Through this petition, the residents of City Council District 4, call for Myrtle Cole to resign from the San Diego City Council. Councilmember Cole's resignation is necessary because, throughout her years in office, she has demonstrated a sustained disregard for the needs and concerns of those who elected her. Far too often, her positions have proved not only ineffective, but contrary to the interests of her constituents.

Two recent incidents illustrate Councilmember Cole's disconnect from the community she is charged with the duty to serve. At a July 2016 townhall meeting, Councilmember Cole initially refused to allow members of the community to speak. Only after repeated expressions of dissatisfaction did she relent, but that was of little help. Despite being asked a number of questions important to the community, Councilmember Cole failed to answer most of them.

Although it was members of the community who left the July 26 Townhall meeting feeling disrespected and underserved, it was Councilmember Cole who went on the offensive against her own community. At the city council meeting held following the July townhall meeting, Councilmember Cole apologized to the other councilmembers for what she called the "disrespectful" actions of the youth who attended the townhall meeting. Councilmember Cole then addressed one of the questions posed to her at the Townhall meeting, i.e., whether she believed racial profiling was a reality in Southeast San Diego. She defended the harassing and degrading nature of profiling Black San Diegans by claiming it is justified by what she refers to as “black on black crime” and “blacks shooting blacks.”  

Councilmember Cole's dismissive statements regarding racial profiling were not the first indication that she did not and would not champion the interests of our community. Although constituents have asked her to address the injustice of California’s Penal Code, § 182.5, gang injunctions, gang documentation, and racial profiling, she has refused. These refusals cannot go unchecked.

Councilmember Cole's statements at the city council meeting and her failure to support issues vitally important to the community clearly show that she has little understanding of the adversity under which we, her constituents labor, and no desire to gain such an understanding. Councilmember Cole simply has no ability to represent the fourth district. She must resign.