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comfortable to speak for themselves. Mr. Crow congratulated Mr. Price and stated that he is gratified by the level of pride that he and his wife take in their amazing family. Mr. Sharpe stated that what he would like to say to Mr. Price and his family is that this has been a marvelous ride. He will certainly be missed and looks forward to seeing him from time to time. H. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION (Total of 15 minutes allowed) Dennis Fuller, 7365 Colgate Avenue Mr. Fuller congratulated Mr. Price and said that he would be a tough act to follow. He stated that he would be reading a statement on behalf of Steve McMahon of 8135 Stanford, who had to be out of town this evening. At the April 28, 2014, Council meeting he listened as citizens raised concerns on the manner in which Mr. Walker retaliated against firefighters for engaging in political speech. He listened to citizens raise concerns on Mr. Walker’s political speech in the ROAR’s newsletter supporting three candidates for the office, in violation of the City Charter and state law. He listened as citizens raised concerns about Mr. Walker using heavy-handed tactics to remove a citizen from his office with whom he disagreed. In the past a Councilmember has called citizens, angry, disgruntled minorities that were irrelevant. The Mayor, who promised that she would stop incivility in all forms wherever and whenever it occurred, was asked to help and she refused. Six days after the Council meeting the Mayor called these citizens a small group of bitter people. So here we have the very person who has promised to stop all incivility, calling citizens names and demeaning citizens because they disagree. What makes these citizens bitter and negative people; raising concerns about the safety of our City; retaliation for exercising free speech or that state law may have been violated by the use of our tax dollars to support candidates. These concerns are not the only thing going on in the City and there are other issues for which all of our elected officials can be praised as Standard and Poor’s improved University City’s bond rating some city streets are getting repaired, efforts are being made to bring businesses to Olive Boulevard. Until last fiscal year the City Manager claimed surplus budgets, a trend that began in 2008 and ended in 2012 according to the Standard and Poor’s Report. So we have good and we have bad. The bad does not eliminate the good, nor does the good erase the bad. Citizens raising valid concerns, provide the City with an opportunity to improve. Embracing the city’s missteps in an effort to improve is commendable. Ignoring our mistakes in an effort for self- preservation is deplorable. People calling with concerns receive bitter, angry, disgruntled, irrelevant, negative, nasty, mean from some on this Council, does not set forth a path for improvement. Rather these attacks send a message that our concerns, our speech, even us as individuals, are unwanted. If that question has worked its way into the citizen’s thoughts we need to know why. Why would a citizen worry that our officials would not help citizens with criticism? Citizens are afraid of what will happen if they speak. To our elected officials and appointed staff, now is the time to acknowledge your missteps and take corrective action. Failure to embrace this opportunity may diminish your ability to lay claim to the accomplishments of the future. Now is not the time for the elected officials to drive the wedge of divisiveness deeper. Now is not the time for name calling, now is the time to right the ship as it lists under the weight of mistakes. Now is the time to protect the values of our community, justice, fairness, compassion and tolerance, rather than attacking citizens who believe that such values are the cornerstone of the foundation of our community. Stephen Arnold, 7305 Forsyth Mr. Arnold stated that he is still waiting for an apology from Mr. Walker and the City. He stated that Mr. Walker was an employee and that he had not been elected by anyone. So if he had been an employee of his company with the type of insubordination that had been exhibited during his visit, not only would he be suspended, he would be fired. Mr. Arnold stated that his own Councilmember had come up to him after the last meeting and started pointing his finger into his chest telling him about how long he had kept him on the phone. But it’s a funny thing, when Mr. Kraft was running for office he came by, knocked on the door and stated that he would take as much of my time as I would allow him to have. Now all of a sudden he’s sitting on a podium that’s 18 inches off the floor and he doesn’t have time for his constituency. Mr. Arnold stated that 3