Civility, Please, on the Dias and in the Neighborhoods

This letter was also addressed to the city council.

Editor,

While observing the council meeting last night, Aug. 30, I noticed that two of the councilmembers talked back to the person at the podium. Both times were because the speaker was Judie Mancuso, who is running for city council.   This response only makes the council look like they are worried about a council contender. Also, the strong response makes council members look unprofessional and like bullies. That is not how I want to see my city council! This is a form of bullying and it has to stop. We need our council to be good listeners and not reactive to opposing thoughts or opinions. You who spoke out of turn have lost my vote!

Thanks to Kelly Boyd’s view ordinance, professional landscape contractors now must deal with a hostile environment to do business in this town. Several times while working in client’s gardens, groups of neighbors have accosted my employees. Example: they were moving existing dwarf pigmy date palms, which were three- to four-feet tall to a more appropriate location. A group of neighbors came running down the street and were all yelling and waving a copy of the ordinance, saying we couldn’t plant these palms, they are not on the list. Because these people were so rude and mob like, we pulled all the plants and my crews because nobody deserves to be attacked for doing their job. After encouraging the homeowner to hear the neighbor’s concerns, new acceptable plant material was installed. However, my company and employees were treated like criminals and will never forget that. Had the neighbors introduced themselves to the new homeowners like respectable people do, they would have been able to voice their concerns then and there with a minimum of drama and ill feelings.

These kinds of bad behaviors must stop! What has happened to the moral compass of the world? People removing political signs from other people’s yards must stop. It’s an attack on the First Amendment.

All parties are acting like spoiled children and big bullies.

I look to the city council to model appropriate behavior. Your actions will go a long way towards improving neighbor’s relations and kinder communication. Be the example, not part of the problem.

Liza Interlandi Stewart, Laguna Beach