Last week the San Diego Union Tribune ran an op-ed about the Hall Park. It was basically at hit piece aimed at the females on the Encinitas city council. Member Teresa Barth and mayor Maggie Houlihan were blamed for the delays. The anonymous editorial read more like the late night drunken comments we get on this blog than what a major newspaper would run.
Read: A major park, 8 years later
Teresa Barth fired back a nice letter noting the realities of financing the huge Hall Park project, which the UT ran, read it here.
But the UT quickly countered with yet another whiny and anonymous Hall Park op-ed, the very same day! The mysterious and genius editor at the UT claims all the city of Encinitas has to do is contact the city of San Marcos who will tell us how a city with a population of 63,000 and a shrinking sales tax base can build a $20-$50 million dollar soccer park. So simple! Read, A city of parks – or excuses?
Maybe we could also talk to Vista which is struggling to build it's own park and it using a sales tax increase. From the North County Times read, VISTA: Park project moves ahead, but access still in question
I'm not sure why the San Diego Union Tribune has decided to make an effort to scapegoat Teresa Barth for the Hall Park mess. I'm also not sure why they are doing this anonymously. It was editors of major print newspapers who threw a fit about all those anonymous bloggers out there on the internet saying whatever the hell they want that inspired me to stop posting anonymously and start using my real name (which I did within the first year of starting this blog).
Here is the list of UT editors taken from their website:
The U-T Editorial Board
William Osborne
senior editor, opinion
Robert A. Kittle
Editorial page editor
Pat Flynn
Dialog editor
Ruben Navarrette
Editorial columnist
Chris Reed
Editorial writer
There, you now have the names of the people who brought you the Hall Park hit piece. None of this will help build the park and it was all written by the same people who brought us this piece of hard hitting journalism about Del Mar Cougars.
UPDATE: The following was posted in the comments section and I believe it to be legit,
Not everyone will agree with our editorials, and we realize that. But there are two comments in this blog post I would like to address and hopefully clarify:
1. Our editorials are not anonymous. They are the opinion of the entire Union-Tribune Editorial Board. They don't contain a byline because they are not the opinion of one person, but rather they are the opinion of multiple people. The names of the people on our Editorial Board are listed on our Opinion pages.
2. The Editorial Board is separate from the newsroom and does not influence our reporting. Our news stories, e.g. "'Cougars' make tracks to Del Mar," are not chosen, edited or written by the people who write our editorials. Those are separate staffs.
Thanks,
Rob Hopwood
The San Diego Union-Tribune and SignOnSanDiego.com
August 12, 2009 11:04 AM
See also Hall Park Roundup
That cougar article is too much.
ReplyDelete“I hold my head up proud,” said Goldstein, who described herself as in her 40s. “I have never felt more beautiful than this year.”
Check the photo. That woman is in her 50s. lol.
Therea's comments in her response are telling.
ReplyDeleteI commented too.
Comments on: A major park, 8 years later opinion of 8/1/09
This attempt to vilify concerned citizens and two Encinitas council members is unfair. I agree with," misinformation abounds...",( it is exemplified in this commentary),and that the city bought the land for a Community Park.
The current plan can not be legally called a community park. It is a Sports Park.
The only city funded survey, the Godby survey, shows that 80% want a more passive park. Citizens were invited to design their park. They did and their wishes were ignored. (see map, invitation).
As to the comment, "these two "quality of life" women have been maneuvered into the curious position of opposing a wonderful park", I say Balderdash.
These two council members did not,"... reflexively take the opposite position". They supported the wishes of the community survey, valid concerns of the surrounding neighborhood and
voted to support the recommendations of the planning commission that reviewed many hundreds of pages of the Hall Environmental Impact Report, acknowledged the Godbye Survey, heard two nights of public testimony and read volumes of written comments from citizens of Encinitas who still want a community park for all.
Morgan Mallory
The SDUT get closer to our blog every day. In the future, there will be no papers and we will get more accurate news from the blogs and other on line news reports.
ReplyDeleteMost papers run the Associated Press pieces which are 100% propaganda for the USA government. Completely not a balanced story, no two sides to the story, it’s as the government wants. (I.E. The recession is over by year end Its OK for you to start spending on your credit cards again …. Ha haa haaa haaa. Maybe but when are the going to acknowledge the depression that is just beginning)…. I bet they get a lot of funding from the USA government.
Watch for the pack of small wienies to try and take out Ms. Barth in next year's elections. With Ms. Barth out, Ms. Houlihan won't stand a chance on any issue and the three vienna saugauge have free rein.
Clearly it's a campaign by the UT to begin attacking Barth for the 2010 election.
ReplyDeleteWe need to do the same with Dalager, AND, call or e-mail the UT and threaten to cancel subscriptions.
Here is how you can contact the UT editors, it is easy:
ReplyDeleteLetters must include a full name, address, daytime phone number and, if faxed or mailed, be signed. E-mail submissions are preferred and can be sent to letters@uniontrib.com. Letters can be mailed to Letters Editor, The San Diego Union-Tribune, P.O. Box 120191, San Diego, CA 92112-0191, or faxed to (619) 260-5081.
I dropped that rag about a year ago. It has no news and I get more from reading the news on google and yahoo. If we all stopped our subscriptions it might go away.
ReplyDeletespeak with your pocket book. If you don't like the paper drop your subscription.
ReplyDeleteHere is a link to a recent UT story about San Marcos park projects.
ReplyDeletehttp://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/jul/31/1mi31marcos212431-city-gets-active-numerous-park-p/?&zIndex=141450
Two important comments from Craig Sargent-Beach, San Marcos' community services director.
"Most of the money comes from redevelopment funds and community development block grants, Sargent-Beach said. A youth baseball group also contributed some money."
"San Marcos' population more than doubled in the past two decades, growing from 39,000 in 1990 to 83,000 last year. Sargent-Beach attributed the growth rate to new residential developments."
What is more troubling is that the soccer leagues kids do not have to pay for the use of the fields as 'un affiliated' kids or other citizens do, even if they could reserve a field.
ReplyDeleteGuess what voting block approved this.
OMG. The Onion is a strange paper indeed. But look at the second woman from the left and tell me that's not Susan Boyle.
ReplyDeleteThe "Scale back the park" crowd chose an unfortunate slogan and are losing the PR battle vs the "Build the Park" crowd. Claims of NIMBYism are groundless, since most still want the park to be built, just built differently.
ReplyDeleteTheir slogan should be changed to something like "Build the community's park" and change the color from red to blue or a different shade of green.
Karrsic - you are spot on. Attractive sign, nice colors, some figures enjoying the park.
ReplyDeleteThere is an angry, bitter, harsh old man in Cardiff who likes to use a hammer when a delicate instrument will do. To his credit, he is involved, but at what cost to his cause?
You're right, but I don't think that old guy is responsible for that sign.
ReplyDeleteThat angry man in Cardiff, if it is who I think you are refering, is angry because he was involved with the Hall property debacle from the beginning. He got involved with the design of the community park from the beginning. He has watched the wishes of those who, when invited, offered their input to what the public wanted for their community park, be ignored.
ReplyDeleteI understand his anger and am glad he still cares enough to keep involved.
I agree with the posters sign comment.
BUILD OUR COMMUNITY PARK
is better.
I'm willing to wager the two editorials were written by Navarette. The writing seems to be in his style and he doesn't mind mucking up the politics a bit.
ReplyDeleteBoy is building a park of that size difficult. Not only are there the issues of cost, but also configuration. This city doesn't have enough open space or sports fields, so how to balance those needs in this one park isn't easy.
This is straight from the Horses, I mean, Jackasses mouth.
ReplyDelete“I don’t want to sugarcoat anything,” Seeling said as he neared the end of his comments. “We are facing decades without significant turnarounds in assets, decades of — what I, my personal words, nobody else’s — unsustainable pension costs of between 25 percent of pay for a miscellaneous plan and 40 to 50 percent of pay for a safety plan (police and firefighters) … unsustainable pension costs. We’ve got to find some other solutions.”
Read this article on the Employee union's pensions on web page.
http://calpensions.com/2009/08/10/calpers-actuary-pension-costs-unsustainable/
what the hell people, WAKE UP.... Our City Council has been ripping off your tax money and doling it off to themselves and the City Employees.
You are killing your kids and grandkids chance of having any kind of a quality of life by putting them in massive debt by no fault of their own. When will you people WAKE UP?
So let's assume you have managed, with your relentless pension comments (no matter what the subject of the post), to wake up some of the people that read this blog. After a cup of coffee, what do you think they should do?
ReplyDeleteAJ- That is so simple you are scaring me. Don’t feel helpless.
ReplyDelete1. Call you council members and tell them they better take financial control of our City. Demand Pension reform and quick. If the City Manager doesn't come back with significant pension reform within 3 months fire him and all involved in the City finances. The City leaders are being irresponsible with our City taxes and it needs to stop. No wonder our City can't afford to build any park, all the money goes to employee costs including pensions.
2. Write letters to Council members, newspapers, state assembly and senators, and federal congressmen and ask for laws to make government employees have the same pension plans as private sector and pay social security.
Maybe when we are all in the same game, politicians will start being more concerned with the financial health of the government and the economy.
Wake up!!!! Do something positive for our City.
Unsigned editorials are usually meant to be taken as the opinion of the newspaper editorial staff as a whole rather than any particular writer. Several editors may actually have had a hand in writing the piece (although usually only one actually writes it and anyone else involved just goes "Yeah, right on" or "Hey, that ain't right"). The anonymity isn't meant to protect the writer — it's just that it doesn't belong to any individual. We can blame the newspaper itself if its unsigned editorials suck.
ReplyDeleteNorth County Times columnist Thomas Arnold says spend, spend, spend....
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/columnists/arnold/article_4faeaa71-0ffe-5820-b664-a46d61b952d2.html
Yeah the city "owns" the hall property and the 45million dollar debt!
Hey! Don't get all worked up about the City Pensions!!
ReplyDeleteAfter 20 to 30 years of work and not paying social security (that programs for chumps), I deserve to retire with 90% plus of my highest paying year, plus free health care for life.
Me personally- Heck I will not get that much and will retire next year with slightly over $9,765 a month retirement at 55.
Thanks Encinitas Tax Payers! That kind of money will pay for a lot of golf and vacations. If I live to 65, you will be giving me over $1,000,000 dollars in retirement which is great because I could not save a dime on my own if you paid me.
Sorry about not having any money for your parks and stuff, but my cushy retirement is worth it!!!
Just kick back and go to the beach like me. I am going to Bora Bora in a month for 4 weeks!!!
Pensions are a red herring by the poster. The Park is the issue in this thread. Until access to the Hall property is resolved we shouldn't channel thousands of cars onto our residential streets. Cut out the lights and loud speakers and probably most if not all of the opposition would melt away.
ReplyDeleteWhat's scary is that you think that demanding anything of our city council, or writing them letters, or calling them, or speaking at meetings for three minutes is going to bring about pension reform.
ReplyDeleteI suggest you quit being a crank, stop posting virtually useless rants about the pensions on every blog entry no matter what the subject, and organize. I don't think that the councilpeople that voted in the pension system are going to vote out the pension system. The pension system sucks, is unfair and should be overturned. Now it's time for you to pull a Dr. Lorri and get the ball rolling. (You might start by picking a name to comment under and sticking with it.)
The ballot proposition system here in California has been used on several occasions to effect change. Maybe this can be another? I would sign a petition and might even contribute cash to the cause.
AJ- Great suggestion. What are you going to do to help the situation? What are you doing to help the City?
ReplyDeleteThe pension costs and future liabilities of the pensinos are the biggest reasons we do not have any money for the park.
ReplyDeleteAs I said, I will sign the petition and maybe contribute cash. Where do I send the check?
ReplyDeleteAs for Red Herrings, the lights and loud speakers are a good example of that. Haven't heard a loud speaker at a soccer game in forever, and have you seen the glow of the 5 at night lately. Field lights will blend right in and be off each night by a time certain.
The initiative for term limits is going to be written by one of our own, an attorney who has volunteered time. After it is done, there are going to be lots of opportunities for anyone that wants to to get involved.We will need money, volunteers to get signatures (about 6300 sigs) and filing fees. I really do not think it can be done effectively until the 2012 election, and I don't want to personally spend money on a special election like they are doing in Oceanside to Kern. This is going to be difficult, because, I have a feeling that many union people are not going to like it. I don't know that for sure. If there is anyone on this blog that knows anything about how the union might feel about term limits, please contact me at : lgreene98@aol.com. I am still looking into a special bank account so that people that want to help financially can do so. Remember Move-On, whether you like the organization or not, was started by 2 people. We also need a person who would be willing to start a website for this. I have no idea how to do it, as I am of the old school and didn't learn what most of you already know. So, that help would be appreciated. We can take this City back and give it to its rightful owners, namely US, the citizens that live here.
ReplyDeleteGreat Job Dr. Lorri. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteIts funny the union is driving term limits in the County. I bet our City’s unions will not be so excited about term limits, because they like the status quo of getting the huge unsustainable increases. Who cares about Encinitas future? They get their massive chunk of your dollar.
Not everyone will agree with our editorials, and we realize that. But there are two comments in this blog post I would like to address and hopefully clarify:
ReplyDelete1. Our editorials are not anonymous. They are the opinion of the entire Union-Tribune Editorial Board. They don't contain a byline because they are not the opinion of one person, but rather they are the opinion of multiple people. The names of the people on our Editorial Board are listed on our Opinion pages.
2. The Editorial Board is separate from the newsroom and does not influence our reporting. Our news stories, e.g. "'Cougars' make tracks to Del Mar," are not chosen, edited or written by the people who write our editorials. Those are separate staffs.
Thanks,
Rob Hopwood
The San Diego Union-Tribune and SignOnSanDiego.com
Rob,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the clarification on the Editorials the U-T publishes. Are you saying that everyone on the Editorial Board "approves" the piece written by just one of you? Or are you all of such like minds that one writes and the rest are ok and it gets published without anyone else reading it?
And can we assume that, given the tone of the two editorials, that you think the two women on the council are obstructionists that should be voted out?
Hi JP
ReplyDeleteI think some of those editors got the axe recently and are no longer with the U.T.
Let the UT editors form a special task force and figure out how to build the park.
ReplyDeleteI just canceled my subscription to the U-T. I didn't for years because I was trying to support local businesses and press.
ReplyDeleteThey are now just an AP machine. What a rag.
Actually, I like reading the UT every morning and their web edition. It isn't the NewYork Times, granted, but I hope the UT survives and will continue to subscribe.
ReplyDeleteI think that the UT editorial comments were miopic. It is educational to see how caring people can see things so differently.
Read the web comments from our public. There are some missguided writers who feel strongly they are right and that we should consider that our president is Kenyon, death panels will be formed and other silly things.
I support the forumn that allows them voice.
UT is a Associated Press (AP) arm. Just a propaganda rag for the US Government. The reports are so BS they offer very little analysis and varying views. Its a pure sales job for the uneducated masses. Half of the articles read, "The economy is great, go buy more things with your credit cards and NOW is the best time to buy (of course, it always is to a Realtor)." You could not publish more wrong articles.
ReplyDeleteTo A.J.
ReplyDeleteTo inform yourself about the unsustainability of pension benefits, go to this link for starters:
http://calpensions.com/2009/08/10/calpers-actuary-pension-costs-unsustainable/
Or you can find it by following the links to the ETA which start on the home page of this blog on the upper left.
These benefits are protected by law and automatically increase. They are a huge burden and state and local government. In Encinitas the problem will get worse as several highly paid employees soon retire, including Phil Cotton and Patrick Murphy.
In December an employee in the Financial Department will be retiring who will get around $105,000 a year. And that person's age? 55!
Ed,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link. Here's another one from the same blog:
http://calpensions.com/2009/01/page/2/
I would support the initiative mentioned. I hope someone with some political connections and money will get the process started.
Thanks,
a.j.