December 8, 2009 – Daily Brief

Written by Jeff on December 8th, 2009

Hart District says it will have to make $13.5 million in cuts for the 2011-2012 school year and is considering shortening the school year by a full week. It is also mulling over the creation of a non-profit entity “to pay for academic programs” and/or a property tax increase SIGNAL
10 year old Magic Mountain Animal Farm closes leaving goats, pigs, and other farm animals homeless. Fortunately local rescues stepped up. “We hope this will be the last animal farm there,” one rescuer told the SIGNAL
Grapevine closed this morning, according to the LA Times. Temperatures last night dipped into the twenties if the weather gauges at WUNDERGOUND are correct
Congressman McKeon, among others, will question Gen. McChyrstal today about his Afghanistan strategy. He’s also curious about how many soldiers and marines McChyrstal requested from the president REUTERS
33 year old Saugus woman kidnapped, driven around the forest for a few hours by a man she was dating. She screamed for help once in the SFV and the LAPD saved her. The man faces kidnapping charges SIGNAL
New drone aircraft to patrol Florida straight and California/Mexico maritime border in search of drug runners LA TIMES
There will be a new Santa Clarita Mayor tonight prior to the City Council meeting CITY BRIEFS
Attention all purse snatchers: This is how we deal with you in the SCV! Nice work SIGNAL
Letter writer says low voter turnout in SCV is “shameful.” Not according to Frank Ferry. He thinks low voter turnout is swell, a reflection of competent elected leadership SIGNAL

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32 Comments so far ↓

IHeartSCV says:

December 8, 2009 at 9:58 am

RE: “Shameful” low voter turn-out

I’m actually siding more and more with Ferry on this one. I can see a few occasions during which one should vote just to vote:
1. If you just won suffrage (to properly embrace your new right)
2. If you’re ever planning to run for office and need to show consistent voting in every election (unlike Meg Whitman, with her rather desultory pattern of voting–but I still like her)
3. If you have co-workers or family members who are rabidly political so you can get an “I VOTED” sticker and they won’t harass you about not voting.

Otherwise, I think people should only vote when they know about the candidates and issues.
mike c says:

December 8, 2009 at 10:05 am

It will be interesting to see who the new Mayor Pro-Tem is…
Berta González-Harper says:

December 8, 2009 at 10:12 am

Do you think the budget cut issues will provide another excuse/reason for the Hart District to delay building a long promised Castaic High School?
When you factor in recent bonds etc, raising extra taxes for schools is a tough sell in this economy.
Timothy Myers says:

December 8, 2009 at 10:19 am

IHeart:

I agree. Now that we can demonstrably prove that 25% of the existing voters have no idea what is going on other than what they see on the ballot, the last thing we need is a whole slew of MORE uninformed voters.
Timothy Myers says:

December 8, 2009 at 10:21 am

IHeart and MikeC:

I assume that Laurene Weste will move up to the mayor’s slot from Pro-Tem. When the incumbents are cooperating they generally want to give the Mayor slot to the incumbent seen as most vulnerable in the election, to give them a bit of extra lift by additng Mayor to their ballot designation.
NickelDime says:

December 8, 2009 at 10:25 am

Jeff,

I think you’re misrepresenting what happened @ Six Flags. According to the article, the shelters were quite happy the animals are no longer “for entertainment purposes” and that Six Flags “did the right thing.”

Yes, the shelters hope “this will be the last animal farm there” but not because Six Flags ditched the animals — in fact, it looks like they matched each animal with an appropriate shelter.

Interesting tie-in to voter apathy — the masses just read the byline and skip the meat. Nuance is everything.
Timothy Myers says:

December 8, 2009 at 10:25 am

On the Hart District:

Look for a parcel tax in the future. This is how the OC schools have kept their revenue base up and statewide this year 36 out of 54 parcel tax initiatives have been passed by the voters.

The fundraising foundation is a joke right now because no one is feeling very flush, and those can never raise the millions that are needed anyway.
mike c says:

December 8, 2009 at 10:39 am

Tim,

Just wondering who the next Mayor Pro Tem is going to be McLean, Kellar or Ender?
Timothy Myers says:

December 8, 2009 at 10:48 am

On Pro-Tem:

Kellar, so he will be Mayor when he retires from the council. Next year it will be Ender so she can be Mayor in 2012 to secure her incumbency.
Valencia Joe says:

December 8, 2009 at 12:11 pm

Has McClean ever been appointed Mayor? Did I miss it?
mike says:

December 8, 2009 at 12:21 pm

2007, maybe before as well.
Timothy Myers says:

December 8, 2009 at 12:43 pm

Valencia Joe:

There was a slight McLean controversy. When she was Pro Tem they gave the Mayor’s gavel to Cameron Smyth because he was running for the Assembly to help him in that endeavor. (She got to be Mayor next.)

Go back in the not too distant archives and the Council voted 3-2 to make someone else Mayor when it was Jill Klajic’s “turn.” (Her term was expiring that year.) It was seen by many as a JoAnn Darcy double cross and paper weights were allegedly thrown in the meeting. Klajic ended up deciding not to run for reelection and moved up to Sonoma County.

There was probably a valid reason for denying it to Klajic because she had a bad habit of writing rogue letters on Council stationery, including a rumored letter to Princess Cruises that it would be a terrible idea to move their headquarters to Valencia and an actual letter to some transportation folks at the federal and state level stating that no cross valley connector was needed. With the Mayor’s stationery she might have declared war on somebody!
Valencia Joe says:

December 8, 2009 at 1:28 pm

Tim –

Thanks for the clarification. I remember that situation that McLean was passed over to give Smyth the “title” of Mayor so that he can bolster his chances.

Also, thanks for refreshing my memory of Klajic. Totally forgot about her and those letters that she wrote.
navigator says:

December 8, 2009 at 2:02 pm

“Just wondering who the next Mayor Pro Tem is going to be McLean, Kellar or Ender?”

Wasn’t Kellar mayor the last time he ran, 2 years ago? That would put Ender is the pro-tem seat next year if all goes according to plan.
mike c says:

December 8, 2009 at 2:18 pm

Per Tim’s response Kellar is going to be Mayor Pro tem for 2010 and will be Mayor in 2011, with Ender being Mayor Pro Tem in 2011 and being Mayor in 2012. I don’t see how Kellar retires as Mayor if he mayor during 2010, since his term expires in 2012.
navigator says:

December 8, 2009 at 2:49 pm

My thoughts exactly mike c. I think it will be Ender then Kellar rather than the other way round.
Timothy Myers says:

December 8, 2009 at 2:52 pm

Valencia Joe:

A humorous side note. I had a friend and co-worker who decided he needed to become more knowledgeable about local goings on so he subscribed to the Signal and the FIRST story he reads is about paperweights flying in the council chambers over a double cross.

He said he was happier when he was ignorant of local goings on,
Timothy Myers says:

December 8, 2009 at 2:53 pm

Mike C and navigator:

Kellar Protem in 2010, Mayor in 2011, steps off the council in April 2012.

Ender Pro-Tem in 2011, runs for reelection AS Mayor in 2012.
Timothy Myers says:

December 8, 2009 at 2:54 pm

Jeff:

I don’t think people liked that either.
Publius says:

December 8, 2009 at 4:11 pm

Kellar is not running for re-election.
Timothy Myers says:

December 8, 2009 at 4:20 pm

Publius:

Exactly. So he can be Mayor Protem in 2010 and be Mayor in 2011, leaving the council in 2012.
Jane says:

December 8, 2009 at 5:43 pm

Every time I read about our council I get heartburn. Are there really not five intelligent, competent people who can do this job with no strings attached? Even good people seem to become encumbered by the power brokers and money people.
Timothy Myers says:

December 8, 2009 at 6:09 pm

Jane:

What you are very other complainer is saying is “Are there really not five intelligent, competent people who can do everything that I agree with!”
Annette says:

December 8, 2009 at 6:35 pm

It’s McLean as Mayor Protem!
Timothy Myers says:

December 8, 2009 at 6:45 pm

Annette:

So now McLean will put Mayor ProTem on her ballot designation and half the voters will think that is the same as Mayor, or maybe even better since it has the Latin!!
Annette says:

December 8, 2009 at 7:18 pm

Timothy,

The assumption that Mayor Pro Tem Laurene Weste would become Mayor was not rocket science, so you were safe there. Mayor Pro Tems usually do move up to Mayor.

However, your calculation that Keller would become Mayor Pro Tem were mis-calculated.Ohhh Nooo!

You see there can be variance to any predictions/caculations!

Let’s see if the “people” of Santa Clarita will change the face of the council in 2010 or if the (following quote taken from Westranchbeacon.com)
“local jackals from making clandestine threats in order to maintain some kind of control.”
still holds true.

Good call Navigator and Mike C.
Annette says:

December 8, 2009 at 7:22 pm

Just more of the GOBN working on the set up for council elections!
John Adams says:

December 9, 2009 at 8:20 am

Looks like jeff feels the best way to address problems is ignore them. Grow a spine
SCVFan says:

December 9, 2009 at 9:26 am

Oh Dear Lord we are in trouble!
Jane says:

December 9, 2009 at 1:26 pm

Timothy – No, I would like to have people who work for the good of all in the city, not just the car dealers, realtors, and folks who want city contracts.
navigator says:

December 10, 2009 at 1:31 pm

Annette says: December 8, 2009 at 6:35 pm It’s McLean as Mayor Protem!

YOU CHEATED ANNETTE!
Annette says:

December 10, 2009 at 8:55 pm

Navigator

I know
I should have been watching something interesting on the boob tube.

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December 8, 2009 – Daily Brief

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