Letter to the Editor: The distortion of my words by Councilmember Robbins

At the September 24, 2024, City Council meeting, I was surprised to hear Councilmember Scott Robbins take a social media comment I made out of context to push his political agenda. This incident is emblematic of his ongoing efforts to mislead the community for personal gain, a tactic frequently supported by the South Lake Tahoe Democratic Club. His misappropriation of my words is just one example of how he distorts facts to advance his agenda.

I consider myself a progressive. I’m a social justice attorney specializing in human trafficking and immigration law. When I returned to South Lake Tahoe during the 2020 election, I initially saw Mr. Robbins in Zoom forums and assumed he was advocating for a progressive agenda. However, over time, I came to feel misled by his superficial talking points. I take responsibility for not looking deeper into his positions, especially since I hadn’t been a full-time resident for over a decade.

Recently, I posted a comment in the Lake Tahoe Democrats Facebook group in response to a question about why more qualified individuals aren’t running for office. While I understand that social media comments can be shared, I feel compelled to respond to Councilman Robbins’ use of my words. He has built a political career on surface-level talking points that misrepresent others’ statements, resulting in misinformation to advance his own agendas.

To address my concerns about Mr. Robbins using my comment, I want to highlight two facts: 1) He took the comment out of the context in which it was shared; and 2) He used the sentiments and words of a woman of color in the community to push his own talking points.

For transparency, here’s the full comment I shared:

“I believe one of the challenges is that the city council position offers such a limited salary that it’s difficult for someone who can't afford to take on the financial burden of doing this full-time. I was born and raised here, returned to the area, and have been considering running for the past two cycles. However, I can't afford the financial toll it would take, especially while still needing to support myself. My current job also requires me to work full-time. You can imagine the toll this took on those who have chosen not to run again because of other life commitment[s] [sic].

The lack of interest in council positions isn’t necessarily due to a lack of desire or commitment, but rather the financial feasibility. As it stands, the position is not accessible to people who aren't independently wealthy or don’t have a job flexible enough to accommodate being away enough to understand the issues.

Additionally, from what I've observed, it seems the Lake Tahoe Democrats haven't been as mindful in recruiting community members from different backgrounds, particularly people of color. The content on this page and the heavy endorsement of certain individuals in past cycles have discouraged me from aligning with this group more than joining the Facebook page [sic] and instead shifted my focus toward other community projects. I do believe there’s work to be done by the Democrats to support those interested in running and to make intentional efforts to ensure everyone feels included.”
To be clear, my comment was directed at the South Lake Tahoe Democrats, who have struggled to find qualified candidates to support their ticket in the last two elections. I hold the local Democratic Club responsible for recruiting candidates from more diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds. Mr. Robbins conveniently omitted the second paragraph of my social media comment during the council meeting to support a small raise for council members.

Now, in 2024, both Mr. Robbins and his allies, like Nick Speal, are employing similar tactics—utilizing surface-level progressive talking points that suggest a lack of genuine investment in the community. They often do not reach out to diverse voices for participation but instead rely on their own perspectives, which they leverage for their own gain.

While this Op-Ed addresses a specific incident involving Mr. Robbins, it also highlights broader concerns about diversity, equity, and inclusion within our community. It underscores the importance of awareness among individuals and organizations promoting progressive values and how their actions—whether intentional or not—can inadvertently perpetuate behaviors we should strive to overcome.

I take offense at the use of my comment by Mr. Robbins and want to clarify my concerns:

1.Serving on the City Council is a privilege often afforded to individuals with a certain level of wealth and flexibility in their jobs.
2. This privilege can lead to the self-promotion of individuals who may not genuinely prioritize the community's interests, as we have witnessed during Mr. Robbins’ tenure on the council.
3. As a woman of color, I feel as though my words were misappropriated by a man in power to further his agenda. This highlights the Democratic Club’s failure to foster genuine political progressiveness through the promotion of individuals like Mr. Robbins and his allies, such as Mr. Speal.

As a Latina member of the community, I am particularly troubled by the pattern of dismissing marginalized voices that Mr. Robbins and his ilk exhibit. Their tendency to prioritize their personal ambitions over genuine community engagement is evident in Robbins’ failure to seek my perspective on my original comment before using it to advance his agenda. This not only raises concerns about their commitment to authentic representation but also contributes to the disenfranchisement of those they claim to support. By perpetuating this behavior, they undermine genuine discourse and reinforce a status quo that leaves many community members feeling unheard and undervalued.

This Op-Ed highlights a specific incident involving Mr. Robbins, but it also raises broader concerns about diversity, equity, and inclusion in our local politics. The promotion of individuals like him, who appear more focused on political ambitions than on the welfare of our community, raises questions about the local Democratic Club’s commitment to authentic representation.

It is important to recognize that others in our local political landscape, such as Mr. Speal and the supporters of Measure N, employ similar tactics. Their approach further underscores the need for authentic engagement and genuine representation in our community. As a result, I feel it is necessary to state that, come election time, I will not be casting my vote for Mr. Speal or supporting Measure N, both of which prioritize personal ambition over the needs of our community.

- By Erika Gonzalez. She is a Barton baby and South Tahoe High graduate, is a social justice attorney, and a nationally recognized expert in anti-human trafficking.