COUNCIL: Different strokes - and counts

After reading the article on the front page of The Press on the 12th, I find myself wondering where staff writer Tom Hasslinger learned his math. His claim, made in his article “Sex and the City (Government)” that the number of people present at the City Council meeting speaking against the equal rights resolution were an “overwhelming majority,” is completely inaccurate.

As a person who attended and spoke at the meeting, I can verify that the “majority” he described was more like 50-55 percent. Furthermore, the City Council asked that persons not repeat points others had previously made in order to save time, a request completely ignored by the opposition.

For every unique point made by those in support, another spoke, only to repeat the complaints of the ones before. When 40-45 percent (the amount of persons speaking in favor) can each come up with unique and fitting points, no one can really expect the City Council to choose this over 55 percent of the people making nearly identical statements, as provided by the mega-church which prepared those statements.

The City Council made the correct decision, based on the information given and refused to be bullied by a single church’s attempts to dictate law in our city. Any candidate who cannot see this is not likely to be a good addition to our community.

LeROY BYRD

Coeur d’Alene