City Council ‘Goes Along With Hamish’ And Rejects Fines For Not Wearing Masks

Fines for not following that mandatory face mask order in Malibu???

Nope.

The Malibu City Council last night voted against authorizing deputies to issue fines to people who violate the county order requiring face masks in public.

The city council decided not to follow the request of the county public health experts … and the sheriff’s office … who recommended that the local county public health order be enforced under threat of fine.

The measure needed four votes to pass.

But two city council members … Skylar Peak and Rick Mullen … said they agreed with the advice of a local man with no scientific background.

Hamish Patterson is a construction worker and noted skateboarder …. he has appeared before the city council at almost every recent meeting for months to rail against COVID 19 closures.

Patterson says the national death toll is made up … COVID is not as big threat as an economic shutdown is … and the mask order is just the nanny state.

NEWSCART 73001 MASK PATTERSON

“There has not been 180,000 deaths from COVID.

“There’ve been 10,000 directly attributed to COVID and that’s according to the CDC.

“Ninety six percent of those other deaths are attributed to comorbidity …meaning at least they had two or more additional conditions that lead to their death.”

And that argument was endorsed by two city councilmen … first … Rick Mullen.

NEWSCART 73002 MASK MULLEN

“I will agree with a lot of things that Hamish said … there’s a lot of compliance out there.

“If you go to the grocery store everyone’s wearing a mask where they’re supposed to.”

And then … Skylar Peak.

NEWSCART 73004 MASK PEAK

“I’m sort of comfortable with the county ordinance the way it is. I think Hamish brings up a couple of really good points here.”

Three council members were in favor of the proposed mask ordinance …. Karen Farrer … Jefferson Wagner … and Mikke Pierson.

NEWSCART 73005 MASK FERRWAGPIER

FARRER: “I just … I would rather err on the side of caution here.”

WAGNER: “When you are in proximity to other people you shoudl eb wearting a mask, and it shoudl eb the proper type of mask.”

PIERSON: “This is late.

“I actually was under the assumption that the sheriff did not want us to do this.

“And I actually called them … and they were like ‘yeah we want you to do it.’”

That’s three city council members in favor.

But in order to pass and take effect immediately … it needed four votes.

Mayor Mikke Pierson says he did not want the ordinance to pass out … without an urgency clause … as it would not take effect for months.

So … two City Councilman who said they based their vote on the argument put forth by the guy who says COVID is not as big a threat … they carried the day.