As a longtime resident of Laguna Beach, I have from time to time gone to city council meetings and in recent years have watched them via Zoom. We have all been aware at times of the contentious nature of the workings of our city government but what was on display the other night at council was something that compelled me to speak out.
I watched Councilmember George Weiss not only completely disrespect our city manager but also interrupt our mayor during her comment on the library purchase, (both are women). This is not the first time I have observed Weiss display behavior that I can only describe as childish but also that of a person who is not in control of his anger and seems to treat his female counterparts and staff like this is the 1950’s. As a person who ran on a platform of “civility” and “respect”, he continues to show neither and not just at council meetings. He is known to berate staff and talk down to department heads as though he were the final and absolute authority on everything.
He has been censured for his recent Brown Act violation and has stepped over the line many times during his short tenure on council. Weiss has now shown our community who he really is—an angry brooding man-child with no respect for anyone other then what appears to be a small minority of like-minded individuals. Look up “decorum” in the dictionary and Weiss’ name is nowhere to be found. I feel ashamed and sicken by his behavior and I sincerely hope that not only other women but men world agree. Weiss needs to heed his own campaign rhetoric and then go get the book, Civility for Dummies.
Debbie Forsyth, 28-year Laguna Beach resident and Homeowner
Thanks Debbie. If you think this councilmember’s behavior is disrespectful, may I suggest you tune in to every city council meeting where the Mayor regularly tries to stop the aggressive disruptions by Councilman Peter Blake as he yells like an unruly child at co-council members and public speakers? In fact, muting Blake has become so common that when the Mayor does it he just yells louder over her. She literally has to beg him to stop. He has no respect for our civic system which he admits. Thus he resorts to a street fight approach just to get by.
I’ve never seen anything like this in our city or any others! Let’s face facts: 1. Our Decorum and Civility Policy was created because of Peter Blake. I know, I instigated it when Bob Whalen was Mayor in early 2019. 2. Blakes uncontrollable behavior has been occurring since he was elected in 2018 and there’s loads of meeting video footage and other private and pubic documentation to prove it. 3. He openly attacks anyone who disagrees with him. Most recently he attacked residents of Three Arch Bay during a meeting and basically threatened them that he will be there to stop them if/when they come back. The Mayor could not shut him up and had to tell him that the residents weren’t on trail. And during the Library item he insulted on-site and call-in constituents because they spoke on a public issue. And as for disrespecting women, he is known for trying to intimidate and bully women and many have gone public. Just ask resident Lorene Laguna. IMO, he is power-crazed and needs to seek help. We don’t this type of individual as a public official in our beautiful city.
I find it interesting that recently a few letter writers have chosen to speak up publicly about newer Councilmember George Weiss’s meeting behavior but have never addressed the more serious and ongoing problems and abuse tyrant Peter Blake has caused in our civic meetings and our town. In most four years! Can’t help but wonder why. Some say it’s an attempt to take the negative attention off Blake since he’s trying to get re-elected. Not going to work. He owns his self title of “Mr. Monster” and respected locals are disgusted and embarrassed by him.
As for Councilman Weiss. While I don’t support his or anyones interruption of the Mayor, I can understand how it could happen during these highy-tense and dysfunctional meetings. I believe he is not above recognizing his mistake and correcting it. As for his recent interaction with the City Manager, IMO – this City Manager interfered with his questions directed to the presenting staff member. If CM Dupuis wants to interject or answer certain questions she should ask the Councilmember to speak, not just take over which is what I recall. After all, he is one of her five bosses and deserves respect and proper staff protocol followed. I hope they both learn from this since they are both new and navigating this environment.
Thanks for listening.
Interesting Debbie that you give Peter Blake a pass but concentrate on George Weiss who was trying to get the Mayor to shut Blake up. You obviously haven’t been paying attention to city council meetings for the past 3 years where Blake attacks women non stop, calls anyone with an opposing viewpoint either a liar or an idiot and has his microphone turned off by first Mayor Whalen and now Mayor Kempf. His behavior is infantile and degrading to anyone trying to speak. But you find that OK? Interesting that you feel the need to attack the one man who is trying to restore civility at city council meetings. I think you need to look at a few more meetings to see who the real misbehavior is. Blake needs to go.
Just because you don’t agree doesn’t mean your right madam. In fact you’re foolish to waste time chastizing our elected ones.Pearl Clutching at her best.
I too find it odd that the LTE writer is so aghast at Mr Weiss’ behavior yet has never once commented or objected to the 3 years of orders-of-magnitude far worse behavior by Mr. Blake. Least anyone needs concrete examples of why so many in the community find Mr. Blake’s behavior misogynistic, degrading and down-right abusive I provide a link to a few examples:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHeuA1Pbui9tS3dMgsyTiWA
Debbie,
With elections approaching the Liberate Laguna task force appears to be ready to roll again. You are IMO unwittingly or perhaps willingly parroting the party line. Please let us know how many times you have spoken out against Blake and the half hearted attempts of Whalen and Kempf to stop his churlish behaviour. Unless you have been suffering the Rip van Winkle syndrome for the past three and one half years and just awakened a couple of weeks ago you surely must have heard this boor’s tirades especially against women. Can I expect you now to have the same fervor for civility towards Blake or are you going to continue to carry the water for the LL crowd? BTW the censure of George Weiss was just another attempt by the three pro development council members to harass George when he was doing nothing wrong as there was a well orchestrated Brown Act violation in which the troika, the City Manager and the City Attorney were complicit, in my opinion, based on a review of the facts.