Three years ago, a real hero — not the many fake ones you see in politics who lie as easy as breathing, who lead mobs to hate and attack innocent countries like Israel and Ukraine — used this website to tell the truth about Andrew Cuomo. This hero stopped a campaign for Manhattan Borough President to stop blue MAGA for all of us. Her name’s Boylan, Lindsey Boylan BTW. Although I will never be a Lindsey Boylan, I’m going to try.
See, we have a crisis back home in the Puget Sound. Avrum (Alex) Tsimerman is running around hurling hate. Some presiding officers feel they can’t act or act decisively. Well Tsimerman just tweeted his admission any presiding officer can:
Tsimerman just admitted presiding officers can act to stop the “nazicalut” and other hateful rhetoric. So far, some have taken after Ukrainian courage and closed the skies to stop the hate at:
- Seattle City Council
- Sound Transit
- Puget Sound Regional Council
- City of Bellevue Council (shut down Tsimerman almost every meeting but no long-term trespass)
- Port of Seattle Commission just got new rules to put in a long-term trespass if need be
This leaves the City Council of Redmond, which has become Tsimerman’s fire base to attack Bellevue and other jurisdictions with. This also leaves King County Council that is acting at best unevenly, at worst feebly. This then leaves the City of Bellevue Council which won’t ban Tsimerman for a period of time but will stop his abuses of public comment.
I hope today’s news means a sea change in those jurisdictions. Tsimerman is a one-man City Council Death Squad and MAGA spokesman.
COMMEMORATE FEBRUARY THE TWENTY FOURTH!
Yes, this entire anti-Tsimerman campaign has Ukrainian tones and today Ukraine has been at two full years of full scale war. So I’m out there quoting Zelensky (MFA of Ukraine) for inspiration and to give others inspiration. We’re fighting for our freedom from hate, just as the Ukrainians are. At a time when I could just tap out, I’m like Zelensky… “I don’t need a ride, I need more ammunition.”
Sadly, the Washington State Government seems to be lacking in that department. Let’s start with the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) and the Attorney General’s Office, which have given little assistance in this situation. Both of those bodies could coach local governments to stand up against hate and show moral courage. Err on the side of RCW 42.30.240 (4) and ensuring “orderly conduct of the meeting”:
Nothing in this section diminishes the authority of governing bodies to deal with interruptions under RCW 42.30.050, limits the ability of the governing body to put limitations on the time available for public comment or on how public comment is accepted, or requires a governing body to accept public comment that renders orderly conduct of the meeting unfeasible.
I will also add 2023 was the year we had reasonable hope that the Public Disclosure Commission could help save us. If only Tsimerman could be fined sufficiently for not filing his campaign finance paperwork and those fines could stick, then this would all end. But we have instead found the Public Disclosure Commission to be feeble, if not feckless, and certainly failing in its response to Tsimerman. I would also add that the WA Governor’s Office and Governor Jay Inslee had the opportunity to lead here to support rulemaking petitions when proposed last year but refused. I hope this year, the Public Disclosure Commission’s strategic planning process ends with a focus on stronger tools for transparency.
This Lindsey Boylan quote seems appropriate today three years on:
In conclusion, let me say this: The stunning admission that Tsimerman can be stopped from Tsimerman himself should embolden the forces defending our commons. Should light the fire within of every patriot who wants to be a leader.
So I paraphrase Zelensky to all:
Do not ask minorities fighting for civility when the war will end. Ask yourself — why Tsimerman is still able to continue it.
The answer is clear: Because Alex Tsimerman is not stood up to.
What is going on in Redmond is a test. Failure to pass this test means we will have all the good work done so far to protect our commons start to be undone. Tsimerman brought his hate to Redmond, and we will security export to Redmond — as we would to Renton or Edmonds or any other community — protections.
I fight because I have agreed with Ukrainian President Zelensky for a long time:
Democracies should not withdraw from the historical process — the process of protecting all the values that have shaped our modern world.
So let us press on and not retreat from the values of protecting transparency, defending democracy and ending hate speech in public comment. Let us win in Redmond, make an example of a disgraced presiding officer, and start a new beginning.