Testimony by QCDSA Sergeant At Arms Laura Helena Rodriguez to the City Council of Davenport, Iowa 6/17/2020
“Quad Cities DSA wholeheartedly rejects the city of Davenport proposing ~$521,000 of taxpayer money to go toward an extravagant renovation of a city park. To be clear: Davenport Civil Rights Commission only has a $580,000 budget in place. This park’s proposed budget after grants and private funding is 90% of what is being spent on that commission. You claim it is partially being done to be in compliance with ADA guidelines. That reasoning is a clear slap in the face of disabled people who are under-served by the city’s Civil Rights Commission, which is so severely under-funded that they can only take three/four probable cause discrimination cases to court out of the ten that are currently needed. If there is no money for the civil rights commission, how can the city possibly afford something so unnecessary and over the top at this point in time? If you wish to be in compliance with ADA guidelines, surely that can happen for a fraction of the cost. How on earth do you look minorities and historically underprivileged people in the eye and tell them there is simply not enough money to follow through on helping them with discrimination lawsuits, yet somehow have the money in the budget for fog machines, LED lighting, plants, and a performance stage?? City council just last week spoke glowingly about well-known East Village bigot Mr John Wisor and voted in support of expanding his business. One council member noted after the meeting that if they were to reject every plan of known bigots around town that there wouldn’t be very much business to be had. That very same member voted last year to approve illegitimate and inexperienced appointees to the civil rights commission against the will of the public, in what objectively looked to be done in retaliation towards the director for her accusation of sexual harassment against the former mayor. When the puzzle pieces start coming together, this appears to be very corrupt situation. This city does not need another park renovation. This city needs to repent and turn course, starting with righting the wrongs of the previous administration and fixing the existing budget disparity, before any further pet projects should go through.”
Most of it was read aloud until they got to “This city needs to repent-” and apparently he said, “there are other words on here, I’m not going to say.”
…..See… last time I said that particular word, “repent”, at city hall, a “biblical” flood followed. Must not wanna even try that one!!!