Marx blames “blog” in settling SLO flag dispute

March 6, 2013

flagThe San Luis Obispo City Council patched up its flag display policy Tuesday night, despite Mayor Jan Marx blaming a “blog” for raising the issue.

The council voted 3-1 to add Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, as well as September 11 and a fallen firefighters day, to a list of days in which it instructs staffers to fly flags at half-staff. Marx voted in favor of the flag policy additions, which many people requested after a December 2012 incident in which city management instructed staffers to raise a flag they had lowered in honor of the Pearl Harbor victims.

CalCoastNews first reported the flag dispute in a Dec. 10 article.

“This blog was never true or correct in its inaccurate and poorly done article,” Marx said Tuesday night. “They didn’t do the research they needed to do before they made their accusations.”

Marx said the city complied with its flag display policy during the Pearl Harbor Day incident.

“The blog insisted on with the ‘California city snubs president, victims of Pearl Harbor,’ despite numerous attempts to convey the actual city policy, which we did follow,” Marx said.

CalCoastNews reported in the article referenced by Marx that city management indeed complied with the flag policy in disallowing staffers to fly flags at half-staff on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day without mayoral approval. Marx, however, told CalCoastNews after the posting of the article that she did not learn about the request to lower the flag on Pearl Harbor Day until staff had already rejected it.

At Tuesday night’s council meeting, Marx said she endured “unnecessary and difficult” reaction to the raising of the flags on Pearl Harbor Day.

“Certain people who either work for the blog or read the blog then contacted various veterans groups around the country who are very concerned about these kinds of issues,” Marx said. “And then I got a lot of various nasty email from people all over the place who had a really distorted and inaccurate picture of what the role of the mayor is and what the policy of the city is.”

Prior to voting to add Pearl Harbor Day to the list of half-staff days, Marx said, “I support this change in the policy, so it will be even more clear, not that this is going to create better reporting on this blog.”

The council also considered amending the flag policy so that the mayor can only instruct staff to lower the city flag, and not the American flag, following the death of a prominent citizen of city employee. But, the council dropped that amendment to the policy after Councilman Dan Carpenter said it would show “some level of insignificance” to lower one flag and not the other.”

“We’re Americans first,” Carpenter said.

Councilwoman Kathy Smith cast the lone vote against the flag policy update. Smith said the council did not receive enough public input on the matter.


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This has to rank up to the top of the silliest “issues” ever raised.


Paso Parent nails it! Gone are the days when the amateur, 20 something TV reporters treated City big shots with defference. CCN digs up the facts that our two TV “training stations” can’t, or won’t touch. Mayors blowing hot air, Council Members lying through their teeth, are now routinely caught on a computer search of the facts. My circle of friends have abandoned old forms of media- 6 & 11 p.m. news does not cut it today. Beware you Politicians, there’s traps all around when you lie like SLO City folk just did…


So only after public sentiment and public outcry nationally does the Canadian Draft dodger’s wife backs down. Obviously didn’t take much to get Saigon Codron to change his tune? It is utter garbage, they need to make a formal apology to every veteran in this country, starting with SLO County residents. Parents often make their children wear a banner publicly as penance for their misdeeds. Condron and the idiot mayor Marx should resign instantly. What an utter disgrace to our community!


Codron you could get a job as a barista, since all you do is schedule meetings, get coffee, order lunches, coordinate your band’s next gig on City / tax payers time or is that dime?


REEKS of a COPOUT marx , You are the mayor , don,t pass the buck


Jan Marx now joins Adam Hill and Bruce Gibson as one of SLO County’s biggest whiners. Their deeds have been exposed; their arrogant attitudes have been revealed and they just can’t handle it.


These snobs are used to being flattered and coddled by their sympathizers at the Fibune. Their actions are rarely criticized; they’re not used to being told NO. Guess what, Jan! You and your cronies can’t hide behind Bob Swamp Gas Cuddy forever!


Wake up, Jan (and Adam and Bruce.) CCN’s been around for a while now and you had better grow up, accept responsiblity, and realize that the dinosaur days of 1 print paper and 1 or 2 local TV stations singing your praises are over.


CCN’s coverage of Chittygate in Paso, the Gearhart shenanigans in A-town, the continued exploits of Adam and Dee, Bruce and Cherie….all this truth-telling scares the crap out of politicians who are used to getting away w/stuff and having no one ever find out. Then when they DO get exposed, they just whine and point fingers like Jan is doing. I expect such babyish behavior from my kids, but not from a grown woman like Jan Marx.


You know the only people that dislike CCN (Gearhart, Miller, Most county heads, Paso City heads and council, SLO same etc. etc. etc) are the people that got away with WAY TO MUCH SHIT in this county for years and now that CCN came in the room and turned on the lights, all the COCKROACHES are mad that they have to squirrel away in their hiding places away from the light, in fear that the people will want them ERADICATED!!!!


Okay, lets look at this another way…


It is hardly likely that subordinates ( read city staffers) would do anything that conflicts with written or unwritten policy. If ‘someone’ felt or knew that they would be in trouble for raising or lowering a flag… city staffers just wouldn’t do it.


I heard a rumor that city staffers get a half day off and the flag is at half mast remembering that great comrade Hugo Chavez.


So, the former community organizer, Jan Marx, got her leftist pantaloons in a twist, boo hoo. It’s time SLO realizes that they have a “do nothing but whine” Mayor and City Council and vote them out. They are pathetic.


I am just amazed this is even an issue! I guess I just imagined lowering the flag for our fallen Vets and those lost in 9/11 goes without question, no reconsidering, Just do it! But this is an issue the council is dealing with? Are you kidding? ITs like sorting the colors in your FruitLoop’ bowl. What a waste of time!


i for one would prefer the council spent their time sorting colors in their fruitloop bowls. They would certainly do less damage to the community.


However there are machines that will do it cheaper.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvtLk4i6TmY


Skittles I know, works on fruit loops too.