Cotati councilman won't resign over blackface image

<p>The Cotati city councilman who spurred protest by posting a picture of himself in blackface on his personal blog said Thursday he has no plans to step down.</p><p>George Barich, a vocal critic of President Obama, said the photograph and a music video showing rappers at the controls of a purple Air Force One are not racist and he will not resign.</p><p>“This is a whole lot about nothing,” said Barich, 51, whose Web site is www.gbarich.blogspot.com. “It’s all coming from a small, fringe group of the Chamber of Commerce who don’t represent the citizenry.”</p><p>At a City Council meeting Wednesday night a handful of residents said they were outraged by the blog and told the rookie councilman he should resign.</p><p>John Moore said Barich was a liability to the city. He said he recognizes the right to free speech but thinks elected officials should be held to a higher standard.</p><p>“I don’t know anybody in 2009 who finds humor in that,” Moore said. “Maybe 50 years ago in Mississippi.”</p><p>Barich has been in a running battle with city management over the use of city stationery bearing the city’s logo, an Indian head.</p><p>His blog contains a Halloween picture of him sporting blackface and an Afro that bears a likeness to the official emblem.</p><p>The blog site declares Cotati “the funky city.” Traffic on the site more than tripled on Thursday, from a total of about 600 to 2,000</p>