Our New Mayor Teresa Arballo Barth

Lisa Shaffer (new Deputy Mayor), Tony Kranz & Mark Muir with Kathy Hollywood, City Clerk. Patch

Photo via Dave Roberts Twitter. 

(Patch video removed because of autoplay feature.)

Update: encinitasyouneedus video clips and links to more local news stories. First, Stocks and Bond leave and the newly elected council members are sworn in and serenaded.

Teresa Barth addressed the old ways of disrespect and hurt and what the new approach will mean. Unlike the treatment of her where she was accused of not being a team player when she didn't vote with the majority, she spoke about the choice for someone to vote against the other four was a good thing.  It meant a person was willing to stand up to what he or she believes.  She speaks candidly about what she had thought this decision would be and turned to her colleagues for the nomination. The room erupted at the final unanimous vote.

UT-San Diego 

Coast News

Here Comes the Sun

The long cold winter of our voices, Teresa Barth's voice being frozen out is over. Tonight Stocks and Bond leave and Lisa Shaffer and Tony Kranz become our new city council members. Like Barth, they are committed to the sunshine of open government.

Thought it fitting to let Nina Simone's version be the song of the day.

Our Mayor Stocks, Sore Loser's Sour Grapes

Jerome Stocks just can't stop himself.  I guess it is no surprise that this politician who seems to struggle with self control and monitoring his own words and behavior would yet again embarrass himself days before his last official duty - to resign.

He once again sneered to his peeps at SD Rostra about Tony Kranz.  This time he couches a reasonable request from a newly elected council member for a 3D rendering of the community park.  He throws out a number without any sliver of a citation.

Reality is that this is not out of bounds in the universe of architectural or engineering design.  Moreover, the city's planning department has the requisite software (bought with taxpayer money at a pretty huge expense) which can accomplish this without extensive skill or time.  It simply hasn't been done.

And no, I'm not providing all the research for a change.  He or his cronies can provide facts to refute or back his hyperbolic claims - with their creepy threatening undertones no less.

Please, Jerome, be still.  Knock it off and show some modicum of good grace. You lost.

Wave of Endorsements from Young Professionals

As if by magic, a wave of endorsements from a whole group of young professionals appeared to support Tony Kranz and Lisa Shaffer in this final stretch. 

For all the cynics, naysayers and doubters let it be known, the current crop of movers and shakers in Encinitas may be far more aware of what is going on than anyone (in print anyway) imagined. 

This critical election in the 21st century requires these young community leaders, so Encinitas is well on it's way to healing as they make their presence known.

Just what is needed. Thanks to Marty Benson and others (not yet identified) for getting these videos on Facebook.

Also, a story via Councilwoman Barth.  Epic PhotoJournalism studio owner, Todd writes:

Epic is a proud supporter of Tony and Lisa! We would like to share their pictures as Todd spotted a woman yesterday afternoon stealing their signs and putting them in her car at the crossing of El Camino Real and Manchester Ave. There are thieves rolling around Encinitas, stealing their signs....incredible. Go Tony Kranz for Encinitas City Council and Shaffer for Council 2012!!!!!
Pictures by Epic PhotoJournalism

Councilwoman Barth Endorsement of Shaffer & Kranz

Who's Behind the Hit Pieces?

Via Councilwoman Teresa Barth's Newsletter today:

As predicted, the smear campaign rolled into high gear this past week. 

First there was a mailer in support of Stocks & Muir and 

blasting Shaffer and Kranz 

Return Address: 

North County Taxpayers for Responsible Government 

330 Encinitas Blvd #101 

Encinitas, CA 

Treasurer: Nancy Haley 

She is also the treasurer for Stocks & Muir 

Then there was the 

"Don't let Shaffer and Kranz Occupy Encinitas" 

Sent out by the San Diego County Republican Party 

who endorsed Forrester, Muir and Stocks 

Followed by a vicious character assignation against Tony Kranz. 

 Sent out by San Diego County Voters for Progress and Reform 

 7185 Navajo Rd, Suite P San Diego, CA

Treasure: C. April Boling 

She is also the Treasurer of the Lincoln Club 

 Muir, Forrester and Stocks were endorsed by the Club. 

 Who's the Lincoln Club? 

 Who supports Prop K - Elected Mayor? 

Bond, Muir & Stocks

Editor: Thank you Councilwoman Barth for a thorough summary that is well documented.  We appreciate this as we appreciate the kind of thoroughness you devote to your service on the city council.  My wish is this. You will be joined on the dais with two equally competent council members like Shaffer and Kranz to get real work done - rather than special interest empire building. And I would also wish that paid journalists would present vital summaries like this to the public, rather than waiting for information from elected officials to be handed to them. 

Count Down - 3 Days to the Election

The three zombie pumpkins make this the last Halloween themed post.  Promise.  Besides autumn being a favorite season for harvest reasons, smells, tree leaves changing, ocean currents and a kind of spirit of preparing for something big . . . I just love the pagan inspired fun of the holiday.

This year's obsession with zombies brought us the really creatively funny endorsement for Romney. A Google search returning 892,000 hits in 26 seconds that references Ryan as the Zombie Eyed Granny Starver is right on target here.

Just because local candidates in a so-called nonpartisan election do not talk the partisan national politics doesn't mean this liberal blogger won't. The common theme of lack of humanity and empathy - and well . . . lying - is just too similar.

Zombie voters - the walking dead who vote as programmed are a concern for every campaign interested in engaging and involving citizens.  Forty plus years of concentrated money and psychological research devoted to creating a docile, unquestioning population who identify as consumers rather than citizens has being frighteningly powerful.

Yet, the human spirit is stronger.  Even in a community of wealth, comfort and a paradise of nature there is a growing awareness of a false narrative that there is only economic bliss, progress, rainbows and unicorns in Encinitas government. Not everyone agrees on specifics, but common themes are apparent.  We are all feeling the realities of changing norms and inequities born out of corruption and greed. Heightened incivility, secretive processes and bullying behaviors at city hall have united different viewpoints.  We know we are being lied to by these political creatures.

We outnumber the zombies who refuse to reason, who attack intelligence, dissent and science.  The zombie army follows their directives and the invectives.  Eat our brains indeed.

We demand better.  Lisa Shaffer and Tony Kranz believe citizens in the community should be trusted to know what is important for themselves.  This makes them sharply different from the incumbents and Forrester who would have the general population stay out of their way - especially when it comes to developing and land use in Encinitas.

Count Down - 5 Days to the Election

Five is a fundamental number in our Encinitas Universe.  Five separate former towns or areas with self-identified communities worked very hard a quarter of a century ago to join together to create Encinitas.

Cardiff-by-the-Sea

Historic Encinitas

Leucadia

New Encinitas

Olivenhain

As Councilwoman Barth said in her Letter to the Editor on why she voted No on Proposition K, 

"Encinitas is a unique city formed as a collaboration of five distinct communities. I believe its council should also be a collaboration of the five distinct members."

Despite Encinitas City Council having five seats, there has been a majority voting block for many years that acts as in lock step to silence minority voices, dissenting views and diverse alternatives to the status quo.  For many years it was a 3:2 voting block.  For a year now, since Maggie Houlihan's death it has been a 4:1 super majority.

The majority on the council has turned a deaf ear to countless community character concerns of diverse nature.  Development at all costs seems the guiding theme regardless of the presentation or packaging du jour. Take a tour through the several hundred posts on this blog for specifics.

This opposition ideology uses terms like team in a redefined way.  For this council majority it means, agree with us or be labeled, libeled or otherwise attacked. In this election that could finally be ended. Lisa Shaffer and Tony Kranz have emphatically avoided divisiveness. They walk the talk. For this reason the 5 communities of neighbors resonate with their campaigns and have done for more than a year.

Real Grassroots Energy and Commitment 

1. All 5 communities have meet-ups for Lisa Shaffer and Tony Kranz.
2. All 5 communities have made contributions to these campaigns.
3. All 5 communities have activists watchdog, petition, write and speak out.
4. All 5 communities have volunteers working on these 2 campaigns.
5. All 5 communities have people contacting Lisa and Tony for more . . .

A council majority intent on serving communities of people instead of power brokers and special interests would really mean a refreshing change for all of Encinitas. Let's get out on the street corners and wave our big five fingered hand at the happy honking cars throughout all 5 communities.

Counting Down - 9 days to the Election

Finally single digits in the countdown.

9 candidates and it is obvious that many haven't lifted a finger - speaking of digits - in taking their campaigns to the people.

It becomes obvious to the unprepared non-incumbents that you can't cram for social organization.  Muir is trying to cram a political life of accomplishment outside of the crony network that has sustained his whole career. It's a very expensive task.

Shaffer and Kranz have logged the hours and done the homework for more than a year.  And, they are still at it. Yesterday they both were at the Green Surf event in Cardiff-by-the-Sea.  Today there is a meet-up and both are open to scheduling with other neighborhoods where there is curiosity and interest.  Click Shaffer's website or Kranz's website.

That video makes as much sense to me as so many presentations at city council where you can watch, follow along and think you hear good sense. Then a question is asked, a public speaker brings up overlooked points and then . . .  wait, what?

Public office is not supposed to be a winner take all game - a continuous campaign of control or racking up points as Mayor Stocks treats his role. We want our governance to make sense and to serve our best interests over the long term.

Keeping their Heads and Hearts above the Pond Scum

"One you would consider a very primitive life form. A person without principles or morals. 

By [his] recent official actions one might conclude that [he] is only slightly better than pond scum." urban dictionary

In the "new normal" that a council with open minds and sunshine can bring, even pond scum could make useful contributions.  Turns out that algae (pond scum) is an excellent source of vegetable oil, which can be turned into bio-diesel and used in place of petroleum based diesel fuel.

Anyways . . . Despite initial oral communications speakers' attacks, mud slinging and outright lies (presumably supporting Stocks and Muir), both Tony Kranz and Lisa Shaffer were able to speak about campaigns they are both proud of leading.

 

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.

All or Nothing

It's the ugliness of bullies taunting because they can, not because they gain anything of value from it except admiration from other bullies. How else to describe taking something simple and basic and turning it into mocking, marginalizing or silencing?

Encinitas super majority council headed by Mayor Stocks and Deputy Mayor Gaspar continually show their unwillingness to act on behalf of the entire community.  They don't just speak, vote and act on behalf of their backers in the community and outside the community, they silence other opinions and attack dissenting views.

During the Norby contract deliberations Councilman Bond was determined to play his assigned role of distraction and confusion as he trotted out baloney like this gem, "If you happen to be someone who supports the direction of the council you are special interests." This was part of a 7.5 minutes of reductive muddled opinions from a man who claimed his old bladder needed to be emptied.  After the break for Bond to pee, Stocks allowed the public speaker, Tony Kranz his 3 minutes at the very end of the meeting. Again, bully behavior defended at the last meeting with Stocks self-righteous speechifying about the distraction from the "people's business" of agenda items in favor of oral communications minutes.

Earlier it had been Deputy Mayor Gaspar's turn. Not new for her (see BARF and Poutrage)

And by the way, none of the super majority will tolerate any criticism from the public. This meeting had several speakers who confronted the council (Stocks in particular) and Norby. This was not handled with any grace or tolerance from the majority (Stocks in particular). All or nothing.

2011 IN REVEIW: Judge's Disclosure Order Appealed

From the Coast New, June 9, 2011:

"After a two-hour closed session June 3, City Council voted to appeal a judge’s ruling that requires the city to disclose a draft report of road conditions that it previously refused to release to the public."

"The 4-1 vote, with Councilwoman Teresa Barth dissenting, came after half-a-dozen speakers urged the council to comply with the judge’s ruling and make the draft document public. Tony Kranz, a former City Council candidate, asked the council to make its deliberations public."

"[ . . . ] Barth further reasoned that a bright line rule on what the city could disclose to the public and when, would only come from the creation of a so-called “sunshine ordinance.”

"Transparency is the foundation of an ethical government,” she said. “Local policies that go beyond the minimum requirements of the Brown Act and the Public Records Act help to strengthen public trust and confidence in their government. That is why I support a sunshine ordinance for the city of Encinitas."

Cummins blasted the council’s decision to appeal.

“This all could have been avoided at multiple stages if the council had been willing to openly discuss this issue and follow the letter and spirit of the law,” he said.

“The closed session documentation shows what a mess they (the city) made. They can’t get out of their web of deceptions,” he said. “The draft (report) was dated December 2009, the final March 2010, and in summer 2010 denied the public access to the document saying it was still draft, and changed their story when they got to court,” he said. “They were simply trying to avoid releasing the report.”

“The California Constitution clearly states ‘The people have the right of access to information concerning the conduct of the people’s business, and therefore…the writings of public officials and agencies shall be open to public scrutiny,’” Barth said.

In the comments there is this gem:

"I’d like to ask Encinitas residents, has it been worth it to have Glenn Sabine cost us $80,000 for the first lawsuit that he lost, or would everyone else have liked to have had them turn over the information to Kevin? To add insult to injury, they are going to take it to court a second time and lose again! Dan Dalager was in a minor league as compared to Sabine!"