No winners in vicious online fight

Internet nastiness invaded City Hall this week when a small

contingency unsuccessfully demanded the resignation of Planning

Commission Chairman Ron Davis.

This whole ugly debate is a no-win situation because both sides

are wrong.

It begins with a group of community watchdog types having an

online chat about how they think planning commissioners have violated

the Brown Act by having individual meetings with staff members about

various projects. It should have all stopped here, because such

meeting do not violate the Brown Act -- but it didn’t.

And Davis, never one to back down, fired off e-mails defending

himself and the commission. Problem is, Davis said he didn’t think

he’d get a fair shake by representing himself, so he penned the

e-mails under the name of Stuart Welch.

That’s where Davis went wrong.

Davis should have fought the issue in a straightforward manner as

himself. Instead, “Stuart Welch” asked questions about Davis and then

said he spoke to Davis in an effort to understand what planning

commissioners had done wrong. This was not illegal, but it was an

underhanded way to go about things.

Once his ruse was found out, the e-mail group was outraged. They

called him unethical and dishonest.

His actions were indeed less than forthright.

Lying and deceiving people is unethical. Period. There is no

wiggle room on this one and Davis, who once wrote a column for this

newspaper, should have known better.

But to be sure, Davis did nothing illegal.

If there is to be a public forum such as this HB Talk message

board, the dialogue should be open and not hostile. While Davis’ use

of the name Stuart Welch was not illegal, neither is the group’s

habit of sending scathing and judgmental e-mails. But if they want it

to be a public forum, sacred enough to warrant a public officials’

resignation for violating it, an even-handedness must be achieved.

It is time to let this squabble go. Since things came to light the

discussions have become much nastier. The dust seems to be settling

now. Let this be the end and not the eye of the storm.