HomeMy WebLinkAboutProclamation 89- sister city
TO: Fellow Commissioners
FM: Mary VH
RE: Sister Cities
ON: 5/8/89
Before I leave for Spokane, I want to share a few thoughts with you.
At first, I thought today's presentation by John Nehring and Cleota Lodge
was done to try to politicize our non-partisan city Commission. Then
I thought it might have been done out of ignorance.
I think we should point out:
1. That the Eity Eommission is non-partisan.
2. That the City Commission does not have a foreign policy, nor shou:!d
have one.
3. 99.99% of the time we are asked by constituents to make proclamations,
etc. , which make them feel good, which call attention to something they
think is important, or which they believe would make their work easier,
etc.
4. It is in the last light, as just another proclamation, that I see
proclaiming a sister city. Any city is eligible about which a group
of citizens feels strongly enough to wish to have a sister status.
5. It isn't appropriate, therefore, to inquire as to what standing
a city's national government has with some other of our citizens. We
deal with people, not with national governments, except of course we
obey all of the laws of the United States of America.
6. I suggest we continue to accede to any group's request for us to
proclaim a sister city, so long as it does not cost the city any time,
money or energy. Yv\~
~.~-_._."