Seedy council violates Freedom of Speech again

It looks like violating citizens’ first amendment rights is back in vogue at the Laredo seedy council meetings.  This time around, it was not the mayor, but councilman Johnny Rendon who decided that he has the right to deny our citizens their constitutional rights. 

Laredo businessman Victor Trevino prepared to speak on his and Danny Valdez Jr’s plans to restore the old Plaza Theater in downtown. As he addressed the council, Trevino obviously knew exactly what he wanted to say and prefaced his statements as follows:

“Before, I begin, I wanted to go ahead and share with you something that goes to the core of why we are here. It’s an important reason why we’re here and it further reinforces our efforts in the downtown area”.

“There was some hesitation to read a letter that was placed on my vehicle the first day we started The Plaza but I think it’s important, I think it sheds light sometimes on change and change is very difficult to accept sometimes, especially in light of the current sitation. It reads something like this.”    

Trevino then proceeds to start reading directly from the letter

“Shame on you, shame on you. The Plaza theater has so much history and to think that the people of downtown are going to let two Mojados that are not even from here try to change it into their profiteering enterprise, you have another thing coming”. 

Trevino continues,

“This hit very close to the heart of our project and besides the letter being hateful, it was some of the obstacles we initially.....”

At this point, Rendon interferes

“Excuse me sir, excuse me…. You were going to present a feasibility study and ...we prefer that you stick to that.

Trevino responds

“OK , you know, it’s just,  I felt that it was something that was important…. but basically it is Downtown that’s very important to Laredo and uh just a little recap, I’d like to go over…..”

Rendon, obviously pleased to have violated Trevino’s first amendment rights butts in again

“Thank you sir”

Thank You sir indeed. Another day of stepping on the constitution at our good ol' seedy council.

The video can be seen at the following link : http://pacstream1.cityoflaredo.com:8800/council/  click on the October 17th, 2011 meeting link.