San Diego Union Tribune reporter Angela Lua wrote a piece on an e-mail I sent out the other day encouraging the surfing community to support Encinitas city council candidate Teresa Barth.
So, now I get to blog about myself which is creepy and fun at the same time.
Blogger asks surfer friends to go to polls
By Angela Lau
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
November 4, 2006
ENCINITAS – A few ripples have finally appeared in this unusually quiet City Council race.
In the waning days before voters go to the polls on Tuesday, a Leucadia blogger hopes to tap the power of the local surfing community by urging them to vote for candidate Teresa Barth, one of five competing for two council seats.
Blogger J.P. St. Pierre said he's also sent an e-mail to several hundred Encinitas surfers, urging them to go to the polls Tuesday and vote for Barth, saying she is not one of the “Usual Scoundrels” at City Hall.
“We surfers are haunted by many stereotypes, one of them is the stigma of political apathy,” St. Pierre wrote in his email. “The local surf community has to shoulder the burdens of rapidly expanding population that puts unprecedented pressures on our beach and surf spots.”
St. Pierre started Leucadia.blogspot.com, a popular forum for residents who are disgruntled with City Hall. These days, it mostly attacks incumbent Dan Dalager, who St. Pierre describes as a longtime friend and neighbor who has turned his back on surfers.
Dalager took it in stride.
“What are you going to do?” he said. “It's silly season.
“I think my credentials and my background speak for themselves,” Dalager said. “Some people will say most anything. God love them. It's their right.”
In addition to Dalager, co-owner of Dalager's Sharpening Service, and Barth, a former county fair exhibit supervisor, candidates running for the two council seats are contractor Tom Brown; Doug Long, owner of Bert's plumbing and chairman of the city Parks and Recreation Commission; and photographer Paul Martens.
Outside of cyberspace, Brown and Dalager have secured the support of the Deputy Sheriffs Association of San Diego County while Barth is endorsed by the Sierra Club.
Although the council seats are nonpartisan, Brown and Long have been endorsed by the Republican Party of San Diego. The local Democratic Party didn't weigh in on the race.
Brown has been under scrutiny by some voters who question how he can be on the council, since his Sierra Pacific West Inc. has done work for the city.
He said he won't bid for city contracts if he is elected.
“It's a conflict of interest. I will never bid for any more work as a prime contractor,” he said. He did not, however, rule out the possibility of subcontracting some projects.
The candidates have been spending various amounts of money, according to the latest financial forms filed with the City Clerk.
Long has raised the most money – $27,000 – and listed developer Barratt American President Mick Pattinson as a contributor.
Brown has been funding his campaign. Of the $24,000 in campaign contributions listed, $14,000 came from him.
Dalager has raised $15,100 while Barth has collected $14,900 and Martens has brought in about $1,100.
Despite the wide-reaching power of the Internet, Barth will not have to disclose St. Pierre's support because the California Fair Political Practices Commission does not consider e-mail messages as advertisements in the same vein as fliers mailed to voters, a commission spokeswoman said.
Angela Lau: (760) 476-8240; angela.lau@uniontrib.com
Here is the complete e-mail I sent out to my bros:
Dear fellow Encinitas surfers,
We surfers are haunted by many stereotypes, one of them is the stigma of political apathy. Encinitas will always be a surf town first and a flower town second. The local surf community has to shoulder the burdens of a rapidly expanding population that puts unprecedented pressures on our beaches and surf spots. As a 36 year old Leucadian surfer and second generation surfboard builder I have become active in local politics over the last two years. I am asking all Encinitas, Leucadia, Cardiff and Olivenhain surfers to support Teresa Barth for Encinitas city council on November 7th. Teresa Barth is a rare find for the surf community, she respects us.
The current Encinitas city council attempted to dupe us all by trying to Jedi mind trick us into raising our fees/taxes in the feel good fiasco that was Prop C, a bad tax disguised as a clean water program. Thanks to Teresa Barth and the Encinitas Taxpayer's Association (headed by lifelong surfer Bill Rodewald) Prop C was exposed as a sham and was soundly defeated. The Encinitas surfing community deserves better. Surfers, you are vital part of this town and critical to the local economy. I urge all surfers and the local surf industry to please support Teresa Barth, she has our back.
Unfortunately our longtime friend and neighbor and incumbent council member Dan Dalager no longer has our back. Danny Dalager has repeatedly raised our fees and taxes at every opportunity and has been very deceitful and even dishonest with the public. Dalager and the rest of the "Usual Scoundrels" that make up the current city council conceive these fee and tax increases behind closed door sessions, often in violation of the Brown Act. It pains me to say this, but we can no longer trust Dan Dalager. Make Teresa Barth your only vote for Encinitas city council and stop the bleeding.
warm regards,
J.P. St. Pierre
Leucadia, CA USA
In other news, the mysterious "Pablo" has launched his website: http://www.vote4pablo.com/
Nice article JP! I posted a link over on SanDiegoBlog.com
ReplyDeleteLeave it to J.P. to work in a Star Wars reference.
ReplyDeleteThe Plumber and his friends the Ecke cartel and Jerome's homie friends, the Barrett Corp., gave Dougie the Dumb lots of money. Let's follow the money and follow the yellow brick path that Dougie wants to take us down. He's dumb but doesn't know it. The developers know it because they are buying him a seat (like they bought Dan)so that they can have redevelopment and lots of upzoning and turn us into LA.
ReplyDeleteIt's "silly season"?
ReplyDeleteI thought it was lobster season,
or was that football season.
Dalager said. “Some people will say most anything."
ReplyDeleteYeah, you mean like:
1. The library is on time and on budget,
2. living within your budget includes borrowing $20 million,
3. The Hall property EIR is complete,
4. The storm drain fiasco never happened?
Dan should have rounded it out by saying he never tried to raise our taxes!!!
I think Dan Dalager's mess-ups, and City Council's condescending attitude, excessive closed sessions, speak for themselves, Dalager, and speak for you, too.
ReplyDelete“Some people will say most anything. God love them. It's their right.” Yeah, thank God, Dan. Because you say almost anything all the time, dude.
Time for a change. You can't rest on your "background," all the time, guy, cuz some of us know a bit more about it than you might imagine. Sure, we all had our wild times. But if you are so spun out that you really believe all you say about being on time and on budget, for example, in the sample ballot statements, you are more delusional than I thought.
I got a pre-recorded election campaign call, just know from Jerome Stocks, saying "Please don't hang up, vote for Long."
ReplyDeleteI laughed, and hung up after I heard that.
Well, that's fine, but of course Long doesn't have to disclose that as an expense, either.
Jerome Stocks, I think this call is a mistake on your part. Were you paid to make it? Just buds with Doug? Hmmmmmmm.
Stocks is a weasle on this. He says he didn't endorse Long. You can't have it both ways Stocks.
ReplyDeleteJerome has made pre-recorded messages asking voters to vote for Long. Jerome also has a sign in his front yard for Long and only Long. Big mistake homie.
ReplyDeleteMeant just now, not just know, lol.
ReplyDeleteWish we could go back and "edit" posts.
ReplyDeleteWell we can "edit" out Dalager, vote in Teresa Barth.
too bad the article didn't give some reasons why many in our community want Dalager out. the editor probably edited that part out since the union has already endorsed tweeedle dee and tweedle dumber
ReplyDeleteWow- I hope the election numbers show really strong for Teresa. It will tell the other council members to straighten up and fly right, the citizens are on to you. If she squashes Dalager then others will gladly challenge, I love to see myself on TV, Stocks, and I love going to the regional board meeting and acting like a somebody, Bond.
ReplyDeleteWithout the name Jim Bond, there's no way that dude would ever be elected. I think the next candidate should have the name Pamela Anderson or Bart Simpson which would be a gaurantee a win in any election.
And Stocks already has shown his card, he wants to be a career politician. I cant stand any career politician!
I wouldn't count on the election numbers telling the current council anything. Maggie gathered the highest winning vote count EVER and they took it out on her by skipping her for mayor. Talk about thumbing your nose at the people! The only count they understand is the opponent's count that beats their votes and takes them out of office. Two more years and we can take out Jerome and Jim.
ReplyDeleteDid you notice Jim Bond and Jerome also endorsed "Mo" Muir, wife of newly appointed Encinitas Fire Chief Mark Muir, for Encinitas School Board. What a sweat deal, patronage at its ugliest. Muir was Jerome's and Jim's campaign manager and he worked on Christy's last campaign too. Now they are repaying the favor. What do Jim and Jerome know about the school board race and why do they feel they should be involved?
Dalager is in the pocket of Ecke and Caulkins. Long is in the pocket of Long and Caulkens. Check the contributors list. If they get elected we will see more density, more traffic, more variences.
ReplyDeleteIf you want that move to Santa Anna. If you love our city, bullet vote Barth.
Mo Muir for School board with Stocks and bond endorsement- What a f'ing joke.
ReplyDeleteTalk about unethical behavior. Chief Muir campaign manager for those two. Then Mr. Muir appointed chief with no interviews or any evaluation, then parties for mayor's birthday and japanese at the chief's house, more parties, more pay for fire fighters union, more tax payers money, Fire station restoration floats to number one priority for council in 2006, more money for Ritz Fire Stations, Barrow $20,000,000.00 dollars add debt for our kids and future generations to pay, more money for Dalager Campaign, more money for Muir for School board. Does it ever stop?
Why is the fire chief running our town?
Dalager- At least your practice what you preach-
ReplyDeleteDalager said. “Some people will say most anything. God love them. It's their right.”
Like when you said at the candidates forum, "I'm like the girl that couldn't say no"
With a comment like that why would I want you for my City Council. Your not a girl and your not good looking. You should feel lucky you even get to have lunch with "hot chicks".
What you are is ill thinking and not good for Encinitas. Stay with what your good at- sharpening blades.
UNION-TRIBUNE EDITORIAL
ReplyDeleteOctober 06, 2006
In Encinitas, Dalager and Long!!
Teresa Barth, a longtime activist from Cardiff, is taking her first shot at actual city governance... Ridding the budget of waste and inefficiency, she maintains, could free up $20 million.
Barth could not, however, begin to identify $20 million in waste in what is essentially a tight city budget... Her insistence that “simple fixes” exist for problems like the redesign of a lethal railway crossing – which takes federal approval – shows dismayingly unfamiliarity with the nuts and bolts of governing...
Doug Long grew up in Encinitas...
chairs the Parks and Recreation Commission, and is a constant presence at the council's meetings. He has a long list of volunteer work for the city, much of it unsung. As important as his firsthand experience with those nuts and bolts of city governance is his open mind on city issues. He is neither too quick to criticize nor too slow to question. We recommend his election to City Council.
After interviewing all the candidates, the Union Tribune Newspaper endorses Doug Long and Dan Dalager as the best candidates to protect the quality of life in Encinitas.
Hey, is that Mike Andreen posting that STALE UT endorsement? We already discussed that, Mike. You are way behind the times, here.
ReplyDeleteThat is bogus, a partisan endorsement, favoring those who will push upzoning and developing the remaining greenhouse properties and open spaces at higher densities than allowed by our General Plan.
Notice the editorial writer does not sign his or her name to the opinion, which is contrary to common sense. Editorials like that one are why we don't subscribe to the Union Tribune. NCT did endorse Teresa Barth. So does JP, so do we.
Teresa Barth has a lot more ethics, integrity and knowledge of the nuts and bolts of honesty and full disclosure, the realization that by being frugal, hiring less consultants, having less "warm and fuzzie moments," our city can afford to pay as it goes, particularly with the rising revenues from sales tax and property taxes.
ReplyDeleteI never heard Teresa Barth try to simplify the complexity of the railway crossing issue. Dan Dalager and Doug Long are "dismayingly unfamiliar" with actually running the government within our means, not piling up debt for future generations.
ReplyDeleteThese guys are completely unrealistic about the total costs of all the capital projects in the works, combined with rising operating expenses, equalling about 75 million dollars.
No one claims there are quick fixes. But honesty is a simple fix, Council's being realistic, truthful, and open. That's what Teresa Barth promotes. Fair play, conservative spending.
ReplyDeleteWhen we do decide to spend on redesign of the three fire houses, for example, Teresa Barth has suggested they should be state of the art in energy efficiency, not designed to be obsolete within 10 years.
The lease revenue bond justified to help finance them and the Mossy Property, the library, and the first phase of the Hall property, has us paying $1.4 million per year, added on to the money from the former bond to purchase the Hall property, to something like 2.6 million a year, for 30 years. That is a lot of debt service, around $78 million!
If the citizens want to take that huge debt on, we should be allowed a vote. Just saying no new taxes, as Dan & Doug do, is unrealistic.
Higher late fees at the library, higher fees for permits at City Hall, the new annual fee for the short term rental permit, increasing water district rates, all these are going up. The money has to go into the General Fund from some source, and, ultimately, it's from the citizens. That's why it should be a General Obligation Bond, where we get to vote!
If Dan and Doug get elected, then with Stocks and Bond, they would be able to vote as a "super majority" to change the General Plan and to upzone to higher densities without a public vote. That is exactly why we incorporated to begin with, to give the local citizens more control to prevent this kind of spot zoning and upzoning which is not in the best interests of all of our quality of life.
ReplyDeleteThe Quality of Life group, primarily in Cardiff, & Leucadia Cares, to my knowledge, both support Teresa Barth, not Dan & Doug, who promise more of the same policies that have divided and frustrated so many concerned citizens, closing off our access to open government.
Thank you JP
ReplyDeleteThis has to do with upzoning without upzoning. The council on Wednesday will hear an appeal on the planning Commission approval, 3-2, of a major use permit in an RR1 zone. The Houston, Texas developer was given approval to build across from the San Elijo Lagoon a retirement care facility of 147 units on property zoned for about 3 dwelling units. This is a hugh, massive building for that zoning and that area. The city didn't do an EIR, just a mitigated negative declaration. The city doesn't have to upzone to build massive buildings.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget who the Houston company hired "to get their plans through" Encinitas City hall.
ReplyDeleteDang, I forgot. Who was that?
Like when you said at the candidates forum, "I'm like the girl that couldn't say no"
ReplyDeleteI think Dalager said, "I'm like the teenage girl that could'nt say no."
SO WHO DID THE HOUSTON CO HIRE TO GET THEIR PLANS THRU CITY HALL - share the info don't just let the question hang out there.
ReplyDeleteWhy wait two years to get rid of Stocks and Bonds. Let's have a recall election as soon as possible and dump both of them.
ReplyDeleteThe only true fiscal conservative is Teresa Barth. Danny Dalager never met a fee increase he didn't love.
ReplyDeleteCould it have been David Meyer and an Ecke family member?
ReplyDeleteYou mean David Meyer, husband of Liz Ecke of the Ecke trust fund generation? David Meyer of DCM Development?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004/10/24/election2004/encinitas/22_03_3710_23_04.txt
If upzoning is truly a concern, you really need to pay attention to the new proposed revisions to the Housing Element. There is section in there that will create a new "Affordable Housing Overlay Zone" throughout the city. This could make any lot(s) available for super high density as long as a percentage of the units were "affordable".
ReplyDeleteBy the way, it really doesn't mean a separate unit is affordable. Cottage Development proposed "Granny flats" that were part of the same 3 story structure, when they made their failed Union Street (American Landscape - Russel Bowman) General Plan Ammendment application.
Always wondered who the "Clown" was that David Meyer hired to follow Maggie around.
ReplyDeleteWow, she had great legs......................
ReplyDeleteTeresa Barth is endorsed by the Encinitas Taxpayer's Association. Good enough for me.
ReplyDeleteThe clown is Red Gazelle, and she is actually a fire dancer.
ReplyDelete"Affordable Housing Overlay Zone?"
ReplyDeleteThat is going to be a nightmare senerio. It won't give us what the socialists want and it will be perverted by the developers. Just great. I sure hope Dalager and Stocks are not in charge when that happens.
"...we incorporated to begin with, to give the local citizens more control over" our tax revenue. Spot zoning and up zoning were hardly interests at the time. It was the county take, take, taking and not giving value back for our tax dollars. Incorporation would not have passed if it had been based on up or spot zoning. Those are new important issues. Aaaggghhh!
ReplyDeleteAnd the other dirty developer secret is when (like on Evergreen and Santa Fe) they are allowed to cram 11 houses on a small lot instead of 10 because one of the houses will be low income. Guess what, the developer buys the one low income house. In the caSe of the houses on Evergreen, he is selling the ten houses for $800,000 to a $1,000,000 plus but he bought the "low income" house himself and only paid $150,000 for it. What kind of a scam is that.
ReplyDeleteDavid Meyer did the same thing on Sheridan. There was a little house on the greenhouse property that he used as the low income housing to get the increased housing density for million dollar houses.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info Maggie
ReplyDelete