Trumanesque Leadership...HELL NO!

President Harry S. Truman, the thirty-third President of the United States, had a sign on his desk in the Oval Office; it read, “"I'm From Missouri,” on one side and "The Buck Stops Here,” on the other side. By placing that sign on his desk, President Truman was stating that he was responsible for ALL decisions made in the Oval Office…ALL of them!

Contrast that character of leadership with Carmel-by-the-Sea’s leadership, or rather lack of leadership….

If Carmelites had accountability in government in Carmel-by-the-Sea…

If the Historic Resources Board Members, Principal Planner Brian Roseth, City Attorney Don Freeman and City Administrator Rich Guillen had as their primary allegiance the residents of Carmel-by-the-Sea, instead of the Mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea…

Then…

Historic Resources Board Chairperson Julie Wendt and Historic Resources Board Members Paul Coss, Erik Dyar, Kay Holz, Erling Lagerholm would offer a full explanation for why they unanimously voted to “remove all post-1940 historic properties from the Inventory of Historic Resources pending completion of an update of the Historic Context Statement,” instead of correctly interpreting the Historic Preservation Section of the Local Coastal Program.

Principal Planner Brian Roseth would explain the genesis of the removal of all post 1940 historic properties from the Inventory of Historic Resources; specifically, who ordered him to misinterpret the Local Coastal Program and why did he author the staff report recommending Option #2, the removal of all post-1940 historic properties from the Inventory?

City Attorney Don Freeman would explain why he, present at the meeting on 23 January 2006, addressed questions from the Board and audience, and then allowed the agenda item to be decided by the Historic Resources Board? Especially in light of his recent statement at the 2 May 2006 City Council meeting, the Historic Resources Board “did not have the legal authority to take the buildings off the list.” And he should explain when he concluded that the Historic Resources Board did not have the legal authority, before or after his meeting with the California Coastal Commission staff?

City Administrator Rich Guillen would explain his incompetence on this issue as the manager of the City.

AND Mayor Sue McCloud would explain how it is that she, who incessantly praises herself and her administration for the certification of the Local Coastal Program in November 2004, could be so ignorant of its contents that she allowed this item to be placed on a Historic Resources Board agenda? Furthermore, McCloud should explain whether she initiated the removal of these historic properties herself; that is, did she give policy direction to Principal Planner Brain Roseth to remove properties from the Inventory?

Regardless of whether the Historic Resources Board Members, Principle Planner Brian Roseth, City Attorney Don Freeman, City Administrator Rich Guillen, and Mayor Sue McCloud forthrightly and completely answer these questions, Mayor Sue McCloud has demonstrated a total absence of Trumanesque character---after all, she is, by virtue of her position as mayor, ultimately responsible for this fiasco.