The immensely popular HBO series Game of Thrones involves mythical lands, epic sword battles, and even dragons, but the show’s premise and brilliance is better understood through the careful and calculated political maneuvering of its characters. Fittingly, the creator of the series—author George R.R. Martin—has quite a bit to say about political leaders and once remarked, “Politicians were mostly people who’d had too little morals and ethics to stay lawyers.”
Perhaps this is nowhere more evident than in Sunnyvale.
Just one day after being sworn in, Sunnyvale City Councilman and attorney Pat Meyering filed a personal injury lawsuit against the city he spent months campaigning to represent.
Meyering claimed to have fallen on a sidewalk in the city but because he could not identify the location at which he fell, a judge tossed out the suit.
Nonetheless, two years of legal squabbling resulted in an $83,000 tab for the City of Sunnyvale.
Since being elected, Meyering has been censored by his colleagues and is facing the threat of recall. His behavior on the council dais is volatile, by many accounts.
For a more in-depth analysis of Sunnyvale’s predicament, check out the wonderful coverage by San Jose Inside.