Citizen Participation period:

DUNCAN CAMPBELL: I'm Duncan Campbell from 808 10th St. Listening to Roger Lauen [previous speaker] just talk about the history of how change has happened in Boulder, reminds me of a comment I heard at the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992 from Claus Nopel about Shopenhauer's comment on the truth and how it has emerged over the centuries in all countries. And he says it emerges in 3 stages: first, it is ridiculed, 2nd it is vehemently opposed, and 3rd, it is adopted by the majority and claimed as their own. So I think what we have to look at here in terms of our local situation, is that we are really no different from people everywhere in the world, that there is always the tendency to some sort of reactivity to change and to dissent; it's a perpetual cause of philosophic reflection and social concern that's been true in any society. So, to pretend that in Boulder, somehow we're magically different is what the psychologists literally refer to as "magical thinking". To bring something that is festering into the light is in fact the only way to get well. Norman Mailer used to says about the Reagan years that Americans would rather be told they were healthy than actually be healthy, and we know what happened when Reagen said it was "morning in America". We've now waken up with a hangover, and the people like David Stockman, who gave the interview in 1981 to Bill Greider, who was then with the Washington Post, was treated in the same way in which Ruth Wright and Paul Danish and Bob McFarland have been treated. He was taken to the woodshed, and chained and humiliated and taken out of the political process as a player ever since, and yet today, we're all living with the actual truth of what he predicted.

So, I think the question we need to ask ourselves in Boulder right now, is, are we better off than we were 4 years ago, and the answer is obviously "no". Many citizens are full of anxiety and fear about what's happening to them and to their city. The question is what is the source of the problem. Literally thousands of citizens have been trouping down here over the last 2 years, 62 in one meeting alone to object to the ill-conceived Floor Area Ratio plan hatched by the Planning Department with virtually no citizen input whatsoever. Why are these people so angry? Why are they so distressed? Why will you probably be here tonight until 2 AM with your various public hearings on the traffic problem downtown, on the traffic problem on 9th St., on the IPP? The reason is the process is not functioning. Now, when I brought out thousands and thousands of words of commentary on this over the last 2 years, after I got back from being on the barricades in Russia...

Council response to Citizen Participation:

COUNCIL MEMBER DICK HARRIS: I feel deeply offended by the remarks of Evan Ravitz. To suggest that no one on this Council is concerned about freedom of speech is absolutely ludicrous, and as I said before, offensive. I am, in the jingo (sic), a proud, card-carrying member of the ACLU as I presume Mr. Ravitz is, and I am extremely concerned about freedom of speech. I do not personally recall the incident that Mr. Ravitz described with respect to the Mayor. I believe since he said it was December it was before I was on Council. I do recall the incident described by Mr. Campbell, and I would say in response to Mr. Campbell, that issues concerning freedom of speech were raised at that time and I am fully satisfied that there were no problems, and I would just simply say that a careful review of the tape of the meeting that Mr. Campbell is referring to shows that what the Mayor did was to express some personal discomfort at one citizen discussing the actions of another citizen who wasn't there to defend him or herself. There was no attempt to silence Mr. Campbell, but in fact he was given all the time that was required, and I think for Mr. Campbell to say, and I quote [RAVITZ objects from the audience] "The Mayor shut me down" is absolutely false [CAMPBELL objects from the audience] and I encourage all of you who believe that to listen to the tapes. I respectfully listened to you when you, when you spoke, and I wish you would do the same for me. Thank you.

MAYOR DURGIN: Before we go on to the motion I want to set the record straight. Dick, I appreciate your words. Clearly this is a campaign issue and clearly tonight we have had a number of people who are participating in a legitimate political process and using the opportunity at City Council, and on television, to advocate for certain members of the candidates and certain issues. Fine. But I do want to set the record straight as mayor. I did interrupt Mr. Campbell and apologized to him for doing so. I did not shut him up but I did say that I was personally uncomfortable with one member of our community talking about another member of the community and their actions and interests when that person was not here to respond. I shouldn't have interrupted Mr. Campbell and I did apologize. I do believe that what the issue was, is one that is covered by Robert's Rules of Order. And if there is a conflict between Robert's Rules of Order, which I have to use to maintain order and run this meeting, and the First Amendment, that is a serious issue. I asked, not only our City Attorney, I went to the Denver ACLU, and they gave me 2 attorneys, who looked at the tapes, who looked at Robert's Rules of Order, and who looked at the First Amendment. And they said, I was absolutely within my authority. What I would like to do is put the issue to rest, let's not carry on the conversation, I just want to set the record straight from my point of view, and not make this an election issue. Mr. Campbell, you have had your 3 minutes, your 9 minutes, whatever it was, we are going to close Citizen Participation, we have families who are waiting to speak.

CAMPBELL: I just want to call your attention if [uproar]

DURGIN: Mr. Campbell that is enough! [uproar]

CAMPBELL: The editorial in the Camera on May 6th [DURGIN interrupts] The editorial on May 6th says Mayor Leslie Durgin stopped Campbell [HARRIS interrupts with "Madame Mayor, this is an internal..] ..should have heard Campbell. If you're going to set the record straight, let's get the facts straight. [DURGIN interrupts] People can read it in the newspaper on May 6th.

DURGIN: I think it's intriguing, Mr. Campbell, that you are here sometimes saying the Daily Camera, when it picks on you is wrong, and when it defends you, is right. And we are now going to move on.

CAMPBELL: This is one of the facts they got right.

DURGIN: OK. Enough. Obviously Mr. Campbell and Ms. Durgin do not agree, even on the day of the week. So, let's stop the argument, but I think this is a real classic tonight, folks, and whether Citizen Participation is a town hall speak-out, or is supposed to further the business of City Council. So, clearly an issue for the incoming Council to deal with. I would suggest that we go on, we have motions before us and then we're going to move into 9th and Balsam. A motion to support the RFP process...