Pontiac manager: Anti-Semitic remarks yelled at meeting

[struggle4progress]

3/26/2010, 8:34 p.m. EDT
The Associated Press

(AP) — PONTIAC, Mich. - Pontiac's emergency financial manager has filed a complaint with the area office of the Anti-Defamation League stating he was subjected to anti-Semitic remarks during a City Council meeting.

The Detroit News reports that Fred Leeb told the head of the Michigan office of ADL that he was the target of a tirade during Thursday's meeting ...

http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/michigan/index.ssf?/base/national-114/1269653800132630.xml&storylist=newsmichigan

[upi402]

1. Lifting the taboo against Nazi analogies is overdue n/t

[DRoseDARs]

2. I'm not sure if I understand the problem. Was the man a council member or a disrupter?

Was he or not rebuked by the other council members if he was one himself, or was he allowed to continue to disrupt the meeting if he was not a council member? Either way, was this person allowed to continue his tirade or was an effort made to shut him down? The article is exceedingly short on ANY details other than the man was black because, you know, THAT totally matters.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. Not near enough info in the article

I have seen public officials make those kind of disparaging remarks about staff members and even citizens in open session, but its been a while.

[oberliner]

4. Anti-Semitic remark condemned at Pontiac meeting

Here's another article:

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2010/03/25/news/local_news/doc4bac35cf028f9259101080.txt

[struggle4progress]

5. Emergency Financial Manager's Letter To Pontiac

POSTED: Friday, March 26, 2010
March 25, 2010
Fred Leeb, Emergency Financial Manager, City of Pontiac
Initial Response to Anti-Semitic Attack of March 18, 2010

The City's staff and I have taken on a job that is very tough. We are working hard to achieve a rapid and successful financial turnaround for the City of Pontiac despite a depressed economy. We must make the difficult decisions that do not please everyone. I also know that, because there is a financial emergency, I sometimes must make rapid and/or controversial decisions. Therefore, I expected to receive strong criticism from opposing viewpoints when I accepted the appointment as Emergency Financial Manager.

On March 18th at the Pontiac City Council meeting the criticism took another turn. I was verbally assaulted by a cold and calculated anti-Semitic speech. I believe this should have been expected given the climate at City Council meetings, resulting from slander that has targeted me for months. These attacks have come repeatedly from a relatively small group of individuals during the public comment section of many City Council meetings. This new blatant anti-Semitic assault has stepped up this climate of fear and intimidation and is designed to cause me to leave my position as the emergency Financial Manager for the City of Pontiac. It is over the line and I will not put up with it ...

The Mayor and City Council President and the President Pro-tem all have apologized to me for this obvious anti-Semitic assault, which I appreciate. This attack, however, should have been stopped much earlier and not allowed to continue to its end.

I have discussed this with the President of the City Council and he has indicated his willingness to work with me and the Pontiac City Attorney to develop new ground rules for public comment during City Council meetings. This is needed because unwarranted attacks have become the norm from a small group of vocal individuals. These attacks are greatly complicating our efforts to improve the finances and business climate of the city, and they must end ...

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/22967271/detail.html

[DRoseDARs]

7. Thanks all. I'm surprised the AP couldn't be arsed to do better than "he was black."

The Detroit News also has a lot more information than the lazy AP on what happened. Based on this and the other articles posted, it was a public commentor and Leeb feels the city council didn't do enough to take control of the meeting from the disrupter.

[Bozita]

6. Lengthy clips of that meeting were shown on all 3 Detroit teevee stations.

I'm sure the clips would be available at the websites of the stations.

[Bozita]

8. Video from Fox 2 Detroit...

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/brads_edge/taking-a-stand-against-anti-semitism-in-pontiac

[cali]

10. whoa. that's ugly stuff.

hard to be more blatantly bigoted than that. The guy should have been escorted out immediately.

[Bozita]

9. Video from WDIV 4 Detroit...

http://www.clickondetroit.com/video/22971052/index.html