Re “Treading Heavily While Walking Down a Rugged Path with Gourley”
When you are as naturally funny as Steve Gourley, it is reflexive — if not cowardly — to stare in an opposite direction when he makes a hurtful assertion.
The immediate past president of the School Board issued such a statement last week about David Mielke, President of the Teachers Union.
Here is the offensive portion of the story that has ignited a blizzard of comments around the community:
Back to business. “Have you looked up Mielke’s comment that we were cutting off 25 teachers, 19.2 who were notified by March 15, plus 6? Are the 6 in this year or next year?”
When Mr. Gourley’s companion said Mr. Mielke was referring to this year, the Board member said, “Of course. But if he wasn’t, he’s a big fat liar and stupid.”
The occasion for the story was an otherwise pleasant walking interview through the neighborhood of Culver City High School. Mr. Gourley is a human Prius. He deftly grinds more mileage out of carefully chosen words than any fast talker west of the Pecos.
He has had Mr. Mielke in his relentless sights perhaps for all 3½ years he has been on the Board, but especially the last few months. His anger sprouts from the personally unsatisfactory denouement of a suit brought last year by the Teachers Union.
For purposes of this essay, the cause of this stunning flareup is irrelevant.
Mr. Gourley is known by intimates, colleagues and unmet parties for his wicked sense of humor. It is so brilliantly honed he could stand on a huge lush lawn, scythe in his right fist, swing it and cut in half a single blade of grass 25 feet distant.
By personality contrast, Mr. Mielke, favorably speaking, is my notion of a good-time Charlie. As intense as Mr. Gourley is, Mr. Mielke is that relaxed, as implied by his daily casual wear, especially his choice of trousers.
Mr. Gourley doesn’t look himself without a necktie, though he has tried. If Mr. Mielke owns a necktie, even from 40 years ago, I lose my bet. If he has a temper, other than in the little toe on his left foot, I also lose my wager.
Both gentlemen carry high profiles in Culver City, dating back to the1980s.
Proof of Mr. Mielke’s enviable character has been his unswerving reaction to Mr. Gourley’s months of steaming criticism that now have pushed the walls of civility inside out.
The adversarial lines between them have become sharply drawn — only by Mr. Gourley —since Mr. Gourley was elected to the School Board in November 2007.
A few weeks ago, Mr. Gourley proved shockingly adept at bullseying an adversary when he rained steaming words on Mr. Mielke, from the dais, to his face, when the union president was sitting, innocently, in the audience.
A gentleman to the end, he smiled, thinly, as the hurricane of harshness kept whipping him in the face. His patience bucket finally emptied, when Mr. Mielke stood to reply, with amazing restraint, he was not treated respectfully.
I mention the incident because a pattern has been forming, and it should not be acceptable in public quarters.
