So it’s finally come down to this:  For better or worse, our little patch of island paradise was chugging along on a community driven plan to finally take on the festering redevelopment issues surrounding Alameda Point.

We know the expenses are large and growing.  We know also we don’t want development that will add to traffic.  We do want jobs and things like open space to preserve and enhance the island’s quality of life features.  And we knew we had neither the capital nor the expertise to redevelop such a massive project ourselves.

We have, or had, an emerging consensus about what we would and would not allow the developer to do.  And then we got ourselves a new ‘interim’ city manager and the next thing we knew everyone is at everyone else’s throat.

Then we learn that our manager has quite a ‘history’ of leaving communities bitterly divided after short stints running each place, along with litigation and lingering divisions.

But until interim city manager Ann Marie Gallant went and used taxpayer funds to sic what is essentially a Private Eye on one of our duly elected officials, we didn’t really have any clear examples of the divide and conquer style Gallant seems to be so fond of using.

Think about it.  Rather than just facing the elected official you have concerns about and saying ‘hey, I don’t think this is okay,’ she hires someone to build a secret file on the unsuspecting councilmember.

Then, when that councilmember gets out of line, in this case daring to question a sweetheart no bid contract to an old boss, wham.  Out comes the file, straight to the DA and with much public fanfare to go along with it.

Machiavelli would be proud.

And of course the rest of our council, perhaps now alarmed that their own files might also be cocked and ready for DA referral, go along with whatever Gallant wants.

It’s no wonder we have no developer, no plan and no daylight except that we’re now being sued.  We hired “The Temp” and she’s methodically putting us through the wringer.