Escondido's Moral Minority

Escondido resident and president of the Chamber of Citizens, Lisa Prazeau, is calling on Mayor Lori Holt Pfeiler and city councilmembers Dick Daniels, Sam Abed, and Marie Waldron to stick up for fellow councilmember Olga Diaz.

In an April 26 email to the council, Prazeau denounced a derogatory remark about Diaz in a North County online forum, and she blames the council majority for what she refers to as “anti-Latino” sentiment in Escondido.

Diaz, a first-term councilmember, is a Democrat and is also the first Hispanic woman ever elected to the Escondido city council; both make her a minority on the council.

In her email, Prazeau included a comment from a North County Times reader accusing Diaz of treason.

“[Diaz] is an agent of a foreign government,” reads the comment from “El Capitan.” “[Diaz] is someone who, if fully investigated, is involved in treason, sedition, and plotting to overthrow our ‘borders, language, and customs,’ which define our society and way of life!”

Prazeau wants city councilmembers to publicly denounce the accusation. “Your colleague [has been] slandered, and I expect the rest of the city council [to] stand up for councilwoman Diaz immediately.”

Prazeau blames the conservative majority of the council for introducing ordinances such as “the rental ban” and “the parking ordinance.” Ordinances that Prazeau and other residents believe promote “exaggerated statements about the population of illegal immigrants in Escondido.”

“Back in 2005, all this racism started,” wrote Prazeau. “That is what it is, plain and simple. The majority on the council has essentially [condoned] this kind of behavior.”

“Please stop treating [Diaz] like she is the enemy,” Prazeau wrote in the final paragraph of her message. “It's so sad and disheartening and embarrassing for this Escondido resident, legal citizen, voter, taxpayer, mother, and advocate for the general public.”

At the time of this report, Prazeau had yet to receive a response from Mayor Pfeiler or the city council.