Dean Cannon was not happy with Anchorage Assembly Chair Felix Rivera. After he had left the regular Anchorage Assembly meeting on Nov. 17, the chair of the Assembly, Felix Rivera, disparaged him and his comments on the record. During the following Rules Committee meeting, Cannon put his displeasure with Rivera on the record:
“I would like to address belittling remarks make of me in my absence by Felix Rivera, chair of the Anchorage Assembly, at a regular Assembly meeting on 17 November, 2020.
“He insinuated I lacked basic human decency,” Cannon said.
“My testimony referred to public comments made by our acting Mayor Austin Quinn-Daidson, a public figure. Her comments were that Anchorage was a mostly progressive city. I disputed that assertion and provided testimony about my reservations about the progressive ideology. And about places where that ideology is prevalent,” Cannon continued.
Cannon said his concern is about the accumulation and concentration of power, and he thinks Assembly members are not interested in the well-being of citizens.
“I did not single out any individuals for attack. During and after my testimony I asked that if anyone had any questions, they could address me. After answering one , I waited. There were no more,” he said, during telephonic testimony.
Cannon learned publicly via social media that Rivera had singled out his testimony at the conclusion of the Nov. 17 meeting.
“He publicly identified me as ‘this individual’ in an attempt to shame me,” Cannon said. “He did this after I left and I was not able to defend myself. Again, he mentioned basic human decency, but his belittling comments have left me open to public shame.”
Cannon wasn’t ready to let it go:
“I think it is outrageous that a public figure can belittle remarks made by a citizen in a public setting, and face no repercussions. If the chair has such contempt for what the public are thinking, how can that person be trusted to affect the public’s will?” Cannon asked.
There were no comments from Rivera after Cannon completed his remarks.
