLE DIDN'T REALIZE I WAS JEWISH AND I WOULD HEAR HORRIFIC COMMENTS OR SO-CALLED JOKES ABOUT JEWS.
TODAY I MAKE IT A POINT TO WHERE SEVERAL JEWISH STARS THAT MY IDENT, MY IDENTITY IS VISIBLE.
AND FOR THAT I'VE BEEN YELLED AT.
I'VE BEEN SPIT AT, I HAVE BEEN TREATED AS THOUGH MY VERY EXISTENCE IS A PROVOCATION.
WE ARE LIVING IN A TIME WHEN ANTISEMITISM HAS BECOME COMPLETELY NORMALIZED, WHERE WE CONSTANTLY HEAR PHRASES LIKE HITLER SHOULD HAVE FINISHED YOU OFF OR GO PLAY IN AN OVEN.
LET ME BE CLEAR, THIS LEVEL OF HATE WOULD NOT BE TOLERATED IF DIRECTED AT ANY OTHER GROUP OF PEOPLE.
I SHARE MY STORY NOT FOR SYMPATHY, BUT FOR AWARENESS.
NO CHILD SHOULD GROW UP FEELING OSTRACIZED BECAUSE OF THEIR FAITH.
NO PERSON SHOULD FEEL UNSAFE FOR EMBRACING THEIR IDENTITY.
CHANGE BEGINS, CHANGE BEGINS WITH US, AND IT BEGINS RIGHT HERE IN EL CAJON.
BY ADOPTING THE IRA DEFINITION, YOU ARE PROTECTING AMERICANS AGAINST HATRED.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR WELLS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M A CHRISTIAN PASTOR OF A LOCAL CHURCH AND ALSO LEAD A FAMILY OF CHURCHES IN THE REGION.
AND I'M IN FAVOR, UH, OF THIS AND, UM, I I THINK IT'S ALWAYS RIGHT TO STAND AGAINST HATRED, AGGRESSION, PERSECUTION OF ANY PEOPLE.
BUT MY JOB IS TO, TO SHARE THE SCRIPTURE AND GENESIS 12, GOD CLEARLY SHARES TO ABRAHAM, ABRAHAM AND HIS CLEAR THAT, UH, ALL NATIONS WILL BE JUDGED BY HOW THEY, UH, TREAT THE JEWISH PEOPLE.
AND WHAT HAS DONE TO THEM WILL BE DONE BACK TO THEM.
AND SO I APPEAL HUMBLY TO YOU TODAY TO ADOPT THIS SO THAT WE CAN BE BLESSED AS A CITY, BLESSED AS A REGION, A STATE,
[01:00:01]
AND A NATION.UH, NEXT THREE, SHELLY DELEON, SCOTT MELTZER, AND DAN P HELLO.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I WAS HERE TWO WEEKS AGO AND I'M HONORED TO BE HERE AGAIN.
UM, ONE OF THE CORE TEACHINGS OF CHRISTIANITY IS TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR AS OURSELVES.
AND SO I WANTED TO READ THAT FROM JAMES TWO EIGHT.
IT SAYS PLAINLY, IF HOWEVER, YOU ARE REALLY FULFILLING THE ROYAL LAW, ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURE, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.
THAT IS IF YOU HAVE AN UNSELFISH CONCERN FOR OTHERS AND DO THINGS FOR THEIR BENEFIT, YOU ARE DOING WELL.
THIS EXTENDS TO ALL PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF THEIR BACKGROUND, INCLUDING JEWS.
ADOPTING THE A-I-H-R-A DEFINITION HELPS ENSURE THAT JEWISH COMMUNITIES ARE PROTECTED FROM HATRED, DISCRIMINATION, AND VIOLENCE.
AS CHRISTIANS, WE ARE CALLED TO BE ADVOCATES FOR JUSTICE AND TO STAND AGAINST ANY FORM OF ANTISEMITISM WHICH IS ROOTED IN HATE AND PREJUDICE.
CHRISTIANITY TEACHES THAT BELIEVERS HAVE A DUTY TO DEFEND THE OPPRESSED AND SPEAK OUT AGAINST INJUSTICE.
THE, UH, RECENT RISE OF ANTISEMITISM WORLDWIDE PRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT INJUSTICE THAT CHRISTIANS CANNOT IGNORE.
WE HAVE GROUPS LIKE THE COUNCIL ON AMERICAN ISLAMIC RELATIONS WHO ARE FIGHTING VIGOROUSLY TO KEEP HOLOCAUST EDUCATION OUT OF CLASSROOMS. AND I CANNOT STAND BY AND ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN.
I CANNOT SEE THE CONSTANT HATEFUL ANTI SEM ANTISEMITISM OCCURRING DAILY AND WATCH IDLY.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, MAYOR WELLS, TREAT TO BE HERE.
I'M RABBI SCOTT MELTZER AND I WANT TO THANK YOU.
I WANNA THANK YOU FOR TAKING UP THIS IMPORTANT RESOLUTION.
IT MEANS A GREAT DEAL, HOPEFULLY TO EVERYBODY WHO WOULD STAND UP AGAINST ANY COMMUNITY BEING, UH, BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST.
IN PARTICULAR, A GOODLY NUMBER OF MY CONGREGANTS LIVE HERE IN THE CITY OF EL CAJON.
AND IT WOULD BE A POWERFUL STATEMENT TO THEM ABOUT THIS BEING THEIR HOME AND THEIR BEING ACCEPTED IN IT.
I AM OFTEN ACCUSED OF BEING REPETITIVE AND REDUNDANT, SO I'M GONNA TRY NOT TO REPEAT.
UH, I DO WANNA POINT OUT THOUGH THAT BEGINNING WITH, UH, WITH MAYOR WELLS AND, UH, AND COUNCIL MEMBER ORTIZ AT THE PREVIOUS MEETING AND A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS QUOTING FROM THE IRA DEFINITION THAT EXPLICITLY PRECLUDES IT, BUT FROM BEING USED TO, UH, TO PRECLUDE THE POSSIBILITY OF CRITICISM OF ISRAEL.
AND THAT HAS BEEN QUOTED MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE TIMES WHEN WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THOSE WHO ARE AGAINST THE RESOLUTION HAVE YET TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THAT'S THERE.
HAVE YET TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF WHEN THIS DEFINITION HAS BEEN USED TO SUPPRESS SPEECH.
HAVE NOT RESPONDED TO THE EXAMPLES THAT ARE GIVEN THERE OF WHEN CRITICISM OF ISRAEL CROSSES OVER OR DOES HERE IN THE RESOLUTION, I'M SORRY, IN THE DEF WORKING DEFINITION WHEN THE CROSSES OVER INTO ANTISEMITISM THAT THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST THIS IS BASED ON EITHER MISREADING OR INTENTIONALLY MISREPRESENTING AND TELLING YOU WHAT WILL BE WHEN, UH, WHEN THIS WORKING DEFINITION PASSES AS A RESOLUTION.
SO I ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO READ THE RESOLUTION, THAT IT REALLY IS A STATEMENT AGAINST ANTISEMITISM.
AND WHILE CRITICISM OF ISRAEL IS SINCERE AND LEGITIMATE IN ALL PLACES WHERE IT IS SINCERE AND LEGITIMATE, IT CANNOT BE USED AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ANTISEMITISM.
THAT IS, RATHER THAN PEOPLE BEING FALSELY ACCUSED OF ANTISEMITIC COMMENTS WHEN THEY CRITICIZE ISRAEL, WE ARE NOW FINDING THAT ANTISEMITISM IS BEING GIVEN TO THE COMMUNITY COUCHED AS ANTI-ISRAEL RHETORIC.
JUST RECENTLY, MY SYNAGOGUE TWICE WAS, UH, WAS VANDALIZED.
CLEARLY VANDALIZING THE SYNAGOGUE IS AN ANTISEMITIC ACT AND THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE ON THE BUILDING WERE ANTI-ISRAEL COMMENTS.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR COMING UP.
[01:05:05]
HELLO, WELCOME.DEAR CITY COUNCIL, HONORABLE MAYOR WELLS, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR TAKING ON INITIATIVE TO DRAFT AN ACT RESOLUTION COUNTER ANTISEMITISM.
ANTISEMITISM IS NOT JUST HATE, BUT THE HATE DRIVEN CONSPIRACY THEORY.
THIS IS WHY IT'S SO HARD TO RULE IT OUT.
THOUSANDS YEARS AGO, JEWS WERE BLAMED FOR KIDNAPPING AND MURDERING CHILDREN AND USING THEIR BLOOD TO BAKE MATZA BREAD FOR PASSOVER.
TODAY, IT SOUNDS COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS, RIGHT? BUT BACK IN THE DAYS YOU HATERS FULLY BELIEVE THIS MANY JEWS WERE MASSACRED.
BASED ON THIS STORY, 800 YEARS AGO, JEWS WERE BLAMED FOR SPREADING B PLAGUE.
AND LATER THIS NARRATIVE WAS ADOPTED BY NAZIS.
TODAY IT SOUNDS COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS, RIGHT? BUT BACK IN THE DAYS, J HATERS FULLY BELIEVED IN THIS, THIS HATE STORY CAUSED MILLIONS OF JEWS TO BE MASSACRED.
TODAY THE J HATER TAKES A NEW FORM.
TODAY, THEY DEMONIZE AND LEGITIMIZED ISRAEL.
THEY SPREAD MADE UP STORIES TO MATCH THE CURRENT AGENDA.
WHEN ISRAEL DEFENDED CITIZENS, THEY ARE BEING BLAMED FOR GENOCIDE.
WHEN ISRAEL'S PLANT TREES, THEY BLAME FOR EIDE.
WHEN ISRAEL IS MAKE SCIENTIFIC OR MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGH, THEY ACCUSED OF SOME INTENTION TO DO ETHNIC CLEANSING VACCINES.
SOUNDS RIDICULOUS, RIGHT? BUT THE, YOU HATERS FULLY BELIEVE IN THIS.
EVERY JEWISH FAMILY WAS IMPACTED BY THIS.
I HEAR STORIES FROM MY GRANDMA HOW NO BESST STICKS WERE CHASING HER SCREAMING, WE'LL KILL YOU A JEW.
LATER SHE WAS LUCKY TO SURVIVE THE CO HOLOCAUST, BUT HER GRANDPARENTS WERE MURDERED BY NAZIS JUST BECAUSE THEY WERE JEWS.
I WAS TOLD BY ANTISEMITE HERE IN SAN DIEGO THAT HITLER SHOULD HAVE KILLED YOU ALL.
ANOTHER JAHA BLAMED IN BAA PARK THAT ISRAEL DID.
NINE 11, MY FAMILY ATTENDED THE SYNAGOGUE IN POWAY, WHICH WAS ATTACKED BY NEO-NAZI SHOOTER A FEW YEARS AGO, WHO BELIEVE THAT JEWS HAVE A PLAN TO REPLACE WHITE PEOPLE IN AMERICA.
NOW MY DAUGHTER DECIDES WHICH COLLEGE TO GO BASED ON ANTISEMITIC INCIDENT ON THE CAMPUS.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK EVERYONE HERE TO BE HONEST WITH HIMSELF, DID ANYONE OF YOU OR YOUR FAMILY EVER EXPERIENCE SOMETHING LIKE THIS AT SUCH A CROSS-GENERATIONAL EXTENT? THIS IS WHY WE NEED IRA COUNTER ANTISEMITISM RESOLUTION.
WE NEED PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT HOLOCAUST.
I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT YES, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU BILL LEE TRUTH AND CHLOE BECKY.
WELL, GREAT, GREAT TO MEET YOU.
UM, I'M HERE TO SPEAK AGAINST THE INCLUSION OF THE IHRA DEFINITION INSIDE, UM, YOUR RESOLUTION.
FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO QUOTE ON ONE OF THE LEADING AUTHORS OF THE DEFINITION ITSELF, KENNETH STERN.
HE SAID HE OBSERVED THAT IN REALITY THIS DEFINITION IS BEING USED TO OPPRESS PRO-PALESTINIAN SPEECH.
I ALSO LIKE TO QUOTE, UM, ONE OF OUR OWN REPRESENTATIVES HERE, A JEWISH WOMAN, SARAH JACOBS.
WHEN SHE VOTED AGAINST, UH, THE RES, UH, THE DEFINITION IN CONGRESS, SHE CLAIMED THAT THIS RESOLUTION WOULD NOT HELP SOLVE THE ANTISEMITIC ANTISEMITISM CRISIS.
IT WOULD INSTEAD HARM, UH, IT WOULD INSTEAD PROVIDE HARM TOWARDS, UM, COMBATING ANTISEMITISM.
THE RESOLUTION WHEN IT MIXES IN ANTI-ISRAEL RHETORIC WITH ANTISEMITIC RHETORIC REALLY REMINDS ME OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY I COME FROM, CHINA, THE CHINESE NATION, CHINA RIGHT NOW, THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, WHICH STILL CALLS ITSELF QUOTE UNQUOTE COMMUNIST, ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT COMMUNIST AT ALL, TRIES TO MIX IN ALL KINDS OF CRITICISM TOWARDS THE CHINESE STATE, WHETHER FROM THE RIGHT OR THE LEFT, WHETHER IT'S TARGETING ITS, UH, DOMESTIC OR FOREIGN POLICIES AS, UM, YOU KNOW, A BUILT-IN RACISM TOWARDS THE CHINESE PEOPLE.
YOU CAN SEE IT A LOT IN A LOT OF THE CHINESE PRESS.
AND, UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS IN, FOR EXAMPLE, AMERICAN CAMPUSES THAT ARE TRYING TO, UM, FURTHER THIS NARRATIVE.
MOST FAMOUSLY CSSA, UM, THE IHRA RESOLUTION REMINDS ME OF SUCH EFFORTS FROM THE CHINESE STATE TO STOP LEGITIMATE CRITICISM TOWARDS CHINA WHILE, UM, FURTHERING THIS CONSPIRACY THAT ALL CHINESE PEOPLE ARE SOMEHOW RELATED TO OUR GREAT MOTHERLAND.
IF YOU WANT ANOTHER EXAMPLE, I CAN POINT OUT THAT THE A DL HAS NEVER OPPOSED VICTOR ORBIN WHEN HE CLAIMED THAT ALL HIS POLITICAL OPPONENTS ARE FUNDED BY GEORGE SOROS.
GEORGE SOROS IS A HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR, BY THE WAY.
I LIKE THE REVISIONS NUMBER ONE THROUGH FOUR.
I LIKE THE PROMOTING THE NON-DISCRIMINATION OF ALL
[01:10:01]
RESIDENTS, UH, BUT I, BUT I AM AGAINST THE REST OF IT.BILL CLAIMED THAT DISCRIMINATION IS ON THE STREETS WHERE CERTAINLY NOT IN EL CAJON, UH, WHERE PEOPLE ARE CALLING FOR GENOCIDE BILL IN PUBLIC OFFICE BY POLITICIANS, BRAINWASHED OR PAID FOR BY ISRAEL TO SUPPORT THE ERADICATION OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE FROM THEIR HOME, AS DON'T HIS ME.
A TOPIC THAT HAS BEEN HIJACKED BY SOCIALISTS AND COMMUNISTS WHO PRETEND THEY CARE.
NOW, UH, IRONICALLY, THE ORIGINAL IRA DEFINITION WAS ENDORSED BY THE UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL, A SOCIALIST.
UH, THE WORKING DEFINITION OF SEMITIC BY MIRIAM WEBSTER IS QUOTE OF RELATING TO OR CONSTITUTING A SUBFAMILY OF THE AFRO ASIA LANGUAGE FAMILY.
THAT INCLUDES HEBREW, ARAMAIC, ARABIC, AND AMHARIC.
IN QUOTE, LABELING ONLY JEWS AS SEMITIC WAS CREATED BY PSEUDOSCIENTIFIC RACIAL STEREOTYPE MYTHOLOGIST, LIKE CIA AGENT CARLTON STEVENS C**N.
THE STANDING WITH THIS ORGANIZATION HELPING PUSH.
THIS IS AN INTERNATIONAL ZIONIST ORGANIZATION WITH AN OVER $17.5 MILLION BUDGET BASED IN RADICAL LOS ANGELES THAT IS STANDING WITH A FOREIGN COUNTRY.
THEIR ORIGINAL NAME WAS ISRAEL EMERGENCY ALLIANCE.
THE SWE WAS ALSO INVOLVED WITH THE WORLD ZIONIST CONGRESS, WHICH WAS FOUNDED BY THE ATHEIST FOUNDER OF ISRAEL, THEODORE HERZL.
THE IRA DEFINITION WAS CREATED BY A EUROPEAN UNION AGENCY, AND SEVEN OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES RELATED TO CRITICISM OF ISRAEL.
KENNETH S STERN HELPED DRAFT THE WORKING DEFINITION, YET HE LATER WARNED CONGRESS AND THE US HOUSE OF REPS THAT IT COULD BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND UNWISE, AND THAT IT COULD RESTRICT ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND PUNISH POLITICAL SPEECH.
I ALSO HAVE A CONCERN THAT ANTISEMITE MAY BECOME A MEANINGLESS AD HOMINY, JUST LIKE THE WORD RACIST HAS BECOME.
AND STEVE, YOU WERE RIGHT ABOUT, IF THE CITY FLIES THIS FLAG, IT'S GONNA HAVE TO FLY OTHER FLAGS.
SO PERHAPS THE NEXT RESOLUTION'S GONNA BE AGAINST HOMOPHOBIA.
UH, I'M AGAINST THIS FOREIGN AGENCY DERIVED DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITIC THAT IS INACCURATE, UNNEEDED, AND POSSIBLY UNLAWFUL, BUT NOTHING HERE IS GONNA STIFLE FREE SPEECH BECAUSE OUR RESOLUTION IS SYMBOLIC AND POLITICAL AND PAPER RESOLUTIONS DO NOT END HATE.
UM, YOU HAVE TO PULL IT UP 'CAUSE YOU'RE VERY TALL.
MY CONCERN ABOUT THIS RESOLUTION IS ALSO THAT IT MIGHT BE PROHIBITING FREE SPEECH.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY MEANT TO PROTECT OUR JEWISH BROTHERS AND SISTERS, BUT TO SILENCE ACTIVISTS AND JOURNALISTS AS WE HAVE BEEN SEEING HAPPENING CONSTANTLY.
UM, I BELIEVE WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO CONDEMN OUR OWN GOVERNMENT FOR CONTINUING TO AID AND SUPPORT THE SLAUGHTER OF INNOCENT CHILDREN AND WOMEN.
DESCENDANTS OF SURVIVORS OF A GENOCIDE SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO PROTEST WHEN THEY SEE HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF AND MURDERS BEING CARRIED OUT IN THEIR NAME.
LITTLE SILA MANSURI AND JOSE CORTEZ.
I'M A BORN AND RAISED EL CAJON CITIZEN.
AND I AM HERE TO SAY THAT I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS A FAIR ADAPTATION OF THE LANGUAGE TO EQUATE ANY CRITICISM OF ISRAEL WHEN WE'RE A LIVE STREAMING SCENE EVERY SINGLE DAY.
JUST THE ANNIHILATION OF A PEOPLE.
TODAY I SAW A 2000 POUND MUNITION DROPPED ON A CIVILIAN BUILDING JUST KILLING INNOCENT GOINS, NOT A HAMAS REFUGE.
AND HAS ANYONE HERE EATEN AT THE TASTE OF DAMASCUS, WHICH IS, UH, RUN BY SYRIAN WAR REFUGEES? HAS ANYONE NOTICED IN MY LIFETIME THE AMOUNT OF ARABIC SIGNAGE GOING UP IN EL CAJON? ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE CHAIN MIGRATED HERE BECAUSE OF, OF ALL THE, THE WARS THEY'VE, THEY'VE WE WE'VE CAUSED IN THEIR COUNTRIES, THEY'VE ALL COME HERE.
AND SO EL CAJON IS FULL OF CHILDREN THAT ARE FROM WAR TORN COUNTRIES WATCHING THIS HAPPENED IN ANOTHER COUNTRY, AND NOW THEY CAN'T SPEAK THEIR MIND FREELY IN THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH TO SAY WHAT'S HAPPENING, WHAT THEY'RE SEEING LIVE STREAMING RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM.
WE ALL KNOW WHAT THE TRUTH IS.
WE'RE ALL SEEING IT IN THE LIVE STREAMS EVERY DAY.
THAT THIS WEEK ALONE, UH, UH, AN OSCAR AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARIAN, AN ARTIST WAS PUBLICLY LYNCHED IN ISRAEL.
HE, TWO WEEKS AGO, THREE WEEKS AGO, JUST RELEASED A DOCUMENTARY, WON WON, WON AN AWARD FOR IT.
SO THE SILENCING OF BEING ABLE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THE TRUTH IS HAPPENING IS WHAT CONCERNS ME AS AN ALCOHOL CITIZEN.
I'M NOT ADVOCATING FOR HATE SPEECH.
I DON'T WANNA SEE HATE SPEECH ON THE STREETS OF MY CITY.
I DON'T HAVE AN A DL SCRIPT, SO I'M JUST SPEAKING TO YOU FROM THE HEART.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME.
AFTER READING HRRA WORKING DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM,
[01:15:01]
I CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THERE'S A LOT OF DANGEROUSLY PROBLEMATIC ISSUES.THE GUIDELINES ARE CONFLATING ANTI-SEMITISM WITH ANTI-ZIONISM THAT CRITICIZING THE ACTIONS OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL IS ANTI-SEMITISM.
IT'S CLEAR TO ME THAT THIS TYPE OF DEFINITION IN NCE ON SPEECH, IF THIS IS ADOPTED, NOT ONLY WILL IT HARM AND CRIMINALIZE PEOPLE THAT SUPPORT PALESTINIAN RIGHTS, IT WILL HARM THE JEWISH COMMUNITY.
IT IS, IT'S ESSENTIALLY ASSUMING THAT ALL JEWISH PEOPLE ARE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE VIEWS AND BEHAVIOR OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL.
IT FAILS TO PROTECT JEWS BY NOT ADDRESSING THE REAL THREAT, WHICH IS WHITE SUPREMACY IN MOST RECENT YEARS, HAVING BECOME THE LARGEST SOURCE OF THREATS AND VIOLENCE.
IF YOU WANNA COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM AT THIS, AT ITS CORE, WE NEED TO HAVE A COHERENT, CLEAR AND HISTORICALLY FORMED DEFINITION.
WE HAVE ONE MADE BY THE JERUSALEM DECLARATION OF ANTISEMITISM DEVELOPED BY A GROUP OF SCHOLARS IN FIELD IN THE FIELDS OF HOLOCAUST HISTORY, JEWISH STUDIES, AND MIDDLE EAST STUDIES.
AS OF NOW, IT HAS BEEN SIGNED BY 370 SCHOLARS.
I'M GOING TO READ YOU SOME OF THEIR COHERENT GUIDELINES OF WHAT IS NOT ANTISEMITISM IN CORRELATION OF ISRAEL AND PALESTINE, SUPPORTING THE PALESTINIAN DEMAND FOR JUSTICE AND FULL GRANT OF THEIR POLITICAL NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS AND ENCAP ENCAPSULATED IN INTERNATIONAL LAW.
CRI CRITICIZING OR OPPOSING ZIONISM AS A FORM OF NATIONALISM.
EVIDENCE-BASED CRITICISM OF ISRAEL AS A STATE INCLUDES IN INSTITUTIONS AND FOUNDING PRINCIPLES AND INCLUDES POLICIES AND PRACTICES.
DOIC AND ABROAD, BOYCOTT DI DIVESTMENT AND SANCTIONS ARE COMMONPLACE NON-VIOLENT FORMS OF POLITICAL PROTESTS AGAINST STATES IN THE ISRAEL CASE.
THEY ARE NOT IN AND OF THEMSELVES, ANTI-SEMITIC POLITICAL SPEECH DOES NOT HAVE TO BE MEASURED, PROPORTIONAL, TEMPERED, OR REASONABLE TO BE PROTECTED ON THE ARTICLE 19 OF THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS OR ARTICLE 10 OF THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND OTHER HUMAN RIGHTS INSTRUMENTS.
I WANT MY COMMENT WITH THIS TO FIGHT AGAINST ANTI-SEMITISM IS TO FIGHT AGAINST ALL FORMS OF RACIAL, ETHNIC, CULTURAL, RELIGIOUS, AND GENDER DISCRIMINATION.
I'M GONNA PICK THIS UP A LITTLE BIT.
YEAH, SO I'M A LONG TIME RESIDENT OF EL CAJON.
MY FATHER GRADUATED FROM HERE.
I SPOKE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, AND I GOTTA SAY I'M REALLY DISAPPOINTED TO SEE HOW HASTY AND VERY QUICKLY WE'RE MOVING ON A PROPOSAL THAT REALLY KIND OF EXCEEDS THE SCOPE OF, UH, THE LOCAL CITY COUNCIL.
UM, AND REALLY KIND OF REDUCES AND KIND OF DIVORCES THE GENUINE ANTISEMITISM THAT'S HAPPENING EVEN HERE IN EL CAJON AS RECENTLY AS JULY.
UH, FROM THE VERY REAL SYSTEMS OF THAT ALSO AFFECT ISLAMOPHOBIA, RACISM, HOMOPHOBIA, AND TRANSPHOBIA.
AND WE'RE NOT DOING OURSELVES A JUST SERVICE BY BASICALLY DIVORCING ANTISEMITISM FROM THOSE, THE IRO DEFINITION EFFECT DIRECTLY HARMS EL CAJON.
THE CITY IS EXPERIENCING SO MANY PROBLEMS. I CAN'T EVEN LIST 'EM ALL.
HOMELESSNESS, CRUMBLING INFRASTRUCTURE, AND LITERALLY THAT ATTACK THAT I MENTIONED ON JULY OF LAST YEAR.
SO WHY NOW IS THIS BEING PROPOSED? WELL, THE EASY ANSWER THAT SOMEONE ALREADY BROUGHT UP IS THAT BILL WELLS IN THE OTHER LIKE PERSON THAT CO-SPONSORED THIS GARY KENDRICK, ARE TRYING TO BASICALLY EARN AND CAPITALIZE ON CHEAP POLITICAL CAPITAL ON AN INTERNATIONAL CRISIS, AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED GENOCIDE.
AND SO WE WANNA OBVIOUSLY BRING UP THE FACT THAT THE ANTISEMITIC FORCES, BECAUSE ANTISEMITISM IS REAL.
WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THAT JULY ATTACK.
THOSE ARE, THAT'S REAL, BUT WE CAN'T DIVORCE IT FROM ITS ACTUAL CAUSE.
IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T CONFLATE IT WITH A POLITICAL IDEOLOGY LIKE ZIONISM.
WE HAVE TO REALLY LOOK AT ITS CAUSE OF WHITE SUPREMACY AND WHY THESE ATTACKS ARE HAPPENING IN CONFLATION WITH THE ECONOMIC SITUATION IN THIS COUNTRY.
WE HAVE TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION, YOU KNOW, THAT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, DO WHAT THE IHRA DOES.
IT TRIES TO CONFLATE AT ITS CORE, A A DEFINITION THAT RESTRICTS AND, UH, REDUCES DISCUSSION.
AND THEY SAY MULTIPLE TIMES IN THIS CONVERSATION THAT IT DOESN'T DO THAT.
BUT IN PRACTICE, IT ACTUALLY HAS IN MASSACHUSETTS, AT THE UC SYSTEM, LAWSUITS NOT LIKE CRIMINAL ACTION PER SE, ALTHOUGH THE FEDS DO THAT WITH THEIR ATTACKS ON IMMIGRATION ACTIVISTS AND ORGANIZERS FOR PALESTINIAN LIBERATION.
IT'S ACTUALLY ALSO JUST LAWSUITS THAT ARE FILED USING THESE KINDS OF POLICIES AS, UH, THE KIND OF, UM, KIND OF MANUFACTURING OF CONSENT.
PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING BEYOND THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY.
DON'T PASS THE HASTY RESOLUTION.
I'M A PARENT AND I'M STRUCK, UM, OVER THIS LAST HOUR AND A HALF ABOUT, I'M VERY MOVED BY HOW EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM UNDERSTANDS, RECOGNIZES ANTISEMITISM AS A VERY GRAVE TRUTH AND THAT IT'S GROWING AND
[01:20:01]
THAT ALL OF US ARE IN AGREEMENT.WE ALL KNOW THAT WE, WE MUST END ANTISEMITISM.
AND SO I'M GRATEFUL FOR THAT TOPIC, RIGHT, FOR US TO GRAPPLE WITH IT.
AND I'M HERE TO SAY THAT IN TERMS OF THIS DEFINITION, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAN ACTUALLY UNDERMINE THAT WORK.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE WORK AGAINST ANTISEMITISM, THAT WE DON'T MIX IT UP AND UNDERMINE FULL JEWISH LIBERATION, FULL JEWISH DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT BY IMPLYING, BY STATING THAT AN OPINION ABOUT A COUNTRY, A NATION, ABOUT ISRAEL'S VAST LAWS AND POLICIES AND VALUES, THAT SOME OPINION ABOUT THAT IS ANTISEMITISM.
AND THAT WAY IT WATERS THAT DEFINITION AND IT REDUCES THE POWER THAT WE HAVE TO COMBAT ANTI-JEWISH NESS.
SO I HOPE TODAY THAT YOU'LL LOOK INTO YOUR ETHICS, YOUR CRITICAL THINKING, YOUR HEART, AND RECOGNIZE THAT YES, WE MUST WORK ON THIS AND KNOW THIS RESOLUTION IS NOT IT.
YOU KNOW, TWO WEEKS AGO I WAS LIKE MANY OTHER SPEAKERS, I, TO YOUR SENSE OF HUMANITY, TO REJECT IRA.
THE MAYOR CLOSED THE DISCUSSION, REPEATING A DL TALKING POINTS, CLAIMING THAT ISRAEL IS A DEMOCRACY, AND THERE IS ARAB REPRESENTATION IN THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL.
HE USED THE WORD ARABS, BY THE WAY.
HE DID NOT USE THE WORD PALESTINIANS BECAUSE, LIKE ZIONISM, HE DENIES THE EXISTENCE OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.
MR. MAYOR, YOU ARE ENTITLED TO YOUR OPINION, BUT YOUR FACTS ARE WRONG.
ISRAEL IS AT LEAST IS AT BEST A JEWISH DEMOCRACY, JUST AS, AS SOUTH AFRICA WAS A WHITE DEMOCRACY, NOT ARIAN DEMOCRACY.
IF YOU MIGHT THINK I AM BIASED, JUST AS I THINK YOU ARE.
AND INSTEAD LOOK AT THE FINDINGS OF THREE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, AND ISRAEL'S OWN BESIM THAT DESCRIBES ISRAEL AS A STATE THAT PRACTICES JEWISH APARTHEID FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA.
IF I CODE THIS, BY THE WAY, I WOULD BE LABELED ACCORDING TO IRA AS ANTISEMITE, I WAS BORN IN A PALESTINIAN REFUGEE CAMP BECAUSE ISRAEL WILL COME REFUGEES FROM EUROPE BECAUSE THEY WERE JEWS AND EXPRESS EXPELLED MY PARENTS FROM THEIR HOMES BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT ACCORDING TO IRA.
IF I CRITICIZE WHAT ISRAEL HAD DONE TO MY OWN PARENTS OR MYSELF, I WOULD BE AN ANTI-SEMITE.
I CAN STAND HERE AND CRITICIZE US GOVERNMENT AND I WON'T BE ANTI-AMERICAN.
I CAN CRITICIZE THE VATICAN AND I WON'T BE ANTI-CHRISTIAN.
BUT IF I CRITICIZE ISRAEL FOR WHAT IT DID TO MY OWN FAMILY, I WOULD BE AN ANTI-SEMITE.
IF YOU SUPPORT THIS, YOU ARE PROMOTING ANTI PALESTINIAN RACISM.
GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AND MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY ABOUT THIS AGENDA ITEM.
I KNOW THE DISCUSSION'S BEEN GOING ON AND ON, AND I WANT TO POINT OUT YES, OF COURSE ANTISEMITISM IS A REAL ISSUE AND WE SHOULD BE ADDRESSING IT.
DOES IRA DO THAT STUDIES SHOW? NO.
I WORK AT THE MELO ARAB COMMUNITY CENTER DOWN THE STREET, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE CONSOLES THOUGHTFUL, NUANCED DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS ONGOING THROUGHOUT THE WEEKS.
UM, ESPECIALLY HIGHLIGHTING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ANTISEMITISM AND CRITIQUES OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL, AS WELL AS CONCERNS ABOUT INFRINGEMENTS UPON FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.
SO STRAIGHT UP FRONT, WE URGE THE COUNCIL TO REJECT THE IRA DEFINITION, PARTLY BECAUSE IT IS FLAWED AND IT'S BEEN USED WEAPONIZED AGAINST FREE SPEECH ALREADY.
A FEDERAL COURT IN WEST TEXAS HAS ALREADY FOUND THAT ADOPTING THIS DEFINITION HAS ENFORCED THE VIOLATIONS OF FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS FOR STUDENTS AND PROFESSORS.
AS A FORMER PUBLIC EDUCATOR WHO WORKED IN TEXAS, I FIND IT SHOCKING THAT WEST TEXAS HAS ALREADY ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE.
THE, THE LEADING AUTHOR OF IRA DEFINITION, KENNETH STERN, WHO OTHER PEOPLE HAVE QUOTED ALREADY, I JUST WANT TO PICK OUT A FEW CHOICE QUOTES IN
[01:25:01]
AN INTERVIEW FROM HIM.THE IRA WORKING DEFINITION HAS BEEN PRIMARILY USED AND I ARGUE GROSSLY ABUSED TO SUPPRESS AND CHILL PRO-PALESTINIAN SPEECH.
IT HAS NOT TO DATE HAD THE TRANSFORMATIVE EFFECT ON DATA COLLECTION AND HATE CRIME ANALYSIS THAT WAS HOPED FOR.
DESPITE CLAIMS THAT THIS IS NOT A LEGALLY BINDING DEFINITION, IT'S ACTUALLY ALREADY BEEN USED AS PEOPLE HAVE CITED.
WHEN YOU'RE ASKING INSTITUTIONS AND GOVERNMENTS TO ADOPT A DEFINITION, TO ENSHRINE IT, CONSULT IT, AND USE IT IN CODES AND PROCEDURES, THAT DEFINITION IS BEING USED LIKE THE LAW.
AND WE KNOW LEGAL PROTECTIONS ALREADY EXIST TO ADDRESS THESE FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA HIGHLIGHT TWO MORE THINGS HERE AND I'LL BE DONE.
THERE ARE NUMEROUS HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS WHO'VE COMPARED ZIONIST POLICIES TO THOSE OF NAZI GERMANY.
THEY WOULD BE QUALIFIED AS ANTI-SEMITES UNDER THIS DEFINITION AS WELL.
LASTLY, I WANNA POINT OUT THAT A NUMBER OF THE SUPPORTERS OF IRA DEFINITION ADOPTION HERE HAVE SAID THAT IRA DOESN'T CONFLATE ANTISEMITISM WITH ANTI-ZIONISM.
AND THE OTHER HALF SAID ANTI-ZIONISM IS ANTISEMITISM.
SO I'D JUST LIKE FOLKS TO GET THE STORY STRAIGHT.
BRENDA HAMMOND, JESSE CONSTANCIO, AND VICKI TRIA.
OKAY, I'M GONNA SIMPLIFY THIS COMING FROM A HOMELESS PERSON THAT SEES WHAT'S GOING ON FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS.
UM, AND YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY I'M BOHEMIAN.
WELL, MY FATHER WAS FULL-BLOODED.
MY MOTHER WAS GERMAN, AND YES, SHE WAS A LITTLE BIT JEWISH AND A LITTLE BIT IRISH.
SHE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING.
SO BACK IN THE LATE NINETIES AND EARLY TWO THOUSANDS, I BECAME ACQUAINTED WITH THE ALDEAN PEOPLE OF EL CAJON.
ACTUALLY, MY DAUGHTER'S CONFIRMATION MOM IS ALDEAN AS OUR DAUGHTERS GREW UP TOGETHER IN CAL.
OH, AND MY FAVORITE SMOKE SHOP IN LEMON GROVE IS OWNED BY ALDEAN COUPLE THAT I'VE KNOWN FOR YEARS.
UH, WHEN NINE 11 HAPPENED, MY ALDEAN FRIENDS WERE TREATED BADLY, VERY BADLY.
UM, THEY WERE BLAMING THEM FOR EVERYTHING THAT WAS HAPPENING.
UM, BUT THE GOOD PEOPLE I KNOW, ESPECIALLY IN LEMON GROVE, SUCKED IT UP AND CONTINUED TO BE THE GOOD PEOPLE.
THEY ARE RESPECTED AS GOOD, HARDWORKING PEOPLE WITH BEAUTIFUL FAMILIES.
I DON'T REMEMBER THAT GROUP COMING TO A CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND ASKING FOR PROTECTION, NOR DO I REMEMBER ANY OF MY MEXICAN FRIENDS ASK, ASKING FOR EXTRA PROTECTION BACK IN THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES.
DO YOU REMEMBER THOSE DAYS? WHAT I DO SEE RECENTLY IS AT LEAST TWO GROUPS OF PEOPLE COLOR OR NOT ASKING CITIES TO WASTE TAXPAYER MONEY WRITING SOLUTIONS INSTEAD OF USING THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS FOR WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE CONDUCTING THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY FOR ALL PEOPLE.
UH, AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS RESOLUTION INCLUDES HOMELESS PEOPLE.
MY NAME IS, UH, JESSE CONSTANCIO.
UM, I'VE BEEN AN ACTIVIST ALL MY GROWN LIFE, FOUGHT AGAINST INJUSTICE, FOUGHT AGAINST DISCRIMINATION, UM, BUT I WANNA SAY RIGHT NOW AND ALL MY LIFE, I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING AS ATROCIOUS AS WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
I UNDERSTAND PEOPLE'S EMOTIONAL AT INTE ATTACHMENT, UH, TO THEIR RELIGION AND THEIR COMMITMENTS.
AND I THINK SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE BLINDED BY THE FACT THAT THERE IS A GENOCIDE GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE WHO WOULD ARGUE THAT IT'S A HOLOCAUST.
I KNOW THAT INFLAMES A LOT OF PEOPLE.
I THINK THAT YOUR STAFF, I WAS HERE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO FOR THE VOTE.
UH, YOU FOLKS HAD NO PROBLEM VOTING FOR THE RESOLUTION, BUT EVEN YOUR OWN STAFF RECOGNIZE HOW NARROW AND SHALLOW THAT LEG STATION IS AND TRY TO DOCTOR IT UP FOR YOU, BUT IT'S STILL NOT RIGHT.
I THINK YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND UNDER SEE THE GO AROUND MOVE THAT'S HAPPENING HERE.
THERE ARE PEOPLE HERE TODAY BECAUSE THEY ARE TIRED.
THEY'RE TIRED OF THIS BEING SILENCED.
THEY'RE TIRED OF PEOPLE NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THE OTHER INJUSTICES THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THIS WORLD.
I WAS HERE MAYBE A MONTH AGO AND YOU TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FEELING UNCOMFORTABLE
[01:30:01]
TO LEAVE YOUR HOUSE.WE'VE ALL EXPERIENCED RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION AND INJUSTICE.
BUT HAVING SAID THAT, WHEN I LEAVE MY HOUSE AND I COME TO HERE, TO HERE IN EL CAJON, PRETTY SOON I'LL HAVE TO WORRY WHETHER A POLICEMAN THINKS I'M KIND OF SOME GANG MEMBER CRIMINAL JUST BECAUSE THE COLOR OF MY SKIN.
SO YES, WE ALL EXPERIENCE RACISM, WE ALL EXPERIENCE DISCRIMINATION, WE ALL DISCRIMINATE DIS UH, EX EXPERIENCE HATE.
AND PLEASE DO NOT JUST TRY TO SINGLE OUT ONE GROUP.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE STAFF FOR TRYING TO AT LEAST MEND THAT A LITTLE BIT.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR WELLS.
UM, THIS RESOLUTION DOES NOTHING TO KEEP JEWISH PEOPLE SAFE.
I, ALONG WITH MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, WOULD STAND HEARTEDLY FOR THE PROTECTION OF ALL JEWISH PEOPLE.
WE CONDEMN SWASTIKAS AND ANY KIND OF DISCRIMINATION, BUT I THINK THAT THE PRESENT LAWS THAT WE HAVE THAT PROTECT BLACKS, ASIANS, MEXICANS, NATIVES, AND JEWISH ARE THERE FOR A REASON.
WE DON'T NEED THIS RESOLUTION.
THIS RESOLUTION IS ABOUT GIVING COVER AND PROVIDING IMPUNITY TO THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENTS GENOCIDE.
IT DOES, IT DOES NOT ADDRESS THE WHITE SUPREMACIST ACTS OF VIOLENCE OR THREATS AGAINST JEWISH PEOPLE.
IF YOU WANT TO ENACT, UH, ANY, UH, RESOLUTIONS TO PROTECT PEOPLE, I SUGGEST YOU CONSIDER DOING SOMETHING TO PREVENT ISLAMOPHOBIA, TO PROTECT, PROTECT THE PALESTINIANS AND THOSE WHO STAND WITH THEM.
JUST A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, A 6-YEAR-OLD CHILD WA OMI, HE HAD JUST TURNED SIX, WAS STABBED 26 TIMES BY HIS LANDLORD WHO DIDN'T THINK PALESTINIANS HAVE A RIGHT TO LIVE.
THIS MAN ALSO STABBED THE THE CHILD'S MOTHER A DOZEN TIMES.
SHE, SHE SURVIVED, BUT THE CHILD DID NOT.
UM, AND THEN THE FOLLOWING MONTH, THREE PALESTINIAN COLLEGE STUDENTS AGED 21 AT THE TIME WERE GUNNED DOWN SIMPLY FOR WEARING KAFIS AND SPEAKING ARABIC.
ONE OF THEM WAS PARALYZED BECAUSE HE HAD A BULLET LODGED IN HIS SPINE.
AND I'M SORRY THAT SOME OF YOU DON'T THINK THIS IS WORTH EYE CONTACT, BUT IT'S A REAL THREAT.
THE DANGER, THIS IS LIFE CHANGING IF THEY SURVIVE.
SO WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT LITTLE THINGS.
UM, SO CONSIDER PROTECTING PALESTINIAN PEOPLE, ISLAMIC, ISLAMIC PEOPLE, AND NOT ADOPTING THIS RESOLUTION.
UM, WE HAVE SIX MORE SPEAKERS, UH, JULIA GOMEZ, MEGAN FF SEAN, AND STEPH ION.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MAYOR WELLS AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M AN THE INTERIM MANAGING LEGAL DIRECTOR AT THE A CLU OF SAN DIEGO AND IMPERIAL COUNTIES.
YESTERDAY WE SENT A LETTER TO THE COUNCIL, URGING YOU TO VOTE NO ON THE CITY'S PROPOSED RESOLUTION ON ANTISEMITISM.
THE FIRST AMENDMENT APPLIES TO ALL OF US, INCLUDING THOSE WHOSE POSITIONS DO NOT ALIGN WITH THE, WITH OUR GOVERNMENT'S POLITICAL STANCES.
ANY ATTEMPT TO SILENCE THEIR VOICES IS PATENTLY UNDEMOCRATIC.
THE A CLU STAUNCHLY DEFENDS THEIR RIGHTS TO CRITICIZE DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS.
THE IRA DEFINITION ON ANTISEMITISM IS OVERBROAD AND INCORRECTLY EQUATES PROTECTED POLITICAL SPEECH WITH DISCRIMINATION.
IT DECLARES, FOR INSTANCE, THAT QUOTE, CLAIMING THAT THE EXISTENCE OF A STATE OF ISRAEL IS A RACIST ENDEAVOR, IS AN EXAMPLE OF ANTISEMITISM AND NOT PROTECTED POLITICAL SPEECH.
FEDERAL AND STATE LAWS, AND APPARENTLY EL CAJON, UM, CODE, UM, ALREADY PROVIDE PROTECTIONS AGAINST DISCRIMINATION THAT DO NOT INFRINGE ON PEOPLE'S FREE SPEECH RIGHTS.
AND ENSHRINING, THIS RESOLUTION WILL CHILL POLITICAL SPEECH.
IT'S UNSURPRISING, AS SOMEONE ELSE ALREADY NOTED THAT A FEDERAL JUDGE IN TEXAS ALREADY HELD THAT PLAINTIFFS THAT WERE CHALLENGING A POLICY THAT ALSO INCORPORATES THE IRA DEFINITION WE'RE LIKELY TO SUCCEED IN THEIR CLAIM.
THAT THE POLICY VIOLATES THE FIRST AMENDMENT.
IN PARTICULAR, THE JUDGE HELD THAT QUOTE, INCORPORATING THE IRA DEFINITION OF IRA DISCRIMINATION IS VIEW, EXCUSE ME, OF ANTI-SEMITISM, IS VIEWPOINT DISCRIMINATION BECAUSE IT MAKES THE VERY UTTERANCE OF SPECIFIC CONTACT PUNISHABLE BY CENSORING AND TARGET TARGETING EL CAJON COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
THE CITY MAY BE OPENING THE DOOR FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
[01:35:01]
TO SIMILARLY TARGET AND RETALIATE AGAINST COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO MAY NOT BE CITIZENS.AS WE'VE RECENTLY SEEN WITH STUDENTS AT COLUMBIA, AMONG OTHER INSTITUTIONS, PASSING THE RESOLUTION WILL MEAN THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CRITICAL OF ISRAEL AND ITS POLICIES AGAINST PALESTINIANS WILL REASONABLY UNDERSTAND THAT THEIR INTENDED SPEECH IS NOW PROHIBITED UNDER THE CITY'S POLICIES, MA'AM, AND WILL HESITATE TO ENGAGE IN SUCH EXPRESSIONS.
GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, MAYOR WELLS, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND, UH, FELLOW CO UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER OF BORDERLANDS FOR EQUITY.
IT'S A PRO BONO CIVIL RIGHT CIVIL RIGHTS NONPROFIT BASED HERE IN SAN DIEGO.
I'VE SPENT MUCH OF MY YOUTH IN EL CAJON AS WELL AS GONNA GROSSMONT COLLEGE.
UM, THIS IS SUCH A, A MISGUIDED, UH, RESOLUTION.
AND I I THINK IN THIS MOMENT, I, I DON'T ENVY ANY OF YOU FOR THE POSITION THAT YOU'RE IN BECAUSE YOU'RE REALLY BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE.
UH, WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THIS MOMENT IS AN ATTACK AGAINST FREEDOM OF SPEECH ACROSS THIS COUNTRY.
AS SOMEBODY HAD MENTIONED EARLIER, THE ATTACKS OF ISLAMOPHOBIA AND ANTISEMITISM ARE REAL.
AND IN, UH, IN THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY, WE HAVE SEEN A 4,000, OVER 4900% INCREASE IN ATTACKS AGAINST MUSLIMS PEOPLE, MUSLIM PEOPLE, ARAB PEOPLE, UH, PALESTINIAN PEOPLE, WHICH ARE NOT ALL MUSLIM.
UH, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT IN THIS MOMENT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO SERVE, TO SERVE THE WHOLE OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND AS YOU KNOW BETTER THAN I DO, ALL OF YOU SERVING THIS, THIS, WELL, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE MIGHT BE WASTING YOUR TIME, BUT EYE CONTACT WOULD BE APPRECIATED IN THIS MOMENT.
UM, IN THIS MOMENT, I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM, ELON, BUT ACTUALLY CONFLATING ANTISEMITISM WITH ANTI-ZIONISM IS VERY PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN BLACK INDIGENOUS MUSLIM REFUGEE MIGRANT LATINX MEXICAN STUDENTS AND L-G-B-T-Q MEMBERS CONTINUE TO BE ATTACKED.
PLEASE DON'T ACCEPT THIS RESOLUTION.
PLEASE SERVE ALL OF THE PEOPLE YOU ARE ELECTED TO SERVE.
UM, THIS HAS BEEN A LOT OF HEARTFELT, UH, TESTIMONY AND I'VE LEARNED A LOT TODAY.
AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO HAS SPOKEN.
I AM HERE TO SPEAK, UH, IN OPPOSITION OF PASSING THE RESOLUTION BECAUSE OF THE USE OF THE IRA, UH, DEFINITION AND I, BUT TODAY LISTENING, I UNDERSTAND STRO MOR BETTER, MUCH BETTER THAT, UM, HAVING FELT ANTI THE I OPPOSE ANTISEMITISM, I OPPOSE GENOCIDE, I OPPOSE WAR MY ENTIRE LIFE.
I WAS RAISED TO DO THAT AND I'VE ALWAYS STOOD THAT WAY.
AND I UNDERSTAND TODAY MORE WHY THE IRA IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE FOR PEOPLE.
HOWEVER, AS WAS MENTIONED, THE, UM, AUTHOR HAS SAID THAT IT IS NO LONGER SERVING ITS PURPOSE WHEN IT'S BEING CODIFIED INTO GOVERNMENT.
AND HE JUST SPOKE AGAIN LAST WEEK SAYING THIS IS ACTUALLY HURTING OUR STUDENTS ON THE CAMPUSES RATHER THAN HELPING THEM.
SO WHERE I'M CONFUSED IS THAT THE LAST MEETING THERE IS A GENTLEMAN WHO PROPOSED AN ALTERNATIVE, WHICH ONE OF THE SPEAKERS HAS READ FROM TODAY.
THE, UH, JERUSALEM DECLARATION ON ANTISEMITISM THAT WAS COMPOSED BY A, A, A GROUP OF SCHOLARS OF DIFFERENT OPINIONS, UH, AND, AND, BUT ALL, UH, YOU KNOW, EXPERTS AND ADVOCATES IN THE AREA OF OPPOSING ANTISEMITISM.
AND THEY'VE COMPOSED THIS AND THEY'VE GOTTEN MANY, MANY SIGNERS ON IT IN AGREEMENT TO CORRECT THE ERRORS OR THE PROBLEMS THAT HAVE DEVELOPED AROUND HOW THE IRA IS BEING USED.
AND SO THAT WAS PROPOSED AND THEN ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS SUGGESTED THAT THAT BE CONSIDERED AND IT WAS DISREGARDED OFFHAND.
SO MY QUESTION IS, WHEN YOU DISREGARDED IT, HAD YOU READ IT? CAN YOU RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'VE READ THE ALTERNATIVE? UM, DECLARATION.
THE J JERUSALEM DECLARATION ON ANTISEMITISM.
WELL, I'VE BROUGHT COPIES SO YOU CAN READ THEM AND IF ANY, IF I HAVE A FEW EXTRA, IF SOMEBODY WOULD LIKE A COPY.
AND NOW I JUST WANNA SAY PEACE.
THE LAST FOUR SPEAKERS ARE MARGARET VIC, MICHAEL BRACKNEY, WALTER SATIN, AND VIVICA RAY MASSER.
[01:40:01]
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.MUCH OF WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY HAS BEEN SAID.
UM, MY NAME IS MARGARET LEVY, AS YOU CAN HEAR FROM MY ACCENT.
I'M ORIGINALLY FROM SOUTH AFRICA.
I WAS, UM, AN ACTIVIST AND WORKED FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS THERE.
AND I DID ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE ANTI-SEMITISM IN SOUTH AFRICA.
BUT SINCE COMING TO THE UNITED STATES, I NEVER HAD FELT THAT SINCE OCTOBER THE SEVENTH, THERE HAVE BEEN INCIDENTS THAT HAVE AFFECTED MYSELF AND MY FAMILY.
I THINK THAT THIS DEFINITION IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, I I THINK THAT IT HAS BEEN VERY WIDELY USED BY GOVERNMENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS EFFECTIVELY ACROSS THE WORLD.
IT IS NOT HUGELY CONTROVERSIAL.
I AM REALLY SURPRISED TO HEAR, UM, THE COMMENTS TODAY.
I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT THE WORDING AND YOU READ IT REALLY CAREFULLY, 'CAUSE I GUESS THAT'S WHAT EACH OF YOU IS GONNA NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO DECIDE, UM, WHETHER THIS IS, UM, WHETHER THIS SHOULD BE PASSED OR NOT.
I I BELIEVE THAT THIS, UM, IT HAS STANDARDS.
IT GUARDS AGAINST EXAMPLES OF TIME WORN ANTISEMITIC TROPES THAT HAVE STRADDLED THE CER CENTURIES AS WELL AS THE NEW FORMS, WHICH DE-LEGITIMIZE THE JEWISH STATE OF ISRAEL.
IMPORTANTLY, THIS DEFINITION DOES NOT SEEK TO STARTIFY CRITICISM OF THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT OR ITS POLICIES, WHICH IS LEGITIMATE FREE SPEECH, BUT RATHER TO IDENTIFY WHEN THAT FREE SPEECH DEVOLVES INTO HATE SPEECH AND ACTION, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN APPLYING DOUBLE STANDARDS OR BY HOLDING ISRAEL TO STANDARD, NOT DEMANDED, UM, UH, NOT DEMANDED WITH, WITH OTHER, WITH OTHER COUNTRIES OR OTHER NATIONS.
SO I AM GOING TO CONCLUDE BY SAYING THAT I'M PROUD OF MY JUDAISM AND IT'S BEEN VERY SAD TO SEE, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE US AND I BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL GO A LONG WAY IN HELPING TO PROTECT JEWISH PEOPLE, UM, GOING FORWARD.
HELLO, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M FROM HILLCREST AND I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
BUT BEFORE I EXPRESS MY OWN PERSONAL CONCERNS, I WANT TO SAY THAT I RESONATE WITH ALL THE CONCERNS EXPRESSED HERE TODAY.
NOT NECESSARILY ALL THE POINTS OF VIEW EXPRESSED HERE TODAY, BUT ALL THE CONCERNS, THEY, THEY'RE VERY DEEPLY FELT BY EVERYBODY, AND EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN DEEP REASON FOR HAVING THEM.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT FORMING A DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM BEYOND THE TEXTBOOK DEFINITION WE ALREADY HAVE IS GOING TO HELP STOP ANTISEMITISM, WHICH MUST BE DONE.
THAT REQUIRES MUCH, MUCH MORE PURPOSEFUL ACTION THAN MERELY PASSING A RESOLUTION AND A CONTENTIOUS ONE AT THAT.
WE'VE HEARD NUMBERS OF COMMENTS, A FEW COMMENTS HERE THAT HAVE GIVEN US EXAMPLES OF HOW THIS RESOLUTION ACTUALLY HAS BEEN MISUSED TO THE HARM OF PEOPLE IN VARIOUS PLACES IN OUR COUNTRY.
AND I'M AFRAID THAT'S ONLY GETTING WORSE.
I WOULD ALSO ADD MY OWN PERSONAL TAKE ON THIS, ON THIS, UH, DEFINITION IS THAT IT'S, UM, ILLOGICAL ON THE FACE OF IT IN THAT IT EQUATES ZIONISM WITH JUDAISM.
THE TWO ARE NOT THE SAME, IN FACT, JUST ONE I JUST WANNA MENTION, WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT BEFORE THE HOLOCAUST CAME A VAST, THE VAST MAJORITY OF JEWS IN THIS COUNTRY, WERE AGAINST ZIONISM, WERE AGAINST ESTABLISHING THE COUNTRY OF ISRAEL.
UH, MAY, MAY I JUST, JUST, JUST SAY, I, I WANT TO PROPOSE SOMETHING DIFFERENT, RATHER.
RATHER THAN GOING FORWARD WITH THIS RESOLUTION, I THINK THE COUNCIL SHOULD DO SOMETHING MUCH MORE CONSTRUCTIVE, AND THAT IS TO GET ALL THE LIKES OF EVERYBODY HERE WHO HAS SPOKEN PASSIONATELY TOGETHER IN DIALOGUE, SO THAT WE CAN LISTEN MORE DEEPLY TO EACH OTHER AND TELL EACH
[01:45:01]
OTHER OUR OWN HISTORIES, WHAT WE KNOW, SO THAT WE'RE NOT IN A FACE OFF AGAINST EACH OTHER, SO THAT WE CAN, THROUGH DIALOGUE, WORK OUT A BETTER WAY OF COEXISTING WITH EACH OTHER AND HOPEFULLY MAKING LIFE A LOT MORE PLEASANT FOR ALL OF US.I HAVE 20 OR 30 COUSINS ISRAELI COUSINS.
I THINK THIS LEGISLATION IS WRONG.
I'M A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER FOR 16 YEARS FOR THE SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I'M AN ADJUNCT PROFESSOR AT SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE IN ART AND ART HISTORY.
I'M ALSO AN ADJUNCT PROFESSOR AT NATIONAL UNIVERSITY WHERE I'VE WORKED TEACHING ART TO VETERANS FOR SEVEN YEARS.
I WENT TO ABINGTON HIGH SCHOOL IN PHILADELPHIA, THE RIVAL HIGH SCHOOL OF BENJAMIN NETANYAHU.
I HAVE FRIENDS AND FAMILY AT THE SAME SYNAGOGUE IS SENATOR JOSH SHAPIRO.
MY COUSINS BOUGHT LAND IN ISRAEL IN THE 1930S.
MY COUSIN, WHO WOULD'VE BEEN MY AGE, WAS SO TIRED AFTER HIS SERVICE IN THE IDF THAT HE SPENT MOST OF HIS LIFE IN INDIA BEFORE COMMITTING SUICIDE.
I HAVE SEVERAL COUSINS IN THE IDF, MY AUNT SYNAGOGUE.
KAILA HAS AN ALLIANCE WITH THE VILLAGE OF AL KARE AND THE WEST BANK.
FACE TO FACE, A PALESTINIAN'S REPARATIONS ALLIANCE.
SINCE 2021, THIS TOWN HAS BEEN COMPLETELY TORN TO THE GROUND.
LAST MONTH, THEY POSE NO THREAT TO ISRAELIS.
MY GREAT GRANDPARENTS DIED AT AUSCHWITZ.
MANY MORE OF MY FAMILY DISAPPEARED INTO POLAND.
THIS LEGISLATION IS COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY.
OVER THE SUMMER, I WAS THREATENED WITH VIOLENCE FOR SAYING THERE SHOULD BE PEACE BETWEEN PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS, BY A GUY WHO WAS PRETTY MISGUIDED.
HE SAID THAT ASHKENAZI JEWS ONLY BECAME JEWISH FOR POWER.
THIS IS ANTISEMITISM, BUT I WAS NOT AFRAID I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF.
I HAVE ATTENDED JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE MEETINGS AND I'VE NEVER FELT UNSAFE.
ASKING FOR EQUAL RIGHTS FOR PALESTINIANS IS NOT ANTISEMITISM.
IF YOU'RE CURIOUS ABOUT ANTISEMITISM, YOU SHOULD READ ABUSING ANTISEMITISM BY RON HA COHEN.
I DON'T BELIEVE IN THIS RESOLUTION.
IS THIS OUR LAST SPEAKER? ALRIGHT, YOU'RE THE LAST ONE.
MY NAME IS VIVEKA REDA AND IN MY DAY JOB, I ADVOCATE FOR LAWS THAT INCREASE ACCESS TO DEMOCRACY ON THE CITY AND STATE LEVEL.
AND IT IS FROM THIS PERSPECTIVE THAT I COME TO YOU TODAY.
LIKE MANY OTHERS HERE, I'M WORRIED THAT THIS RESOLUTION INVOKES THE IRA DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM.
AND IF ADOPTED, IT COULD BE USED TO LABEL LEGITIMATE POLITICAL SPEECH AS ANTISEMITIC AND AS OTHERS HAVE SHARED.
IT'S A CONCERN RAISED BY KENNETH STERN, THE LEAD DRAFTER OF THE IRA WORKING DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM AND HIS OP-ED IN THE GUARDIAN, WHICH I ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY HERE TO READ.
STERN EXPLAINED THAT THE IRA DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM WAS ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED FOR RESEARCH PURPOSES TO MONITOR ANTISEMITISM OVER TIME AND ACROSS BORDERS, BUT HAS INSTEAD BEEN MISUSED AND WEAPONIZED TO TARGET FREE SPEECH, PARTICULARLY AMONG THOSE ADVOCATING FOR PALESTINIAN RIGHTS ARE CRITICIZING ISRAELI POLICIES.
15 YEARS AGO AS THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE'S ANTISEMITISM EXPERT, I WAS THE LEAD DRAFTER OF WHAT WAS THEN CALLED THE WORKING DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM.
IT WAS CREATED PRIMARILY SO THAT EUROPEAN DATA COLLECTORS COULD KNOW WHAT TO INCLUDE AND EXCLUDE THAT WAY ANTISEMITISM COULD BE MONITORED BETTER OVER TIME AND ACROSS BORDERS.
IT WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE A CAMPUS HATE SPEECH CODE, BUT THAT'S WHAT THE EXECUTIVE ORDER ACCOMPLISHED THIS WEEK.
THE ORDER IS AN ATTACK ON ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND FREE SPEECH.
AND IT WILL HARM NOT ONLY PRO-PALESTINIAN ADVOCATES, BUT ALSO JEWISH STUDENTS AND FACULTY IN THE ACADEMY ITSELF.
END QUOTE, I TRULY FEAR THAT IF THIS RESOLUTION A DROP ADOPTS THE IOWA WORKING DEFINITION OF ANTISEMITISM, IT COULD EMPOWER SOME IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IT COULD EMPOWER SOME PEOPLE TO TARGET THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITIES WHO THEY READ AS PALESTINIAN OR MUSLIM, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.
AND IT COULD HAPPEN HERE TODAY.
I CANNOT UNDER HOW STRONGLY HOW AFRAID PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES RIGHT NOW ARE BEING VISIBLE.
I GREW UP IN NEW YORK AFTER NINE 11, AND AS A YOUNG TEENAGER, MY FAMILY WAS TARGETED.
I WAS DETAINED AT THE BORDER, SEPARATED FROM MY GUARDIANS FOR HOURS, UM, AND QUESTIONED BECAUSE OF WHAT I LOOK LIKE.
SO I REALLY EMPATHIZE WITH FOLKS WHO ARE AFRAID, BUT I TRULY BELIEVE THERE'S ROOM FOR A RESOLUTION ADDRESSING ANTISEMITISM THAT IS NOT RELY ON A DEFINITION THAT HAS BEEN USED TO TARGET OTHER VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, AND RATHER, UM, THAT BRINGS OUR COMMUNITIES TOGETHER AND ADVOCATES FOR EXPANSIVE, UH, ANTI-DISCRIMINATION POLICIES FOR ALL TARGETED COMMUNITIES.
WELL, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I, I HAVE TO COMMEND YOU FOR HAVING SUCH DIVERSE OPINIONS AND BEHAVING LIKE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
I I APPRECIATE THE RESPECT THAT YOU'VE SHOWN YOUR EACH OTHER AND, AND US AS WELL.
AT THIS POINT, WE'RE GONNA BRING IT BACK TO THE COUNCIL FOR DISCUSSION AND THEN PROBABLY A VOTE DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
PEOPLE ARE GONNA SAY THINGS IN INVARIABLY IT'S GOING TO UPSET ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER.
[01:50:01]
LET US DELIBERATE AND TALK WITHOUT, WITHOUT INTERJECTING.WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO SPEAK PHIL? YEAH, GO AHEAD.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE FOR SPEAKING.
UM, THIS RESOLUTION, AS I SAID LAST COUNCIL MEETING, SEEMS, UM, PRETTY BENIGN.
AND I SAID BEFORE, UH, I HAVE NO ISSUE CRITICIZING ANY FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
THE MAJORITY OF THE ATROCITIES IN THE 20 WELL OF ALL HUMAN HISTORY HAVE BEEN CREATED BY GOVERNMENT.
SO, UM, I, I KNOW THAT THIS RESOLUTION ISN'T GONNA DICTATE ANY OF OUR CITY POLICIES WITH REGARD TO OUR EMPLOYEES.
AND I'M LOOKING OVER AT MY CITY MANAGER FOR A SECOND.
I, IS IT THIS GONNA LIMIT ANY EMPLOYEE'S ABILITY TO CRITICIZE, UH, ISRAELI GOVERNMENT ACTIONS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? NO.
AND ARE THEY, IS THEIR JOB ON THE LINE OR PROMOTION OR ANYTHING TO THAT DEGREE? IF THEY DO SO, NOT BECAUSE OF THIS RESOLUTION.
UM, AND, UH, SO FREE SPEECH IS PARAMOUNT.
UM, THE, THE, UH, THE, THE RESOLUTION, I THINK ACTUALLY EXTENDS, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, THE ABILITY, UM, TO NOT PLACE THE ACTIONS OF THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT ON ALL JEWISH PEOPLE.
SO INHERENT IN THAT IS, UM, CRITICISM OF, OF THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT.
SO, UM, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
I'M, I'M GONNA BE VOTING YES ON THIS RESOLUTION.
STEVE, DID YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? NO, I'M GOOD.
GARY, DO YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? YES.
UM, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT ONE PARAGRAPH THAT WAS ADDED, UH, BY THE STAFF.
WHEREAS THE CITY EMBRACES ITS DIVERSE POPULATION AND IS COMMITTED TO PROMOTING ANTI-DISCRIMINATION POLICIES AND PRACTICES TO ENSURE ALL RESIDENTS, INCLUDING MINORITY GROUPS, REFUGEES, IMMIGRANTS, AND ASYLUM SEEKERS, FEEL SAFE, VALUED, AND WELCOME.
THIS IS ACTUALLY A, A ANTI HATE RESOLUTION.
THE HATRED OF JEWS GOES BACK TO THE TIME OF THE PHARAOHS.
IT REACHED ITS PEAK DURING THE HOLOCAUST.
AND WHEN I WAS ABOUT 12 YEARS OLD, MY MOTHER TOOK ME TO THE DOUT CONCENTRATION CAMP, AND WE SAW ONE OF THE GAS CHAMBERS, WHICH HAS A CEMENT CEILING AND FLOOR AND WALLS.
AND AS THE PEOPLE WERE GASSED WITH THE CYLON B, THEY WOULD CRAWL UP AND MAKE A PYRAMID WHERE THEY WOULD SCRATCH AT THE CEILING TRYING TO GET AIR.
SO THAT, THAT WAS THE PEAK OF THE ANTISEMITISM.
AND IT REARED ITS UGLY HEAD AGAIN WITH THE MURDER OF 1200 INNOCENT MEN, WOMEN, CHILDREN, AND BABIES BY HAMAS ON OCTOBER 7TH, I HAVE SEVERAL JEWISH FRIENDS WHO ARE AFRAID TO GO OUT IN PUBLIC.
JEWISH STUDENTS HAVE BEEN ATTACKED AT COLLEGES.
THIS RESOLUTION IS A SMALL STEP IN THAT PROCESS.
UH, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR TAKING TIME TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, UH, REFERENCES, UH, ALL SORTS OF THINGS.
IT'S VERY HELPFUL TO, TO, UH, WHAT I CALL ELIMINATE THE BLIND SPOTS.
WE, WE ALL COME IN WITH A LIFE EXPERIENCE FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW, BUT WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE, UH, A POINT OF VIEW OF SOMEBODY WHO HASN'T HAD THE SAME LIFE THAT WE'VE HAD.
UH, SO YOUR POINTS OF VIEW HELP ELIMINATE BLIND SPOTS.
FOR ME, THINGS THAT I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT, THINGS THAT I DIDN'T REALIZE, THIS COMES DOWN TO IN A SENSE.
UH, YOU HAVE ONE GROUP SAYING, THIS WILL CHILL FREE SPEECH.
AND YOU HAVE ANOTHER GROUP SAYING, UM, WE'VE BEEN VICTIMIZED AND WE'RE, WE'RE DONE.
WHEN PEOPLE USE WORDS LIKE, UH, ANTI ANTISEMITISM IS NOT JUST A PROBLEM OF THE PAST, BUT A THREAT TO THE FUTURE.
I HAVE TO EXPLAIN MY RIGHT TO EXIST.
I'VE BEEN YELLED AT, SPIT OUT MY VERY EXISTENCE AS A PROVOCATION THAT'S VERY HEAVILY WEIGHTY TO ME.
IN THE SAME SENSE THAT SOMEBODY SAYS, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO CRITICIZE A GROUP THAT I THINK IS DOING SOME WRONG THINGS.
[01:55:01]
AS WRITTEN, THIS RESOLUTION CHILLS FREE SPEECH.I UNDERSTAND THE TEXAS JUDGE, UH, UH, GAVE AN OPINION RULING AGAINST THIS.
HOWEVER, HE DECLINED TO ISSUE AN INJUNCTION BECAUSE HE SAID THE THE RESTRICTIONS BEING OFFERED BY THE PLAINTIFFS WERE TOO BROAD.
SO THERE WERE TWO PARTS TO THAT DECISION IN TEXAS.
I CAN'T FIND, I, I COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING ABOUT FURTHER ACTION ON THAT.
SO, UH, I'M AWARE OF THE TEXAS DECISION.
I WILL ALWAYS, IF ANYBODY ELSE WANTED TO BRING IN ANY OTHER RESOLUTION THAT THEY ARE FUELING VICTIMIZED, WE SHOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THAT AS WELL.
THIS IS NOT JUST, UH, ABOUT ANTISEMITISM, IT'S ABOUT ANTI HATING PEOPLE.
THAT'S JUST BIZARRE IN THIS WORLD.
SO IT, IT SHOULDN'T BE, IT IS JUST SO DISAPPOINTING THAT PEOPLE HATE EACH OTHER.
SO I'M GONNA BE VOTING FOR THE RESOLUTION BECAUSE I, WE NEED TO PROTECT PEOPLE WHO SAY I, I FEEL THREATENED THAT I, THAT I HAVE A VERY, MY, MY VERY EXISTENCE IS A PROVOCATION.
UH, I HAVE TO EXPLAIN MY RIGHT TO EXIST.
I I HAVE TO PROTECT THESE PEOPLE WITH THIS LANGUAGE AND THIS RESOLUTION.
SO I'M VOTING YES ON THE RESOLUTION.
OKAY, WELL, I MEAN, I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS.
I, I'M THE ONE WHO BROUGHT THIS TO THE TABLE.
BUT IT'S INTERESTING TO ME AS A PSYCHOLOGIST WHEN PEOPLE COME ON AND SAY, I KNOW WHY YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING, OR, I KNOW WHY.
AND I KNOW WHY SHE'S DOING IT, BECAUSE I, I, I ALWAYS THINK TO MYSELF, HOW CAN YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT SOMEBODY THINKS OR BELIEVES OR WHAT THEIR MOTIVATION IS WITHOUT EVEN TALKING TO THEM? SO, BECAUSE I'VE HEARD FOR THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS NOW THAT I'M A CAREERS POLITICIAN WHO CARES ABOUT NOTHING OTHER THAN MOVING FORWARD IN MY POLITICAL CAREER, I JUST WANNA TELL YOU WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I WANNA TELL YOU WHERE I COME FROM.
FIRST OFF, IT STARTS ON OCTOBER 7TH WHEN MY WIFE BETTY WOKE ME UP AT ABOUT THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING TO SAY, YOU GOTTA WAKE UP AND SEE THIS PEOPLE WERE BEING MURDERED IN ISRAEL.
AND OVER THE NEXT COURSE OF THE NEXT DAYS, I STARTED HEARING STORIES BEFORE THEY CUT IT OFF THE INTERNET, I SAW A, A, A PREGNANT WOMAN, ABOUT 25 YEARS OLD, RUN DOWN, KNOCKED TO THE GROUND WHERE PEOPLE CUT HER BABY OUT WHILE SHE WAS ALIVE WITH A K BAR KNIFE.
IT WAS THAT, AND MANY, MANY OTHER STORIES LIKE THAT, THAT SHOCKED ME AND, AND, AND FRIGHTENED ME FOR HUMANITY.
AND IT WAS THAT MOMENT THAT I KNEW THAT WHATEVER I COULD POSSIBLY DO HAPPENED SINCE THEN.
YOU KNOW, I GIVE YOU YOUR CHANCE TO SPEAK.
IT WAS AT THAT MOMENT I KNEW THAT WHATEVER I HAD TO DO, I HAD TO STOP THIS KIND OF BARBARITY AND DO WHATEVER I COULD DO, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, ADMITTEDLY NOT A LOT SINCE BEING THE MAYOR OF EL CAJON DOESN'T GIMME A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT.
BUT YOU SHOULD UNDERSTAND MY MOTIVATIONS.
WHEN I WAS 13 YEARS OLD, I'M, I'M OLD, SO I, I WAS 13 WHEN THERE WAS NO VIDEO GAMES.
AND I WANDERED IN MY DAD'S LIBRARY.
I FOUND THE BOOK EXODUS, WHICH IS ABOUT THE, THE JEWS WHO WERE MIGRATING TO PALESTINE AT THAT POINT TO ISRAEL.
AND I WAS REALLY IN ENTHRALLED BY IT.
AND IT GOT ME KIND OF EXCITED ABOUT LEARNING AS MUCH AS I COULD.
ABOUT THAT TIME, I ENDED UP READING, UM, THE WINS OF WAR AND WAR AND REMEMBRANCE, THE HIDING PLACE AND FRANK, UH, THE HOLOCAUST.
AND AS I GOT MORE AND MORE INVOLVED, I WAS SHOCKED AS A HUMAN BEING WHAT OTHER HUMAN BEINGS COULD DO TO OTHER HUMAN BEINGS.
AND AT, AT THE TIME, IT WASN'T CONTROVERSIAL BECAUSE ALL MY TEACHERS WERE SAYING, HEY, THIS IS NEVER GONNA HAPPEN AGAIN.
WE'RE NEVER GONNA LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN.
THIS IS A STAIN ON HUMANITY AND WE'LL STOP IT LATER.
I WENT TO COLLEGE AND I, UH, STARTED STUDYING FOR MY DOCTORATE IN PSYCHOLOGY, BUT CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY.
I READ ELLE, HE WROTE A BOOK CALLED KNIGHT BACK THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS.
I READ VINTER FRANKL, WHO ENDED UP BECOMING MY MENTOR, MY PHILOSOPHICAL MENTOR.
HE, UH, WROTE A BOOK CALLED MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING AND, AND WAS THE FATHER OF EXISTENTIALISM, WHICH I CONSIDER MYSELF EXISTENTIALIST.
AND THEN AS A CHRISTIAN, I READ GENESIS AND EXODUS DEUTERONOMY, WHICH WAS THE BASIS FOR MOST OF OUR, OUR CONSTITUTION.
I ONLY BRING ALL THIS UP BECAUSE I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT CARICATURES.
[02:00:01]
NOT POLITICAL TOOLS.PEOPLE ARE NOT NON-THINKING ROBOTS WHO JUST DO WHAT ONE SIDE TELLS THEM.
I HAVE A DEEP AND PROFOUND FEELING ABOUT THE, THE PLIGHT OF THE JEWS, THE PLIGHT.
WHEN THE GREEK EMPIRE PERSECUTED HIM, THE ROMAN EMPIRE PERSECUTED HIM.
THE PERSIAN EMPIRE PERSECUTED THEM, THE FRENCH, THE SPANISH, THE GERMANS, ALL OF THE MIDDLE EAST.
I ALWAYS SAID TO MYSELF, IF I'M EVER IN A POSITION TO HELP, I'M GONNA DO SOMETHING TO HELP.
SO YOU COULD BELIEVE WHAT YOU WANT ABOUT ME, BUT THAT'S THE REASON THAT I'M BRINGING THIS UP TODAY.
AND IF NOBODY ELSE HAS ANY DISCUSSION, I'LL GIVE A LAST CHANCE.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THEN TO ADOPT THIS RESOLUTION.
SECOND, MOVED AND SECONDED, PLEASE VOTE.
MOTION CARRIES BY UNANIMOUS VOTE.
LADIES, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A BRIEF RECESS AND COME BACK AND CONCLUDE THE MEETING IN ABOUT 10 MINUTES.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IF YOU COULD, UM, CLEAR THE ROOM UNLESS YOU WANNA STAY AND HEAR ALL THE OTHER EXCITING THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING INTO THE CITY COUNCIL.
OKAY, LET'S GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING PART.
WHERE ARE WE, SIR? OKAY, HOLD ON.
OH, WE, WE'VE DONE PUBLIC COMMENT.
UH, THERE ARE NO WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
WE HAVE TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
[9. FY 2025-2026 One-Year Action Plan RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council: Opens the public hearing; Accepts public testimony for the draft FY 2025-2026 One-Year Action Plan; Closes the public hearing; Accepts staff recommendations for projects and programs using FY 2025-2026 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) grant funds and other CDBG and HOME prior year and carryover funds; and Authorizes staff to release the draft FY 2025-2026 One-Year Action Plan for a thirty-day review and comment period from April 4, 2025 to May 5, 2025.]
ITEM NINE IS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 25 THROUGH 26.ONE YEAR ACTION PLAN AND STAFF WILL TELL US ABOUT THIS AFTERNOON.
MY NAME IS BELLAGIO, SENIOR MANAGEMENT ANALYST WITH THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
THE PURPOSE OF TODAY'S PUBLIC HEARING IS TO SEEK INPUT ON THE PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 26.
AND THE FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CDBG AND HOME STAFF CAME BEFORE CITY COUNCIL ON SEPTEMBER 24TH, 2024 TO KICK OFF THE 25 26 ANNUAL FUNDING CYCLE.
AS A RECAP, ALL PROPOSED PROJECT AND ACTIVITIES MUST BE CONSISTENT WITH THE CITY'S FIVE YEAR CONSOLIDATED PLAN.
AND THEY MUST MEET THE HUD NATIONAL OBJECTIVE, WHICH IS TO SERVE LOW AND MODERATE INCOME PEOPLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ACTION PLAN.
A TOTAL OF NINE APPLICATIONS WERE RECEIVED DURING THE APPLICATION PERIOD.
A TOTAL OF SIX, UM, APPLICATIONS ARE RECOMMENDED UNDER THE PUBLIC SERVICES CATEGORY ONE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT APPLICATION AND ONE HOUSING PROGRAM APPLICATION, UM, IS RECOMMENDED FOR FUNDING.
AND I WILL SPEAK ON THE HOME RECOMMENDATIONS LATER IN THE PRESENTATION FOR CDBG STAFF RECOMMENDS, UH, FUNDING THE PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION FOR THE 20% MAXIMUM CAP OF THE TOTAL ALLOCATION.
THAT INCLUDES CDBG ADMINISTRATION AND FAIR HOUSING SERVICES FOR CSA SAN DIEGO COUNTY.
UNDER PUBLIC FACILITIES SLASH CAPITAL SLASH OTHER, THERE IS NO MAXIMUM STAFF RECOMMENDS HOUSING REHABILITATION LOAN PROGRAM FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THAT PROGRAM.
AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD STREETLIGHTS.
THE MOST COMPETITIVE FUNDING CATEGORY IS THE PUBLIC SERVICES AND THERE IS A 15% MAXIMUM CAP ON THE TOTAL GRANT ALLOCATION STAFF RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS, ROTATIONAL SHELTER, SENIOR CARE COORDINATION, EMERGENCY SHELTER, MEALS ON WHEELS, HOME DELIVERED MEALS, AND EMERGENCY HOUSING PLACEMENT.
THIS BRINGS US TO A TOTAL OF $1,302,273 FOR CDPG FUNDING FOR HOME.
UH, WE RECOMMEND THE HOME ADMINISTRATION, WHICH ALSO HAS THE 10% MAX CAP, UH, 15% MINIMUM REQUIREMENT FOR THEIR TOTAL RESERVE.
AND THE REST OF THAT TO GO TO THE HOUSING PROGRAM POOL OF
[02:05:01]
FUNDS, WHICH INCLUDES FIRST TIME HOME BUYER AND REHAB PROGRAMS. WE ALSO RECOMMEND THE REAUTHORIZATION OF FUNDS, UH, FOR A TOTAL OF 2,365,757.THIS IS FOR THE SAN DIEGO HABITAT FOR HUMANITY, UH, PRIORLY APPROVED PROJECT.
SO IT WOULD BE PRIOR YEAR FUNDS.
THAT BRINGS US WITH A TOTAL OF ABOUT 3.1 MILLION.
RECOMMENDATION IS TO OPEN PUBLIC HEARING IN A SET PUBLIC TESTIMONY TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING IN A SEPARATE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS USING 25 26 CDBG AND HOME FUNDS, AS WELL AS PRIOR YEAR AND CARRYOVER FUNDS AND TO AUTHORIZE STAFF TO RELEASE THE DRAFT PLAN.
NEXT STEPS WOULD BE TO COME BACK TO CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL ALLOCATION APPROVAL AND FINAL, UH, PLAN APPROVAL TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR MAY 13.
STAFF IS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, LET ME SEE IF ANYBODY IN THE COUNCIL HAS QUESTIONS.
UM, ON, LET'S GO BACK TO ONE OR TWO MORE SLIDES BACK, RIGHT.
THE 2.365 MILLION FOR HABITAT, THAT'S JUST A RESERVE BECAUSE I THINK THEY READ THE STAFF REPORT SAYS THEY HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED A PROPERTY, THEY'RE HAVING TROUBLE IN THIS MARKET FINDING A PROPERTY, BUT THIS IS A RESERVE FOR WHEN THEY DO.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT, YES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
LET'S OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY SPEAKER CARDS FOR THIS.
THE FIRST ONE IS FROM, UH, LAURA TI BY HELLO.
GOOD AFTERNOON MAYOR AND DISTINGUISHED COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M THE CEO AT HOMESTART AND HOME START'S BEEN SERVING SAN DIEGO FOR 53 YEARS.
WE'VE BEEN PARTY PARTNERING WITH THE CITY OF CA HOME FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
I STARTED OUR HOUSING PROGRAM ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO AND WE'VE BEEN VERY EXCITED TO BE A PARTNER IN ADDRESSING THE CRISIS OF HOMELESSNESS.
TOGETHER WITH YOU, WE'VE PROVIDED CASE MANAGEMENT, HOMELESS NAVIGATION AND OUTREACH, RENTAL ASSISTANCE, AND RAPID REHOUSING.
WE HAVE AMAZING TEAM THAT'S READY TO GO FOR THIS COMING YEAR.
I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR NEW, UH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, EXCUSE ME, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF HOUSING.
SHE'S SITTING RIGHT BACK HERE.
VERY SKILLED, VERY EXPERIENCED.
WE HAVE OUR FIVE PLUS YEAR STAFF MEMBER, SARAH ORIO.
WE HAVE TWO AMAZING HOUSING AND RAPID REHOUSING STAFF MEMBERS.
WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE CITY OF EL CAJON.
WE HAVE MADE GREAT MOMENTUM AND WE CONTINUE TO WANT TO WORK TOWARDS MORE SUCCESS.
I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU STEVE.
LORD, DON'T, DON'T, THAT'S SO FAST.
UH, AS THE CEO, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO COME.
UH, WHO WOULD BE OUR POINT OF CONTACT IF WE SAID, CAN WE DO THIS IN EL CAJON? CAN CAN THIS PERSON HELP? WELL, WE HAVE THE, WE HAD THIS WHOLE TEAM, SO THE FOUR PEOPLE I INTRODUCED TO YOU ARE REALLY, UH, HERE IN EL CAJON MAKING THE PROGRAM HAPPEN.
SO MY ROLE IS BIG PICTURE AND, YOU KNOW, UH, THE AUTHORIZATION.
BUT THIS TEAM IS VERY SKILLED, VERY READY.
SO COULD YOU HAVE THOSE PEOPLE SEND THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION TO ME? BECAUSE YES, FROM TIME TO TIME WE GET QUESTIONS, WHERE CAN I GO? AND IF I HAVE THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION, THEN THAT'S A GREAT CUTTING OF RED TAPE.
I'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE FOUR PEOPLE I JUST INTRODUCED.
AND THEN THEY CAN ADD OTHERS IN AS WE BRING MORE TEAM MEMBERS ON.
WELL, I'LL MAKE SURE EVERYBODY GETS THAT.
HOPEFULLY NOBODY HISES AT ME THIS TIME.
I CAN'T SPEAK NOW, BUT FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD, UH, PHIL IS NOT AT THE DAIS.
UM, SO THERE IS A CON PLAN AND A CAPER.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THE CITY SHOULD HAVE THOSE TYPES OF THINGS ON ITS HANDS.
UH, YOU GOT CDBG BUCKS AND HOME PARTNERSHIP PENNIES TO GIVE AWAY, FORMERLY KNOWN AS OUR TAX DOLLARS, A TOTAL OF OVER $4.6 MILLION.
YOU GOT 733,000 WHO INSTALL STREETLIGHTS IN QUALIFYING RESIDENTIAL AREAS AND HOPEFULLY THE AREAS THAT QUALIFY ACTUALLY NEED THE LIGHTS.
[02:10:01]
PROBLEM? UM, DESPITE GETTING $2.3 MILLION, SAN DIEGO HABITAT FOR HUMANITY HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY A PROJECT DUE IT TO AN OVERPRICED HOUSING MARKET AND A LACK OF AFFORDABLE OR AVAILABLE LAND.SO UNTIL THE STATE CHANGES, IT'S INEPT, CORRUPT, AND, UH, JUST CORRUPT POLICIES I WROTE CORRUPT TWICE.
I GUESS THAT'S HOW CORRUPT IT IS.
HOUSING IS NEVER GONNA BE AFFORDABLE IN CALIFORNIA.
BUILDING HOMES, UH, DOESN'T MAKE IT AFFORDABLE TO RENT OR BUY, UH, OR TO INSURE THE HOMES.
ESPECIALLY WITH THE NEW CAL FIRE MAPS.
UM, CITIES NEED TO START UNIFYING IN THEIR CALL FOR SENSIBLE POLICIES LIKE WAIVING FEES TO BUILD SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
OTHERWISE MORE TAXPAYER FUNDED BANDAID AT BEST POLICIES ARE GOING TO APPEAR, UH, ARE GOING WAIT, ARE GOING TO HURT THE HOUSING MARKET EVEN MORE, SUCH AS, UH, RENT CONTROL.
IT CAN HAVE MORE PEOPLE CALLING FOR THAT IF THERE'S NOT A REAL SOLUTION.
UM, THE INTERFAITH SHELTER NETWORK, I HAVE HEARD THAT SOME CITIES ARE, UH, TRANSFERRING THEIR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS ONTO OTHER CITIES LIKE EL CAJON SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO SEE THEM OR THEY EVER HAVE TO BUILD A SHELTER IN THEIR CITIES.
ONE, PEOPLE SHOULD NEVER BE DUMPED LIKE TRASH INTO ANOTHER COMMUNITY.
AND TWO, ELCON HAS HELPED COUNTLESS PEOPLE TURN THEIR LIVES AROUND.
SO IMAGINE IF EVERY CITY AIMED TO CREATE PROGRAMS THAT ACTUALLY WORKED.
UH, WE COULD HAVE MORE SOBER WORKING AND HOUSE PEOPLE CONTRIBUTING SOMETHING TO SOCIETY AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, TO THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES.
AND LASTLY, CITY STAFF HAS NOT RECOMMENDED DOORS FOR CHANGE.
HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THE NAME IS INCORRECT.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY CALLED DOORS OF CHANGE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT CHANGES, UH, THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, BUT PROBABLY SHOULDN'T BECAUSE DOORS OF CHANGE HAS PLENTY OF SPONSORS, INCLUDING THE COUNTY AND SDG E SO THEY DON'T NEED THE CITY'S HELP.
WELCOME AARON CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, I JUST WANNA, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF MEALS ON WHEELS.
UM, EVERYONE ON THE PANEL, YOU GUYS HAVE COME OUT FOR OUR CHAMPIONS WEEK AND HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK FIRSTHAND WITH OUR VOLUNTEERS.
THERE WOULD BE NO MEALS ON WHEELS WITHOUT OUR VOLUNTEERS.
UM, THEY FILL THE VOID WHERE A LOT OF OUR SENIORS HAVE NO FAMILY, NO FRIENDS, NO NEIGHBORS.
AND SO OUR VOLUNTEERS USE THEIR OWN GAS, USE THEIR OWN TIME, AND THE WEAR AND TEAR ON THEIR CARS TO COME OUT AND PUT A SMILE ON PEOPLE'S FACES.
AND YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN ALWAYS SUPPORTIVE OF OUR MISSION TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO REMAIN IN THEIR HOME BY US PROVIDING AFFORDABLE MEALS.
SO WE WOULD LIKE TO, OF COURSE, RESPECTFULLY REQUEST $25,000 TO SUPPORT AT LEAST 150 LOW INCOME EL CAJON SENIORS.
AND WE, WE ALWAYS SAY THAT OUR, OUR SENIORS ARE HUNGRY FOR FOOD, BUT THEY'RE STARVING FOR CONNECTION.
AND IT'S BECAUSE OF OUR VOLUNTEERS THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO HELP THEM.
AND A LOT OF OUR SENIORS, UNFORTUNATELY, ARE VOLUNTEERS, THE ONLY PERSON THEY'RE GONNA SEE THAT DAY AND POSSIBLY THAT WEEK.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO PARTNERING WITH YOU FOLKS IN THE FUTURE.
HOW MANY MEALS A WEEK DO YOU PROVIDE TO YOUR CLIENTS? UM, THROUGHOUT SAN DIEGO COUNTY OR EAST? WITH, WITH EAST COUNTY? WITH EAST COUNTY, WITH EAST COUNTY, WE, UH, SERVICE ABOUT 450 CLIENTS THROUGHOUT EAST COUNTY.
AND HOW MANY MEALS A WEEK ARE DELIVERED TO, TO THE CLIENT? FIVE DAYS A WEEK, THREE DAYS A WEEK? YEAH.
WE, WE PROVIDE, UM, SOME, SOME OF OUR CLIENTS, THEY WILL GET FIVE DEPENDING ON IF THEY WANT FIVE OR AS MUCH AS SEVEN.
SO WE DO HAVE PEOPLE THAT WILL ASK FOR MEALS EVERY DAY.
UM, OUR VOLUNTEERS COME OUT ON SATURDAY AND THEY'LL DO, UH, A SATURDAY SUNDAY DELIVERY.
SO THE ONLY DAY THAT WE'RE OUT OF, UH, NOT, UH, PROVIDING MEAL SERVICES AS FAR AS OUR OFFICE IS BEING OPEN IS ON SUNDAY.
SO IF I DO THE MATH, 25,000 DIVIDED BY 150 PEOPLE IS $167 A YEAR.
UH, DIVIDED BY 52 WEEKS IS $3 AND 20 CENTS A WEEK FOR THREE TO SEVEN MEALS, YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING VERY EFFICIENT.
YEAH, I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, OUR GOAL IS TO HELP PEOPLE STAY IN THEIR HOMES AND, UM, THE WAY WE'RE ABLE TO DO THAT AGAIN, IS PROVIDING AN AFFORDABLE MEAL FOR THEM.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY IS THE SAFETY CHECK AGAIN.
UH, UH, MANY LIVES HAVE BEEN SAVED BECAUSE OF OUR VOLUNTEERS, YOU KNOW, BEING THERE AND NOT NO ONE ANSWERING, NO ONE RESPONDING, AND THEN THEM, YOU KNOW, EITHER CALLING THE OFFICE, US CALLING 9 1 1 AND CHECKING ON THEM.
AND MANY LIVES HAVE BEEN SAVED BECAUSE OF OUR VOLUNTEERS.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WHEN I WAS GOING OUT WITH, WITH YOUR, YOUR VOLUNTEERS YEAH.
I THOUGHT THE FOCUS WOULD BE ON THE FOOD AND WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WAS THEY'D GO IN WITH THE FOOD AND PEOPLE WERE LIKE, YEAH, JUST SET THE FOOD DOWN.
BUT TALK TO ME AND THESE VOLUNTEERS THAT, THAT WAS WHAT THEY'RE CRAVING EVEN MORE THAN FOOD WAS THE CONNECTION.
[02:15:01]
SO THEY'RE LOOKING YEAH, THEY WERE LOOKING FOR THE ENGAGEMENT.WE FOUND OUT MANY YEARS AGO THAT SOME OF OUR SENIORS, UM, BECAUSE OUR, OUR PETS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO US AND WE FOUND OUT MANY YEARS AGO THAT SOME OF OUR SENIORS WERE ACTUALLY, THEY COULDN'T AFFORD FOOD FOR THEIR ANIMALS, SO THEY WERE ACTUALLY FEEDING THEIR FOOD TO THEIR ANIMALS.
AND THEN WE REACHED OUT TO HELEN WOODWARD ANIMAL CENTER AND ESTABLISHED A PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM.
SO NOW WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE FREE PET FOOD THAT'S GREAT FOR OUR CLIENTS, UH, ANIMALS.
SO THAT'S A TREMENDOUS, IT'S, IT'S ALL IMPORTANT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PARTNERSHIPS AND EVERYONE HERE, YOU KNOW, THE WONDERFUL NONPROFITS HERE THAT ARE BEFORE YOU.
THEY'RE DOING GREAT WORK IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY AND WE'RE VERY BLESSED.
SO YOU'RE REQUESTING 25,000? PARDON? YOU'RE REQUESTING 25? WELL, WE WERE ASKING FOR 30,000, BUT, UM, I SAW 25 UP ON THE BOARD.
AND WE'RE GONNA TAKE ANYTHING YOU GUYS OFFER US 'CAUSE YOU GUYS ARE GREAT.
I APPRECIATE, I APPRECIATE IT FOLKS.
COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR WELLS.
YOU MENTIONED THE BOOK MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEETING EARLIER, AND IT'S A GREAT BOOK.
I WAS THINKING ABOUT REREADING IT, UH, THIS YEAR.
UH, I HAVEN'T READ IT IN A LONG TIME, SO YOU, YOU AND I BOTH, WE SHOULD READ IT.
MY NAME IS JERRY HERNANDEZ AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CSA SAN DIEGO COUNTY ON VAN HOOTEN.
I'VE BEEN WORKING FOR CSA AT CSA FOR OVER TWO YEARS NOW, AND MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES THERE AT CSA, INCLUDING INCLUDE MANAGING A COMMUNITY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK.
GRANT CONTRACT CSA SAN DIEGO COUNTY IS A DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT APPROVED FAIR HOUSING AGENCY.
WE'VE BEEN PROUDLY OPERATING FOR OVER 55 YEARS AND HAVE BEEN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF EL CAJON FOR OVER 25 YEARS.
CSA MISSION CENTERS ON ADVOCATING AGAINST ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION, EMPHASIZING THE ELIMINATION OF HOUSING DISCRIMINATION TO GUARANTEE EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYONE.
I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A RECENT CASE IN EL CAJON INVOLVING A SITE MANAGER WHO WAS CONSTANTLY HARASSING, TARGETING, TARGETING AND RETALIATING AGAINST SINGLE FEMALE TENANTS OF A COMPLEX.
THE ONSITE MANAGER STATED THAT THE PROPERTY OWNER WOULD NEVER FIRE HIM.
CSA GOT INVOLVED IN OUR LEGAL COUNSEL WITH OUR LEGAL COUNSEL AND THEY RECENTLY INFORMED US THAT THE ONSITE MANAGER IS NO LONGER WORKING THERE.
TWO OF OUR TENANTS CALLED TO OUR OFFICE TO EXPRESS THEIR GRATITUDE.
WE APPRECIATE THE CITY OF EL CAJONS CONSIDERATION FOR THE UPCOMING CDBG APPLICATION CYCLE.
IF SELECTED, CSA WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE EL CAJON RESIDENTS WITH CONSULTATION AND RESPONSE TO ALL FAIR HOUSING AND TENANT LANDLORD CALLS FOR ALL RESIDENTS, PROVIDE ADVOCACY FOR EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES, ASSIST VICTIMS OF DISCRIMINATION UNDER STATE AND FEDERAL LAW AND PROCESS.
THESE VIOLATIONS MAKE REFERRALS TO BOTH HUD AND CRD HOST WORKSHOPS FOR BOTH TENANTS AND LANDLORDS ABOUT RENTAL HOUSING RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES, CONDUCT EDUCATION OUTREACH ACTIVITIES AND TRAINING, AND CONTINUALLY PROVIDE QUARTERLY REPORTS.
CSA HAS MAINTAINED PROPER RECORDS AND REPORTS FOR, AND REPORTS FOR ALL OUR CDBG AGREEMENTS AND HAS BEEN COMPLIANT WITH ALL PERFORMANCE MONITORING BY THE CITY OF EL CAJON.
WE EXPECT TO CONTINUE TO SERVE HUNDREDS OF EL CAJON RESIDENTS.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, THANK YOU.
WE HAVE ONE MORE SPEAKER, BUT IT'S ALSO 5:26 PM WOULD YOU, CITY MANAGER, WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECESS AT THIS POINT FOR THE FIVE 30 SPECIAL MEETING? YES.
UH, MR. MAYOR, WE'D RECOMMEND THAT WE, WE RECESS FROM THE REGULAR MEETING, CALL THE EMERGENCY MEETING TO ORDER AND THEN, UH, RECESS THAT AND COME BACK TO THE REGULAR MEETING.
SORRY, I, YEAH, I, I KNOW WE, WE'VE GOT, I THINK THE REST OF THE AUDIENCE HERE IS FOR, UM, ITEM 18, THE EMERGENCY SLEEPING CABINS.
UH, WE WOULD NOT RECOMMEND TAKING THE EMERGENCY MEETING, BUT WE JUST NEED TO OPEN IT UP AND THEN GO BACK TO WHERE WE'RE AT IN THIS MEETING.
SO WE JUST NEED TO GET IT OPENED AT FIVE BY FIVE 30.
OKAY, LET ME SEE IF I CAN FIND THAT.
UM, DO, DO I HAVE, DO I HAVE THAT SCRIPT? YEAH, RIGHT THERE.
NOW WE ARE STILL ON THE CDBG ISSUE.
WE HAD ONE MORE SPEAKER, I BELIEVE.
THE LAST SPEAKER IS, UH, KOFI REED.
MR. REED LEFT THE CHAMBER TO MAKE A MOTION THEN TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
MOTION CARRIES BY UNANIMOUS VOTE OF THOSE PRESENT.
[02:20:01]
BRING BACK TO THE COUNCIL IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION UNLESS YOU'D LIKE TO DISCUSS THE MATTER.I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CDBG AND HOME ALLOCATIONS.
MOTION CARRIES BY A UNANIM VOTE OF THOSE PRESENT.
UH, WE HAVE TWO ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
ITEM LEVI IS ANALYSIS OF AB 1 3 3 3 A BILL ELIMINATING JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE WHEN DEFENDING ONE'S HOME OR PROPERTY.
UH, I WONDERED IF WE COULD SLIP IN ITEM 18 AT THIS POINT, SINCE THAT'S KIND OF WHO THE REMAINDER OF THE AUDIENCE IS LOOKING TO.
YEAH, WELL IT'S, I, I CAN'T AND HAVING ENDURED TWO HOURS OF, OF, UH, YEAH, NO, I, I'M JUST SO EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT WHY WE'RE E AND A JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE, BUT I, WE WILL, WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT.
[18. Expansion of Emergency Sleeping Cabins at Meridian Baptist Church and Other Sites in the City RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council directs staff to prepare an analysis of a zoning change or policy that would allow the expansion of emergency sleeping cabins at Meridian Baptist Church and other sites in the City.]
18, LET'S SEE.SO THIS IS THE JOINT COUNCIL MEMBER REPORT? YES.
SO WE HAVE A JOINT COUNCIL MEMBER REPORT ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
I'M, ITEM 18 IS FROM COUNCIL MEMBER GOBEL AND MAYOR PRO TEM KENDRICK, WILL YOU PLEASE TELL US ALL ABOUT THIS? UH, THIS WAS IN A REQUEST FROM MERIDIAN BAPTIST CHURCH, WHO IS THE SITE HOST OF THE CURRENT EMERGENCY SLEEPING CABINS, WHICH WERE BUILT BY AMICUS, WHICH ARE OPERATED BY AMICUS AND CRISIS HOUSE AND OTHER SUPPORTING PARTNERS.
AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO, UH, INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CABINS EVENTUALLY TO 10 CABINS ON THE SITE.
SO I THINK THEY HAVE MORE THAN PROVEN THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM.
IN FACT, I, I THINK THE FRUSTRATION IS THE REASON WHY IT HASN'T TAKEN OFF MORE IN THE COUNTY IS YOU'RE JUST NOT THIS HUGE ORGANIZATION THAT SOMEBODY CAN GIVE $30 MILLION TO, TO SOLVE HOMELESSNESS.
AND QUITE THE OPPOSITE, REALLY.
YOU'VE NO ONE CAN BEAT THE PERCENTAGE OF EFFECTIVENESS IN THE RESULTS OF WHAT IS HAPPENING OUT THERE.
SO ABSOLUTELY I SUPPORT, UH, INCREASING THE NUMBER OF CABINS TO 10 EVENTUALLY, I THINK I SUGGEST GOING IN STEPS PERHAPS OF TWO, AND THEN TWO MORE TO REALIZING THIS DOES ALSO AFFECT THE, THE OTHER PRE-APPROVED SITES IN THE CITY.
I DON'T THINK I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE ALLOW THEM TO JUMP STRAIGHT TO 10.
THEY SHOULD HAVE TO PROVE THEMSELVES WITH UP TO SIX JUST AS YOU HAVE DONE.
AND WE'LL LEAVE THE DETAILS UP TO STAFF, UH, HOW THAT GETS DONE WITH THE ZONING.
BUT BY THE COUNCIL INITIATING THIS ZONING CHANGE, IT SAVES, UH, THE ORGANIZATION SOME PROCESSING AND APPLICATION FEES.
LET'S SEE IF THERE'S SPEAKER CARDS FOR THIS ITEM.
THE FIRST ONE IS FROM KELSEY PARRA.
GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND, AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO JUST INTRODUCE, UH, LOUISA BEHIND ME.
SHE'S THE CASE MANAGER THAT HAS BEEN OVERSEEING THAT SITE AND IS LARGELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SUCCESS.
UM, BUT WE'RE JUST SO GRATEFUL FOR THE CITY OF EL CAJON FOR YOUR TRUST, UM, IN MERIDIAN BAPTIST AMICUS AND CRISIS HOUSE.
AND WE'RE HONORED TO BE ABLE TO SERVE.
SO ALL I WANTED TO SAY BASICALLY WAS, THANK YOU.
WE WANNA HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE CAN, AND THIS HAS PROVEN TO BE JUST A GREAT AVENUE FOR US TO FIND PEOPLE, GET THEM HOUSED, AND THEN PERMANENTLY HOUSED.
SO, JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU AND GIVE THE SHOUT OUT TO LUISA.
NEXT SPEAKER IS, UH, HERB KELLY.
AMICUS HAS BEEN HOUSING WOMEN AND CHILDREN SAN DIEGO COUNTY FOR 14 YEARS, THE MERIDIAN BAPTIST CHURCH AND AMICUS.
WANT TO THANK THE ELCON CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITIZENS OF EL CAJON FOR THEIR SUPPORT IN ESTABLISHING THE REQUIRED FORWARD THINKING LEGISLATION TO PERMIT THE CREATION OF THE ME MERIDIAN AMICUS VILLAGE, A VILLAGE FOR EL CAJONS UNHOUSED, WOMEN AND CHILDREN, A VILLAGE WHERE THEY CAN BE GIVEN, BEGIN THEIR JOURNEY OUT OF HOMELESSNESS.
MAV PROVIDES A SAFE ENVIRONMENT, A QUIET PLACE TO SLEEP.
OUR SOCIAL SERVICES PARTNERS CRISIS HOUSE, PROVIDING THE GUIDANCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT THAT PREPARES OUR RESIDENTS FOR PERMANENT HOUSING.
[02:25:01]
TODAY'S COUNCIL ACTION PROPOSING A PHASE TWO STEP EXPANSION OF MAV AND A FOUR WAY FORWARD FOR OTHER LOCATIONS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL TO, TO OPEN NEW VILLAGES.AND HA HAVING DEMONSTRATED SUCCESS INCREASED THE NUMBER OF ECONOMIC, ECONOMICAL TRANSITIONAL HOUSING BETS.
I WANT TO SHARE SOMETHING THAT SURPRISED ME.
WHEN OUR FIRST RESIDENTS ARRIVED, WE LEARNED THAT THE FIRST FIVE WERE ALL LIVING IN THEIR CARS AND ALL FIVE HAD JOBS, SOME EVEN HAD TWO PART-TIME JOBS.
YET WE'RE ALL LIVING ON THE STREETS OF EL CAJON.
SEVERAL GREW UP IN EL CAJON AND INTENDED EL CAJON SCHOOLS.
LOOKS FORWARD TO CONTINUING OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF EL CAJON, THE MERIDIAN BAPTIST CHURCH AND CRISIS HOUSE, TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SAFE TRANSITIONAL HOUSING TO THOSE EL CAJON RESIDENTS IN NEED.
I'M A TREASURE AND I MANAGE THE VILLAGE.
I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING A CHANCE ON US AND GIVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD CABINS.
UM, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ANOTHER FOUR, UM, AT THE SITE.
SINCE WE WELCOMED OUR FIRST GUEST THE LAST DAY OF THE YEAR IN 2022, WE'VE HAD 31 WOMEN AND 18 CHILDREN CALL THE VILLAGE THEIR HOME.
I WITNESSED FIRSTHAND THE DIFFERENCE THESE EMERGENCY SLEEPING CABINS MAKE IN THE LIVES OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN WHO HAVE OCCUPIED THEM.
I SAW A MOTHER BREAK DOWN CRYING AT THE SIDE OF A BUNK BED.
THROUGH HER TEARS, SHE SHARED WITH ME THAT SHE'D BEEN LIVING IN HER CAR FOR THE PAST THREE MONTHS WITH HER TWO SMALL CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILY DOG.
A 13-YEAR-OLD BOY STARTED SCHOOL AFTER NOT ATTENDING FOR THREE YEARS, HE AND HIS MOM HAD ALSO BEEN LIVING IN THEIR CAR.
HE WAS SO EXCITED TO BEGIN HIS NEW SCHOOL.
HE SHARED WITH ME HE WANTED TO BE LIKE OTHER KIDS.
THE VILLAGE HAS BEEN HOME TO SEVERAL COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO'VE BEEN LIVING IN THEIR CARS, ONE OF WHOM HAS INVITED ME TO THEIR GRADUATION THIS JUNE.
I'VE WATCHED CHILDREN COME OUT OF THEIR SHELLS AND HAPPILY PLAY WITH OTHER CHILDREN IN THE VILLAGE.
THROUGH THE WONDERFUL WORK OF THE CRISIS HOUSE, WOMEN, WOMEN HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WORK ON THEIR RESUMES, FIND JOBS, MEET WITH A THERAPIST, AND FIND PERMANENT HOUSING.
THESE CABINS PROVIDE A SENSE OF AUTONOMY FOR OUR PARTICIPANTS.
A DOOR THAT LOCKS AND A BED TO REST.
I QUOTE SMART RECOVERY DESCRIBING THE LOCUS OF CONTROL CONCEPT.
IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HOLD THE KEYS TO YOUR FATE, YOU'RE MORE LIKELY TO TAKE ACTION TO CHANGE YOUR SITUATION WHEN NEEDED.
IF ON THE OTHER HAND YOU BELIEVE THE OUTCOME IS OUT OF YOUR HANDS, YOU MAY BE LESS LIKELY TO CH TO WORK TOWARD CHANGE.
THESE CABINS CHANGE LIVES AND SAVE LIVES.
ALRIGHT, SO, UM, THAT'S THE LAST SPEAKER.
I'LL BRING IT BACK TO THE COUNCIL AND I'LL GIVE THAT OVER TO YOU, STEVE AND GARY.
WELL, I'LL, UH, MOVE THAT TO WE ADOPT THIS PROPOSAL AND SEND IT TO STAFF TO BRING US BRING IT BACK TO US.
UH, I, I'D JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT HERB.
HERB IS, UH, I'M NOT GONNA EMBARRASS YOU TOO MUCH.
UH, HERB WAS THE ONE WHO WE HAD VOLUNTEERS, INCLUDING LT AND LISA EVERY SATURDAY, OVER 120 VOLUNTEERS HELPED BUILD THIS THING.
BUT HERB WAS THERE MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SA, SUNDAYS EVEN SOMETIMES THAT'S THE GUY WHO PUT HE AND ROB PUT IN THE MOST HOURS.
SO, I'M GLAD TO SECOND THE, UH, REC THE MOTION.
MOVED THE SECONDED PLEASE VOTE.
MOTION CARRIES BY UNANIMOUS VOTE OF THOSE PRESENT.
I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE ARE.
WE WERE, UM, MR. MAYOR, WE ACTUALLY HAVE ONE MORE PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH IS AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 10.
UM, THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION CONGESTION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FEE, HOLD ON.
[10. Annual Cost Adjustment to the SANDAG Regional Transportation Congestion Improvement Program (RTCIP) Fee RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council: Opens the Public Hearing and receives testimony; Closes the Public Hearing; and Adopts the next Resolution, in order, to approve an adjustment to the Regional Transportation Congestion Improvement Program (RTCIP) Fee to the new amount of $3,047.57, for each newly-constructed residential unit.]
YEAH.THE LAST PUBLIC HEARING ITEM 10 IS THE ANNUAL COST ADJUSTMENT FOR THE
[02:30:01]
SANDAG REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION CONGESTION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.FEE AND STAFF WILL TELL US ABOUT THIS.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY STAFF.
UM, TODAY I'M, I'M GONNA PRESENT AN ITEM ON THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION CONGESTION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
JUST TO GIVE A LITTLE BACKGROUND, UH, THE VOTER APPROVED, UH, 2008 TRANSNET EXTENSION ORDINANCE REQUIRES ALL 18 MEMBER AGENCIES AND THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO TO COLLECT AN EXACTION FEE FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR FOR EACH NEW CONSTRUCTED HOUSING UNIT, UH, CONSTRUCTING THEIR RESPECTIVE, UH, JURISDICTION AND EX UH, WITH THIS, UH, UM, LOW INCOME RESIDENTIAL AND ADUS ARE EXEMPTED FROM THIS FEE.
AND R-T-C-I-P FEES ARE USUALLY COLLECTED OR MUST BE COLLECTED AND USED ON THE REGIONAL ARTERIAL SYSTEM.
AND THE EL CAJON REGIONAL ARTERIAL SYSTEM CONSISTS ABOUT 14 REGIONAL ARTERIALS.
AND THESE FEES ARE USED TO FUND STREET IMPROVEMENTS FOR PAVING SLURRY SIDEWALK, A DA CURB, RAMPS, TRAFFIC SIGNAL, AND STREETLIGHT PROJECTS.
SINCE 2009, THE CITY HAS COLLECTED OVER 1.1 MILLION IN R-T-C-I-P FEES OR AN AVERAGE OF 77,000 PER YEAR.
AND WE APPLY THAT FOR ALL, ALL OF OUR CIP PROJECTS.
JUST TO GIVE YOU, UH, IN INFORMATION ON THE, THE COUNTY WIDE REGIONAL ARTERIAL SYSTEM.
UM, THE BLACK WAS OUR FREEWAYS AND THE GRAY, UM, ARTERIALS ARE THE COUNTYWIDE OR REGIONAL ARTERIALS.
AND EL CAJONS HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW.
LIKE I SAID, THERE'S 14, UH, REGIONAL ARTERIAL SYSTEM, UH, STREETS.
AND, UM, AS, AS YOU KNOW, ALL THESE, UH, FEED INTO THE, THE BETTER PART OF THE REGION IN EAST COUNTY AND TO THE WEST OF, UH, SAN DIEGO.
SO THIS SLIDE, UH, IS SAND EGG'S REQUIRED, LIKE I MENTIONED, TO UH, ADOPT THIS FEE BY JULY 1ST.
AND IT'S BASED ON THE LATEST CONSTRUCTION COST INDEX FOR THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGION.
THE ENGINEERING NEWS RECORD, OR THE CCI BASED THESE CHARGES OR CHANGES IN FOUR AREAS.
UH, BASICALLY MATERIAL LUMBER, CONCRETE STRUCTURAL STEEL AND LABOR.
THIS YEAR THE SANDAG BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDED AN INCREASE OF 6% DUE TO RISING COST AND INFLATION.
SO THIS IS THE THIRD TIME OVER THIS PROGRAM THAT, UH, THE, THE FEE INCREASE OVER 2%.
SO IT'S A 6% INCREASE AT THIS TIME.
AND THE PROPOSED FEE IS 3047 FOR EACH NEW CONSTRUCTED, UH, SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING UNIT IN THE CITY.
AND STAFFERS RECOMMENDED THAT CITY COUNCIL OPENS THE PUBLIC HEARING AND RECEIVES TESTIMONY, CLOSES THE PUBLIC HEARING, AND ADOPTS THE NEXT RESOLUTION, APPROVING THIS ADJUSTMENT TO THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION CONGESTION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FEE TO THE NEW AMOUNT OF 3040 $7 AND 57 CENTS FOR EACH NEWLY CONSTRUCTED RESIDENTIAL UNIT.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
UM, WHAT IS OUR ROLE IN THIS IN, IN REGARD TO, IF THE COUNCIL DIDN'T WANNA DO THIS, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WOULD THE OPTIONS BE? WE WOULD JEOPARDIZE, UH, LOSING TRANS FUNDS, UH, WITH OUR PROGRAM, OUR ACTUAL BIGGER TRANS PROGRAM, WHICH WE ROUGHLY GET ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MILLION ANNUALLY IN, IN REVENUE FOR PROJECTS.
ANGELA, DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKER CARDS FOR THIS ITEM? WE DO, SIR.
AS I'M SURE BILL MAY REMEMBER, I WAS AT THE SANDAG BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING THAT APPROVED THIS 6% INCREASE, UH, OF $3,000 ON EACH NEWLY CONSTRUCTED RESIDENTIAL UNIT.
[02:35:01]
INTO THE CONSENT CALENDAR WITH A BUNCH OF OTHER ITEMS SO THAT THERE'D BE LITTLE TIME TO PROPERLY ADDRESS IT.AS I SAID, THERE, INCREASING THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION WILL NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE PRICE OF HOUSING.
AND YET THE STATE CLAIMS THAT THEY WANT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THIS TAXES JUMP FROM AN AVERAGE OF A 2% INCREASE EVERY YEAR TO NOW A RECORD 6% INCREASE.
IF THE EXCUSE TO DO THAT IS INFLATION, THEN WHY HAS SANDAG GIVEN PUBLIC REPORTS SPECULATING THAT THE ECONOMY IS RECOVERING AND THAT INFLATION IS NOT THAT HIGH? THEIR LAST REPORT SUGGESTED THAT INFLATION IS UP ONLY 3%.
AND I ASKED THE PRESENTERS TO EXPLAIN HOW THE COST OF PRODUCT IS UP BY THREE TIMES THE PRICE.
AND BILL'S QUESTION, UH, ABOUT, WELL, WHAT'S OUR ROLE IN IT? YOU KNOW, THE ROLE 'CAUSE IT'S A LOT OF THE ROLE THAT YOU GUYS PLAY, WHICH IS IRRELEVANT, MOOT EXISTENCE, BASICALLY.
WHY ARE YOU HERE IF YOU CAN'T MAKE LOCAL DECISIONS? I GUESS THAT'S THE QUESTION.
RHETORICAL QUESTION THAT CONTINUES TO BE ASKED ON A LOT OF ITEMS. THE CAUSE OF THIS TAX IS THE TRANSIT EXTENSION ORDINANCE ADOPTED IN 2008, WHICH REQUIRES THE 18 MEMBER CITIES AND THE COUNTY TO COLLECT A CHARGE FOR EACH NEW HOUSING UNIT.
SO BESIDES ALL THE BROKEN PROMISES, PROJECTS NEVER COMPLETED BY SANDAG, THIS EVER INCREASING TAX ON HOUSING IS MORE EVIDENCE THAT TRANSIT WAS ALWAYS A SCAM AND THAT ANY NEW TAX PROPOSED BY SANDAG SHOULD BE VOTED DOWN.
THIS HOUSING TAX PROGRAM SENDS MONEY, SOME, SOME MONEY TO THE DIFFERENT CITIES FOR IMPROVING MAJOR ARTERIAL STREETS, ALLEGEDLY TO HELP ALLEVIATE TRAFFIC CONGESTION.
BUT IS THERE LESS TRAFFIC SINCE SANDAG CAME INTO EXISTENCE? OR WAY, WAY MORE? ARE POTHOLES STILL A PROBLEM OR ARE THEY ALL RESOLVED? ARE ROUNDABOUTS EVERYWHERE REALLY HELPING EVERYONE? I DON'T THINK SO.
ALL RHETORICAL QUESTIONS AS EVERYONE LIVES, THE PROBLEMS UNADDRESSED BY SANDAG ON A DAILY BASIS AND HENCE WHY I ALWAYS MAKE SURE TO WEAR, UH, MY NO SANDAG PEN.
ANY NO OTHER SPEAKER, SIR? SPEAKER CARDS.
I TO MAKE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
MOTION CARRIES BY A UNANIMOUS VOTE OF THOSE PRESENT DISCUSSION.
I JUST WANNA SAY FOR THE RECORD, I, I I THINK IT'S, UM, IT'S A MISTAKE TO KEEP MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO BUY HOMES IN CALIFORNIA.
AND I THINK WE HAVE LIMITED ABILITY TO RECTIFY THAT MISTAKE.
WE'RE GONNA HURT A LOT MORE PEOPLE IF WE, IF WE TRY TO TAKE A STAND HERE.
SO I I WILL BE VOTING YES, BUT, UH, I AM UNCOMFORTABLE WITH IT.
I'M GONNA VOTE YES BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA LOSE $3 MILLION IF, IF WE DON'T WELL, THAT'S WHAT I MEANT IF WE DON'T GET THIS.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS GOVERNMENT REGULATION ON THE COST OF HOUSING WHEN OTHER CITIES WILL CHARGE 30 TO 40 TO $50,000 PER UNIT IN A DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEE.
WE CURRENTLY DON'T CHARGE ANY, UH, THEY'RE GOING TO PASS ON EVERY FEE TO THE BUYER OF THE UNIT.
AND SO, UH, WHILE THIS ONE IS REQUIRED, I'M GLAD IT'S, IT'S NOT REQUIRED THAT WE CHARGE DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEES, WHICH WE DON'T.
AND THANKS FOR REMINDING ON THAT.
SOMEBODY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
MOTION CARRIES BY UNANIMOUS VOTE OF THOSE PRESENT.
THERE ARE NO COMMISSION REPORTS ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
ITEM 13 IS MY ACTIVITIES REPORT, WHICH IS AS REPORTED.
UM, MR. MR. MAYOR, DID WE MISS SOMETHING? MR. DIMAGGIO DESPERATELY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT AB 1333.
THIS HAS LIKE, BEEN THE BIG BIGGEST JIGSAW PUZZLE OF A MEETING.
UH, WHERE, WHAT, WHAT NUMBER WAS THAT ONE?
[11. An analysis of AB 1333, a bill eliminating justifiable homicide when defending home or property RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Council send a letter opposing AB 1333, in the event the bill is amended back to its original intent.]
NUMBER 11.UH, I WOULD LOVE TO, WELL, YOU, YOU, YOU HURT MY FEELINGS 'CAUSE YOU WERE SO EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT THIS AND THEN YOU SKIPPED RIGHT OVER IT.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO PROLONG THE ANTICIPATION.
UH, WHY DON'T YOU TELL US ABOUT THIS VINCE? OKAY.
UM, IT'S, IT'S A GENERALLY ACCEPTED POINT OF LAW THAT IF YOU'RE DEFENDING YOUR HOME OR YOUR FAMILY, YOUR PROPERTY AND YOURSELF AGAINST A VIOLENT HOME INVASION, YOU CAN USE DEADLY FORCE IN THE ACT OF DEFENDING YOURSELF AND YOUR AND YOUR PROPERTY.
AND THIS IS KNOWN AS THE CASTLE DOCTRINE.
AND, AND THIS LEGAL DOCTRINE, UM, ARISES FROM THE OLD ENGLISH COMMON LAW PHRASE.
THE CONCEPT HAS BEEN AROUND WELL BEFORE THAT EVEN.
IT, IT GOES ALL THE WAY BACK 2000 YEARS TO THE ROMAN REPUBLIC.
JUST THE IDEA OF HOW YOU WERE ABLE TO DEFEND YOURSELF AND YOUR PROPERTY AND
[02:40:01]
YOUR LOVED ONES IN YOUR OWN HOME.AND THIS HAS CARRIED FORWARD THROUGH TO THE FOUNDING OF THIS COUNTRY AND REMAINS THE LAW IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND GENERALLY A, A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT IN THE COUNTRY.
UM, HOWEVER, MR. UM, MR. ZAUR ASSEMBLY MEMBER ZAUR FROM, UH, SANTA MONICA HAS FILED AB 1333, WHICH SEEKS TO REMOVE THE DEFENSE OF JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE IN THE CASES THAT I JUST EXPLAINED.
UM, THIS RECEIVED A GREAT AMOUNT OF ATTENTION, NEGATIVE ATTENTION, AND MR. BER, UH, REMOVED THE, THAT CURRENT VERSION OF THE BILL AND SAID IT WAS ALL BIG MISUNDERSTANDING THAT THAT WAS NEVER HIS INTENT.
UM, THAT HE, UM, WAS A VICTIM OF A HOME INVASION HIMSELF AND WOULD NEVER WANT TO PUT FORTH A BILL THAT, UH, VIOLATES OR REMOVES THE CASTLE DOCTRINE FROM, UM, CALIFORNIA STATE LAW.
UH, OVER THE COURSE OF THIS MEETING, UM, MR. ZAUR HAS ADDED MORE LANGUAGE TO THIS BILL.
UM, HE AND HE ORIGINALLY WITHDREW, UM, THE ORIGINAL, UM, BILL AND REPLACED IT WITH A HOLDING BILL, UH, THAT, UH, REMOVED, UH, THE WORD RARE AND PUT IT BACK IN.
AND THAT GOT IT ENOUGH TO GO TO THE COMMITTEE.
AND THEN TODAY, WHILE WE WERE, UH, DEALING WITH OTHER AGENDA ITEMS, THE BILL CHANGED AGAIN.
AND SO I WILL READ IT FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR BENEFIT.
UH, THE BILL ELIMINATES THE, UM, JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDE.
UH, THE BILL WOULD SPECIFY CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH HOMICIDE IS NOT JUSTIFIABLE, INCLUDING WHEN A PERSON IS OUTSIDE OF THEIR HABITATION OR PROPERTY AND DID NOT RETREAT WHEN THEY COULD HAVE SAFELY DONE SO.
OR WHEN A PERSON USED MORE FORCE THAN A REASONABLE PERSON WOULD TO DEFEND AGAINST A DANGER AND WHEN THE PERSON WAS THE INITIAL AGGRESSOR.
AND THEN IT GOES ON TO DESCRIBE CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES IN IT SO FAR FROM MR. ZAUR WITHDRAWING THE BILL AS WAS REPORTED TWO WEEKS AGO.
UM, AND MUCH OF WHAT WE FEARED IS, IS KEPT IN THERE.
NOW WE'LL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THIS, BUT THE, THE ITEM BEFORE YOU IS TO SUGGEST THAT YOU, UM, AUTHORIZE STAFF TO WRITE A LETTER, UH, TO MR. ZAUR AND OUR LOCAL ASSEMBLY, UH, MEMBERS AND OPPOSE THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION.
UM, ARE THERE ANY SPEAKER CARDS ON THIS ITEM? YES SIR.
FIRST, WHO'S FAULT IS IT THAT WE'VE BEEN JIGSAW TO THIS POINT? IT'S AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.
I'M NOT GONNA READ THE ORIGINAL FAULT IS NOT, NOT REALLY WHAT FAULT IS NOT REALLY THE ISSUE.
SOMETIMES THINGS JUST ARE, YEAH, SOMETIMES.
UM, SO JUST WITH EVEN THE, UH, AMENDED OR ORIGINAL DOESN'T REALLY MATTER.
IT SOUNDS LIKE IT PUTS LAW ENFORCEMENT AT AN INCREASED RISK OF DEATH ALONG WITH EVERYBODY ELSE.
UH, WHETHER THEY GET CAUGHT UP OR AFFECTED BY A RIOT OR IF THEY'RE JUST AT HOME AND A CRIMINAL BREAKS IN.
UH, I HAVE NO IDEA WHO WOULD WAIT TO BE VIOLENTLY ATTACKED BEFORE DEFENDING THEMSELVES, WHICH IS A CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED NATURAL COMMON LAW CREATOR, ENDOWED RIGHT, THAT YOU CAN ONLY FIND IN A REPUBLICAN FORM OF GOVERNMENT, NOT A DEMOCRACY.
UM, I WASN'T SURE ABOUT SENDING A LETTER TO OPPOSE IT.
UH, IN THE EVENT THE BILL IS ADMITTED BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL INTENT.
UH, BUT SINCE IT SOUNDS LIKE, UH, IT HASN'T REALLY BEEN AMENDED AT ALL, I'M NOT GONNA SAY THAT IT'S GETTING A JUMP BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE GETTING A JUMP ON SOMETHING REALLY BAD.
IT'S CURRENTLY IN THE COMMITTEE PROCESS.
I DID READ THAT, UH, THE ONLY ISSUE I REALLY HAD IS IT SAYS THIS ITEM'S LANGUAGE SAYS ASSEMBLY MEMBER RICK ZEBRAS FILED A BILL THAT LITERALLY SHOCKS THE CENSUS.
UH, DID IT LITERALLY SHOCK PEOPLE? BECAUSE I DON'T REALLY FIND THAT TO BE LEGAL OR A LAWFUL LANGUAGE FOR RESOLUTION.
UM, NOW WHEN IT SAYS CALIFORNIA HAS A GROWING REPUTATION FOR PROVIDING PROTECTION FOR THE LAWBREAKER OVER THE LAW ABIDING CITIZEN IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, UH, THAT IS UNFORTUNATELY VERY TRUE.
THAT'S, THAT'S DEFINITELY ACCURATE.
THAT'S DEFINITELY LAWFUL LANGUAGE, UH, AS EVIDENCED IN ECONOMICALLY AND MORALLY DESTRUCTIVE DECISIONS LIKE PROP 47, PROBABLY A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER ONES, UH, THAT I HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT.
AND ASSEMBLY MEMBER RICK CHAVEZ ZEOR FROM SANTA MONICA, UH, WHO HA, WHICH HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO BE PILLAGED AND DESTROYED.
I USED TO REALLY LIKE SANTA MONICA, AND NOW IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO GO BACK TO, SO I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT BEING A TOURIST IN SANTA MONICA EVER
[02:45:01]
AGAIN.HOW SAD IS THAT? UM, AND HOW MUCH YOU WANNA BET THIS GUY, RICK.
HE'S GOT ARMED SECURITY WITH HIM AT ALL TIMES.
I BET HE NEVER LEAVES THE HOME WITHOUT SECURITY.
SO MY, UH, RECOMMENDATION IS GO AHEAD, WRITE THE LETTER.
THE LAST SPEAKER IS, UM, STEPH KHAN.
UM, SO I JUST CAME ACROSS THIS BILL THE OTHER NIGHT WHEN I WAS RESEARCHING THE OTHER ONES THAT WE WERE RESPONDING TODAY.
AND, AND, AND I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE YET ANOTHER, UM, WHAT I WOULD SAY, UH, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER RESOLUTION THAT IS NOT THE PURVIEW OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
WE HAVE ELECTED OFFICIALS, UH, AT THE STATE LEVEL FOR HANDLING THIS STUFF.
AND, AND I JUST, AND I FEEL LIKE WE'RE USING RESOURCES, UH, MR. DIMAGGIO'S TIME ANALYZING THE BILL AND PRESENTING IT TO YOU, UM, THAT ARE PAID BY THE TAXPAYERS.
AND I JUST WANNA KNOW, IS THIS GONNA BE EVERY WEEK THAT THERE'S GONNA BE ANOTHER, UM, BILL THAT'S BEYOND THE PURVIEW OF THE CITY COUNCIL? NOW, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THERE'S, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE'S A LARGE, UM, MOVEMENT BY YOUR CONSTITUENTS TO ASK YOU TO TAKE A, A STAND ON SOMETHING AT THE STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL.
BUT RIGHT NOW, WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON, AT LEAST IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS THAT I'VE BEEN WATCHING SEEMS ABOVE AND BEYOND, AND I'M GUILTY AS CHARGED FOR MAKING CLAIMS THAT WITHOUT HAVING SPOKEN TO YOU, UH, MR. WELLS, HOWEVER, YOU ARE A PUBLIC PERSON.
SO I HAVE HEARD YOUR STATEMENTS AND, AND, AND SENIOR ACTIONS.
AND, UM, SO YOU KNOW, IT JUST, IT, I, SO I WOULD INVITE YOU TO PROVE ME WRONG AND STOP BRINGING RESOLUTIONS AND STOP WASTING STAFF TIME ON RESOLUTIONS THAT REALLY ARE NOT THE PURVIEW OF CITY GOVERNMENT.
AND, AND AGAIN, LET'S REVISIT, REVISIT THE, UH, THE CITY CHARTER AND, AND, AND HOW THIS IS HAPPENING.
SO I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION, IF I CAN ASK.
UM, UH, WHAT WAS BEFORE YOU DID THE ANALYSIS WAS THIS ACTUALLY VOTED ON BY THE COUNCIL TO SEND IT TO YOU FOR, UH, FOR ANALYSIS.
COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER BROUGHT IT TO OUR ATTENTION AND WE LOOKED INTO IT, WHICH IS WHAT, WHICH WHAT? I KNOW, I KNOW.
I REALIZE THAT YOU'RE NEW COMING TO THESE MEETINGS.
BUT, UM, I DO A LEGISLATIVE REPORT FOR THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL TWICE A YEAR.
ONCE WHEN THE BILLS COME IN MM-HMM
AND, AND QUITE A FEW OF THEM AFFECT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
I MEAN, MORE THAN, MORE THAN HALF AFFECT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
AND WE TAKE DIRECTION FROM THE CITY COUNCIL AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY WISH US TO TAKE A POSITION OR THEY WISH TO TAKE A POSITION AND THEY WOULD LIKE US TO DRAFT A LETTER.
SO TYPICALLY YOU'LL SEE AT THE NEXT MEETING, OR THE MEETING AFTER THAT WILL BE THE FULL LEGISLATIVE REPORT.
AND THEN LATER ON IN OCTOBER WILL BE THE END OF SESSION LEGISLATIVE REPORT TO INFORM THE COUNCIL OF WHAT BILLS THAT ARE GONNA BE OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO THE PEOPLE OF EL CAJON AND WILL AFFECT THE OPERATION OF THE CITY GOT PASSED.
THIS IS, THIS WAS SEPARATED OUT BECAUSE IT WAS SHOCKING TO EVERYONE THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS, UH, COULD BE PROPOSED.
AND IT, IT RECEIVED A GREAT AMOUNT OF ATTENTION AND A GREAT AMOUNT OF LETTERS WERE WRITTEN FROM MANY CITIES ACROSS THE STATE, OPPOSING THIS FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT REASONS, WHICH IS WHY WE FELT WE NEEDED TO BRING IT TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR, UH, FOR THAT INFORMATION.
I ALSO WANNA THANK MR. GOBEL FOR, UM, EMAILING ME IN RESPONSE AND PROVIDING ME SOME INFORMATION THAT WAS, THAT I DIDN'T FIND WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT IT.
UH, AND MY CONCERN STILL REMAINS ABOUT THE, THE POLARIZATION, POLITICALIZATION PARTISANSHIP THAT, THAT, WHICH IS WHAT I AM SEEING.
BUT I DO WANNA, I I AM VERY HAPPY TO BE, BE ABLE TO SPEAK AFTER THE MERIDIAN VOTE BECAUSE, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY AN AMAZING AND BEAUTIFUL THING THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING HERE IN EL CAJON.
OH, I, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT IT REALLY DOES AFFECT THE PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF EL CAJON BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF SINGLE MOMS THAT LIVE IN THIS CITY.
AND SOME GUYS, AND THIS HAPPENED TO MY SISTER ACTUALLY MANY YEARS AGO, SOME GUYS BREAKING INTO THE, IN HER CASE, SOMEONE WAS CUTTING THE WINDOW SCREEN ABOVE HER BED AND HE STARTED SCREAMING.
AND LUCKILY, UH, HE WENT AWAY.
BUT THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN.
SO IF SHE SHOOTS THE GUY, I THINK THERE'S A GOOD REASON FOR, FOR SELF-DEFENSE AND NOT MAKING IT A CRIMINAL ACT TO SHOOT SOMEBODY THAT'S TRYING TO GO IN YOUR HOUSE AND A GOOD CHANCE THEY'RE GONNA TRY AND HURT YOU, MR. MAYOR.
UM, I THINK I SHOULD BRING UP, MR.
[02:50:01]
DIMAGGIO AND I ARE NONPARTISAN.WE DON'T HAVE AN R OR A D BEHIND OUR NAMES.
IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO BRING FORWARD ANALYSIS OF LEGISLATION, AND IT'S TYPICALLY BAD LEGISLATION.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF BAD LEG LEGISLATION IN SACRAMENTO.
IF WE WERE TO ABDICATE ALL OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA WOULD BE IN EVEN MORE HURT THAN IT IS NOW.
SO THIS IS CLEARLY IN OUR PURVIEW IN THE CITY COUNCIL'S PURVIEW TO ADDRESS THE BAD LEGISLATION COMING OUTTA THE OF SACRAMENTO.
WE BELIEVE THAT THIS LEGISLATION, AS IS INDICATED IN THE STAFF REPORT, IS BAD FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND IS BAD FOR OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SO THAT'S WHY WE BROUGHT THIS FORWARD.
AND MR. DIMAGGIO WILL CONTINUE TO DO MORE LEGISLATIVE ANALYSIS AS MORE LEGISLATION PUSHES THROUGH THE COMMITTEES.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE MORE OF THIS IN THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS.
ARE THERE ANY MORE SPEAKER CARDS? NO OTHER SPEAKER CARDS, SIR.
IT'S BACK WITH, UM, BACK WITH THE COUNCIL JUST LOOKING FOR, UM, DIRECTION.
OH, I, I THINK THIS IS A VERY BAD PROPOSED LAW, SO I THINK WE NEED TO OPPOSE IT, KILL IT WHILE WE CAN.
DO YOU NEED A, A VOTE ON THIS OR DO YOU WANNA HEAR JUST FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS? I, I THINK JUST GENERAL DIRECTION WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UM, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO, TO SAY, STEVE? YOU YEAH, I, I, MY POINT OF VIEW IS IN AGREEMENT, THIS IS WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT BECAUSE THIS IS ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY AND THAT IS ONE OF THE MAJOR PRIMARY FUNCTIONS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE AND THE PROPERTY UNDER ITS THING.
SO THE BIGGER QUESTION IS, SHOULD WE WEIGH ON, ON EVERY SINGLE BILL IN CALIFORNIA? COULD THAT AFFECT EVERYBODY? UH, WE PICK AND CHOOSE BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF TIME, UH, THE PARTICULAR IMPACT ON THE, THERE'S A BUNCH OF FACTORS THAT GO INTO, WELL, WHICH BILLS WILL WE WEIGH IN ON IN THAT SENSE? BECAUSE WE JUST CAN'T DO THEM ALL, UNFORTUNATELY FROM SACRAMENTO, UH, I THINK MORE ARE NOT HELPFUL THAN THEY ARE.
HERE'S WHAT'S CRAZY TO ME ABOUT THIS BILL.
WHO DETERMINES WHO WAS THE INITIAL AGGRESSOR? IF YOU JUST HAVE A BAD GUY AND A HOMEOWNER IN A HOME AND THE LAW SAYS THE INITIAL AGGRESSOR, HOW DO YOU KNOW WHO IS THE INITIAL AGGRESSOR? WHOSE WORD ARE YOU GONNA TAKE? THE BAD GUY WHO WAS IN THE HOUSE, OH, I WASN'T THE AGGRESSOR OR THE HOMEOWNER WHO SAYS, OH, HE WAS THE AGGRESSOR.
THE LAW MAKES NO SENSE ON DECIDING WHO THE INITIAL AGGRESSOR WAS.
AND AN EARLIER VERSION SAID, THE INITIAL AGGRESSOR MUST PAUSE, WAIT FOR THE OTHER PERSON TO RETREAT BEFORE THEY RESUME THEIR AGGRESSION.
THIS IS JUST ABSOLUTELY CRAZY LAW IN SACRAMENTO.
UH, WE SHOULD SEND A LETTER AS LONG AS THE, UH, THE INTENT OF THE BILL IS STILL AS CRAZY AS IS, IS THERE ARE OTHER CRAZY PARTS.
BUT, UH, SHORT OF VIDEO INSIDE THE HOME TO PROVE WHO WAS THE INITIAL AGGRESSOR.
THIS IS JUST MORE INSANITY COMING OUT OF SACRAMENTO.
MICHELLE, DID YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING? OKAY.
UM, SO I YOU HAVE ENOUGH DIRECTION? THANK YOU.
NOW I BELIEVE I'M BACK AT COMMISSION REPORTS IN MINE ERROR AS REPORTERS AND REPORTED THAT I'M
[14. COUNCILMEMBER STEVE GOBLE MTS (Metropolitan Transit System Board); East County Advanced Water Purification Joint Powers Authority Board; Chamber of Commerce – Government Affairs Committee; SANDAG – Board of Directors – Alternate; SANDAG Public Safety Committee – Alternate.]
ASKING COUNCIL MEMBER STEVE GOBLE, UH, AS REPORTED WITH ONE, UH, COMMENT ON MTS.THERE IS CURRENTLY A BILL IN SACRAMENTO THAT EVERY MTS BOARD MEMBER MUST RIDE, UH, FOUR TIMES PER MONTH OR ONE HOUR.
AND THAT THE BOARD BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE A UNION MEMBER AND A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC.
AND IT DOESN'T SAY WHETHER THE UNION MEMBER OR THE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC MUST RIDE THE TRANSIT.
AND THERE IS NO PROVISION IN THE BILL TO PROVE THAT YOU WROTE FOUR TIMES OR THAT YOU WROTE AN HOUR.
SO THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF REGULATIONS COMING DOWN.
UH, WE ALREADY PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT TIME.
UH, EVERY BOARD MEMBER IS AVAILABLE TO MEET WITH ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC.
WE HAVE A PUBLIC ADVISORY, UH, COMMITTEE THAT PROVIDES INPUT ON THINGS LIKE CLEANLINESS AND SECURITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UH, BUT IT AFFECTS EVERY TRANSIT AGENCY, THE STATE.
I THINK MTS IS A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE OTHER TWO THINGS.
IT WAS BROUGHT BY A MEMBER WHO USED TO BE AN MTS BOARD A MEMBER YEARS AGO, AND I THINK HE'S TRYING TO GET THE REST OF THE STATE COMPLY.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS AFFECTING MTS AS WELL.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT ONE'S GONNA GO, BUT IT IS AN INTERESTING POINT OF VIEW.
[02:55:01]
LUCK.[15. MAYOR PRO TEM GARY KENDRICK METRO Commission/Wastewater JPA; Heartland Communications; Heartland Fire Training JPA.]
MAYOR PORT KENDRICK, AS REPORTED COUNCIL[16. COUNCILMEMBER MICHELLE METSCHEL Harry Griffen Park Joint Steering Committee; METRO Commission/Wastewater JPA – Alternate; Heartland Communications – Alternate; Heartland Fire Training JPA – Alternate.]
MEMBER MITCHELL AS REPORTED, UM,[17. COUNCILMEMBER PHIL ORTIZ League of California Cities, San Diego Division; East County Economic Development Council; MTS (Metropolitan Transit System Board) – Alternate; East County Advanced Water Purification Joint Powers Authority Board – Alternate; Chamber of Commerce – Government Affairs Committee – Alternate.]
UH, MR. MR. MAYOR, MR. ORTIZ, UH, LET ME KNOW THAT HE ALSO ATTENDED THE RIVER CONSERV, THE SAN DIEGO RIVER CONSERVANCY BOARD LAST WEEK, AND HE'D LIKE TO ADD THAT TO HIS ITEM, HIS LIST.THERE ARE NO GENERAL INFORMATION ITEMS AND NO FIRST READINGS OF ORDINANCES ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
[19. Prohibit the Sale of Vaping Devices Disguised as Other Products RECOMMENDATION: That Mayor Wells requests the City Clerk to recite the title. An Ordinance prohibiting the sale of vaping devices disguised as other products by amending sections 8.33.050 and 8.33.090 of Chapter 8.33 of Title 8 of the El Cajon Municipal Code, relating to regulation of licensure of tobacco retailers. CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT: The ordinance is exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) according to the common sense exemption (State CEQA Guidelines, section 15061(b)(3)). The common sense exemption applies where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment.]
HAVE A SECOND READING AND ADOPTION OF ORDINANCES ON TODAY'S AGENDA.ITEM 19 IS TO PROHIBIT THE SALE OF VAPING DEVICES DISGUISE AS OTHER PRODUCTS.
AND I'LL ASK THE CITY CLERK TO READ THE TITLE.
BUT FIRST, ANGELA, ARE THERE ANY SPEAKER CARDS FOR THIS ITEM? NO SPEAKER CARDS, SIR.
AND THE TITLE IS AN ORDINANCE PROHIBITING THE SALE OF VAPING DEVICES DISGUISED AS OTHER PRODUCTS BY AMENDING SECTIONS 8.3 0.050 AND 8.3 3.090 OF CHAPTER 8.33 OF TITLE EIGHT OF THE EL CAJON MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO REGULATION OF LICENSURE OF TOBACCO RETAILERS.
MOTION CARRIES BY UNANIMOUS VOTE OF THOSE PRESENT.
THERE ARE NO CLOSED SESSION ITEMS ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
THIS BRINGS US TO ADJOURNMENT, THE ADJOURNED REGULAR JOINT MEETING OF THE EL CAJON CITY COUNCIL.
EL CAJON HOUSING AUTHORITY SUCCESSOR AGENCY TO THE ELON REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY.
HELD THIS 25TH DAY OF MARCH, 2025 IS ADJOURNED UNTIL TUESDAY, APRIL 8TH, 2025 AT THREE O'CLOCK.
BUT DON'T GO AWAY BECAUSE YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF ANOTHER MEETING.