Lerch goes big

As former Republican-endorsed council candidate Bryan Ziegler, forced out by party bosses, goes silent and refuses to speak to concerned citizens about the circumstances surrounding the loss of his party endorsement, his GOP replacement is hoping some big money will make up for a late campaign start and lack of campaign boots on the ground.

The campaign finance filings are in, and newcomer Alan "Lerch" Lerchbacker is dropping some big cash. His filing shows he loaned his campaign $20,000 of his own money.

While it's really late to start a campaign in October after absentee ballots have already been mailed out, that kind of money could make a difference if used to begin a flawlessly executed flat-out sprint to the finish. Will Lerch bring in professional consultants to help him run that kind of campaign?

How does goofing off until October and then dropping twenty grand align with Lerch's campaign theme of competence and fiscal responsibility?

But if Lerch can't win, could he tip the seat to Julie Graboi by taking votes from his fellow Cardiffian and anti-Right-to-Vote candidate Catherine Blakespear?

Or is this just a bluff, and will Lerch not actually spend all that money?

Bonde urges residents to vote for Cameron, Graboi

From the Inbox:

Promises, promises

Two of the candidates running for mayor did us the favor of leaving a record of past campaign promises so that we can see how well they followed through.  Here are their "Top Priorities" as submitted to smartvoter.org.

Kristin Gaspar 2010:

Top Priorities if Elected

• Public Safety
• Responsible Budgeting
• Sustainable Growth

Tony Kranz 2010:

Top Priorities if Elected

• Complete the General Plan Update ensuring we keep our small town atmosphere
• Develop the Hall Property park responsibly and without further delay
• "Right-size" city government and reduce employee pension expenses

Tony Kranz 2012:

Top Priorities if Elected

• Create a system of accountability for city officials regarding government transparency issues
• Improve our public safety services
• Keep the General Plan "Update" from opening the floodgates to overdevelopment and more unbearable traffic

So how are they doing?

GOP dumps Ziegler over Prop A position

In yet another sign of San Diego County Republican Party disarray under the erratic leadership of Tony Krvaric, the party has apparently just dumped its endorsed candidate for Encinitas City Council, Bryan Ziegler. Sources tell Encinitas Undercover the split was over Ziegler's support for Proposition A, the voter initiative passed in 2013 that requires voter approval of land zoning changes.

The party web site now shows an endorsement for newcomer Alan "Lerch" Lerchbacker, who has no significant organization and little name recognition or history of community involvement. Lerchbacker is expected to place third at best, behind two Democrats. The seat should have been a great opportunity for the GOP, with a conservative tilt in an off-year election in a competitively split city. Even more so because the Democrats have split into two factions, the Community Character / Prop A faction represented by Julie Graboi, and the Establishment / Smart Growth faction represented by Catherine Blakespear.

The County GOP's beef with Prop A is bizarre for two reasons. First, it already passed, making a candidate's support or opposition of it largely irrelevant (other than as an indication of a candidate's overall views on development issues and how likely the candidate might be to work to undermine Prop A around the edges). But secondly and more importantly, Prop A is entirely consistent with the professed GOP principles of property rights and limited government. It preserves current property rights and zoning, and prevents politicians from upzoning their cronies' properties at the expense of the neighbors' quality of life and property values. How could a limited-government party oppose that, unless the party was controlled by those very cronies and developers?

Happy Birthday Laney Kook

Encinitas family, so poor that they had to move to Vista for years, now planning custom home on 1/3 acre here

... all this supposedly illustrating why we have to build high-density development so that every yahoo from LA to Arizona who wants to live by the beach can do so.

Seaside Courier:

His family has a long history in Encinitas.

But the cost of living forced fifth-generation Encinitas resident Tom Cozens and his wife, Peggy, who went to high school in town, to move inland to Vista to raise a family.

“We lived where we could afford it,” said Peggy.

They eventually moved from Vista to Carlsbad. All the while, they stayed involved in the Encinitas community.

Thirty-seven years later, they are back for good. The 60-somethings have purchased an 860-square-foot home on a big lot in Old Encinitas with plans to build a larger home. They hope their children and grandchildren won’t mind visiting more often now that they are so close to the beach.

We sincerely doubt the Cozens were actually priced out of Encinitas; apartments and rental houses were cheap and plentiful here in the 80's and 90's.  In fact, Encinitas has historically been fairly affordable until it recently became so popular and crowded (and high-density development will do nothing to relieve crowdedness or improve affordability; just look at Manhattan Beach!).  Rather, we suspect the Cozens made a lifestyle choice to live in a single-family home with a nice yard in a low-density community, the same choice families here and elsewhere have been making for generations. And a choice the Cozens have once again validated with their new Encinitas home.

But what's with that 1/3 acre lot? We thought seniors wanted to live in high-density development.

Last night's Olivenhain candidate forum

What was said?  What were your impressions?