As I was riding my bike down the revitalized Main Street in LoNe (Lower Newhall) today, I got to thinking about the new vaguely-Scientology Orwellian sounding group called the “Positive Solutions Association.”
As I Heart covered in detail, this is a group of Valencia homeowners who have gone beyond merely showing up at one City Council meeting to protest a development they don’t like. Indeed, they’ve taken the all-iimportant next step by creating their own coalition, just like the ones that fought the MRF, Mayo, and Avenues projects. 
Why does this keep happening? Why do neighborhoods all over town -from North Valencia to Wiley Canyon, from Valencia to Sierra Highway- feel they need to band together and fight City Hall?
Obviously one answer is that they feel they are being ignored by their elected representatives and city staff. They feel their interests and wishes aren’t being carried about by the people in their local government.
Why would they feel that way?
I posit they feel that way because our city has an at-large form of City government rather than a district based city in which council members are elected from their respective districts.
Think about it.
Would the Positive Solutions Association feel the need to browbeat City Hall if they had someone who lived in their Valencia District on the City Council? No…likely they already would have a voice on the council representing their slice of the community.
The same might be true for the people who foguht the MRF, and the Hospital and the Avenues…they would lobby their Councilperson rather than join together and fight the entire city apparatus.
Don’t get me wrong. Some councilmembers represent their part of town very well. Look how quickly Laurie Ender abandoned her vote last year for the Non Motorized Transportation Plan and practically ordered City staff to restripe Decoro. She was definitely representing her constituents.
But many -obviously- feel they don’t have anyone representing them at City Hall. The city is only becoming larger and more diverse ethnically, economically and socially, and I think consciously or unconsciously, people feel they aren’t being represented well at City Hall.
I know I’d like to see someone on the City Council who represented something other than just the wealthy folks in Placerita nad Sand Canyon or the Valencia homeowners.
What do you think? We’re heading into City Council reelection season, and if Tim Myers is to be believed, nothing is going to change so we can expect to see more groups like the Positive Solutions Association forming.
Loading ...
Jeff:
There is a rather obvious flaw in your logic that one can see from the operation of the Board of Supervisors. With a District system the members could take turns voting against development or some other noxious thing in their district while the other four council members log roll a yes vote. Then that member votes yes when another member votes no on something noxious in their district. (See Anotonovich continuous no votes on CEMEX while others voted yes.)
Better to keep the current at large system so the ad hoc groups can at least theorectically terrorize all the City Council members, though predicting an incumbent keeps their office in the SCV is like predicting the sun will rise tomorrow!
Lori Enders decision to oppose the Decoro restripping showed an amazing capacity for change-to see the world as it really is-rather than a bureaucrat’s dream of creating heaven on Earth. She listened to her constiuents rather than the pointy headed, technocrats, consultants and traffic engineers down at city hall
Today of course we mourn the loss of Irving Kristol- “The Godfather of Neoconservatism”. Petz will miss his essays which served as bedrock for the Reagan revolution. Petz admired his intellectual honesty and personal capacity for change—-a model for Lori Ender.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125330642551623805.html
“Mr. Kristol at first resisted the label “neoconservative,” but later accepted it. As much an avatar as a progenitor of neoconservatism, Mr. Kristol once described the credo as that of “a liberal who has been mugged by reality.” ”
RIP Irving Kristol
Jeff,
Be patient. I think there may be some much stronger candidates than we have seen in the past.
No more ex cops and highway patrol officers (nothing against either) but perhaps people with demonstrated skills that are more suitable for a council seat. Leadership skill and the ability to ask critical questions of Ken and his staff, among other things. Someone that can balance the needs of the business community with the needs of the taxpaying public.
Cash:
TimBen can’t win and Alan Ferdman will get his obligatory 2,500 votes and come fifth. Where are these other “strong” candidates? Is Dave Gauny going to leverage the 400 votes that come out of the Summit into a groundswell?
And this idea that that someone can put together a coalition of all the nimby’s that are upset about one thing or another over the past two years to uproot the incumbents is a pipe dream for those without a basic understanding of arithmetic.
Timmy,
perhaps you should run! You seem to think you have this all figured out and appear to be brighter than the likes of the three stooges. Remember, we are not talking about being CFO for a local landscape company.
Two reasons not to run:
1. Can’t beat incumbents; and
2. Not right that I should have a job where I could not be fired immediately for incompetence or insantiy.
There is a rather obvious flaw in your logic that one can see from the operation of the Board of Supervisors. With a District system the members could take turns voting against development or some other noxious thing in their district while the other four council members log roll a yes vote. Then that member votes yes when another member votes no on something noxious in their district. (See Anotonovich continuous no votes on CEMEX while others voted yes.)
Better to keep the current at large system so the ad hoc groups can at least theorectically terrorize all the City Council members, though predicting an incumbent keeps their office in the SCV is like predicting the sun will rise tomorrow!
So what you’re saying is that I’m half-right. The public does feel disaffected/disenfranchised and don’t have ownership in the city.
Tim,
The problem is that the public isn’t holding our leaders accountable for performance as much as they want to hear the standard ideology and attend local meetings that reward politicians like Smyth for doing ‘great jobs’.
So as we see in the ‘safe seat’ world of politics, the incumbents as you note, are rewarded for holding up the banner of the politics they support but yet the issues that have concerned us for decades remained unsolved.
But for now, it all comes down to money . . . and indeed, the incumbants have already ‘connected’ with those wanting their voices heard . . . so yes, unless there’s a new ‘heir apparent’ blessed by the existing council incumbants, your chances as you suggested are remote . . . especially if you take a moderate position!!!
Timmy may be correct – we shall see.
Restriping Decoro and Rockwell with bicycle lanes is part of the City’s master plan, i.e., “General Plan Revision”, which is to convert our suburban bedroom community into an “Urban Center”. Mr. City Manager, Ken Pulskamp’s goal. You know, work where you live and walk or bicycle to work, Costco, the library, etc. Clearly, this is THE plan embraced/implemented by Mr. City Manager, Ken Pulskamp and his two pals, Paul Brotzman and Lobbyist Lambert. One only has to read the Signal and pay attention to City Council Public Hearings to understand these things.
City Hall will push the envelope everywhere possible and will only back peddle when citizens rise up via their coalitions to make their demands known. It’s a shame that our five City Council members do not control Mr. City Manager. However, if they did otherwise, their powerbase of lobbyists, developers, lawyers, etc., would promptly shift elsewhere and we would then have new council members protecting the status quo.
Jeff:
All of the complaints taken down to City Hall with the exception of the slim BANANA crowd deal with NIMBY issues, which I say with no disdain because people do need to pay attention to what is happening closest to them. On any issue of development, a district based council would mean the councilmember from the area of the hospital could rail against the development in front of their ad hoc constituent organization and then it gets approved 4-1 or 3-2, probably without any significant changes.
Then that self same councilmember could vote in favor of the bike lanes on Decoro while Lauri Ender screams about how the two car lanes should be put back in, and the bike lanes stay 4-1. You see how it works.
Anytime one has change some people are going to not like it and depending on their resources they will raise a small or large stink. This is democracy. While a district system might fool some people (you) into thinking they were closer to local government, it would actually dilute the power of the complaint.
Bill:
It is not about being right or wrong. It is just simple arithmetic.
Nothing would make me happier than to see TimBen or any other exciting nonincumbent win in the next council race, but I know the probabilities indicate he will spend a lot of time and effort and probably some personal money just to be heartbroken. That is why I counsel the people I like AGAINST running against incumbents.
Tim, I understand this. However, if people heed your advice we will be stuck with what we have. In my opinion, there is only one City Council member worth saving & that seat is not up for election.
I think you may underestimate Dave Gauny.
Timmy,
the candidate I have in mind is none of the three you often mention. The name of this candidate is beginning withheld for now, and their skills and attributes are not well known to the community. With the proper handling the latter will be overcome.
This candidate is sure to meet the wants and needs of the community. The candidate is a critical thinking, cross dressing, mixed race morphodite, that is capable of satisfying the gender gap. The candidate is not much of a bike rider for obvious reasons, which will cause the loss of a very few votes.
Be sure and pick up the next printing of the Independent if you are not interested. The name may or may not be announced. Past printings have been seen on the floor of the Saugus Cafe.
While a district system might fool some people (you)
Ouch.
Bill Reynolds:
I liked your LTE today. You sounded like a paranoid crank. The City is forcing auto dealers to sell bicycles now? Really? If only! The local bike shops could use the competition.
Hey whatever happened to the Not a Ferry Fan videos? I only got a bit part in one of them
Timmy,
one more thing. I believe the City Attorney has been able to go unchallenged for the most part, and that he has become very comfortable in his position. He receives a pretty decent salary for being a yes man that is seldom challenged by a formidable foe. I believe that a strong challenge of the code of conduct and ethics embraced by the city manager and council would bring a much need change. In my view the City operates on the fringe of adherence to the spirit and intent of the Brown Act and that inappropriate relationship’s are often over looked. Carl showed some weakness and I hope that weakness is fully explored.
I think the PSA has found a chink in Carl’s armor and I hope they do not let up until Carl understands that the taxpayers pay his salary and that the taxpayers expect him to look out for their interests. Right now all he does is provide questionable CYA for the council and city manager.
Jeff, Jeff, Jeff… don’t you understand the art of embellishment to make a point!?
So Cash, are you running for city council or not?
BR.
I am a one dimensional guy and not real flexible. Besides I have made statements on this board that would surely comeback to haunt me. I stopped cross dressing a few years back. Ha!
CC:
I’m not underestimating anyone. One thing is for sure. If Dave Gauny decides to run he EXPONENTIALLY reduces TimBen’s chances. If Al Ferdman jumps in then they all die to a mathematical certainty.
Timothy Meyers,
Thank you for your support. And thank you for your advice. If I do run, it most certainly will be a battle, because the nature of any political group is to want to remain in power. Those in power will be supported heavily by people who will benefit from the status quo.
However, I believe that the power in a democracy rests with the people, and if the people were to honor me with their support, then all of the money or mud in the world could not thwart their will.
I threw my hat into the ring the first time on a matter of principle. I was dissapointed that there was a group of very powerful people trying to put a “pre-picked” candidate into the empty seat. I put my name in with the pledge that I would not run for the seat on 2008, thereby allowing the people to decide who would sit on the Council.
Although I was urged to run by many people including sitting Councilpeople in 08, my word was more important than the advantage that I would have had running as an incumbent. I have over the years been disappointed by politicians who have broken their word in that regard.
If I do run it will be because I believe that the people deserve to have their voices heard, and that I would listen, I would hear, and I could help them be heard.
No it would not be an easy task, it seems to me nothing in life worth fighting for is easy. I believe that our Republic was built by patriots who believed the same thing. Having the odds stacked against me would be further proof that it would be a battle worth fighting. As Abraham Licoln said in 1839 ” The probability that we may fall in the struggle ought not deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just; it shall not deter me”
TimBen:
I really would like it if you won, but to keep my conscience clear I must say DON’T RUN!!! Here is the list of people I encouraged to run in local, hopeless races that broke their heart:
Joe Messina (twice)
Maria Gutzeit (though I told her to withdraw after I saw what was going on with Laurie Ender’s campaign)
Duane Harte
Robert Rodriguez
Mark Hershey
Jonathan Kraut
Too many souls on my conscience. DON’T RUN!!! The people now encouraging you to run may even give you the modest contribution limit, but NO ONE is going to fund a PAC with $80K to get you elected, and in case of emergency, Frank can always resort to the argument ending Buck McKeon endorsement.
Timmy,
I have watched the city council in action since its creation. The current sitting council has collectively upset a larger number of potential voters across this valley, than I have ever witnessed. Add to this the areas in our city that are not fairly represented, and that those voters may be tried of this fact, and you may find we have a different situation and attitude about voting. The old stand by promises made by the incumbents have not been realized and have become very old.
With this in mind, your numbers may have little meaning. And I hope they are wrong.
Petz is a TBB man! Does that change the math?
Cash:
Blah, blah, blah, blah. Two things. There is about a one in five chance of turning a potential voter into and actual voter. Second, people said exactly the same thing when the three incumbents were re-elected four years ago.
Petz;
I wish your enthusiasm could translate into votes, but in these dead dog local elections that just does not happen.
Petz says it’s better to die on your feet than live on your knees. TBB brought a unique perspective to the Council that questioned the status quo power structure. It earned him friends and enemies. We need some new thoughts and ideas and I’m going with TBB.
That is sure to make him think twice about climbing into the political arena.
Timmy,
The field was a joke, including some of the individuals you apparently encouraged to run. I watched the debates.
Most could hardly put two coherent sentences together. Blah , blah, blah describes their ability precisely.
Once again I remind you that your statistical approach is outdated, much like the Ford Explorer being the best selling SUV.
Cash:
Oh yes!!! The 500 people that watch or listen to the debates certainly make the decision on who wins and who loses!
Cash, every two years people say this time its different and predict some huge groundswell of turnout against the establishment. Well, I have waited fourteen years for this to happen and I will wait fourteen more.
Also, there are three “mays” in your assertion. Too many variables Cash!
Cash, most people do not know your actual identity so it’s fine for “Cash” to cross dress.
Timmy,
I use the word may because I do not want to come across as a pompous ass! You may want to consider the same approach.
I guess the answer is that a good candidates really must work hard to get their message out.
Reminder, things are much different today.
So Cash, you ARE running for City Council!
BR,
whatever gave you that idea? I suspect I will be supporting the same candidate as you!
THE same candidate?
Tim Myers!
A draft Tim Myers movement!
“If nominated I will not run. If elected I will not serve!”
Shades of LBJ . . .
I nominate Tim Myers to head a committee to discourage all candidates from running against the three incumbents. Wait a minute, he already has that job!
Bill:
I only discourage the ones I like. Are you running? Maybe you and Jim Farley can reprise the 25 minute YouTube videos you did against the Open Space Initiative?
I was going to run until you discouraged me….
Timmy, “If elected I will not serve!”
Hell Hubie the incumbents don’t serve us, so what is your problem?
I see you do not have many ladies posting so thought I would jump into the fray. I would like to see TimBen and others like him run for Council. I am tired of the same people ignoring the residents of Santa Clarita. We have every right to expect our elected officials to listen to our concerns and not make it extra difficult by changing Public Participation to the very end of Council meetings. Even Palmdale allows Public Comment at both the beginning and end of Council meetings. I get the distinct feeling they don’t want to be bothered with my concerns or yours. What arrogance!! So I say, get the bums out and bring in some new, passionate people to do the people’s business. Three seats are up for grabs. Vote!