What is the deal with Lee Leffingwell?

[Ken Burch]

I just read the thread where he put sharp restrictions on public participation in Austin City Council meetings and banned a guy from speaking because of the way the guy pronounced his name. And Leffingwell is supposedly a DEMOCRAT!

Why did this uptight jerk ever get elected in what is supposed to be the one liberal place in Texas?

Can Lone Star DU'ers give me some clues about this situation?

[Ken Burch]

1. BTW, if any of you know of the guy having redeeming qualities

This would probably be the place to post them, as well.

[Melissa G]

2. A friend of mine who was there tells me:

"Lee is a good person, a member of the ACLU and a strong environmentalist. He is a strong supporter of labor and generally not inclined to make people sit down and shut up. However, he has been taunted and abused over the last several months by a small group of Libertarian nuts, who rarely address the actual issue at hand.
One of the guys who got banned insisted on making fart noises and calling Lee Mayor poopyhead (or something like that). That was the last straw for him. He is not even a resident of Austin and really seems deranged. He could not possibly have a day job.
The other guy who got thrown out has signed up for so many items, he alone would be talking for hours if he got to speak on every item (more than 100). He had his last warning when he insisted on speaking from the audience."

I was not there and cannot speak to this, but I have found my friend to be a knowledgeable source.
Best,
Melissa

[Lithos]

3. That was the meeting on the 24th

Two people were ejected from the meeting for disruption, Ronnie "reeferseed" Gjemre and John Bush, both long time Ron Paul libertarian activists. Mr. Gjemre lives outside the city limits (Lake Travis area) and has run as a Republican in at least one election.

An example of one of the exchanges:

Thank you. I'm ronnie reeferseed, and I'm against more schemes by y'all to thoughtlessly steal from citizens just to balance your books, so as to, for example, pay for fluoridated toxic sludge with which you continually choose to mass medicaid all of us -- medicate all of us against the research wishes of countless informed citizens, many of whom you've heard from each and every week and no more money for your poison pushing sociopaths. That's what you all are proving yourselves to be. We give you the information, it's poison, we don't want to be poisoned. We're tired of poisoning our pets --

Mayor Leffingwell: reeferseed, this topic is on parking meters.

I'm just explaining why I'm against giving y'all more money. You don't know what to do with it. You choose to poisonous with it. You don't deserve any more of our money.

I know Mr. Gjemre went on Alex Jones went on to claim how his civil rights have been trampled, but then again, this was a working meeting with specific procedures and rules of order which were deliberately not being followed. Sad because both of these gentlemen spend a lot of time attending Council meetings (and Travis County meetings), have presented countless times before both bodies, know should know the rules of order and procedure.

L-

[Melissa G]

4. Excellent example, L.

I seem to recall this 'referseed' individual speaking during re redistricting as well. He does come in and sidetrack a lot of discussions. When he spoke to the Lege,re redistricting became about marijuana as I recall. I believe, if memory serves, he may have been wearing a jester hat at one of the sessions.
m