At Tuesday’s Anaheim City Council meeting, Counicilwoman Kris Murray took out her frustration over the push-back regarding her support for the $158 million tax giveaway to her benefactors on Councilwoman Lorri Galloway. Murray had placed on the meeting agenda the matter of stripping Galloway of her Mayor Pro Tem title. Murray took her action because Galloway, using here official title of Mayor Pro Tem, signed on as a proponent of a proposed charter amendment to require future tax giveaways be presented to the voters for consideration.
Murray claimed her action was not a personal attack. “This is not an action that is taken in a personal way,” she said. But the title shouldn’t be used on a legal document and “the only way to prevent that is to take away the title.”
Mayor Tom Tait saw it differently. “This action tonight is a big step backwards.”
Council members Harry Sidhu and Gail Eastman voted along with Murray to strip the Mayor Pro Tem title from Galloway and appointed Harry Sidhu as the new Mayor Pro Tem.
Galloway called the action retaliation and bullying. “I’ve never needed a title to stand up for what’s right, and I don’t need one now.”
The actions of Murray, Eastman and Sidhu demonstrate that the council majority will stop at nothing to silence those who oppose their back room deals and support their wealthy donors over the interests of Anaheim residents.
Last night, Murray demonstrated that she, along with her colleagues, is nothing more than a petty child.
Update: Council member Lorri Galloway gave this statement to TheLiberalOC: “The removal of my Mayor Pro Tem title will not change the fact that the vote to give away $158 million of taxpayer dollars to one hotel developer was one of the worst decisions in Anaheim’s history. “
Lorrie Galloway deserves the title Mayor Pro Tem! Kris Marray needs to grow up and except what it is.
I have always respected the democratic process and anyone walking into last night’s Anaheim City Council meeting would have been hard pressed to realize that’s what was happening because the council majority (Murray, Eastman, Sidhu) wouldn’t know it if it slapped them upside the head! What happened in last night’s meeting was sickening and I left literally feeling sick to my stomach. In December, the Council elected to make Council member Galloway
Mayor Pro Tem and this became her title. Now, because Mayor Pro Tem Galloway authored and signed a charter amendment that opposes a tax subsidy deal made by the council majority they stripped her of her title because she signed a legal document using the title that they gave to her. What???? Kris Murray’s explanation was not to see it as personal but to insure that it never happens again! The charter amendment was written to insure that back door deals such as the tax subsidy deal never happen to the citizens of Anaheim again. Oops! Did we strip the wrong title from the wrong person? Yes I went there! And while I’m on the subject let me go somewhere else! Mayor Pro Tem Galloway is labor though and through always has been and always will be, it’s in her blood. She has always been a champion for the trades. So for those union members who spoke last night and said that if those hotels are not built in Anaheim, they’re going to be built in Garden Grove…WHAT?????? Yes, that in all likelihood will happen! I can pretty much guarantee that while the Garden Grove City Council is putting their tax subsidy deal together, they’re going to ask the developer, “Now what are you going to give us? Certainly you didn’t think that we were going to act like Anaheim and just give our City away?” So, while we’re on the subject of giving and stripping titles, should we add the title “Ridiculously Irresponsible City Council Member” to Kris Murray, Harry Sidhu and Gail Eastman I mean since it’s not personal or anything.