Minority Leader Carr Q&A: Mangin on Tea Party reference and political bias

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Mr.

Mangin, for being here today.

I want to begin by referring to something that came up in a recent back and forth here at the hearing.

You talked about in your response to questions that community voices are paramount in these discussions about land use.

And in referring to questions you had back and forth with Councilmember Banks, you referenced the Tea Party as a radical group.

Some of us represent districts and neighborhoods chock full of folks with that kind of politics.

So my question is, how do you square those two things that you said in your testimony that

Local voices are paramount, but certain people's politics are radical.

Do people only have a paramount voice when they conform to John Mangin's view of what are mainstream politics?

Thank you, Leader Carr.

Again, I firmly believe that

Anybody affected by a land use decision should have a voice in the process.

I believe that the local voices are paramount in that process.

I didn't refer to the Tea Party as a radical group.

That was, I think, in the questions that I got from council on that.

By referencing Tea Party, I just meant groups that are intensely engaged in issues.

At the time, 2014, they were an example of

groups that were passionately and intensely involved in a given set of issues, that's all.

It was meant to reflect the passion and intensity without, you know, casting any particular aspersions on it.

So the politics or partisan identification that a community is thought to have, actual or perceived, has no bearing in your view on a decision of the BSA or any land use decision?

Thank you for the question.

Absolutely, I agree with that.

It has no bearing whatsoever.

Okay, thank you.