City Council removal of Planning Commissioners and environmental advocates

Note:  the following is the article referenced in the "Wagner on Langille" article below.  Not sure what Wagner finds unclear about "our environment is our economy" politics in Pacifica though.

Pacifica Tribune, 7/9/13. "My Turn:  The politics of environmental advocacy" by Celeste Langille

"Planning change.  Former Planning Commissioner BJ Nathanson called the City Council's action to "arbitrarily put all seven Planning Commission seats up for grabs" undemocratic and "a coup." Tribune letter, May 22. 

My only disagreement is that the move was not arbitrary, but a well-planned move to remove the two most vocal Commissioners and to weaken the voice of those favoring environmental protection in Pacifica. Why else would Council remove the only Commissioner that sat on the Green Building Task Force (Tom Clifford) and the only Commissioner (myself) currently on the Climate Action Plan taskforce? Not co-incidentally, our Commission appointments were the only two seats not up for reappointment prior to the "coup."

This well-planned move stemmed from Mayor Stone and Councilmember Nihart's subcommittee on Commissions and Committees."   Read article. 

Posted by Kathy Meeh