GRVNC Bashing Built on a House of Cards
By John Davis
On April 5th a meeting of the Los Angeles Board of
Neighborhood Commissioners (BONC) considered the fate of the Grass Roots Venice
Neighborhood Council.
At that meeting Commissioner Bill Christopher called
the Final Arbitor of election challenges the cornerstone of the Neighborhood
Council System.
However, this “cornerstone” is but a
feather holding up a skyscraper of lies, all of which are based upon a fictional
decision by the Human Relations Commission (HRC). The Executive Director of
(HRC), Rabbi Allen I. Freehling only released a Staff Report from his
subordinate Gary De La Rosa. That report claimed that a decision had been made
regarding the GRVNC election of 2004. A STAFF REPORT IS NOT A
DECISION.
DONE General Manager Nelson concocted a
simple-minded scheme to get rid of the GRVNC.
Ask GRVNC to agree that the HRC would act as the
Arbitrator and to “Decide” on 2004 election challenges. GRVNC at a
public meeting agreed and took legal “Action” as defined under the
Ralph M. Brown Act. “Action” has the same legal meaning as the term
“Decision” under California law.
This is the core lie. This lie has caused Venice
Stakeholders to be disenfranchised from a public process promised to them as
voters reformed the City Charter to include local voices, Neighborhood
Councils.
Without the approval of his bosses at the BONC,
Nelson used his imperious pen to proclaim in public emails that GRVNC could not
establish a quorum. He then revoked the Council’s money.
Nelson said his department received the HRC report
and he declared it represented a “Decision” and or an
“Action” of the HRC. Blustering irresponsibly as if on a power
drunken high, he sent a public email claiming the HRC “Action” could
not be overturned even the by Congress of the United States.
The legal course was for the HRC to hold a public
meeting during which they were empowered by the Brown Act to make a decision.
Venice waited for that to happen and it never did.
BONC Commissioner Bill Christopher said the
“DECISION” is unmovable.
But there never was a “DECISION” or
“ACTION TAKEN” by HRC. A Staff Report of the HRC cannot crusade as a
decision. The two are mutually exclusive.
At three meetings of the BONC I presented
Commissioners with proof that the Human Relations Commission never made such a
decision because it was not reflected in their official records, the agendas and
minutes of their meetings.
So, the BONC made a decision and accepted the lie of
Greg Nelson as their own and now claimed that DONE and BONC would take over the
GRVNC elections to make sure they are fair this time. Of course this is like
turning a pack of wolves on one chicken in a henhouse.
The
California Open Meeting Act preamble says the following:
In enacting this
chapter, the Legislature finds and declares that the public commissions, boards
and councils and the other public agencies in this State exist to aid in the
conduct of the people's business. It is the intent of the law that their actions
be taken openly and that their deliberations be conducted openly. The people of
this State do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them. The
people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to
decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to
know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control
over the instruments they have created.
Posted: Sun - May 1, 2005 at 11:02 AM