Arcata City Council - Patriot Act Law

April 21, 2003 11:43 AM

Arcata City Council: always political, always controversial always entertaining. Arcata is now the first city in the nation to pass an ordinance outlawing voluntary compliance with the Patriot Act. Stories in today's Washington Post, as well as previous articles in the San Francisco Chronicle, and the local Times-Standard, tell of Council Member David Meserve, who ran for office with the campaign slogan "The Federal Government Has Gone Stark, Raving Mad," and who drafted the ordinance, which passed by a 4 to 1 majority. Meserve calls the new law a "nonviolent, preemptive attack."
posted by runthegamut (23 comments total)

Reading their Police Log is better than reading the New Yorker.
posted by destro at 11:48 AM on April 21, 2003

People in surrounding communities often refer to Arcata as "The People's Republic of Arcata". If you have an opinion which is contrary to the ruling elite's, you had better keep it to yourself. They shout down the opposition ruthlessly.
posted by gnz2001 at 11:58 AM on April 21, 2003

If you have an opinion which is contrary to the ruling elite's, you had better keep it to yourself. They shout down the opposition ruthlessly.

As does pretty much everyone with even a modicum of power (e.g. Ari Fleischer). I guess you only notice it when those people have view points different from you own, though.

I only knew arcata through the police log, nice to see they are wacky across the board.
posted by malphigian at 12:08 PM on April 21, 2003

"...who ran for office with the campaign slogan 'The Federal Government Has Gone Stark, Raving Mad'..."

Anyone who runs on such a campaign slogan from now on is gonna get my vote; local, state or federal. Of course if no one in my area states similar sentiments, I'm just gonna write in "Michael Moore" and the heck with it. Michael Moore: The Mickey Mouse of the 21st Century!
posted by ZachsMind at 12:11 PM on April 21, 2003

holy cripes, is this police log for real?

12:09 p.m. A mail carrier who’d occupied the same time-space vector as a dog’s jaws in Blake Court asked that police follow up with the human.

there goes the rest of my day
posted by badzen at 12:11 PM on April 21, 2003

Arcata: Like Berkeley on 'shrooms.
posted by padraigin at 12:14 PM on April 21, 2003

Police Log rules! Even in Haiku:

7:24 p.m.
Some torn strip-molding
Crowbar marks on the doorjamb
You figure it out.
posted by Ufez Jones at 12:14 PM on April 21, 2003

The Arcata Eye is almost a one-man show: Kevin Hoover, editor. I love this line from a March 2003 article titled "67 women form giant, naked peace symbol":

"Discretion is key. The location was kept secret until the last minute to keep word from spreading and gawkers from descending."
posted by runthegamut at 12:26 PM on April 21, 2003

Damn liberals, always screaming about the federal government oppressing them and meddling in their affairs. Crazy liberals want the feds to stay out of local jurisdictions.

Wait a second...
posted by Ynoxas at 12:33 PM on April 21, 2003

Wow, that police log is without a doubt the best. link. ever. Seriously, there goes my work day.
posted by xmutex at 12:39 PM on April 21, 2003

Ufez: if you liked the haiku, you should check out the limericks:

10:04 p.m.
On 10th Street, when something went thud
Cops came to find out whut it wud
They noticed no crime
Just a low-effort rhyme
So it seems this whole item's a dud.
posted by Ynoxas at 12:49 PM on April 21, 2003

David Meserve is going to be on "The O'Reilly Factor" tonight according to a Green Party email I got earlier today. Can't find confirmation of that on the Fox News site, though.
posted by maurice at 12:59 PM on April 21, 2003

Thanks for the link. Now I get to find out about Arcata from another perspective. I've been visualizing the place as full of deranged shoplifters in dark hooded sweatshirts, jobless potheads, couples in need of therapy, and dogs running everywhere. Obviously, I'm a weekly reader of the famous Arcata Police Log.
posted by kozad at 12:59 PM on April 21, 2003

Back on topic...the Freedom to Read Protection Act, just introduced by good ol' Bernie Sanders, to "exempt bookstores and libraries from orders requiring the production of any tangible things for certain foreign intelligence investigations."
posted by gottabefunky at 1:08 PM on April 21, 2003

I also saw that Meserve is supposed to be on today's O'Reilly Factor, but could not find any confirmation.
posted by runthegamut at 1:10 PM on April 21, 2003

Orin Hatch proposed then retracted sunset amendment to Patriot II
posted by runthegamut at 1:15 PM on April 21, 2003

Excellent, now instead of leaving America like all of the pro-war people told me I could do for not supporting the war, I can just move to Arcata. Sounds like a great place.
posted by banished at 1:58 PM on April 21, 2003

Nice to see a American politicians standing up for real democracy, instead of capitulating to corporate interests and federal intimidation.

Seriously, the whole world needs more councillors like those of Arcata.
posted by Blue Stone at 2:02 PM on April 21, 2003

Friday, March 21 7:10 p.m. Remarkably, the terms “trailer park” and “restraining order” occupied the same space-time vector.

That log is totally priceless.
posted by elwoodwiles at 3:39 PM on April 21, 2003

"Friday, March 21... 6:48 p.m. Alcohol helped kindle moral outrage in inflaming one Plaza protester's passions, police believe..."

Mmmm..! Beer!
posted by ZachsMind at 3:52 PM on April 21, 2003

from the Bill of Rights Defense Committee
posted by runthegamut at 3:56 PM on April 21, 2003

I'm sure all MeFiers will be particularly impressed by the police log haiku (Mar. 15, 7:24 pm).

Some old college friends of my parents, one of whom teaches here, live in Arcata; their many stories about such things as the, ah, local crops, have proven most interesting. Nothing so fascinating goes on in my little village.
posted by thomas j wise at 5:55 PM on April 21, 2003

Agree with this or Disagree, one thing is for sure.

Arcata city ordinances cannot override Federal law.
posted by RobbieFal at 8:24 PM on April 21, 2003