Friday, November 30, 2012

Whither the mayoralty?

Teresa Barth will obviously be mayor.  She has earned the traditionally rotational post with her years of service to the city, and now she will have enough support on the council to see that her repeatedly being passed over does not continue.

But when will she be mayor, and for how long?

This month, the voters chose to change the mayor position to a two-year elected post, rather than a one-year appointed post.  Electoral politics could come into play in the order of the rotation.  Encinitas political operatives believe that being mayor is an advantage going into an election. I dispute this view vehemently; ask Dalager and Stocks how that worked out for them.  Nevertheless, Barth may want to wait to be appointed until 2014 when she would be up for either re-election to council or election to the new mayor position.

The new council could also presumably choose to start the two-year mayoralty now, and give Barth the two years leading up to the next election.  After all, the voters want a two-year mayor; why make them wait?  But this could be viewed as overreach, and a breach of the new spirit of cooperation promised by the newly elected council members.

In that spirit of cooperation, is it possible that the council would allow Kristin Gaspar to become mayor?  As current deputy mayor, she would typically be next in line.  But given Gaspar's history of both petty tantrums over not getting her way and staged outbursts over feigned outrage, as well as her connection to the sleazy We Love Encinitas election mailers, it would take the turn-the-other-cheekiness of Jesus for the new majority to appoint Gaspar mayor.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Barth appointed mayor this year, with Lisa Shaffer as deputy mayor, given Shaffer's having overwhelming public support as demonstrated by having received the most votes by far of any candidate in Encinitas history.  Shaffer would then become mayor the following year so that if Gaspar and Barth wanted to go at each other in the elected mayor campaign, neither would have the "advantage" of incumbency.

More importantly, though, than who gets to be mayor for a year, is the substantive issue of how future council agendas are set.  While the voters chose to elect a mayor, they didn't choose to change to a "strong mayor" form of government.  Rules for how items get onto the city council agenda were not part of the ballot question, and remain within the purview of the city council.  This city council should ensure that control of the council agenda remains in the hands of future council majorities and not in the hands of one (possibly capriciously) elected person.  The mayor of a small city like Encinitas should be a ceremonial figurehead, not a Boss Hogg.






45 comments:

  1. As if Barth being mayor will make any difference... Will she see to it that sidewalks are placed on busy streets?? Like Santa Fe Dr. Or the 5 and Enc Blvd underpass?? Or north 101 through Leucadia?? Nope she won't nor anyone else.

    Will Barth as the mayor pave any of the unpaved streets in Leucadia?? Nope.

    Will Barth address the outrageous salaries and pensions?? No she won't. As a retired state employee she reaps the benefits of a bloated pension( a system that will bankrupt ever city county and finally the state). Everything is fine in her world as the pension checks keep rolling in....She Schaffer and Muir are all retired govt teetsuckers. They are staffs best friends.

    Will Barth fast track the streetscape in Leucadia ?? No she won't. Nor will anyone else on the council. Sorry Leucadia, what you have now is what you are stuck with...forever. A few Leucadia nutjobs are doing cartwheels on 101 over that thought.

    Will Barth as mayor work with private enterprise to salvage the Enc shopping center that houses Target and Barnes and Noble? A mall that in less than 20 years is dying if not dead. Yet was a major source of taxes to the city. No she won't.

    No, no matter which council person is mayor it's all just a ceremonial position, a position of no real power. I don't see Barth nor any of the others addressing an real problems of the city.
    PS- did I mention the golf course.... Another dying city " gem".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gee, tell us how you REALLY feel.

      Delete
    2. Your claims are a little off from fact. The North 101 AKA Leucadia now have sidewalks from Leucadia blvd to La Costa except for a tiny portion from Grandview to Royal liquor.

      The I5 over pass is on the books to be replaced with sidewalks funded by Caltrans.

      I totaly agree with your accessment on Santa Fe dr. It is a very dangerous street.

      Unpaved streets in Leucadia?



      Delete
    3. Mike? Jerome? That you? You may want to see somebody about all the vitriol in that spleen of yours. I mean, just for your own inner peace.

      Delete
  2. The "Our Mayor" blog talks about how Barth is the sponsor of the Kringle Mingle Christmas tree, such Bullshit!! Barth is no more the sponsor of Christmas than Santa Claus.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Barth has donated the Christmas tree the last few years at least as far as I know.

      Good PR? Obviously.

      Bullshit? How? It would be nice to see other council members (especially those with obscene pensions) give something back to the community.

      Delete
  3. Mrs Barth has donated the Christmas tree that is on the north side of Cardiff Sea Side Plaza for the last three years, I believe. Thanks Go out to her. Mrs Barth has always been very supportive of community events in the coast as well as off the coast. The only council member I know that has been as supportive is Maggie.
    12:49 is sure to get a lump of coal this year from Santa at Cardiff 101 sponsored Kringle Mingle.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I concur with 5:31. Terresa and Maggie are the only council members that come to mind that have given back to the community without it being a photo op. Terresa is a regular fixture at the senior center helping out with bingo and informing seniors about programs to assist them. She is active with CRC helping their quest for community aid and support to battered women. Maggie's help and support can still be seen all over this community.

    ReplyDelete
  5. The real question is whether they are serious about pension reform. All these candidates talked a good line, but I am cynical that this was anything more than a campaign ploy.

    ReplyDelete
  6. These 6 figure pension packages are nothig more than exploitation of the civic coffers. You will only find these in the Administrative tiers in the public sector. Muir pulls in $175,000/year for having been a small town fire chief? What'd he do - confer with Thor on Mt. Olympus (or help $tock$ get reelected for 3 terms?) This is a mirror into the excesses of this incorporated pig trough - a few years kicking back, then easy street with pensions that exceed most working class peoples' salaries! A 401K contribution plan needs to be implemented - very soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Read the post, council is staff's best friend.

      Delete
    2. Pat Murphy is a rat ready to jump ship--hence the gifts that he presented to Stocks and Bond at the last meeting. Why Gus has not already fired him and various other is something that nobody can figure out.

      Who else would keep someone like Murphy in that role, when he doesn't even hold the educational requirements to be a City Director. He is currently making shy of $170,000, so what will his retirement be?

      Don't forget that he was the one who went to SANDAG and asked for all of the extra low-income housing units and also tried to push through the General Plan Update mess. He has been no friend to Encinitas residents. We will be paying for his time in Encinitas for many, many years to come.

      Delete
  7. I won't be surprised to see Kristin Gaspar appointed mayor for 2013. She is presently deputy mayor and is in line to become mayor according to custom. This would be the gentlemanly (ladyly?) thing to do. It would be a signal to her that she can still salvage her reputation after her underhanded campaign tactics didn't fool anybody. Does she know the word redemption?

    The emailed comments by Paul Gaspar quoted on North Coast Current (http://www.northcoastcurrent.com/encinitas/2012/11/30/critics-question-nonprofits-motives-group-vows-to-continue/) sound scripted. This is probably why the Gaspars were reportly sighted meeting with Jerome Stocks and Mike Andreen.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Bull duddie, Gaspar for mayor. She was the least qualified to take the position of deputy mayor. Placed there in a scheme to keep control. The whole Stocks/Gaspar dep mayor manuever was BS.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Gaspar isn't qualified to be on the council. She is a tribute to the stupidity of the electorate!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Gaspar was elected to the council based on her campaign dressed as Wonder Woman. This makes her qualified to be mayor?? I think not. But does say a lot about Encinitas voters.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Gaspar as Mayor? More as a gopher to get Starbucks coffee for the others and a triple bacon whopper for Muir. She has shown her colors - a Stocks stooge. She should be marginalized by her lackluster performance and lack of awareness of the issues pertaining to the city - go to Party City and model clown outfits.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love this blog. If I may season, (spice up), your iconic quote: "It makes politics impossible to ignore."

    Good job WCV. Allowing the "anon" posting doesn't diminish anything. There are good reasons for posting anon. Some of us HAVE to. Even the haters and spinners. It's only fair!! So far, the majority of posters I've seen know how to stop a food fight with wit and pizzaz. There's a lot people in this town with a wry sense of humor, and a lot of them are really smart.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anon is the reason this blog has exploded and the leucadia blog collapsed. People crave free speech.

    Gaspar is a rotten Stocks stooge. DUMP GASPAR!


    Barth is a shoe in for mayor! Anything else is bullsht.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wow there.cowboy. Blogcadia is alive and well.
    I am very often impressed with the topical postings the blog masters offer.
    I furvemtly believe that having Our Mayor, this, Leucadia blog and Eencinitas you need us has been valuable to our community. The internet is helpful in leaving a permimently record of thoughts and history of events. Some trash and misinformation but I honestly think, mostly truth has come from these four entities. Thank you for your efforts, time and caring .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Late at night, Chargers lose, too much to drink.....and you post that piece of nonsense. Go to bed...and stay there.

      Delete
  15. Why is it that whenever I read attacking, angry letters anymore (as in the Anon at 9:41 AM) that I always think Jerome Stocks or Mike Andreen is the author? I think that time finally helped unmasked the inner Jerome. It's how it usually works, eh?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Stocks is, again, busy attacking under his real name

      at SDhttp://sdrostra.com/?p=32115#comments

      I wish this clown would just hold his breath until he chokes!

      Delete
  16. Today I mourn the loss of Leucadia Sushi. Good food, nice people and service. Good luck to Tochi and Chie.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Should have sent Mark Muir there - he'd have eaten everything in site, including the display cases. When a restaurant is in trouble, Fatty will come to the rescue!

      Delete
    2. Now that's just mean. Didn't you read the post from 12:09?? Come on now, we are all supposed to be nice, this being the age of Obama and all.

      Delete
    3. If the streetscape were in.... the place would have been booming....that street is crushing business in that corridor, and as a result us residents have no good stores with any staying power. I hope surfy surfy makes it. They have established a nice corner, but that whole area could be soooo much nicer. Its a no brainer. The City needs to make that project a priority.

      Delete
  17. Hey Anon (2:31 PM), not necessary to go there, buddy. Muir may well regret the next four years he just bought with all his signs and flyers. I.e., he's making a living off the backs of Encinitas taxpayers now, for life! I wonder how many neighborhoods it'll take to cover his pension bennies each year, anybody? Jeez, what a disincentive to pay your local taxes!

    Hey smartmouth Anon (4:51 PM), you've got the same kind of passive/aggressive sarcasm of a Jerry Stocks and Mike Andreen. If I didn't know any better. ... Surprised you didn't sign on as "TiredTaxpayer." (Chortle, chortle.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Smartmouth?? Surly you jest.

      Delete
    2. Ohhh, nice comeback. Touche, eh? Hahaha.

      BTW, we'll have no more of your double question marks or we'll be sending you back to fifth-grade grammar, TiredTaxpayer! One will do twice as nicely.

      Delete
    3. Why?? You assume I graduated form the 4th grade.

      Delete
    4. I can only infer from your missives.

      Shrug.

      Delete
  18. Time to Dump Slimmy Gaspars! They have the stench of Stocks and Mike Andreen all over them!!!!! Peeeeeeuuuuuuuuuuuu!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Besides our current fat man's Council Retirement we are paying at $170,000 a year, we also have other trough hounds that are gobbling up taxpayers money every month..... the list is long and is why our City doesn't have any real money for project, and the old Council needed to borrow money all the time. We are giving a huge check to Calpers every month that should be going to City Project. Here are just a few of the recent pension pigs.

    HEISER, DONALD $144,258.12 ENCINITAS
    HILL, DARLENE $101,198.52 ENCINITAS
    ROMERO, ROBERT $101,111.52 ENCINITAS
    TUFTS, TALMADGE $115,268.04 ENCINITAS

    Then don't forget about the recent few who have other agency CAPers under there belt so they don't register as over $100,000 on the web site for Encinitas, but they are drawing well over $100,000 a year from PERS. This is what you all just voted to increase your taxes for suckers. They always say Education, but the tax money goes to the general fund and unions don't care about your kids education, they just love feeding at trough.

    How about ol':

    Kerry Miller
    Phil Cotton
    Larry Watt
    Leroy Bodus
    Who am I forgetting in the last 5 years?
    I also know there are a ton of deadwood that are about to drop or be cut in the next 2 years (which is good, but they will be drawing huge pensions)... One is Gus!

    Think of the millions of dollars these few draw from our tax dollars?

    What is our City's current CAPERS yearly payment and what is the projected payment for the next 3 years? Its at leastgoing to double because CAPERS assumes a 7% ROI for its investments which is completely unachievable in the next 5 years even with the huge devaluing that the FEDS are doing. And guess what?.... PERS retirements go up with Inflation soooo the tax payers and your kids lose again.

    Anyone who voted for prop 30 must hate kids, or they are completely dumb asses.

    What will our new Council do to get Pension and health care costs under control?

    We pay the check. We should get to know how he spends it. How much of that fat tax payer's check that Mark Muir gets each month is he donating to City Programs?

    What will our new Council do to get Pension and health care costs under control?

    Sincerely,

    Inquiring Minds Want to Know

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When a cit defaults on Calpers payments Calpers seizes city land/property...watch the city of San Bernardino or google Pacific Grove and read what happened to them.

      Delete
  20. PS-

    Kerry Miller retired from Folsom in October 2011 at 60 years old. He will be pulling down over $211,000 every year for the rest of his life!!!! Every 5 years, over $1,000,000 just for his retirement.....No wonder your kids don't have any money for their schools. How about the others I listed!!!?

    IMWTK

    ReplyDelete
  21. My feelling,, and my feeling only, Mrs Barth will show class and vote for Kristin for mayor. Hold all your remarks until after wen, then post your remarks. I just think she will show her class, and if she does I hope Kristin does well along with the other members of the council. Good luck to who ever gets picked

    ReplyDelete
  22. Joe, Your a fricken moron. After all the dirty trick and proof of no integrity of the Gaspars, you still say shit like that. Man, you have your nose stuck so far up the Gaspar's Arse, its disgusting. I would think if Gaspar had one stick of integrity and smarts, she would be the first to motion for Barth to be Mayor. She know's Barth has been wronged in the past and it would she acknowledges the issue and is willing to move on...... My only question, is Muir is much smarter than Gaspar and he will probably make the motion first.

    If Barth made a motion to vote for Gaspar for mayor, I would think she was a total nutcase or on PCP. Haaaaa

    Joe- Unfortunately I don't respect you. Even your opening words are senseless. "My feelings and my feelings only"--- WTF who else's feeling would you have? What a moron.

    Lets sit back and what the show. Remember Bond's famous word, "it only takes three votes." Now the Majority representing the people have the votes and good things will become of it. At the end of the day, Barth should be major. She has had to put up with years of shit from Stocks, Bond, and Gaspar and Barth would be the best mayor regardless. Wake up Joe!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well as I said in my last note, I believe Mrs Barth is going to show class. I totally agree with you that Mrs Barth should be our Mayor, its over due, Take a chill pill and see im behind Mrs Barth 100 %, Read what I said, and all my other post. I just hope they all get along. Im not afraid to use my name

      Delete
    2. Joe, I'm not afraid to use your name either. I've used it to get reservations at various restaurants in town, thanks.

      Delete
    3. Well my only queetion to you is, how do you feel to what almost happened. The only reason your not choking on your last blog and words is because Kristin Gaspar has guts. For what ever reason she said no to the Mayors seat, even when she had enough votes to get her the seat. So Im glad Mrs Barth is our Mayor, I hope they all can work together. Before you reply, read what you wrote after my note, you started by you f mor. I feel great about how I wrote it, you must feel like shit now

      Delete
    4. joe-

      Pull your head out for some air. Your women is bought, and it makes you look bought as well. WTF? Explain yourself?

      Delete
  23. Well I hope you enjoyed your meals, but I have nothing against you or anybody else. I just think Mrs Barth will go back to the rotation. But, I do know Mrs Barth deserves the Mayors chairs. What ever happens on tues nite go out and enjoy dinner. Late

    ReplyDelete
  24. Well Gaspar did the smart thing and would not except the mayor or Deputy Mayor Position. Nicely done Gaspar. Lets she the Council do some good things for Encinitas.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Let's stand behind our new council, congrads to Mrs Barth on becoming our Mayor. It was so fun being there tonite, watching her become our Mayor. Watching Tony being sworn in, with lisa smiling. Good luck to Kristin and Mark. Lets have a great 2 years

    ReplyDelete