Council denies Dems request to agendize item

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Joseph Pena, The East County Californian, Oct 26, 2006

In a show of civil disobedience, Raymond Lutz held signs throughout the El Cajon City Council meeting Tuesday.

One read, “El Cajon, shame on you,” another, “Mr. McClellan, you owe $19,200,” and another, “Mark Lewis, stop hiding.”

Lutz, along with three fellow members of the East County Democratic Club, spoke during public comment, after their request to have an item agendized was denied.

Lutz submitted a four-page proposal to the city clerk last week to discuss the council's approval to show David Barton's Wallbuilders' videos on the government access channel, channel 24.

The item was not approved for the agenda.

Mayor Mark Lewis said the club's actions are election related and that the videos were “innocent enough.”

“They portrayed the Constitution and the Bill of Rights accurately,” Lewis said.

He said the club did not follow procedure to have the item place on the agenda.

“This is not over,” Lutz said. “We will continue to ask to be put on the agenda until we are on it.”

Lutz has considered legal action against the city council, who he said violated its own policy and municipal code by not allowing the item to be agendized.

The Wallbuilders' videos, which aim to educate the “nation concerned with Godly foundations of our country,” were pulled by city manager Kathi Henry after Lutz filed his initial complaint.

In an interview last week, Henry said the videos violated council policy against airing materials that promote religious beliefs.

Lutz has asked that the city air videos with opposing viewpoints, but the request ,was denied.

The videos were produced by Barton, an evangelical and the vice chair of the Texas Republican Party, and aired on the channel at a cost of $4,800 per year.

The council, in violation of its own policy, failed to keep logs for how often the videos were shown. Council member Bob McClellan recommended airing the videos in 2002.

McClellan was the target of Karen Marie Otter's public comments for a statement he made about reeducating citizens on the “true history of America,” in last week's edition of The East County Californian.

“Mr. McClellan, you profess that you're doing a service for your people to re-educate them on the true history of America,” Otter said. “I don't care if you don't believe there is no such thing as a separation of church and state. The City of El Cajon is not your pulpit and you will not preach from it...This city is not your tool to reeducate us.”

Otter also called for McClellan's resignation for his “persistent violations of council policies.” McClellan, Lewis and Gary Kendrick have said the videos are historical.