Palm Desert mayor blasted over her criticism of Republican-run store on El Paseo

A Facebook post by Palm Desert Mayor Karina Quintanilla criticizing a Republican-run store on the city’s main shopping drag sparked fierce pushback during Thursday’s council meeting, with just over a dozen people decrying her post and a few calling for her resignation.

After the meeting, Quintanilla largely stood by what she wrote, though she said she should have made the post from her personal Facebook account, rather than her mayoral one. But she said she would have to talk to the store's owner before deciding whether to apologize for what she wrote.

The council meeting turned partisan nearly two weeks after Quintanilla posted on her mayoral Facebook page, criticizing a recent article in El Paseo Catalogue that highlighted shopping at the Patriot Store. The store is run by the East Valley Republican Women Patriots, a local political group that moved its base to El Paseo from La Quinta last year.

"I don't know if it's more painful or embarrassing that as much as the other councilmembers boast like El Paseo is the only place to shop, and that it is what brings people to shop here, bragging about the luxury name brands," Quintanilla wrote. "How in the world is it going to bring a broad range of shoppers if you don't see green, you only see red?"

She added: “Double shame on #ElPaseoCatalogue for publishing the extremists’ souvenirs gift shop in the El Paseo Shopping District. How can other councilmembers say that El Paseo is welcoming to everyone, when articles like this will send the message that we are not? This does not #UnitePalmDesert.”

The post drew an outcry from many valley residents, some clad in America-themed attire, with the council chambers nearly full Thursday. Mike Morsch, who leads a Republican club in Palm Desert, was joined by Ralph Perry, the head of a local Democratic group, to push back against the post.

“Together, we can agree on a number of issues and disagree on most political policies,” Morsch said. “This is what makes our country great: the freedom to speak and the freedom to vote. In regard to the actions of the mayor of Palm Desert, we speak with one voice. ... District 1 deserves better.”

Others agreed, saying the mayor has a right to free speech but calling the post inappropriate. Resident John Newcaster noted that “no one’s being forced to shop there.”

“If (it was) a progressive storefront, even an extreme one, I might disagree with the ideas of the merchandise, but I would surely defend its rights to exist on El Paseo,” Newcaster said.

A few who spoke took things a step farther, calling for Quintanilla to resign. Dan Flores, who identified himself as a law enforcement officer, demanded a public apology from the mayor and told her to “resign, or you will be recalled.”

“It is insane that she, in her position, thinks it is logical to even contemplate posting such pathetic, inflammatory and offensive language and to offend a good member of the community that she supposedly serves,” Flores said.

While the vast majority decried the post, one person offered a slightly different take, largely agreeing with the mayor’s stance but saying she should’ve posted on her personal page.

Joy Miedecke, the long-time leader of the GOP group that runs the store, did not speak during the public comments. Afterwards, she told The Desert Sun that she remained “disturbed” by the post, noting the club’s prior headquarters in La Quinta was set on fire in 2020 .

“This has been a horrible experience, and she won't stop so she has to go,” Miedecke said. “Somebody in our building could be killed or hurt ... If she is elected again, we will definitely recall her.”

Miedecke added she didn’t expect to hear an apology from the mayor. Like all council members, Quintanilla was barred by city rules from responding during the meeting to people who spoke during the non-agenda public comment period.

In an interview after the meeting, Quintanilla said the article was sent by someone to her public account, so she shared it from there instead of from her personal account, calling that a mistake.

”I shared from (my public account), instead of making sure as diligently that it should have been from my personal (one),” Quintanilla said. “These are absolutely my views and don't reflect the city of Palm Desert.”

The mayor added she’s heard from some surrounding vendors who say the GOP store's window displays are hurting their businesses. She also pointed to “a lot of international travelers that don’t want to see” the GOP storefront and feel differently than some locals.

“I'm sorry to hear that people have felt that they have been attacked, but that doesn't mean that others aren't feeling attacked from the people when they try to go shop there (on El Paseo),” Quintanilla said.

Asked if she planned to apologize to Miedecke, Quintanilla said it would depend on having a conversation with her.

“I haven't met the owner. I would love to have a meeting with the owner and have open dialogue,” Quintanilla said. “I'm not going to issue an empty promise and say absolutely I will (apologize). It truly has to be a matter of dialogue to explain things from another point of view.”

Tom Coulter covers the cities of Palm Desert, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells. Reach him at thomas.coulter@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Desert mayor blasted over her criticism of Republican-run store on El Paseo