Serendipitously, Maureen Dowd wrote an essay on niceness in the New York Times just days after the council's shared-mayor love-in meeting. Dowd's argument that there's a duty to be honest rather than nice in book reviews would seem to apply even more strongly to matters of public policy.
The road maintenance backlog is still underfunded and getting worse. The pension liabilities are still underfunded and growing. The council continues to take on additional debt with no discussion of how to service it. We haven't had any progress on the General Plan Update. The new council hasn't followed through on promises to enact a sunshine ordinance or to find ways to mitigate the density bonus. Public trust in the council is still badly damaged by the council's unambiguously dishonest ballot arguments against Proposition A. City contractors, under lax city oversight, continue to violate environmental regulations both with respect to protecting trees at construction projects and to preventing toxic waste runoff into the lagoon.
But the council members are nice to each other.
Somehow, we suspect the residents who voted for change in 2012 had more in mind than the council's interpersonal bickering.
Dowd:
All quarrels are not petty. Sometimes quarrels are about big things, and it’s an actual privilege to take a side in them.
Agree. Council should focus on the one action that can start to address all these issues- Fire the deadwood and terrible City Manager - Sad Sac.
ReplyDeleteAny Councilmember that supports Sad Sac does not have my vote.
6:35 I think you are fuill of Shinola-
DeleteIt was the fiscal conervative voters in Encinitas that ran Stocks out of town. Stocks increased pensions, left roads unrepaired and increased debt. Stocks rewarded his insider friends, promoted developer policies, increased density and jacked up mello roos at Enc Ranch. Stocks turned a blind eye to ERGA, oversaw the destruction of comunity character and presidedover damage to the environment.
Today Barth, Muir, Gaspar, Phony Tony and Shaffer are all doing the same thing- as directed by Gus Vina, who's strings are pulled by Jerome Stocks-
sorry about the 6:35, my first time posting here. My post was actually for the person below at 7:23
DeleteThe 3 union stooges on the council will never stab their fellow union goons in the back and fire the dead wood.
DeleteThe other 2 loons are lucky to not hurt themselves when falling out of bed in the morning let alone find their way to city hall for meetings.
In other words, nothing will change. NOTHING.
The two council members that were believed to bring "change" to Encinitas in 2012 were elected largely by constituents that voted for a similar "change" in 2008. How's that working out for you?
ReplyDeleteThere's a sucker born every day.
I don't remember "getting along" as campaign promises by anyone. Why any of the 5 thinks this is going to offset in any way the awful failures they've all produced is beyond me.
ReplyDeleteHow nice for them in their personal lives, but how nothing for residents.
I think a fairer way to put it, and the way that it was put was we now have civility on the council, ie the way they acted was an embarrassment when Stocks was on the council.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a big achievement to be sure, I expect way more, as do a lot of people. I personally don't think it's worth a post to launch another round of bitching.
7:51 Unfunded pension liabailities growing, debt growing, unfunded road maintenance growing..................and WCV is the only one who writes about it.
DeleteBitch? Sorry, I won't be joining you to stick my head in the sand down at San Elijo State beach.
I don't have my head in the sand, I know all about the above, so let's talk about the above, oh wait, we have ad nauseum already.
DeleteYou made my point for me, the issues we listed above ARE the big issues of our town, not whether the council gets along. Yes, Barth listed the new civility as her big achievement, and no , that's not enough.
We get it, let's move on and figure out how we solve the big issues above, and if we don't like who we have, who is going to be an ELECTABLE alternative.
I like debating the issues of the day on here as much as anyone, but you can't deny that the same issues are repeated over and over in the same context.
Think outside the box, how can we get action with the current council, and if not, how can we make a change in a year when two seats come up.
You'll have to do some critical thinking. I await your response with potential solutions.
And yours would be...?
DeleteWhy do you feel residents are so upset that a bitch all the time?
ReplyDeleteServing for a city is a "calling" and those that choose to jump into this arena are being asked to dig deep and do what is right for the public, cueing off the public's input. Following this nobler road will give our council members far more than following the petty dictates of their need for power and approval.
ReplyDeleteHave to disagree- Barth is in it for her ego. Gaspar is in it for her husbands career and her career. Muir is in it for a big fat pension and more power. Shaffer is in if for 'social justice' and 'Phony Tony' is in it because he can't make it in the real world (I am sorry if that sounds harsh but it is my observation)
DeleteThe people who are passionate, honest and have a 'calling' are the people who watch what is going on at city hall because it amtters for today and our kids in the future. The people who stand up for waht's right at city hall don't want pensions, pay-offs retirement or power.
Barth is a loser..............with a Capital L. She has no moral compass, no moral leadership and no direction-
Well and accurately said.
DeleteAs usual, I find the shot at Tony totally low, and I'm not on here to be his apologist. I would say that if you said it about Gaspar. To my knowledge, he still has the gig at the printing company. Working on the council is not enough to support yourself in this day and age, and we've talked about what they make.
DeleteI think all the assumptions drawn above are too broad. How would you like your job distilled down to the generalities you just drew above, probably from 2nd hand information.
I agree with you that what goes on at city hall matters, lots of changes need to be made.
Calling Barth a loser, can't agree. No moral compass, vehemently disagree. We've got to learn to agree to disagree again in politics again in our society so we can get something done.
How do we get the pensions reduced, get the roads fixed, build the Hall park, those are the issues.
Everything else is just talk....
Barth- FaIled to hold Vina accountable for going behind Council's back to retain Rutan and Tucker. Signed her name to the untrut on the Prop A statement that no upzoning had happened witha vote (lie one) and there will never be 5 story buildings (lie two) You may support liar's that is your right, I won't. You may think telling an untruth on a ballot statement is having a 'moral compass' I don't. I say it loud, Barth has turned out to be a Loser.
DeleteWhat we as american's agree on is common sense. No more debt! Vina raids 15 fully funded accounts and goes $8M million i debt for Hall Park, telling citizens Moonlight and the park are connected- then months later says theyt are not. Council accepts the low bid on the Hall park with contractor who lacks proper certifications- then council hides the Water Board complaint- cost to taxpayers $400K-
Barth, Gaspar needed to be voted out in 2014 and new people voted in.
About Kranz- I supported him, he ran on 'Deep local roots" turns out his ties are to Ecke, Carltas, and special interests- He gave Vina and Sabine glowing reviews, the roads remain unfunded, pensions growing, sided with developers at desert rose, opposed residents on Prop A- Again, say it Loud "phony tony'
As an elected leader he also needs to be trhown out, he is jsut hoping to get re-elected so he can get a pension. IT is what it is.
8:03- you are naive and stupid. When's your last payment on the Coronado bridge???
DeleteAnon 10:46 or Mike or Marco, it is not naive or stupid that we trusted and supported people who seemed trustworthy. It is they who decided to lie and turn their backs on the supporters. In any relationship--whether it be for business or a marriage, there is an element of trust. Do you call a people who trust their partners naive and stupid if the partner cheats after a history of good behavior? That is what we feel like.
DeleteLife is just not that simple. If a partner cheats after a history of good behavior there is a heck of a lot going on prior to the cheating! I think you have to understand why the cheat occurred before you can make a decision about continuing the relationship or not (provided the partner is still in one piece!!). So yes, I have to agree that you may in fact be naïve and stupid - not for trusting the current council but for using the marriage analogy...
Delete- The Sculpin
The Sculpin in his usual charming way shows how developers like him act. He tells us we are stupid for trusting people because he is a low-life bottom feed whose remarks on this blog remind us of why we all hate developers.
DeleteI think it is worthwhile to start a discussion on niceness. The emphasis on niceness has come to dominate council discussion to the detriment of making good decisions. Council members are hindered from frank, honest arguments by their fears of not being nice to each other.
ReplyDeleteBut the getting along is fraying at the edges. This was painfully obvious during the selection of the new mayor and deputy mayor when there were awkward moments of silence because they were afraid they might offend somebody.
Forced unanimity can lead to suppression of dissent, which can lead to a dictatorship of ideas. Being nice, civil, polite, courteous, and respectful are behaviors that need to be cultivated, but not at the expense of free expression of ideas that result in good decisions. Good, decent people can disagree, and this disagreement shouldn't be stiffled
Good post, if you're saying that the council discussion is being hindered by niceness, that's a fair point.
DeleteThe problem I see is, by having a Jerome on the council, you create a bullying atmosphere that affects the dialogue on council and with the public.
So now maybe it's swung too far the other way, but that seems kind of inevitable to me, given what came before. It would have been nice not have had the whole "Queen of Mean" episode with Sheila, or Maggie and the Clown, or Christy agreeing to oust Sheila and then crying when people criticized her.
Actions have consequences, and I think what got us to where we are now is because of what transpired at council the last 15-20 years.
I wish we could unravel all the past actions on pension increases, underfunding etc. right now, but my observation of how gov. works tells me that's not realistic.
8:35 and 8:54: both are excellent comments. So is WC's initiating post. Dissent is healthy. We can't actually have harmony without diversity. Sometimes, in democracy, divergence can be discordant. But that goes with the territory. A "one note" governing authority is not productive of positive change. It would merely support the status quo.
DeleteBeing polite should be a given. City Manager Gus Vina's Strategic Planning has somehow seemed to brainwash Council into not thinking for themselves, independently. Groupthink can be dangerous.
It's great to brainstorm, and allow public input, including dissenting opinions. Sure, as others have noted, that can be "messy," but better messy democratic process than neat totalitarianism where there is no disagreement and no questioning of authority.
Gus Vina is essentially an outsider. We were willing to welcome to our City, to give him a chance, as Teresa requested. After a year, he was a disaster, putting off important decisions, rejecting public input, giving his famous "stink eye" dirty look to all who would question. Teresa backed him, and he was hired under Stocks.
One of our Council's biggest failings is failure to realize or admit their mistakes. Teresa cannot question her and Patrick Murphy's selection of Gus Vina, after his vote of no confidence from Sacramento Council as their interim City Manager.
Her lack of leadership has created a vacuum on Council, with the power going to the City Manager, who doesn't understand the nuances of our City and its traditions, our diverse communities and neighborhoods. He's only been in town since 2011, a bureaucrat more concerned with retiring at the top, then in digging our finances out of the rut, that deepens into a ditch, and becomes a bottomless pit.
Barth's boasts are a non-achievement. Supporters worked hard and dug deep to get her a majority with Shaffer and Kranz, and she simply gave it away. No wonder there is no bickering. She gave the hard fought power to Vina, Gaspar and Muir on a silver platter, and they are laughing their heads off at her foolishness! Barth and the others are being used, and they used their supporters to get nominated. Barth should not confuse being taken as a fool with getting along. The main problem though is her ego. She views herself as a great peacemaker while she is only a weak person who wants to be liked. When she used to stand up for her supporters, that is when she had actual influence and respect from others.
ReplyDeletePension reform will ONLY come by a ballot initiative. The in-house status quo set rest comfortably, realizing that takes a lot of effort on the part of galvanized citizens. The overall expectations from this current council to enact reforms has plunged to near zero.
ReplyDeleteJust make sure it's well written, this state is riddled with poorly written ballot initiatives like Prop. 13, term limits etc.
DeleteRight. Prop A was well-written. That is why It was the dumb city staff, council and City Attorney who couldn't understand it!
DeleteI don't know, I'm not a legislative analyst. Would love to see an independent review of Prop A. Of course, I would have like to see Teresa, Tony and Lisa get together with Prop A. Guys before the election, if it had to be on the general election ballot. That one was guaranteed to end in tears.
DeleteThey tried and were excluded all reasonable people were told .not to come to any more meetings
DeleteBarth led the PRop A effort as it was drafted, Shaffer and Kranz said they supported A to get elected. As soon as the gan of three were in they told residents to go away. Barth went out for photo shoots to feel important about herself, Shaffer gave lectures at Mira Costa to feel important for her ego., Kranz jumped into bed with developers after going to the Papa Doug Manchester party, Muir kept getting his pension and Gaspar got closer with the special interests, see how ti works
DeleteI do, who are the candidates to replace them...
DeleteNo one is foolish enough to expend 'blood, sweat and tears' to get elected suddenly to be answerable to the emotionally displaced that demand fealty to personal singular political visions and judge people's lives and actions on an hourly basis here at Undercover.
DeleteRegardless of who you are or what you believe: a week or two after the next election, after a meeting or two, your newly elected council people will be judged unworthy and attacked.
As to whether or no be nice in commenting, Grandma always tells us "If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all..." and the old nugget,"You get more with sugar than you do with vinegar..." The current Council is now 2-2-1, boys versus girls, or Kristin/Mark on Team A, Teresa/Tony on Team B and Team C, Lisa.
Tough to get to 3 votes.
Spot ON!
DeleteIt seems that you are one of the critical thinkers who isn't just trying to be critical who has actually been paying attention to this issue.
Seems to me that usually Teresa and Lisa are voting as a "team," often along with Tony, but he can be a swing vote, as with Lisa and Teresa's plan to have Teresa be mayor for another year, unheard of in the traditional rotation. Of course that's out the window, with the elected mayor, but the final rotation could have been traditional. If not, then the selection process should have "come back" so that the public could have input on a bi-mayor discussion. Teresa could have been mayor for another week, until the PUBLIC could help decide the issue of who will serve as Mayor. The way it worked out, compromise became coercion of the public. We had NO SAY, because the bizarre motions were not made until AFTER public comments were closed.
DeleteAny elected officer will have critics. This is true for entertainers, too. That also goes with the territory.
I don't think people need to be "nice" when we feel betrayed. We can be true to what we see to be the truth. Let the chips fall where they may.
We've all got egos. Politicians probably, by definition, have giant egos. Wonderful if we could find someone with an ego, yet the humility and understanding of being able to see and care about others' perspectives.
Vina and Sabine play the council and mock them behind their backs. They love a divided council and actually help create it. These two have got to go!
ReplyDeleteIt seems that a funny thing happened to the illustrious troika which we all know and love on their way to governing the city - they had no idea just how broken it was. They assumed that they could just sit down at their seats and start implementing their campaign promises. They had no idea how slow and deliberative governing could be. Then they got hit with the Prop A train. Then, horrors of all horrors, they realized that the way the council is set up, they can't even talk to each other. Everything blows up..... So now they're rebuilding - one step at a time - learn how to be civil so that when honest debate occurs, no one takes it personally. Doesn't anyone realize how critically important that is?!?!?!? If you can't debate, then every campaign promise is a non-starter. Institutionally, the Stocks years did a whole lot of damage, and frankly these 3 are not up to the task of fixing it in one fell swoop, but I give them a lot of credit for recognizing the problem and trying to do something about it. And right when it's at its most dysfunctional, all these Anon chowder heads are calling for the heads of the manager and attorney......what they need now is a little time......
ReplyDelete- The Sculpin
Teresa should have known how hard it would be, but I agree that even she underestimated the difficulty of the task at hand.
DeleteThe people calling for their heads also underestimated how hard it would be to right the ship, because a lot of them are johnny come latelies to city politics.
I said it once and I'll say it again, I'll take the current majority over the Stocks gang anyday....
Vina parked them all in a teamwork seminar, or have you forgotten? That translates to zero disagreement or else. That has nothing to do with niceness or civility, that has to do with control.
DeleteScuplin-
DeleteYou make no sense. What problems to they recognize?
Vina hired Rutan to write a baised flawed report- the councul praised him
The council wrote 2 untruths on the ballot hoping to milead the public
The council wrote editorials to the newspaper on Prop A telling untruths like bifurcation-false, no upzoing without a vote, false, more lies.
Against resident wishes the council gave the planning department an additional $400K outside of the budget so they could hire 'consultants'. The residents said put that money to failing roads. The council ignored them and then voted to raise fees on residents 5-0, along with raising fees on youth sports 5-0. Now we learn that at the same time the council gave planning an addition $400K the city planning department was being sued by the waterboard for $400K- coincidence, i think not.
Then there is the council suggesting limiting speaker time donations, and speaker time- more lies on community participation.
And how about the lack of transpraency- hiding the water board lawsuit from the people?
GIve them credit? Becuase you are willing to reward failure don't expect the good hard working taxpayers of the city to join you.
Here's the issue with your observations.....you are assuming a functional and rational council - which clearly doesn't exist. It's garbage in, garbage out. To me, what you describe points to dysfunction - not conspiracy. Besides, I'm not rewarding failure - the voters already did that by voting in the present council. I'm just trying to make sense of it all.
Delete- The Sculpin
I don't assume anything. I demand a council responsive to the needs of citizens. Barth, Shaffer, Phony Tony, Pension Hog Muir and Self-seeking Gaspar have been horrible.
DeleteYou may accept mediocrity and settle for failure and imcompetence, I don't.
How long did you settle for $tocks and company
DeleteSculpin is Barth.
DeleteBarth is W C
Deleteergo, Sculpin is WC - QED!!!
DeleteThe Sculpin is talking sense. Dysfunction rules the day at most places of business, government, whatever. YOu don't need a conspiracy to screw everything up, every day incompetence will do that for you.
DeleteI haven't settled for mediocrity, but if we don't like the current majority, we have to change it, and the question remains, who is going to step up?
Even is you get someone who would promise you what you want, who's to say personality or some other facet of their being wouldn't get in the way and screw it up?
IT GROUND HOGS DAY AGAIN AND AGAIN. DON'T YOU ALL (TEN PEOPLE) GET TIRED OF REPEATING THE SAME OLD CRAP!
ReplyDeleteah..............denial is not a river in Egypt
DeleteOne day those who think this is a bunch of whining will find out what has gone on at city hall. Unincorporating is how it will be solved. Unless you think taxing and building up will be tolerated and rest assured it won't.
ReplyDeleteWe know what's going on/not going on there, us being the involved minority. The Majority of citizens don't vote or aren't engaged.
DeleteThe question is how to engage that majority and/or how long will it take to get changes at city hall....
You are the involved bloggers only never at council meetings only whining on this blog
DeleteIt would be "nice" if all council members read the Cal. bonus density law. It would be obvious that the Fulvia developer is making demands that far exceed what the law allows.
DeleteThe Cabezon
In what respect does Citymarks plans for Fulvia violate the zoning/density of that property? This would be valuable info if true...
DeleteYou can read the bonus density law.It's on the web. The potential developer want to double what the property is zoned for AND has stated that the so called affordable housing will not be available to the public. This is a test case. It's designed to a: attempt to bankrupt the prop A folks and b: see if the city will fall in line for this and future projects. Harwood definitately knows what he is doing.
DeleteThe Cabezon
Sounds like fear of lawsuits, Part Deux.
DeleteI'm voting for Filner for mayor in 2014. Marco be damned!!
ReplyDeleteMany would support the Marco be damned part! And that includes former friends, clients, and supporters!
DeleteSurfrider foundation calls Carrdiff st beach dirtiest in the county!! Lolol. This coming from assholes that pee themselves in their wetsuits. What fucking morons!!
ReplyDeleteFilner or $tock$… no real difference.
ReplyDeleteYou and Charles Manson... no real difference.
Deletewow… thats original.
DeleteYou can do better than that….Dork.
Filner in 2014.
ReplyDeleteHe's hands on ....
You laugh, but Logan Jenkins wrote a serious column about a Filthy Filner comeback.
DeleteFilner 2014: Tanned, Rested, and Horny!
WCV
What would a Stocks comeback be like?
DeleteDo you mean bourbon man AKA
DeleteNo one's ever got back "in" after getting voted out. Sheila and Lou Aspell were the only aspirants I remember. Time marches on...
DeleteSo how's what Joe Biden did yesterday at a Christmas party any different than Bob Filner?? Where's Marco???
ReplyDeleteBecause Biden's wife is in the picture and it's not a headlock. No story, move on..
ReplyDeletehttp://www.today.com/news/photo-famously-friendly-biden-goes-viral-2D11758793
Joe Biden is a notoriously stupid human being. Opps, did I call him human, he a notoriously stupid door knob. And that's not kind to door knobs.
DeleteBut not quite as stupid as Rand Paul....
DeleteThat last comment shows your stupidity 7:57pm
DeleteStupid is as stupid does and Rand, who regurgitates his insane father's wisdom, is the King.of fools... And you 8:05, are one too.
Delete7:57- you are intolerant.
DeleteSac Gus is not nice. He goes to great lengths to control the agenda. He will be giving a special presenation on the park on Wednesday. It is 'special' because no member of the public can comment on his lies. The article about the park in the city newsletter is called, "Forty Acres of Fun Coming Your Way." It does not talk about the avoidable $430,000 fine that the city has because they did not have devices in place to prevent a drainage spill from entering Rossini Creek. Evidence indicates that they put them in place after the spills had happened.
ReplyDeleteHow are we supposed to treat people who nicely lie to us, steal from us, and stab us in the backs with smiles on their faces?
Teresa had indicated that she would, and has before allowed public comments for informational "Special Presentations." The public should be able to comment on both Special Presentations, Agenda Items 4A and 4B, the Hospitality Association progress report.
DeleteFurthermore, 4A, which is informational report on the CA Regional Water Quality Control Board complaint and fine of nearly $430,000, does not HAVE to be discussed by Council only in closed session.
The report should be a regular agenda item, with a staff report. Mayor Barth is enabling Vina and Sabine to cut off the public from the process, including the process of being informed the City was deemed to have been in violation and was given remedial actions to implement, which warnings and initial citations seemed to have been ignored. Instead, a cover-up was initiated, still ongoing, with many justifications and untruths as quoted in a June Coast News article, by Public Works Director Glenn Pruim.
Teresa seems to have only given lip service to more transparency as another political tool, to get momentum behind her for re-election, in 2010. When she has the opportunity, and the legal discretion to tell Gus Vina, make this an immediate regular agenda item, she again lets us down.
Again and again Teresa has complained how Council can't talk. Well that is thanks to State Law; don't blame the citizens because we want to hear your discussions. The Water Quality Control Board's complaint is NOT "significant exposure to litigation." Any "legal process" does not constitute litigation or exposure to litigation in a court of law.
The Brown Act is to be NARROWLY CONSTRUED. Thank God we've got that law. People being aware of the City's shenanigans and "discussions" is the only thing that holds our public officials in check.
As far as getting along, I think it is a good first step. In case some of you have forgotten the years of Dalger, Stocks and Bond, and the way they treated the citizens, as well as Teresa, I think this Council is an improvement. If you think about it, they have a lot going on, including implementation of Prop. A, election of a Mayor for the first time, strategic plans, just to name a few. After only a year, I personally don't want to judge them. How about we give them some breathing room and see what happens next year. As far as the City manager and the City Attorney, that's another story. I can't cut them that much slack. They are getting paid big bucks to do their jobs, and I, for one, don't think I'm getting my money's worth out of either of them.
ReplyDeleteHi Dr Lori
Deletesupported Barth in 2010 walking neighborhoods and giving her money. She has been a disaster. She told untruths about prop A......just like Stocklikely would have. Barth wrote a misleading editorial on prop A. Barth let Vina go behind close doors to hire Rut an and Tucker. Barth voted against desert rose.
Moreover Barth has been condescending to residents who go to city hall and speak the truth................again sound like someone we know named Stocks? When residents spoke against Vina spending 100K for a PR spin doctor Barth along with Shaffer and phony tony ignored them, same with the 400K the planning department (hmmm the same amount at the recent fine, I smell a rat) Now Barth and Gaspar are cooking up an overlay zone to defeat prop A with Vina and HHardwood leading the chrage.
I find Ms Barth to be an egoists. She has done nothing to help the city. It's al. Not civil at city hall, the animosity between the council and residents is verypresent, this makes Barth either insensitive, unempathetic or ignorant, my money is on the latter..
10:43-Did they ever say why they needed a "spin doctor"? I am a bit confused as to what this person is supposed to do. Is she there to spin stories or make the what citizens want and need more accessible. Cannot quite figure it out. I think Teresa may need a little fine tuning, but from what I have seen, she is not as bad a Stocks with the citizens. Stocks yelled at me for presenting the names people submitted for the naming of the Park. I was on the committee that received the names. In the end, that Council did not listen to the citizens and picked their own name, Encinitas Community Park. Not one citizen had put that entry in and we had hundreds to select from.
DeleteHi Dr Lori. Stocks may have yelled but at least he listened. Barth just ignored you, like a non entity. How does that make you feel? Whta do you think is behind that?
DeleteBy The way I think Stocks was terrible. I voted for Barth but now think she is terrible as well. The council ignored you on Sabine and ignored the residents on the Vina review, desert rose, salary increase, road repairs, prop A and the 100K spin doctor who's job is to use media relations and marking to promote propaganda like the upcoming overlay zone.
Barth and Gaspar - Encinitas's version of "Beauty and the Beast". Interchangeable roles.....
DeleteSorry guys, I don't see Barth as an egotist. Disagree with her on some of these issues, yes, still get greeted warmly by her, yes. She's a good person, we just have to be big enough to agree to disagree.
DeleteI've never seen anything in Teresa's time like Jerome's ugly baby rant or some of the other yelling she did.
That said, we need leadership on stuff like the runoff in the Hall property, pensions and some of the other big issues. Not sure she's the one to do it.
Yelling that "he" did. Sorry. People are going to rip me for this, but the politics in this town have gotten really personal. On one level, I get it, there's a lot of time and emotion invested.
DeleteOn the other level, Fred said it best "Hate is a poision in the blood"...
Hi 12:34 with all respect agree to disagree? On what? That Barth and the council failed to tell the public about the damage the hall park run off did to the environment or that the city was fined $400K for incompetence? Not a single resident spoke in favor of Vina hiring a PR spin doctor for $100K. Agree to disagree that Barth and teh council told untruths on PRop A, misled the public and wasted money on Rutan and Tucker? Agree to disagree that Barth and the council are plotting to overthrow A and resident control by putting out an overlay zone to upzone the city and to use taxpayer money to promote their propaganda- it's why they hired Medfor, to get Vina's phony propaganda out through the media and mailings.
DeleteBarth and this council are losers.
Egosist? Barth gave the State of the City at a paid even attended by developers. Average everyday citizens who could not afford a ticket were shut out. Even Stocks had enough humility to give his state of the city address (dire as it was) during a city council meeting when all could attend. Sounds bit like Evita Perrone- you think? Barth is singing Don't cry for me Encinitas as taxpayers are saddled with pension debt and unfunded liabilities while Barth runs off to a photo op.
Barth is the ugly duckling that suddenly has the swan complex. She is taken with herself now that she is mayor, but she has achieved nothing in her tenure on the Council. The Pentagon announced that veterans' pension benefits are being cut, while they continue to rapidly accumulate in this small city. An initiative would pass if it ever hit the ballot - the average citizen is unaware of the excessive amounts that these "civil" servants are receiving - they are King's ransoms and undeserved.
DeleteAgreed, well said. Barth has turned out to be a self seeking dimwit-
DeleteI agree Dr. Lorri. But Council leads and manages the City Manager and City Attorney, not vise versa. The Council has the ability to fire either or both. But they didn't and instead gave them a glowing review.
ReplyDeleteFor that, I give the a low D nearing an F rating.
Point well taken 9:35. I was quite surprised that Teresa didn't second Shaffer's motion for an RFP for other city attorneys. How could it hurt the CIty to see what else was out there? Still don't buy the "institutional history" argument that says Sabine should start because he has been with the City so long. With that kind of logic, I guess everyone should stay at any organization because they have been there so long.
ReplyDeleteThe other sad thing is the night I presented the case to Council on why they should look in to other city attorneys, the staff report was wrong. The numbers they showed that they paid Glen were less than what he had really been paid. Since I only had 9 minutes I couldn't address that issue, but it really bothered me. I like Jace Schwarm, but I was surprised at the numbers she came up with, as my FOI requests yielded higher numbers.
DeleteToo "big" to fail? Big ego, for sure....but what else???
DeleteNo credibility for council until $abine is gone for good.
ReplyDeleteBang your pots.
ReplyDeleteDrive them out.
Bang your pots.
Drive them out.
What the hell is the metaphor about banging pots??? Action committees are needed to draw up pension reform and salary caps via the initiative process. These City people involved will NEVER address these issues - that is expressly clear.
DeleteI believe the banging pots analogy relates to a medieval practice of getting rid of rats.
Delete- The Sculpin
Banging on pots refers to the "cacerolazo" that began in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It turned out to an an effective means of protest. Here's a link that explains it:
Deletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cacerolazo
The banging of pots and pans was frequently done in front of the Presidential Palace and involved thousands of people. I was in Buenos Aires during the peso devaluation, and the deomonstrations packed the streets surrounding the Casa Rosada, the Argentine White House. There's no reason this couldn't be done in Encinitas. A few hundred people in a city of 60,000 would certainly make the news.
Encinitas, how about the white house and the fed? The devaluation of the peso, just think how much the dollar has been devalued by the fed printing money at an alarming rate to support the failed policies of the past and current administrations.
DeleteBang your pots.
DeleteDrive them out.
Then again, Argentina was a dictatorship for many years where people were systematically killed by the state. I guarantee you there was no pot banging in the 70's in Buenos Aires.
DeleteThe pot banging was in the last 15 years. You can thank the Peronists for much of the economic nightmare....
Until this council and staff find a way to mitigate Density Bonus, I will continue to distrust them all, maybe even hate them. That along with The Housing Element, is their Tax Porn.
ReplyDeleteThat's an intelligent position. Until the city council finds a way to subvert state law you will distrust them and/or hate them. Over 400 cities in California subject to the same law but somehow Encinitas is supposed to find the silver bullet. If it's so important to you why don't you put in the effort and visibility to come up with a solution. Plenty of complainers here but no one ever seems to step up. What, afraid that others on this blog will rip you to shreds?
DeleteYup, some light reading on other cities dealing with the issue:
Deletehttp://www.lacanadaonline.com/opinion/tn-vsl-me-oped-olhasso-la-canada-zoning-changes-are-built-upon-state-law-20131211,0,4895381.story
http://www.gazettes.com/news/housing-element-debate-moving-on-to-city-council/article_04d3354e-6447-11e3-a081-001a4bcf887a.html
interesting canda zoning- can you say UN Agenda 21......just saying.
Delete3:14 PM
DeleteYup, the Nuremberg defense.
In other words, the state forecasts population growth and then requires all cities in the state to zone for their "fair share" of the housing for that population growth. We are not required to actually build that housing, merely to zone for it. As a matter of fact, the city does not build anything. Private developers do that, and private developers typically look to make a profit. As you are aware, land costs are very high in LCF. Developers would have an extremely difficult time making a profit on low- and moderate-income housing because of that.
DeleteSo if what the La Canada editorial states is the case, and we can rely on developers being the greedy bastards that they are, just what are we worried about? Nothing gets built!
- The Sculpin
Sculpin,
DeleteThe low-income thing is a red herring. Developers don't make money on true low-income units here, either. But they use it to get much greater density for their market-rate units.
Watch all the market-rate condos that go in to that JoAnn Stores property in La Canada if they rezone it.
WCV
3:00pm "Subvert a state law"...a law that doesn't benefit THE COMMON GOOD, is a law that isn't working.
DeleteScuplin it has been proven that the state forecasts are wrong and over inflated. You might choose to support liars, bad math and failed corrupt leaders, don't expect the rest of us to join you
DeleteThey won't rezone that property in La Canada. They're too focused in that town in keeping the poor and people of color out. They didn't let black people work at Sports Chalet or Mcdonald's until the late 1980's.
Delete5:36 - the only expectation I have is your snarky comments. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Happy Holidays!
Delete- The Sculpin
So they just let the rich work at McDonalds?
DeleteHate puts poison in your blood.
ReplyDeleteWhat about satire?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHate poisons satire as well. Unless you're Don Rickles.
DeleteYup, just ask the Ramones....
ReplyDeleteOr my grandma.
ReplyDeleteWhen did she play in the Ramones?
ReplyDeleteWhere's Vina's PR person? - declare Encinitas a Unicorn Conservation Site; Shaffer says that one is in the bag! They deal only with matters of utmost importance, you see.....
ReplyDeleteThe Unicorn hunt begins at 11AM sharp, bring your squirt gun!
DeleteStay out of the lily pond.....or SRF koi pond....
DeleteWhat's with the unicorns and how come I haven't seen one yet. I want whatever you all are having!
ReplyDelete