Citizens of La Mesa have more cause than the sales tax to flee the "Jewel of the Hills". In addition to "tithing" to the city and state each time they make purchases, they must contend with "Big Brother" -- Mayor Art Madrid.

Saturday's Union-Tribune described Madrid's plan to add an agenda item, "Set the Record Straight", to City Council meetings. This proposal would have allowed council members to "bring 'any item they deem inaccurate or that misrepresents the facts.' City officials would have a chance to 'factually respond' during that portion of the meeting. Members of the news media would have been invited to meetings to clarify or support their statements."

Tipping his hand, Vice Mayor Mark Arapostathis "cautioned that he didn't want the measure to be seen as a way to punish or target anyone". Rather, "'It should be a method to remain transparent.'"

Indeed, this plan has more in common with the Orwellian "Ministry of Truth" than with "transparency". The Council would be placing journalists, other media members and outspoken citizens, not themselves, under the harsh light of public interrogation. As SDUT noted, "Madrid said he felt it was the council's responsibility to correct inaccurate information about the city in the public domain":

"You can't make outrageous statements or gross misrepresentations without consequences," he said.

In fact, there have been consequences in the past for criticizing the Mayor and Council. At Madrid's direction, the La Mesa City Attorney sent a letter to a citizen, threatening legal action against him for alleged defamation, when he spoke out in the public comments portion of an official Council meeting in 2006. Given that this action raised serious First Amendment issues (not to mention the legal fact that "public figures", such as elected officials, have a greater burden of proof in defamation cases -- they must prove actual malice), the letter was subsequently withdrawn. Nevertheless, a message was clearly sent: "Don't mess with us!"

Fortunately, the motion to create the new agenda item failed at last Tuesday's Council meeting. Only two Council members -- Madrid and Arapostathis -- voted for it. The other three wisely noted that the City already has the means -- such as issuing press releases -- to counter criticism. Such access to a public medium, in fact, is one reason for the greater burden of proof borne by public figures in defamation cases. Private individuals have a lesser ability to avail themselves of such a "bully pulpit".

Here's a different idea for Madrid and Arapostathis. How about getting to work on the fiscal disaster that is today's City of La Mesa instead of building a political spin machine to cover up unpopular decisions and policies? Don't you serve at the pleasure and for the benefit of the People?

Speaking of unpopular decisions:

A second story in the same SDUT edition described another brouhaha that occurred at last week's Council meeting. Military veterans showed up to voice their outrage that the Mayor and Council had abolished the longstanding tradition of appointing a citizens' committee to select the Grand Marshal for La Mesa's annual Flag Day Parade, which will be held on May 30. In the process, they dumped 99-year-old John Finn, a veteran of Pearl Harbor who received the Medal of Honor, who has been citizens' perennial choice to lead the event.

Instead, the Council voted, unanimously, to select Shannon O'Dunn as this year's Grand Marshal. The explanation from the Ministry of Truth is that she "led a successful effort to raise money to stage the parade this year . . . after the council in January cut its entire $10,500 budget" for the event. An alternative reason for O'Dunn's selection is contained in the article's mention that she is "a former City Council Candidate". Dunn's campaign in the 2008 cycle was targeted at unseating Council member Ruth Sterling, who cast the sole vote against putting Proposition L -- the sales tax increase that will hit La Mesans tomorrow - on the November ballot. Despite outspending Sterling, O'Dunn lost.

In their rush to provide O'Dunn (who endorsed Prop L) with a consolation prize, the rest of the Council has thrown a true American war hero under the bus. Councilman Dave Allan, who voted for the tax increase, preferred to call Finn's ouster a "miscommunication". "This city loves its veterans," he told SDUT. "We would not do anything to hurt the veterans that served this country."

Unfortunately, Allan (who apparently served in the Army) and his fellow Council members have injured La Mesa's veterans. I am one of them. For my part, I plan to boycott the parade and urge all local active-duty military and veterans to do the same. Who can stomach watching a political hack, no matter how much money she raised, lead the parade for political reasons, instead of a true hero from the Greatest Generation? As Richard "Sunny" Farrand, a veteran who spoke out at last week's Council meeting, put it, "If it weren't for men like him, we wouldn't have a flag to salute."

It should be noted that the Medal of Honor is usually a posthumous award. The acts of selfless heroism that merit the honor usually lead to the death of the recipient (the "ultimate sacrifice") on the field of combat. La Mesa is highly fortunate to have a living Medal of Honor awardee. As far as I'm concerned, he should lead the parade every year.