JP speaks out at Shasta Lake City Council Meeting 12/21/2010
Good evening Mr. Mayor, our esteemed city councilmen, and …well...Ms. Lucero. Thank you for the opportunity to speak in the public comment period tonight.
My name is Janice Powell, I was born in Summit City and have lived in the city of Shasta Lake most of my life, I am a registered voter and currently live with my parents on Kokanee Drive in Ranchera Pines. Both of my Grandfathers came here in 1938 to build Shasta Dam and most of my family still lives here --- we are dam descendants and proud of our roots in Shasta County. Members of my family have always been taught to contribute and become productive members of society. Like our friends and neighbors we join charitable clubs, churches, and historical organizations. We work at fund raising and participate in service groups in order to better ourselves and the lives of our neighbors.
I have recently been appointed to the Parks and Recreation commission and when my schedule permits, I try to be aware of issues that are presented before the city council. I attended the last council meeting to witness two speakers who have issues with your conduct as a council person, Ms Lucero. Frankly, I was more uncomfortable with your attitude towards a citizen who was volunteering for the Vector board. The way you ignored her was embarrassing, and she was obviously uncomfortable while you grilled city staff for a job description and rambled on about possible requirements and qualifications of people who want to volunteer. I knew exactly how she felt, because I had received the same disdain from you when I stood up here for my commission appointment. I couldn’t believe it when you voted to reject my offer to volunteer my time, especially when I was the only candidate for two empty seats on the parks commission. It won’t surprise me if others in Shasta Lake hesitate to serve on any committee with that sort of treatment from a council person.
I want to read to you from this book, "The Moral Compass” and maybe this chapter on Citizenship and Leadership will help to remind you, Ms. Lucero, of the powerful position that you hold.
“The success of any organization depends on the character of its citizens. Good citizens are those who know and live up to their duties by exercising virtues such as responsibility,work ethic, loyalty, self-discipline, and a civil demeanor.” In our community, we find lots of great people ready and willing to volunteer to do their part. I was so happy to see the success of this summer’s Friday Night in the Park with people like Kris and Kay Kobe, Candis Vaughn, and Brad Dupre all working together towards a common goal. There are dedicated volunteers like the Hurlheys, who even after Bonnie's defeat at the polls, continue with their promise of committed service. We see them accepting responsiblility, sacrificing their own interests and more of their own time and money…for the good of the rest of us. In the city of Shasta Lake we are fortunate to have good people who stand fast beside their neighbors --- and unfortunately now, Ms. Lucero, we have those who do not.
At certain times in our lives, most of us are called to lead in some capacity: as a team captain, club president, state representative, on a board of directors or a church mission. This book reminds of us of what it takes it takes to lead successfully: Compassion, courage, perserverance, wisdom, and sometimes even faith. It says that leaders are ultimately judged in terms of how well they serve their followers and most importantly by the example that they set. I believe that we have such a leader in our new Mayor, Rod Lindsay, who seems to lead not just by the command of his position, but by the force of his friendly character and his great native American spirit. I think that we all noticed that before he was called to lead, Rod practiced being a good follower, he appreciated the leadership skills of Mayor Watkins and listened to the other council members. He actively gained the knowledge that he would need, by cooperating with city staff and helping to solve the hardships that our community has faced.
Finally, I want to read a selection about a virtue that I think is often overlooked in today’s world ---Gratitude. “If we are not grateful for our gifts and opportunities, we are not likely to value them, and if we do not value them , we are not likely to work hard to preserve and improve them. Gratitude is an important attribute of good citizenship, especially among a people blessed with an inheritance of political freedom and material wealth unmatched in the history of mankind. Good citizenship and good leadership usually require a certain degree of diplomacy. The chronic complainer, on the other hand, not only fails to contribute but she often threatens to become the one who dooms the common enterprise. “
Aristotle speaks of such a person in this next paragraph and I ask those of you here tonight, if this description sounds all too familiar --- ”There is the one that cannot steer, that cannot splice, that dodges the work on dark nights…the one who can’t do most things and won’t do the rest. The pet of philanderers and self-seeking developers. The sweet sympathetic and deserving creature that knows all about her rights, but knows nothing of courage, of endurance, and of the unexpressed faith, of the unspoken loyalty that knits together a community council.”
Whining, grumbling, and complaining are not simply unattractive, Ms. Lucero, they are symptoms of selfishness. And honestly, an overriding concern with the self is not the business of citizenship. Among good citizens, Aristotle told us , “the salvation of the community is the common business of them all.”
With my 3 minutes of allotted time here at the podium coming to an end, I want to conclude with words of gratitude to our City Manager, Carol Martin and her staff. Thank you for your patience in these trouble times, for your knowledge of the government codes, and for your service to our community.
And to you, Ms Lucero…this is your red flag warning. You are DAM close to forcing the citizens of our community into a long and expensive recall of your position on this council.
