Yuba Mayor David Shaw Really Doesn't Care

A citizen appeals to Mayor David Shaw for help resolving an ongoing problem at the most recent council meeting. (Photo: OpGov.ai snapshot).

Cutting off a citizen during public comment is understandable, but what Yuba City Mayor Dave Shaw did was not.

At the last regularly scheduled Yuba City Council Meeting, Oct. 08, Shaw made it clear that even for the sole citizen in the audience, he could not extend a bit more kindness.

If you don't believe OpGov.ai, watch here.

Even the OpGov.ai Yuba City AI picked up on the lack of public concern.

"The unanimous approval of community sponsorships, despite some questions, underscored the council's consistent support for local initiatives, yet the emphasis on celebrations at times overshadowed more pressing governance topics," AI reports.

When a robot notices a lack of public concern, it indicates an issue.

That is why OpGov.ai reached out to Shaw in all fairness.

After watching the disheartening scene, this real-time reporter followed up by asking Mayor Shaw to specify which staff members he had spoken to. In short, I want proof that this citizen is being helped, as seen in the email below.

Yuba Mayor David Shaw had plenty of time to respond to the press about how he treated a citizen at last week's meeting.

He never responded.

Note the CC of the email to Toni Darwazeh, a city executive assistant. So, just in case someone tells you, like me, that the mayor couldn't respond because he was at a mayor's conference, remember that it's not the executive assistant's job, since you pay for their position, to seek immediate assistance for the citizen they ignored.

Again, AI readily depicts the citizens' plea for help.

"He expressed frustration over a lack of communication from the water district regarding why service has not been activated, causing him to miss work," AI reports.

In the simplest terms, the citizen is losing money as the government does not help him.

Even a fire hazard does not gain the mayor and council's attention.

"As a farmer/rancher with olive and pomegranate trees on the property, he wants to fix it up, convert a barn into living quarters, and address issues like tall grass (a fire hazard) and deterring homeless individuals by fixing fences," AI reports.

Again, in fairness, playing devil's advocate in Shaw's defense, OpGov.ai cites the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, which confirms that a citizen only has three minutes.

Some will even say that Shaw let him go 15 more seconds. Watch those 15 seconds, where the citizen tries to get in as much as possible and leaves the podium confused about what to do next.

It seemed Shaw's conscience prompted him to reach out again, encouraging the city staff to work on his issue, using the "I can't do anything about it from up here" excuse.

Then what is the point of the dais?

Is it a podium for elected officials to remain on after the election, allowing them to stay above citizens rather than with them in the crowd?

Consider this next time you vote in a Yuba election.

At this point, I am going to sum up the story with the fact that Mayor Shaw and Yuba City Council seemingly don't care about said citizen.

What happens when you become that citizen?