Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
📌 SAVE THIS CLIP.
I understand - life be lifing. But they count on you forgetting all of this. And they really count on you NEVER having the time to show up for public comment.
Let’s talk about what just went down at the Monday, July 7th Rules Committee meeting.
🚨 They tried to cut YOUR public comment time down to 30 seconds. Not a joke. Not a misunderstanding. That was the actual proposal.
⚠️ Mayor Daniel Biss was in the room… until it came time to vote. Then…like clockwork…he left.
⚠️ Councilmember Nieuwsma said, out loud and on record:
“Public comment is nobody’s favorite part of the meeting.”
Not even a little respect for the people taking time out of their day to speak truth to power.
⚠️ They refused to allow residents to cede time to another speaker - even though many councilmembers are known to ignore emails, avoid phone calls, and dismiss you at ward meetings.
So when they tell you to just “reach out”… but block every path except public comment? And then try to choke that down to 30 seconds?
That’s not “streamlining government.”
That’s gatekeeping participation.
Now ask yourself this:
Why has public comment become so inconvenient to attend in person?
Why did they move City Hall to a building with private security, higher barriers, and a less accessible location at 909 Davis?
Some folks believe it’s not just about office space - it’s about discouraging community presence, especially from the people who’ve been historically pushed to the margins.
💬 For me, watching these meetings isn’t just about knowing what passed. It’s about listening, really listening, to public comment.
That’s where the truth lives. That’s where the community speaks freely, on the record.
And let’s be clear:
📢 Public comment = public power.
It’s the last place where residents who’ve been ignored still get to speak directly to the power structure and have it documented for all to see.
🙌 So THANK YOU to Councilmember Clare Kelly, who stood strong and said it’s ABSURD to cut public comment to 30 seconds. She made sure residents get no less than 1 full minute to speak and she shamed her colleagues into passing it.
🙌 And THANK YOU to Councilmember Parielle Davis, who pushed for residents to be able to cede their time to one another.
Only Kelly backed her up and the motion failed, but that kind of leadership still matters.
So ask yourself:
Why are some of them working so hard to shrink public comment? To avoid it? To weaken it?
What are they so afraid of?
This isn’t about left vs. right. It’s about power vs. the people.
🛑 Don’t let the polished smiles fool you.
🛑 Don’t let their carefully worded emails distract you.
🛑 Don’t let them count on your silence.
📌 SAVE THIS.
Watch it. Share it.
Refer back to it when the ballots drop.
Because they’re betting you’ll forget.
Don’t.
#PublicCommentIsPower
#TheyTriedIt
#EvanstonDeservesBetter
#LetThePeopleSpeak
#MayorMeh
#NieuwsmaSaidWhat
#WeRememberInNovember
#WhereThePeopleMeet
#PowerToThePeople
#ThisIsOurCity
#LifeBeLifingButWeStillShowUp
#meleikagardner
#evanston
📌 SAVE THIS CLIP.
I understand - life be lifing. But they count on you forgetting all of this. And they really count on you NEVER having the time to show up for public comment.
Let’s talk about what just went down at the Monday, July 7th Rules Committee meeting.
🚨 They tried to cut YOUR public comment time down to 30 seconds. Not a joke. Not a misunderstanding. That was the actual proposal.
⚠️ Mayor Daniel Biss was in the room… until it came time to vote. Then…like clockwork…he left.
⚠️ Councilmember Nieuwsma said, out loud and on record:
“Public comment is nobody’s favorite part of the meeting.”
Not even a little respect for the people taking time out of their day to speak truth to power.
⚠️ They refused to allow residents to cede time to another speaker - even though many councilmembers are known to ignore emails, avoid phone calls, and dismiss you at ward meetings.
So when they tell you to just “reach out”… but block every path except public comment? And then try to choke that down to 30 seconds?
That’s not “streamlining government.”
That’s gatekeeping participation.
Now ask yourself this:
Why has public comment become so inconvenient to attend in person?
Why did they move City Hall to a building with private security, higher barriers, and a less accessible location at 909 Davis?
Some folks believe it’s not just about office space - it’s about discouraging community presence, especially from the people who’ve been historically pushed to the margins.
💬 For me, watching these meetings isn’t just about knowing what passed. It’s about listening, really listening, to public comment.
That’s where the truth lives. That’s where the community speaks freely, on the record.
And let’s be clear:
📢 Public comment = public power.
It’s the last place where residents who’ve been ignored still get to speak directly to the power structure and have it documented for all to see.
🙌 So THANK YOU to Councilmember Clare Kelly, who stood strong and said it’s ABSURD to cut public comment to 30 seconds. She made sure residents get no less than 1 full minute to speak and she shamed her colleagues into passing it.
🙌 And THANK YOU to Councilmember Parielle Davis, who pushed for residents to be able to cede their time to one another.
Only Kelly backed her up and the motion failed, but that kind of leadership still matters.
So ask yourself:
Why are some of them working so hard to shrink public comment? To avoid it? To weaken it?
What are they so afraid of?
This isn’t about left vs. right. It’s about power vs. the people.
🛑 Don’t let the polished smiles fool you.
🛑 Don’t let their carefully worded emails distract you.
🛑 Don’t let them count on your silence.
📌 SAVE THIS.
Watch it. Share it.
Refer back to it when the ballots drop.
Because they’re betting you’ll forget.
Don’t.
#PublicCommentIsPower
#TheyTriedIt
#EvanstonDeservesBetter
#LetThePeopleSpeak
#MayorMeh
#NieuwsmaSaidWhat
#WeRememberInNovember
#WhereThePeopleMeet
#PowerToThePeople
#ThisIsOurCity
#LifeBeLifingButWeStillShowUp
#meleikagardner
#evanston
