Wiggins' remark to pastor latest in string of incidents

<p>State Sen. Pat Wiggins' crude outburst during a committee hearing in Sacramento last week is the latest in a series of troubling incidents involving the Santa Rosa legislator.</p><p>The outburst did not come as a shock to a half-dozen past and current elected leaders, public officials and supporters who said they have become alarmed about what they see as the senator's increasingly erratic behavior over the past few months.</p><p>The incidents include inappropriate comments, displays of temper and the need to speak from prepared scripts.</p><p>"It's bad news. Clearly, something is wrong," said a longtime supporter, who, along with others interviewed for this story, requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the issue.</p><p>Wiggins' husband, Guy Conner, dismissed questions about his wife's mental state, citing her severe hearing disability as the reason some misunderstand her actions.</p><p>"Many times her hearing problem is misinterpreted as something else," Conner said Tuesday, repeating comments made when contacted by The Press Democrat in late May when reports first surfaced about Wiggins' behavior.</p><p>At last Wednesday's hearing to discuss global warming, Wiggins, 68, interrupted testimony being given by Sacramento pastor Robert Jones, telling him, "Excuse me, but I think your arguments are bull----."</p><p>The comments are drawing widespread condemnation after a video of the exchange was posted on YouTube.</p><p>But for a second day in a row Tuesday, Wiggins, D- Santa Rosa, declined several requests to comment on the controversy, instead leaving it to her staff to explain her recent actions.</p><p>Wiggins' interjection came as Jones, who is black, was testifying that California's efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions have in the past included "fees or higher utilities" that he said can have a disproportionate adverse affect on minorities.</p><p>David Miller, Wiggins' spokesman, said the senator took issue with what he said was the pastor's implication that certain members of the community were not welcome as full participants in the discussion.</p><p>"She's always been committed to an inclusive policy with regard to environmental justice issues," Miller said.</p><p>He labeled the incident a "difference of opinion on a policy matter."</p><p>However, Miller said the senator "regrets" the way she expressed her opinion, and said she has been attempting for a week to meet with the pastor and convey her apologies.</p><p>As for why Wiggins has been unavailable to comment on the issue, Miller said the senator was busy Tuesday tending to legislative business.</p><p>In the meantime, the senator's Sacramento and district offices have been deluged with hundreds of e-mails and phone calls from people demanding that she publicly apologize for her actions.</p><p>One form e-mail states that the senator's words were "totally inappropriate, and hateful, at best," and calls on Wiggins to, "at the very least, show respect for all viewpoints in the future."</p><p>The public brouhaha exposes concerns that have percolated privately for months about Wiggins' behavior at events ranging from Tomorrow's Leaders Today, Sonoma State University's graduation, and meetings with city and county leaders in her Sacramento office.</p><p>These reports range from Wiggins making inappropriate outbursts at public events and public scoldings of her own staff members on inconsequential matters, to reading from staff-prepared scripts when lobbied by city and county officials on legislative and budgetary matters.</p><p>One local official said she was astounded by what she witnessed in Wiggins' office around three months ago when, in a meeting with a half-dozen officials from two counties to discuss the state budget crisis, the senator "flew off the handle and jumped out of her chair" to angrily berate a staffer over a minor issue.</p><p>"I had been warned going in," the official said about Wiggins' behavior.</p><p>Wiggins started over from the beginning of a prepared script each time a new official entered the meeting. By the time it was over, the local council member said, "I was shocked."</p><p>"I've known Pat for a long time. I walked for her when she ran for City Council and supported her when she ran for the Assembly and Senate. This is totally, totally out of character for her," the council member said.</p><p>"I was wondering how much longer they can keep this under cover. I didn't want to be the one to blow the whistle," the council member added.</p><p>Another public official who attended the same meeting said they are aware of Wiggins' having a hearing problem and take that into consideration when dealing with her.</p><p>"Still, she seemed fairly fragmented at that meeting. It seems to be more than a hearing issue," the official said.</p><p>Another Sonoma County city official told of Wiggins requesting business cards from a half-dozen city and county leaders who came to visit her, and lining them up in order so she could remember their names, even those of people she personally knows.</p><p>Wiggins has a reputation for being direct. But last week's outburst had even longtime friends scratching their heads.</p><p>"It doesn't sound like the Pat I know," said Donna Freeman, a Bodega Bay resident who has known Wiggins for 15 years.</p><p>Marty Roberts, another longtime friend from Sebastopol, said she's never known Wiggins to fly off the handle.</p><p>"Certainly not," Roberts said. "She's very professional as a senator. She's been in politics many years."</p><p>Asked directly if Wiggins may be suffering from a medical condition that affects her behavior, Miller, her spokesman, replied Tuesday, "Nope, she's not."</p><p>He said he's not noticed any changes in her and said she continues to "chair committees, participate in committees and present bills -- all of the business required of a senator."</p><p>The dust-up with the pastor is a distraction, however, and Miller said the senator is "concerned how other groups have exploited the situation."</p><p>Miller said staff members went to Jones' church Tuesday to hand-deliver a letter Wiggins wrote to the pastor, but nobody was around to accept it.</p><p>In the letter, a copy of which Miller provided to The Press Democrat, Wiggins apologizes to the pastor.</p><p>"I did not intend to be aggressive, disrespectful or vulgar," she stated. "Unfortunately, my directness and poor choice of words may have left the wrong impression and were, in hindsight, inappropriate for a legislative hearing."</p><p>She expressed her desire to meet with Jones "to convey my sincerest apology and talk more about your concerns."</p><p>Messages left for Jones at his church were not returned Monday or Tuesday.</p><p>Sen. Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego, who led last week's hearing, also has not returned calls.</p><p>Wiggins, a former Santa Rosa City Council member, was elected to represent the 2nd Senate District in 2006 and has two years remaining in her term. Prior to that, she served three terms in Sacramento representing the 7th Assembly District.</p><p>You can reach Staff Writer Derek J. Moore at 521-5336 or derek.moore@pressdemocrat.</p><p>com. You can reach Staff Writer Mike McCoy at 521-5276 and mike.mccoy@pressdemocrat.com.</p>