Brickbat: Surprise Ejection

Mayor Skip Hall of Surprise, Arizona, had Rebekah Massie removed from a City Council meeting when she attempted to raise concerns about the city attorney's salary. Hall cited a section of the council's public comments policy that bars speakers from making complaints about city employees or council members. When Massie protested that the policy violates the First Amendment, Hall had police officers remove her. She has been charged with suspicion of trespassing, obstructing government operations, and resisting arrest—all misdemeanors.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

...the council's public comments policy that bars speakers from making complaints about city employees or council members.

It's in the policy. There's nothing you can do.

[Longtobefree]

"There’s nothing you can do."

Really?

When in the course of human events - - - - - - - - - -

[Don't look at me!]

Whoa, hold up there. We are talking about Policy.

[mad.casual]

trespassing, obstructing government operations, and resisting arrest—all misdemeanors

She's lucky there were no capital police officers present.

[mad.casual]

I'm no fancy, high-falutin' city attorney, but unless I'm mistaken (or Reason misrepresented the facts), she was complaining about his salary, not the person themselves.

[Sometimes a Great Notion]

Attacks on me the salary, quite frankly, are attacks on Science the lawyer.

[Stupid Government Tricks]

If this is a case I first saw a couple of days ago, the summary is a bit wrong. The mayor says the policy prohibits "charging with a crime or complaining about" (my paraphrasing) city employees.

It does not prevent praising. What she should have done is spent three minutes heaping praise on the city attorney's high salary, bragging about how high it is, congratulating him on sucking up so many dollars from every resident's property tax, etc etc etc.

[Ersatz]

It would have been an interesting approach. I hope she comes back after serving her 20+ years and tries that with his grandson who will have inherited that position.

[Fist of Etiquette]

...she attempted to raise concerns about the city attorney's salary.

That city attorney (who goes unnamed in the piece) is doing a crackerjack job if he/she/it has managed to keep unconstitutional rules in the policy without notice.

[Unodir4]

Limited Public Forum law is deeply flawed and provides government too much leeway to censor speech based on content. If the government opens up a forum for speech (eg citizen comment period) it should become a public forum period. Reasonable time, space, and manner restrictions still apply.....critizing a public employee is not a reasonable restriction.

[diver64]

It would seem to me that the policy is directed towards those who would show up and lob personal attacks at people who they bear a grudge against. It doesn't preclude complaining about budgetary matters and salaries of employees is budget. Unless I can find an actual recording of what she said I'm guessing all charges dropped at the threat of a lawsuit.