Political Power Shifts Toward Environment

The perfect follow-up to Bill Nye, the Science Guy's simple Climate Change 101 video earlier today is offering some solutions.  We just so happen to have this in our new city mayor, deputy mayor and city council.  The KPBS article and radio file spells this out this week. Mayor Teresa Barth is quoted.

“I think that you will see us talking about more environmental issues,” she said, “more sustainability issues.”

The KPBS goes on to say:

One of the Encinitas councilmen who lost his seat was Jerome Stocks. Stocks was the city’s representative on SANDAG, San Diego’s regional planning board. Stocks served as the SANDAG chair and a spokesperson for the region’s 2050 regional transportation plan. That SANDAG plan was recently struck down in court for not meeting the state’s greenhouse gas reduction goals.

Barth said she plans to nominate political newcomer Lisa Shaffer to replace Stocks as the city's representative on the SANDAG board, and bring a more environmentally-friendly perspective to regional planning.

Shaffer, who was the top vote getter in the Encinitas City Council election, is an ethics teacher at UC San Diego's Rady School of Management and has worked with Scripps Institution of Oceanography, NASA and NOAA.

The Fool

Amongst Encinitas residents who follow the political realities of this city there are all kinds of speculation swirling about who the next mayor for 2013 will be.

Because we have a political climate unlike any we have seen before here, the allegory that comes to mind for this citizen is the tarot card, The Fool. This is when we step off into a new adventure with the sun behind us to light our path, carrying all we need with us, taking the steps which may be risky or appear to be.

Not actually knowing how to read tarot cards, the wikipedia gives boatloads of symbolism.  Tis the season of magical fantasy and belief systems, so this can be added to the mix. If you are part of the booga, booga Yoga-is-the-devil crew or war on xmas crowd you probably aren't reading this particular blog.

Back to the Mayor 2013 selection . . .  Encinitas Underground weighed in on this last week. The range of reactions in the thoughtful and the hateful comments prompted this notion of how fervently we each would like to control the outcome based on our own views. Some sounded like he or she was owed specifics. Others applauded wit and intelligence. The thing is, our representative democratic system is set up so that we vote and then we let these representatives step up and do the governing. We are vigilant, vocal and present and do what we can, but those five vote.

We can feel like we are in free fall, or like the Fool, we can take a kind of leap into the unknown (doubts yipping at our heels) and take the risk of trusting in this process. The sun is the bigger element than the cliff.  Because Jeebus, I'm sick of cliff as a metaphor.  Even in this allegory I choose to see it as illusion or perceived rather than real damn cliff. (My allegory = my rules.) The sun symbolizes the most important issue Teresa Barth has always promoted, open government and specifically the Sunshine Ordinance.

Councilwoman Barth is the most senior member of the council. Have we arrived at a place where we consider a person an expert on her own experiences? We can imagine she'd love to be mayor and so would the most vocal of us in the community and thousands more.  She has been passed over, marginalized, ignored, ambushed and maligned for six years by that other (now defeated) majority.  Community feelings are naturally really high and protecting her or promoting her is central.  We can trust her to know exactly what she feels is best for herself and the community. She's earned our trust countless times. Perfection isn't available to any on the council or the community.

For those who can't imagine anything right about Kristin Gaspar as Mayor, the big bright spotlight  shining on every aspect of her reign is a compelling argument. (See yesterday's Dracula Strategy.) Not just past actions are open to scrutiny.  Regardless of who's mayor we have a new council. Knowing Deputy Mayor Gaspar's facile arguments, crony scripts and happy talk can now be challenged by more than one voice is good.  Having a majority to vote against special interests or wasteful spending is good.

The following concept to embrace the negative came from a post yesterday, Screw Positive Thinking! Why Our Quest for Happiness is Making Us Miserable.

But many of the proponents of the “negative path” to happiness take things further still, arguing — paradoxically, but persuasively — that deliberately plunging more deeply into what we think of as negative may be a precondition of true happiness.

Perhaps the most vivid metaphor for this whole strange philosophy is a small children’s toy known as the “Chinese finger trap,” though the evidence suggests it is probably not Chinese in origin at all. In his office at the University of Nevada, the psychologist Steven Hayes, an outspoken critic of counterproductive positive thinking, keeps a box of them on his desk; he uses them to illustrate his arguments. The “trap” is a tube, made of thin strips of woven bamboo, with the opening at each end being roughly the size of a human finger. The unwitting victim is asked to insert his index fingers into the tube, then finds himself trapped: in reaction to his efforts to pull his fingers out again, the openings at each end of the tube constrict, gripping his fingers ever more tightly. The harder he pulls, the more decisively he is trapped. It is only by relaxing his efforts at escape, and by pushing his fingers further in, that he can widen the ends of the tube, whereupon it falls away, and he is free.

In the case of the Chinese finger trap, Hayes observes, “doing the presumably sensible thing is counterproductive.” Following the negative path to happiness is about doing the other thing — the presumably illogical thing — instead.

Love that concept and the post is highly recommended, like the Fool, "deliberately plunging more deeply into what we think of as negative may be a precondition of true happiness."

Just getting this far along the journey makes me happy.  If you're happy and you know it clap your hands.

Homeless Among Us

Update: Earlier I reported the CRC as the Del Mar event sponsor. From the Coast News,

"The Alliance for Regional Services (ARS), a collaboration of North County agencies and philanthropic organizations that combine resources to provide better services for the homeless at a cheaper cost, hosted the event for the second year in a row."

Councilwoman Barth and soon to be Councilwoman Shaffer are both involved in Community Resource Center (CRC) activities. Barth has put out a call to find volunteers for the Holiday basket effort and Shaffer just finished donating her campaign volunteers donations to CRC.  Today I read about the recent event at the Del Mar Fairground to provide services to the homeless.

The CRC is a part of countywide efforts to go beyond charity. From an article last May in NCT:  

"The group's main focus has been its winter homeless shelter program, but two weeks ago, alliance members held a workshop to expand its vision and mission.”

"How do we identify emerging needs and gaps in services, and create solutions for those?" Stump said the group also wants the alliance to be seen as an advocacy group for North County, becoming more strategic than reactive. “

At Our Mayor post, Hand Back the Keys to the Car, I wrote about public sentiment being likened to a thoughtless teenager, a brat when I read the article's comments.  It is time to bring humanity back into our common cultural language.  If we pay attention to the most vulnerable of our communities, we'll be able to identify and strengthen our resilience to the ongoing stresses for all: debt, disease, unemployment, mental health, family discord and political importance.

Bureau of Labor statistics (though somewhat improved) aren't that wonderful in this long-running recession looks particularly bad for marginalized voters of color, women and teenagers. Most everyone, whether well off or struggling, knows someone whether a relative, co-worker or friend who is in some dire straights.

As a community it would behoove us to bring this reality into our discussions of local economic transitions.  More minimum wage employment in national chain businesses are the death of communities.  How do we wean ourselves off this desperate dependency? It's not a simple answer because the old models are broken.

The following video via Treehugger is a brain tease and a design highlight in looking at commerce and storefront design much differently.

When Curro Claret was commissioned by Camper to redo one of their Barcelona shoe stores, he decided to let a group of people in risk of social exclusion have a go at it. The result of this open design project is a very positive one. Together with Arrels Fundació, Curro Claret and the group of ex-homeless people designed and built a new shop interior almost exclusively from recycled materials.

.

Henri - Politique

Back by popular demand . . .

Councilwoman Barth with constituent cat.

Kook Gathering of Waving Supporters

Tony Kranz was out and about this week with Lisa Shaffer at meet and greets.  These 2 candidates have been going non-stop.  While in Cardiff on Friday Tony let interested people know that sign waving was going to be happening on Saturday.

Well, Saturday was a gorgeous day and a whole crowd showed up - working to perfect their "wave" routine at the foot of the Kook statue.  Honking brought the expected grins and cheers. The dozens of bikes clubs and crowds walking along 101 were especially fun.

Tomorrow morning and afternoon there will be supporters for Shaffer and Kranz on busy commute routes. See you there!

Along with candidates Shaffer and Kranz, Councilwoman Barth was again waving a giant hand at the people in traffic. The Kook location, her recommendation (Good idea) as she and her husband, Don, are proud of the Cardiffian community character.  Community character has grown in framing what is most important in this election.  Images below from Barths FB page.

5 Distinctly Different Council Members = No on K

North Coast Current Online, 10/31/12 

Councilwoman Teresa Barth

Proposition K – Shall the voters of the city of Encinitas directly elect a mayor and four City Council members? Sounds like a great idea. But is it?

Most cities have a directly elected mayor. I would argue that Encinitas is not like most cities. Twenty-five years ago, residents of five very different communities came together to protect the unique character of each area from the over-development zeal of the then county Board of Supervisors. They came together not to be the same but to maintain their differences. Just as they saw Encinitas as a coalition of communities, they wanted the council to be a collaboration of diverse opinions and perspectives. 

Unfortunately, over the years partisan politics slipped into the process of the annual selection of mayor and deputy mayor. Individual council members have seen their role as one of power assuming greater authority for themselves and those who support them. 

The impartial analysis included in the ballot statement describes the duties as established by “custom and practice” and performance of certain ceremonial functions. It makes the position of mayor sound as though it’s really not very important. 

Currently, the “custom and practice” actually includes some very important duties. The mayor and city manager determine the council agenda, providing the mayor an opportunity to prevent some issues from coming to the council and to promote his/her pet projects. The mayor makes appointments to regional and state boards, chairs the city’s Housing Authority, the Encinitas Financing Authority and is the city’s representative to the League of California Cities. The mayor is the spokesperson for the city to the media. 

The solution is not to create a new, more powerful and potentially expensive position that will open the door even wider for special interest money to influence local politics. The answer is simple. Codify a rotation system to take the petty politics out of the process. This will create certainty not only for the council members but for the public and the city staff as well. 

I believe this will set a positive tone sending a clear message that the council is working together in the best interest of the city, not their own personal agendas. 

Join me in voting no on Prop. K. 

Teresa Arballo Barth is an Encinitas City Councilwoman

Please visit North Coast Current and view all the posts.  We can't have enough independent news sources in our community.

Stolen Moments: Spotted at Cafe Ipe

Teresa Barth takes a coffee break during campaign. 

Tell-A-Vision: Encinitas Sees Us

Here is a vision for tomorrow.  No, really, tomorrow as in Wednesday, October 24th, the last Encinitas City Council Meeting before the election for a new city council.  Even though activists are usually working on researching the agenda packet to be prepared to speak, another approach just might be timely.

What about our preferred council candidates Lisa Shaffer and Tony Kranz speaking at Oral Communications about the overwhelming support for change in the council members?  After more than a year of meet-ups, events, canvassing, flyer handouts and campaign writing, filming and every day spontaneous testimonials from voters - they have so many stories to tell.  Picture council commissions filled with some of the best-qualified and most council interactive dialogs.

Similarly, our regular council-viewing community have their own stories from others to share.  In three minutes each can give the idea of the sheer numbers of people contacted listened to, written about and befriended during this election year.

See, the council majority has proven over the last 12 years that Jerome Stocks is not only immune to fact-based criticism, he thrives on retaliation and revenge. Muir is the weighted right hand and Bond is over.  Without these players, Gaspar is . . . alone and pettiness or petulance won't be indulged.

What about describing the long silenced minority running the show? Give examples of innovative ideas - like bioremediation of the contaminated soils - and how a transparent, interested council might treat the subject.  Share your daydream of how the city manager might be effective in removing obstacles and challenging the staff to provide more and better support.

How would a council without fear of public discussion of financial strategies and risks envisioned to move back room, highly complex subjects into a series of intelligible forums. There are so many business friendly ideas and insights Lisa and Tony have to share.

All kinds of people have stories they've gathered of an active general population craving more support for walkable streets, more open space enhancement, community gardens, healthy air / oceans / wetlands and our urban forest.  Just standing and reciting lists of things like this - with a big broad smile (and maybe even a blub or two) would bring a glad hearted feeling to the many, many people who are watching from home.

Oh, and what fantastic clips my dears.

Scientists! Not Just FIRE (Financial, Insurance, Real Estate)

Our community is filled with scientists, with many being internationally recognized leaders in their respective fields.  Most often this rich resource is not utilized by the Encinitas council majority, city manager, city attorney and city staff.  Councilwoman Teresa Barth has long made this point.  This is all going to change with a new city council made up of curious, engaging and open minds.

During this campaign, both Lisa Shaffer and Tony Kranz have made it a priority to engage this resource of expertise and international experience for the benefit of the community. Having the benefit of Shaffer's own credentials in the scientific community are part of this opportunity. Of course, simply having scientific knowledge doesn't necessarily ensure there is no controversy.  In fact, the scientific method demands testing, challenging and pushing the limits.  Our city government is not so fragile it cannot tolerate pushing the boundaries of the status quo and the outdated or no longer valid assumptions.

At the last city council meeting, Oct. 10 the agenda held the long awaited visitation by the San Diego Department of Environmental Health.  One of the key issues requested by Russell Levan and Teresa Barth 10 months ago was a full staff report on bioremediation of contaminated florist nursery soils so prevalent in Encinitas.  

Sadly, the presentation, council deliberations and vote were tightly bound to the Hall Property timeline and budget questions.   

Nonetheless, Councilwoman Barth tenaciously confronted all of the negatives, stressed the continuous improvement and the future freedom of healthy soils demanding no monitoring or maintenance.  She needs to be supported by more voices and votes on the dais with reality of nature as a focus rather than simply Realty®.

Month after month Russell Levan spoke up to the council and asked that this environmentally friendly approach to cleaning the soils of corrupted agricultural land be agendized and discussed openly.  He got part of his request. 

For those interested - Paul Stamets' TEDtalk on 6 ways mushrooms can save the world.

Diversity in our community's makeup could stand this healthy, real attention.  The scientists are just one group that have as much value as the short term thinking and fixation on risk, fiscal outcomes through commercial, insurance, development and real estate.  This latter group and financial criteria, risk factors have been the only framework to judge any and all deliberations.  Don't take our word for it, watch clips and check out the posts.  

SANDAG Workshop

Shaffer snapshot of Barth by the flag.

Councilwoman Teresa Barth and Lisa Shaffer attended SANDAG's event on Friday. There were 6 people from Encinitas total. Mayor Stocks (SANDAG chairman) was a no-show, as was the rest of the Encinitas city council or any other city council candidate in the upcoming election.

Barth was promoting participation and linking to the story in her newsletter, Facebook and emails. The themes are those of highest interest to Encinitas citizens.

"SANDAG is seeking the public’s input on everything from affordable housing to public health, transportation, economic prosperity, social equity and environmental sustainability as it combines two large regional blueprints into one. 

Those two documents are the Regional Comprehensive Plan and the Regional Transportation Plan. The first provides incentives to steer growth toward areas with existing roads, transit and other infrastructure. 

The second outlines more than $200 billion of mass transit, road and freeway improvements scheduled over the next four decades."

Scheduling a meeting for public feedback on a Friday morning is typical of big expensive projects that require public input by law.  Working people will not be there.  Period. At least we can count on Lisa Shaffer and Teresa Barth freely sharing what they learned, what they contributed at this event.

Updated at 11:40 am to acknowlege the other Encinitas participants.

Agenda Tyranny

"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds." ~ Samuel Adams

When the city manager cancelled this week's regularly scheduled city council meeting, it created ripples throughout the community of involved citizens.  As the election approaches a growing number of voters are becoming attuned to what is going on at city hall.  They want to witness how this council majority and the mayor behave as public servants.

The reason given by Gus Vina, city manager, through his secretary/ personal assistant, was that there weren't agenda items.  What a coincidence that city council candidate Lisa Shaffer had just 3 weeks prior recommended that each agenda should contain a running list of requested agenda items that hadn't yet been scheduled. Of course her request was ignored. She'll need to get elected to incorporate this good suggestion.

This means the community must cull through the records to figure out what is being ignored.

Agenda Tyranny is the name given the great struggle citizens took on as the council majority re-wrote the council policies over time to require a 3 person vote to place something on the agenda. Over a series of meetings, public speakers rose to protest and question during oral communications and in January 2011 when this was placed on the agenda. What follows are some of the key arguments that shouldn't be lost amongst the 400 video clips or hundreds of hours of video archives on the city website.

First Jerome Stocks sneers at the notion of a minority request with a sarcastic motion. Bond is amused.

Teresa Barth not only clarifies the isssue of marginalizing the public, she adds an important time limit (that got cut), makes agenda requests on the spot, gives substantive answers to Jim Bond's grilling just before he cuts her off for responding too completly (?), correcting more Bond misrepresentation and more.

There are so many good public speakers, but this personal favorite is a man new to council meetings who called Jim Bond on his deliberate obfuscations. He spouts Brown Act and his all time favorite revisionist history anecdotes to wear down opposition. It just didn't work and he just keeps digging - as is his habit.



The council majority really seems to believe that if they are okay with a decision they don't have any obligation to listen to or acknowledge another perspective. Jim Bond only has 3 more meetings regardless of this election's outcome, so there's something this writer will celebrate.

Don't Be Fooled By Deceptive Slate Mailers

"Thought You Might Like To Know" newsletter by Teresa Barth held the following today. (To get a newsletter each week, click here.)

By now your mail box has already been flooded with campaign literature. Mixed in with the glossy flyers are slate mailers.

Slate mailers are for-profit state-wide businesses with no official association with political parties or interest groups. They are regulated by the California Fair Political Practices Commission and must disclose payments made and received in connection with the production of slate mailers.

These businesses operate under trustworthy sounding names such as Voter Education Group, California Public Safety, COPS Voter Guide, Save Prop 13, Democratic Voters Choice, Continuing the Republican Revolution, Budget Watchdog, California Vote Green or Woman's Voice.

The names are chosen specifically to imply affiliation with or endorsement by established organizations. A number of slate mailer companies use the same return address. California Voter Guide and Budget Watchdog use the same Torrance address. Save Prop 13, California Public Safety and Woman's Voice use the same address in Laguna Niguel.

Legitimate political parties and organizations do send out slate mailers. The candidates listed on these mailers are vetted through an interview process and have earned the endorsement.

So how do you tell the difference? Like everything else....read the fine print. In the smallest print size allowed, you will see a disclaimer statement that "Appearance is paid for and authorized by each candidate and ballot measure which is designated by an *" (asterisk). Those candidates without an asterisk didn't pay to be listed and probably didn't even authorize the use of their name and photo. They were included to give the mailer a look of legitimacy.

Slate mailer companies are also used by various individuals to send out last minute "hit pieces" on candidates. By using a slate mailer the actual contributors can remain unknown until after the election when the contribution reports are filed with the FPPC. These companies also provide a means for contributors to, legally and illegally, circumvent local campaign contribution limits.

In the 2010 election, the Voter Education Group sent out a mailer endorsing candidates Kristin Gaspar and Dan Dalager and blasting me. The group was later fined more than $110,000 by the FPPC for various state-wide financial reporting violations.

It's not illegal to pay for a slate mailer endorsement but is it ethical?

Don't be fooled. Do what I do...toss them in the recycle bin.

A Law We Don't Need

Where on earth did the city find this ancient purveyor of doom, gloom and dire risk? This codger came up with all the words the staff provided in the recommendation. The marathon city council meeting last night wrapped up before midnight with this useless agenda item: Recommendation from City Council Subcommittee on revisions to banners over Public Right-of-Way Program. 

The only thing worth waiting for was hearing truth from public speakers in this nine month delusional obsession of the mayor and majority to justify being - mean and uncaring towards Maggie Houlihan at her death and at every step along the way in rationalizing their behavior. It is sick-making but will have to come back one more time according to Glenn Sabine.  These are the clips to be proud of though. And congratulations to Teresa Barth and the speakers for getting much of the needless verbiage tossed out.

Note: You'll need to turn up volume on most of these.

 The nine months of wasting the taxpayers time, energy, money and good will is spelled out in this week's Myths Encinitas at Our Mayor.  Even if you disagree with the narrative, the actual council clips - accusations, outbursts, denials, truthiness and all - are within the actual footage.  We also link to the news articles and blog post comments. Judge for yourself.

Lagoon Nature Center Tribute to Pam Slater-Price

I was with a big group of people who paid tribute to Pam Slater-Price today at the San Elijo Lagoon Nature Center, a facility she played a big part in getting built. Pam has endorsed Dave Roberts to replace her on the County Board of Supervisors, and I'm going to follow her lead. Dave will represent us well. ~Tony Kranz

Good Times - Good People

Lisa Shaffer, Teresa Barth and Tony Kranz have captured a lot of hearts hoping for so much better for Encinitas.  Today was the Kranz family celebration of three generation of deep roots in the community.  They invited one and all to join them at Cardiff Park, and to share stories, games and food.

A while back there were several other events with good photos that never got posted. Like the event supporting Dave Roberts last week.

Or the Senior Center Spaghetti Dinner where Lisa Shaffer snapped this great shot of Teresa Barth serving with a smile.

Putting on the Big Show

In the hot mess that was this last meeting on Aug. 22, 2012, Councilwoman Kristin Gaspar and Councilman James Bond treated their position on the City Council with all the decorum (ahem) of 19th century carnival barkers. They treated the justice system, specifically the Grand Jury, like a freak show. And, if Gaspar was speaking truth and she doesn't know how the Grand Jury works, it could be even more creepy.

Mayor Stocks laughed out loudly when earlier Bond rumbled his snappy put down aimed squarely at the late Councilwoman Maggie Houlihan's husband. Jerkism hardy har har! He's a jerk for having threatened to sue the city. This is a council majority that closes all doors and forces citizens to sue to be heard and then calls them a name.

Gratefully Teresa Barth is not amused.  She's well known for the using the Thomas Jefferson quote in her communications, "We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate."  For her this means knowing the facts before opening your mouth and not treating the dais as a carnival sideshow or self-promoting infomercial selling party lines or revising history.

And here is a friendly reminder, please remember to specifically exclude Teresa Barth in accusations that belong in the laps of the council super majority.  It is difficult enough for our councilwoman to try a separate herself from this majority carnival gang, make her points, get on the record, remain civil, go above and beyond with outreach, homework and civic participation.  Remember, it is mostly just about being deliberate in your phrasing (council MAJORITY, not just council). To be lumped with the others must be extremely disheartening if not irritating.

In the final portion when future agenda items were requested, Mark Muir asked about the Economic Development Corporation being placed on the agenda, specifically the North County Economic group. Teresa Barth asks if this is related to the Supervisor Bill Horn project. Stocksplaining, the mayor assures her and all of us poor rubes, no.

Barth may well be correct in her assumption. The non-profit San Diego North Economic Development Council "has used the taxpayer grants to coordinate Prosperity on Purpose."  This Bill Horn pet project is right up Jerome's alley, no transparency and funneling tax money to developers. NCT article on this is titled, "Questions raised about supervisor-backed Properity on Purpose".


Editor Note because respect is respect: Frank Zaitshik, who runs Wade Shows, a carnival business with over 100 amusement rides and attractions that entertains over 15 million people each year speaks about Carnival Barker terminology. Zaitshik, a second generation carnival worker -- a term he prefers to the word "carny," which is some used as a pejorative. He says he has spent much of his life battling negative stereotypes about his industry. 

The reference to 'carnival barkers' and 'sideshows' is really a thing of the past. "It's not like the olden days. The carnival industry has modernized and is more high-tech. In fact, there are very few barkers or sideshows these days."

Environment: Who Is Listening? Who Isn't?

Councilwoman Barth hit it on the head yesterday with this cartoon on her Facebook page saying,

"I thought of this cartoon at last nights council meeting when the Deputy Mayor said she never had an Encinitas resident tell her they support "these sustainable living concepts". I guess she hasn't been listening!"

EYNU Editor:

Councilwoman Barth takes the high road and doesn't do more than a mild rebuke to Gaspar and her peers who treated this Beacon Award with such disdain.

Convesely, we would add something stronger. Deputy Mayor Gaspar did a real disservice by not correcting the false information and in fact adding her own misinformation.

This is the stuff of crazy uncles emails filled with capital letters and exclamation points. Or is it?  In fact it isn't from citizen's groups at all. It is highly coordinated astroturf to frighten white suburbanites and create paranoia.

"Bike lanes, transit and higher density are evil because they give people alternatives to cars, and that can never happen in America." 

Fundamentally, that is what is happening here. Big Oil is paying for CFACT and either directly or indirectly the fight against Agenda 21; The Kochs are promoting it like mad, right across the country. Same big companies, same reason: to keep America in its happy motoring ways, to make any alternative just about impossible. And that is how we have to paint them: not concerned citizens worried about the United Nations, but representatives of big oil out to preserve their turf.

In practical terms some will never be able to hear the facts of who is paying for this and their financial stakes.  Passion and groupthink can swamp judgement (and that is counted on by these groups).  But it is completely unacceptable for a public servant like Kristin Gaspar to claim support of environmental goals on the one hand and promote lies regarding sustainability on the other.

Thank You from Lisa Shaffer, from Teresa Barth

Update below . . .
"Tonight's City Council meeting went past 11:00 pm but it showed the potential for good governance. With 30 public speakers, all in agreement, the Council upheld an appeal from Crest Drive to use common sense and respect for the beauty and uniqueness of the community instead of blindly applying inappropriate and destructive city ordinances."

"Power to the People, where it should belong! Thanks to everyone who took the time to speak." [editor emphasis]

Councilwoman Teresa Barth had this exchange with Shaffer,

"Lisa thanks for staying for the entire council meeting. You have the right stuff!"

Shaffer replied, "Thanks. I also chose not to take time to make statements on the various agenda items in light of the number of other speakers. Clearly there are opportunities to bring the staff and their "customer service" training into closer alignment with the citizens they purport to serve..."

Note: The many new faces and fine speakers from the Crest Drive neighborhood who spoke at this Wed., August 15 council meeting will be captured in video clips and available later today.

Update: Most public speakers for the Crest Drive appeal have been captured in video clips now posted on encinitasyouneedus YouTube Channel.

Councilwoman Barth's Letter to the Editor

I have long been a champion of Open Government and the Peoples Right to Know. I also believe government should welcome the public’s participation in the decision making process.

In California, the cornerstone of openness and transparency in government is the Brown Act. This is the state’s open meeting law that requires local governments to prepare and post agendas for public meetings and disclose decisions made in closed meetings. Because these requirements are considered to be a state mandate the state must reimburse the cities, counties and other agencies for the costs associated with these requirements

When the state budget was adopted, the money to reimburse those costs was cut from the budget. By suspending the mandate, the state also suspended the requirement to continue posting public meeting agendas.

Without public notice of where and when meetings are scheduled and what business is to be addressed the public is shut out of the decision making process. Furthermore, actions taken in closed sessions may never be revealed to the public.

In such cases the public will have no basis for challenging the secrecy and no remedy for correcting it.

That is why I requested that this issue be placed on the August 15 council agenda, the first meeting after the summer recess, to ensure that in Encinitas, the Brown Act requirements and all legal remedies will be enforced. [ed. bold]

It is critical that the City of Encinitas send a clear message to the citizens that we value open government and public participation. I believe the city council will agree and will join other cities in reaffirming our support for the agenda and disclosure requirements.

Show your support for open government by contacting the city council and let them know you want the city to continue with the current Brown Act posting and action disclosure requirements and their enforceability by any of the judicial remedies provided in the Brown Act.

You can also help to ensure a permanent, statewide solution. Senator Leland Yee’s Senate Constitutional Amendment (SCA) 7 would place on the statewide ballot a simple constitutional requirement: “Each public body shall provide public notice of its meetings and shall publicly disclose any action taken.” If approved by the voters, it becomes the law and could not be “suspended” again without a vote of the public.

However, this bill is stuck in the Appropriations Committee. Contact Assemblymember Fuentes, Chair of the Assembly Appropriations Committee and Speaker of the Assembly John Perez and let them know you want SCA 7 (Yee) released from the Appropriations Committee suspense file and to allow the bill to go to the full assembly for a vote.

Hon. Felipe Fuentes (Chair) Email assemblymember.fuentes@assembly.ca.gov
Hon. John A. Pérez (Assembly Speaker) Email speaker.perez@assembly.ca.gov


Teresa Arballo Barth
Councilwoman
City of Encinitas

Reminder: Bike to Work May 18, 2012

Just what's needed after Wednesday night council meeting? How about a bike ride to a Thursday morning Yoga workout? Councilwoman Teresa Barth's routine being scrutinized during National Bike Month of May.

It is one thing to talk about the environment, purchase a bunch of "green" products or proselytize about a small carbon footprint. It is quite another to live what you believe with a sense of humor and some tolerance too.

Here's hoping everyone who rides a bike to work tomorrow has a good time doing it. Remember when you were a kid and you were your very own engine.

Update: Nothing on the city website for the Bike to Work Day.

But Teresa Barth passed along this map link and website link.

Bike to Work Pit Stops

El Camino Bike Shop
121 N. El Camino Real, Suite A, Encinitas, CA 92024.

We are a full service bike shop. Our pit stop will be open 6 a.m. to 12 p.m. Besides the morning shift, our pit stop will have a second afternoon shift from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

REI ‐ Encinitas 1590 Leucadia Blvd. Encinitas 92024.

Our bike tech at this pit stop will be happy to help lube chains, fix flats, help fit your bike properly to you and make any other adjustments needed to get you back on the road safe and comfortable! Our pit stop will be open 6 a.m. to 12 p.m.

RIDE Cyclery – Encinitas with Equinox Center In front of our store on the 559 S. Coast Highway 101 in Downtown Encinitas