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Novatans musn’t eavesdrop on suit
Author: c
Date: 04-29-2008 - 12:25
Novatans musn’t eavesdrop on suit
Whatever their intentions, Tom MacDonald and Bernie Meyers should not be surprised to be perceived as having a conflict of interest.
Let’s look at the history:
About a year ago Marin, having shunned North Coast Railroad Authority since 1996, suddenly chose to join, and appointed as its reps Judy Arnold and Jim Leland, both known opponents of rail.
When they resigned from NCRA, Judy Arnold hand-picked as successors MacDonald and Meyers.
Recently, in an editorial, she offered to endorse SMART, on one condition: that SMART attack NCRA and do its best—in flagrant violation of its own enabling legislation and its Operating Agreement—to kill NCRA by somehow preventing the NCRA from carrying out its state-mandated mission to preserve and repair the railroad and contract for freight and passenger service.
In essence, Arnold offered to cheer SMART if it would swallow a poison pill: anything to prevent NCRA from repairing the track, which is also clearly the objective of Novato’s lawsuit, as spelled out by City Manager Dan Keen.
Just as it’s no stretch to assume Arnold supports Novato’s lawsuit, it’s no stretch to assume MacDonald and Meyers do, especially given that they were handpicked by Arnold.
Now Meyers and MacDonald protest that NCRA is not willing to have them eavesdrop on its strategy sessions for defending against the lawsuit they presumably support.
I seriously doubt that if I were suing the city of Novato, the Novato City Council would welcome my representatives if they wanted to sit in on Novato’s closed sessions to discuss defenses against my suit.
Lionel Gambill
Whatever their intentions, Tom MacDonald and Bernie Meyers should not be surprised to be perceived as having a conflict of interest.
Let’s look at the history:
About a year ago Marin, having shunned North Coast Railroad Authority since 1996, suddenly chose to join, and appointed as its reps Judy Arnold and Jim Leland, both known opponents of rail.
When they resigned from NCRA, Judy Arnold hand-picked as successors MacDonald and Meyers.
Recently, in an editorial, she offered to endorse SMART, on one condition: that SMART attack NCRA and do its best—in flagrant violation of its own enabling legislation and its Operating Agreement—to kill NCRA by somehow preventing the NCRA from carrying out its state-mandated mission to preserve and repair the railroad and contract for freight and passenger service.
In essence, Arnold offered to cheer SMART if it would swallow a poison pill: anything to prevent NCRA from repairing the track, which is also clearly the objective of Novato’s lawsuit, as spelled out by City Manager Dan Keen.
Just as it’s no stretch to assume Arnold supports Novato’s lawsuit, it’s no stretch to assume MacDonald and Meyers do, especially given that they were handpicked by Arnold.
Now Meyers and MacDonald protest that NCRA is not willing to have them eavesdrop on its strategy sessions for defending against the lawsuit they presumably support.
I seriously doubt that if I were suing the city of Novato, the Novato City Council would welcome my representatives if they wanted to sit in on Novato’s closed sessions to discuss defenses against my suit.
Lionel Gambill
Novatans musn’t eavesdrop on suit