I would like to extend my gratitude towards Mayor Guerin and councilpeeps Stocks, Bond, Houlihan and Dalagher. Many thanks to them. Leucadia will still keep it's beloved funky vibe and look good too. Thank you for helping keep Leucadia beautiful.
From the North County Times: Some activists from the Leucadia community thanked the council for returning $900,000 toward the beautification of North Coast Highway 101.
"Thank you very much," Charles Marvin III, a board member of the Leucadia 101 MainStreet Association, told the council. "We truly appreciate your support."
Encinitas Finance Director Jennifer Smith said earlier funding for the project had been redirected to other capital projects.
"We all agree that would send the wrong message to the (Leucadia) community," Councilman Jerome Stocks said.
With the council's action, the capital budget assigns $3.2 million to North Coast Highway 101 improvements through fiscal 2010-11. Speakers told the council sidewalks are a high-priority item.
"Thank you for keeping that on track," said Linda Neubert of the Leucadia Town Council. "Leucadians walk the walk. We'd like you to keep it safe for us."
Thank you to everyone who letters, called and spoke at the council meeting. It's good to see the HWY 101 business owners take action.
From the Union Tribune: Last night, the council also made changes to the budget in response to community pressure.
For instance, it restored funding for the North Coast Highway 101 beautification and sidewalk construction program. The program will receive its original amount of $500,000 each year for the next five years.
Funding for that project had been reduced because of a shortage of money, but merchants and residents protested vehemently.
After hearing the news, the Leucadia Town Council and Leucadia 101 Mainstreet Association thanked the council for listening.
“It will create a desirable area for visitors and will increase sales and property taxes, said Patricia Bell, president of Leucadia 101 Mainstreet Association.
I really think that the money will be well spent. Remember to do your part and patronize Leucadia merchants. Try to spend your money in Leucadia and not say, Carlsbad. We are all in this together. Shop at Just Peachy and El Torito markets, buy some music at Lou's, get a cool art book at Ducky Waddles, buy a Hobie longboard at Longboard Grotto, eat breakfast at A Little More, take your lowlife drunken slob friends to the Leucadian or Boardroom, treat yourself to the most expensive colored plate at Leucadia Sushi Bar, get a burrito at Karina's, get a smoothie at Mozy's, have yummy chicken soup at La Especial, buy at t-shirt from Shatto, buy a Keep Leucadia Funky licensece plate from Fred Caldwell's Antiques store. Be like me and buy your wife some of that cool Dutch jewelry from Deep Fling and get her flowers from the Plant Lady. Take your stinky pet to the pet groomers, put your guest up in one of the cute coastal motels, get a dozen donuts from Leucadia Donuts for your coworkers, treat yourself and buy a giant tiki for your frontyard and be the envy of all your neighbors, the list goes on and on...
I think it's pretty.
Don't forget to send great big thanks to the Leucadia activists. This would not have happened without them. No way was the Council on track to help us out. The Council knows what you write, so thanks to you too JP.
ReplyDeleteHow do you join the 101 association and the LTC?
ReplyDeleteChill J.P., I've seen you surfing at Ponto and eating at Fidel's.
ReplyDeleteDon't thank the Fucking council. If Leucadians didn't speak up they would have shit all over us. Ya, thanks for nothing.
ReplyDeleteDude, this is a turning point. The city is finally starting to take Leucadians seriously. Leucadians have affected all the elections and are finally starting to make some noise. Do you think the city council is going to do anything positive for Leucadia if you just stay home and watch Oprah? You have to write letters to the editor and go to city council meetings. It's a pain in the ass but it works.
ReplyDeleteI've noticed that screaming and vibing out the council doesn't work. Try changing tactics and be polite, that seems to work great.
I am glad Leucadia got something from the budget. However, this is a dent in what is needed to spruce up North 101. The firemen are getting new fire mansions and you are letting this city council buy you off for $900,000.
ReplyDeleteWhy haven't they included the whole leucadia beautification in their ill advised bond measure? The firemen and public works people will get thousand dollar toliets and 7,000 dollar refrigerators. RSPB will get some new tulips to sleep on.
This city council's priorities are a little twisted.
You can contact and join L101 by calling Paula at L101.
ReplyDeleteTo contact the Leucadia-Encinitas Hwy 101 MainStreet Association: call 760-436-2320 and ask for Paula Kirpalani, or or stop by at 216 N. Coast Hwy 101. Office hours are 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday to Friday. You can also contact Paula Kirpalani by e-mail at paula@leucadia101.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Go to http://www.leucadia101.com for more information and get involved. The group is doing good things for our community and will keep Leucadia Funky not Junky.
I agree with JP 100%- People (including council) listen and are far more receptive to positive suggestions with logical explanations to help them understand the issues, verses vicious attacks. When you verbally attach someone, they just shut you off, don’t hear a word you say and identify you as an enemy.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with notaxlady- Council's priorities are twisted.
ReplyDeleteIt is true, "People (including council) listen and are far more receptive to positive suggestions with logical explanations to help them understand the issues, verses vicious attacks"
ReplyDeleteWhat you must have missed is the long series of positive and logical suggestions over the last few years that were totally blown off by this Council or the attacks from the dais from Christy and Stocks on people like Westbrook who always go in and present the facts and their analysis very respectfully.
I have a logical and positive suggestion for the electorate. If you don’t want to have to fight so hard to have things done right, dump this Council and city manager.
As for “what a suck up”, that display doesn't help the conversation.
Sorry J.P., I disagree with you on this one. $900,000 to Leucadia is sop to quiet the restless natives before the coming elections. Yes, the money is better than nothing, but we didn't hear a word about solving the drainage problem along 101, improving La Costa Avenue, or ameliorating the problems at the intersections of Leucadia Boulevard and Vulcan/101. There is no election in 2007, so the council will have little incentive to budget a similar amount next time around. Only dumping Guerin and Dalager will guarantee a permanent change.
ReplyDeleteI read in todays paper that your council has approved $30,000 to entertain the people from Hondo who are coming to the big birthday fiesta that Encinitas will have.
ReplyDeleteUnderstanding that I am new to your area, what economic benefit does Hondo bring to your city. Do they import your flowers or tortillas or cars?
I have seen your council spend much money visiting Hondo and throwing grand parties for their visitors. Why?
Yes J.P. , I agree with you about yelling, name calling, hard work & Oprah watchers, but your missing the point. Your giving thanks to the wrong party.
ReplyDeleteThank all the Leucadians that made this happen, not the self serving City Council. It is WAY too premature to thank that bunch. It's like you're thanking the burglar for not robing your house, when instead you should be thanking the Cops for catching him. You're kinda coming off like a... well... Suck Up.
Please tune in the tube tonight and listen to the design firm on the fire-stations. The design of the stations is supposed to make them last 50 years. Toilets for example are going to be sat upon by 200 pound guys 18 times a day and flushed 18 times a day for fifty years. The cost also includes the cost of tieing in to water and sewer. There are three refrigerators because there are thre different shifts and each one is responsible for their own meals, so you need three refers to keep everything separate. Ths is the design firm that did Station #5 so if you really want to see what the living conditions are for fire-fighters, drop by and ask for a tour. I'm not defending or attacking the construction costs, just explaining what was explained last night.
ReplyDeleteAs to the piece meal North 101 corridor program, it is the same way they approached the Old Encinitas downtown program and it is turning out OK. The 500,000 is the budgeted amount for year 06/07 and the subsequent years may not require more of any bond money especially in light of the county assessor's estimates of an increase in tax revenue of 8-9 million for the current tax year. With such an increase Leucadia could get additional funding from the general fund without bond money especially as things move along and everyone sees what a difference a little caring makes.
When the city announces the public input period for the design phase make sure you all attend and put in your two cents worth.
Keep it walkable, keep it inviting, keep it funky.
The public works probably isn't going to get 900. dollar toilets if the Mossy Chevrolet location becomes the new PW yard. The mossy location already has a 20 bay service facility, perfectly adequite offices, and is paved and has adequite drainage already. It may turn out that the property actually saves the city money.
We may not get a completed Leucadia Blvd/Vulcan/Coast Hwy. intersection as quickly as desired as permitting, design and Railroad issues are hurdles that are less easily crossed in a rapid fashion.
Check out the tube, check out the city website for more complete detailing of what the city is budgeting for the coming year. Or don't and continue to moan and whine about what shoulda and coulda....
Hey, but whata I know, I sleep in Elfin Forest and only spend 14 of my waking daily hours in this city.
JP made it easy for all of you to email, phone, write and in some way contact the council. I thank everyone who did and I thank JP for doing his part in making something happen. What have you done to make it happen?
ReplyDeleteI VOTE
ReplyDeleteHey, where are we getting the money for Mossy? I thought we were so broke that we have to borrow (I think the city council calls it a bond). Am I missing something? As far as the firefighters, I agree wwith Dr. Lorri. These people put their lives on the line every time they are called. I know I can't say that about my job. Even if it is only 9 times, as the previous post stated, I still think they probably deserve more than any bureaucrat in this City.As far, as the fancy stuff, perhaps it is a bit much, but in the end, I don't believe they will get it all. What do they say in negotiating. Ask for as much as you can, and expect less.
ReplyDeleteCheck how many fires or life threatening events firefighters attend per year. 95% of the calls are traffic accident related. I.E. scraping bodies and car parts off the road. Most of the time- they are kicking back with talk time, shopping or cruising the town. You must be mistaking firefighters with Cops. Now thats a though and thankless job. Why do you think there are one million applications for each firefighters job opening? Because its the best union gig out there. High pay and benefits - fun job. You do not see millions of people applying for Cops or other public service jobs. A bunch of my freinds are Firefighters, and with all the time off they have many have another proffession. Many own carwashes, or mortgage businesses. I'm alittle bitter only because I missed the gravey train and miss all the fun BBQs they have at "work". But I am glad at least some of my freinds and my kids will hopefully get the firedepartment gravey job. I hope they get to sleep and watch movies, and save their fillet steak in the subzero freezers.
ReplyDeleteThe really beautiful thing here is that the $900,000 is only the beginning. As long as Leucadians, especially through this blog, continue to demand attention, we will get our fair share. Also, don't think for a minute that all Councilmembers don't keep up with this blog.
ReplyDeletePower to the people, or at least the loud people!
I sure hope none of your homes burn and you need a firefighter. I don't think it's a gravy train. I would argue that anyone who puts their life on the line deserves more than a City Manager or City Attorney, who are dime a dozen. I don't care if it is 9 times a year. I also don't think I would find much fun in picking up road kills. My profession has to deal with the aftermath. Perhaps I should let you see some pictures of the Escondido Humane Society when it burned to the ground. The firefighters had to take out all of the charred animal remains. I saw it up close and personal, as I was the Red Cross Mental Health Volunteer for that incident. I also was a volunteer for the huge fires we had in East County a couple of years back. Those men and women didn't look like they were on any gravy train to me. Perhaps we should pick on people who don't save lives if we want to save money.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it ironic that Charlie Marvin will get the area around his properties spruced up with taxpayer money.
ReplyDeleteDon't get so excited!!! The city hasn't turned one spade of dirt to improve Leucadia and $$$ set aside can also be spent on something beside Leucadia, just go ask DEMA how they feel about having $3M stolen from their project. So far what you have is a bunch of promises, time will tell whether those promises turn out empty or not!! Councils change and so do priorities!!!
ReplyDeleteAs for being nice to the council, why?? What has being nice gotten you for 19 years?? Shat upon and ignored!!! Scream, holler, protest, aren't you Leucadians a bunch of leftover hippies from the 60's!!! What?? Are you too old to get angry at a coucil and ALL past coucils that have played lip service to Leucadia over the years!!! Dump some piss at their front door and tell them you are tired of this going into the ocean everyday because there are no portapotties at Leucadia beaches!!! Dig up the weeds from the center median and leave those for the council. ASk them if they find those weeds funky or even remotely asethetic!! And even better how 'bout grabbing a 5 gal. bucket and fill it with the runoff that floods Leucadia Roadside Park, alleyways and businesses when it rains. You can't tell me that you aren't dealing with hazerdous waste. Leave a few 5 gal bucket at the podium after your 3 minutes are up and they'll be calling your highly paid firefighters haz mat team to carry it out of the building. GET ANGRY, GET AS ANGRY AS THE RSPB!!! Then get drunk!!! What the hell, works for me!!!
As for firefighters, well they get PAID to go into burning buildings, that's their job!!!AS for the phycological torment of removing dead or burned victims, again they know this when they apply for the job, if they don't know it at the time well then they shouldn't be firefighters!!
Wanna have some fun??? Google "arson and firefighters", fascinating reading and scary stuff, hey I'm not pointing any fingers at C O E Firefighters, just pointing out a problem!!! Mostly has to do with deviant sexual gatification, Dr.Lorri can fill in the details!!!
Firefighters don't need 3 refrigerators for 3 shifts. When I was in college(I'm a drunk drop out!) 5 roomies shared 1 refrigerator and we all prepared our own meals.
Hey maybe I shouldn't be so hard on firefighters after all they respond everytime one of you thinks I'm dead and call 911. They know I'm drunk but they gotta fill out that paper work anyway, afterwards they run past Beacons and check out the surf bunnies. Firefighters score major poonie!!!
Alejandro, amigo, I hope the city gives me a voucher to buy some cervezas for the Hondo Bum that will make the trip. I'll start practicing my japonese. Domo arregato Mr Robato!!!
Anonymous- you find it ironic that Charlie Marvin will get the area around his property spruced up at taxpayer expense, well I find it fascinating that he or anyone bothers to invest in Leucadia at all, considering it will be YEARS, maybe a decade or two before this coucil or any council gets around to improving Leucadia. Don't hold your breath!!!
Staggering down the 101 with alcohol laden breath, It's your Roadside Park Bum!!!
HEY RSPB:Can I join you for a drink or two or three? My treat.Believe it or not, I agree with some of what you say. Until the Council gives a dime to anyone, I woudn't count my chickens until they are hatched. I think that is the saying my grandmother used to use. I still defend the firefightes, but outside of that, I can tell everyone that Cardiff has been waiting 5 years for the specific plan that the Council promised us 5 years ago. The excuses are too numerous to mention. So, RSPB, I NEED a drink and many more.Tell me where and when to meet and I will be there if my old "hippie" clothes on.
ReplyDeleteMarvin got most or all of his properties for a "steal." As did Dan Dalager, anyone here for long enough.
ReplyDeleteWith Prop 13s passage in 78, all commercial and residential properties went back to their purchase price, raised only 2% a year. If you paid less than $20,000 for a piece of land, that's not very much property tax coming in.
Yet Marvin's motel rooms charge what the market will bear. Maybe too much, as he says they are 30% vacant. Oh, it's all American to make a profit, but let people know you are making a way bigger profit than those who bought in later.
Respect needs to be earned. I'm glad for those who wanted the money so badly. We don't need to sell our souls. We should get to vote, as suck up suggests. Don't get bought out by being "leveraged."
The firestations do not need to be this expensive. Please read the letter (did JP link it?) on the Encinitas Taxpayers Association's page. Good stuff.
Thank you Donna Westbrook, always. Thank you Bob Bonde. We might not have been a city right now without your help. Thanks for trying to keep it honest.
I was interested in what Gil said, at the meeting, about the difference between SD pension funding and ours.
ReplyDeleteThis doesn't make sense to me. Stocks popped in, out of turn, to state, "This is based on Actuarial Tables." I know that's insurance lingo, but what gives? Are we 90% unfunded as SDUT said? If so, how can we have a "high credit rating?"
Just confused, wondering.
I was there said-- Charlie Marvin got his properties for a "steal", well where were you?? How come you didn't "steal" some properties?? The reality is that anyone buying today will be the owner of a "steal" 30 years from now, even if they buy in Leucadia. Hell the city might even get around to fixing up Leucadia by then. More than likely though in 30 years the new library will need a remodeling at the cost of 100-150 million $$$ and you'll be crying that it only cost $25 million to build!!! What a "steal"!! But in 30 years you can add a special tax to hotel/motel rooms to fund the library remodel/expansion. What the hell it's only the tourists that will be paying the bill. Oh, I keep forgetting in 30 years the only people left in California will be government workers, attornys, illigal aliens and Indian Casinos with an occasional bum staggering down the 101!!
ReplyDeleteDr. Lorri- Sorry I don't accept charity booze and I prefer to drink alone, that way I can wallow in self pity and isolation as a societal outcast. Devoid of any human feelings other than those created by alcohol and illegal substances!! But thanks for the kind invitation, very thoughtful!!!
OK RSPB: You buy and we will drink alone in the same park. Would that work? I'll take charity booze any day. For someone who says they are "out of it" most of the time, you seem to know quite a bit. Now that I understand your 2 main points, health and safety, I couldn't agree more. However, as Jerome STocks once told me when I was talking about a health issue in front of the Council, the City is not here to protect our health. That is jobbed out to the County Public Health Dept. Unfortunately, most of them are overworked and don't get up in this area much. They actually asked me to look and understand their statistics. What a joke that was. That is definitely puting the fox in the henhouse. If you change your mind, you know where to reach me.
ReplyDeleteGil,
ReplyDeleteHave you ever seen the firestation where you live, Elfin Forrest. I would think that you would be interested in their welfare. After all they will be the ones to respond to your house. For the life of me I don't why you are so concerned with our city. Elfin Foreest has its own problems.
The facts you stated about the consultants were their statements not facts. They were bullshit. Did you look at the plans as I have. The cost of 970 dollars is for the toliet bowl only. They don't need three commercial grade refrigerators at 7,000 each. Let them share an Amana from Home Depot like most of us have to.
Their job is very hard at times. They had to fight nine struture fires last year. With 15 firemen on duty at any given time that is a lot of people. With every structure fire last year, they also called in mutual aid from our surrounding cities, so they had way more than the 15 firemen on duty.
Our firemen are underutilized. We need to have them work their whole shift not watch TV and sleep.
There was a trend in some cities several years ago that employed public safety officers. They were both policemen and firemen combined. When they weren't fighting fires they worked as policemen in the community. I believe the unions nixed that plan.
We Leucadians can't let up the pressure to get the beautification that we want. This city council will use us like a dish rag, mop up the votes then after the election wring us out.
Alejandro had a good point, for a cash strapped city that has to borrow money, why are we spending 30,000 dollars to entertain James Bond's "knock around" friends from Japan? Would we better to save that 30,000 towards building fire mansions?
Someone said it, dump this city council and city manager that are beholden to developers and hotel owners.
I see your point, but remember I've been slamming these people for a over a year now.
ReplyDeleteIs $900,000 a paltry sum? Yes it is. Should we even have to show up and complain? No, but that seems to be the only way to do it. It's really up to the merchants I think to get sidewalks and the rest.
I think there is a mixed message right now, to the council Keep Leucadia Funky might mean "don't touch us" but that will only lead towards an RDA in the long run.
Did anyone from Cardiff show up about the stinky drippy alleys? Did Tim from Pipe's cafe show up, anyone from the new Patagonia store, anyone from VG's?
Yeah, it's sad to grovel for chump change so you can have a sidewalk for you business but I think we should smile and kill the council with kindness.
As for the corruption that Westbrook and the others are good at uncovering, they need to start their own websites and get the attention of the media. Why doesn't Westbrook have a weekly column with the Coast News when that goofball Nannininningaaaah does?
Thanks J.P. I have stuck up for Leucadia on many an occasion and you are right. We Cardiff people have been shortchanged too. We may go about getting what we want in a different way, but if you prefer, I will stay off Leucadia's blog. No problem. Why was no one from Cardiff speaking that night? Perhaps it was because we were supporting your community? I kind of thought we had the same goals. Perhaps I was wrong. Since this is a Leucadia blog, I don't expect people to be sympathetic toward Cardiff. However, you try fighting Mance, and others. Not easy. We still have not got a specific plan and we had citizen workshops on this over 5 years ago. I spent about 20 hours of my time going to them. It seems to be dead in the water, as are a lot of other projects in Cardiff. We(citizens of Cardiff) had to buy our own sidewalks. We( citizens of Cardiff,) had to pay for our back alley to be paved. So I guess $900,000 seems pretty good to me.
ReplyDeleteForget it J.P. you are dealing with adult children. No good deed goes unpunished.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'd waaaaay rather read a column by Donna Westbrook, than by Nanninga. He talks so much about Bush, not enough about Encinitas City Council. Council buys him off by appointing him to the Parks Commission, so he won't blast them. He criticizes National policy, mainly.
ReplyDeleteA lot of the good people who post on this blog are from Cardiff, JP, and they've been plenty active, believe me.
Council is making promises with our money, taxpayers, ratepayers, fee payers. We know that they are going to cry poor, that they need to float another hugely expensive bond so that some merchants can have sidewalks. But when it comes to cutting down trees, the City is always right there.
ReplyDeleteYes, I was very happy to hear the activists, not so much so to see the suck ups who fall for the jive, hook line and sinker.
Really, the fastest way we can make our wishes known is to vote out Guerin and Dalager come November. We know you've got the hots of Guerin, JP, but we think she has stabbed too many of us in the back.
ReplyDeleteWe don't need to finance junkets to and from Japan. Its not Hondo anymore, by the way. Mayor Guerin seemed to be consistently pronouncing the new city's name incorrectly, so forgive me if I can't spell it for you, either.
I wish Arnold had appointed her to the post she was seeking in Sacramento. She got passed over because of some dubious dealings on her part. Also, it may have come out that she is pro employee labor association benefit increases and pay raises, while claiming to be a Republican.
We want someone on our Council who does not blast the Coastal Commission and think because they can borrow that they should, without the voters' consent.
ReplyDeleteWe think this posturing by making empty promises is an obvious ploy to justify the proposed Lease Revenue Bond, without any assurances whatsoever that the improvements will actually happen within the next five years.
Yes, Cardiff has been waiting a very long time. In five years, there, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent on studies and consultants.
Many of the most active people in this city, including the Quality of Life group, and Bob Bonde, are from Cardiff. I used to live there, too. This blog wouldn't be the same without our Cardiffians. Good surf breaks there too, as you know, JP.
We want someone on our Council who does not blast the Coastal Commission and think because they can borrow that they should, without the voters' consent.
ReplyDeleteWe think this posturing by making empty promises is an obvious ploy to justify the proposed Lease Revenue Bond, without any assurances whatsoever that the improvements will actually happen within the next five years.
Yes, Cardiff has been waiting a very long time. In five years, there, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent on studies and consultants.
Many of the most active people in this city, including the Quality of Life group, and Bob Bonde, are from Cardiff. I used to live there, too. This blog wouldn't be the same without our Cardiffians. Good surf breaks there too, as you know, JP.
Good for you, JP for starting this blog. But it has been about more than just Leucadia for a long time now. Glad you believe in freedom of expression. We love Leucadia, too. We don't need a Council who acts as an international delegation of lobbyists and bottom kissers. Oh, remember the railroad crossings we were promised? You were way excited about those too. Please don't set yourself up for disappointment, folks. A promise is only as honest and reliable as the person making it. Look to what has happened before, is still happening to Cardiff. Remember that in November.
ReplyDeletenotaxldy - Actually I live right next to the fire station in Elfin Forest. We were primarily a volunteer fire group. Three years ago we passed a bond to add more paid positions. Prior to that we were weighted heavily with volunteers. I used to donate for some piece of equipment when I could afford it. Then in 1996 we had "The Fire."
ReplyDeleteI was in Encinitas as usual at work, but I am very aware of smoke plumes. I saw the plume, called the farm, had all the employees move their cars to the street, carry the hard drive for the computers with them, had the employees start to drench the shade cloth and greenhouse structures, got in my beat up truck and drove like the wind to just make it in before they closed the roads. I did not evacuate as requested, I remained and manned the tractor and cut fire breaks and set up flameable plants for a back burn if the flames crested the ridge. Crest the ridge was an understatement, like a wave the flames roiled down onto the property. For the next fifteen hours, it was a battle to save the nursery and my home. Our volunteers were over-whelmed but everyone did the best they could and we only lost one life. Myself, my people and one volunteer managed to direct the burn so that none of the structures were destroyed. If you would like a copy of the video taken by neighbors showing the thiry foot fire devils with me doing the best I could on the tractor and with shovels and rakes let me know, I'd love to send you a copy. It's not the same as being in the middle of a blazing inferno but it gives you a feeling for the kind of battle that a fast moving fire presents. So you see it is not the fire department that protects my property, it is me. Elfin Forest really doesn't have that many problems except for the encroching San Elijo Hills development. Anyway, I am concerned with Encinitas because I lived here for twenty years until I moved to Elfin Forest, I attended the CAB meetings before city-hood, have appeared before the Coastal Commission since before our LCP, and consider Encinitas my "real home."
If you have looked at the plans you saw they were not finished "put to bid" documents but only "working plans." Your Amana would last about three years in a fire station.
As far as "mutual aid" is concerned, if help had not come during the Elfin FOrest fire the fire would have burned right to the coast, instead of being stopped at Rancho Santa Fe Rd. We are not a cash strapped city, go on-line and look at the budget, go down to city hall and discuss your concerns and get answers to your questions from city staff. If you really educate yourself I believe you won't be so much of a doomsayer. Instead of trying to find something negative in every action try to look for the positive. Or get out the red flag of Anarchy and fly it proudly from you porch, it often seems that your position lacks any cohering principle, such as a common standard or purpose.
Me, I really care about this city and it's combined communities and as I age and retire I expect to spend a great deal of time here just as I have for the past 30 years. Some members of the community and council members would close the city off to outsiders and force out all the homeowners who, because of Prop 13 can still afford to live here. Some would have a community of new high tax dollar McMansions, I am not one of them and I intend to push against that trend for as long as I can.
Hey, I'm not no tax lady, but I dig her.
ReplyDeleteGil, you say, among lots of other stuff, "it often seems that your position lacks any cohering principle, such as a common standard or purpose."
Making broad generalizations and personal attacks like this defeat your implied "pupose." Thank you for being a part of and caring about our community. Thanks for sharing with us what a hard worker you are, and how you helped to save your property, with the help of other volunteers.
But please don't call us doomsayers when we question authority, the powers that be.
Your logic is wrong. This is not an either or situation. In logic that is called the black and white fallacy. It is not your way or anarchy, buddy. There are other alternatives. One of them is a change in those who govern without being open and honest with us.
Another solution is for City Council to allow the checks and balances to work. These include our getting to vote on bonds, on Council Members, who honestly disclose their conflicts of interest. The City Attorney should disclose all of his associations with other cities, or on web pages seeming to solicit business as a private contractor.
We like you, Gil, but we love No Tax Lady too. Oh we can all disagree about some things. I don't like the bogus Mexican accent stuff, and I'm glad that's over.
Gil, we appreciate your asking, over and over, for porta potties, but we still know we deserve to get to vote on bonds. Because the Hall Property was bought through a SDWD bond, using the ratepayer's "revenue stream" as collateral, does not make this spin on "financing" right.
No one is watching out for the SDWD ratepayers. Because the City Council is also the Board of Directores for SDWD, this is a direct conflict of interest. We don't want once a month bills, now, to help finance the City of Encinitas.
We all know paid consultants say what the City wants. This will be challenged in Court, because that is the only thing that can stop our tyrannical Council.
That and voting out the incumbents.
Gil is right. Don't be a doomsayer on everything. This Council has screwed up a lot, but not everything. That really would be hard to do.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand Gil must understand that a lot of people are still spinning because it was just a year ago that many on the Council were saying we were rolling in cash and didn't know what to do with it all. Just about that time the City decided to encumber itself with major compensation raises.
Next we turn around and the Council is looking for new revenue (and debt) under every rock they can turn (increased taxes and fees). That indicates to a lot of people that this Council poorly planned or was full of it a year ago.
Now, top that with some pretty disturbing waste and overlooked opportunities and you get people that start to focus on the big picture and become reluctant to look at individual actions out of context. In context they aren't about to give up complements easily.
That is probably a mistake. If they do go say so. If the do bad say so. Help them to do good until we get someone on the Council that doesn’t need so much help.
Dr. Lorri, please don’t get discouraged by JP’s or anyone else’s remarks. Blogs are a bit like anarchy, sometimes. But we can stand against bad government without resorting to anarchy.
ReplyDeleteYes, we agree with previous poster. JP has the hots for Christy Guerin, seems to us. He likes her because she said no to blighting Leucadia and now is promising money for the merchants' (those who have said they want them) sidewalks.
I don’t respect Mayor Guerin because of what she is, what’s she’s done to hurt us, try to exercise control over us. I’d love to see her defeated, come November.
But the Leucadia blog would be nothing like it is without all the contributors from Cardiff, and we treasure you, your posts, always!
Please, don’t let our adversary, “bad govt.” win. Those Council members who are up for re-election will promise anything to persuade you, do anything to divide us. Divide and conquer.
Christy Guerin campaigned under a slogan of "Put the Service back in Public Servant." She is not serving us well by adding more and more fees, fines, regulations and layers of control, including higher fees to remodel, higher fees for the ratepayers of the sewer and water districts under her thumb. She did not get her name, "Bossypants" for no reason.
Dan Dalager threw out a huge copy of Encinitas Municpal Code, EMC, and compared it to the 10 Commandments, when he was making his campaign promises. He said we needed less regulation; let people govern themselves, be good neighbors. He is not living up to his campaing promises, either, because he consistently votes for more City regulations and more spending, requiring more taxes and fees, fines, etc.
It's hard to politely tell someone you think they are being dishonest, spinning the truth, and that you want them out of office.
ReplyDeleteWe try at Council Meetings. Here, we can be crystal clear what we think about Bossypants and Lawnmower Man.
The city could easily waste the $900,000 on stupid stuff, it's all in the details. Sidewalks are actually pretty easy to make, it's baffling that it's been such a struggle.
ReplyDeleteIf we all showed up one weekend and repaved the Cardiff alleys ourselves would we get arrested?
I don't think j.p. was saying people from Cardiff aren't wanted here. We all belong to the same club (Encinitas). All of your opinions are welcome & important. Even yours "dr." lorri.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the NCT article on widening Olivenhain-Waite until you see the increased back up at Manchester waiting to get on I5 after the Olivenhain widening and the opening of the gates of commuter flows. Hardly any commuters access the I5 at Leucadia Blvd. in the morning. 95% of Carlsbad and other commuters cut through Encinitas to avoid the gridlock on I5- causing gridlock on many of Encinitas’s Road. I sure hope council and staff construct the round at Leucadia Blvd and Hymettus Avenue before this road work is done or that neighborhood will further suffer a devasting blow-adding even more traffic problems to the area that were caused in 1999 when Leucadia Blvd. was opened between I5 and El Camino Real.
ReplyDeleteWidenin Olivenhain? Oh thats going to hurt.Encinitas and especially Leucadia will get even more gridlock from the increase in cut through traffic that should be on I5. Encinitans better plan on more gridlock at each interection west and south of Olivehain Road. Which may also mean slower emergency response times The winners will be Carlsbad, San Marcos and some Olivenhain residents. The losers are Encinitas, Leucadia and Cardiff.
ReplyDeleteEncinitas is toast until 2015 or later when I5 is widened and the I5 gridlock moves somewhere other than Encinitas. I hope it move north to Carlsbad. Let see how they will deal with it. I’m tire of Encinitas roads serving as express lanes for I5 traffic.
ReplyDeleteHey crap,
ReplyDeleteSo you say the comming traffic is a problem. Others will say that is good for buisness. What is the solution?
J.P. It did seem a bit harsh about what you said about the people in Cardiff. I can kind of understand Dr. Lori's comments. I know she has been doing a lot and spending a lot of her time and money to help clean up City Hall. It seemed to me you were kind of being a little cocky anout Leucadia's win. Maybe I am wrong because I don't know all of the details. Seems like we should hang in there together and not let the City conquer and divide like another poster said. Maybe you think they should start their own website and maybe they will. I don't live there. I hope Cardiffians still post on this blog too if they do.
ReplyDeleteI don't usually post even though I read this blog everyday. I did want to say that I was a patient of Dr. Lorri's and she is a damn good shrink. Always was one step ahead of me, which sometimes pissed me off, but I was a better person in the end. Guess that doesn't mean she knows what she is talking about, but my experience was that there was usually a method to her madness. Hope she hangs in there with us.
ReplyDeleteThe truth is that Cardiff is also the neglected stepchild of Encinitas, especially since a group of Cardiffians successfully sued the city. A mole at city hall has said that the city council likes to poke Cardiffians in the eye with a stick every chance they get. Everything that is beautiful in Cardiff has been done with private money, including Carpentier Park. The recent reworking of Santa Fe Drive has more to do with the expansion of Scripps Hospital and the development of the Hall property than favoritism to Cardiff. Besides Santa Fe Drive is half in Old Encinitas. What has been done on San Elijo and 101?
ReplyDeleteLeucadians beware. Christie Guerin has backstabbed too many people. She cannot be trusted, as the Leucadia Cares people discovered when they met with her. All residents of Encinitas need to work together to defeat this autocrat. And please Dr. Lorri, stay on the blog. You have the courage to put your real name. I appreciate this
Heads up!! Arturo Jacopo, project manager for the I-5 expansion, is quoted in The Coast News, out today, that the work will be completed in seven years if funding is received in bulk. That's unlikely, so there will years of increasing traffic on local streets, while we get new fancy fire stations, skate park and teen center, and a new public works yard. And next to nothing for road improvements. Ah, but we can always float some more lease revenue bonds, and the city can go to biweekly water billing. After all we are a very rich city, and bonds only take 30 years to pay off.
Hey Buteo- Thanks for asking. Commuter Traffic cutting through Encinitas to get to San Diego is not good for businesses in Encinitas. Maybe San Diego, but not Encinitas. There are plenty of statistics on this fact. Only traffic that frequents businesses in Encinitas is good for businesses in Encinitas. The increased traffic will be commuters heading south through Encinitas, not trips that frequent Encinitas businesses. The solution is to limit or manage the cut-through traffic with traffic calming devices- checkem out on the city website. i.e.-don’t widen or open the flood gates until the surrounding roads can handle it without gridlock. Just ask the folks who live or have businesses along Manchester, San Elijo or HW101- Do they think more traffic will be good for businesses? Heavy speeding traffic is not good chi and causes blight. So does gridlock, and Blight is bad for business. Don’t believe me just look at LA- I call that blight PS- Leucadia is not blight. I just hope the additional traffic does not bring on blight.
ReplyDeleteGod, has this become the Dr. Lori fan club all of the sudden? Personally I am sick of her and Cardiff. I agree with J.P. Let them have their own website or blog or whatever. This is the Keep Leucadia Funky blog. She is probablly not even a doctor. So, just because she posts under that name, doesn't mean a gd thing. Good riddance I say. Good job J.P. Thanks for keeping Leucadia a safe place. We don't those idiots in Cardiff anyway.
ReplyDeletelast anonymous poster, you are full of hate and bile. Why don't you start your own hateful blog. You don't own this blog. JP started it, but people from all over the City post here and most of us are very glad.
ReplyDeleteWhat's your problem, anyway? Are you Christy Guerin, or Jerome Stocks? Maybe a smart mouthed kid. You don't sound too bright.
Dr. Lorri is a PhD. I am not she. You are an idiot. Why don't you go get zonked or whatever it is you do. Your energy is not needed or appreciated here.
You do have freedom to post, as do we all. Those who know her, appreciate Dr. Lorri. Almost everyone posting here acknowledges and appreciates the people from Cardiff who have done so much to promote our city's common good.
You, on the other hand are a coward and an idiot. We have the right to thank JP for starting this blog, and to thank all the gracious posters who work, spend lots of time trying to help heal the injuries caused by ignorance, greed, apathy and prejudice.
It is very obvious you are trying to divide us, Leucadia vs. Cardiff. That's the way our adversaries try to spin their evil plans. Divide and conquer. It won't work Bossypants. Remember what you said about the Coastal Commission, "it's none of their DAMN business!" That's what I say to you, spy, devious, lying poster. Get real. And please, get lost.
last anonymous poster, you are full of hate and bile. Why don't you start your own hateful blog. You don't own this blog. JP started it, but people from all over the City post here and most of us are very glad.
ReplyDeleteWhat's your problem, anyway? Are you Christy Guerin, or Jerome Stocks? Maybe a smart mouthed kid. You don't sound too bright.
Dr. Lorri is a PhD. I am not she. You are an idiot. Why don't you go get zonked or whatever it is you do. Your energy is not needed or appreciated here.
You do have freedom to post, as do we all. Those who know her, appreciate Dr. Lorri. Almost everyone posting here acknowledges and appreciates the people from Cardiff who have done so much to promote our city's common good.
You, on the other hand are a coward and an idiot. We have the right to thank JP for starting this blog, and to thank all the gracious posters who work, spend lots of time trying to help heal the injuries caused by ignorance, greed, apathy and prejudice.
It is very obvious you are trying to divide us, Leucadia vs. Cardiff. That's the way our adversaries try to spin their evil plans. Divide and conquer. It won't work Bossypants. Remember what you said about the Coastal Commission, "it's none of their DAMN business!" That's what I say to you, spy, devious, lying poster. Get real. And please, get lost.
does anyone else think the roadside bum is murph????
ReplyDeleteHell No its not Murph. Way to witty. Murph would be way more direct. And personally, who cares who it is. RSPB is pure entertainment!
ReplyDeleteI agree that Cardiff and other Encinitas bros and sists are welcome on this blog. Its a great place to express encinitas views. Its much more interesting with all participating. Plus it get other communities of Encinitas listening to Leucadian view points. Great Job JP and include all interesting and unique people who want to make all of Encinitas more funky, not boxy like Carlsbad, Especially Cardiff. From a Leucadian,Cardiff is flat out cool. Crowded but Cool. Our community will be just as crowded as cardiff in 19 years so cut them some slack. Plus they have alot of way cool architecture in that community.
ReplyDeleteJP- you have to run for council. You have great perpective of Encinitas and have great vision. Step up and help us out. Leucadians would greatly appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteI think that jerome is trying to divide us. He doesn't like dr. lorri. She confronted him at a council meeting on an inaccuracy he stated. and he was pissed. I hope it doesn't work. We need each other, J.P. mayhbe you can write something to get us all back together.
ReplyDeletehee hee, I love all you guys and you know this.
ReplyDeleteTwo things:
ReplyDeleteGil, if you live next to the fire garage (tin shed) that Elffin Forrest uses as a fire station then why aren't you soliciting the county board of supervisors to build them a fire mansion like you want Encinitas to build?
Based on your statements, either you don't know how to read plans or you are looking for excuses to cover your inaccurate statements about the fire mansion plans. I suspect you are just trying to support our city council. You lost all credibility with me.
On the note of the city council trying to split Leucadia and Cardiff. They are definitely trying to split us so we don't vote in a block to dump bossy pants and lawnmowerman. JP you are playing right into their hands. We shouldn't hate cardiff. We should find a way to work with them to defeat the current city council.
Perhaps we need a referendum on how our city council is elected. We have five areas in this city. Perhaps each area should send a reperesentative to the city council. We can change our charter or muni-code to elect a representative from each community in the city. That way everyone could be represented.
No tax lady, you've got some great ideas. But I don't think JP meant to "play into the hands" of those who would divide us, like City Council.
ReplyDeleteEncinitas is a "public corporation." We have a "General Plan," not a charter. Still, I wish someone could run who would work to change the way things are NOT working, now. I'd love to have a charter. This is a little like a constitution.
We do have five areas. We could have each area vote, by precincts, to elect someone from say, Leucadia, or Cardiff. This would be far more democratic than what we've got going now. When we vote for three, as in the previous Council election, in 2004, we are further dividing our power to be self-represented, as constituents who matter to our Council Members.
Maggie got the most votes with over 9,000. There are 62,000 people in our City? How many of these are registered voters? Seems as though none of the candidates got a majority of the vote. The three who "lost by the least amount," are our current Council members, Maggie Houlihan, Jerome Stocks, and James Bond.
I do think a "by area" vote would be far more representative, and would make Council Members far more accountable. Also, if we could change our City to establish a Charter, I would want to have an elected attorney, perhaps an elected mayor. The City Manager could make half as much, and we could pay the Mayor the other half, so he or she could devote more time to this important position. I believe term limits of eight years would be good, also, for Mayor and for Council Members, from each district. If there is a tie on a vote, then the Mayor could weigh in, like the Vice President, with our U.S. Senate.
The Mayor would have plenty of influence setting agenda items, persuading Council Members to vote for the greatest common good. And the Mayor would have to be elected by a majority of the voters of the entire city.
Yes, and if we could get a Charter, we would want the San Dieguito Water District, SDWD, to be separate from City Council. They should not have joint meetings and have City Council sit as the board of directores fo SDWD.
ReplyDeleteThese should be separte entities. There are some conflicts of interest, obviously, when the City tries to increase it's General Fund, using the "revenue stream" of the water district as collateral.
No one is watching out for the ratepayers of the water and sewer districts, whose rates and inflated fees are increasing above and beyond what is necessary for the services rendered.
The City is in court right now for this, with respect to overspending, then overcharging. Encinitas, through private contractors, EsGil, is charging people who want building permits, whether they be the little guys doing an add on, or developers, more than what is required, or fair, in order to "pad" the General Fund, to ultimately pay for overpriced Capital Improvements such as the unneeded three new firestations, three subzero refrigerators, and a Coffee Bar Balcony at the proposed new library.
Keep up the affirmations, folks. Don't let City Council bill us for their extravagances, their political ambitions.
We can all be a part of the movement for change. Together, we can do it.
Charlie Marvins properties are not the only ones that will benefit. All of Encinitas will benefit, so whats the problem?
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that if Charlie Marvin doesn't benefit, the project is much less likely to happen.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know how many votes were cast in the last election? Did any Council Member get a majority of the votes cast?
ReplyDeletePluralites are not working. Democracy inaction.
First we were pissed that Leucadia had no landscaping budget and now we are pissed at the blogger because now Leucadia has a landscaping budget?
ReplyDeleteI think Leucadians are happier...Of course, we would like the budget to include $1m per year check out the Carlsbad article below. The streetscape and beach immprovements is a great thing for everyone
ReplyDeleteSurvey: Visitors to shore spent $39.5 million in '05
By Michael Burge
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
June 28, 2006
CARLSBAD – The city earned about $1.4 million in tax revenue from beach visitors last year, and a typical sun worshipper spent $66 a day for the privilege of basking on Carlsbad's sand, according to a survey done last year.
Based on data gleaned from the survey, Carlsbad's beach visitors spent a total of $39.5 million, $26.5 million of which was dropped in Carlsbad itself, said Philip King, chairman of San Francisco State University's economics department, who conducted the study last summer.
The study also noted that the city's cost in generating this income is minimal because it does not have a lifeguard staff, depending instead on the state for that service.
“It was estimated that 600,000 people visited the beach during the high-use time,” May through September, said Steve Jantz, a city staff member who presented the study last night at the City Council meeting.
“Maintaining beach width and cleanliness was very important,” Jantz said.
“The city should encourage a local beach nourishment program to maintain wide sandy beaches,” said Dick Erhardt, chairman of the city's beach preservation committee.
Erhardt said the city should lobby the state to keep the beach clean and maintain adequate lifeguard service. Cuts in the state budget reduced lifeguard service on Carlsbad's beaches, and full lifeguard service will begin July 1.
Council members said they would like to see the state do a better job of maintaining services on the beach in Carlsbad, which they control from Carlsbad Village Drive south to Encinitas.
The conclusions were based on surveys of 562 beachgoers in summer 2005. The study, “The Economic and Fiscal Impact of Carlsbad's Beaches: A Survey and Estimate of Attendance,” was requested by the city's beach preservation committee, which wanted to know whether beach erosion also would erode visitation. The study cost $27,500.
The study found that 82 percent of those asked rated wide beaches as somewhat or very important, and 57 percent said they would visit less frequently or not at all if the beach were half as wide.
In response to other questions, 93 percent of those surveyed rated beach cleanliness somewhat or very important, and 86 percent said parking was somewhat or very important.
By comparison, 60 percent rated lifeguard services somewhat or very important, while 32 percent said it was not important.
The study found that half the visitors to Carlsbad beaches lived in Carlsbad or within 20 miles of the city. One-fourth were U.S. residents from outside California, and 1.4 percent were foreign visitors.
Asked to compare Carlsbad's beaches with others they had visited, respondents rated Moonlight Beach in Encinitas and Pacific Beach higher; La Jolla, Del Mar and Newport about equally; and Torrey Pines, Mission, Huntington and Oceanside beaches lower.
The study said 40 percent of respondents combined their beach visit with an overnight stay at a hotel, campground, house, condominium or with friends or family. The $1.3 million in hotel-room taxes generated by beach visits is about 13 percent of the city's $10.3 million in those revenues for last year.
When will they stop using the jerky, asinine term "beach nourishment" to describe replacing sand. The sand washes out to sea, the city dumps replacement sand from Arizona or dredged harbors.
ReplyDeleteReplacement sand, replacement sand.
Nobody is mad at JP for being happy that Leucadia was promised some money for trees and sidewalks. We don't need more money for cutting down trees. That seems to come without our asking!
ReplyDeleteWe're just saying, don't hold your breath.
Hey, we just found out that Kaylin Guerin, Mayor Guerin's daughter is also working out of Brian Bilbray's office answering phones, taking messages, "filtering" our calls.
She's probably spending time every day posting on this blog for Mommy Dearest. That explains a lot.