President Cleveland declared in 1892 that the public office is a public trust: officers and employees must be accountable, serving with responsibility, integrity, and justice. Enter Morro Bay City Council. The city manager blatantly misquotes the City’s purchase price of Cerrito Peak ($350,000) reducing it by $85,000 for the benefit of the non-profit who volunteered to recoup the money for the City’s emergency fund. When presented with documentation, prior to the meeting so a correction could be made, neither elected officials nor manager would address the price and accompanying details. In fact, the city attorney cloaked support for the manager’s misdeed. I have no issue with Council, through discussion, amending its previous stance (three of the five same members were present at both meetings). My issue is that they and city employees accepted misrepresentation to get the desired outcome they wanted at the expense of the public trust. What’s wrong with correcting, apologizing? It’s what we teach in school and church! This is not Orwell’s 1984: You don’t get to rewrite history and get away with it. I condemn the City Council, manager, and attorney for violating the public trust. What else have you/will you misinformed the public about?
Betty Winholtz
Morro Bay