At the City Council’s meeting two weeks ago, most of the council derided Councilor-at-Large Gerly Adrien for not attending the meeting in person.
Adrien felt their comments had racial overtones, especially the suggestion by several of the councilors who should have known better, who asked her to resign if she couldn’t do the job.
The meeting was ugly, a textbook example of mostly white councilors disturbed by having to serve with an assertive Black woman on the Council.
Adrien topped the ticket.
That gets her no respect from the present crew on the Council. With the notable exception of Councilor Fred Capone, Adrien has met the wrath of nearly every councilor since joining the body.
She is too noisy for the others. She is too concerned about things like racism, equality, servicing the poor and needy to have a positive impact on the crew she is sitting with as a councilor.
They don’t like her, and they let her know this.
Some say it publicly. Others have nothing to do with her.
Both women councilors want nothing to do with her.
Council President Rosa DeFlorio’s behavior two weeks ago was deplorable She almost apologized but didn’t at the beginning of this week’s Council meeting.
DeFlorio should apologize to Adrien for everyone on the council.
But she won’t. She can’t.
The mayor wouldn’t like it.
Many of her colleagues don’t feel that they have anything to apologize for.
That’s a real problem with the present City Council. They do not understand how racially tinged and appalling their actions and comments are about Adrien. They can’t hide how they dislike her.
It’s a very public, very embarrassing moral problem that the Everett City Council cannot allow to be sustained.