It’s becoming more and more apparent that Temecula City Hall has a bias.
Some three years ago, when given the opportunity to stand for and reaffirm your support for our U.S. Constitution, most of you chose instead to shelve the resolution in the face of a small but vocal minority of socialist supporters.
It seems quite strange and downright bizarre, since you have each taken the Oath of Office to support and defend the Constitution. Our U.S. Constitution enshrines the concept of divinely gifted individual freedoms protected from the tyrannies of authoritarian and collectivist mob rule. Socialism is collectivist statism that inevitably devolves into authoritarianism and dictatorship.
In 2020, this council at the June 9 city council meeting adjourned in memory of George Floyd. Floyd has morphed into a sort of political Rorschach test, and yet he did deserve his day in court.
But Floyd was a deeply flawed person with a violent criminal history making him a poor choice to be revered like past slain civil rights martyrs.
Timing wise, this adjournment was seemingly done by the city council to appease a mob of left-wing Black Lives Matter agitators.
Perhaps not coincidentally soon after, the city quickly moved to create – under the cover of COVID-19 shutdown darkness – the Race, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Commission, replicated from a deeply biased National League of Cities’ blueprint called the REAL Program.
The NLC’s REAL Program was hatched by the left-wing agitation group Race Forward, aka the Center for Social Inclusion, and the Government Alliance on Race and Equity, a subsidiary of CSI and Race Forward.
Race Forward has been lavishly funded by the George Soros backed Open Society Foundations, a far left-wing globalist and activist philanthropy.
Despite many objections by community members against the REDI Commission, the city council overwhelmingly continues to support this left-wing endeavor.
More recently, the city council overwhelmingly voted to block any discussion of considering Temecula as a pro-life “sanctuary city” despite the governor signing 13 extreme abortion-on-demand bills. Once again, the council cowed to the leftists; the loud and rude pro-abortionists agitating within city council chambers.
It was enlightening to learn of the views of city council members, particularly Councilmember James “Stew” Stewart, who said he was 100% pro-choice. I suppose that we all can now presume that his 100% support includes the aborting of late-term babies at seven months, eight months or even up to the day of birth. Stew… What a guy you are.
It has now come to attention that the Temecula Gunfighters are facing the cancellation of the upcoming Oct. 15-16 Temecula Western Days. The gunfighters are historical re-enactors, street performers who exercise their constitutional freedoms to improve the historical education of our area and of the Old West. Where is the due process for the Temecula Gunfighters when the city changes the conditions in which they perform at the last minute?
Yet whenever adult-oriented drag queen shows are promoted in the city schools, Mayor Matt Rahn and Councilmember Zak Schwank downplay the controversy and concerns of local parents and citizens. So, the drag queens have their constitutional rights? Of course they do.
But where does Rahn stand on the constitutional rights and freedom of speech for the Temecula Gunfighters? At the last meeting, Rahn described himself as a big fan of the Constitution and a huge proponent of freedom of speech.
At this point, however, I fully expect the Temecula Gunfighters to get kicked to the curb by City Hall just like the U.S. Constitution supporters got kicked in 2019, just like the advocates of racially blind and impartial city government got kicked in the wake of the REDI Commission and just like the pro-life supporters got kicked recently in city council chambers.
All of it clearly illustrates the left-wing bias that is becoming quite apparent throughout Temecula City Hall.
Resolutions, proclamations and commissions that favor left-wing agitation groups get green-lighted. Yet any consideration for local conservatives, American patriots, Constitutionalists and pro-life advocates get … aborted, by a majority of this city council.
As elected representatives for the voters and residents in Temecula, you must address and correct this bias. It is inherently unfair to many swaths within our community. If you cannot see this bias for yourselves, then you are like fish in the water who cannot sense being wet.
The city seal of Temecula is imprinted with the city motto “Old Traditions, New Opportunities.” The Temecula Gunfighters are part of our traditions. I believe that Temecula has other high and worthy traditions, such as colorblind justice, the protection and promotion of innocent life and reverence and faithful adherence to our Constitution. As city council members, you should all take this opportunity to govern according to these ideals and standards.
Rick Reiss
Temecula resident
