EUGENE, Ore. (KMTR) – Following two incidents that happened over the holidays, City Councilor George Poling said saying Mayor Kitty Piercy should hold some responsibility.
Councilor Poling was quoted in the Register Guard Thursday saying Mayor Piercy did “too little, too late” and even asked where the leadership was.
When he talked to NewsSource 16, he admitted those words were a bit harsh and came out of ‘raw nerve.’ Poling admitted, though, that he does think Mayor Piercy should have done more to defend him and his family.
Mayor Piercy did not offer a formal comment defending her decisions, but e-mailed the station saying, “You know in my view, the attention I have given this issue, the respect I have tried to show and that I have asked there be no demonstrations at anyone’s home. I think that is enough.”
Mayor Piercy told NewsSource 16 in a previous press conference that she did not regret her support for Occupy Eugene.
The concern Councilor Poling shared Thursday was that Mayor Piercy did not step up immediately following the first demonstration that occurred on Christmas Day, but rather waited for another to take place less than a week later.
“I had people with their faces pressed against my window, on Christmas night. If you listen to the 53-minute video, you can hear the conversations. They were at my house before. They scouted. They’ve stalked. They knew what the inside of the house was like!” Councilor Poling said.
Poling said he is outraged not for himself, but for his family who has found these events to be traumatic and terrorizing.
Referring to past events, Councilor Poling feels Mayor Piercy has stepped up for others in the past but failed to do so for him.
“We had a rock thrown through a synagogue window and that was despicable. We have swastikas painted on playground equipment and that was despicable. The mayor was out the next day in front of the cameras decrying those actions,” Poling said.
In front of Poling’s house stands an iron fence, cameras, motion-activated lights and more. Police have been patrolling the area as much as possible.
Poling insists he will continue to represent Ward 4. The relationship between him, his co-councilors and the mayor, he said, will remain strong in order to get the job done.
Poling told NewsSource 16 that he still stands behind his votes and motions that took place in ‘occupy’ meetings. He continues to read that in Occupy Eugene’s general assembly meetings and Facebook discussions that they continue to talk about what did happen and for future plans of protests.
“It’s time to move on,” he said. “The camp is closed.”
