Unity Requires Common Goals
Staff editorial

Can community activists form a united front for the sake of improved city government?

The city’s most outspoken activists split into two groups shortly after celebrating the November 2002 defeat of longtime Councilwomen Sherri Butterfield and Susan Withrow. Prior to 2003, activists were united as members of Citizens for Integrity in Government. They had campaigned together to elect Trish Kelley and Lance MacLean as council newcomers in 2002.

A city council agenda item that put five CIG activists at odds with one of the organization’s core beliefs – opposition to redevelopment – was the Audi deal of 2003. A council majority of Ledesma, Reavis and Kelley had twice rejected a city staff recommendation of redevelopment dollars for the dealer. In July 2003, Kelley surprised almost everyone by bringing the item back for a third vote. Following the discussion, not only did Kelley join Councilmen Bill Craycraft and Lance MacLean in favor of corporate welfare for Audi, Councilman Ledesma voted with them. Kelley later disclosed via private email that Reavis (who cast the only dissenting vote in public) had supported the Audi deal in closed-session discussions.

Beyond Ledesma and Kelley voting for redevelopment (despite their 2002 campaign promises to the contrary), five CIG activists made public comments favoring redevelopment. They immediately drew criticism from other CIG members, and the activist organization stopped meeting soon after. At least three of the same five activists were duped in 2004 into campaigning for Frank Ury, who started laughing at them as soon as he was elected. At least three of the five activists campaigned in 2006 for Diane Greenwood, who benefited from the very developer donations they previously denounced.

Can all former CIG members reunite for the sake of the city’s future? One activist responded to such a blog query, “The fallen five placed their own quest for power and influence above principle. At best, they’re inconsistent. Some of them occasionally research a topic and provide valid data, but some of them also fabricate, misrepresent and deliberately mislead when it suits their purpose. Occasionally, they’re on the right side of issues, but it’s similar to a broken clock being right twice a day. ”

Activists of all stripes can work together if they have common goals. Most of the city’s activists continue working for open government and responsible leadership, as opposed to a few whose activism lacks consistency. The activists’ agreement in 2002 may have been due to an alignment of stars that happens only once in a lifetime.