Seaside Courier: Encinitas likely the next North County city to go with district elections
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This would result in four council districts plus the at-large mayor. Muir lives in western New Encinitas, while Mosca lives in Olivenhain, so their districts would be unlikely to collide. Kranz and Boerner, however, both live in western Leucadia, so it would take extremely shameless gerrymandering to create separate districts for them.
Another open question is whether elections would be every two years or every four years. Voters showed an overwhelming preference for 2-year elections when asked about the mayor position, but politicians usually prefer to face the voters as infrequently as possible.
That is a stupid law but it came from Sacto, what else would you you expect from that corrupt place? The two from Leucadia are in 4-year terms, probably they can stay on until their tem is up. A lot can change in those years, maybe one of them will run for Mayor.
ReplyDeleteWhatever the term, I hope they continue to stagger them. The electorate is very different in presidential years, mid-term years, and off years, and depending on what emotional topic pops in the Propositions. I'd hate to see the instability of a single unusual turnout affecting the whole dais en masse.
ReplyDeleteZany. We need five districts, Cardiff, Leucadia, Old Encinitas, New Encinitas and Olivenhain, and go back to a rotating mayor. Or, have a mayor elected at large that only votes to break a tie. The mayor would set the agenda and have a lot of influence with that power. To district otherwise would set a new argument on what part of Encinitas would not have representation.
ReplyDeleteProbably not legal to have districts with very different population numbers. They'd have to mash up the traditional 5 communities even with five districts.
DeleteNew York has 2 senators but Alaska has 10 times the area so ought to have 20. But wait, New York has 20 times the population so should it have 40 senators? An should they be by district?
Delete10:30, back to fifth-grade civics. At the federal convention in Philadelphia, there was an argument about wether representation should be proportioned by state or by population. The compromise answer: both. Senate = 2 per state; House seats apportioned by population.
DeleteWe don't have a bicameral legislature at the local level--it's all one body. In the US, whenever you have just one body with defined electoral districts, they are always drawn with roughly equal population. Can you point to an example where they don't?
We are going to have four districts and a mayor. It makes sense. Get used to it.
I would imagine that Olivenhein will expand into New Encinitas and eastern Cardiff to create a district of more rural character. This will be geographically the largest, least-dense district. Old Encinitas will probably split, with part joining Cardiff, and part joining Leucadia to create southern and northern coastal districts. New Encinitas is it's own animal with more commercial in the mix. Where exactly the lines between districts fall will depend on the population equalization, and the neighborhood character (e.g. between Olivenhein and New Encinitas, there are neighborhoods that are more rural with non-uniform architecture that belong in Olivenhein; other neighborhoods are more planned, uniform, and dense--more aligned to New Encinitas).
Terrible spelling. Sorry.
DeleteThat's too complicated. Just run a simple east-west line, with equal population on both sides. Then run north-south lines through each area. F**k community character. Sacto will eat it up.
DeleteNo matter the districts nor there makeup, there will never be a LATINO on the Encinitas city council.
ReplyDeleteHuh?
DeleteWe've already had two.
Teresa ARBALLO Barth wasn't exactly Chinese, y'know. And our city manager was from Cuba. besides, since when does being a certain nationality, (or sex), give you props over other candidates?
DeleteBarth can't spell Espanol let alone speak it.
DeleteVina is well.... there's a word in Spaneech for Vina but this blog won't print it.
8:33,
DeleteThank goodness you are here. Now you can tell us who is and is not Hispanic or Latino enough.
I suggest you develop an objective binary standard. Maybe resurect the brown paper bag test.
Mean time, I will reach out and let Teresa know she she isn't a Latina. I'm not sure if this will come as a disappointment or a relief, but either way she deserves to know.
Districts in such a small locality don't make sense. It all boils down to campaign financing - those with the most money usually win.
ReplyDeleteHillary spent a lot more than Donnie.
DeleteThe Russians hacked into the voting machines. Trump actually lost, but no one will admit it.
DeleteThere is already too much chaos in Washington DC. Here comes the military coup.
Hillary or Donnie, it doesn't matter who won. The American people lost. Now the Generals have to do their job!
DeleteRoll your joints with the Constitution - because it will be going up in smoke with the military junta.
DeleteSince some cities are bending over for this, and Catherine apparently is also, why are not all cities, every single one of them, being required to accept this redistricting plans loss of sovereignty?
ReplyDeleteHas there ever been proof that if and when this goes into effect that certain nationalities will have success at getting elected to city councils? Will anything change the makeup of city councils?
It's a state law. It's been litigated and lost by Palmdale. They flushed $5M and lost control of their district formation process.
DeleteIt's unlikely to make much difference, and it's not worth fighting (unless you just like fighting).
The courts have been very clear on this law. It's not just the city of Palmdale that lost. School Districts have lost as well.
DeleteOne by one he is sending his letters. He wants us to fight it, so that he can win and make us pay him. We really don't have a choice.
Encinitas does not have a race nor gender problem. This law was written for large cities, with large minority populations. Unintended consequences.
This shyster lawyer is attempting blackmail. But losing it cost Palmdale $8 million and with this precedent it's not a risk that we want. If it goes to the ballot our voters will have the final say.
ReplyDeleteThe larger problem is that it cost 8 million. That is completely fucked up.
DeleteAwesome. I wanna see a match up between Tasha Too Much Talk and Tony Phony Baloney.
ReplyDeleteGet out the popcorn.
hey.. i do like popcorn..perhaps it is a German / Mildumpers / Midwest thing - but does anyone else dig brewers yeast on their popcorn?
ReplyDeleteElecting someone from an underrepresented race or ethnicity only ensures visual diversity; it does nothing to ensure diversity of background, life experiences, opinions, or perspectives. That is what is so moronic about this whole thing. Why do we assume that because someone is Latino that they will bring a different viewpoint or perspective to the council than a white person will? Isn't that stereotyping at its worse? I know lots of Latinos who are conservative republicans and while males who are progressive liberals. Assuming that you get substantive diversity simply by diversifying the race or ethnicity of a council is premised on racial/ethnic stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteOur elected leaders represent all of us. The more our leaders reflect the population at large, the better. Not only in terms of race, but also age, income, religion, education, occupation, life experiences, etc.
DeletePersonally, I think the goal of a truly diverse city council is a noble one; I'm just not convinced the proposed change is effective toward that end. But it probably won't do any harm, and it's not worth the risk to fight.
Sorry 10:03, too rational.
ReplyDeleteJust when you think the Council is trying to be on the up and up, they bring you back to reality. On Wednesday's Council agenda is item 10B that is about improvements on Santa Fe Drive. But, start reading the staff report and learn that the $50,000 Consultant Dan Burden recommends the Council adopt the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) Urban Street Design Guide as a citywide policy. Most of the manual is what residents rejected in 2011. Another smart growth manual for traffic curculation.
ReplyDeleteThen there is the narrowing of the traffic lanes from 12 feet to 10 feet as a citywide policy on all streets with 35 mph or less.
Consultant Dan Burden has offered up a regular feast of changes a la smart growth.
The streets were laid out in the horse-and-buggy days without much thought that pedestrians, bikes, and SUV vehicles would have to share them. And that stretch of Santa Fe is steep, which means that cars should go slower.
DeleteAll nationalities have had the chance to run for city council since incorporation in 1986 as long as they were a citizen of the U.S. It seems ludicrous to change to district elections. I doubt very much if this will change anything.
ReplyDeleteSo, all nationalities then?
DeleteAs long as they are US citizens?
Anybody spot anything noteworthy or ironic about thise two statements?
Anyone?
Bueller?? Bueller??
DeleteI still wanna see a Kranz/Boerner fight.
ReplyDeleteAnyone know who the women was that was hit by train this morning?
ReplyDeleteOver the next 50 years nearly 800 people will die from being hit by the train and no one on the council cares.
DeleteIronically the woman was killed at the San Fe Drive undercrossing showing that someone who wants to commit suicide won't be deterred by a completely safe crossing point. The council cared enough to spend $6 million on a safe crossing.
DeleteIf the council cared they'd lower the train. But they don't, because they don't. SB ?? No suicides there....
DeleteUnder-crossings allow safe passage for people who want to cross safely. Kids, drunks, and old people may have trouble judging the speed of trains, or trip on the rails. So crossings are a good thing for most (but not all) people.
DeleteThe problem with suicides is in the head of the people who do it, not in the environment around them. Even if trenching stopped suicide by train, there are always other methods for people with those thoughts. I'd wager that suicides per thousand people in Solana Beach is not statistically different from Encinitas. So trenching probably wouldn't save a single life. Unless your plan is to systemically remove every means of suicide from the environment (bulldoze every cliff, stop prescribing opiates, force high power ventilation systems in all garages, destroy all guns, ban rope), suicide will always be a mental health problem--not a physical world problem.
12:07- so is it safe to say you don't care that 800 people will die from on the TRACKS all in Encinitas?? You must be a current or past council member . Thanks for your neglect.
DeleteNot if those 800 (a made up #) are likely to die anyway by some other means.
DeleteShow us the evidence that the overall rate of suicide death in Solana Beach hit an inflection point at the time they dug the trench.
I'm open to being proved wrong. I would fully support trenching if you can show that.
If some suicides can't be deterred by eliminating easier access, what's going on with the Coronado bridge?
DeleteWhat do you mean?
DeleteI understand that the Coronado bridge has a high rate of suicides, and that they are contemplating the installation of barriers.
Other cities (San Francisco e.g.) have put up nets or barriers on bridges.
Again, what evidence is there that such measures decreased the overall rate of suicide in those cities?
We can spend tons of money to shift suicides from the rails to hangings in a basement or garage. If so, is that money well spent? Or should we have spent it on bolstering our mental health services for trained professionals to make house calls if a neighbor or relative suspects a problem?
11:08- I suggest you volunteer for body part pick up duty. Then you'll understand why the train needs to go below grade.
DeleteDeterring suicides is one of many reasons to trench the tracks.
DeleteBy Randy Dotinga on Aug 10, 2017 05:01 am | View in browser
DeleteThe San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge will turn 50 in a couple of years, and officials are planning to celebrate its half-century with a multi-million-dollar lighting project. More than 350 people won’t be around to see it: They’ve committed suicide by jumping from the bridge.
Now, there’s talk of installing a suicide barrier, and community meetings are being held this week. They’re just in time, as my reporting reveals. The annual number of bridge suicides is skyrocketing for unknown reasons, reaching double-digits for six years in a row.
The all-time record of 19 bridge deaths came in 2012. This year’s toll is on pace to reach or beat that number.
Coronado Bridge stands virtually alone among “suicide magnet” bridges because it lacks a barrier, and it soon may reach a grim milestone by becoming the deadliest bridge in the United States. Workers are installing a net system at Golden Gate Bridge, the only bridge in the United States with a higher death toll.
My story examines the gruesome statistics and notes that research suggests barriers prevent suicides and don’t just move the problem elsewhere.
I wrote a series of stories about Coronado Bridge suicides for VOSD in 2008, touching on topics such as survivors of leaps from the bridge, the news media’s suicide blackout, and the role of the police in preventing suicides. You can find a list of the stories along with links here.
So we change to district elections and not one Latino or Chinese person (examples only) runs for city council. Does the city now get sued because of that?
ReplyDeleteNo.
DeleteNext question.
To reflect the diverse society we have in Encinitas we could expand the council to 11. We need council persons that are: a person over 65 years of age; a surfer, a skater, a Hispanic, a white , an Asian, a black, an alcoholic, a tea tootler, a dog lover and a student.
ReplyDeleteAdd a homeless person to the list. 7-11 can be their campaign headquarters,
DeleteTony lives in Leucadia Tasha lives in Old Encinitas it's only called Leucadia by the L101. Old Encinitas starts at North Court going south thus giving Encinitas representation from each of the 5 communities.
DeleteCorrect going by the sign across from the Pannikin, but according to the city's revised geography, everything north from A Street is Leucadia.
DeleteFight! Fight!
DeleteLeucadia begins at the cosmic center of wonder, and ends where the brewpubs meet the sea...
DeleteI hope Mr. Shenkman returns with another lawsuit, one that demands the city integrate the various departments. 13% of the city is Latino?? Then 13% of our firefighters should be Latinos. 13% of our librarians should be Latinos. Come on madam mayor, make it happen.
ReplyDelete