Batra on Barth: a former supporter reflects

Sunana Batra in the NC Times:

Once upon a time, the standard was: "How would a reasonable person respond?"

Not long ago, this was replaced by: "How would the most unreasonable and hypersensitive person respond?"

[...]

It's the fact that she thinks she should be able to mar and end the career of individuals she serves with when she feels insulted that makes me think she should not be in the position we in Encinitas elected her to be in.

Stocks used his power of persuasion to pass her over for deputy mayor, he was within his rights. We expect our electeds to vote on the basis of a candidate's ideas and ability, not because of tradition, or just because it's always been that way.

It's troubling, this toxic mix of gender-war feminism that treats such acts as ridiculing a fellow elected official an offense worth filing an official complaint about.

I agree with Batra. Teresa Barth should withdraw from her re-election race and endorse an ally who will be more effective at fighting the establishment.

Encinitas triathlon

It ain't easy being a cougar

Encinitas teenager Vincent Russo charged with kidnapping, raping 30-something Chula Vista girlfriend.

[...] the woman’s ordeal began Thursday afternoon, when her boyfriend phoned and told her to bring some money to his Encinitas home.

She went to his place, where he forced her to hand over the money and told her to go burglarize her parents’ Point Loma home, Reber said. When she refused, the suspect reportedly punched her and forced her to go to Point Loma with him.

They discovered that her parents were home, so he gave up on the burglary plan, and they went to the woman’s home near East Palomar Street and Heritage Drive.

Reber said the teen forced the woman into sex acts through the night and threatened her with a knife.

Shortly before 5 a.m. Friday, Reber said, the woman escaped as the suspect was busy emptying things from her car so he could sell it. She waved down a motorist who happened to work at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center, and the motorist took her to the hospital, where staff called police.

Nice guy.

Barth announces candidacy. Why?

... according to the Coast News, which in a syrupy puff piece nominates Barth for sainthood without mentioning any of the recent events surrounding Barth.

Her announcement came before I had the chance to write an intended post suggesting that she not run.

We obviously need more Barth-like votes on the council to counter the Stocks-Dalager Axis of Developers and Unions. But Barth is clearly not an effective advocate for her side if she is so fragile that she runs crying to the lawyers and makes serious sexual harassment claims over political insults. What's the point of constantly casting losing votes 3-2 in an atmosphere so polarized and poisoned? Do you really think after this recent fiasco Barth will be effective in reaching out to Bond or Dalager and bringing them over to her side on a vote?

Barth obviously doesn't enjoy her work on the Council if she would go so far as to call it a "hostile work environment." So why keep going? Stubbornness and ego?

The best thing Barth could do for the people of Encinitas and for herself would be to step aside and endorse someone who shares her views but is temperamentally better suited for the job. I'm sure she has friends and allies from her years in community work who could win widespread support and would do a great job on the council.

Attorneys' report on Teresa Barth harassment complaint

Here's the outside attorneys' report on the Barth complaint. It doesn't look good. Barth initiated the investigation with the following e-mail where she plays amateur lawyer:

"Subject: December 11 Union Tribune Article

Phil and Glenn,

Jerome's comments about me in this article clearly show that the actions taken on Tuesday night 12/8 were punitive with the intention to threaten and/or intimidate me and create a hostile work environment.

This behavior is classified under California law as verbal harassment. This is a complaint of harassment and you have both been officially notified."

The actions Tuesday night 12/8 were when she was passed over for Deputy Mayor.

The attorneys found that not only are elected officials not employees covered under "hostile work place" rules, but that even if Barth were a covered employee, there was no illegal harassment.

Teresa Barth Complaint - Encinitas City Council

Barth's full complaint is here (starts on p. 7 after 6 pages of boilerplate). HT: Leucadia Blog.

Jim the Realtor tours Rancho Tyvek Estates

aka Barratt's bankrupt Nantucket 2 development in Leucadia.

Teresa Barth filed harassment claim over political squabble

Good grief. This whole council is a giant embarrassment.

Union-Tribune:

Encinitas City Councilwoman Teresa Barth filed a harassment complaint with the city against Councilman Jerome Stocks late last year after he didn’t nominate her for deputy mayor and criticized her in remarks to newspaper reporters on why he didn’t choose her.

Legal counsel deemed the complaint invalid because Barth is not technically a city employee, but only after the city spent $15,249 in legal fees investigating it.

[...]

Their dispute started when Stocks was quoted in a Dec. 11, 2009, article in The San Diego Union-Tribune about his decision to nominate Councilwoman Maggie Houlihan for deputy mayor even though it was Barth’s turn in the council rotation.

Stocks said in that article that he was sending Barth a message that she had angered the council majority with personal attacks and a lack of leadership. Stocks criticized Barth for boycotting some City Council closed sessions in 2007; Barth said she did so out of concern that the public wasn’t receiving adequate notice of the meetings.

Barth included that article along with a two-paragraph complaint that she submitted the same day to City Manager Phil Cotton.

“Jerome’s comments about me in this article clearly show that the (vote to appoint Houlihan deputy mayor was) punitive with the intention to threaten and/or intimidate me and create a hostile work environment,” Barth’s complaint stated.

“This behavior is classified under California law as verbal harassment.”

That's not harassment. That's politics. And the litigious Barth cost the city $15,249 in legal fees because her little feelings got hurt. Aren't there any adults in City Hall?