“Don’t tell me how to brush my teeth!” — former Santa Fe mayor blasts City Council
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‘DON’T TELL ME HOW TO BRUSH MY TEETH!”: Sam Pick, a quirky politician who was a popular mayor in Santa Fe, says the current city council spends too much time discussing issues beyond the city limits.
By Rob Nikolewski │ New Mexico Watchdog
SANTA FE — Sam Pick can brush his own teeth, thank you.
The former mayor of Santa Fe says the City Council should focus on relevant issues and stop opining on national affairs.
“They want to tell me who to marry. They want to tell me what wars to fight. They’re going to work on Los Alamos (National Laboratory) cleaning up (nuclear waste). They’re going to tell me what pipelines to build,” Pick said during a panel discussion at City Hall.
Pick, who was mayor in the 1980s and early 1990s, went on.
“I’m irrelevant now,” Pick said, . “I haven’t been mayor in 15 years. But it hasn’t changed. Don’t tell me how to brush my teeth! I don’t need that!”
Two weeks ago, New Mexico Watchdog posted a story about the proclivity of the ultra-socially conscious to wade into political issues beyond the state’s capital city.
The CEO of the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce and one member of the City Council complained that resolutions — such as a recent proclamation urging President Obama to reject the Keystone XL pipeline project — are simply feel-good measures and that the council should concentrate more on municipal issues.
In the New Mexico Watchdog story, city councilor criticized the Keystone resolution. At Thursday’s meeting, Trujillo echoed Pick.
“How close is the Keystone pipeline to Santa Fe, New Mexico? It’s not,” Trujillo said, . “I think it’s ridiculous that we’re talking on these issues in other states that have no relevance in the city of Santa Fe.”
“Our job is to focus on local issues,” said city councilor , who also abstained from the Keystone resolution vote. “If you care about climate change, then do things locally to address that.”
Pick’s comments were met with applause and laughter.
The Santa Fe City Council has a history of passing resolutions on topics that extend far beyond the city limits. it issued a resolution against the war in Iraq, and a “No War With Iran” resolution, asking that Obama and Congress never consider a pre-emptive attack on Tehran.
Contact Rob Nikolewski at and follow him on Twitter @robnikolewski
Posted under Blog.
Tags: Chris Rivera, Keystone XL Pipeline, Ron Trujillo, Sam Pick, Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce, Santa Fe City Council, Santa Fe New Mexican, Santa Fe Reporter
4:02 pm on December 6th, 2013
Climate Change has already had a direct effect on Santa Fe that being drought. The City council can walk and chew gum at the same time. They can make resolutions and manage the city at the same time.