The latest need to focus on Councilwoman Hand's melo-dramatics eclipses the last tragedy (in which she inferred several weeks ago that anyone believing in "term limits" was not democratic). 

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I suppose those of us who believe in term limits, are unversity-educated and lettered are nothing more than Communist Pinko's.  Pigs fly too, don't they Councilwoman Hand?  

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I don’t believe for a second that Councilman Beckman made the outlandish accusations leveled against him -- that he had taken the time to accuse Councilwoman Hand of smoking pot and using other drugs in her music shop. 

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And who did Councilwoman Hand have as a supporter to challenge the dubious claims supposedly made by Councilman Beckman? 

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A drug user -- a drug user who admitted as much at Monday night's Tehachapi City Council Meeting.  Frankly, I don't know whether to laugh or to cry for this drug user that supported Hand with his admission of drug usage--and so what if Hand used drugs in her music shop.  According to the drug user:  "it's none of his business".  Now that's forward thinking.  That's original.  That's noteworthy for publication.

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This guy, whoever he was, was so "out of it", to believe that his spectacle of an admission of drug usage is something anyone of common sense or reason wanted to even hear, would embrace or be persuaded by anything he would say after his public admission of drug usage.  I don't dialogue with drug users at City Council meetings.

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Before you insult my intelligence Ms. Hart – please slap me.  That’s the lesser of the insults.  Your association with publicly avowed pot smokers who stand before a public forum of the City Council and make such an admission of drug usage – is plain view evidence that your drug-user supporter -- "is several salads away from the picnic", "the lights are on but no body's home", "he's in a world all by himself"; and "he's not the brightest bulb on the tree".  There's a reason they call that stuff -- dope.  What does that say of you and the Councilwoman, Ms. Hart?  Please deduce the logical conclusion.

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When my family came to Tehachapi in the early 1970s, you were required to come to Tehachapi with the requisite "wherewithal" because there were no employment venues except the feed store.  Tucker Road only went to Highway 202 (now called Valley Boulevard) and did not go through to Highline.  Moreover, the entire 4 corners of Tucker and Valley were all cow pasture. 

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There certainly were not persons who were avowed drug users speaking before the City Council.  They would not have had money to sustain themselves in Tehachapi because they would have smoked it all.  Times have really changed.  Monday night was a Sad Night for Tehachapi.

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Councilman Beckman just has too much "class" to reach for the "new low" occurring at the council meeting Monday night.  If Hand thinks that she can detract from the substantive issues that will confront the Council next Monday night, she’s can go pound sand first and leave the rest of the publicly-avowed drug users in "La La Land" at "La La Land" for "La La Landers", and away from City Council meetings where rationale discussion and thought is suppose to take place.  

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Holly Hart appears to be a blueprint of Councilwoman Hand in making ill-thought comments that only backfire because neither person possessed any supporting evidence or authority at all.  In this instance, Holly Hart’s failure to name the persons she claims told her the outlandish remarks attributed to Councilman Beckman – renders her accusation meritless, lacking in any credibility at all  and does in fact position her for a defamation lawsuit and the resulting general and punitive damages. 

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Based upon my forty (40) years in law as a practicing paralegal and law instructor for 20 years -- USC, UCLA, Univ. of West LA Law School and National Honor Society -- "Truth" is an absolute defense to a defamation lawsuit.   However, if you fail to prove the truth, then you've set yourself up for a malicious prosecution lawsuit by the former defendant that equally carries punitive damages.  If Councilwoman Hand truly believes in the veracity of her claims, then she should sue Councilman Beckman.  She's better win though; and I don't think Holly Hart nor the drug user will be very compelling witnesses, however, as evidenced by last night's fiasco. 

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Ms. Hart, I hope your malpractice insurance is paid up.  It is also hoped that you have a golden parachute. 

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If Ms. Hart or the Councilwoman really had sound judgment, they certainly would have chosen a better spokesperson than an avowed drug user who makes that admission at the City Council meeting.  How "stuck on stupid" can you get?  Do you really know what you look like now?  What makes either one of you -- Ms. Hart, Councilwoman Hand or the Drug User -- redeeming in any respect now?  My goodness, you put your foot in your mouth this time.  You disgrace your offices and Monday night's episode was compelling proof of that assessment.

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Moreover, your avowed drug user's public comment, besides confessing to using illicit drugs, was equally bucket-bottom, shallow and superficial.  The fact that the pot smoker got no mileage whatsoever from such a public admission of drug usage – and worst – didn’t even realize that he would get no mileage from such an admission – is clear example he has in fact been smoking too much.   It's why they call it "dope".

I wasn’t able to take time to come to Monday night’s spectacle because I was rehearsing to sing Hayden’s Theressien Mass and Handel’s Messiah with the Tehachapi Symphonic Chorus and Tehachapi Symphonic Orchestra on November 11^th and December 21^st respectively.  I’m inclined to opt for quality when I present myself in public.  That's how "thinking people" respond.

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Ms. Hart and Councilwoman Hand – please leave your pot smoking supporter at home the next time.  It will be curious to see what you Councilwoman Hand and you Ms. Hart will do for Damage Control to your already laboring reputations for sound judgment, logic, analytical reasoning ability and discretion.  I’ve haven’t seen any of that substance yet.  I heard about the superficial in a forum that was supposed to be dwelling on the substantive issues affecting  Tehachapi.   Anyone who came to your rescue on this drama-queen fiasco is equally in La La Land.  You two ladies are doing a fine job of "hanging yourselves out to dry".

Ms. Hart – if your thought processes are equally illogical when it comes to interpreting the Education Code, the Board’s in trouble.  Ms. Hart, you clearly didn’t get to the Board on analytical reasoning skills unless the exercise thereof simply escaped you at Monday night’s Council meeting.  I do hope that it was simply an escape in thought before tanking. 

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You didn’t help your friend, Councilwoman Hand.  Frankly, I think that you and your publicly espoused drug user supporter – further diminished the credibility of the Councilwoman whose veracity for making well-reasoned comments is already dubious by her own conduct at still another City Council meeting.  Frankly, I don’t care for the theatrics especially at my taxpayer expense. 

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You Councilwoman Hand really want to endear educated, lettered people to you?  Your better course of action would have been a letter directly to Councilman Beckman or a lawsuit against him, if you honestly believe you have a cause of action.  You can get legal counsel free in most cases.  Ask the City Attorney.  The forum you chose really makes your accusation in a City Council Meeting all the more suspect – particularly when there are substantive issues that are facing the City of Tehachapi. 

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Councilwoman Hand, frankly, your conduct on Monday evening leaves you all the more suspect – not for the accusations leveled against Councilman Beckman, but for your duplicative exercise of poor judgment in the public forum you choose for what should have been -- private commentary in a private forum.  You didn’t take this issue to its logical conclusion; and hence, got zero mileage – again.  With all due respect, you should think before reacting with sad theatrics.  So far, you're batting zero.

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I'm glad I wasn't at the Council Meeting for my time to be wasted.  This description of last night's events turns Leadership on its head, and makes a spectacle of it all.  It really is time for an election to "raise the bar". 

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Don't kill the messenger.  Rather look in the mirror and shoot yourselves for opening your mouths and putting your foot it it.

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Ms. Hart, again, I hope your malpractice insurance as well as Councilwoman Hand's insurance is paid up, and that you don't lose a defamation lawsuit.  Bear in mind that your public comments at the City Council Meeting will in fact be used against you with credible witnesses who heard your public comments.  They'll certainly be more credible than a drug user.

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By the way, please don't attempt to assail me for my characterization of the lack of credibility of your drug user supporter.  You chose him.  Believe that drug users need help?  Of course I do.  Believe I must embrace drug users?  Never.  I'll leave that to the two of you -- Ms. Hart, Tehachapi Unified School District Board Member and Tehachapi Councilwoman Hand.   

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With tongue in cheek, I'm thrilled with your Leadership.  If my comments sound ascerbic (for your placing women who even think of running for public office in a bad light), you're correct.  Last night's theatrics went over like a lead balloon.