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Hello, I have received your comments on this resolution and will include them in the council packet for the February 27th meeting. The packet will be published on Thursday morning.
You may access it at:
http://www.cityofhomer-ak.gov/citycouncil/city-council-regular-meeting-150 Thank you, Jo Johnson, MMC City Clerk City of Homer 491 E. Pioneer Avenue Homer, Alaska 99603 907.235.3130 jjohnson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx PUBLIC RECORDS LAW DISCLOSURE:
Most e-mails from or to this address will be available for public inspection under Alaska public records law. From: Patrick Brown [mailto:pbrown5@xxxxxxxxx]
February 20, 2017 Executive Director Zak I am sending this information to alert you as Homer Chamber of Commerce Director to an attempt make Homer a sanctuary
city which will destroy the City of Homer economically and morally. The membership needs to be aware of the efforts by ill-advised and irresponsible council members putting their special own agendas and motives ahead of the well-being and true purpose of council
to manage the services of Homer. I believe they should be held responsible for the wasted time and city staff and others labor hours which do
not serve the best interests of Homer’s future. In addition I believe these members should be censured and make to reimburse the City of Homer as our budget is suffering. I have included my response at the beginning of the letter and the article including the resolution below it.
It’s an attempt by Obama’s new organization to duplicate the Tea Party Movement with goals including wasting time and resources on frivolous activities to bog down local governments to reduce their efficiency and cripple services fermenting anarchy. The end result will be a location no one will visit for tourism or invest resources for economic development
or business. The federal government and State of Alaska will withdraw funding in the future for infrastructure and programs transforming Homer into an Abyss by the Sea where the road ends and the sea washes it memories away! Respectfully, Patrick Brown – Homer Alaska Email:
PBrown5@xxxxxxxxx / Phone 907.775.4638 Homer Sanctuary City The important item to consider is the City of Homer. It has a budget deficit as well as the State of Alaska and
challenged to provide resources to operate the expanding services required at the “End of the Road Where the Sea Begins!” Certain council members have a personal agenda, secret motives and underhanded reasons to negate the rule of law including bash our duly
elected President Trump according to the US Constitution where we are a Republic under God and not mob rule democracy. Certain council members abuse their power attempting to serve the people of Homer. They neglect the critical issues such as the homeless
teens and adults, health care challenges and of course economic development and prosperity for our geographically challenged region. Instead their frivolous activities cost all Homer residents when city staff is required to put labor hours into dealing with
these unwarranted issues. They should be held accountable and made to reimburse the city for costs associated with non-city business. With respect to Sanctuary Cities – they are illegal since it is against the law. We do not want illegal aliens here and the
cost of supporting them with full services which we do not provide to our vets or disabled community members. I do not want my family in danger of rape and murder as in France, Germany, Sweden, Spain and other nations including “no-go” zones in America too.
The Florida airport shooter was from Anchorage and his terrorist training begun in Alaska and exported to acts of violence in the Lower 48. Yes I am a Christian and I do follow the law and Sharia Law is not compatible to the Constitution of the United States
of America. I respect life and women and will not tolerate this excuse for anarchy into our area. I noticed too the recent parade to fight the supposed “War on Women” was merely a ruse for Trump bashing. While the LGBT community states they are treated unfairly
in America – where Sharia Law rules they throw them off roof tops and this wave of military age males flooding the West maims, wounds, destroys and kills Christians at the rate of one Christian is killed every 30 minutes by Islam. So do your job Homer City
Council and know we have your back but you must accept responsibility for governing our peaceful location. Respectfully, Pat
Homer city council goes into full ‘resist Trump’ mode with resolution
Suzanne
Downing February 20, 2017
Alaska News,
Politics
127 Comments
Some Homer residents want to make Homer, Alaska the most intolerant city in the 49th state. A city intolerant of any opposing ideas about what makes a country great. Intolerant
of the legally elected president. Intolerant of enforcing the laws on immigration unless the federal government can document it has the authority to do so.
They want Homer to be an official “resistance” city, and they’ve got a resolution to prove it.
Read on, it gets better.
On Feb. 27, the City Council of Homer will entertain a resolution that smacks President Donald Trump upside his head for, among other things, being elected without “a popular mandate.”
Someone will need to inform the president of this development because he thinks he won 306 electoral votes to 232 for Clinton.
If the resolution passes, Homer will join Dearborn, Michigan’s city council, which this month passed its own resolution rebuking Trump’s travel “pause button” for immigrants from
seven countries that have a high degree of terrorism associated with them.
Mild-mannered Bothell, Washington passed a tame, somewhat simpering inclusivity resolution, which was also aimed at admonishing Trump and his base of voters. Other city councils
have entertained becoming “sanctuary cities,” but Homer’s resolution would create a sanctuary city without saying so directly.
Sanctuary cities are places where local police won’t detain illegal noncitizens on the federal government’s behalf.
Homer’s resolution says it more coyly: “That the City of Homer will resist any and all efforts to profile undocumented immigrants or any other vulnerable population… the City of
Homer will cooperate with federal agencies in detaining undocumented immigrants
when court-issued federal warrants are delivered.” (italics ours). That is a sanctuary city by definition.
We’ll summarize the rest of the resolution for you: Homer, Alaska thinks the president is an awful, dreadful little man who is inciting hatred from sea to shining sea, is undoing
the Paris Climate Treaty, Obamacare, gender-confused bathroom policies, and myriad other Obama stuff. The Homer City Council will, through this resolution, be joining the nascent “resistance movement,” and will not tolerate either the president or the point
of view he represents, which, by the way is nearly 50 percent of the voters in America and a good deal more than that in Homer.
Here’s how Homer voted in November: Homer 1, (District 31-350) voted 433 for Trump to 329 for Clinton. Homer 2, (District 31-360) voted 346 for Trump to 284 for Clinton. We call
that a local mandate, but the Homer City Council may be unwilling to tolerate it. We shall see how the council members vote on Feb. 27.
Readers with anything to say about Homer’s proposed resolution, pasted below, may contact
clerk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, or Mayor Brian Zak at
mayor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx with their civil opinions.
The resolution in full:
CITY OF HOMER, ALASKA
RESOLUTION 17-xxx
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF HOMER, ALASKA, STATING THAT THE CITY OF HOMER ADHERES TO THE PRINCIPLE OF INCLUSION AND HEREIN COMMITTING THIS CITY TO RESISTING EFFORTS TO DIVIDE THIS COMMUNITY
WITH REGARD TO RACE, RELIGION, ETHNICITY, GENDER, NATIONAL ORIGIN, PHYSICAL CAPABILITIES, OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION REGARDLESS OF THE ORIGIN OF THOSE EFFORTS, INCLUDING FROM LOCAL, STATE OR FEDERAL AGENCIES.
WHEREAS, A new administration is in power in Washington, D.C. without a popular mandate;
WHEREAS, During his campaign, President Donald Trump made statements offensive and harmful to the rights of women; immigrants; religious, racial, and ethnic minorities; veterans; the disabled;
LGBTQ citizens; and the general public; and that such statements have continued since his election; and
WHEREAS, The President on numerous occasions has stated clearly his disregard for freedom of speech; freedom of the press; freedom of assembly; and freedom of religion, particularly with regard
to Muslim Americans; and
WHEREAS, The President has not disavowed his intention to create a registry of Muslim Americans and now intends to ban Muslims from entering the United States; and
WHEREAS, The President now is following through on his promises to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, including millions brought here as children who have grown up to know no other life
than that of an American; and
WHEREAS, The President now is following through on plans to build a wall on the border separating the United States from Mexico without apparent regard to its cost, its effects upon our nation’s
economy, or its sociological ramifications, and to impose an ideological test for entry into our country; and
WHEREAS, The President has promised to repeal federal regulations protecting LGBTQ citizens; and
WHEREAS, The President already has issued executive orders to effect the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, which provides tens of millions of Americans with health care insurance coverage; and
WHEREAS, The President has issued executive orders to rescind certain women’s reproductive rights; and
WHEREAS, The President has promised to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement and to remove other environmental protections instituted under the previous administration, and has begun a process
to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency; and
WHEREAS, Before and especially since the election, some citizens have been emboldened to express overtly an intolerance of diversity that is opposed to the views of most Homer residents and most
Americans; and
WHEREAS, The President’s cabinet nominees have expressed views similar to those laid out in the whereas clauses above and thus are largely out of step with the attitudes of most Homer residents;
and
WHEREAS, The presidential election has exposed deep social and political divisions among Americans and these divisions threaten the general peace as expressions of intolerance rise; and
WHEREAS, The City of Homer recognizes that while the minority community here may be relatively small, it may be vulnerable, and that if those residents feel in any way threatened simply because
they are minorities, the City should be on record as opposing all such intolerance; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Homer unequivocally rejects expressions of fear and hate wherever they may exist, and specifically rejects harassment of women,
immigrants, religious minorities, racial and ethnic minorities, and LGBTQ individuals.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Homer embraces all people regardless of skin color, country of birth, faith, sex, gender, marital status, or abilities; and that the City of Homer will not
waver in its commitment to inclusion and to continuing to create a village safe for a diverse population.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Homer will resist any and all efforts to profile undocumented immigrants or any other vulnerable population.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Homer will cooperate with federal agencies in detaining undocumented immigrants when court-issued federal warrants are delivered.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Homer shall steadfastly defend the United States and Alaska constitutions, especially with regard to the former’s precedent-backed right of privacy and the
latter’s specified right of privacy (Article 1, Section 22), and safeguard the rights declared in the Bill of Rights.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Homer will continue its staunch support of our local police in their ongoing efforts to enforce law and protect our community and its visitors in a just,
unbiased and transparent manner.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Homer will declare itself a safety net for the most vulnerable members of and visitors to our community.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Homer calls on all its citizens to stand against intolerance and resist expressions of hate toward any members of the community, and thus to set an example
for the rest of the nation, demonstrating that Homer residents and Alaskans adhere to the principle of live-and-let-live.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Homer City Council this 27th day of February, 2017. CITY OF HOMER
________________________ BRYAN ZAK, MAYOR
ATTEST:
______________________________ JO JOHNSON, MMC, CITY CLERK
Fiscal Note: N/A |