(FF 41:30)
At another bizarre city council meeting last night 3 councilors (Neitzert, Cole and Merkouris) decided to vote against a Pride month resolution because they felt it was setting some kind of precedent. Let’s pretend for a moment that was true (it is not) wouldn’t you still support it without supporting the process? They could have easily voted for it while stating they didn’t like the process. It is NOT precedent. During the Huether administration there was a proclamation almost weekly. The only difference between proclamations and resolutions is that proclamations come from the mayor’s office and resolutions come from council (according to the city attorney last night). Here are the proclamations from 2016 that were presented at the regular council meetings;
Sex Trafficking Awareness and Action Month (January 2016)
Dr. King Celebration Week (January 12-18, 2016)
Stalking Awareness Month – January, 2016
Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week (February 7-14, 2016)
Sioux Empire Water Festival Days – March 9 and 10, 2016
World Kidney Day – March 10, 2016
Social Work Month — March 2016
National Service Recognition Day – April 5, 2016
National Walking Day – April 6, 2016
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Action Day – April 19, 2016
American Legion Poppy Days – May 13 and 14, 2016
Historic Preservation Month – May, 2016
Bike Month – May, 2016
Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month – June 2016
National Health Center Week
Suicide Prevention Week – September 5-11, 2016
Childhood Cancer Awareness Month – September, 2016
National Mental Illness Awareness Week, October 2-8, 2016
Native American Day – October 10, 2016
Domestic Violence Awareness Month – October, 2016
Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month – November, 2016
American Diabetes Month, November, 2016
Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month, November 2016
The practice of presenting proclamations at the council meetings seemed to end in 2018 after Mayor TenHaken was installed. Not sure why, but that was a decision made by his administration (he still releases proclamations discreetly). But for Neitzert, Cole and Merkouris to argue this is out of the ordinary is just flat out false. In fact, TenHaken replaced it with the Siouxper Hero awards at council meetings. Why weren’t there any objections to that? Weren’t we setting a precedent?
As I told councilors last night, they are entitled to their personal opinions about the gay lifestyle, but as a non-partisan governing body they should all be in support of inclusiveness in our city which doesn’t infringe on their personal beliefs as individuals or their crazy beliefs as councilors about a broken process.
I think Councilor Barranco said it best;
“. . . I am PROUD to stand with friends and colleagues who oppose bigotry, violence, segregation, and hatred. This is not the moment to argue. Rather, let us link arms, unified in our support for tolerance, acceptance, inclusion, and love.”
They can make whatever excuses they want to as to why they voted against the resolution, but at the end of the day they just looked petty and I applaud the councilors that voted for the resolution and especially councilors Starr and Soehl for challenging their fellow councilors to do the right thing, even if 3 of them can’t figure out what the right thing is.