Big Media Shouldn't Get Bigger

Douglas Manchester buying The San Diego Union Tribune a year ago and then the North County Times and then bragging about wanting to buy LA Times was bad news for Encinitas.  "This is a GOP donor who took a respected paper and turned it into a corporate shill." Media Matters posted this title for an article on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012.

We were fortunate to have a local publisher, Jim Kydd, who knows what is going on in our local government, within the local education system and in our business community.  He involved himself in this last election and was smeared for it by Mayor Stocks and his supporters. But, Kydd was honored at a local party this season.

No matter what one's political background, there is agreement that the FCC needs to do it's job to disallow monopoly ownership like we have now with Rupert Murdock or or local version, Douglas Manchester.

Flashback: Citizens comment on FCC proposal in 2007 from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.

Yes, the video above is from 2007. It is a sad testimony to the complete and utter melding of corporate business and government that now, during President Obama's administration, the FCC is not even allowing any public hearings as it meets secretly regarding Murdock's expansion plans. Bernie Sanders, (I)Vermont, met with Bill Moyers to discuss this and the following appear Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012.  At this blog and at EYNU, we believe this garbage journalism issue is fundamental in our community's understanding of what is broken, what must be fixed for the sake of democracy.

"In 1983, 50 corporations controlled a majority of American media. Now that number is six. And Big Media may get even bigger, thanks to the FCC’s consideration of ending a rule preventing companies from owning a newspaper and radio and TV stations in the same city. On this week’s Moyers & Company, Senator Bernie Sanders, one of several Senators who have written FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski asking him to suspend the plan, joins Bill to discuss why Big Media is a threat to democracy and what citizens can do to fight back. Watch and share two preview clips below." [editor: emphasis mine as we are in the middle of an unfolding story]

In the first clip, Sanders explains how letting Big Media have its way would limit discussion of “the real issues that impact ordinary people.” Sanders also expresses his dismay that such a move would come from an Obama appointee. “Why the Obama Administration is doing something that the Bush Administration failed to do is beyond my understanding,” Sanders tells Bill. “And we’re gonna do everything we can to prevent it from happening.”

In this second clip, Senator Sanders shares his belief that, unlike previous attempts, the FCC is trying to suspend the rule more secretly and without much public input. Sanders also talks about the effect of this action on minority- and women-owned media in particular.

Watch the full interview this weekend on Moyers & Company. Click here to find show times and channels in your area. 

Check out our “Fight Media Monopoly” spotlight page for the latest interviews, insight, and information on Big Media’s power play.

© 2012 Bill Moyers Media copied in its entirety from Common Dreams.

Additionally, our local Patch Online includes this article, "Local Media 'Dropped the Ball' in Covering Judge Candidate, KPBS News Chief Says." 

KPBS Senior News Editor Mark Sauer says “far right-wing” hopeful Gary Kreep was overlooked. [ . . . ]

Sauer admitted “failure” in KPBS not telling its radio and TV audiences (and website readers) about Kreep’s background, which included representing the birther movement as it challenged President Obama’s U.S. citizenship. 

The San Diego County Bar Association gave Kreep, a Ramona lawyer, its lowest rating—“lacking qualifications,” Sauer noted. 

Kreep defeated deputy district attorney Garland Peed 50 percent to 49.6 percent for judge office 34—winning by 1,739 votes out of 407,209 cast.

Addressing the thrust of this post, this failure of Big Media to serve it's democratic duty to inform the electorate, Sauer could expand on the U-T failures as he was a reporter for 27 years.

Sauer noted that the U-T newsroom boasted 285 people at its peak about seven years ago. Today, he said, he’d be surprised if 80 worked in the newsroom.

 [ . . . ]

As a result of the “terrible loss” of many respected reporters such as environmental writer Mike Lee—now a “flak for the Water Authority”—the U-T can’t do the kind of reporting necessary to keep readers informed on democratic institutions, he said. 

He said the U-T under current publisher Doug Manchester probably wouldn’t expose the kind of bribery case that led to Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham being convicted—which won the paper a Pulitzer Prize. 

Sauer said he hasn’t watched U-T TV for more than 10 minutes at a time, and “they’re not doing an objective newscast.” 

KPBS—with an audience of 350,000 a day—has a half-dozen reporters who do investigations, Sauer said, and also teams with Investigative News Source run by former U-T editor Lorie Hearn. 

But “we don’t do nearly enough,” he said, calling broadcast news coverage “a mile wide and an inch deep.”

Today, it takes a real commitment for people to wade through and reject a lot of superficial and fact free pap to find news and information to trust.   Blogging is one way those of us who care about making more independent and first hand news available feel we can contribute.

A Word Against Demands for a Clean Slate

Remember these?  This is the primitive version of etch-a-sketch.  This particular graphic seemed apt for the outgoing Stocks and Bond.

Anyone who has been an observer, a student of the US political scene for the past 30 years is well aware of the phenomenon of induced amnesia.  Our gigantic corporate media have perfected the erasure process with the Romney campaign. The biggest slate clearing in the last decade?

Bush?  Bush who? (Locally, Dan? Dan who?)

Whatever is written or even video taped - rrrriiiiiiipppppppp - clear the page. Gone. Out of sight and out of mind.

Enough prologue, it is likely the level of awareness reached by voters this year will dissipate very quickly.

[Editor note: Missing portion in bold added late.]
I believe it is important remind ourselves what we consider corrupt, unfair, damaging or uncivil.  What should be exposed or punished?  We need to come to an agreement of who is accountable and how this might be made clear to the community. 

The new council can be trusted to begin the new business at hand with this backdrop of the past available to inform decision making. My own belief is that maintaining and growing a public sector; e.g., an informed and engaged electorate, is far more important for activists' energy than anything that this new city council will be doing this year.

Collective issues like climate change, economic implosion, unemployment, food and water safety, failing infrastructure all need citizens who can come together in decision making.  The market (speculation at the center) is the cause not the solution to so much that lies ahead. None of these issues will be well served by a crash course with frightened consumers who have been thrown in the civic engagement.

In reality it shouldn't be an either / or proposition, but with such tiny numbers of citizens with real knowledge of Encinitas political climate this is just a fact.  That said, this blog will serve as a resource like the Encinitas Undercover blog, Encinitas You Need Us blog and the encinitasyouneedus YouTube channel for this past year. As pointed out since the early days of this blog, Leucadia blog served this purpose for their early writing chronicling local political characters with several posts this past year.

Because there are almost 300 Our Mayor posts that chronicle this end of a political majority's lock on Encinitas City Council, the blog will allow access and may be referenced at EYNU.

So, Our Mayor Stocks will still exist, but will be inactive. The blog will be dormant around winter solstice, Dec. 21 this year and that's appropriate as it started around the winter solstice last year. Winter Solstice brings the longest night of the year.

It is with pleasure we leave this behind. It feels petty when reporting petty - and the same goes for bullying, outbursts, lying, etc.  Even when humor was injected and national stories interjected for some change, the negative approach to governing was an emotional energy suck. There is a toll it takes on the messenger. A long night indeed.

Petty to the Bitter End

   Update below - omitted clip added

Last Wednesday, Nov. 14, was the first council meeting since the election when our Mayor Stocks was voted out of office by Encinitas voters.

Was there a statement from the dais from Our Mayor Stocks? No congratulations for the new candidates or their campaigns or concession words were offered.  Nothing at the beginning of the meeting where he has often spoken off the cuff or at the end in a personal word while reporting on boards.  No, not even a statement following the several oral communications speakers whose comments contained election tactics, electorate reactions, compliments to the candidates, praise for Barth and chastising Stocks.  Of course it is ridiculous after 12 years to expect grace or the high moral ground from Jerome. Zero . . . beyond, Thank you for your comments.

Sadly, the criteria for success for Stocks has become whether or not he was rude, patronizing or dismissive.  By that standard this next to the last meeting was a success.

The rest of the meeting was devoted to financial housekeeping issues of no great importance for debate and discussion.  Someone from the public did pull item #5 from the consent calendar (meaning general administrative issue). This item was a request by Crown Castle to mount a telecomunications device on the utility pole on Blue Heron Ave. The agenda packet describes this, but it was presented as simply a contract issue of an additional device. This meant no discussion of technical or functioning was supposed to be allowed.  Although this makes sense in an efficient approach to addressing regular housekeeping chores; this kind of narrow agenda definition has been favored by the council majority for years to keep volatile public protest off limits.

The three clips that follow speak to the petitioning neighbors rejection of this staff recommendation for an added device.  Their concerns are clearly laid out and at the most basic level ask they their concerns be taken seriously.  As the Jennifer Brimley the last public speaker below so aptly states, "This is your community too and you represent us, not Crown Castle."

Jim Madaffer representing Crown Castle presents what is essentially an argument that says, this is inevitable so get used to it. Plus this rather specious claim that radiation is not the issue, the health and safety issue is having enough of these - for emergencies.

Finally in this lineup is the Jennifer Brimley clip that challenges the Crown Castle's dismissal of transmission concerns among other points. She cites "Full Signal" the documentary that exposes the underlying financial criteria for the proliferation of these devices under the guise of legitimate need. The documentary movie website states:

"Full Signal examines the contradiction between health and finance, one of the many ironies of the fight to regulate antenna placement."

Councilwoman Barth voted against this with the straightforward fact, "The need hasn't been demonstrated to me." She discussed the previous council discussions in Sept. concerning Castle Group and the reasoning for coverage. Her request for clarification from the expert brought the Catch 22 answer that you'll have to listen to yourself to decipher.

Update 11/18/12: The following clip was accidentally left off and has been embedded again.




The pettiness that the title of this post asserts is this. If the council majority would simply reject the recommendation, no dire consequences would follow beyond annoyance for the vendor and maybe the staff. There would be time for the new council to look at the petitioners' request regarding DAS in terms of views, property values and health concerns. A chance for staff and the Environmental Commission to review research and the documentary film Brimley cites.

Stocks and Bond had no compelling reason to disregard the public's request. They are finished. It was petty. And it typifies the 20 year history of voting against public will and public concerns on behalf of for-profit private sector interests.

Blog Note: The final days for Our Mayor Stocks and this blog using Jerome Stocks name and title will probably reflect his silent skulking. But, one never knows if the big shouty part of his demeanor will show itself in the next several weeks. There is no reason to believe Jerome will leave politics, so it's impossible to predict what's next.

From Ronnie's Lips

It has been widely reported that President Obama has offered up benefit cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security in previous deficit negotiations. And while President Obama has said he'd veto any extension of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, he has caved on important issues in the past.

So we need to keep pushing and tell President Obama to draw a line in the sand. To do this: sign the petition.

Count Down - Last Day Before the Election

Waving signs at the morning and afternoon rush hours are easy and fun to do.  That's what Lisa Shaffer the candidate will be doing.  Emails and calls to the best friends and neighbors to nudge a reminder - tactfully - might work too. Or that could be a really bad idea.  You know your own peeps.

For some like our recommended candidates, the tasks on the day before the election and election day are clear.  Get out the vote.  Those of us who are not poll workers or drivers for voters or calling on phone banks or doing last minute canvassing or sign waving it's . . . what?  This campaign I'm not part of those tasks. But I choose not to let guilt over that or anxiety about the final outcome make me sick.

Of the group of wonky citizens who follow the election every single day, the pressure is huge. Some will meditate, some will hit the beach, some will throw themselves into work, some will garden and some will self medicate.  A couple of these sound good.

Whatever, it is time to start the depressurization process in order for a return to daily life.  For some of us it is necessary to keep addressing what is going on in the world around us with a will to affect change to improve things.  Continuous improvement isn't just a campaign buzz slogan for millions of people around the world.  We are living in the most exciting time as life as we've always known it is being challenged.  I, for one, enjoy subjects about which I feel compelled to write. (Read that this week somewhere and realized it is so true I'd wished I'd written it first.)

Still and all the image doesn't lie. We need to remember we are a speck in the universe.  But your vote and your energy to do the best you can in these next 2 days do matter.

And, for those of you who are going to work around the clock like crazy with no regard for balance?  I salute you too.  Life is short.

Bad Guys Goin' Down

Encinitas Undercover has the image. Shocked. We're just shocked I say at the bold faced plunder of the taxpayer dollar to pander to the Encinitas clueless by Stocks and company.

We didn't get the mailer Encinitas Undercover is writing about in the last post.  Go there and check out the utter shameless misuse of taxpayer paid survey statistics for political gain. The false construct of the super majority being responsible for citizen's satisfaction is the biggest lie.

This blatant disregard for ethics, the public demand for integrety and fair play and "blatantly fraudulent use of the charitable non-profit 501(c)(3) status" is going to leave a mark. This will be investigated as complaints are being filed.

Citizens spoke out against this survey in March of this year when it was proposed. For the record, here is the series of "We told you so" type clips. Even in criticism of this contained sincere good-faith comments by public and Barth that the city manager wanted to hear from the community.

 

Editor note: YouTube has now inserted suggested videos at the end of clips that are NOT this blog's selections.  

Our Publisher Brings Balance Against Tiny Minority

Thank you so much Jim Kydd for what you do for this community as one of the few independent newspaper publishers left in the whole country.  This year was a game changer for us all in feeling serious forward movement, a waking community and united sentiment in all 5 communities that is is time to Dump Stocks. Coast News was at the center of our local storm.  It takes a storm to unseat embedded, professional political players.

The fact that you chose to exercise your right to dissent as a public citizen via your election website and taking out ads, is legal.  It is democratic.  We more than trust your ability to get all of the rules and paperwork reporting done, made public or whatever is necessary (rather than just a response to odious threats).

It is regrettable that the bad guys used your right to dissent to smear the candidates that you and thousands of us all support.  Then again, we knew the cronies have done many such things in the past and the incumbents have always denied everything at all times.  No surprises. Discussing Doug Manchester sucking up all newspapers is just a local version of the graphic at the top. Nothing to see here folks.

We all have suggestions for better ways you could have done things, Jim Kydd.  We have dozens of people anxious to critique each other at the drop of the hat. Right now we want you to have all your proper paperwork filed.  We all have to say that putting stickers on things without permission isn't right.  Done.

No doubt you and the people behind the Dump Stocks efforts never intended to hurt Lisa Shaffer or Tony Kranz whose campaigns have stayed far away from this effort.  But, diversity is the heart of civic engagement and in no way means choices are always binary.  Not all choices are yes / no, black / white, off / on, us / them . . . you get it.

The good news is the community has hit the tipping point.   And, Jim, it is worth the 10 coins each month to buy a subscription to the Coast News.

Willful Ignorance and Aggressive Manipulation

This week's city council meeting's agenda includes the EIR for the I-5 widening.

The following clip contains 4 speakers from last April when Mayor Stocks tried to muscle through a resolution opposing California Senate Bill #468 sponsored by Senator Christine Kehoe. Two of the speakers are leading scientists and professors at UCSD, as the EYNU post highlights as Encinitas rich treasure of smart, thoughtful citizens so consistently ignored and abused by the council majority.

 

This previous clip is just one clip in the hour's worth of informed and impassioned speakers who waited five hours to speak at this meeting.

The public has long been trying to have community involved city council meetings about the I-5 widening. Jerome Stocks, privvy to all kinds of inside information from his position with NCTD and SANDAG refused these meetings and failed to share what his own involvement or any salient facts learned in these roles. What he does share he misrepresents for his political ends. He has always treated NCTD and SANDAG as his own fiefdom. Voting his conscience remains his private interpretation of representation.

Mayor, We're Not Amused with Your Massive Waste

Those who are watching are very unhappy with the current council majority marshaled by Jerome Stocks. Besides the unwelcoming behavior, rudeness and marginalizing of the public shown in so many clips, described in the several hundred posts here; he has mounted personal campaigns for his own ends rather than for what he hypocritically terms the public's business.

In the past year this mayor has directed the most wasteful use of staff time and energy, in turn a significant number of the populace's time and energy for what? The two most glaring examples are those wherein Mayor Stocks was embarrassed and he manufactured an official format to retaliate.

When a room full of people turned their backs on Jerome Stocks as their new mayor he blanched and stammered.  Within 6 weeks he'd choreographed a scheme to appoint a mayor who had the most votes at his or her last election and this mayor would pick his or her own deputy mayor.  Of course the whole dance number between he and his partner Kristin Gaspar was to be his coup de grâs to position Princess Narcissus as the first of many of the crony club in the mayor chair.

This effort was thwarted several times, thankfully, by Bond or Muir who didn't play along. Nonetheless - time, energy and using up precious council attention from the people's business to Stock's annual embarrassment to justify abusing Teresa Barth's right to serve her constituency as mayor. See, her embarrassing revelations of Stocks has never been forgiven or forgotten.  This 2012 election's Proposition K - should we vote for mayor position? Prop L -should it be for 2 years? Prop M - should it be for 4 years? It is all part of the original embarrassment of Stocks. He probably won't stop until he can buy the damn title outright.

The second monster waste is based on payback for the whole Arts Alive Banner debacle where Stocks made an ass of himself in treating Maggie Houlihan's image on the banners as a kind of personal threat or rebuke or something or other equally false.  More than a year later and countless meetings, staff assignments, paid outside lawyers, ACLU, bogus subcommittee, tv time, lots of press ink (and digital band width) devoted to Stocks heartless petulance, yet need to justify / blame / deflect, etc.

On October 10, at what was to be the final time this abhorrent agenda item was to be aired, Lisa Shaffer spoke to the essence of this incredible waste.

So, on top of thousands of dollars and hours the council voted to adopt a terribly written and unnecessary sign ordinance for a non-existant risk  to "avoid public controversy or the perception of any such figures both positive or negative." As Shaffer says, "Why is that a legitimate goal for the city?"

Why indeed?  Public controversy and public perception are Mayor Stocks' seeming fixations. He can grow furious if he is called out, exposed or challenged.  His failing in his own very fragile self-regard here has cost the city far too dearly.

Sometimes candidates could stand to be embarrassed, when they behave in contemptible ways.

Quote of the Day

“I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: 'O Lord make my enemies ridiculous.' And God granted it.” -- Voltaire

 

Classic Stocks Mocks™ to lump any and all who criticize him as haters, whiners, jerks, etc.

Please, please, please Mayor Stocks.  Keep Talking . . .

Channel 10 News for full video and story here.

How Many are Helping Guide From Within the Herd?

“Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment.” Albert Einstein

The trouble with habitual, entrenched power is it can be smug, blind. Those in power are most often unaware of the perceptions of those all around them and how it is changing. This election season there are people in all five communities who are thinking about their own lives and choices quite differently.

As the quote says, it is difficult to make statements that differ from those around you. Individuals may not be able to rise and speak up at city council like the Duff Pickering or Brian Burke in the clips that follow, but many are finding they can influence those closest to them. They are sensing things formerly hidden in plain sight and telling their friends.

People are directing those they trust towards challenging the status quo, challenging City Hall - the planning staff, the financial reports, the facile city attorney and most importantly the incumbents up for re-election - Jerome Stocks and Mark Muir. There are 33 more days until we learn just how successful this movement from within can really be.

Here's Duff Pickering on Sept. 26th challenging the reporting of the Workshop Mapping analysis.

The next two clips are from Sept. 19 and Sept. 26 wherein Brian Burke challenges the Encinitas Pension funding.

 

 

It may seem cliché, but it is worth a reminder that there will always be someone else here in Encinitas who works his nastiest when he's in disguise. Reading his words it's pretty clear he doesn't give a flocking concern for the welfare of all. He wants blood. Vigilance.

Duck and Cover

The baby boom generation went through school years being lied to and terrorized about nuclear bombs and how one could protect oneself until the civil defense workers could come to one's aid. Seriously, years of this. A generation of kids anxious about "the bomb" and following the rules. Wednesday night the Southern California Edison (SCE) representative (corporate owner) of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (a really inappropriate acronym being SONGS) gave a presentation.

Presentation by the San Diego County Office of Emergency Services on the San Onofre Nuclear Generation Station Emergency Response Plan and consideration of a draft letter to federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission and federal legislators expressing public safety concerns.

According to a room full of well informed citizens, the 30 minute presentation was as useful of this 60 year old civil defense propaganda piece. Truthiness! The video clips below are the antidote to this kind of manufactured misinformation. These are just a small percentage of the evening's San Onofe interested electorate and council discussion. Don Mosier, Del Mar council member and scientist trained in radiation safety and biology. He speaks with authority of the contents of the Del Mar letter and the research leading to full and transparent public process. Data of NRC is based on information from the 1960's (like our film above).

   

 Gene Stone of ROSE (Residents Organized for a Safe Environment) spoke. He just met with Chairman McFarland of the NRC and he knows she is interested in meeting with local governments.

   

 Carol John Cowan spoke of the many issues of San Onofre, not just the emergency action plan presented which is predicated on a perfect day. She wants a full public hearing on all the issues, for more information for full transparency.

   

 Cathy Iwane spoke of living in Japan for 25 years and leaving for the safety of her children. This account is chilling as it is, unlike any other,  the actual experience.  

 

 Tory Johnson spoke. Later when it was clear that Edison "expert" the Deputy City Manager couldn't answer city council questions, Mr. Johnson jumped up and gave a succinct answer. When it happened again Jerome Stocks snapped at him and threatened him. Too much information for the mayor?

 

Councilwoman Teresa Barth provides the stronger wording of the Santa Monica letter (Friends of the Earth) to the NRC and it is approved by the majority in the revised letter from the Encinitas staff version. *you could knock me over with a feather* A rare treat indeed when the citizens and the representative for the minority voice is listened to and followed. (Just before midnight)

 

Decorum? Deplore Him?

Trust that the general voting public knows how they'd like to be treated at city council.

Last council meeting's public meeting on Encinitas Ranch Golf Authority (ERGA). 

Some clips.

Who's Calling? Why?

The preferable term here is vigilant.  In an era of Citizen's United when massive amounts of money has been handed over to block progressive candidates, propositions, legislation, voter participation and community organizing we owe ourselves heightened skepticism.

Mountain West Research is calling within a progressive group of people we know.  No, the actual number of how many other Encinitans have been called is a mystery, but it seems odd that so many activists are among the list.

Mountain West callers are asking for the resident by name.  In one case the caller did ask a woman who answered, she was #2 on list, if she was registered. Here are some of the questions (paraphrased):

• Satisfaction with city services?
• Encinitas right track / wrong track?
• Biggest local issues?
• Each of the council candidates: Very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, very unfavorable
• Who will you vote for?
• If you were to pick a third candidate, who wold it be?
• Who will you vote for for President?
• What is your party affiliation?
• Liberal, moderat, conservative?
• Elected mayor proposition: yes/no? 2years/4years? Prefer current system?
• No statewide issues, no other local legislative races no SDUSD or Mira Costa Bonds

Another resident said they asked her first name, age, political affiliation too. Also, when asked about satisfaction or dissatisfaction, the next question was why?  The respondent was to say in his or her own words why. 

One activist said this was thorough, legitimate poll (as opposed to the recently common "push polls").  To which this cynic thinks, well you need to gather data before designing a push poll. This seems like the stage one date collection. Clarification: Push polls are phone surveys that purport to gather opinion research but which actually use slanted questions to intentionally spread negative information about a candidate.

By simply using the Google machine for a few minutes, a bunch of interesting links came up without strenuous investigative efforts. Among them were the different write-ups on the New Hampshire push-poll violation where Mountain West Research had to pay a $20,000 fine. And another that clarified the New Hampshire Law that states:

“While push polling is legal in New Hampshire, calls must inform those who answer who the telephone call is being made on behalf of or in support of, or if the calls are in opposition to a particular candidate for public office.

They must also identify that candidate by name and provide a telephone number from where the push polling is conducted.”

Enquiring Minds Want To Know

There is not enough information here to make any kind of legal claim right now. But it's early days, critical days. Not everyone in Encinitas who spoke about these calls cooperated.  One woman called Mountain West and asked them who paid for the survey.

"They said they couldn't tell me - their contract said the client was to be kept secret. They could take my information and pass it on but the client did not have to respond." She declined. 

Another person also decided to call Mountain West directly. (Personally, I can't get a straight answer from Cox, Utility Company, Bank or City Staff.  I guess I wouldn't have even tried with Mountain West.)

"I just spoke with Jesse at Mountain West Research about the cost of conducting a poll. He was quite coy. Said they'd be happy to conduct another poll but would need a script and they objectives well defined before quoting a price."

Someone did some local digging and found this Mountain West comment buried under a 2005 election time illegal alien rant. In the comments someone is saying that Mountain West did research for the Prop A - the Paul Ecke faction. That was the 2005 hot topic.

For those standing tall as vigilant voters rather than simply being labeled paranoiac or a conspiracy nut, there's another one to share. First, we contacted Lisa Shaffer and Tony Kranz and neither of them hired Mountain West.  One of the supporters reported the following:

"I got a call last night from a man who said he represented Mountain West Research, and wanted me to participate in a poll about local, regional and national elections. 

I had to strain to understand him and asked him to repeat several things he said. He spoke with an accent I couldn't identify and slurred his words. He confirmed my name and phone number, and asked if I am registered to vote. 

His first question was whether I planned to vote Republican or Democrat in the upcoming election. I responded that I always vote Democrat and would never vote Republican. 

The caller again confirmed my name and phone number, and said he had no more questions for me."

For a fascinating blog post from California (Sierra Madre actually) where you can get a feel for a similar community reaction to our own, check out this post "Have You Been Called By Mountain West Yet?"

Oh and BTW, Mountain West sounds like a crap place to work. Maybe that's why some of the respondents thought the callers were from outsourced locations internationally.

Website www.mwrcenter.com
HQ Ogden, UT
Industry Market Research & Polling Services
Size 100+ Employees

This is just a tiny scratch of the surface by untrained citizens spending several minutes using Google, making some calls, speaking to each other.  What if we were to have the inclination beyond speculation and this triggered gigantic curiosity in this sleepy beach town?  On this anniversary of Occupy Wall Street it would be a healthy challenge and a rollicking good time. It is also a throwback to a time when citizens were aware of the threat to their security.

Editor Postscript: If I get a call I will ask who is paying for it.  Without that information I wouldn't dream of answering any questions.

Rats! Attorney Glenn Sabine FAIL

For some of us this is our very worst nightmare, infestations of rats - along with mice infestations and a murder of crows in our neighborhood.  Since 2008 the people living in the same neighbor hood as the 703 Passiflora Avenue property belonging to a hoarder have had to cope with rats, stink and dead animals as well as the disgusting mess of garbage piled high. It's been their plague for four years.

Last night, Sept. 12, 2012, brought three of these neighbors to present their plight to the council.  Jonathan Hulsh, Thea Scott-Garner and Rudy Monica respectfully, patiently explained the details with photos.

The Code Enforcement Staff were praised for working 100's of hours, diligently.  But, it has wasted thousands of taxpayers dollars.  The City Attorney is charged with failing the people of this city while protecting the property rights and privacy of the hoarder above all else.

This was a really troubling account (IMHO). It is frightening to be invaded without power to stop the intrusion.

It stood in stark contrast to most of the evening's orchestrated booster rally with Rotary friends, developers, vendors, staff and survey consultant that could be considered a tax payer funded boon for the incumbents' campaigns.

Councilwoman Teresa Barth threw some cold water on the self-congratulatory delusion that council members were responsible for citizen satisfaction for Encinitas.

Word Games - Affordable Housing

April 2, 2008
During the months long futile exercise in a Mobile Home Study which touted the notion of supporting mobile home residents against predator practices like the Sands Mobile Home Park Conversion, the chambers were repeatedly packed with public speakers passionate about needing security for their housing. At one such meeting Richard Bintliff thought he had a solution.

Stocks Mocks™ - as he does - and squashed that pretty thoroughly.

Cardiffian Matriarch - Dorthea Patricia Smith

This remarkable woman is remembered in a piece submitted by her family to Encinitas Patch, including this vibrant picture by Michelle Haymoz.

Encinitas history is writ large in this memorial to Dorthea Patricia Smith and well worth reading.

"Dorothea Patricia Smith: A Creative Life. She encouraged us to live boldly, paint large, make music, and put our hands in dirt. To stretch the envelope into another space. To reject crawling into a hole with work. To paint big pictures of color and put them up on your walls. To get out and do things, have picnics, enjoy all the seasons, go exploring. Most importantly, to dream big."

Her love of architectural was especially fascinating with her sharp perception of utility and flow. Dorthea and her husband Milton had four children.  In looking through the archives here it seems we have posted a video clip that included her daughter Tricia speaking out against the proposed developer's agreement for the agricultural property owned by the Brown family of flower growers.  The Smith Family, Dorthea's parents, grew flowers too.

"Her parents grew gladiolas commercially on rented land throughout Cardiff and Encinitas. Flowers remained popular during the Depression for weddings and funerals, and when the flower crop was good and the demand high at the Los Angeles flower market the family frequently sold out every last organic flower. However, the year Dorothea was planning to attend college at UCLA, 1935, a devastating freeze wiped out the flower crop. She stayed home to work and help the family, and consequently did not attend college."

This adds a textural background to the video clip of her daughter's points five years ago at city hall.  Given her mother's keen design interests, the construction business and the family legacy in the flower fields, she speaks with real authenticity about quality in development the landowners and how they should not be pitied for their changing circumstances.  They have extracted a great deal and have enjoyed many breaks and benefits.  The arguments are as current today as they were in 2007.

It was just last week we highlighted another Cardiffian, Chalmers Johnson, though this one was known by a tiny proportion within his community and by a larger group outside Encinitas.

Rustle the Leaf Sounds Like Russell Levan

This cartoon from the California Student Sustainability Coalition was startlingly similar in message to what Leucadian Russell Levan (aka Goathead Thorn Warrior) said at the last (8/15/12) City Council meeting during Oral Communications (essentially the 15 minute open mike portion of each meeting).

Contaminated Soils - Hymettus Neighbors

Neighbors from Hymettus last spoke on the very first meeting of this year.  It was the third time they approached the city council majority to try and seek answers, support . . . justice. (The original presentation from representatives of this Hymettus neighborhood complaining about the failure of soil remediation processes in the construction on a former agricultural land can be seen from May 2011.)

For the record, the city council and staff responses and statements from this January 2012 are included here.

They were promised that their request would be agendized.  As Russell Levan pointed out, it has been eight months. Where is the agenda item, where is the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health?

Plastic Bags

As Councilwoman Barth stated, she participated in the recent press conference regarding the bag ban legislation that Russell was urging people to support. Read the Union Tribune coverage here - behind the shiny new pay wall.  

Her newsletter contained the following, 

"I was honored to be asked to participate with a coalition of environmental advocates, elected officials and grocery store representatives  to announce our support for a statewide prohibition on plastic bags. Assembly Bill 298, was co-authored by Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, pictured above in the white shirt.  I was happy to report on the success of Encinitas' Day Without a Bag public outreach and education program.  Solana Beach council members Lesa Heebner & Dave Roberts spoke about the plastic bag ban ordinance recently adopted in Solana Beach."

We Write Letters

By Olivier Canler - printed at North County Times

For most participants, the process of updating the housing and land-use elements of the Encinitas General Plan has been frustrating and difficult. These elements must be resolved before the City Council can consider the overall General Plan Update. To engage the public in re-drafting the housing element, the city administered a dot-mapping exercise that pitted the five Encinitas communities against each other. We have yet to see the results of that exercise.

Consequently, the General Plan Update is stalled after two years of work, and there's still no red-line version from the current general plan. These circumstances should produce local political drama in the run-up to the November election.
Some residents who were concerned with the potential outcome of the dot-mapping exercise have formed a committee called the Encinitas Project. The committee's goal is simple: a ballot initiative that would let registered voters in Encinitas decide on major density increases in the city.

At issue are up-zoning decisions meant to increase the density set by the present General Plan. A four of five member majority of the Encinitas City Council is required to approve certain up-zoning in the five communities ---- New Encinitas, Old Encinitas, Cardiff, Leucadia, Olivenhain ---- that make up the city.

Since the General Plan Update won't go before the current council before November's election, the next city council will eventually vote on it, should the present procedure remain in place. However, if the Encinitas Right-to-Vote Initiative reaches the ballot and voters approve it, residents will decide if major density increases should be allowed in the city.
With the Encinitas Right-to-Vote Initiative in place, voters would have the opportunity to decide if proposed changes respect community character, and maintain or improve their quality of life. Poorly planned projects that would increase traffic and the carbon footprint, degrade infrastructure, force density or height changes, or just fit badly with our community character would have little chance of approval.

The initiative is not no-growth, but it would mean growth most people can abide. The Encinitas Right-to-Vote Initiative would take the trickery out of land speculation. Developers would have to work within current zoning. Pushing city council members to up-zone would stop. Similarly, city planners would have to submit proposed up-zoning to a vote of the people. The initiative would subject the General Plan Update to a voters' referendum. The Encinitas Right-to-Vote Initiative would govern major housing and land-use amendments.

Most Encinitas residents want to maintain our small beach-town atmosphere. We're concerned about environmental issues, traffic, adequate resources, proper infrastructure and overall quality of life. We love our town and want to keep loving it. As Encinitas approaches built-out status, growth can only go two ways: denser and taller. A look at community history reveals that local control of growth motivated Encinitas to incorporate in 1986. Passing the Encinitas Right-to-Vote Initiative is in keeping with that precedent.

Volunteers are starting to walk neighborhoods to gather the number of signatures needed to get the initiative on a future ballot. Volunteers will also be in front of stores with forms for registered voters to sign. You can also find out more about the initiative by visiting www.EncinitasRightToVote.com.

Crest Drive

On Aug. 15, the Encinitas City Council will hear arguments against City Engineering Department mandates for curb, gutter and pedestrian walkway on Crest Drive, a rural residential subdivision of one-acre lots within old Encinitas.In the proposed single family home, the city originally asked for 8 feet of concrete pavers with curbs 450 feet long and a 5 foot walkway, eliminating 13 feet of natural landscaping and threatening old growth trees and vegetation along Crest Drive. 

All the land adjacent to the pavement would also need to be removed and graded down to the level of the street, thereby widening the street by over 26 feet when both sides are complete. 

The City Engineering Department stated, “ Our goal is to have curb, gutter and sidewalk on every home in Encinitas.”

Excerpt from Coast News article by Kevin Farrell, we recommend reading the whole piece. It ends with this call to action.

"We don’t understand the benefit the city would get from this. With so many people opposed throughout Encinitas, it would be a win, win, for the City to re-evaluate and leave our neighborhoods the way we want, not some Engineers personal preference. We have appealed the engineers finding to our City Council members for a final determination. We are optimistic the Council will assist in helping preserve our trees and vegetation thus maintaining the Community Character we love. 

Please join me at the City Council meeting next Wednesday at 6 p.m. and help support this worthy cause in keeping Encinitas, the way it was. A presence in numbers will help to get our point across." 

This council agenda item triggered the memory of Joni Mitchell's song we posted on Thursday, singing "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot."  The lyrics are perfectly apt for Mayor Stocks bragging at his state of the city address last April 18th.  The following clip was first posted after the last council meeting before this break with this introduction.

"Jerome Stocks' perspective on parking lots, traffic, commerce, pot holes, walkable streets, safe routes, etc. at last April's state of the city speech. This speech was directed at a car-centric approach to city planning. Wrong decade, false assumptions and giant omissions."

It's probably no coincidence that Stocks is called out for including tree-lined Crest Drive in his bragging, while city engineers are ginning up rationale to fell these same trees.  The man either has no ethics or no clue what the words coming from his mouth mean.

Photo at Opening from April 21, 2012 article, North County Times, about Crest Drive Petition. 

Related Posts:

• Confessions of a Recovering Engineer
• Redefining Normal
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