Posted 9:42 PM by Floyd

Aaron Haspel sent me a link to his takedown of the Arcata City Council, who passed a resolution making voluntary compliance with the Patriot Act illegal. In his email he said "Aren't puffed-up municipalities right in your wheelhouse?"

I am nothing if not goadable, and grist for my mill appeared today in the San Jose Mercury News. Recently the city council of Palo Alto banned derogatory gestures at council meetings. All gestures, including frowning and eye-rolling.

The Merc scored some cheap points by making fun of the city council members. One of them responded by writing a letter, and it shows you how puffed up these people are with their sense of self-importance.

THANK you for your editorial ``Go ahead and frown, just be respectful'' (Opinion, April 16).

In Palo Alto, we sometimes take ourselves too seriously. Limiting facial expressions in a Code of Conduct would inhibit healthy disagreement. ``Manners'' that censor minority opinion and critical evaluation are undemocratic. Focusing on minor and petty things delays our progress.

Although we'd like to politely sweep it under the rug, we experienced serious ethics breeches in the past two years. Unfounded personal charges on the character and motives of our elected officials were made. These charges reflected as poorly on the elected and appointed officials doing the accusing as they did on the accused and on those who stood by silently. Unethical conduct undermines public respect for the institutions we honor.

This year, that ``storm'' has dissipated and the council has acknowledged we have substantive political differences underlying the surface tensions. We've begun to face our policy debates squarely and respectfully. Our state and local fiscal crisis, growth management and traffic problems are making headlines. This is a refreshing shift.

Despite the jests and jabs we're hearing, I applaud our mayor and those colleagues who drafted protocols. This community conversation is most important. We are setting a higher standard for our community and becoming an increasingly effective government.

Nancy Lytle
Member, Palo Alto City Council

I'm sorry Nancy, but having someone disagree with you or question your motives or even mock and insult you is not an "ethics problem." It is the normal give and take of a free society.

Fun fact about Arcata: "VodkaPundit" Stephen Green worked there as a DJ for four years.