George Barich | Cotati - News and Humor

Who was Robert Coleman-Senghor, the politician?

2011-04-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

To understand Bob Coleman, the politician, we must begin by peeling back the many layers of the man. To say Bob was "complicated" would be an understatement. I must preface my analysis of Bob, the politician, by stating emphatically that I cannot speak to Bob as a father, a teacher ( who was certainly not a PHD), a son, a U.S. Marine, or "the victim" which was a role Bob loved to play so well and so often.

Bob and I were friends for many years. Both of us found common ground in the fact we both had deep roots in the San Francisco East Bay. I was born and raised in Richmond, CA and I knew the East Bay like the back of my hand. Both of my parents grew up poor and on the poor side of town. Bob spent many years in the east bay in his youth as well. Bob and I both received college degrees from USF. I am one of the lucky people who heard Bob tell stories twice and sometimes three times because he simply reached a mental state of where he could simply not remember who he told his stories to. I knew Bob Coleman as a fellow citizen who fought along side me many times at City Hall against the intellectually corrupt side of local government. I personally witnessed Bob's slow, yet methodical, evolution into an ambitious politician in his final years. I believe this evolution had a profound negative impact on his health, unfortunately, which I will talk about later.

Bob asked citizen Phil Maher and I out to meet him for breakfast in 2006 to talk politics as I remember. Bob wanted something as I came to find out later. While talking about the bizarre antics at City Hall and the upcoming local election, Bob suddenly stated to me, "You know George, I have political ambitions of my own". I reacted to Bob by saying, "Really? Well I won't hold that against you, Bob" and I chuckled. Bob remained straight face and didn't find my statement humorous. I then explained to Bob what I said many times before in the newspaper and during candidates debates. "Anyone wanting to be a city council member needs to have his/her head examined". Bob quickly changed the subject because at that point, Bob knew he as not going to get my support for his possible candidacy in 2006. How many other people Bob approached to begin building a campaign committee is anyone's guess. But as an "outsider" , Bob was not well liked, and had no support. So Bob did not run in 2006 and stepped aside. In fact, when I went to Houston, Texas in 2005 to volunteer to do disaster relief work for the Red Cross after Hurricane Katrina, Bob never acknowledged my efforts to help people of all colors.

I actually met Bob Coleman ten years before Councilman Mark Landman even knew where the bathroom was inside City Hall and that's the truth. Bob went simply by Bob Coleman back in 1997. Robert Coleman was his real name and the name on his California driver's license. I never understood why he added "Senghor" to his name just a few years ago. Conversations between Bob and I began back in 1998 during my first run for a seat on the city council. I did nothing but put my name on the ballot and did little more just to offer the town a common sense candidate where there had not been one before. Bob and I engaged in long conversations on the front steps of City Hall after many city council meetings and we liked each other because at that time, we respected our differences and agreed to disagree. This was to change in Bob's final years when big government was falling out of favor with a growing segment of the voters.

Bob and I were both disgusted and extremely frustrated with the overspending and lack of accountability and transparency by the incompetent city leaders at the time. The situation at City Hall just never seemed to get any better in time. Bob was particularly hard on council member Harold Berkemeyer at council meetings, and Bob was instrumental in getting the first recall petition against Harold started. The petition subsequently got dropped on the recommendation of me and others in town who learned how much money it was going to cost the city to get Harold recalled. Bob also referred to Janet Orchard as "intellectually dishonest" during a city goal setting session in 2009 which further demonstrated Bob's sharp tongue. Bob railed against City Hall many times over the years for not doing their jobs, and I was able to witness Bob's attacks and tantrums firsthand, which makes me sort of a Cotati historian in my own right, circa 1997 forward.

But it was in 2007 when Bob addressed the council on the record from the audience and asked the city council to place on the agenda how the city should take an official stand on the genocide in Darfur and the civil war in Sudan that Bob had people standing up and taking notice. I nearly fell off my chair as Bob requested the council to "take action". "Why in the world would Cotati spend precious staff time and limited city resources in such international matters Cotati had no control or jurisdiction over?", I exclaimed on the record. The city couldn't fill the potholes in town or televise it's own town meetings, yet the genocide in Africa was Bob's idea of city business? This embarrassing incident continued to haunt Bob in the years that followed as proof that Bob had no concept of the city's jurisdiction and who the city actually was established to represent, the people of Cotati. It was not within the city's purview to discuss on the record the suffering people in Sudan. Bob also never took up a collection for these victims. I got to speak on this issue after Bob's spoke and I offered to rent the Cotati Community Room at my own expense for a public discussion on the matter so the council could move onto official city business. No one touched the issue of genocide in Africa with a ten foot pole, and to this day nothing was done about Bob's request. Bob was humiliated in public and never brought up the issue again. I had challenged Bob's logic on the record in front of his peers.. To Bob, I had crossed the line and made him look foolish, and he never forgot it. It was a score Bob needed to settle and I always knew it was coming my way in due time.

In 2008, shortly after Bob was elected to the Cotati City Council, Bob sent me a long letter informing me that he planned to appoint me to the Cotati Planning Commission. I was a bit surprised and thought it might be a set up of some kind. I was Bob's first choice in 2008 for a seat on the Planning Commission because Bob felt I was the best and most qualified person in town for the job. The fact that I was not a registered Democrat made no difference to Bob who at that time believed in diversity and tolerance for people of other viewpoints. Bob felt strongly that I could not be bought, would act in the best interest of the town, would be prepared 100% for every meeting, would follow the law, and could work well in a group setting despite the fact I would speak the truth at every opportunity. He felt the Planning Commission needed honesty and integrity to continue on in his absence. However, in the days that followed the election, we learned that after a final vote count in the 2008 election, I too, had become elected to the city council just 200 votes shy of Bob's vote count. This was a game changer. Now, Bob had to treat me as an equal, not as a subordinate as he had first planned. Bob understood quite clearly that my fiscal conservatism could fly in the face of Bob's progressive political agenda. Bob got elected by hanging on the shirt tales of Obama and the wave of liberals that were elected in 2008.

To set the pecking order of who was going to be in charge before Bob and I were sworn into office, Bob asked me to go to lunch to set me up for what was to come. So, we met at Redwood Cafe for lunch, at the recommendation of council member John Guardino as well, to lay out a strategy for moving the city forward. Barack Obama had also won the presidency and huge amounts of federal money ( borrowed or printed by the FEDs) were about to be unleashed on the nation and would be coming down to local municipalities through a Stimulus Package of some kind. Remember, it's all about the money and Cotati getting her "fair share" to the progressives on the council. At the end of our lunch at the Redwood Cafe, we both walked towards our cars. Bob stopped in mid-stride and out of the blue turned to me and said, "And George, let's get one thing straight before we're sworn in. No one is going to make a fool out of me", and in doing so stared me down and did not blink an eye. Shocked to be threatened in such a rude manner for no reason after having lunch and listening to Bob tell the same stories of his childhood that I heard in the past, I said to Bob, "I feel exactly the same way, Bob. We should be respectful, yet be sure we respect our constituents and do the people's work openly and honestly in full public view and let the chips fall where they may". This was not the response Bob was looking for, but the only response I was willing to give after campaigning door to door for months and having the blisters on my feet to prove it.

Very few citizens and close friends came to City Hall on 4-13-11 to pay their respects to Bob Coleman and this was to be expected. Bob was liked by many and disliked by many, many more, in my opinion. Bob had played the race card in Cotati many times to his detriment, used racial slurs repeatedly at City Hall, refused to pledge allegiance to the flag, reduced the time citizens could speak down to a maximum of three minutes, rattled the Chamber of Commerce and publicly humiliated them for not doing their job, tried to find ways to tax the local pubs out of existence, and more. The local press wrote about all of these incidents to Bob's detriment causing him more frustration and anxiety than one can imagine. Bob had burned a lot of bridges in the community and had become his own worst enemy.

I spoke with other SSU professors who knew Bob well. Some admitted that they were simply thrilled that Bob had become a city council member because they said he was very difficult to work with on a professional level and at faculty association meetings where he was famous for asking needless questions and dominating the discussions to the shear boredom of others. One professor told me they couldn't get anything done because Bob made it so difficult to move the process forward and Bob "liked listening to himself talk". Bob brought the same methodology to Cotati City Hall which almost brought the decision making process come to a complete standstill because often times Bob over-analyzed things until they became simply painful for most people to be in the same room with him. Even the City Attorney stated publicly on 4-13-11 that Bob not only wanted to know the law was, but why the law was what it was. This took up a lot of City Attorney time and cost the city thousands of dollars in legal fees it could not afford. Bob was too cheap to go to law school or do his own research online. So, he often wasted city resources and asked the City Attorney to teach Bob as best he could about the law at the taxpayer' expense.

Despite the claim by councilwoman Susan Harvey to the contrary, Bob Coleman was, in fact, a real politician. Bob took money from anyone who offered. This made Bob a bonafide politician in his own right. Bob played traditional hardball politics whereby he took pride in talking out of both sides of his mouth, making promises he could not keep, doing whatever was necessary to consolidate power and destroyed any and all adversaries. Some would find these qualities very admirable, one in particular that comes to mind is Saul Alinsky, author of one of Bob's favorite books, "Rules for Radicals".

Bob was also a racist and race hustler in the first degree denouncing groups like the Aryan Nation and ignoring groups like the New Black Panther Party. Even though I accused Bob of being a race hustler on the record for calling me "White" and shouting out the N-word in public, Bob never disputed my claim, not once, not ever. Being a racist was like a badge of honor to Bob, and he seemed quite comfortable with it, actually. Numorous ethics complaints were filed against Bob for using the N word and other ethnic slurs within the walls of City Hall , but these charges were whitewashed by his colleagues on the council who were all fellow Democrats.

Many people did not come to City Hall to pay their respects to Bob Coleman on 4-13-11. Members of Bob's 2008 campaign committee volunteers Linel Hardy and John Guardino were not there either. Other people who surprisingly did not show up and did not send a letter to be read aloud on the record of 4-13-11 were notable radical leftists such as Michelle Berman and Adrienne Lauby, bar owner Cheryl Nixon, longtime ex-mayor and committed liberal John Delosso, former Police Chief Robert Stewart to name just a few, and last but not least, none of the rank and file city employees. In fact, none of the recently formed business group members who Bob had been meeting with in recent month came out to pay their respects either. They sure gave Bob an earful in private about their complaints with the Planning Dept and the City's lack of business sense.

Bob had bargained in bad faith with Cotati's three bargaining units in 2009 when I was on the council. We had argued about this fact at length in private. Bob argued that he wanted to give the bargaining units a bottom line number in cuts in salary and benefits in early negotiations and promised me that he was not going to move from that point. These small cuts did not balance the budget and we continued to run a deficit. So, I vehemently disagreed with Bob's number. I warned Bob in private that by making an ultimatum like that to the bargaining units gave the the city no wiggle room whatsoever and was also clear and convincing evidence of bad faith bargaining, was clearly illegal, and could set the city up for unwanted litigation. But Bob did not care about any of that nonsense. He told me that it was a take it or leave it offer and Bob and the council were not going to negotiate further down from that point. I thought we should start with a higher number and negotiate down in good faith because that is how the process works and what the unions were expecting from an honorable city. But Bob could not understand the legal ramifications of what he was doing and set the city into dangerous territory many times by his hardball approach and unwillingness to compromise. Councilwoman Pat Gilardi alluded to this on and off the record that Bob's stubbornness was an obstacle to overcome at City Hall for everyone involved. Bob stressed out a lot of people because he was so inflexible and imposed his will onto others at every opportunity.

Bob supported flying the United Nations flag at City Hall and upset a lot of people in town who failed to see the logic in that. Bob repeatedly ignored the numerous requests to fly the American flag on a barren flag pole in the center of town at Memorial Park until the pressure from the community simple became too much for Bob to handle and the press picked up on the story.

During one conversation with Bob, I explained that over the years I had deprogrammed many friends and voters in Cotati who were devout Liberals and he took great offense at my remark. Bob was a better teacher than he was a student. He had a listening problem and put up walls that were at times impossible to break through. Bob would challenge people, but ran from challenges from others. I remember attending a Chamber of Commerce meeting where Bob filled in for John Guardino as the guest speaker. At one point Bob challenged the CCC to do more in his usual intimidating style. Well, this was no group of gullible 19 year old kids at the university. These were adults and business owners who took great offense to Bob's telling them how to spend the city's $35,000.00 of money they receive to survive. This was CCC money and they were not gonna have Bob telling them how to do their job, no way.

At the next city council meeting, the Chamber, in a highly orchestrated move, came hunting for Bob and wanted his head on a platter. Andre Morronw stood up and accused Bob of being irresponsible for having the audacity to insult the CCC by challenging them the way he did and in doing so asked the entire membership to stand in support of Andre's scathing speech against Bob Coleman. It was reported that Bob Coleman was the second hated man in town besides yours truly for speaking from the heart and challenging the power structure in Cotati. From that point on Bob decided to play politics and felt the wrath of criticism he simply could not handle. It was a low point to see Bob coward down to a bunch of far left business owners many who were struggling to survive.

Bob made enemies at the Rancho Adobe Fire District as well, none of whom came out to say anything good about Bob on 4-13-11. Police and fire personal were all absent. Letters and requests from the RAFD to the City had been ignored for years, and Bob was no help to their concerns.

Bob made enemies by eliminating Cotati's Recreation Department over my vocal objections. Instead of making across the board budget cuts, Bob lead the charge to decapitate the Recreation Department at the request of City Manager Thompson. Bob was known as the "slasher" by supporters of the Rec. Dept. Terry Dutra didn't show up to pay her respects to Bob either.

Bob never returned my emails, never returned my phone calls, never held office hours to meet with citizens, never went on a police ride-along, never balanced a budget that did not hide future unfunded liabilities, and continued to let Cotati's infrastructure crumble underneath our feet. Bob spent down the precious general reserves, and refused to address the city's looming unfunded liabilities that poses the greatest threat to Cotati remaining a municipality.

Despite Bob's constant attacks regarding my voting record, my personal website, and brutal honesty, Bob and I remained civil and cordial off the record. It was just politics. For example, one evening in March 2009 at the height of the personal attacks from the far left radicals and racists in Cotati, Bob left the building after our closed session meeting to find out he had left his headlights on in his car and had drained the battery. Bob did not hesitate to come find me and asked me for a "jump". I graciously and immediately obliged and drove my car over to Bob's car and jump started his car. Bob thanked me, and he quickly went on his way. I stood there in the parking lot and wondered if Bob would have done the same for me.

Things changed between Bob and I when my base of support began attending the city council meetings in April 2009 and got up and spoke in support of my right to publish my Halloween photos whether the racists on the city council and the CCC liked it or not. Bob just could not deal with the fact that there were actually conservatives and independents in Cotati, and elsewhere, who had the unmitigated gall to stand up for someones Constitutional rights to be who you want to be on Halloween. When I stood steadfast to my campaign pledge that Cotati did not have a revenue problem but instead a spending problem, and I failed to vote in favor of a sales tax increase that would hurt the community, Bob became increasingly hostile, confrontational, and Hell bent on removing me from public office for nothing more than standing on my principles.

Even though I held office hours each week on Monday nights and sent Bob numerous emails to sit down and discuss our differences like men, Bob refused to meet like an adult and responsible city leader and instead set out to destroy a fellow council member. Even though the liberals had a majority on the city council, that was not enough for Bob. City Hall had to be cleansed of the likes of someone like me who believed in volunteerism and balancing a budget through deeper cuts in spending. Even when the Democrats needed my vote to pass an emergency tax measure in order to place the issue on the ballot, no one asked me for my support, no one offered me anything for my vote, and surely no one expected me to vote yes and spend money on an election we had not budgeted for. A general election was right around the corner and there was no "emergency" only a lack of leadership. For months, I argued a tax increase on the backs of the citizens and businesses in town could not handle it. Yet the council was so indignant, they refused to ask for my support. Bob, through his blatant hostility for my politics and my constituents in town which included many business owners, refused to offer a compromise and refused to ask what I might want in exchange for my vote. Had they begun to televise the meetings with the $36K the cable company gave us to televise the meetings years ago, I might have given them my vote. But compromise was not part of Bob's vocabulary. It simply was not.

Bob disagreed with the importance of emergency preparedness and refused to offer his support to address the lack of preparedness at City Hall and that Cotati had not had an emergency drill in over 30 years. Emergency preparedness was as far off Bob's radar screen as having his heart tested for defects. For some reason, Bob was incapable of thinking into the future and you can make up your own mind why this was the case. Bob was very much in the present, probably because the city was in fact on the verge of a crisis and the day to day operations were based on crisis management principles and still are.

On Volunteerism, to Bob, anything a volunteer could do, a city employee could do better, at a higher cost of course. When I continued to bring up the need for at least some volunteerism at City Hall given the huge resource of good people in Cotati and to have that issue placed on the agenda, Bob said on the record, "George, until volunteers are breaking down the doors at City Hall, I am not interested". Bob had a special knack of ending a conversation even before it began. If it wasn't Bob's idea, it wasn't a good idea. A year later, Bob offered to get a paint brush and get up on a ladder and help paint the fire station despite the city's strong and vocal policy that city council members could not engage in such activities because of the legal liabilities involved not to mention the work it would be taking away from the city employees.

I think that the Yes on A (Cotati's sales tax increase tax measure) and the Yes on Recall campaign also had a devastating affect on Bob's health as well. Bob had asked his radical left supporters to put incredible pressure on me to resign for voting against a sales tax increase ballot measure in July 2009 and insisting on balancing the city budget. It further infuriated Bob that I personally ran the No on Measure A campaign in 2010 after I left office. Bob had walked door to door to have me recalled in the heat of the summer. No one knows with any certainty what affect that had on Bob's heart or arteries, but it could not have been good. My efforts to stop raising sales taxes during the worst recession the town had ever suffered through infuriated Bob and drove Bob to walk door to door for weeks on end to see me defeated on this issue.

Many feel Bob was simply not physically or mentally up to the task of being a city official along with his other professional and family obligations. But Bob's respect and admiration for me over the years had turned into blind hatred and was eating him up on the inside. Few people will deny this fact. Cotati residents told me on the campaign trail that Bob went over the top in an attempt to damage my reputation going door to door. When Bob was repeatedly met with anger from residents regarding the audacity of a city wanting to raise sales taxes during a recession, and then slandering me which was met with outright disgust by many voters, (40% to be exact) could only have demoralized Bob and raised his stress levels to dangerous levels. Bob was also upset that he was forced to go door to door himself on Measure A and was short on volunteers. He recruited people like Mark Landman months earlier with a promise that if Mark worked hard to get me removed from office, Bob would see Mark get appointed to John Guardino's vacant seat that was coming up. John had plans to step down and Bob knew it. The recall effort was all Bob's idea to purge City Hall of anyone who dared to stand for the minority view in Cotati and had the audacity to not play politics as usual. Bob tried to stay behind the scene during the Recall and instructed other to do his bidding for him to a large extent to look like he had cleans hands in the eyes of the press.

Bob claimed he was an African American. Bob felt people could be anything they aspired to be in Cotati except an African American which I thought was simply disgraceful. I had been brought up to believe you judge a man by the content of his character, not by the color of his skin. My parents and my teachers instilled in me the teachings of Martin Luther King. Somehow, Bob never got the memo. Despite the fact that Bob and the other racists in town were the only ones who saw Bob as black, Bob continued to play the victimized black man time and time again. Bob had so many chips on his shoulder at one point I lost count. Bob spoke about how he felt he had been discriminated in the Marine Corp. Bob spoke out passionately that he had been discriminated against in his application being denied in the San Francisco Fire Department in the 1960s. Bob complained that he had been racially profiled by the Cotati Police Department during one evening when he and his wife were driving through town and were pulled over by a Cotati police officer for no reason other than Bob felt it was because Bob was "black", according to Bob by his own admission. The stories go on and on. Bob was filled with hatred and resentment for the injustices he felt he endured in his life. Whenever I explained the times I was passed over for promotion in my life, the time I was mugged in a parking lot, the time I had my car broken into, or how I became a victim of reverse discrimination of an entrance panel at the USF School of Law, Bob wanted to hear none of it. To Bob, that was different. This selfish side of Bob was apparent to anyone who ever got to know Bob even superficially. It was always about Bob. Bob played the race card like a fiddle and played it well. Whenever Bob found it to his advantage to capitalize on a story to make a point or to achieve his personal, professional , or political advantage, Bob never hesitated. Did Bob ever embellish his numerous life stories? Nobody knows the answer to that but Bob himself. But many have said Bob loved to hear himself talk and that's pretty normal for a politician.

I once asked Bob what proof he had that he was any more African American that I was. We had both studied at USF. He knew Dr. Lane who taught Physical Anthropology at USF and knew that the good professor had been teaching hundreds of students for decades that we all descended from Africa, the origin of mankind. Dr. Lane instilled in his students to challenge anyone to prove we American students were not all, in fact, African Americans and make them prove we were not ! Bob refused to discuss the matter and changed the subject by asking me if any of my ancestors had been slaves. "George, tell me this. Have you any ancestors that were in fact slaves?" I said, "Yes. During the time of the Roman Empire, many of my ancestors I suspect were in fact slaves and some were forced to fight wars as slaves or thrown to the lions for entertainment... Doesn't that count, Bob?" Bob refused to acknowledge that we both were descendants of slaves and that our skin color had nothing to do with this fact. Bob never fully recovered from that conversation and never treated me with respect from that moment on. Someone finally challenged him on this fact to his face, (that didn't need a passing grade) and Bob couldn't handle it.

Talking about self proclaimed African Americans that are really amusing, Andre Morronw described Bob in some detail at the city council meeting on 4-13-11. Andre said that Bob would show up at Andre's office unannounced, sit down and start talking away, asking questions, and carrying on as if nobody had anything better to do than listen to Bob take up a couple hours of his time. Bob used his influence as a city official to intimidate local business people to stop what they were doing and engage in Bob's fact finding missions and even debate politics if needed. The truth is Bob was thrown out of many businesses in town who didn't want to hear him and did not like the man. Many residents also closed the door in his face on the campaign trail for Bob's part in sales tax Measure A and the Recall election. Bob upset a lot of folks and made enemies. That's what real politicians do. Adrienne Lauby who worked on Bob's campaign in 2008 told me that Bob was very difficult to work with. She said for an intelligent man he was difficult to understand and would often talk in circles. Shelly Berman just despised Bob Coleman and wanted nothing to do with him for be being self centered, rude, and "just another empty shirt" as she called him. Berman actually campaigned against Bob in 2008 and supported me instead.

Bob spent many hours in private meetings with City Manager Dian Thomson on what appeared to be official business. I don't think a lot got done, but Bob's car was seen at City Hall many afternoons and nights and the city manager's light was the only one on in the building. My guess is that hundreds of man hours were logged planning and strategizing how to make Cotati more dependent on the State of California and the federal government for handouts and bailouts. This was paramount to the city's only real plan to stay afloat. During city council goal setting sessions in 2009, Bob agreed with the majority of the council to make "Finding money wherever it might be hiding the town's number one priority..." This was the freeloader mentality that still remains in place today. For a man who prided himself as a self made man who carried little or no personal debt, and ran a tight ship at home by his own admission, I found his political desire to milk the state and the feds of money that was borrowed from the Chinese to be particularly troubling to me. But Bob was a political animal and worried that fears of impending bankruptcy had to be overcome at any cost, even if it meant getting on his knees like a dog and beg someone else to help pay the city's bills.

Bob hated Roberts Rules of Order and had no use for it whatsoever. Bob did not know how parliamentary procedures works and just acted as mayor by governing by the seat of his pants. Bob never realized his role as Mayor also included the role of Sergeant of Arms during city meetings and often called on police officers to do his job, police officers the city could not afford to spare. Bob did not know how to properly open and close a meeting with the proper instructions to the community at large, and took liberties to speak out of order so often citizens simply stopped complaining about it anymore.

I will miss Bob and wish with all my heart and soul he could have lived to see the true damage that he and his cohorts have set in motion as they moved our town "forward" on a path to financial insolvency and an infrastructure that continues to deteriorate before our eyes. Bob tried to hijack my idea to put forth a Capital Improvement Plan to rebuild the city's crumbling infrastructure and I was okay with that as long as they were actually doing something about it. The CIP plan has been since swept under the rug in recent months and all subsequent workshops in March and April were cancelled. It seems it was all a big show for the press. I will miss Bob's apology for thinking that spending down the reserves, ignoring sound business practices, and letting public employees rule the town with an iron fist was not leadership, but destructive.

Bob was not a city leader, in my opinion. There is a difference between being a city leader and being a mere city official. City leaders lead. Bob, on the other hand, allowed the City Manager to lead Bob around like a dog on a leash. I tried to warn Bob that the City Manager had no interest in balancing the budget, public safety, or re-building the city' cash reserves anytime in the near future. Bob would not heed my advice.

Bob claimed he respected all people's views but that was hardly the case. Bob resented the TEA Party movement and everyone associated with it.

Bob was a man of great faith and made that clear at City Hall for what reason nobody seems to know. Bob was an atheist. Maybe Bob felt he was going to get some political mileage out of it. As a devout atheist, Bob's belief system was based on the fact that there is no God, no supreme being, and was as secular a human being you would ever meet. This apparently worked to Bob's political advantage in Cotati where his religion of no God at all was quite popular. Bob was quite comfortable in his religious belief in the nonexistence of an afterlife.

I particularly found it interesting when Bob objected to six houses being proposed on the large vacant lot next to his house. We all knew Bob objected in public to this project because he wanted no development on that property to protect his privacy and serenity. When Bob objected more recently to that parcel of land be designated for low income housing, I was taken back, quite frankly. Bob was a NIMBY, not in my backyard, as anyone I ever knew.

Bob became notable around the county for not joining in on the Pledge of Allegiance at city council meetings and avoided looking at the American flag in the room. Many people read this story in the Press Democrat and disliked Bob for that. Everywhere I still go and I tell them I am from Cotati people ask me, "isn't that where that Colman guy won't say the Pledge of Allegiance? That's crazy. Just like Cotati..." Although many citizens questioned Bob's reasons for his resistance to pledging his allegiance to the flag and United States of America, Bob offered no explanation and further commented that he needed not offer the public any explanation.

So the question people want answered that cannot be answered with any kind of certainty is what really killed Bob Coleman, and were the news report just another whitewash of the real story of Bob's passing. There is little doubt Bob was a tortured soul who had many personal and professional issues he carried as a politician. Did he take on too much for man of his age and modest economic means? Did Bob neglect his health to his detriment? Did he neglect his civic responsibilities by failing to be civil and failing to respect people of other viewpoints? Or did he just do what he was set out to do for his constituents, destroy the opposition no matter what the cost, even if it came at the cost of his own health? Did Bob die a committed soldier to the "cause"? Did Bob's ego and obsession for political power and notoriety get the best of him? Or did Bob become the essence of everything he had come to hate in local government by giving lip service to change, and not being able to deliver on his promise of change?

Regarding Bob's health, I am not a doctor or health professional, but Bob had not looked good for some time. He was obviously out of shape or ailing from something by one look at the guy. Even by watching Bob walk one could see his walk to be awkward and a bit out of step for a seventy year old man in good health.

Bob treated his own body with the same sort of complacency he treated the city he claimed to have loved so much. Bob was struck down by a health problem that could have been detected by a simple test. Bob said, "In time, everything would be fine... No matter what happens, someone will be manning the office at City Hall". Bob defied the fears that the town might go belly up and the state or county would be forced to step in and take over. This kind of blind faith was odd for a man who claimed to be an atheist and knew the death of a city meant just that, game over, no resuscitation, and that faith was all the city had to help address the growing unfunded liabilities the city was facing with each passing day.

I and others will miss Bob, not for his many acts of misconduct while on the council, his ongoing mismanagement of city affairs and city lawsuits, his disdain for those who disagreed with him and challenged him in a public forum that he could not control like one of his university classrooms. I regret Bob will not be able to see that a town that does not pick itself up by the bootstraps and manages it's affairs in a timely and responsible manner will eventually have the effect of a steady decline in the quality of life for it's citizens and their children who will be left holding the bag. I will be sad not to see Bob take full responsibility that he did absolutely nothing to plan for a disaster in Cotati where we currently have no supplies, no fuel, no guarantee our police officers will even come into work from miles away, and no volunteers ready, trained, and able to save lives and protect lives in Cotati should the town be faced with a real disaster. Our town's lack of planning and lack of resources will cost lives and will cause great human suffering as a result of lost priorities and political pandering to special interest groups in town over public safety and emergency preparedness.

I will miss Bob not being able to see a day when City Hall is finally colorblind, where there will be zero tolerance for racism by those like Bob who defined one's race with a color chart. I will miss Bob's lame excuses for a city budget that are months late and a dollar short, budgets that fail to show what the city truly owes it's employees in way of future retirement and benefit packages that are not currently reflected in the current city budget which makes the city's financial condition appear to be better than it really is. I will miss emailing Bob and getting silence in return proving what I already knew about the man. Bob made me look good as a city leader in comparison and he will be hard to replace. Bob was a lightening rod for controversy and good for the local press who always appreciated the little town with the dysfunctional little town government where scandals were as common and as numerous as our local festivals.

Bob was great at covering up for others and a team player in that respect. In doing so, Bob tried to put a good face on Cotati no matter what the problem the city had gotten itself into or the Chamber of Commerce for that matter. Whether it was costly lawsuits, personnel issues, union busting efforts, emergency/crisis budget meetings, or cover-ups for illegal acts of his colleagues on the council that were forced to resign from office and leave town to avoid further embarrassment, Bob was the Go-To man in a pinch who insisted on taking the leading role in hoodwinking the public if that was in the best interest of the city. It was always less important how healthy the town was at the end of the day than how the town appeared in the eyes of public opinion. Bob felt that image was everything even when it came to Cotati City Hall and why the city staff kept Bob in their back pocket at all times despite the fact he was hard to get along with.

Bob was both a fighter and a coward who ran from many fights until he was up against the wall. Then he would either capitulate or fight. Citizen Ken Coleman came before Bob no less than ten city meetings requesting and begging the city to hear his ethic's complaint against Bob for threatening to step down if George Barich retained his seat on the city council. This violated two sections of the the Cotati City Council Ethics Code Bob helped enact. Yet Bob ignored the complaint until he Ken would not take no for an answer. Bob loved this town and hated it the same breath. Anyone who knows Cotati from the inside understands how Bob felt. That's what made him such an interesting person.

These are just some of my honest experiences with, and assessments of Bob Coleman, the politician. There are always those who will hate my honesty here with a passion; but in my own defense, Bob was not a private person but in fact a public official on the city payroll. As a public official, Bob belongs to the people of Cotati for the ages. The far left in Cotati clearly lost one of their own with the passing of Bob Coleman. Bob made that choice to step into the public limelight. No one forced him. In fact, no one I remember even asked Bob to run for public office. All public officials, dead or alive, are fair game for criticism. We should not ignore this fact. Feel free to write your own experiences about Bob Colman. But these are my experiences and they deserve to be shared with the public who are left with the task and expense of picking up the pieces going forward.

Saying the Pledge of Allegiance Matters

2011-02-20T18:47:00.000-08:00

Watch the video

A look at Louis Gosset Jr.'s new book.

Hatred on the Left, Disgusting Attack on Herman Cain.Part One
Video Part Two

Herman Cain takes aim on critics.
Hatred from the Left rises to new heights.
Cain reacts to being called the Monkey In The Window.
HermanCain.com

Obama's budget proposal is more of an insult than even Cotati's budget is.

2011-02-15T00:02:00.000-08:00

Just as Cotati's budget hides the truth of the deferred maintenance costs in our town's future, Obama's budget proposal will add over a trillion dollars to the national debt each year with out-of-control spending while raising taxes. Interest payment on the national debt will continue to rise under Obama's budget and take more money from domestic entitlement programs. The vicious cycle continues to worsen.

Obama wants more of your money. Cities going broke. Click here.

U.S. Unemployment Rate stands at 16% which includes the under-employed.

The Growing Public Sector. The numbers say it all. See video.

Angry Black Caller Trashes Obama and Democrats. A growing trend?

Empty promises from Mayor John Guardino and the liberal majority on the city council

2011-02-10T10:48:00.000-08:00

In January 2009, Guardino looked at me during budget discussions and said, "George, look. The economy is turning the corner. With Obama taking office, everything is going to be fine. We can handle another year of running a deficit and by next year everything will be back to normal. Trust me on this one. Work with us. There is going to be plenty of new green jobs coming soon... I want your support on this budget even though it does run a deficit.... You're gonna be mayor in a couple of years.... I need your support so we can have a consensus on the council and move our city forward..."

Let's look at how wrong John Guardino, Bob Coleman, Janet Orchard, and Pat Gilardi actually were, shall we?

Multiculturalism has Failed. Cotati can learn a lesson.

2011-02-08T13:20:00.000-08:00

Watch Video

British PM: Multiculturalism Has Failed

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/02/07/multiculturalism-europe-blamed-extremism-british-bp/

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/02/05/uks-cameron-europe-wake-extremism/

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/02/09/bold-courageous-david-cameron-britain/

Multiculturalism has failed, says French president

Multiculturalism has failed in Germany

Black American Dreads Black History Month

2011-02-06T11:58:00.000-08:00

February 1, 2011, I can't help imagining Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, the NAACP, the Congressional Black Caucus and all of the other race profiteering usual suspects joyously awakening with a song in their hearts, “It's The Most Wonderful Month of the Year”.

Ah yes, another Black History Month, time to pitch as many new “guilt trip” government entitlement programs as possible. “I mean, after all, we blacks are still victims of America's racist attitudes and systematic abuse which has changed very little since the 50s. White America still owes us, dammit!”

See, I know how to sound like a good little colored boy who knows his place on the Liberal Plantation. Democrat Massa's chief overseer Sharpton would be proud of me.

As a proud American who happens to be black, what I find most annoying about Black History Month, besides the concept of only one month to celebrate Black's contributions to America, is race profiteer's despicable divisive exploitation of the month.

Throughout American history, white folks, mostly Christians; there's that dirty “C” word which the left despises; suffered, sacrificed and died to help set blacks free and move them forward. And yet, Sharpton and company uses Black History Month to promote the image that every black achievement was made “in spite of” white America.

This month will be flooded with documentaries, specials, articles and commentaries about how America still sucks for blacks and has a long, long way to go to make things right. Just once, I would love to see Black History Month focused on celebrating the tremendous contributions by blacks in all areas of American life. Include a few “shout outs” to decent God fearing righteous white folks who helped. That would aid in bringing our nation together as opposed to the month being used divisively for political exploitation and extortion.

Black History Month should be a fair and balanced presentation of the historyof Americans of African descent. Notice I said “Americans” rather than “African-Americans”. Our liberal anti-American public school system, the liberal media and black race profiteering so-called leaders make no effort to encourage black youths to be proud Americans. They even discourage it. Their efforts are focused on creating proud “Africans” who happen to live in America.

The fact that the highest office in the land is occupied by a black man confirms that the good in America's history outweighs the bad. And yet, Sharpton and company would love to broadcast footage of the KKK lynching blacks 24/7 for the entire month of February. By the way, the KKK was founded by Sharpton's homeys, the democrats. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bEOiDjdhF4

Meanwhile, much of white America's efforts to “do the right thing” are ignored. For example, how many black youths are aware that ending slavery was a major issue of the Civil War. On the side desiring to end slavery, 360,000 mostly white soldiers died.

How many black youths know the Republican Party ended and abolished slavery in the United States and have championed Civil Rights more than any other political party?

http://www.naacpc.org/1/post/2010/6/the-anti-slavery-republican-party.html

I think about the whites who, by candle light, taught blacks to read despite it being illegal at that time. They risked being arrested because they knew it was the right thing to do. And how about the whites who marched along side Dr Martin Luther King. What are they, chopped liver? Sharpton and company act as if these great Americans never existed.

What is Black History Month in the minds of most American youths? Is it a celebration of black achievement? I think not. It is a month in which black kids are taught they are victims and white kids are taught they are guilty.

For reasons only a psychiatrist can understand, liberals are obsessed with focusing on the evils of American history. There is evil and wrong doing in the history of every nation/people on the planet. But, America's history is over flowing with goodness and a sense of fair play.

Why? Because regardless of what the Left says, we were founded on Godly principles. In the long run, we always strive to do the right thing. We celebrate courage, righteousness and personal achievement. Peerlessly generous, Americans are swift to the aid of people in need regardless of where they live in the world. We rally around the underdog and cheer for the good guy.

Americans are good great people. I have met many of them while traveling nationally on Tea Party Express. This is why it so offends me seeing them slandered and abused by the liberal media in support of black democrat race profiteers.

So folks, please ignore all of the Left's guilt trips and focus on the tremendous contributions by blacks to mankind and our great nation. Happy Black History Month.

Lloyd Marcus, Proud Unhyphenated American

LloydMarcus.com

Political Correctness is not just a problem in Cotati

2011-02-04T23:33:00.000-08:00

http://rt.com/usa/news/usa-free-speech-political-correctness/

American Cities go Bust.

2011-02-03T23:56:00.000-08:00

I spent over ten years warning Cotati of this threat, but few listened. Cleaning up the mess now is nearly impossible only to be made worse if left in the hands of the ignorant fools at City Hall who refused to see the handwriting on the wall.

Another perspective, click here.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

2011-01-30T12:17:00.000-08:00

The day I refused the "advances" of my old friend and neighbor in Cotati is a day she began planning her revenge to get even we me. It's unfortunate that Joan Simon would resort to trying to get even with me simply because she's not my cup of tea. But this sort of thing has been going on for centuries, and the community needs to know how evil and despicable this particular woman has become. I tried to rise above the filth this woman spews, but my supporters have advised me it's time to set the record straight and expose this woman for who and what she is once and for all...

Years ago, Joan would shower me with praise and admiration, as I did her. I have a history of email exchanges with Joan from years past. She actually supported my run for city council in 2004 and had me over to her house until the situation simply became uncomfortable for me. When she started showing up at my doorstep, unannounced, wearing too much makeup and too much perfume for my comfort, I began to back away from this woman like a gentleman. Most women would respect that from a man and move on, but not Joan Simon. Joan has now embarked on a personal vendetta to get even. Joan is way too slick to ever directly threaten to get even with her adversaries. However, her rantings about me in the press, her vocal crusades in the public parks to run me out of public office, and her going door to door in Cotati spewing propaganda is now her main focus in life. It's sad to see someone self-destruct and embarrass the city and the community to quench a personal thirst for revenge. Joan doesn't care about Cotati and everybody knows it.

Here are the facts:

The City of Cotati mailed me all my past city council paychecks (that I refused to pick up and cash) to my home in early 2010. These paychecks were for my entire service on the City Council for 2009. Part of that money went to pay a fraction of the unpaid legal costs incurred doing legal research that was presented before the City Council to aid them in their deliberations. The rest of that money went to local charity which was mentioned in a recent newspaper article. The charities have thanked me. The City of Cotati has not ! Unfortunately, Joan Simon chooses to twist the facts to damage my good reputation.

Joan has recently made false charges against me before the City Council that I am guilty of disturbing the peace in downtown on Tuesday, July 13th in Cotati when actually I was over a hundred miles away attending another city council meeting as part of my ongoing education. I have been asked by local citizens to file formal charges against Joan for falsely reporting a crime and lying to the authorities. I am weighing my options at this time on how to handle this matter.

In the meantime, Joan needs to get over her personal animosities and stick to the issues facing Cotati before she does more harm.

George Barich

How city governments like Cotati's become corrupt.

2011-01-02T12:15:00.000-08:00

It's easy when you know how. This video explains in plain English how it's done and why anyone standing up against corruption is a marked man/woman.

2010-10-04T15:37:00.000-07:00

I thought I had seen it all. You won't believe this.

Warning: Offensive and disturbing video from the Eco-Nazis.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azaMU9SaeXc&has_verified=1

Can you guess who the guy is in the video? Oh no. Somebody call the NAACP

2010-10-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

Here is the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oC7UaEZyZo&feature=fvst

Maywood, CA goes bankrupt, fires all city employees

2010-07-06T07:42:00.000-07:00

Read LA Times Story.

San Carlos, CA disbans it's police department

2010-05-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

Dr, Manning has a message for the race hustlers in Cotati and America. Here is a link to another Aryan Nation video Cotati Mayor Coleman has accused this website of posting.

Behind the N-Word. Dr. Manning reveals the people who use the N-word as the real problem..... like Cotati Mayor Robert Coleman.

Is Obama and the radical leftist agenda in Cotati pushing the community to it's limits? Dr Manning thinks so. What do you think?

Cotati city employees working less days a week and enjoying greater buying power than ever before in a weak economy.

2009-12-11T10:22:00.000-08:00

Read how government workers are making the best of a bad economic situation bringing cities and states to their knees. Government workers are the new American elite.

The book: Plunder! How Public Employee Unions are Raiding Treasuries, Controlling Our Lives and Bankrupting the Nation (Paperback)

The public employee fat cats only getting fatter since 2008 while private sector pay plummets.

Cotati, no longer a rural community.

2009-12-10T10:37:00.000-08:00

In less than a generation, Cotati's rural community was lost. Read more.

Cotati's Water and Sewer Rates will rise another 5% in 2011

2009-12-08T06:12:00.000-08:00

Read Story

You will be taxed for simply living.

2009-12-01T06:20:00.000-08:00

Read Full Article Online

"Corruption is Easy in City Government" Really?

2009-11-29T07:53:00.000-08:00

Corruption is Easy in City Government

Written by CA Political News on November 28, 2009, 12:19 PM

By Tom Lochner,Contra Costa Times, 11/28/09

The Hercules City Council, without any discussion, awarded almost $1 million in service and consulting contracts for the current fiscal year to a firm founded by the Hercules city manager and now owned by two of his daughters. Read more: Hercules city manager's kids got plum deals

Jesse Jackson Injects Race into Health Care Debate

2009-11-27T14:47:00.000-08:00

Read CBS Story.

Why is the Left so angry at Blacks who love America?

2009-07-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

I appeared on CNN Newsroom hosted by Don Lemon. He was fair and allowed me to make my points. I stated three things in the interview. One, I refer to myself as an American rather than a hyphenated African-American. Two, the tea party protests are against President Obama's policies, not his race. The protesters are decent hardworking concerned citizens. Three, the American people are not racist.

These statements inspired immediate outrage from the so-called tolerant and compassionate Left. An email from a self proclaimed Marxist threatened physical harm to me. He also vowed to destroy me and my music career. A creative leftist called me a “Toxic Negro”. Another called me a “sell out”. The “you're a minstrel” and “do you tap dance too” comments in one email were interesting. Less creative e-mailers expressed their outrage towards me by using the typical “F” and “N” bombs every other word, including my favorite, “Who the “F” do you think you are?” Now, if I can create a hit song using my hate mail that would be sweet capitalistic revenge.

I received angry emails from blacks who said I should be ashamed of myself. Apparently, they believe my not resenting whites and America is a betrayal of my blackness. I no longer feel the need to be patient with racist blacks. Just as we do not tolerate the KKK and white supremacists, we should not give a pass to racist blacks. Racism is evil...period.

I am continually amazed by the Left's anger at me for saying America and it's people are good and that I love my country. Why should these statements inspire such rage? It appears the Left hates all who love America. They particularly despise patriotic minorities.

Folks, thanks for your prayers and numerous emails expressing your thanks and support. My strength and peace comes from knowing I am on the right side and in God's Will. Also, my delete key is my friend.
Lloyd Marcus

Lloyd's CNN Interview

Lloyd Marcus' website

9-28-09

Stop Allowing The Left To Set The Rules

I am so sick of the Left being allowed to make the rules. Imagine the absurdity of a competition in which one side is allowed to set the rules against their opponent. The Left tells us what is racist. The Left tells us what we can and cannot say. The Left published a cartoon depicting former black Secretary of State Condolezza Rice as an Aunt Jemima; another depicted Rice as a huge-lipped parrot for her Massa Bush. Neither were considered racist by their creators or publishers, or even widely condemned on the Left.

In opposition to black Republican Michael Steele's campaign to run for U.S. Senate, a liberal blogger published a doctored photo of Steele in black face and big red lips made to look like a minstrel. The caption read, "Simple Sambo wants to move to the big house". Not one Democrat denounced these racist portrayals of black conservatives.

And yet, a sign seen at a tea party depicting Obama as a witch doctor is considered by the Left to be beyond the pale and obviously racist. Why is the Left, given their track record of bias, granted final authority to determine the intent of the sign? Why do we conservatives so quickly and easily allow ourselves to be put on the defensive?

The rules set by the Left are extremely clear. Racist images of black conservatives and negative images of Bush are fair game. Even a play about murdering President Bush was called "harmless art". Meanwhile, all unflattering images of Obama are racist, and constitute dangerous, potentially violent hate speech.

New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd called Congressman Joe Wilson a racist for saying,"You lie" to president Obama. Using her psychic powers, Dowd said Wilson was really saying in his mind, "You lie, BOY!" And yet, liberal commentator Julianne Malveaux, saying she hopes black conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' wife "feeds him a lot of fatty foods so he will die early from heart disease like many black men", was not considered racist. I am a black conservative singer, songwriter, entertainer and columnist. Liberals have posted comments all over YouTube and C-SPAN freely using and calling me the "N" word. Because they are libs and I am an uppity, off the liberal plantation, run-away black, all tactics to restore me to my owners are acceptable.

Here is another example of the Left setting the rules. "Take Back America!" is now on their list of racist terms we protesters are not allowed to use. Again using their psychic powers, the Left claims the protesters are really saying, "Because the president is black, lets take America back"! This is totally absurd. "Take Back America" refers to the hijacking of our freedoms, liberty and culture by an out of control administration.

I was asked to perform at a tea party event. The organizer informed me, "I want to get away from calling the rally a "Tea Party" because the liberal media have made the term negative". I said, "Does this mean you do not want me to sing my "American Tea Party Anthem"? Then, why am I here?"Politeness to my host prevented me from saying, "News flash, pal! The media is going to trash us regardless of what we call our rallies. It's what they do. They are not on our side. Should we keep changing what we call the rallies in hope of finding a name which will cause the media to give us fair coverage"? A million people showed up in Washington DC for the September 12th Taxpayers Rally. The media reported 70,000.

I was interviewed on CNN. During the pre-interview by the young black producer over the phone, he asked me, "Is there any part of Obama's health care plan you like"? I replied, "No". He was stunned. With great shock and disbelief in his voice, the producer repeated my reply with a loud "NO?". Then he abruptly said, "I'll call you back".

News1News posted my CNN interview on YouTube with the following caption, "African American Right Wing (Obama Hating) Singing Tea Bagger, Lloyd Marcus". Folks, I am a Christian and hate no one. But, this is what the media does to those who disagree. All who oppose Obama's agenda are either racist, redneck or stupid.

Folks, the stakes are far too high to allow the Left to continue setting the rules of engagement. The far Left and Obama administration have a vision for America different than our Constitution. As patriots, it is our duty to just say, NO!

My black 82 year old dad told me he has seen the reports on TV how a lot of people at the rallies want Obama dead. I said, "I bet you saw that on CNN". Dad said, "Yes". It infuriates me that CNN is selling the lie that the Tea Party Movement is all about racism and hatred for a black president. While my dad never said anything out loud, I thought, "What must he think of me? Why is his first born siding with these evil white folks against a fine fellow black man?" I replied, "Dad, try watching Fox".

Lloyd Marcus, Black Un-hyphenated American!

ACLU: Cotati's Political Sign Ordinance is UnConstitutional.

2009-07-14T21:52:00.000-07:00

Some signs in Cotati get a wink and a nod from fellow Democrats at City Hall when others do not. Getting a "free pass" in Cotati is about who you know... (photo: July 2004). Isn't that Ed Gilardi's truck parked in downtown Cotati in the public right of way with a big political sign in the back? ACLU comments on the unconstitutionality of city ordinances that ban political signs.

Election Day, 2002, in front of Veteran's Hall, Cotati polling place. Nothing was done about this violation despite numerous complaints. That's why some call it "Silly Season".

This car was parked on Cotati Avenue for three weeks during the day before the election of 2004 without incident. How many times Joan Simon drove by and smiled at it is unknown. This sign was provided by Adrienne Lauby of the No on B group in Cotati. Is there a double standard with these Recall knuckleheads now complaining and whining at City Hall for code enforcement?

In 2006, this truck was parked legally without incident on East Cotati Avenue for weeks on end and set a new standard for allowing mobile campaign signs in Cotati, protecting bumper stickers and free speech.

Where was John Moore and the Cotati Police Department when this sign graced our city park for two weeks in 2007? It was so messed up for so many days in a row, I had to take a photo of it just in case the Cotati Historical Society every need proof of Cotati's selective code enforcement policy for a display at the Museum.

"Take that all you PRO LOWES folks ." Shelley B.

Cotati citizens complained about this eyesore for years. But the city claimed that since the sign was mobile, it did not fit within the sign ordinance, and there was nothing the city could do about it.

Even city council member's complaints about these signs can't get them removed by city staff. Excuse given: "We simply don't have the staff, George. You understand..."

Nah, This sign is not in the public right of way; not at all. It's just a launch ramp for passing bicyclists.

This is a typical "sign alley" in Cotati where the public right of way is graced with signs every day.

Mobile signs on the sidewalks which block pedestrians and distract drivers operate freely in Cotati.

This sign, clearly a hazard to drivers in the public right of way, appears in Cotati each week. Despite numerous complaints to the city, it continues to bring its advertisment to the masses and the city seems helpless to do anything about it. When Old Red was redisigned to a two lane roadway, many citizens complained the change from four lanes to two would create a hazardous condition for truck deliveries and motorists in the Historic Downtown area. But the city did not listen to reason. Motorists and bicyclists are forced to cross the double yellow line to get around delivery trucks in the downtown area and risk injury to themselves and others manuevering around these trucks.

One of the biggest offenders of the local sign ordinance is the city itself, which often places its own signs in the public right of way. This sign greets the public coming into town just off Myrtle Street and Old Red. In talking with Asst. City Manager, Dennis Dorch about this double standard a few years ago, he said, " George, the city can do what it wants. Understand something. Laws apply to every one else..." It's that kind of arrogance of power that has lead to the popularity of candidates for change in Cotati who try to bring respectability back to local government.

Did Cotati get taken to the cleaners? Do LEED certified building really save energy?

2009-07-14T11:25:00.000-07:00

Sustainability Digest

New York Post article

The Green Blog

Politics pushing cities toward bankruptcy

2009-07-14T06:30:00.000-07:00

" The underlying cause of bankruptcy is politics. Cities have been driven to the brink of because citizens, interest groups, public employees and politicians have failed to look realistically at what cities can and cannot afford...."Read SFgate story.

And the Economy Worsens.

2009-06-30T19:42:00.000-07:00

Unemployment Skyrockets to 12.1%

Sonoma County hits 10.2% Unemployment

Warren Buffet Says our Economy Will Shrink for Few Years.

Stimulus Not Working? Let's Have More! by Liz Peek

Social Security Bash in Arizona at your expense.

Social Security Adminstrator's $700,000 Bash

Forclosures up by 4.5% for the month of June. California Forclosures Sales Jump Again in June

The Fed Reserve Chairman says unemployment could rise as high as 10.1 percent this year, and stay elevated into 2011.

California’s Budget Nightmare Will Kill Obamanomics

2009-06-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

Read full story.

What is Obamanomics? Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

The Wall Street Bubble Mafia

2009-06-29T18:10:00.000-07:00

Read Rolling Stone Article

The Climate Change Climate Change.

2009-06-26T18:08:00.000-07:00

The Number of Skeptics is Swelling Everywhere.
Read Wall Street Journal Story, Click Here.

This article sent in by concerned Cotati citizen. We welcome your input and participation in this website. The views here do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher of this website.

Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson critical of President Obama, racism, NAACP, Affirmative Action, socialism, Kwanza, etc.

2009-06-24T23:25:00.000-07:00

Racists condeming racists is now the rage in Sonoma County, and around the world. If it wasn't so sad, it would be funny. Cotati is filled with racists that have publically called city council members "White", "Afro-American" with color charts in hand. No kidding. Free Speech is alive and well in Cotati, unless you are an elected official. Rev. Peterson puts some of this insanity into context.

by J. Stewart

Kill Whitey Interview
Obama revealed
Jesse Lee Peterson TV Show
Critical assessment of Jesse Lee Peterson
Stop Obama's Socialism Change
Obama Hates White People
Christianity under attack
Peterson on Prop 8

Can Our Country Get Back on Track?

2009-06-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

Jack Hunter, The Southern Avenger

Battling Silliness.
By J. Lewis

Neocons for Ahmadinejad

Left, Right and Wrong

Fun with Stereotypes

No apologies for Slavery?

Race Matters?

Ron Paul Revolution and "Sludge hammer"

The Problem with Islam

Nader, a Conservative? Unconventional Conservatism worth considering.

The War on Neo-Nazi Terror

Is Islam the Enemy?

The Wrath of North Korea?

The Hazards of White Guilt

Pride in Prejudice

The Mexification of America

Did Blow back Cause 9/11?

Lisa Moore declares herself "emotionally challenged"...

2009-06-16T09:06:00.000-07:00

At the June 10th, 2009 regular meeting of the Cotati City Council, Ex-Mayor, Lisa Moore approached the podium and declared herself " emotionally challenged..." during the "Citizen Business" portion of the public meeting. (can be heard on city podcast, June 10)

In one of the most emotional speeches before the council in many months, the former city leader explained what public life has been like for her and her family nearly three years after leaving public office. Dressed in what appeared to be a long-sleeve pajama top, the woman who lost her seat in 2006 came dressed up for the "un-occasion" and made baseless allegations against who knows who. This all left the council practically speechless and wondering what in the world she was even talking about. Moore went on to state that apparently public life and public criticism of her voting record had lead to at least one of her children threatening to jump off a "ledge" of some sort to apparently injure himself (No exact details were provided).

But some were left wondering what the city had to do with her family problems and why she was coming to local government for relief. The city has no authority over free speech on the Internet, or any rumors circulating the Internet as to who has legal claims against the city, and who doesn't ! The City Attorney made no comment apparently because simple questions are not actionable in a court of law. Who is currently suing the city is a matter of public record for anyone to obtain. Rumors continue to circulate in the county as to who has questionable disability claims against the local government agencies in Sonoma County, and what are the financial implications of such claims on local governments.

The Lisa Moore "tirade" was followed by a clueless, John Moore, who addressed the council by making wild allegations about a website that had nothing on it for many weeks but had at one time contained the real history of the Moores in Cotati from one person's perspective. Again, the Moores came empty handed and provided no evidence to support their allegations, no exhibits whatsoever, and even went so far as to misquote The Community Voice for publishing a letter sent in by one citizen who simply asked a simple question and nothing more. (John Moore had promised to run a certain elected official out of town in October 2008 for mentioning his wife briefly on a political campaign web site, and found out the price for doing so.)

Citizens in the room appeared concerned for the Moore couple who brought their two little kids to the meeting and demanded that that the kids get up and address the council. The children claimed that it was unfair that their parents were actually being held responsible for the years their parents have been involved in city politics, as if elected officials and Chamber of Commerce board members get a "free pass" of some kind because they have children.

It was a low point in Cotati politics to see children being used as political pawns to move public opinion farther to the political left to insist that that the city itself somehow can, or should, regulate free speech in the press. Some are seriously now asking a basic question: If this isn't fascism, what is? It was shameful to see children used in this way and quite disturbing. John Moore has widely publicized the "comedy website" in question to anyone who will listen which documented John's public antics. Now, John wonders why so many people have visited the website. The Moores pleaded with City Hall to help stop the "damage" they seem to have brought on themselves with their public whining and advertising a website that nobody knew about before they paraded it around town.

At least one citizen felt so threatened by the Moore family who approached him after the meeting and got into his face for apparently writing a letter to the local newspaper, that the man was moved to consider calling the police because of concern over his own safety. Visually shaken by this relentless duo, the victim is considering his legal options. At least one councilperson recommended, off the record, that Child Protective Services need to be contacted if, and only if, there is any truth to Moore's claim that a child in town may have attempted to commit personal injury to himself, or suicide, and the young man's parents sat back did nothing about it.

The council took no action on the incident, and the printed news media was absent from the meeting to report the story. It is now being discussed around town that a trust be set up for the Moore family so they can get the help they need without wasting any more expensive city staff time. Prayer requests for the Moore family were sent to the local churches this week in hopes something more can be done without spending more city money on people's personal problems.

Check back to this site for more information regarding contributing to The Moore Trust.

J.Lewis

Whiteface act, big hit...or racially insensitive? You make the call.

2009-05-22T17:04:00.000-07:00

Warning: Video may be offensive and racially insensitive to some people.

Toledo's mayor is cutting city lawns and his own salary before raising taxes.

2009-05-18T09:54:00.000-07:00

Mayor puts together volunteer work crew to cut the grass. click here.

Toledo mayor calls out to citizens for help, "my responsibility is not to some union, but to the taxpayers of Toledo..." Mayor Finkbeiner. Click here for TV news story.

mayor takes huge pay cut. Click here.

Will Cotati city leaders follow the lead of Mayor Carty Finkbeiner of Toledo, Ohio ? Or will they simply wait for President Obama to come to the rescue? Council member Barich has repeatedly requested that the city lead the charge with city volunteers to fill the void left from significant city cutbacks in basic services. But to date, Barich's pleas have been ignored by city management and city leaders citing that it is just too difficult to train volunteers to do the most menial of tasks, and fearing liability issues might result from possible injuries that may result from city volunteers picking up the slack. Cotati has no current plans to use city volunteers in any significant way to maintain pride in Cotati.

Please comment below and voice your willingness to volunteer in any way possible.

Can cities regulate public comment?

2009-04-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

Click here for an important legal publication about public comment during public hearings.

The recently adopted Code of Conduct for Cotati council members states that during city council meetings, "Everyone has the right to be heard." As insane as this may seem, that's what it says. Whether you're intoxicated, high on meth, a toddler, you can't speak English, or sitting in a Cotati jail cell, some Cotati leaders have decided that "Everyone" has a right to speak for up to five minutes. This ridiculous Code of Conduct for council members was thrown together without much thought and failed to address any limits to public participation. Yet many other cities have addressed the issue of how to manage public comment with education and putting the public on notice as to their rights and duties as citizens during city meetings.

Petaluma abolishes Planning Department.

2009-04-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

What could this mean for Cotati as it wrestles with city salaries and benefits that many say are unsustainable? Read story

Will Cotati follow and declare rain barrels illegal?

2009-04-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

In Colorado, Rain Barrels Are Illegal. Yup. Rain water on your property may belong to the almighty state at the rate we are going. Click here. read another article. Who owns Colorado rain water? Make your own rain barrel.

Can Putnam Park be saved?

2009-04-23T09:07:00.001-07:00

Gophers have made this park practically useless according to citizens complaining openly before the city council on a regular basis about dangerous conditions in the park.

The Rodenator could be the answer. click here.

Youtube video ad, click here.

Rodenator in action, click here.

Can Cotati handle it? It's the gopher or your family and pet's safety. Post your comment.

City Manager's report on the park.
MEMORANDUM

Date: March 27, 2009

To: Dianne Thompson, City Manager

From: Damien O’Bid, City Engineer / Director of Public Works

Re: Condition of Helen Putnam Park

This memorandum describes the current condition of Helen Putnam Park and the actions taken to address gophers at the park.

There has been ongoing gopher activity at Putnam Park, particularly on the north edge from behind the baseball stands to the drainage channel on the east edge of the park. The Public Works crew has re-graded the area behind the snack shack, deployed poison bait, and installed several subsurface ultrasonic probes in order to deter gopher activity. The crew continues to actively control gopher activity using bait and the ultrasonic probes.

There are several methods available to create a gopher-proof path, including the use of asphalt or concrete, both of which are a barrier to gophers. However, other than diligently continuing to control gophers, there is no practical way to create a flat walking surface off a defined path, since this is the nature of a park. Any project to pave the pathway would require CEQA review and funds for construction. The project would cost approximately $25,000 (550 ft x 4 ft @$10 ft2) if it was constructed along the north edge of the park. However, gophers are not limited to this area, so extension of this path to the parking area would cost approximately $45,000 (1,100 ft). There is no current source of funding for this work, and we do not recommend it at this time.

Prior to the subject of gophers at Putnam Park being raised at a recent City Council meeting, the City had received one only complaint regarding gophers at the park. In July of 2008, staff met with a citizen who complained about the gophers. I described for her the methods that were being used to control gopher activity.

No claims have been filed related to gopher activity at the park.

Staff will continue to monitor gopher activity at the park and to use a variety of methods to attempt to control the activity.

Cotati, "Funky Town", is nothing new to locals.

2009-04-12T10:57:00.000-07:00

Click here for 2006 story

for follow up story, click here.

Cotati Notification Alert:

Due to recent city budget cuts, the rising cost of city salaries, benefits, runaway government spending,
as well as current market conditions, The Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off.

We apologize for the inconvenience. (joke sent in by Cotati resident)

Barich responds to NAACP racist nonsense.

2009-04-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

4-8-09: Joan Simon, Cotati resident and longtime council critic and Barich "basher" tells city leaders, "Barich is not a racist..."

Letter submitted to The Press Democrat on Monday, April 6 2009 in response to the NAACP that they failed to publish.

Dear Paul Payne, (Press Democrat)

Despite the recent statement by the Sonoma NAACP chapter, I have never had anything in my heart but complete respect for people of all colors. The photo of me in "brown face, black face, tan face" or whatever you wish to describe it as, is no different than the numerous contemporary actors who put on "black face", and "white face", which can be found through links on my web blog. I am not aware of the NAACP making any statements against any such contemporary actors, and I am left wondering why they are singling me out for denunciation. I never intended to offend anyone with the photo at issue, especially our President Obama, who has nothing to do with our city policy to deny elected officials the right to use the city logo in any and all written communications. I consider myself a man of "color", and proud of it.

In addition, I paid for my own airfare to Houston Texas in 2005 to assist in the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts after witnessing on television the sight of people of all colors screaming for help from their rooftops as the flood waters engulfed their homes and neighborhoods. I was mortified as the news reporters begged citizens in America to come help immediately because of the lack of government response. My efforts as a disaster relief volunteer at The George Brown Convention Center in Houston Texas have been acknowledged by The American Red Cross as being responsible for helping save hundreds of lives. Subsequently, the City of Cotati refused to acknowledge my efforts, and refused to answer my request to help with the relief efforts on the Gulf Coast in any way, shape, or form which threatened even more lives and property in the coming weeks as Hurricane Rita was about to hit. My formal request to the City of Cotati to do something to help in this regard is on the record. The city's failure to lift a finger for the victims of these two massive hurricanes was an affront to all people of every color, everywhere. For that, I am deeply disappointed and ashamed of our city's callous disregard for human life during our country's time of need.

When people of all color needed us most, I walked the walk. I left my home, my business, my family, to help hurricane victims directly, while our city leaders sat back and watched the disaster unfold on TV in the comfort of their living rooms. How anyone can claim, or even imply, that I am a racist is outrageous. I am owed an apology by the NAACP for implying that I am a racist, and should be acknowledged and thanked for my efforts during the Hurricane disasters of 2005 and striving to make Cotati, "colorblind" once and for all.

George Barich
Cotati City Council Member

Principal says: student can't wear Obama mask in show

2009-04-05T20:04:00.000-07:00

An elementary school principal is barring a fifth-grader from wearing a Barack Obama mask in the school's talent show because parents have complained it's inappropriate.

Dru Lechert-Kelly, 11, hoped to dress presidentially and dance to a YouTube parody that features an Obama look-alike and a rap called "I Can Do Whatever I Like."

Read entire story, click here

Reaction from the writer of the music tune this boy was to perform.

Another view. And another.

"Moving onto Uncle Sam's plantation" (A personal account)

2009-04-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

Six years ago I wrote a book called "Uncle Sam's Plantation," my own story of what I saw living inside the welfare state and my own transformation out of it.

Click here for full story.

Racists in Cotati call for Barich's resignation.

2009-03-27T13:22:00.001-07:00

by George Barich

Keeping Cotati "funky" brought outrage from the Cotati Chamber of Commerce. What appeared to be an orchestrated move by a far-left fringe group of the Cotati Chamber of Commerce, three chamber members called for Barich's resignation at a city council meeting but failed to articulate exactly the reason why.

3-25-09: For fear of looking like racists themselves, speakers John Moore, Andre Morrow, and Cheryl Nixon stopped just short of offering an explanation as to what it is about this blog that offended them so much. It was very obvious that none of them wanted to begin to discuss who is "white", who is "black", and who really gives a damn while our town heads closer to bankruptcy each day.

Perplexed faces from the audience confirmed that a political witch hunt was being performed right before their eyes. The Chamber has yet to come up with a plan to promote more economic development in Cotati, and appeared to be upstaged by a lone council member who is single handedly doing their job for them by recycling an old bumper sticker as a new slogan for the town, Keep Cotati Funky.

At the meeting recess, Barich supporters and other chamber members thanked Barich for bringing attention to the blatant racism of people like Andre Morrow who claims to hold a monopoly of being the only Afro-American in the audience. For a town that strives to be more "color blind", it was clear Cotati city leaders were again, deeply disturbed by Morrow's comments.

Morrow had been chastised by Mayor Guardino in the past for bringing racist comments into a city meeting earlier in the year. Cheryl Nixon embarrassed herself further by suggesting that other council members control the free speech of Barich on his private blog who will not conform to the far-left political agenda which is losing favor in town.No council action was taken.

John Moore, who has previously promised Barich to run him out of town for his fiscal conservatism and for exposing John's Moore's Marxist's views, appeared sober, and suffered another huge personal defeat by not getting the support from the audience he had hoped for.

Why no outrage for Downy Jr. Read more.

Another view, click here.

Turk Reporter to Obama - Once You Go Blackface...

Whoopi Goldberg defends Ted Danson's blackface act at Friars Club roast

Blackface Then and Now

Blackface and Bambizzoolzed

FAMOUS PEOPLE IN BLACKFACE

CELEBS TAKE LIBERTIES ON HALLOWEEN AND CALL IT ALL FUN

HOW TO DRESS UP LIKE oBAMA FOR hALLOWEEN

Click Here to watch video

Guess The Nationality

American?
Swiss?
Spanish?
French?
Brazilian?
Italian?

All wrong... POLISH!

Don't believe it?

So, what were you thinking?

(Sent in by Cotati resident. It's called, humor)

City Hall, down a river without a paddle.

2009-03-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

Plundering the city reserves over the years has left Cotati little or no resources to do much of anything but watch in horror and pray for a bailout, while other cities stand ready and able to stimulate their own local economies themselves.

Local Economies Seek Own Economic Revival. Read how other cities stand ready to meet the challenge after actually saving money for a rainy day. Read Wall Street Journal Story.

Cotati votes to hire more consultants at $28,000.00 despite public outrage.

2009-03-01T20:29:00.000-08:00

2-25-09, The Cotati City Council voted in a 3-2 decision to hire an outside consulting firm to poll the community, by phone, to gain support for a local tax measure that could be placed on the ballot as early as November 2009. The benefits of such a tax measure could take months or years to take effect.

Barich and Coleman both voted against the huge spending proposal as the city looms closer to bankruptcy each day. The town expects to run out of city funds and will be insolvent to pay its bills by December 2009 at its current rate of spending.

During public comment on the issue, the vast majority of citizens displayed public contempt against spending any more money on consultants which would spend down the gains the city made recently from the 5% voluntary pay cut offered by the city employees as a gesture of good will to help the city achieve financial stability.

The city spending orgy continues despite the efforts of many who want to see the city spend within its means as the economy worsens. The California jobless rate reached 10.1%, and the likelihood that the community would overwhelmingly vote to throw more money down a hole at City Hall seems overly optimistic at this time.

Some city staff members and city leaders seem obsessed with the notion of raising more revenues at a time when the community is hurting more each day. The $28,000.00 for consultants does not begin to pay for the cost of a special election, nor the city staff time and city council meetings that will be consumed with debating whether or not to place a special tax measure on the ballot in 2009. The final cost of putting a tax measure on the ballot would likely double the $28,000.00 figure paid to consultants and could reach over $60,000.00 with election costs and expensive staff time consumed behind the scenes rallying the troops. The cost of marketing a tax increase to the public by special interest groups or marketing agencies has yet to be taken into account as well.

Gilardi, Orchard, and Guardino voted to spend the money despite the cries from the public that the idea of hiring more consultants at this point in time was too little, too late in the game no matter how well intended. Citizens speaking in opposition of the proposal to spend the city deeper into the hole on more consultants included citizens Shelley Berman, Mike Kurvers, Paul Foti, Barry Harris, Ken Coleman, Adrienne Lauby, Andre Morrow, Joan Simon, Linell Hardy, Patrick McCarty, and others. Not one citizen spoke in favor of the spending proposal.

Will these items ever be put on the City Council Agenda?

2009-01-21T23:49:00.000-08:00

Barich has requested that the Cotati City Council agendize important city issues be brought forth for discussion. But to date, no luck.

Dec 10, 2008, (date of swearing in):

Discussion of Term Limits for City Council Members.

Discussion of Rolling Back Water and Sewer Rates

January 14, 2009:

Discussion of the city's water shut off policy for non-payment where children, the disabled, and the elderly are severely impacted as a public health and welfare issue.

Discussion of adding a third city council meeting per month, on the first Wednesday of the month, to meet the growing number of items that need to be agendized. This would provide relief from city meetings going on too late into the night and early morning.

Discussion of Re-opening "Citizen Business" at the end of the meeting for those citizens who come late to the city council meetings and wish to speak. Re-opening "Citizen Business" at the end of the meeting for one minute to anyone to allow final comment and give the citizen the last word.

January 28, 2009:

Discussion on a city ordinance to ban the use Styrofoam food containers and packing material.

Consider taking up the issue of a two tier water billing system proposed by citizen Tony Adler

Consider establishing a standing committee for better relations between the Rancho Adobe Fire District and the city.

February 11, 2009:

Consider putting together a city procedure of some kind to get feedback from citizens on how City Hall is performing and assess "customer service", or whether their issues are being resolved. Barich suggested the cheapest method of contacting citizens directly is to put a sign-in sheet in every city office for everyone who walks in to register in with a name, date, phone number or email address, along with brief description of the purpose of their visit. This would allow city council members to review the list each week, spot check the list, and make personal phone calls to the community to solicit feedback if necessary. The information gathered could also be used to help the City Council with the performance review of the City Manager who is in charge of running the city.

Consider a massive public outreach program, conducted by volunteers, to gather citizen email addresses from people who want to be on a city's email list. Those citizens will then receive periodic emails regarding public meetings, workshops, special events, emergency notices, city activities, and call for volunteers.

February 25, 2009:

Discussion of why Cotati Code Enforcement is simply falling off the City's
radar. The City Manager has stated that there is simply no money for routine
code enforcement because of cut backs in city staff. Barich asked that this has
caused a Code Enforcement Crisis and what city leaders plan to do about it.

Discuss why citizen complaint letters are no longer shared with city leaders nor included in their meeting packets as was done years ago. For years, all letters to City Hall, including thank you and complaint letters..., were in the city council meeting packets to be reviewed by city leaders. But no longer is this being done. Where is the transparency and where have all the letters gone? Where are the checks and balances to insure no citizen is left behind?

Dicussion of the current state of Helen Putnam Park and to review it's current condition and ability to serve the needs of the citizenry, and any potential Health and Safety concerns that may exist. On March 11, 2009, the city leaders directed staff to report back and asked city staff to work with Barich to prepare a report.

March 11, 2009:

A Discussion of previous requests by city council members, and citizens, to ask staff to provide an analysis of what the city finances would look like if the city adopted an across the board salary reduction of 15% and 20% respectfully.

March 25, 2009:

A Discussion of cablecasting and televising all city council meetings in addition to merely web-casting them. Current city staff has been watering down the idea that the meetings should merely be web-casted sometime in the future. This was not what the $36,000.00 held in trust from the cable company was intended for.

A discussion that a general complaint form should be readily available on the city website to fill in, email, or print out for citizens to use to lodge a complaint in writing so council members as well as staff can review them.

April 8, 2009:

A discussion on increasing city volunteers as described in the city's personnel manual where clear direction is given on the use of volunteers to meet the city's needs.

A full discussion on the validity of the City Manager's recent written report on the state of Helen Putnam Park, ongoing citizen complaints about the park, and what city leaders plan to do about the situation other than file away the report.

May13, 2009:

A discussion of whether or not to keep funding the Cotati Chamber of Commerce since it routinely violates its own charter to act as a non-political entity by ongoing public demands that city officials to resign from office.

May 27, 2009:

In response to recent news that our city's debt has nearly double in the last few weeks, a discussion of whether or not to eliminate all salary and benefits to city leaders for the foreseeable future in an act of good faith and do our part to stem off the possibility of impending bankruptcy.

June 24, 2009:

Add "Citizen Business" to the end of every public meeting for those citizens who come to the meetings late, or wish to add a short comment at the end of the evening.
Discuss the future of the Planning Department ( Community Development Department ) and see what money can be saved by the possible elimination of the department and outsource planning services that could save the city as much as a quarter million dollars a year.

July 22, 2009:

Full council discussion on the apparent problem of selective enforcement of Cotati city ordinances, and what we can do about ongoing citizen complaints that laws are not being fairly and equally enforcement or simply ignored altogether.

Barich's First 100 Days in Office

2009-01-08T23:50:00.001-08:00

Barich tries keeping up with Obama on change in the right direction.

12-08: Barich begins to hold regular office hours on Monday nights from 5:pm to 8:pm.

12-08: Barich purchases an A-board sign at his own expense to advertise when he is in his office inviting citizens to come in to meet with a council member face to face.

12-08: Barich saves the city thousands of dollars by heading off a personal injury lawsuit against the city. Barich speaks with local citizen, injured as a result of falling through the ground at a public park due to hundreds of gofer holes. Citizen gets no assistance from City Hall. Citizen calls Barich complaining about city inaction and unresponsiveness.... Barich convinces citizen that he will make honest efforts to rectify the numerous "situations" in the park so no one else gets injured on his watch. Citizen withholds lawsuit against city waiting for city to address the problem. Barich emails the city about the problem and provide photographs to document the situation. Barich gets no city help on park improvements to date as city contends their is no money to address the problem, however there is sufficienct city insurance in place. Citizen's patience is running thin.

12-10-08: Barich pleads with council and staff to balance the budget and stop spending down city reserves further to avert a financial crisis. City does nothing and wants to take a wait and see position for the moment. City takes Christmas break and closes City Hall for two weeks while economy worsens as Barich predicted.

12-10-08: Barich appoints Tim Ritter to the Cotati Planning Commission. Ritter is the first registered Republican to take a high seat in Cotati city government in recent memory.

1-2-09: Barich goes on police ride-along with Cotati Police Officer, and when asked how to solve the city financial crisis, Barich suggests a voluntary accross the board pay cut by all city employees. Word travels fast within City Hall, as predicted.

1-14-09: Barich denounces County Supervisor's Kern's letter to Pres. Obama, (signed by Cotati Mayor Pat Gilardi) for a large slice of the proposed federal tax and spend bailout package as being a letter full of misinformation and deception. During the public meeting, Barich promises the council that he will write a letter to Obama in response to save the city further embarrassment. No comment from the council.

1-20-09: At the mayor's request, Barich attends a three day conference in Sacramento on the inner workings of city government, city leadership training, team building, city planning, ethics training, etc.

1-28-09: Barich sends personal Letter to Obama before U.S. Congress debates the issue while there was still time to act in defense of the country. Read full text in original PDF file. Click here. City Council reviews a sample city council version of the letter for possible signature support and refuses to support the letter in any way. Letter is distributed to other council members throughout the state and is met with mixed reviews. Many council members from around the country use this letter as a "call to arms" and write similar letters of their own to Obama on behalf of their constituents. As a result, Obama's federal Stimulus is watered down with regard to bailout funds to cities and counties as a result of public outrage to the Ultimate Doom's Day Weapon of Mass Economic Destruction.

2-1-09: Barich refuses to cash his first city paycheck as a sign of good faith to the city employees to take steps to ease the city's financial crisis. City employees, hearing about Barich's intentions in early December 2008, oddly enough, offer the city a 5% reduction in salaries to ease the city's financial situation.

2-11-09: Barich votes with Guardino and Coleman (3 to 2 vote) to accept the proposed city budget cuts by the City Manager and Finance Director. Before the vote, Barich stated his reservation that the cuts were not deep enough, that the city had wasted valuable time since December to come up with a solid plan to balance the budget, and the cuts were too little and too late to avoid a financial meltdown later in the year.

3-12-09: Barich begins working on the most ambitious project to hold city leaders to a new standard of conduct and ethics . After doing some research on this issue from other cities and attempting to raise the bar to new heights, Barich begins drafting a new "Code of Excellence" for city leaders and members of the public which will be completely voluntary. Citizens who promise to adhere to the new policy will be eligible for the prestigious, Cotati Citizenship Award of Merit which will be handed out by Barich at a yearly dinner and awards celebration in Cotati.

Historical firsts for Cotati's most politically moderate city leader in decades.

2009-01-01T23:48:00.000-08:00

With new city leadership comes historic changes for Cotati City Hall as well.

Barich, first council member to reside on the west side of town in decades.

Barich, first council member to actively seek out and engage the local press for the benefit of the public and develops a healthy dialogue with journalists early on in his term to help keep the public informed as to how the city is being governed.

Barich appoints first registered Republican, Tim Ritter, to Cotati Planning Commission. Barich first offered the position to Mike Kurvers, a registered Democrat, but Mr. Kurvers respectively and graciously declined.

Barich works for the city as councilman while refusing a city paycheck to help balance the budget.

Barich holds regular office hours three hours a week on Monday evenings at City Hall from 5:pm to 8:pm by appointment, or for walk-ins.

Barich puts up the first web blog by any Cotati city council member in February 2009.