Who RRRRR ya voting for matey?

New Encinitas Election 2008 Website

A new website has appeared on the radar covering the election.

www.encinitas-election08.com

It doesn't say who runs the site, but they have endorsed Collier, Houlihan and Brandenburg.

The Wasilla Project

Sarah Palin: Fiscal Conservative?


Sarah Palin: Religion in Politics


Sarah Palin: The email scandal


www.wasillaproject.com

Blame Fred

False Democratic Flyer Endorses Encinitas Republicans

click image for large view
Why would a Democratic flyer endorse three Republicans running for Encinitas city council, Jerome Stocks, Doug Long and James Bond?

Read the small print (see it beside the eagle photo)and find that this mailer was printed by an outfit in Sherman Oaks called "Voter Information Guide". The small print says,

"Appearance is paid for and authorized by each candidate and ballot measure designated by an *"


So, by the asterisks following their names, Stocks & Bond & Long did pay for this Flier to be sent out. Wow, that is shady!

*I did not receive this mailer because I am a registered Republican so I only get the patriotic mailers from people who love America (and hate gay people).

VOTE

I am voting for the following three candidates for Encinitas city council:


Joe Sheffo
www.sheffo4council.com


Rachelle Collier
collierforencinitas.com


Bob Nanninga
www.nanningaforencinitas.org

The Leucadia Blog recommends that you do NOT vote for any incumbents.

Do NOT vote for Doug Long. He is a one issue candidate who has made snide remarks about improving Leucadia's infrastructure.

A vote for Tony Brandenburg is also a solid choice if you do not like all of my three picks.

Remember, Betsy Aceti will be on the ballot but she dropped out of the race, do not vote for her.

Is Encinitas in Real America or Fake America?

John McCain's VP candidate Sarah Palin says she likes to visit the patriotic "pro-America" parts of America. You know, the places where there are farmers and factory workers and people who are not big city elitist.

Is Encinitas in Real America?

We are in California so that is a mark against us, but there might be oil offshore, DRILL BABY DRILL so who knows?

We have a nice downtown mainstreet that is easily 1000 times nicer than Wasilla's mainstreet (have you seen Wasilla's mainstreet? It's a shithole. Google it.) and we have nice middle class and working class people and neighborhoods. Of course, Obama's tax policy is much better for the majority of Encinitas citizens but hopefully they all know that Obama is a terrorist muslim (why would a terrorist muslim want to cut taxes for the middle class?)

There are even farmers in Encinits! And golfers too! We don't play hockey but we got tricked on that one, isn't hockey like a Canadian thing? Maybe she got confused because she can see Canada from her house and thought she was looking at America?

The Real America means Vikings, lots and lots of Vikings. Check your home for Vikings. If no Vikings then you are not a Real American.

Our only factories are a couple of surfboard factories that are clinging to life before they get closed down and moved to China. But we do have like 50 Italian restaurants.

These three guys are at the ground zero of Fake America, the big city! I bet after they burn that flag they are going to drive their hybrid cars to get lattes.

Encinitas also has a good number of people serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. I think there are lots of people in the military from the Fake America parts of America. I'm surprised they were allowed to enlist. Don't ask don't tell?

Gosh, I sure hope our future dictator Lord Palin considers Encinitas to be in Real America. You betcha'!
Click around President Palin's Oval Office: http://www.palinaspresident.us

The Daily Show from October 20th, Jon Stewart attempts to break down Palin's Real America:


Obama's take on it all:


from Russia with love,


CNN.com, Palin is going rogue

Old School Cobbles

Back when I was going to San Dieguito there were curbs and gutters embedded with all sorts of cobblestones.

The story students were told was that the curbs and gutters were built during the end of the last depression. There wasn't much money for infrastructure and people got really resourceful and used materials that were plentifully and readily available to build things. In Encinitas they used cobblestone.

See Also: Romancing the Cobble Stone

Long and Dalager quotes about Hall Park from 2006

Check out what Doug Long had to say about the Hall Park back when he unsuccessfully ran for Encinitas city council in 2006,

Doug Long's third of his top three priorities: 3. Development of the Hall property so that all of our citizens young and not so young can take full advantage of the many amenities not already in place.


Danny's top priority: 1. Open space and recreation space: The environmental report back for the Hall park is supposed to be back real soon, so let's get the Hall Park open! Get kids out there playing and families picnicking!

Picnicking eh? Gosh, that sounds just like those crazy Cardiff NIMBY's that the soccer people from Carlsbad were so angry about.


In 2006 neither Long or Dalager had adopted their divisive stance that the Hall Property be a sports complex only. They both talk about other uses and Long even calls for the park being developed "for all of our citizens young and not so young." Gosh, he sounds like that crazy liberal Maggie Houlihan. What changed? Maybe because it's political season and time to manufacture issues?

Like 3 Peas in a Pod

Is it ethical for city council candidates to run for office in a group? Isn't it a little creepy for incumbents to pick a challenger and ask us to vote in their friend, their buddy, their amigo? Isn't this a little too much like ASB high school politics?

McCain vs Obama Dance-Off

Unbelievable McCain Vs. Obama Dance-Off - Watch more free videos

Hall Park and Election Propaganda

Did you receive this mailer asking you to SAVE THE CHILDREN?


If you are for families, if you are for kids, if you are for parks then you are for Bond, Long, and Stocks. Interesting logic. Nobody is against families, kids or parks but that does not automatically make you a sheeple one issue voter.

They stayed up all night thinking up this slogan. It's kind of a sports metaphor!

I think it's interesting that Doug Long has attached himself to the incumbents campaign like a Remora to a shark.

Last election cycle Doug Long attempted to attach himself to Dan Dalager.

Can Doug Long be his own man?

Doug Long is a nice enough guy and nobody questions his love for Encinitas, but what the city needs is a diversity of insights and opinions. Not only would Doug Long never vote against his bros Bond, Stocks and Dalager he might not even offer a slightly different opinion...on anything.

The above flyer uses fear mongering, claiming "a loss of one vote could cost us full use of our new park. Join us in the fight..."

Sheesh, what a trio of drama queens.

NCT: ENCINITAS: Council makes way for five lighted sports fields in Hall park

Doug Long has attached BUILD THE PARK to all his campaign signs.

Why is Doug Long acting like the park won't get built? We all know the park is going to get built, it's just about ironing out the details. We can assume from this mailer that Doug Long really brings nothing to the table. He is a single issue candidate on an already done deal. What else does bring Doug Long bring to the table when it comes to the entire community? Would Doug Long ever offer any kind of opinion or insight that differs from Dalager, Stocks and Bond? Is Doug Long is an empty Hawaiian shirt?

What would a Dalager, Stocks, Long and Bond council majority mean for Leucadia, Olivenhain and Cardiff? Remember, last election Doug Long said that if Leucadians wanted sidewalks on the coast highway merchant corridor then we should build them ourselves! See Must Be Nice from October 2006.

Doug Long's website is very thin on information: www.friendsofdouglong.com

Burning Question: Okay hysterical BUILD THE PARK folks, how much is the sports park going to cost and what is the plan to pay for it?

Leibham vs Bilbray

According to the site Daily Kos, challenger for the 50th district (that's us) Nick Leibham is neck and neck in the polls with incumbent Brian Bilbray.

CA-50: Bilbray (R) in serious trouble

Nick Leibham's website.

Brian Bilbray's website.

A lot of people view Bilbray as a carpetbagger because is from Imperial Beach and used his mom's address to run for the 50th.

Former Encinitas mayor Christy Guerin did not seek reelection and went to work for Bilbray. We haven't really heard much from either of them since then.

Leibham's campaign headquarter address is 519 Encinitas Blvd ste 107

Which of these two retards, Bilbray and Leibham, have a better chance of getting us funds to fix the dysfunctional and dangerous Leucadia Blvd/railway/Hwy101 intersection?

Mira Costa College: Meet the ENC Candidates

MiraCosta (San Elijo campus in Cardiff) is hosting a Meet the Candidates forum on Tuesday, 10/28 from 7pm-9pm. This is the last scheduled candidate forum so you should totally go.

Leucadia Street Trees to be inspected and pruned this week

STREET TREE MAINTENANCE

Begins the Week of Oct 20, 2008

The City of Encinitas is working with West Coast Arborist, Inc. to inspect and prune (trim) our street trees. They are scheduled to begin work in the Leucadia community. The maintenance will include the area from Leucadia Blvd to Sanford St and from Vulcan Ave to I-5. In addition to this area, we will also inspect and prune trees in the median and on the west side of Highway 101 from Leucadia Blvd to La Costa Ave. The work is expected to take six weeks to complete.

West Coast Arborist will provide notices to affected businesses and residences to inform them of the pending work. They will also place “No Parking” signs 72 hours in advance of the work at specific locations. We apologize for any inconvenience and ask for your patience while we complete this maintenance.

If you have any questions concerning this work please contact the following:

West Coast Arborist, Inc. (800) 521-3714

City of Encinitas, Public Works (760) 633-2850

Romancing the Cobble Stone

Sand lobbyist Steve Aceti finds the one patch of cobblestones near Grandview Beach in north Leucadia to pose for this LA Times article about Prop K:

In Encinitas, a ballot measure to keep sand on the beach

Remember, the Prop K sand tax and the existing local sand tax collected have nothing to do with the SANDAG and Army Corp of Engineers sand projects. The Encinitas sand tax only pays for dumping sand once a year in the tourist section of Moonlight Beach (between the two lifeguard towers). Prop K sand tax collections will not replenish the area Aceti was photographed at.

From the article:
"At high tide, there is no beach," said Steve Aceti, executive director of the Encinitas-based California Coastal Coalition, as he surveyed the rocks littering the beach between the Bekins and Grandview access stairways.

Exactly, it's called high tide for a reason. On a 6 ft high tide you cannot walk on the beach between south Ponto and north Moonlight Beach. But you know what? You could not walk on the beach on a 6 ft high tide after the 2001 sand project either. Again, it's called high tide! You can buy a tide book at any surf shop or 7-11 for like a $1.50 and plan your beach walks accordingly.

6 ft high tides make it tricky to walk the bluff areas but low tide is a regular sand freeway. The low tide sandbars in Encinitas are smoother than the coast highway. Photo of Swamis taken from the J St overlook.

From the article:
Even if Prop. K loses, Encinitas still plans to dump sand next month above the mean high-tide level at Moonlight Beach, its most popular area. The sand will be trucked to the site from a construction project as a tradeoff with the developer.

Gross, construction dirt masquerading as beach sand-blah. No wonder so few people ever sit on that section of the beach, they are all down by the water in the natural sand. It would be better to plant a nice park instead of the itchy ashtray style sand they keep dumping there.

My proposal for Moonlight Beach, grass instead of the itchy sand area:





This is the other photo in the LA Times article, ahhhhhhh! Look, there is a small patch of cobblestones that have been there since before I was born, ahhhhhhh!

Burning question: If the cobblestones are such a menace, why no plan to remove them? We could dig them out, haul them off the beach and use them to landscape the center medians on Leucadia's coast highway 101.

My take on Prop K-In my opinion a 10% tax is way too much. Double digit taxes are evil! (and uncompetitive with the other beach towns). If we are going to tax tourist for staying in our hotels, motels and short term rentals the tax should be more like 5%. 2.5% of that tax can go into the general fund and the other 2.5% can go directly into a special beach fund that would pay for upgrades to our lifeguard stations, beach restrooms, showers and drinking fountains, trash collection and other beach infrastructure repairs.

Bond Ad Truck Spotted in Carlsbad

I laughed out loud...

Jiffy Lube Encinitas Drama

I don't usually do this kind of stuff but a rash of emails has convinced me to share the following:

On 9/11 we had the oil changed on our 2002 Xterra, 19 days later the engine seized due to LACK OF OIL. $900 worth of diagnostic tests at the Nissan dealer and and independent 3rd party investigator agree - the ONLY thing wrong with the car was that there was no oil in it.

Jiffy Lube is refusing to pay for the damages - upwards of $8k since we need an entire new engine. I mean come on! Forgetting to put oil in?! Isn't that like IHOP forgetting to put a pancake on your plate?! Unfortunately for them, they messed with the wrong people this time...

So it's time - we are going to take them to the mattresses.. If they thought they could get away with this, they screwed the wrong people - without lube.. (haha) Never underestimate the power of a Web2.0 junkie couple! ;-)

Please pass this onto everyone you know! BOYCOTT the cheap and easy lube!! Stay FAR away from the Encinitas Jiffy Lube:
221 N El Camino Real
Encinitas, CA 92024


And BOYCOTT any Jiffy Lube owned by Heartland Automotive Services, Inc.
America's largest franchisee of Jiffy Lubes
11308 Davenport Street
Omaha, NE 68154

We are actively seeking others with stories about how they were screwed by Jiffy Lube. We are also looking for a lawyer to help us fight this corporate RIP OFF and make Jiffy Lube stand behind their work and their advertised service warranty.

Jiffy Lube Sucks blog post.

Consumer Affairs alert about the damage allegations.

Facebook page dedicated to boycotting the Encinitas Jiffy Lube.

Saturday Oct 18th, LEUCADIA NIGHTS

City Treasurer says Encinitas Investments Safe

NCT: ENCINITAS: City investments in good shape

City Treasurer and investment officer Jay Lembach reported to the Encinitas City Council on Wednesday night that the city's investments are remarkably secure despite dire economic times not seen since the Great Depression.

"I can assure you that our monies are extremely safe," he told the council, adding that even in light of the current credit crisis, the city did not lose any of the principal on its investments during the last fiscal year.

In fact, Lembach said, the city earned more than $4.6 million on its investments, or a return of 4.91 percent, for the fiscal year ending in June.

After the meeting, Lembach said that the current economic climate is the toughest he has seen during his 14 years in the city's finance department, adding that he is proud of the performance of the city's investment portfolio.

"There are any number of agencies which have lost significant money from investing in Lehman Brothers and AIG," he said.

But not Encinitas, which has a $102 million investment portfolio held in a state treasurer's fund for local agencies that uses government bonds and money market funds.

*The Encinitas Taxpayers Association gave credit to city treasurer Jay Lembach back in August, link.
Who else thinks that Jay Lembach should run the city finances instead of Jennifer Smith?

Stuff and more stuff

Here are some news stories and links you all might be interested in:

NCT:ENCINITAS: Candidates take center stage in Leucadia

San Diego Reader article, Sand Never Sleeps

Joe Sheffo and Bob Nanninga editorial about Prop K aka the Sand Tax, clicky.

Union Tribune endorses Prop K, click click.

Joe Sheffo blog post about the Leucadia coast highway tree canopy, clicky.

The Coast News website has gotten a nice facelift, clicky.

Some interesting stuff on the Encinitas Taxpayers Association Blog lately, clicky.

The Encinitas City Council is having a closed session meeting today at 2 pm, agenda link.

Here is the agenda for tonight's regular city council meeting, clicky.

Good SignOnSanDiego.com story about the crucial Encinitas city council race, includes campaign contributions, Election may shift balance of power

Leucadia Town Council Candidate Forum is Tues. Oct 14 - 7 pm

Tuesday, October 14th at 7 pm, the Leucadia Town Council will be hosting an Election Forum at Paul Ecke Central School for the nine candidates running for Encinitas City Council. Each candidate will give a brief statement, and will be asked questions from the community groups and those from the audience, if time allows. Be there!

Hall Park Roundup by Morgan Mallory

The city purchased the Hall property and invited it’s citizens to design their community park. It was a noble gesture. Two hundred plus stakeholders from all parts of our city were invited to design their park and a consensus was reached for a park concept in a well organized and fair manner.



The Community Input Map above representing elements the taxpayers wanted, morphed into a “Special Use Park, below with the plan now directed to: 1) ”Provide…recreational facilities that are predominately active…2) Maximize the number and use of athletic fields…”



Who made this decision? The Godbe Survey indicates 8o% don’t support the Special Use concept. An Encinitas Days survey indicated the citizens did not want this plan. A SANDAG report was not supportive. Council meetings minutes and press comments support a Community Park. Neighbors of the park are scared.



The issue has become divisive for our community. Across the picket lines are caring, loving families of our community that believe their cause is just.
One side believes that they have the right and need no less than five dedicated and mixed use fields in their “Special Use Park”. The City of Encinitas has been promising to build active-use fields for nearly 20 years. The first proposed site (where Encinitas Country Day was recently built) was sold and the Hall Property was acquired in 2001 with intention of building an active-use park in what had been a thriving commercial nursery. … that there are “unmet needs” for athletic fields in the City. (Enc. Soccer Web)
”Unmet Needs”
Appendix P of the Hall EIR includes a Needs Assessment table from the Encinitas General Plan3. This table lists the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) estimated required need of one soccer field per 10000 residents, with a service radius of ½ mile. The Encinitas Soccer League's web site lists 13 active field locations in the city, many with multiple fields.

One side which includes stakeholders from all over the city and park neighbors want their “Community Park” that was designed with playing fields, but not limiting additional park amenities to accommodate five fields. They have made many efforts to compromise, the other side has not. Cardiff residents who have valid, unanswered concerns want fields too.
"In 2008, you have no park, so softball, no soccer, no walking, no community access. It is a wasted asset. And there are huge bills such as consultants and attorneys fees, opportunity costs, community resources overused and polarization of the community. What happens if there is no change in the current approach? There will be winners and several losers. There are also likely to be lawsuits and three more years before the park is used realistically."
Dick Bayer of the La Jolla Center for Dispute Resolution


The city offered their stakeholders a Community Park and a Special Use/Sports Park at the same location.
The planning commission recommends:
“ Commissioners called for replacing at least one of the dedicated soccer fields with passive uses, such as trails or open space. Early documents show community support for passive uses at the site.”
“Commissioner Virginia Felker said that the project had languished for too long. “We’ve been talking about this since 2001,” she said. “Hopefully, we can come up with something that most people will be happy with.” She noted that records from several public meetings dating back to 2002 show that many residents don’t want a sports-focused facility at the site.”
“Commissioner Gene Chapo had a conciliatory tone. “I want to strive to try to find a project somewhere in this 2,500 pages of document and all of these consultants … that we can support together,” he said. “It really is in our interest that this project gets built.”

The Park and Recreation Dept and the Soccer Leagues are appealing the Planning Department’s recommendations on the 20th.

There is a consensus. Everyone wants to build the park.


Reference:
http://ci.encinitas.ca.us/Government/PublicD/Hall%20Property.htm
http://www.ci.encinitas.ca.us/CE/Government/PublicD/Hall+Park+Final+EIR.htm
The thousand pages of Volume II was withheld from electronic distribution, because “of the large digital size”.
http://www.5forkids.org/
http://www.hallpropertypark.com/concerns.html
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/06/03/news/coastal/encinitas/zafa947205fdfe2808825745d0018213c.txt see comments
http://www.encinitas-soccer.org/
http://www.thecoastnews.com/articles/3285/
http://www.hallpropertypark.com/release_group_seeks_solution.htm
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/09/03/news/coastal/encinitas/z2b4597e88c9fc937882574ba0018cd82.txt
lhttp://www.lajollacenter.com/about.htm
survey results http://www.lajollacenter.com/Hall%20Park%20Community%20Park%20Conflict%20Assessment%203-25-08.pdf
http://www.sfgate.info/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/10/BAPS12O7EL.DTL&hw=organically&sn=023&sc=435
Planning Commission rejects Hall park plans September 19, 2008
http://www.thecoastnews.com/articles/4597/
Candidates focus on park plan
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20080918-9999-1mc18cardiff.html

Leucadia Seafood

Healthy reefs keep you well fed. Lobster season has begun.

New Encinitas Blog

A new local blog has arrived, only 5 post so far but looks like it has potential. check it out:http://newencinitasblog.com/

Why Was Aceti Really in the Race?

From Aceti's announcement, "I am also very committed to my family and they have been very supportive of my campaign and my desire to serve on the Encinitas City Council. However, I will not be able to run an effective campaign, increase my commitment to the film project and spend quality time with my family.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the campaign trail and speaking out for the benefit of Encinitas. I have met a lot of people in the community I didn't know until the campaign season began and for that, I am very grateful. "

Doesn't it seem odd that Aceti's husband and treasurer can run a "vigorous" sand tax campaign that can raise a couple grand, but he can't raise one cent for his wife? Isn't it convenient that she drops out right when campaign contributions statements are suppose to be filed, and after it is too late to get her name off the balllot? Was she a decoy from day one?

Who benefits from Aceti being on the ballot?

Shelter

N Leucadia 101 tree shelter by Fred Caldwell.

My Fellow Leucadians...

Campaign signs are sprouting up all over town

Complaints about illegally placed signs?

Call Code Enforcement 633-2685. Do not take them down yourself as that is a misdemeanor.

ENCINITAS MUNICIPAL SIGN CODE PROVISIONS

2.16.040 Campaign Sign -- An unlimited number of political signs is allowed per parcel with the property owners permission. Signs may be displayed 30 days prior to the election and must be removed 72 hours after the election. The sign area shall not exceed 32 square feet for nonresidential zones or 32 square feet for nonresidential uses in residential zones; signs shall not exceed 8 feet in height. The sign area shall not exceed 3 square feet for residential uses in residential zones with a maximum height of 5 feet.

30.60.050(c) - Unless authorized by other provisions of this Chapter, it shall be unlawful for any person to post, erect or maintain any sign within the public right-of-way or upon public property.

30.60.050 (E.2) No sign shall be posted, erected or maintained so as to obstruct a clear view of the street from any intersecting street or access to public street such as driveways.

30.60.050 (H) - No sign shall be erected that would unreasonably obscure from any public view existing, nonconforming signs on adjacent properties.

30.60.050 (K) - No vehicle or trailer shall be parked that is utilized as a portable sign for the purpose of providing directional signage, additional on-site signage, or an attention getting device.