Comments From Public Won’t Be Televised

The City Council voted 3 to 2 on Tuesday against a proposal by Councilman William Dalton to televise the oral communications portion of its meetings. The council has in the past broadcast the portion of the meeting where the public addresses the council about matters not on the agenda.

The council ended the broadcasts in January.

“What they’re trying to do is have no negative things said about the city on television,” said Ray Littrel, a former city councilman. “I think it’s important to let the people view as much about their government as they can.”

Dalton said that not televising that portion of the meeting is a form of censorship.

“We’ve taken the people out of politics,” Dalton said. “If I’m concerned about five minutes of criticism, I shouldn’t be on the council.”

Mayor Bruce Broadwater and Councilmen Mark Rosen and Mark Leyes voted against the proposal, saying that some people take advantage of the opportunity to be on television and prolong meetings.

“There’s a certain group of individuals who are more interested in pulling down the pants of the City Council and not good government,” Broadwater said. Broadwater said that permitting television exposure contributed to the suicide of Muhammad Akram Qureshi, a Garden Grove man who set himself on fire last June after a court ruled he could not enter City Hall or the Islamic Society of Orange County’s Garden Grove mosque. Qureshi was known to have caused disturbances at the meetings.

“I allowed him to speak every week for two years,” Broadwater said. “I never should have allowed it. I’m never going to allow it on TV again.”

Rosen said that he and other council members are always available to hear comments from the public and that televising public comments just causes people to act for the cameras.

“We conduct serious business at these public meetings, and then we go into closed session to discuss important personnel matters and litigation. It helps to be halfway alert when we make those decisions.”

“I feel we manage our agenda time very well,” said Councilman Ho Chung, who supported the proposal. “Even though some speakers take advantage of it, we have to leave the door open to them.”

Leyes said that viewing council meetings on TV is not a right; it is a privilege. He said that some people will always complain whether public comments are televised or not.

Dalton disagrees. “It’s not a matter of giving our numbers out,” he said. “The people want to see what other members of the community think. Someone can bring up something another hadn’t thought of, and it helps them to understand what’s happening in Garden Grove.”

Chris Ceballos can be reached at (714) 966-7440.