HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-17-2012 Public Comment HedrickRECEIVED
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 JAN 17 2011
SLO CITY CLERK
To: San Luis Obispo City Council
Subject: Discrimination by the Downtown Business Association
It appears that the Downtown Business Association in their
management of the Farmer's Market have been up to their old
tricks of discriminating and treating unequally again. As I have
been made famous by their abuse last year when they obstructed
my political campaign, several people and organizations have
approached me to relate their stories of being denied space for their
activities. These organizations are being blocked in the Farmer's
Market application process still with insurance issues that should
have been resolved by a group insurance for the whole market that
should have been adopted sometime ago.
When I campaigned for mayor in the last election their
misdeeds in their management of the Farmer's Market were
exposed. I was given that request for insurance proof as an excuse
to delay the processing of my application while the insurance
companies would not insure me a space until it was assigned. This
"catch 22" delay consumed half of the campaign time until I came
up with the plan B of taking part in the experience as a person in
the crowd of people attending. I had to do that in the most
noticeable way possible. That included riding my mobility device,
a WWII vintage personal transport which is equal under law to the
other popular senior mobility devices. These devises are under the
horsepower threshold of the authority of the law.
Later in the evening after the Candidates Forum at the
Council Chambers last October where I denounced the
discriminatory practices of the Downtown Business Association
and included a request to review their performance managing the
Farmer's Market, I had an experience of selective discrimination
authored by the DBA. It was near the end of the event and as I
approached the vicinity of the Downtown Business Association's
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information booth, an officer approached me and told me that I had
to take my chariot off the street. The chariot is not under the
authority of the police and I told him that if he was to kick me off
my chariot, then he would have to kick every senior citizen off
their chairs. The argument escalated louder. Another officer that
knows me came up and put his arm around me and requested that
the first cop take our picture. Next the officers traded places and
another picture was taken. The first officer promised to do his
book reading. At that time the behind the scenes guy of the
Downtown Business Association was circling around scratching
his head wondering what had happened to his complaint and
putting the officer up to attempting his malfeasance of law. For
the remaining duration of my campaign I continued to wear my
campaign costume and ride my mobility devise and I have not had
any challenges to my riding my chariot in the Farmer's Market or
any other public venue. The Farmer's Market is a public venue
held on a State Highway. The problem is that is controlled by a
quasi public organization that reports to no government and it is
still not clear by what means they assumed such authority over the
public street.
Once again the DBA sinks to discriminating.
The latest incident of discrimination and unequal treatment
from the management of the Farmer's Market during last weeks
market is another attack on my right to use my personal mobility
device on the public street used for the market activities. In this
case there has been collusion with the San Luis Obispo Police
department to have them enforce the exclusion of my mobility
device while no mention of it applying to other similar classed
mobility devices. This was not told to me by any police officer but
the assignment to deliver the message was placed on at least three
private security guards. All of those guards gave the same story
that the word was coming down from a Lt. S. in the police
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department. They also were in agreement with the police
department taking the request to exclude me uniquely from the
Farmer's Market as coming from the Downtown Business
Association. The laws of the land have not changed. They
consider my chariot a personal mobility devise just like the senior
chairs. What now gives the police the authority to enforce a ban
on me? I consider it a violation of my privacy that the police are
using third party messengers to deliver their threats against what is
not even in their authority in the first place.
At the time I was receiving the threats of enforcement of
nonexistent laws, I was carrying my sign which quoted a
congressman from back east, "You don't get flak, unless you are
over the target". I do campaign for truth and justice and against
organized crime infesting our city and the Downtown Business
Association is acting like it is above the law like you would expect
of organized criminal activity. I would like to call for a study of
just how the Downtown Business Association took such control of
a public street that normal laws are suspended in their presence and
also what their connection with the police department that would
inspire infliction of non existent law.
Let's get back to the contention that the Downtown Business
Association is mismanaging the Farmer's Market. I hear
complaints that they are destroying the market night by their own
abusive over authority of the market. Their self centered
exuberance to serve the downtown circle and denying access to
others interested is hurting the market. It is noticing that there are
becoming more and more vacancies of spaces lately. There are
growing new farmer's markets in the area as a response to the need
for spaces while the downtown Farmer's Market is having farmers
shift to the new markets that de not interfere and control so
harshly. The Downtown Business Association is doing a great _job
of killing off the Farmer's Market on its own. t
I have no part in the mismanagement of the Farmer's Market
which is driving participants away. If anything mp presence on the
street adds to the color of the event and how could one member of
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the public who just participates in the parade of the public up and
down the street be considered such a threat? My spiel is against
malfeasance and corruption in our town. It the shoe I am throwing
fits their feet, perhaps they are corrupt also. How did they get their
power over the public street and the ability to change laws and
involve the police department in such malfeasance?
In protest of the violation of personal rights, I will continue
to ride my personal mobility chariot at any public venue available.
If the Downtown Business Association wants to continue to harass
nay rights and discriminate against my political activities like they
did when they interfered with the local political process, then they
should not complain when they get another black eye in public
opinion. When they obstructed my mayoral campaign last sjear, it
backfired on them. My response to being denied ended up making
me the most recognized person in the town. I still get heaps of
high fs V and knuckle bumps and thumbs up as I ride in any
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public venue, and still heard are shouts of "DonForMay or ".
My presence out there in public places is not a threat to
people's enjoyment of our town. Here in the "Happy T� im LJS A ",
I get more smiles and am more of an amusement to visitors to our
town. I am not the reason for the dwindling of the f'alrmer's
Market. If anything I am helping make it a memorable experience
and help take the publics eyes off the empty, spaces of the market
plw.e. If they did not like the results of their discrimination against
nee that forced me into plan B, what then if I have to come up with
a plan C. I just stand in the light to tell the truth, and the truth is
that cockroaches don't like having the light on them. It is billy for
a serous review of the Downtown Business Association.
Sincerely,
Donald E. Hedrick, Community Activist
Sacramento Drive, San Luis Obispo.
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