I trust that a guardian of democracy will either take notes or make a recording that can later be forwarded to The Almanac — if they don’t get hounded out of the room for acting suspiciously. Parts of the Portola Valley community are insular in their bones, but it takes a quorum of Republicans to make the contagion visible.

Way to go Portola Valley Residents (non-profit group)!!!

What a great idea: Hold a candidate forum in the town meeting hall for residents hoping to be elected to public office, but exclude - wait for it...the PUBLIC (unless they can prove they are residents).

Then, in a master-stroke of genius, double-down and exclude - wait for it...the PRESS!

Awesome! One cannot make this stuff up - I had to read it twice - and still almost shot coffee out of my nose laughing.

To be fair, calling it 'fascist' or 'racist' is such a trope and cheapens the insult. Try a little harder.

PS. Jeremy, sometimes not answering is the better option.

I think Angela needs to show up anyway, despite not being "invited." She is the credentialed reporter for the paper of record of the town.

As a journalist for decades including for the Almanac, I have never heard of a candidate forum described as a "private meeting."

Good luck, Angela!

The Almanac sent the incredibly gracious journalist Cameron Rebosio to the "Community Forum" in Portola Valley last night. Turned away at the door, she contacted me. Portola Valley resident JoAnn Loulan and I would not hear of it and argued with the folks at the door, most ungraciously on my part, and they relented, so we brought Cameron in through a side door and seated her between us in the front row. All seemed good until one of the sponsors of the event, a brusque, nervous gentleman, approached us and started hounding Cameron with rapid fire questions, trying to get her to admit that despite not being invited and turned away, she defiantly attended anyway. I repeatedly interrupted to explain that it was me and JoAnn who were the defiant ones, not Cameron, and annoyed, the gentleman told me to stop interrupting. Furious that he was treating her like a prisoner in a back room at a dark site, I called him an as***le at which time he jumped up, grabbed his iPad, turned it on "record" and pounded me in an insane attempt to admit that I did in fact call him an as***le which I did. (I stand by the comment.) Then he went back to aggressively questioning Cameron to get her to agree to print a story on the front page of the Almanac saying that the article about the event, written by Angela Swartz, was 100% factually incorrect. The truth was, she had not even read it. The girl held her own and refused to be beaten into submission. Eventually he gave up and the show went on, Cameron quietly taking notes with absolutely no effect on the audience's comfort in asking tough questions. In fact, I doubt most people even knew she was there. Looking back, I am unsettled by the fact that had JoAnn and I not been willing to fight for Cameron, the sponsors of the community event would have succeeded in barring the press in a shameful act of chipping away at democracy in Portola Valley.

So...how did the forum go?

Defending democracy in the manner of Ms. Moise and Ms. Loulan at this meeting, in public, in plain language, is exactly what this country needs from every elected official.

For the Congressional Democrats in particular, it is long, long past time to wake the hell up to the exceedingly dire threat our democracy is facing and TALK WITH US ABOUT IT!

For 28 years I lived on Mountain Home Rd, was involved in Town affairs including serving a 4 year term on the Town Council.

To exclude anyone from a meeting of a Public Body is a violation of the Brown Act Open Meeting Laws.

I urge those concerned to contact County and State and lodge a formal complaint.

To Neighbor "How did the forum go?"

Actually, the forum was bloody great. Great organisation and moderation, Great questions and great answers. Democracy was the real winner last night.