Mayor Quirk-Silva Addresses the Kelly Thomas Hearing

Quirk-Silva letter

I’m sure that for some people this will not be enough — there’s no condemnation of other Councilmembers here, no howl to slake a thirst for blood and vengeance.  There’s just human sympathy and understanding; noting the (quite appropriate) steps she took in the immediate wake of the tragedy; laying out various other constructive steps that she has taken in the months since (working within the system and with some people, like Dan Hughes, that critics would like to see removed — but who are still in place and will either help improve the situation or let it become worse); recognizing a balance of interests and respect for the work of the judicial system; and implicitly expressing a trust for voters to make up their own minds about what they think should happen next, now having at hand some of the stark and startling evidence that has previously been kept confidential pending this week’s preliminary hearing.

Some people will find this wanting in all sorts of ways.  As someone who does believe in the ability of a well-managed government to work through even such a horrible tragedy, this simply strikes me as good and decent leadership.  Maybe Mayor Quirk-Silva could have better capitalized on the situation by politicizing it, but she didn’t — and now people can decide what they think about that.

I think that she’s one of the politicians in the area who knows how to govern humanely and well.


About Greg Diamond

Somewhat verbose attorney, semi-disabled and semi-retired, residing in northwest Brea. Occasionally ran for office against jerks who otherwise would have gonr unopposed. Got 45% of the vote against Bob Huff for State Senate in 2012; Josh Newman then won the seat in 2016. In 2014 became the first attorney to challenge OCDA Tony Rackauckas since 2002; Todd Spitzer then won that seat in 2018. Every time he's run against some rotten incumbent, the *next* person to challenge them wins! He's OK with that. Corrupt party hacks hate him. He's OK with that too. He does advise some local campaigns informally and (so far) without compensation. (If that last bit changes, he will declare the interest.) His daughter is a professional campaign treasurer. He doesn't usually know whom she and her firm represent. Whether they do so never influences his endorsements or coverage. (He does have his own strong opinions.) But when he does check campaign finance forms, he is often happily surprised to learn that good candidates he respects often DO hire her firm. (Maybe bad ones are scared off by his relationship with her, but they needn't be.)