Engineered Coincidence

Don’t you just love it when everything comes together perfectly and at the perfect time?  When things that seem just too good to be true actually happen multiple times in a short time span?  When coincidence after unlikely coincidence happens in your favor?  This is the magical world of elves and unicorns that Mayor Stephens would have us believe he lives in.  Let me explain.

As I mentioned in my previous post This Is Your Town, October 26 was like Christmas to Stephens and he got everything he asked Santa for.  Previously, Councilman Burnett had proposed installing our National Motto, “In God We Trust” in the City Council chambers to follow suit of many other cities as well as police cars and government buildings across the nation.  He even had someone lined up to privately fund it.  In a spectacular show of unpatriotic character, our council, including our Mayor decided to table the issue and send it to committee which met on the morning in question.  Burnett was conveniently left off of this committee while Councilwoman Fulnecky was included.  When she tried to support our National Motto, there was no one else on the committee willing to second it and the issue died without discussion or vote.

Later that same day, Mayor Stephens submitted a letter to Councilman Hosmer, who leads the city’s Plans and Policies committee, in an effort to repeal the new indecent exposure ordinance.  In his letter he appeared to be pandering for Hosmer’s support by using the argument that the new ordinance’s language allows men to be indecent in public.  This was the same argument brought up by Hosmer at the City Council the day of the vote which was quickly exposed for its lack of merit.  Stephens also claimed that it violated the Constitution’s 1^st and 14^th Amendments. 

In an amazing coincidence, this was on the same day that the ACLU, at the prompting of the topless rally supporters, filed a lawsuit against the city for the indecent exposure ordinance.  In an even more amazing coincidence the lawsuit used much of the same language as Mayor Stephen’s letter.  Mayor Stephens, however, assured us that it was mere coincidence and that he had no prior knowledge of the lawsuit.  Evidence came to light strongly suggesting that this was not true (See my previous post This Is Your City).  

Later that night was the regular City Council meeting.   Katie Webb, one of the leaders of the topless rally supporters, had a failed attempt to rally supporters to show up at the Council Meeting and urge Councilman Burnett to resign.  It is unclear if anyone besides Webb herself actually showed up and not even she spoke. 

So let’s recap.  On October 26^th, 2015,

·        Our National Motto was defeated in committee.

·        Mayor Stephens writes a letter to Councilman Hosmer to try and get the indecent ordinance repealed.

·        The ACLU files a lawsuit against the city for the same ordinance.

·        The same group that incited the ACLU attempted to stage a scene at the City Council meeting. 

AND THIS IS ALL COINCIDENCE!

If it ended there it would be enough to cast serious doubt on the integrity of our Mayor.  But it doesn’t.  The best was still yet to come. 

          Councilwoman Kristi Fulnecky had a hard time believing in these apparent coincidences, especially after being confronted with strong evidence to the contrary.  Her integrity would not allow her to remain silent and she was compelled to go public with the fact that the Mayor was “misleading” the residents of Springfield and had, in fact, known about the impending lawsuit. 

Do you think it’s possible that he played a role in bringing the ACLU into this?  Could he be conspiring against his own city with the same group the ordinance was voted in to combat?  The fact that Jessica Lawson, listed as the plaintiff on the lawsuit, claimed that the Mayor had prior knowledge does seem to suggest that. 

Today, October 30^th, just days after Fulnecky made her allegations against Stephens, the Mayor scheduled a press conference.  No one knew exactly what to expect but most everyone thought that he would be responding to Kristi Fulnecky’s claims.  However, he had another “coincidence” up his sleeve. 

We all sat with bated breath as we waited for the Mayor to speak.  We weren’t prepared for the bombshell that was to blindside us!   Mayor Stephens proceeded to accuse Fulnecky of operating a business for seven years without the proper licensing and that her fees constituted a delinquent tax.  This would disqualify her from holding any public office.  Stephens also produced a letter he claims he’d “received” that was signed by five Council Members asking for an investigation of Fulnecky’s qualification for her Council seat. 

It is more likely, however, that the Mayor penned this letter himself and then got as many Council Members to sign it.  The only three that didn’t were Fulnecky herself, Justin Burnett, and Craig Hosmer (which might explain the pandering mentioned above).  At this time the case appears to be without merit.

Mayor Stephens would also like us to believe that this announcement JUST HAPPENED to come just days after Fulnecky called him out for dishonesty.  It was nothing more than a coincidence and not retaliation.  Coincidence after coincidence.

Well, Springfield, you are the jury.  Did the Mayor conspire against his own city, defying the will of the people and the vote of the council?  Did he pull an underhanded scheme to try to eliminate someone who stood against him?  Is he bullying the City Council to sign a letter he penned to unjustly recall a Council Member who acted with integrity? What say you, Springfield?  Do you believe in logic or do you believe in fairy tales?

Full Text of ACLU Lawsuit Against Springfield