SR council approves resolution

Santa Rosa City Council members approved a resolution calling on Congress to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, seemingly surprising even themselves by the strength of the vote.

The resolution passed on a 5-1 vote early Wednesday morning with several council members echoing sharp criticism of the Bush administration heard during a lengthy, late-night hearing.

Santa Rosa joined Sebastopol, Santa Cruz, San Francisco and several other cities that have endorsed impeachment proceedings. The vote came about a month after Rohnert Park council members reject entreaties to call for impeachment.

“I am embarrassed,” Councilman John Sawyer said before casting a vote for the impeachment resolution. “I am embarrassed by what I read and what I hear and what I see some of our officials doing in Washington.”

Sawyer said he expected to cast a no vote but changed his mind after speaking with family members and friends and reviewing petitions submitted to the city.

Councilwoman Carol Dean also said she was leaning against the resolution and heard from people who “begged me not to go along with this.” She said she was swayed by the 2,000 signatures submitted to the city.

“I see some of my neighbors,” she said. “I see people I know.”

People cheered as council members announced their positions and it became clear there were enough votes to pass the resolution.

Mayor Bob Blanchard cast the lone no vote, saying he thought the issue was beyond the scope of the City Council's purview. Councilwoman Jane Bender agreed but she abstained saying she shared many of the misgivings raised about the Bush administration.

“I cannot vote no against it because I do not want to support George Bush,” she said. “I am very clear on that. I will not vote yes because I do not believe as a council member ... it is my duty. I did not knock on doors to vote on federal issues.”

Councilwomen Susan Gorin and Veronica Jacobi and Councilman Lee Pierce also voted for the impeachment resolution. Like Sawyer and Dean, Gorin and Pierce indicated that they hadn’t expected to support the measure, which originally came to the council in September.

Repeating a theme offered by supporters of the resolution, Pierce said: “When we’re pushing our button we’re not impeaching. We’re sending a message to our congressional representatives that impeaching might be appropriate.”

Some people who spoke in favor of the resolution wore stickers and T-shirts calling for the removal of Bush and Cheney, who have about 14 months left in office.

During a hearing that got underway around 10 p.m. Tuesday and lasted until early Wednesday morning, speakers offered reasons for impeachment ranging from the war in Iraq, torture and warrantless domestic wire-taps to policies on global warming and reports that scientific papers were edited by the White House before being released.

Many speakers appeared to anticipate that the council would decide the issue was beyond its jurisdiction and argued that it was appropriate for local elected officials to take a stand on the performance of federal officeholders.

“We Santa Rosans will not sit by idly and allow tyranny to take over our nation,” Dan Monte told the council.

“You have the legal and moral responsibility to carry out the laws of the United States and the constitution,” said Alan Horn, who identified himself as treasurer of Veterans for Peace. “You have the duty to move forward on impeachment as our elected representatives.”

Mike Everett of Healdsburg told the council that it wasn't too late too seek impeachment even though the 2008 election is getting underway. "They need to be removed from office not to be allowed to fade away to Texas or somewhere," he said.

— Press Democrat staff