Megaphoning for socio-ethnic justice for a peacefully diverse environment.
During public comments at Tuesday night’s Anaheim City Council meeting, former Los Amigos President Amin David asked how much the city had spent defending itself against the ACLU lawsuit seeking to force a switch to a district-based system of council elections.
He neglected to mention he is one of the plaintiffs in that lawsuit.
The answer to Amin David’s question was $144,000 as of the end of September.
During the campaign, Anaheim City School District Trustee Jose Moreno took council candidate Jordan Brandman to task about council districts, lambasting him for supporting a citizens commission to examine in a deliberate manner, rather than rushing to place a slapped together proposal on the November ballot.
“When we asked you to discuss district elections, and to be really clear that we want district elections now, to not go through the expense of a lawsuit, which is general fund money, but to rather have the council vote to put it on the ballot…”
Moreno’s point was that folks like Brandman were costing the city money in litigation costs by not preemptive lay bowing to the lawsuit.
That, by the way, is the line generally taken by the defeatists the among Anaheim activists, who have bought into the conventional wisdom that resistance is futile and a quick surrender is the least expensive option.
Leaving aside the validity of that conventional wisdom — which I do not buy — let’s consider David’s and Moreno’s concerns over how much their litigation will cost the city, because it is uniquely within their power to do something about it.
They could simply suspend their lawsuit until the citizens commission completes its work, forwards its recommendations to the Anaheim City Council, and the city council takes action regarding those recommendations.
Putting their lawsuit into suspended animation — not dropping it — would stop the clock on the city’s legal expenses.
In fact, it’s my understanding the city has asked them to do exactly that — and they refused.
Keep that in mind next time Jose Moreno, Amin David or anyone supporting their litigation sheds crocodile tears over “the cost to taxpayers.”
Wow – that is called hitting the nail on the head! These activists preted to represent the disenfranchised but actually, they are looking for a payday. I wonder how much Moreno and Amin David will collect from Anaheim taxpayers at the end of the day. I doubt they are donating any awards to the ACLU. They see the city as an ATM – people need to stand up to this literal shakedown described as a benign attempt to improve representation for Latinos. What has Los Amigos acutally done to advance Latino rights in Anaheim -nothing!
Anybody in doubt of the value of the tasks undertaken by the Citizens Advisory Committee, should really take the time to study their efforts online at http://www.anaheim.net. The volunteers serving on this commission take their responsibilities very seriously and their work is meaningful.
Personally, I am deeply opposed to districts. As a voter, I want choices. I don’t care what your skin tone or zip code is. Let me choose from the best this city has to offer. I think it is a grave mistake for citizens to opt for just one representative versus the five they could have.
Moreno and David are people of principal who stand up for what they believe in.
And Amin David thinks Latinos in Orange County are no better off than were blacks in the Jm Crow South. Do you think that is an opinion that renders a person credible or not credible?
Matt- I have never heard Amin make such a remark.
That’s because you were not at the meeting in 2011 where he made it. I was.
I’d have to discuss it with Amin to better understand his reasoning behind that comment.
There was no reasoning behind the comment, Jason. He was making the comparison in all seriousness.
Can you provide a link to the video?
Amin David, is a self serving blowhard. A man that is no hero. I know the man behind the hypocritical mask.
Amin David, is a hypocrite and blowhard. Reason are not his tools, but rather discord and disruption. He seeks to inflame, then uses gasoline to put out the fire. He is wanton in his destruction with an agenda, that separates rather than unites.
Richard H. Jacques