[13jul16 – This commentary sans update also appeared in the op-ed pages of today’s Union.] 

George Rebane

Well good for her, she has the courage of her convictions and the determination to represent her constituency – the people who voted for her.  While I take great exception to Reinette Senum’s grossly uninformed assertion that the nation’s police “have obviously been given directives to go out there and kill. It’s insane and it’s meant to create mayhem”.  Holding that belief and stating it publicly should not be grounds for requiring an elected public official to resign.  It may be one of the few honest statements politicians have made in this election season about what they believe.

I have known Reinette for years and have enjoyed working with her on panels and local media broadcasts.  We have broken bread together and taken the time to trade views and ideas.  While as a conservetarian I don’t fly in tight formation with her politics and many of her public policies, I do respect her as a strong and energetic voice for a significant and perhaps dominant constituency of Nevada City neighbors who have visibly celebrated her many works in the community.  Today she again represents these people in city government.

We live in a democratic republic in which citizens get to decide the politics and policies of their representatives.  And running unopposed in Nevada City, Reinette was nevertheless elected to serve on the City Council by over 1,000 voters.  It is these people she represents, and they deserve to have their representative seated and serving their best interests.  In our form of governance it is not for those in other jurisdictions to judge and remove those for whom Nevada City voted.

Since we have not heard an outcry from Ms Senum’s constituents asking for her resignation or demanding her recall because she misrepresented herself to them, we can reasonably presume that her stated sentiments also represent those who voted for her.  The only voices that should matter in this affair should be those of Reinette’s constituents.  In America it is not a crime for one cohort of citizens to hold views, whether or not politically correct,  that disagree with those of others even if they are the majority.  In our land diverse and minority viewpoints should also be heard, and they should also be represented in public offices as the laws allow.  Hang in there Reinette.

[13jul16 update] Ms Senum made an additional statement reported in the 11jul16 Union where she is quoted on the front page regarding her controversial Facebook post.  From the Union article –

“It’s a conversation that is overdue,” she told The Union Sunday. “Obviously I hit a sore spot. But it’s a conversation that needs to happen,” adding the whole thing is a concealed political attack from a local group who tries to damage her reputation.  “We will be dealing with them shortly, this is much deeper than what it seems,” she said.

The obvious question on every reader’s mind – Which local group is it whose members will be dealt with shortly?  And who are the “we” surrounding Ms Senum that will be doing what kind of  “dealing”?

A correspondent brought this little item to my attention, and I was unable to answer these questions.  Can anyone help?

[14jul16 update]  Last night at a special meeting called to address council member Reinette Senum’s above reported remarks, the City Council of Nevada City unanimously passed a resolution in support of the Nevada City Police Department and the nation’s police departments.  I thank NC Administrative Supervisor Ms Corey Shaver for sending me a pre-release copy of the passed resolution that has yet to be numbered and fully signed before its official release and posting on the city’s website.  Readers can Download NCresolution_13jul16 .

[18jul16 update]  George Boardman, Union columnist and RR commenter, wrote an excellent article in today’s (18jul16) Union that fills some holes in the community’s awareness of Mr Senum’s deeper ideological recesses and views of the world.  Most of us have been unaware of the lady’s extensive writings and strong opinions found on her FB page which Mr Boardman has researched and presented to us.  From my reading of the piece, the quoted bagatelles are not just gratuitous pickings to pique our ire, but instead represent a germane development of Ms Senum’s attitudes along with some fundamental tenets of her belief system.  In this they are a positive contribution to the community’s ongoing discussion of a complex and multi-faceted issue that cannot and should not be dismissed with one of the several pithy ten-second soundbites now making the rounds.  The Reinette Senum Affair may yet serve as a productive teaching episode for our community.