Carson council toeing the line between leading and censoring

The Carson City Council's recent 3-2 vote to allow the mayor to mute any speaker at a council meeting is not without logic - or risk.

[slug]

I would think a "mute button" could only be used as an extension of a sergeant-at-arms, that is to maintain control of the meeting process by silencing participants who are in the process of failing to follow procedures. If people want to do otherwise, if Robert's Rules is the standard for meeting control, there are procedural methods to do that, too.

[Silence is not Golden]

I would like to know who the author of this article is, because evidently, although there are some strong and legitimate points made; he/she doesn't know Jim Dear.
I would agree with the author points if the mute button was to limit the OVERTIME of the meetings that drag on into the early am morning hours. However, this is just the contrary, Jim Dear is the MAIN person that does not limit his speaking and he is a main part of the reason the council meetings are so drawn out.
I believe it is unforturnate that an elected official is limited to the time of debate dictated only to them. The fair thing to do is to acknowledge that EVERYONE has a certain amount of time to argue their point and if this time is exceeded, it would be agreed to end their debate. But to say to one council person I don't like what you have to say, so therefor I am at liberty to mute you is insane and unconstitutional.
Jim Dear has not been a leader and does not play FAIR. If one of his allies gets up to speak he extends their time, calls them back to speak again and allows them to disrespect councilmembers by name.
Lula Davis-Holmes poses a threat to Jim Dear because she is smart, she knows the city as a former employee, and she understands government. She is also able to articulate to the masses where she can get through the local government information to empower them to make progress. It is unfortunate that the Mayor feel it necessary to not only establish a mute button, but to disinfranchise the community by not allowing town hall meetings to keep us inform.
This reminds me of and I am not trying to make it a race issue, but I have to say it; when the masters did not allow the slaves to congregate and not speak until being spoken to. I ask the citizens of Carson, is this what we have come to and are accepting this?
I will end with this Harriet Tubman said she could have freed more slaves if they knew they were slaves.....wake up people!