Mr. Meserve can say he wants to work with whomever he wants, but when he was on the Council before he dictated to City Staff and monopolized council time. I for one am glad to hear the HSU poll results.

Being starry-eyed is all fine and well. It is great that Dave Meserve has the environmentally friendly ideas he has. Without a practical and realistic means of accomplishing the Meserve desires, it does not help the City of Arcata one bit.

Claiming to be a pragmatic person in the same sentence as the one where an admission of the aforementioned starry-eyed condition is made is just, well not very pragmatic at all.

As to the team player related claim, I say, “BUll!” Dave Meserve bullied and micromanaged City employees in a near violation of the Brown Act. He seemingly forgot that a democracy consisted of the votes of the Council and not just the will and whim of Dave Meserve.

Idealist are a treasure to any community WHEN THEY ARE NOT POLITICIANS. It is grand that Dave Meserve went to Washington for such a worthy cause. It was not so good that he did it when he was supposedly serving Arcata. I know, I know; he did it on his own dime, etc. It was not what a mayor or council person should be doing as a mayor or councilperson. Idealists are by their very nature free agents and as such should act as such. I believe Dave Meserve would, with his far-reaching and lofty aspirations, be a better Senator or Congressman. Wanting solar panels on every roof or bio-diesel powered buses or all city streets converted to bicycle and pedestrian pathways seems just dandy until you face the realities of cost, function, maintenance, and oh, say the will of the entire population.

Voters, I heartily suggest that you ask city employees how there time as employees went when Dave Meserve was on the Council and how it improved after he left. Ask older residents what it was like Pre-Dave During-Dave and Post-Dave. Exclude the issues of his National Politics endeavors if you so desire. But please pay attention to the actual function of the City and the manner in which businesses suffered when we had Dave.