The majority of Orange County Board of Supervisors (Bartlett, Do, Chaffee, & Wagner) consistently and continually demonstrate inattentiveness during public comment(s). Furthermore, they are supposed to be responsible to act as a quasi-judicial for the county; however, their actions are not acceptable in accordance with a fundamental principle of due process known as: “he who decides must hear.”
Elected to be ethical and responsible in a quasi-judicial role requires all of the elected members of this board to pay attention to public comments and not ignore the public through inattentiveness. The inattentiveness of members of this board during the hearing prevent this board from satisfying the ethical principle of “he who decides must hear” and could open the door to legal action by the public and undoing of the board’s vote(s) as a result of their inattentiveness during public comments.
Public comments are advertised to be three minutes; however, on the consistent and unreasonable whim of Chairman Do, he has regularly placed unjustified limitations on the advertised 3 minutes to as little as 30 seconds during several of the recent meetings. Chairman Do’s decision to squelch the public only leaves the public approx. 70 words in 30 seconds to voice complete and cogent thoughts, concerns, recommendations, or findings as they relate to agenda items or areas governed by the Board of Supervisors.
By demonstrating inattentiveness and lack of concern for the public’s legal right to provide meaningful comments, Chairman Do and other board members vote and make decisions without the publics’ meaningful and informative comments and with predetermined personal bias while spending thousands and tens/hundreds of millions of taxpayer’s monies. With this board’s consistent practice of inattentiveness, one can logically conclude that the board’s so-called public proceedings are conducted with personal bias and malicious disregard against public comments or the laws governing the public meetings.
Having been personally ignored several times while giving public comments during the Board of Supervisor meetings, I have also witnessed and heard others use their valuable and limited time to complain to the board about being ignored while giving comments. There are many recent examples and videos of the public who have requested to be listened to while giving public comments.
Some of the board’s favorite actions to ignore the public is to actually get up and leave the dais, look down while doing paperwork or checking their cellphones or have a conversation with a neighboring supervisor while the public gives public comments. All of these examples demonstrate their inattentiveness.
Please take a moment to call or email the Supervisors and let them know that the public’s voice should not be silenced by unreasonably minimizing the 3 minutes for public comments as advertised.
Opinions expressed in community opinion pieces belong to the authors and not Voice of OC.
Voice of OC is interested in hearing different perspectives and voices. If you want to weigh in on this issue or others please email opinions@voiceofoc.org.
Duran: Speech Supression Practiced at the OC Board of Supervisors
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The majority of Orange County Board of Supervisors (Bartlett, Do, Chaffee, & Wagner) consistently and continually demonstrate inattentiveness during public comment(s). Furthermore, they are supposed to be responsible to act as a quasi-judicial for the county; however, their actions are not acceptable in accordance with a fundamental principle of due process known as: “he who decides must hear.”
Elected to be ethical and responsible in a quasi-judicial role requires all of the elected members of this board to pay attention to public comments and not ignore the public through inattentiveness. The inattentiveness of members of this board during the hearing prevent this board from satisfying the ethical principle of “he who decides must hear” and could open the door to legal action by the public and undoing of the board’s vote(s) as a result of their inattentiveness during public comments.
Public comments are advertised to be three minutes; however, on the consistent and unreasonable whim of Chairman Do, he has regularly placed unjustified limitations on the advertised 3 minutes to as little as 30 seconds during several of the recent meetings. Chairman Do’s decision to squelch the public only leaves the public approx. 70 words in 30 seconds to voice complete and cogent thoughts, concerns, recommendations, or findings as they relate to agenda items or areas governed by the Board of Supervisors.
By demonstrating inattentiveness and lack of concern for the public’s legal right to provide meaningful comments, Chairman Do and other board members vote and make decisions without the publics’ meaningful and informative comments and with predetermined personal bias while spending thousands and tens/hundreds of millions of taxpayer’s monies. With this board’s consistent practice of inattentiveness, one can logically conclude that the board’s so-called public proceedings are conducted with personal bias and malicious disregard against public comments or the laws governing the public meetings.
Having been personally ignored several times while giving public comments during the Board of Supervisor meetings, I have also witnessed and heard others use their valuable and limited time to complain to the board about being ignored while giving comments. There are many recent examples and videos of the public who have requested to be listened to while giving public comments.
Some of the board’s favorite actions to ignore the public is to actually get up and leave the dais, look down while doing paperwork or checking their cellphones or have a conversation with a neighboring supervisor while the public gives public comments. All of these examples demonstrate their inattentiveness.
Please take a moment to call or email the Supervisors and let them know that the public’s voice should not be silenced by unreasonably minimizing the 3 minutes for public comments as advertised.
Supervisor 1st District – Andrew Do – Chair
email: andrew.do@ocgov.com
Supervisor 2nd District – Katrina Foley
email: katrina.foley@ocgov.com
Supervisor 3rd District – Donald P. Wagner
email: donald.wagner@ocgov.com
Supervisor 4th District – Doug Chaffee – Vice Chair
email: doug.chaffee@ocgov.com
Supervisor 5th District – Lisa Bartlett
email: lisa.bartlett@ocgov.com
David Duran has been an Orange County resident since 1968. He volunteers for People’s Homeless Task Force Orange County (Board Member), Housing is a Human Right OC (Cofounder), People’s Budget OC (Cofounder). In 2018 Duran was invited to present to the United Nations Special Rapporteur (Philip Alston) on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights.
Opinions expressed in community opinion pieces belong to the authors and not Voice of OC.
Voice of OC is interested in hearing different perspectives and voices. If you want to weigh in on this issue or others please email opinions@voiceofoc.org.
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