This Week in Gay Palm Springs California June 14 to June 20, 2017

THE LAST WORD by Greg Pettis
Another week, another explosion in DC.
Former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony
that the President 1) lied and 2) tried to get him to
stop the investigation of National Security Advisor
Flynn was bad enough but then the President
again insinuated he had tapes of conversations.
Now Republican Senators are demanding the
tapes or they will subpoena them - FINALLY!
Comey also stated that Vice President Pence, as
head of the transition team had to have known
about Flynn’s meetings with the Russians. Are we
now looking at collusion between both the President
and Vice President? Not to look too anxious
to step into the Oval Office - Speaker of the House
Paul Ryan instead comes across as a Bootlicker
Supreme saying to give the President a break, “He’s
new at this government thing”.
Attorney General Sessions goes before the Intelligence
Committee of the Senate this next week
to answer questions. First will be why did you lie
about how many meetings with Russians prior
to becoming AG? And what were the meetings
about? I predict he’ll be gone by July 4.
2018 is beginning to look like the year the Democrats
take back the House and possibly the
unthinkable, the Senate! I will be in Detroit next
week for a meeting of the Democratic National
Committee getting an update on our efforts to
regain majorities in both houses.
It is amazing how quickly this turnaround in CA
has been. We can see it even in the Coachella Valley
where Dems make up the majority of 5 of the 9
cities and are close in both La Quinta and Rancho
Mirage.
Congratulations go out to former Assemblyman
Manuel Perez on being appointed County Supervisor
to replace the late John Benoit. Yet to be
seen is if he can step up and match Benoit’s work
ethic. Palm Desert Mayor Jan Harnik has already
announced her intention to run against him in
2018 for the seat and has taken a strong lead in
early fundraising.
In Cathedral City, work continues on moving
forward to district maps for the next council elections
when there will be three seats up (November,
2018). There will be public hearings throughout
the summer with a final decision on boundaries
in September.
Meanwhile to their suburb to the west, the big
story is whether to ban leaf blowers citywide.
Interesting how priorities are different from one
town to the next.
Several resistance marches were held in the valley
this past week and will continue all summer culminating
in a mass rally in front of Cathedral City
Civic Center on Labor Day.
That’s it for now. Keep resisting!
Greg Pettis is a 22 year city councilman in
In California it is reported, by the Sacramento Bee, Cathedral City. He has made his name in
“Fifteen years ago, Republicans comprised more governmental circles as an expert in transportation
issues and is very active in work-
than half of the voters in 66 of California’s 482
cities. Today, they are a majority in just 14 cities, ing on bringing passenger rail service to the
according to the latest data from the California
COACHELLA Valley. Greg was the first openly
gay elected city council members In Riverside
County. He has served on the boards of
Secretary of State.’
‘The population of those 14 cities represent less the National League of Cities and the League
than 1 percent of the state’s city dwellers.”
of California Cities and as President of the
Southern CA Association of Governments.
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