Celebrating Council Member Kristin Gaspar's First-Year Accomplishments

On this first anniversary of her swearing-in, Encinitas Undercover would like to congratulate Council Member (and new Deputy Mayor) Kristin Gaspar on her triumphant first year. Let's review her goals and accomplishments.

1) Building the Hall Park. Anyone who watched the campaign last year knows that the one issue on which Gaspar could speak authoritatively was that she really, really wanted a sports park on the Hall Property. At the Cardiff candidate forum, she promised that her Rotary connections would be instrumental in getting private funding to build the park. Well, nobody's really gotten around to building the baseball and soccer fields. But after a year of Gaspar's hard work, local mountain climbers love the challenge of Mt. Gaspar -- as do adherents of the new sport "Downhill Boogieboarding."

The majestic Mt. Gaspar rises from the plains of Toxaphene Fields like Kilimanjaro rising above the Serengeti.

2) Installing wayside horns. Council watchers recall that Gaspar made her City Hall debut asking for wayside horns at intersections so that Amtrak and Coaster trains wouldn't have to blast their horns, disturbing Vulcan and 101 neighbors. Let's go to the video to see the results of Council Member Gaspar's good work.

You know, if I were a more cynical observer, I might think that the fact that the city has made zero progress on these issues so near and dear to the council majority's hearts was an indication that city finances are not as healthy as they would have us believe. If they can shell out millions of dollars a year for pensions, why can't they start park construction or put in wayside horns? Good thing I'm not a cynical observer.

3) Fiscal responsibility. From Gaspar's web site:

I understand that tax revenue is not the government's money or the city's money…it is your money, and , I pledge to use it wisely. I will not tie your money up with frivolous complaints or attorney's fees. I will promote the judicious use of your revenue to ensure that basic city services are provided and to improve the quality of life that we have come to expect in Encinitas.

No frivolous complaints or attorney's fees? How about her vote to support Glen Sabine's frivolous appeal of a judge's ruling that the public has a right to access public documents?

Beyond supporting expensive, frivolous legal adventures, has Gaspar done anything on the council that could be remotely described as pushing for fiscal responsibility? Has she questioned or criticized a single line-item in the city budget? And how is letting Carltas (the Ecke development company) out of its golf course obligations and sticking Encinitas Ranch homeowners with the bill fiscally responsible?

And how about the biggest fiscal responsibility issue facing Encinitas, pension reform? Oh, yes:

4) Pension reform. From her web site:

Most candidates seem to be in agreement that pension reform is needed because our current system is not sustainable. We cannot afford in the short-term, medium-term, or long-term to end up in the position that the City of San Diego is in. I am certain we can solve this problem while still offering our city employees extremely competitive and appealing salary and benefits packages. I am also certain that I can work together with all of the current council members and future council members to get this job done.

Well, it's a year later, the pension liability is getting worse, and we haven't heard a peep from Council Member Gaspar on pension reform.

5) Bringing civility to the council. One of Gaspar's frequent campaign promises was to change the acrimonious tone at City Hall. From her web site:

I will bring positive energy, a spirit of cooperation, and unity to the Encinitas City Council. Our council has too often been distracted by petty personal feuds and hyper-partisanship. I pledge to focus my efforts on the needs of our city instead of disparaging the personal character of those whom I may not agree with on specific issues.

Let's ask Union-Tribune columnist Logan Jenkins how she's doing on that one.

Jan. 9, 2011:

A soft brick — the Bonehead First Play award — to freshman Encinitas Councilwoman Kristen Gaspar for failing in dramatic fashion to live up to her campaign pledge to bridge, not widen, the bitterly personal schism on the Encinitas council.

By nominating her political supporters (and likely mentors) — Councilmen Jim Bond and Jerome Stocks — for mayor and vice mayor respectively, Gaspar, 30, demonstrated one of two things about her political character:

She’s either naive or she’s secretly spoiling for a fight while pretending to be Ms. Sweetness and Light.

Nov. 11, 2011:

A brick — the Red Cape and Bull award — to the Encinitas “pro-business” (for lack of a better label) majority — Mayor Jim Bond, Jerome Stocks and Kristin Gaspar — for appointing Mark Muir, the city’s fire chief, to fill the late Maggie Houlihan’s council seat.

This decision wanted some tact, some humility, some spirit of compromise. None was displayed.

And as for "instead of disparaging the personal character of those I may not agree with?" Well, in her first month in office, Gaspar wrote a North County Times commentary disparaging Teresa Barth as an explanation for her decision to pass over Barth for the Deputy Mayor position. And how about her more recent public dressing-down of Barth over a subcommittee disagreement?

Hmmmm. Sounds more like Mean Girls than a new civility.

We look forward with great anticipation to Deputy Mayor Gaspar's second year on the council.