Town Hall Farce

2/25/25 letter to City of Blaine from Donna:

The recent decision to restrict the return of public comments at city council meeting to a Town Hall format, held once a month for just 30 minutes, is not only inadequate – it is an insult to the citizens of Blaine. For 378 days, public participation in government discussions has been silenced, and now, instead of a meaningful reinstatement, the mayor has opted for an ineffective inaccessible solution that fails to serve the very people she represents.  

The citizens heard you VERY clearly. We are not even important enough for it to be mandatory for the mayor or the council to attend. How is that a representative government? You don’t even have to show up to hear us talk. This is not civic participation – this is a mockery of it. By offering such a limited and inadequate forum, the mayor is not only silencing the voices of those she serves but reinforcing the perception that the government of Blaine cares little for the views of its residents.  

I want you to think about the people who care enough to prepare speeches, get dressed and psyched to speak, and then use their gas money and time to drive down to city hall only to be told that if they are not one of the first to speak, they must return THE NEXT MONTH. How is this fair? How is this equal representation? It is an unfair lottery, where those who arrive last get no voice, regardless of the significance of their concerns.  

Citizens should not have to compete for a chance to speak; they should be given a platform to engage openly and meaningfully with their leaders. If the intention was to allow for public comment, then this plan falls very short. We have always asked for Town Hall meetings IN ADDITION to public comment. Unless free speech is reinstated properly, this is just a farcical display of power. Is this the best the lawyers could come up with? How much did this cost the city? It did not put any of you in a good light. Maybe it is time to get new legal counsel or maybe call up the PR firm again for help. 

Mary Lou once again tries to control the town from her throne. How much longer can she hang on?  What a joke. Or, as the citizens who left from the back of the room last night said, “This is bullsh*t.” 

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