Dear Editor:
Thank you to the Event-NewsEnterprise for having a front-page article (Sept. 21) on Councilwoman Frances Marquez’s latest embarrassing stunt that has now put the City of Cypress at risk of a lawsuit. Can’t someone give Marquez a few lessons on the legal rules of being a council member?
Ignoring Anaheim Union High School District policy, progressive Marquez and two of her endorsed progressive candidates (Troy Tanaka running for Cypress School Board and Helen Le running for Cypress City Council) recently campaigned at Cypress High School. Billed as an informative visit, this was a CAMPAIGN stop as part of Marquez’s efforts to have the Cypress School Board and Cypress City Council gain progressive majorities. (And we have seen how well progressive majorities work in other cities.)
Marquez was given detailed Anaheim Union High School District policy by the Cypress High School principal regarding what she could and could not do during her visit. But when does Marquez ever follow the rules?
Marquez was told that her visit could NOT be a campaign visit. So, what does Marquez do during her visit to Cypress High School? She hands out campaign literature to the Cypress High School students, instructing them to give the flyers to their parents. Again, when does Marquez ever follow the rules?
Now Marquez might have opened the City of Cypress to legal liability issues because she campaigned at the high school in her position as a council member and shared her own personal positions on issues facing the city. Since Tanaka and Le campaigned at Cypress High School, will all the other candidates running for school board and city council be allowed to campaign at the high school, distribute campaign literature to students to give to their parents and express their personal views on issues?
Marquez said she has spoken to students many times over the years and appears to wonder why there’s a problem. But all those past visits Marquez was NOT speaking to students and promoting her progressive agenda as a council member! Gee, do I really have to explain this to an elected official?
I wonder what progressive Marquez would have said if one of the conservative (as in fiscally responsible) city council members had shown up at Cypress High School and handed out campaign literature and shared his or her personal views on issues. My guess is that the Democrat Marquez would take the position of her party: “rules for thee, not for me.”
For the sake of our wonderful community, we must elect people to the Cypress City Council and the Cypress School Board that understand policies and laws apply to all elected officials. These are nonpartisan positions, but I urge everyone in Cypress to vote for candidates who are fiscally responsible and follow rules, procedures and most important, follow the law.
When will Marquez’s embarrassing stunts stop? Or maybe the question should be which Cypress school is next on Marquez’s campaign tour?
Sincerely,
Millie Bricker
Cypress