LaFave's email presumptuous, shifts blame for Longview council turmoil

She wants all public information released by manager, PIO officer

Councilwoman Kalei LaFave doesn’t like the press coverage her majority bloc is getting. So now she wants to silence the council minority.

Does the freshman councilwoman think she lives in Russia?

In a May 23 email to the entire council, LaFave wrote: “Veteran council members continue to have discussions with radio, TDN, Andre and the public before the facts have been communicated. This continuously causes angst into our community and it needs to stop.” (The entire message appears below.)

She went on to say that the city hired public information officer (POI) Angela Abel, and Abel and interim City Manager Jim Duscha should be the only ones giving out information about the city, LaFave wrote.

“We hired Angela to communicate to these individuals, so let her do her job. … If anyone is asked any questions about the works of the city at this time they should not say anything, but … direct them to Jim and Angela.  No council members should interfere with communications inside the workplace or outside the workplace issues unless they were directed by the city manager, HR or our POI.”

“Manager Duscha and Mayor Boudreau, how are these issues going to be fixed and rectified,” LaFave asked. “There should be stronger disciplinary actions to those who leak information and not go through the right channels.”

Several observations are warranted here.

First. As a point of history, the first thing oppressive regimes do is to stifle the flow of information and force it through “official channels.” Given the secretive, unfair, misguided and possibly illegal means by which the council majority has dismantled the leadership of the city’s government, the last thing the public needs is for the city to fetter and control the flow of information.

Second. Council members each are elected individually and answer only to the voters. They are entitled to make their own decisions about what to say publicly, subject to law (as in not disclosing content from executive sessions) and their own good judgment. And they absolutely do not need approval from unelected officials to discuss the public’s business.

Third. A public information officer’s job is to distribute basic information. It is not to get wrapped up in politics or get wedged between conflicting political viewpoints on the council.

Fourth. If Duscha is to be one of the city’s designated spokespeople, then he should return requests for comment, even if the call might involve unpleasant questions. He has steadfastly refused to respond to my inquiries throughout the whole of this council’s 2024 period of conflict, even though he’s in the middle of it.

Fifth. It’s in people’s nature to blab. This is a small town. Word gets around. Assuming that other council members or city staffers are the media’s sole source of information is naive. (Council and staff sources were NOT how I originally learned about the severance deals I reported on last week, and which apparently triggered LaFave’s email. I don’t know for sure because she did not, as usual, respond to questions I emailed to her early Tuesday morning.)

Sixth. The email treats city staff and the other council members like wrecking balls instead of dedicated, hardworking individuals. It is presumptuous and condescending for a newby councilwoman — even though LaFave is in her early 60s — to rip into veteran members. Yes, it’s regrettable that the council is in chaos, but this is largely due to the decisions of the majority and its unwillingness to heed the suggestions of multiple seasoned citizens and former officials. Harmony is indeed desirable, but you can’t achieve it — and blame the other side — when your actions are by their nature disruptive.

Seventh. The email would send a chill down my spine if I were a city worker. Enough are leaving already.

Politics is a rough and tumble business. Ideas and opinions float and clash in stormy seas, not an indoor swimming pool. No one should raise a ruckus without good cause, but the council majority has provided cause in abundance.

LaFave should stop blaming the press or trying to censor her colleagues on the council. She and her majority bloc should make better and more collegial decisions.

Here is LaFave’s email, in full.

This seems to be a continuous problem regarding communicating to outside people rather than directing them to the right people. Angela and Jim are our points of contact for communications to anyone in the press or individuals. Veteran council members continue to have discussions with radio, TDN, Andre and the public before the facts have been communicated. This continuously causes angst into our community and it needs to stop. We hired Angela to communicate to these individuals, so let her do her job. Jim also is the point of contact for communication. If anyone is asked any questions about the works of the city at this time they should not say anything, but yet direct them to Jim and Angela.  no council members should interfere with communications inside the workplace or outside the workplace issues unless they were directed by the city manager, HR or our POI. It’s bad enough that internal employees are leaking information to veteran council members but then for them to communicate that to outside people is a disappointment . 

Manager Duscha and Mayor Boudreau, how are these issues going to be fixed and rectified. There should be stronger disciplinary actions to those who leak information and not go through the right channels.