It has come to my attention that there is a closed, secret-society Facebook Bulletin Board (Secret Society) facilitated by Dan O’Brien, an outspoken Grace Lutheran Church member and supporter.
Some Secret Society members are full of vitriolic, incendiary and sometimes defamatory rhetoric directed toward Farragut Drive residents.
Some incite others to damage the residents’ property, without considering their personal liability for doing so, creating a conspiracy where each is legally liable for all the others’ acts.
City Councilmember Jeffrey Cooper is a member in good standing of the Secret Society.
Mr. O’Brien’s ravings informed us of his tight relationship with Mr. Cooper.
Mr. O’Brien hosted Mr. Cooper’s campaign kickoff party at his home and other matters.
Mr. O’Brien admits, “The Council would have to recuse themselves (sic) from every vote if it were based upon relationships with citizens.”
That’s how incestuous and corrupt it is.
Culver City’s solution is a code of silence that benefits the connected and harms the unconnected.
In September 2014, Councilmember Cooper heard Grace Church’s appeal from the City Engineer’s refusal to modify the Farragut Parking Restrictions.
Mr. Cooper failed to disclose his relationship with Mr. O’Brien when he was publically and specifically asked if any existed. Sound familiar, e.g., Andrew Weissman and Kenneth Smith? This City Council seems to be replete with undisclosed relationships, which benefit the few at the expense of the many.
Fifteen residents of Farragut spoke when the Grace Church’s appeal was heard by the City Council.
Mr. Cooper dismissed the residents’ first-hand knowledge as just “anecdotal.” There was no reason to give any weight to our testimony as, on average, we have only lived in Culver City 40 years.
At last week’s Council meeting (continued from September 2014), Mr. O’Brien testified on behalf of Grace Church without revealing his relationship with Mr. Cooper.
Mr. Cooper continued his silence. Mr. Cooper said he was basing his decision in favor of Grace Church on “social media.” Due to Mr. Cooper’s close ties to Mr. O’Brien and his membership in the Secret Society, we believe that Cooper meant the Secret Society when he referred to “social media.”
The City Council’s rampant failure to disclose conflicts of interest gives new meaning to “love thy neighbor” and “justice for all.”
Ms. Greenberg, a resident of the 10700 block of Farragut Drive for 41 years, may be contacted at plgreen@att.net
Hello Paulette, I am not in anyway involved with Grace Lutheran Church but I am a member of this “Secret Society”. I don’t think you quite understand how to work Facebook nor do I think you understand the real purpose of this group. I joined to see the happenings in the beautiful city and to share information on upcoming events for the two culver city youth groups I help run. I would be more than happy to show you how the faecbook group works. With membership in the thousands and growing all the time, I would hardly call this group a secret.
Thanks, Heather. What about “the vitriolic, incendiary and sometimes defamatory rhetoric directed toward Farragut Drive residents”? Or the conflicts of interest that benefit the few at the expense of the unconnected? What about a Council Member who gives preference to your chatter and ignores long-term residents who public testify from personal knowledge? I note that you do not deny any of those allegations. Hmmm.
She doesn’t deny any of these allegations because there’s nothing to deny? People join the page on their own because they live in Culver City and happen to type in Culver City in the search box. The group pops up and you go “a ha, i live in CC, I will press the like button.” Most of the people do not know Dan O’Brien in real life, or the other 2000+ people.
But do they read “the vitriolic, incendiary and sometimes defamatory rhetoric directed toward Farragut Drive residents” and not condemn it?
Paulette –
I too am a member of this “secret” group, which I also found by typing Culver City into the Facebook search box. I have never seen in this Facebook group any of this “vitriolic, incendiary and sometimes defamatory rhetoric directed toward Farragut Drive residents” to which you refer. Do you have specific quotations from the group, and when they were posted and by whom? Or better yet, screen shots of the statements? Unless you can give more evidence than your own allegations, you are the one who appears to be making vitriolic, incendiary and defamatory statements.
I hear that the best, the very BEST way to show that you are a member of this Sinister Social Media Secret Society is to…. request a Wyant4Council Lawn Sign for your front yard. Comes with a free secret handshake tutorial. But hurry — they’re flying off the shelves — I had 9 calls today, alone. Thanks to the “Committee for CC Residents First” for the help. Get yours while they last — limited edition, and there will be NO more printed up when these are all gone!!!!
jallan–
See, for example item nos. # 5 and # 11 at http://culvercitycrossroads.com/2016/03/22/dear-editor-social-media-secret-society/
Mr. Wyant–
Should a candidate for City Council support a group, which Tom Matt (a member) recently revealed, “[S]ometimes [has] postings on hotly debated topics ( … parking restrictions on Farragut) that lead to … vitriol”? “Vitriol” is defined as “something you say that is very cruel and angry toward someone.”
Paulette –
I looked at items 5 and 11 as you suggested. They do not in any way reference anything that has ever been posted to the Facebook group that supports your contention. They in fact make no mention whatsoever to anything ever posted in the Facebook group. You may not like what those comments say, but my question to you is what posts in the Facebook group constitute “vitriolic, incendiary and sometimes defamatory rhetoric directed toward Farragut Drive residents” ?
jallan –
culvercitycrossroads changed the numbering. It is now under Nadine Province’s byline at Nos. 9 and 11.
Just open your-closed-secret-society Facebook page to all–not just Dan’s like-minded-fellow-travelers. Farragut residents have been blackballed. Is this how your group honors freedom of speech and democracy?