No trespassing. That means you, Mayor Talmas!

We received these photos through a public document request with the City of Woodinville.

When Talmas failed to bully an opposing Council member into resigning, his people set out to harass him into submission.

According to an email obtained by Ethical Woodinville: on March 10, 2013, the Talmas' agent went onto the Councilman's property while no one was home, and photographed what he claimed were "code violations" for repairs being made to his leased home.

The photos were sent to the Councilman in a threatening e-mail.

Wouldn't this make any person feel like they were being stalked and their privacy violated?

We need stronger ethics rules restricting bullying and harassment by a mayor or Council member toward their peers. We elect them to do a job for us, not fight and bully each other. And most definitely not to trespass and spy on each other.

Stop the name calling

Bernie Talmas and Bounty-Sanders call citizens and other council members “bitch,” “evil,” and “mean cafeteria lady.” 

Seriously?

On May 18, 2013, Councilmember Bounty-Sanders sent an email to a group of Talmas supporters about campaigning against another Councilmember. She said, “Bernie and I recruited heavily” to find an opponent. That’s fine if that is how they want to spend their time.

But the email, which was apparently from both Talmas and Boundy-Sanders (using “we” and “us” throughout to refer to herself and Talmas), referred to certain citizens that she and Talmas do not like as “bitch” and “evil” and “mean cafeteria lady.” 

These are not words used by civil-minded public servants working for the good of the community.

Is this junior high School and it’s all about them? Or are they our elected public servants working for Woodinville?

Call Bernie Talmas and Susan Bounty-Sanders today at 425-489-2700 or email them both at citycouncil@ci.woodinville.wa.us.

Ask them to stop the bullying and demand they vote yes on stricter ethics rules for Council conduct.

Why we need to keep pushing

If you read the Mayor's words in the Woodinville Weekly this week, you will see why we need to keep pushing for stronger ethics rules for City Council behavior.

Talmas' take on an ethics ordinance? "You can’t, as a Council, infringe on someone’s freedom of speech rights" he said.

How is it infringing on the Mayor's free speech to ask him to keep his operatives off the private property of his fellow Council members? How does it violate Talmas' rights to ask him to pull the secret late-night watchers from in front of other Council members' homes, watching the coming's and goings and reporting back to the Mayor?

How does it violate Talmas' rights to ask that, while they are in public, they conduct themselves in a manner of which Woodinville citizens can be proud?

Keep calling your Council members and the Mayor! You are having an impact, but we must keep up the pressure until the Council votes and passes it.