Public Hearing Comments by Guillermo Quintanilla, Addison Resident, at the May 24, 2016, Addison Council Meeting

Public Hearing Comments by Guillermo Quintanilla, Addison Resident,
at the May 24, 2016, Addison Council Meeting

Mayor,

Seventeen days ago the Addison residents spoke with their votes, replacing three incumbents with three candidates who are ready to move Addison forward and return us to the Addison way.  But it didn’t take long for you to let everyone know that you are not willing to move on.

Tonight’s agenda attacks the new councilmembers.  It’s an in-your-face DARE to them.  It’s basically  a temper tantrum on paper.  You put a controversial issue on the agenda: the newsletter.  Let me repeat, YOU mayor… put that item on the Agenda tonight and, YOU mayor… chose the wording of the item.

And then YOU leaked the agenda to your supporters, working with them to arrange for an email to be circulated that falsely told people that it was the new councilmembers who put the newsletter on the agenda.  You did it to attack them, and you did it before these councilmembers EVER saw the agenda.  You did it to claim that they are following a secret agenda.  You did it to claim that you were right when you campaigned as the Addison mayor against them… and lied about what they stood for.

So to everyone who is here, and watching at home, because they think the new councilmembers put the newsletter on the agenda, you were lied to.  The mayor did it.  And then blamed the new councilmembers to try to make us all mad.  You and I are being used by the mayor. Welcome to the club!

Mr. Mayor, you’re doing this to KEEP Addison divided.  That’s what you want.  Because when you make it an US verses THEM game, you focus your supporters on YOU, not on what YOU DO.  It’s your conduct that’s at issue…. So that is why you don’t want to talk about it.  By making Addison divided, you convince your supporters to support you no matter what YOU DO, not because they think it’s right or wrong, but because you make it about YOU….  And making it about YOU and demanding that your supporters support YOU, means that they’re not thinking about how you’re hurting Addison.  And that makes it possible for you to do things you shouldn’t be doing.

So… you need division in Addison.  It keeps your supporters in line and it gives you what you think is an excuse for acting improperly.

Shameless political antics, self-absorption and total disregard for the residents’ concerns culminated in the rejection of your incumbents and your administrations’ ideology. However, before Addison can celebrate there is still the head of the snake to deal with.  The stunts you’ve pulled with the agenda show us that you’re still striking out and that poisoning Addison is something that you don’t care about. I reject your recent assertion that the remainder of the council can’t possibly represent all Addison residents. This isn’t about WHO sits up there, it’s very much about WHAT THEY DO.  It’s time for Addison to focus on ISSUES, and to reject your efforts to deflect attention away from WHAT YOU’VE DONE, which surely needs to be judged.  No person sitting up there is ever above the law, and every person sitting up there must demand from each member, compliance with all laws and rules.  This is about our government… and you can’t highjack it.

Thank You
Guillermo Quintanilla