Renfro, get me the wooden Stake! Throw the holy water on the Chalk-Fest!

Look I know the Chalk-Fest story is getting unbelievably detailed, this is one of those stories that refuses to die. Its kinda of like Herpes, once you get into it,  you can’t get rid of it. Mel Berlin the President of Action Council 29 is either a masochist or he just doesn’t proof read his own emails.

As promised we have a copy of the email sent to the City of Twentynine Palms, manager Michael Tree and Parks and Recreation Department head Randy Council.

This email has to be the most stunningly insulting letter I have ever read from a private non-profit organization to a city who just promised them $16,000 in help to put on their kook Cotillion.

In reality what should have been a rather easy job of getting approval for what appears at first blush as a wonderful program, Mel Berlin and his merry band of “Board Members” took this simple task and made it one each Custer Fluck.

After Action Council 29 was given most of what it wanted at the recent Council Meeting of the 31st of August Action Council 29s Board, complained that they “were not impressed with your generous offer of support” of the City of Twentynine Palms. Well that’s a fine howdy do. The city offers them a location, a promise to slurry seal a parking lot and still they want… no DEMAND more.

Who the hell do these people think they are?

Besides Mel Berlin, these are the board members of Action Council 29; Jim Biggerstaff, Dana Bowden, LeeAnn Clarke, Phil Fultz, Ray Kinsman, Luigi Pizzola, Herman Platzke, Cathy Patrick, Keri Waldrop, Rene Williams, and Wayne Winiecki. Are we to think that they are also of the same mindset as Mr. Berlin and that they feel that the majority community is a bunch of “Crazies”? Are we to think that they feel that they are the enlightened and privileged few and that we not only own them blind adoring respect but our meager city treasury too?

Lets get something straight, most events like this are planned at least a year in advance. They are not foisted on a tax weary people in an election year and recession, and tell them that the event was to be held the day after that said election. Then the parties running the show ask for taxpayer money to put the damned thing on. It is bound for failure from day one. Any idiot should have figured that one out.  And then to get mad at the Community, the Council and the City Personnel because it floated like a lead balloon is asinine.

For Mr Berlin to think that the public’s concern for their tax dollars is a declaration of war is moronic. If the Chalk-fest would have been presented as a self-supporting community event from day one, Mr. Berlin and the Board of Action Council 29 would have had every community organization behind it. But the arrogant self-important way it was presented and the lousy way regular people asking simple questions were vilified by Berlin and thereby Action Council 29 made people unwilling to help.

No Mel, the silent majority did stand up in righteous indignation at your turned up nose and your superiority complex. We didn’t know it was a battle we all thought we were just protecting our treasury from special interest. Winning isn’t everything keeping our city from a headlong drive to bankruptcy is the only ball we keep our eye on.

The other board members need to Man up and choose between this kind of unbelievable community disrespect or move to mend the fences that Mr. Berlin has trampled. We as a community need nay I say require an apology from the Board of Directors of Action Council 29.

What say you; Jimmy Biggerstaff, Dana Bowden, LeeAnn Clarke, Phil Fultz, Ray Kinsman, Luigi Pizzola, Herman Platzke, Cathy Patrick, Keri Waldrop, Rene Williams, and Wayne Winiecki. Does Mel speak for you all?

Cactus Thorns has been online in one form or the other since 2001. What started as a personal blog documenting the corruption and lack of Due Process of the 29 Palms Community Development Department has turned into over these many years into a hugely popular Independent Alternative News Media Outlet. We have partnered with other media including The Desert Star Weekly, Joshua Tree Star, other blogs, indie media and an incredible staff of volunteer Reporters, Commentators and Opinion Makers to create one of the most read, honest and dependable alternative to the Local traditional Media services in the country. Thanks to you the reader we are in the 5% of most read sites in the World.

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Related posts:

1. Chalk Fest Was Not Squashed By City Council
2. Chalk Fest Taxpayer Funded against the will of the People
3. Defending the Constitution: Chalk this one up to a 1st Amendment Fight
4. ChalkFest 29 promoters wants more public funding
5. Ding Dong, Ding Dong… Our own little Bell to ring

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