Former Sierra Madre Councilman Joe Mosca appointed to Parks & Rec Commission

In February, controversial former Sierra Madre Councilman Joe Mosca applied for the Parks & Rec Commission.

Last night, the City Council appointed Mosca to fill a vacancy on the commission.

Judging by his past and his political affiliations, Mosca will run for City Council, and he'll align with the Barthist "Smart Growther" faction on the council.

More on Mosca's history at Sierra Madre Tattler.

9/9/15 City Council meeting open thread

The current city council has continued prior councils' practice of not providing written summary minutes of council discussion, but only "action minutes" which state the outcomes. Encinitas Undercover will provide a forum for observers to record what occurs at each council meeting.

Please use the comments to record your observations.

2016 Election Pre-game

By request.

There are a lot of interesting structural dynamics in the 2016 election.  Here's how we see the players. We'll categorize them by the three local factions: Republicans, Barthists, and Prop A folks.

Kristin Gaspar (Republican): Already announced Supervisor run.  Opponents are Escondido Mayor Sam Abed and incumbent Dave Roberts (or a Democratic replacement if Roberts doesn't recover from the hostile work environment and improper use of taxpayer funds scandals).  Gaspar is thus likely out of Encinitas politics unless she fails to make the top two in the June Supervisor primary and then announces she'll seek re-election.

Catherine Blakespear (Barthist): Likely to run for Mayor from her safe council seat (as Tony Kranz did in 2014).  May not face a serious challenger because most other candidates would find it easier to win a council seat.

Tony Kranz (Barthist): Will run for re-election unless he moves out of state.  Likely to win due to large number of open seats (4 if Blakespear wins Mayor seat) and likely weak field.

Mark Muir (Republican): Likely to run for re-election, won't challenge Blakespear for Mayor because it would a lot riskier than running for council.  Likely to win re-election.

Lisa Shaffer (Barthist): Has said she wouldn't run again, but don't count on it.

Paul Gaspar (Republican): Seems politically ambitious and could probably win a council seat given his name recognition and fundraising ability.

Sheila Cameron (Prop A): Won't run again.

Julie Graboi (Prop A): Seems inclined not to run, but would be among the stronger Prop A candidates due to name recognition and practice on the campaign trail.  Remember, Tony Kranz got elected on his second try.

Al Lerchbacker (Republican): Hasn't been seen much since failed 2014 campaign, so it's unclear whether he's still interested.  However, with party backing and an earlier start and easier field this time, could probably win a seat.

So at this point we'll pencil in Blakespear for Mayor, Kranz and Muir to keep their council seats, and two other seats up for grabs.

We can think of several other Barthists who might run: the "Engage Encinitas" women and a traffic commissioner or two.  We're not aware of any other Prop A folks getting ready to run.  What have you heard?

UPDATE: Welcome former Sierra Madre Smart Growther Councilman Joe Mosca to the race!

UPDATE 2: Apparently the rules are such that if Blakespear wins Mayor and thus vacates her council seat, the seat does not go to the fourth-place vote getter, but is appointed by the council.  The vacancy wouldn't occur until the new mayor is seated, so presumably the new council is the one to make the appointment.  If Mosca wins, the Barthists would have a 3-1 majority and make an appointment to give themselves a 4-1 supermajority (which could resurrect the Barth-Shaffer-Kranz sales tax increase).  If Lerch or another Republican wins, we'd have a 2-2 stalemate which could lead to the appointment of an independent, non-partisan compromise candidate.

Happy 50th Carol Kook

Stocks, Gaspar, Muir launch North County Republican PAC

There's a new PAC in town. North County Leadership Council:

Despite the fact that North County holds a large proportion of the county’s population (approximately 57%), serves as an important economic hub, and holds practically unlimited potential, the region lacks an established political network dedicated toward promoting and electing the next generation of pro-prosperity candidates.

Consequently, a coalition of North County elected officials and community leaders has established the North County Leadership Council, an organization dedicated to supporting and electing strong leaders for the future while advocating for issues that matter to the region as a whole.

We believe an alliance among elected officials from all North County cities and jurisdictions north of State Route 56 can create stronger political leadership and new opportunities for the region.

Primary among the organizations activities will be the establishment and growth of a Political Action Committee geared toward supporting local and regional candidates who have received the endorsement of the organization.

In addition, the NCLC will also seek to organize regional leaders to address, advocate for, or oppose issues that have an impact on the entire region.

Former Mayor Jerome Stocks is the Chairman of NCLC, and current Mayor Kristin Gaspar and Councilman Mark Muir are on the board of directors, along with other north county Republican mayors and council members.

Filings show that the PAC was established in May, with its initial funding coming in June from Gaspar, Muir, and Stocks Insurance in addition to Oceanside Councilman Jerry Kern and two others.

Anyone interested in supporting stronger political leadership and new opportunities for the region can contribute here.

Local Summer

In the 1890's, early German settlers in Olivenhain coined the term "Lokalen Sommer," referring to that time from early September to early October when the Zonies headed back home and the grommets were back in school, but the weather remained spectacular and the beaches were all for locals.



In the tradition of those early settlers, Encinitans from every corner (especially Merle), rejoice in Local Summer to this day.

Solana Beach kidnapper Jack Doshay back in custody on charges for second attack

CBS 8:

A man accused of trying to kidnap a little girl outside a Solana Beach Elementary School is back in custody on a new charge related to another alleged kidnapping victim. He is now being held on $5 million bail.

Jack Doshay was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday. The prosecution said there may be changes to the charges he's facing. The preliminary hearing was set to start at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, but the courtroom was switched, causing a delay in the hearing.

Back in April, we pointed out that DA Bonnie Dumanis' inexplicable decision to charge Doshay with simple, rather than aggravated, kidnapping meant that he could be back on the streets preying on children before he turned 30. Perhaps this second incident will cause prosecutors to take the case more seriously despite Doshay's family's wealth and political connections.

The new charges are related to a previously reported 2010 attempted molestation of a 5-year-old at Doshay's former elementary school.

UPDATE: From the Reader:

On September 2, prosecutor Ryan Saunders informed a judge that he was able to get an indictment on ten charges from a grand jury last week, after he brought forward new evidence against Doshay.

Some of the new charges include lewd acts on a child with force, kidnap with sexual intent, and a charge of multiple victims. The maximum prison time if Doshay is convicted of all current charges is 50 years to life in prison, according to prosecutor Saunders.

It's going to be very hard to prove that older case unless they've got some physical evidence they're not telling us about. They'd better bring more serious charges in the 2015 case.