Switching Gears - End of an Era

The end of the year is a time to reflect on one's life and legacy.  It is a particularly compelling time, in view of climate change realities becoming more apparent every day, that what we say and do is shaping our immediate future, not just the distant future for grandchildren.

For this reason the end of Stocks & Bond majority reign over Encinitas city government make future plans and our legacy feel more urgent than past election years. This deserves thinking that rises above facile political maneuvering or infotainment or cheap shots borne out of a social culture of marketing. It's governing time, not campaigning time.

Having an arch nemesis like Jerome Stocks turned out to be a rallying point and organizing platform for many in the last election. Even though the new council members Lisa Shaffer and Tony Kranz did not campaign as anti-Stocks candidates, thousands of Encinitas voters were interested in removing Jerome Stocks above all other concerns. Our Mayor blog was created to acknowledge legitimate disgust with Jerome Stocks' behavior as a so-called public servant. The years of city council meetings contained enough clips of this behavior as evidence for the electorate. The idea was that more people needed to be able to witness first hand – via these clips and linked stories, commentaries and some background information – what critics of Stocks had been saying for years.

Whatever factors were involved it is a fait accompli now and time to switch gears. Is it possible we can still capture the motivation the anti-Stocks group had with a formidable problem we all can identify with versus a person or group of people? Can we cultivate an educated electorate unafraid to voice public opinions for fear of seeming stupid or simply wrong? Is it possible to encourage awareness and still identify as a savvy, social being?

It is easy to see from some of the current community voices reacting to the We Love Encinitas organization (and ethically dubious campaign fliers) in the online news posts and one blog's comments sections, Kristin Gaspar is a likely target to transfer anti-Stocks energy. We get it. Our Mayor blog has 3 or 4 dozen examples of Gaspar's behavior along with Stocks or solo that deserve condemnation. No doubt the new year will bring more.

But, this personality focus is really toxic stuff. It too easily morphs into character assassination, body policing, misogyny and other community-killing divisive words. This invites lazy thinking and other vitality sucking habits. Besides all that it brings out our worst rather than our best natures. Critical thinking asks more.

What if we instead switched gears to the three things that repeatedly come up in Encinitas politics as problems or omissions;
1. finance (economy, budget, pensions, etc.),
2. open government (sunshine ordinance, transparency, civility, accessibility, etc.)
3. environment (land use, community character, resources, climate change)
4 traffic (could fit in environment, but some very big issues ahead need deliberation)

Let's demand of this new council – so they in turn will demand it of city manager and city attorney and city staff – a clear direction of where we are going in any of these areas. Not only must we insist on this, we should demand comprehensive research, comparisons to other cities and emerging trends from our well paid staff. Let's demand that deliberations by the council be more than unsupported platitudes, rambling monologues, throwing out a bunch of buzz words, personal memories, rehearsed staff exchanges and other time-wasting talk.

They will make mistakes, council and staff alike. We will find some council members and city employees lacking at any given time. Hell, we'll continue to have community members who annoy us. We will disagree. This editor will try to catch the kinds of things that illustrate dissent and controversy. This isn't a good news, community events calendar, party line place. Our city government's corruption and incompetence demands vigilance. We don't have to make things up. Video clips, quotes, news coverage and the whole works will apply. The former super majority clearly served the few of their overlords. There is a new game in town. The mandate is genuinely from the majority of our community so there are more eyes watching.

And, if a blogger can be allowed to dream. Just imagine a city council becoming relevant to the disengaged, the young, the non-white people, the renters, the low income residents of Encinitas. It is a myth that when all people enjoy a higher quality of life and feel security and engagemed it means something is diminished from another's quality of life. If this new city council wants continuous improvement, they should think big.

Who was behind the We Love Encinitas Deceptive Mailer?

Last October 7th people were passing out this flyer at the annual Olivenhain Oktoberfest.   People were outraged that the taxpayer funded Citizen Satisfaction Survey had been manipulated to serve as propaganda for Stocks campaign.

On Oct. 12 Encinitas Undercover posted the background on the mailer after the widespread delivery of this piece to people's homes.  

"Think about that: Jerome Stocks' backers are getting tax deductions for sending out what are, for all practical purposes, campaign mailers.  I suspect the IRS will frown on this charade and those involved will face legal consequences.  But even if not, what was Stocks thinking?  On the heels of sign-gate, to serve up another prime example of cutting corners and bending or breaking rules for political gain?  How much more blatant could he be in validating the complaints of his harshest critics?"

Yesterday we learned that the person responsible for the mailers via the Secretary of State database thanks to Coastal Law Group responding to inquires for information.

Deputy Mayor Kristin Gaspar's Husband, Paul Gaspar!

Entity Name: WE LOVE ENCINITAS COMMUNITY ADVOCATES
Entity Number: C3515796
Date Filed: 10/22/2012
Status: ACTIVE
Jurisdiction: CALIFORNIA
Entity Address: 140 ENCINITAS BLVD STE 105
Entity City, State, Zip: ENCINITAS CA 92024
Agent for Service of Process: PAUL GASPAR
Agent Address: 140 ENCINITAS BLVD STE 105
Agent City, State, Zip: ENCINITAS CA 92024

So, it isn't listed here whether this a non-profit or 501(c)(3).  What is significant beyond the staggering arrogance of Paul Gaspar, Deputy Mayor Kristin Gaspar's husband, is the date of activation on Oct. 22 being two weeks after the date when the misleading campaign piece was widely distributed.

Is it stupidity, naiveté or as stated, staggering arrogance, to disregard laws so blatantly? It isn't like this family hasn't already been challenged and failed on this front.  Before it was the deceptive slate mailers.  Early in October Councilwoman Barth wrote a commentary reminding citizens to be ready for the October Surprise of hit pieces via the mail. This was cross posted at EYNY.

"Slate mailer companies are also used by various individuals to send out last minute "hit pieces" on candidates. By using a slate mailer the actual contributors can remain unknown until after the election when the contribution reports are filed with the FPPC. These companies also provide a means for contributors to, legally and illegally, circumvent local campaign contribution limits.

In the 2010 election, the Voter Education Group sent out a mailer endorsing candidates Kristin Gaspar and Dan Dalager and blasting me. The group was later fined more than $110,000 by the FPPC for various state-wide financial reporting violations.

It's not illegal to pay for a slate mailer endorsement but is it ethical?"

This is the pressing issue for Encinitas citizens and for the new City Council, what does Deputy Mayor Kristin Gaspar have to say about her husband's exploitive use of the taxpayer funded survey and corporation creation?  We don't know all of the legal issues or ramifications, but we can uncover right now what the ethical issues are.

Landmark Ruling, "Dark Money" group tied to Citizen United ordered to reveal its donors.

As Democracy Now! has previously reported, one of every four dollars spent on the campaign ads, direct mail and robocalls that target voters now comes from so-called "dark money" organizations. The IRS lets these groups keep their donors secret because they are considered "social welfare non-profits." But that changed this past Friday when a Montana judge ordered the release of one such group’s bank records. An investigation had found that Western Tradition Partnership may have misled the IRS about the extent of its political activities, and that citizens have a right to know where its campaign cash was coming from. The group is known for bringing a lawsuit to the Supreme Court that successfully challenged Montana’s ban on corporate spending in elections, and the resulting ruling extended the court’s Citizens United decision to include all 50 states. Friday’s ruling marks the first time a court has ordered a dark money group’s donors to be made public, and some say the judge’s move could serve as a warning to similar organizations.

Democracy Now!

Election Day - Request from Lisa Shaffer

OMG . . . OMG . . . OMG  Did you think it would ever end? Editor

Lisa's requests: 

Bring Back Campaign Signs
Sign Collection Saturday, Nov. 10. This campaign has been too costly and too dirty. In an effort to clean things up, I'm asking everyone who has a Shaffer for Council campaign sign to bring it to one of the following collection points on Saturday, Nov. 10. We're selling the metal holders back to a distributor and donating the corrugated plastic signs to art programs for re-use. Thanks to my volunteers for their help.

• New Encinitas, in front of Flora Vista on Wandering Lane 10:00 - 12:00 

• Historic Encinitas, D Street Park (across from the library) 12:00 - 2:00 

 Bring Food
Food Collection. When you bring your campaign signs on November 10, please also bring a food donation for the many in need. The food will be donated to the Community Resource Center in Encinitas. Non-perishable items including canned goods, rice, beans, cooking oil, etc. are in constant demand. 

Even if you don't have a sign to recycle, we welcome your contributions. It's a small attempt to offset the enormous expenditures that go into political campaigns.

Councilwoman Teresa Barth will be at a collection site.  she had this to say in her Nov.3 newsletter:

Community Resource Center's Annual Holiday Baskets Program is set to serve a record number of local families in need this winter, but still expects to turn away hundreds of families because of low food supplies! Because of ongoing food shortages, CRC has ZERO supplies for Holiday Baskets again this year, so FOOD DONATIONS are a critical need.

Please spread the word! 

More Info 

I will be looking for volunteers to join me at the distribution site. More info to come after the election!

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.

J'Accuse! Mayor Stocks and Mark Muir

Since the filming of the Mayor and ex-Fire Chief getting caught doing wrong, the community is disgusted and outraged. Some protests are mild and others seething. There are informed activists, local hot heads, low information stupid* voters, attention seekers and sincerely disgusted residents.  That's what government of the people and by the people allows - lots of voices and choices.

At the Oct. 10 council meeting the last speaker, who had to wait until the very last two minutes of the evenings meeting because Mayor Stocks holds the 15 minute oral communication speaker time limit as a rule which cannot be broken.  He of course fails to see the irony.  I digress, the clip shows no hot head, no campaign team member, no activist, no council regular.  This woman, Terry, speaks simple truths of humanity and responsibility as citizens.

The very first speaker in Oral Communications was none other than the videographer Joe Corder who accuses Mayor Stocks of a great deal more than just the Oct. 5th sign mounting behavior that has so mobilized public disgust.

These are the clips from 2010 when Joe went after Teresa Barth one week and the next week goes at her again as well as lumping all kinds of opposition talking points on Maggie Houlihan too (though she wasn't even running) - right before the election. Interesting that Joe revealed last night his private conversation from 2010 with Councilwoman Barth, yet Barth has held his confession and apology in confidence. Neither she, nor the late Houlihan used Joe's story for political reasons, mudslinging or petty revenge. I believe that is called integrity.

 

Along with our local papers, Channel 10 covered this story. Feel free to direct links to these clips, this post for those uninformed or low information voters who comment, but have no idea the depth of history in Jerome Stocks' history of malfeasance. This is the chairman of Sandag so these hundreds of video clips showing his bully, crony behavior should be more widely circulated.

*community suggested edit

Issa Named Most Corrupt

On September 13th, Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA) won an award he’d probably love to be able to decline. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a non-profit legal watchdog group dedicated to holding public officials accountable for their actions, gave Issa a Dishonorable Mention in its 8th annual Most Corrupt Members of Congress report.

CREW cites Issa for illegally revealing confidential information from a sealed wiretap in the Congressional Record — while leading a politically-motivated witch hunt intended to hurt Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder — and then shielding himself from reproach and censure by claiming that he, as a member of Congress, had constitutional protections for his unethical actions.

As CREW explains, “Rep. Issa [...] knew that by inserting the information in the Congressional Record, he would be immune from prosecution under the Constitution’s Speech or Debate clause, which protects members of Congress for remarks and actions that fall within the legislative sphere.” Federal law dictates that wiretap applications can only be disclosed after acquiring permission from a judge, and anyone breaking this law can be held in contempt.

The irony here is that the House of Representatives — with Issa leading the charge — were at that time (June, 2012) actively debating whether or not the attorney general — due to the botched Operation Fast and Furious, run by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (informally known as the ATF) — should be held in contempt. Wait, what?

READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE HERE.