Cracks are beginning to show in the comrarderie of the Inglewood City Council members. Inglewood Mayor James Butts is showing obvious signs of frustration, as the media continues to pound away at the fiscal condition of the city.
Residents continue to speak out on the proposed rent stabilization ordinance, that faced another round of amendments, that will be voted on during a second hearing.
Twin sisters Julia and Tiffany Wallace, of the Inglewood Tenants Union, continue to be regular fixtures at the weekly city council meetings speaking on behalf of a rent control ordinance that ties increases to the consumer price index (CPI).
The discussion on the ordinance, initiated by Mayor Butts, brought a strange interaction between him and District 4 Councilman Ralph Franklin. This author is beyond embarrassed by Franklin’s apathy and laziness when it comes to preparing for the days council meeting.
Franklin abstained from all votes related to extending the moratorium for an additional 180 days and amendments to the rent control initiative. Franklin’s excuse was he was out of town on an alleged family emergency and wasn’t present to hear the residents comments. He is a vicious liar of the worse kind.
Just as residents, like myself, can’t be physically present for the meetings, I watch them live on Facebook AND go to the city’s YouTube channel to watch again to make sure I get comments correct for my articles.
Does Franklin not have access to the internet or feel the slightest inkling to watch the meetings to understand the events that transpired? Was his high paid liaison, Claudette Matthews, not in attendance to keep him abreast of what happened? According to TransparentCalifornia.com ,Matthew earns over $100,000 in salary and benefits. The District 4 council office is a waste and failure to the residents. If Franklin and Matthews are too old to keep up with technology and the going on’s in the city, it is time for them to step aside and let someone else take over.
I’ve had enough!
Inglewood Mayor James Butts
During public comment, Mayor Butts shut down one of the Wallace sisters when they spoke about the consistent officer involved shootings taking place in the city. The most recent occurring in District 4, at the hands of the Sheriff. He refused to let her finish despite the public comment segment being on issues that aren’t on the days council agenda.
Related: Man Fatally Shot by Deputies in Inglewood, Becoming 3rd Such Fatality in Single Night
When the Wallace sisters also brought up recent articles in the Daily Breeze, he became defiant in saying the article was false.
Butts went back to an ordinance passed in 1944 and 1983 that authorized some pension obligation payments to be passed on to Inglewood homeowners.
Butts stated he has requested a meeting with the editors of the Daily Breeze due to their alleged inaccuracies in reporting. Especially when the topics include his brother working for the city’s trash hauler and Butts being authorized to drive a car registered to the police department.
In a timely article in the LA Times, they wrote about Harry Sanders, department spokesman for the City of Los Angeles Fire Department, who drives in an emergency vehicle outfitted with lights and sirens. The employees union have argued that civilians aren’t entitled to fire department uniforms nor should he be driving a vehicle with Code 3 lights.
Assistant Chief Pat Butler, the former president and vice president of the Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Officers Assn., said he had complained previously about Sanders having a car with lights and siren, as well as getting a firefighter uniform, because he is a civilian employee.
Los Angeles Times
Related: LAFD spokesman is accused of using a city car to threaten an Uber driver
The article came to light due to a run in the aforementioned employee had with an Uber driver. The city employee used the lights and sirens to pull over the Uber driver and threatened him. The Uber driver described the employee as wearing a shirt with an embroidered fire department badge on it.
The article went further to say the spokesman’s father, Barry Sanders, has previously served on various city commissions, allowing to assume that the younger Sanders gets the perks because of connections derived from his father.
In short its called abuse of power, which is what Mayor Butts is being allowed to do at the authorization of City Manager Artie Fields, as Butts continues to justify his driving a police vehicle because of the economic resurgence that has been achieved on his watch.
If Butts wants a raise, based on his performance, that is for Inglewood voters to decide. Period.
