(By David Gauny) Bob Kellar, Santa Clarita’s respected City Councilman, has been under fire recently in a profound spin of words that has literally been heard across the nation.  To summarize, people are declaring that Bob Kellar is a self-proclaimed “Proud Racist” based on a video of his remarks at a recent anti-immigration rally. 

Now, as the only candidate to receive Kellar’s endorsement in the 2010 City Council race, the fallout has also led a few people to demand that I renounce both the man and his endorsement. 

First, the facts.  Bob’s comments were actually a story he was telling from two years earlier when at a City Council meeting he read Theodore Roosevelt’s famous quote about the importance of our nation having only one flag and one language.  “Folks, this is important,” he recalled saying and expressed surprise that “the only thing [he] heard back from a couple of people [was] ‘Bob, you sound like a racist.’”  He then shared his response to such an absurd accusation: “If that’s what you think I am because I happen to believe in America, I’m a proud racist. You’re darn right, I am.” 

Now, did Bob have a “Howard Dean moment?”  Probably.  Should he apologize?  I don’t believe so.  In addition to repeating his accusers’ insult, his critics seem to suggest that Kellar is a racist because he supports Roosevelt’s view that immigrants assimilate into our nation rather than segregate it.  If so, then Roosevelt himself a racist and so is anyone else who agrees with this position. 

There’s no question that this sound bite created a prime opportunity to cast Kellar as a radical intolerant but any honest person who watches the 3-minute video will agree that he neither declares nor insinuates that he is a racist by any rational or accepted dictionary definition.  None of this passes the “racist” sniff test and no apology is necessary. 

Ethics.  It has also been suggested that Bob Kellar should have clearly stated that his views were his own, and not a formal position of the City.  I agree.  But I also believe this was an oversight rather than a deliberate attempt to present his personal views as an official position of our city.  After all, his comments included “I” not “We at the City of Santa Clarita…” Unfortunately, his lack of clarification here added a layer of distortion that has further clouded the issue here. 

Arguments of racism, disclaimers, and –my favorite- “it’s not a local issue” must not be allowed to keep us from the conversation here.  The real issue is a debate about enforcement of immigration laws.  Kellar’s comments were completely devoted to “illegal immigration” – those who refuse to follow our nation’s laws for legal citizenship.  At worst, he called this problem “important” and claimed that it is costing us billions.  He is 100% right. 

From our property taxes and our now-record 9.75% state sales tax, Los Angeles County spent well over $1 billion dollars to service the illegal immigration problem, including $350 million for public safety, almost $500 million for healthcare, and $500 million in welfare and food stamp allocations.  These and millions more spent on education, free meals, and daycare.  Local costs. 

Our state prison system currently houses 30,000 illegal immigrants –1 in 6 inmates.  Yet it was reported in 2009 that California may release 27,300 inmates due to costs and overcrowding.  How many will move here?  And when crime and gang activity increase, will the feds come clean up the problem?  Certainly this creates a local issue. 

How sad it is that when a leader takes a position on such a contentious issue, we tear at him –and each other– with character assassinations and sound bites taken out of context.  We’ve raped “one nation,” rejected “under God,” and now rip away at “indivisible” with name-calling that prevents the issues –and their solutions– from getting the public hearing they deserve. 

Wasn’t this Councilman Ferry’s goal in his ridiculous assertion that Kellar was using “economic turmoil” to attack a “poor and disenfranchised group?”  And what about McLean’s bizarre admonishment about “personal responsibility” or Ender’s “shock” and sharp disagreement with Kellar’s remarks?  Even Mayor Weste refused to even acknowledge that this assault on our public services and safety is… well, illegal!  Just a meek, “no comment.” 

The truth is that our city operates largely like a “sanctuary city,” avoiding the politically sensitive problem of enforcing our immigration laws.  By letting illegal aliens gather and loiter in public each and every day, we are informally taking an approach that a recent article describes as follows:

“An informal sanctuary policy is a policy that does not exist on paper but none-the-less is carried out by government workers (administrative, service, or safety).  An informal sanctuary policy is more difficult to document since no public record exists…  Statements and actions by public official can indicate a community’s unwritten policy…  Why do public officials pass sanctuary laws or establish unwritten “don’t ask–don’t tell” policies?” 

Our council members pledged to uphold our laws when they took office so why the duck-and-cover when a fellow councilman calls us to deal with the problem?  Self-interest.  There is a chronic unwillingness to deal with politically risky issues at every level of our government and it is destroying our political process.  This is not people first, it’s me first. 

Whether or not you agree with Kellar’s position, I respect that he had the guts to step up, take a position, and get this conversation going.  Do you think a City Councilman can’t make a difference?  Just look at the media attention focused on this man for simply advocating enforcement of our laws! 

Where I hang my hat – and maybe my election… I will never denounce any person or any endorsement based upon issues created from vapor and misinformation.  Bob may not be a wordsmith but he is no more a racist than he is a “potato,” or a “unicorn” or any other word people care to redefine in their spare time.  I’ll take common sense and real debate over a politically correct talking head any day. 

As for my candidacy and my views, let me be clear that if elected I will support laws that are in the best interest of Santa Clarita’s American CITIZENS who pay their taxes and earned such representation.  This includes every person of every color and every race.  Illegal immigrants should be treated with dignity and respect but we must not sacrifice the priorities of our legal taxpaying residents. 

I support putting this and any other item on the agenda if it will result in better representation of our people.  It is the public’s right to present arguments pro and con about what can be done to better protect the citizens who live here.  I believe our community should explore, debate, and adopt policies that will strengthen enforcement, not ignore the problem year after year.  I also believe that elected officials who refuse to support our laws should be removed from office. 

I understand why people want to live here and I do not fault them!  But the benefits of our democracy are not free and the millions of people who have sacrificed for the legal right to live here understand this.  Our laws protect our liberties and our rights and adherence to them is the only way to ensure that the privileges we enjoy will continue to future generations.  We simply cannot afford to accept people who demand these privileges without first obeying the laws that provide for them. 

We are only united because we are a nation of laws.  We cannot continue to arbitrarily support what is popular and avoid what is contentious.  I will not be a leader who puts political survival above community interest – this is precisely what I am running against. 

My concern will be to do what is right for the citizens of Santa Clarita.  This is my platform in every sense of the word.

David Gauny- Commentary

David Gauny is a candidate for City of Santa Clarita City Council. His commentary represents his own opinions and not necessarily the views of any organization he may be affiliated with or those of the West Ranch Beacon.