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Health & Fitness

BLOG: Dissecting Mayor Prang's Ego

Have Jeffrey Prang's long years in office warped his perspective of whom he is supposed to be serving?

First, you must read about Mayor Jeff Prang’s comments to the New York Times for their article, “At Least Fun in the Sun Isn’t Banned. For Now...”

This may be a bridge too far for many of the citizens of West Hollywood, even the staunchest defenders of Jeff Prang.

Let’s dissect Mayor Prang’s remarks to the NYT about the propensity of our City Council (him) to “ban” all manner of products, business practices and personal behaviors… shall we?

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“Somebody has to take a stand,” said Prang told the New York Times.

“We don’t ban things on a whim. It’s about impacting public policy more broadly; other cities follow us, partly because it gives them cover.”

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Prang went on to say that progressive groups looking to start grass-roots movements come to the state’s more liberal towns like West Hollywood, Santa Monica and Berkeley because they are more receptive to activist ordinances.

It is said that a gaffe is when a politician accidentally tells the truth. Well, you have to give Mayor Prang credit for telling the unvarnished truth.

Oops!

Where in his comments do you find his argument for doing these things because of the outcry from the West Hollywood citizens he represents?

I’ll answer that. You find that “no where” in his arguments. It’s like he’s talking about a grand estate that he owns where he’s free to enact whatever he pleases without the constraints of those other poor cities that can enact only what their citizens want.

He’s doing it to take a “stand.”

I would suggest it’s his OWN stand, not the stand of his constituents.

He’s doing it because “It’s about impacting public policy more broadly; other cities follow us, partly because it gives them cover.”

Well, isn’t that special? OUR City Council member considers his duty to be… influencing public policy for everyone everywhere by putting that policy in place in our tiny City where he can get away with it… giving cover to other cities. Seriously? It’s his job to give elected officials in other jurisdictions cover from their own constituents?

And, the best reason (translation: most offensive) he gives for doing it is: Prang went on to say that progressive groups looking to start grass-roots movements come to the state’s more liberal towns like West Hollywood, Santa Monica and Berkeley because they are more receptive to activist ordinances.

This is EXACTLY how West Hollywood residents’ voices are drowned out time and time again. The special interest groups bring in their money and their activists from everywhere BUT West Hollywood to tell OUR City Council members what laws they should enact upon the residents of West Hollywood. And who does Jeff Prang listen to? Well, he just told you who he listens to… and it’s NOT us!

In Service of City or Self?

So, after Jeff has said this all so plainly, who do you believe he is serving… the residents and businesses of West Hollywood or his own over-inflated, self-aggrandizing ego?

This is the attitude you get from someone who has served too long. He just gave you a better argument for “Term Limits” than I ever could. Without much fear of being dethroned by the ignorant, compliant masses, much less the desire to listen to them… he serves himself. Our City is merely his personal social experiment!

His ego has apparently gotten so huge, he never even considered that bragging to the NYT about what an important trend-setter he is, was, at the same time, thumbing his nose at every West Hollywood resident who ever voted for him thinking that he was doing their bidding… not the world’s.

Maybe he’s planning a run for mayor of New York – after all, that’s a much bigger platform for imposing his will. Or maybe he's thinking beyond that, and still pursuing his favorite title for himself (pretending it’s a joke)… King of the World!

 

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