Mayor Tom Tait
Mayor Tom Tait posted this comment on his Facebook page, condemning William Fitzgerald’s rant at Monday’s special council meeting and explaining what he believes he can and cannot do about it as mayor:
This past Monday, a special meeting of the Anaheim City Council was held, and an Anaheim resident, who regularly attends council meetings and regularly makes offensive comments, came forward and made statements that were particularly egregious as they were both anti-Semitic and bigoted, and directed toward my council colleague, Jordan Brandman.
I’ve had some time to stew on this terrible experience and I want to make it clear to anyone who was in City Hall Monday morning, and to all of the people who live, work, shop or play here in the City of Anaheim that we believe that all people are created equal, and that we soundly reject hate-mongering, anti-Semitism, and bigotry wherever it should rear its ugly head.
For years this individual has repeatedly attacked the council and me in a vicious and untruthful manner. My council colleagues and I sat stunned during his rant, because we recognize that the courts have found that censoring such comments would violate First Amendment rights to free speech. However, his comments on Monday set a new low even for him. I used the limited powers that are allowed to me as Mayor to attempt to bring forth some sense of civility from his comments. I have been told by our city attorney that I cannot legally stop him from saying such hateful things, but I can call it what it is, morally reprehensible.
Attention residents of Anaheim. If we want to find out what our Mayor has to say, make sure you go to his Facebook page – its unbelievable.
So what did Mr. Tait say was his excuse for Monday?
“I used the limited powers”…… that is an absolutely lie. No you didn’t Mr. Tait. You asked the speaker to be “less mean.” You are not fooling anyone.
“I have had some time to stew on this”……Well I am glad that after 3 days you have finally been brave enough to put something on your Facebook page.
“soundly reject hate-mongering, anti-Semitism, and bigotry wherever it should rear its ugly head”….that is another lie Mr. Tait. You allowed it to continue and escalate.
Here’s why I believe the Mayor is being disingenuous about this…first is the fact that he posted 4 days after the incident. Second, is the Mayor’s behavior at the dias. He has a mute button for crying out loud and a gavel but instead he engaged Mr. Fitzgerald with banter, not outrage or indignation, BANTER.
As the “Mayor of Kindness” you would have thought that following the racist rant, he’d have taken a moment promote his own initiative (especially in light of the hostility in the room,) and ask for decorum or denounce the speaker.
Or, more appropriate still, as a human being, he could have at the very least, turned to his Colleague and apologized. He did neither – just carried on like nothing truly horrific had happened.
I worry that, because he himself is so hostile toward his colleagues, he could not even fathom making that most human and empathetic of gestures.
I have heard that leaders around the County – Republican and Democratic alike – have reached out to Councilman Brandman to offer their apologies.
But not, sadly, our Mayor.
I have to agree with the above commenters. I’m glad Tom Tait made this statement, but what took so long? I don’t buy the “I was stunned” and “I’ve had time to stew on this” lines. Those are poor excuses. As Tait himself has said, he’s been listening to Fitzgerald’s craziness for years, so I don’t buy that he was too stunned to react immediately.
Last month, when Kris Murray condemned attacks on Arte Moreno, Tait immediately jumped in and asked if Murray was referring to him. But it takes him four days to react to Fitzgerald calling Jordan Brandman an “evil Jew” and a slur I don’t want to repeat here?
I have to say Anaheim Avenger is probably correct, and Tait’s pride and anger at his colleagues held him back from rising above and being the Mayor.
Mayor Tait could have easily ended Fitzgerald’s vile, reprehensible rant, so I can conclude only that Mayor Kindness wanted it heard. The First Amendment does not award free speech unconditionally, a lesson Tait apparently missed in law school.
Next time, the mayor could use a finger, any finger would work, and cut the sound of Fitzgerald’s microphone. Doing so does not end his rant, but his words would not be broadcast.
Does the Constitution prevent the mayor from disconnecting the microphone of a man who was not created equal? No.
You are so profoundly and sadly wrong.
Yes, the constitution prohibits turning off the idiot’s microphone. Shame on you for taking this opportunity to tread on all our freedoms to score a political point.
Shame, shame, shame.
The reason for the late issued statement? Tait thought he could get away with Councilmember Brandman being attacked because he loved to see Brandman being attacked? Tait hates Brandman for many reasons and candidly it was likely fun for him to watch it. If you disagree, then the only other excuse is that he is just stupid. He is stupid because he should have gaveled his comments far sooner than when he did and have done it with authority. Here’s an idea….if everyone is so confused about what is and what is not permissible, perhaps a councilmember could agendize a workshop and the city attorney can explain what is or is not permissible. Obscenity and highly offensive comments are impermissible. So which council member is going to ask for the workshop? I think the citizens need to know and certainly Mr. Fitzgerald needs a little lesson in civility.
Highly offensive comments and obscenity are EXPRESSLY permissible.
Welcome to Public Speaking 101. That’ll be $5.
Slanderous Defamation and free speech don’t mix. If Mr. Fitzgerald had told the truth when he walked up to the podium then that might be different. Free speech has limits as you will soon learn.
Slander of a public official from a public podium? Good luck with that.
Finger-wagging from James Robert Reade about decorum at City Council meetings? I thought I’d never see the day!
You are confused, it was Greg Diamond doing the finger waving!
If Tait was not such a useful idiot tool for liberals, those same libs would hammer Tait unmercifully for this.
Junior is 100% right, and again, Ryan, you are completely missing the point.
Mr. Fitzgerald has the right (god help us all) to say whatever vile thing he wants at that podium. But the outrage, at least for me, is not that Tait allowed it (although i believe emphatically he could have at the least turned off the mic without violating the toad’s rights,) BUT what he did following it.
Did he denounce the speaker? No
Did he expressly ask the room to settle down and be civil? No
Did he apologize to his colleague for having to endure such a speech? N-O.
Why is that important?
I can’t believe I have to point this out but, by not doing any of the above it infects the room and promotes mob mentality. And Tait uses that mob to further promote his agenda, playing to media that the mob is the Anaheim public (with lots and lots of help from VOC.) That’s not leadership, thats cowardice.
So speaker after speaker came to the podium following Fitzgerald with a perception that attacks and slanders are completely tolerated and therefore calling Brandman a monster, despicable, and even implying he is a criminal.
As supporters of the Mayor, he is the only one they will listen too and he did nothing! And when the mob deserts Tait and runs to Galloway he won’t be able to anything then either.