councilor.org
| Source | Alvin Rivera |
| Date | 08/12/23/11:41 |
| Testimony to Pueblo City Council
Government for the People: Is it time for a Recall Election Vote of City Council Members? December 22, 2008 Madame President Barbara Vidmar and Distinguished Council Members, My name is Dr. Alvin Rivera. My topic is “Government for the People: Is it time for a Recall Election Vote of City Council Members.” My phone number is 566-0069 and my email is adrivera@aol.com. I may need to hear from the public to bring clarity to “government for the people”… Again phone 566-0069 and email adrivera@aol.com. I listened carefully to the discussion and read the newspaper articles regarding the dismissal of the city manager, Dave Galli. Without rehashing the entire ordeal, I believe the public has arrived at several conclusions: 1) The three women council people, Republicans, protested too much thus leading the public to conclude that indeed Galli was discharged primarily for permitting the President-Elect Barack Obama event to take place without consulting the city council members as councilman Ray Aguilera stated. Further, I believe the public believes the other minor issues are just excuses to justify removing Mr. Galli as city manager. 2) I believe Councilman Ray Aguilera was correct in his assertion about the Democratic event, but he lacked the courage of his own convictions when confronted by the other council members. His lack of courage for his own views is sad commentary for a councilperson. What does he really stand for? 3) I believe the public believed the city council acted in a highly partisan way on this issue and it raises the question whether or not it is time for a Recall Election Vote of all city council members, and if not all of them, which ones in particular? This is why I want to give the public my telephone number, 566-0069, and my email, adrivera@aol.com , to tell me what should be the next step in a ”Government for the people.” Perhaps a Recall Election Vote of city council members would enable the city government to have a fresh start with new citizens who want to serve the people and who genuinely care about the city government staff. We are all familiar with the passage in President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, “[T]hat this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not parish from the earth..” Closing: I wish to close with an appropriate holiday message from a world renown singer Nana Mouskouri. She made this impromptu statement at her October 25, 1997 benefit concert for World Peace at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, in New York City. Knowing a bit of Nana’s background and achievements may enable one to better understand her statement. Of Greek origin, Nana was born as Ioanna Mouskouri, on October 13, 1934, in Crete, Greece. Nana is a singer who is confirmed to have sold over 230 million records worldwide in a career spanning over 5 decades, making her one of the world's best-selling female recording artists. She has recorded in many different languages, including Greek, French, English, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Welsh, among others. On the same CD as this concert, Nana Mouskouri recorded a song “Return to love,” and in the lyrics, of that song is, “Return to love tonight.” It is highly appropriate during this holiday season. Now, the statement after her second song to the World Peace Concert: Welcome … to our concert. I would like to thank you for this honor to be with us this evening. To guide us with all your blessings and the love that you gave for the people and peace of the people. Music for me was always like a rainbow, With all the many colors. It knows no nationalities. It has no frontiers. No barriers, No barriers. Language is not a barrier because. Music creates the world. Music creates the universe, from one into another. Music is life. Music leads to life Leads to children. Leads to the future of the world. Music has it own language. and this language … [It] is a language of love, [It] is a language of freedom, [It is the language]of the dream. and [it is the language] of hope. But above all, It is the Language of Peace. Thank you, Alvin Rivera 566-0069 adrivera@aol.com |
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