For some time now, residents of Geneva, New York have been subjected to an ideology of antagonism, confrontation, unprofessionalism and ethically dubious behavior by one of the city council members. Since she assumed the position of city councilor for Ward 5, Laura Salamendra has embraced a coliseum culture approach to discussion and engagement. In the words of former New York University President John Sexton, "We have created a coliseum culture that reduces public conversation to a set of gladiatorial soundbites." Laura Salamendra exemplifies this new culture of denigration, verbal assaults and refusal to engage with viewpoints that do not coincide with her own. This is directly antithetical to what a democracy is. Where others have used dialog and compromise to achieve common goals with other city councilors, Salamendra uses hostility and a lack of accountability as shields to fend off any proposal or criticism that is not to her liking.

We believe that it is in the best interests of Geneva and Laura Salamendra herself that she remove herself from the city council. While her passion is admirable to a degree, she has failed to demonstrate a consideration of other view points. She reacts where others respond.

Furthermore, Laura Salamendra must meet two objectives:

1) Undergo anger management training.

2) Obtain training in JEDI (Justice Equity, Diversity and Inclusion). This will enable her to empathize with and connect with others who have distinct views, multicultural backgrounds or a diversity of thought and experiences.