By Robert Haugh
A top City staffer sent a letter to Santa Clara Weekly Lobbyist/Publisher Miles Barber reprimanding him for his behavior at the May 22 City Council meeting.
That’s when the Santa Clara Chamber of Commerce made their big pitch to keep their convention center management fee. That’s the $145,000 fee that no one seems to know what they’re doing for their money or how they suddenly got a big raise from past years.
The Chamber prepared a Powerpoint presentation to make their case. But there were some minor technical difficulties. So Barber, a Chamber PAC board member, decided to enter the small control booth at the back of the council chambers without permission.
According to the City’s Chief Operating Officer Walter Rossman in a June 15 letter to Barber, “a city employee felt uncomfortable and was disturbed by having you enter into the confined employee-only area but also because of the derogatory and offensive language that you allegedly used.” Wow.
Barber is not known for being good with technology. But he must have thought he could help fix the situation — by yelling at City staff. Smart.
What the city employee reported is similar to what we heard from several people at the meeting who overheard Barber. But since we’re family friendly, we can’t reprint the swearing.
Barber, as many people know, writes a column in a Trumpian style in his own publication. He frequently criticizes female councilmembers with misstated facts. He even resorts to childish name calling, saying some of Gillmor’s allies: “can’t spell their own names.” He also likes to attack Mayor Lisa Gillmor and wrote that “she invents non-existent facts.”
Rossman’s letter of reprimand is copied below for your reading pleasure. He cites a couple City and employment policies that Barber violated. Rossman ends with a good verbal spanking of Barber: “Please be advised that the City expects that you will respect the above-referenced policies and refrain from any actions that harass City employees.” Ouch.
The Chamber will be back on the agenda soon to discuss their management fee. After his official reprimand, don’t look for Barber to be on the list to speak again on behalf of the Chamber. Not unless the Chamber wants to shoot itself in the foot one more time.
Maybe Barber could work on the Chamber’s Powerpoint presentation instead.
The irrelevant creepy old curmudgeon is at it again. Who would pay Miles Barber to represent them? Oh, I know, idiots!
He gets real grouchy when he doesn’t get his pudding.
… and just how much public money is being paid to Barber’s rag to publish Public Notices?
Did DIridon Jr. ever provide that information to the public as he was asked numerous times via public information requests? In perspective, remember that the taxpayers of the City of Santa Clara as still paying Barber … is that what the public wants? It is our money …..
Barber’s belligerent bullying and barbaric behavior must be banished. His boneheaded barbs, bombastic boasting, and brutal bickering blights our beautiful city. Boot this blustering, bitter buffoon to the curb!
I suggest that the next time Barber shows up at a board meeting, he be arrested immediately. Then the Santa Clara Police should hold him in an isolated cell and give him nothing but water and copies of his crappy publication to eat. I would gladly donate the issues that he litters my driveway with once a month or so. My neighbors would no doubt donate as well.
I was sitting in the back of the Council Chambers at that time, and I witnessed first-hand Miles Barber opening the back control booth stepping inside, cussing out the city employees there (using the F-bomb directed at the employee) and then closing the door and walking away.
I was shocked.
That is a confined space with only one entry-exit doorway, so having a towering, angry, cussing man blocking the only exit must have been intimidating in the best case scenario, and threatening for their safety in a worst case scenario.
This is NOT ok.
Hosam Haggag
An apology is meaningless. Barber should resign from the Chamber. Or be removed. If he isn’t gone, they are condoning his behavior.
Shame on Barber. Shame on the Chamber for having him represent them.
Barber’s self-dealing has already called into question the Chamber’s ethics or lack thereof. Now this!
Barber owes the city of Santa Clara and the employees a public apology.