Life after the election
A City Council election should focus on the future, with an array of knowledgeable candidates explaining in some detail their visions for Yorba Linda in the coming years.
But sadly, the June 5 contest to fill a vacant seat on the city’s five-member governing body is often mired in the past, with two former council members spending too much time sniping at each other’s prior city service.
Perhaps only the candidates and their most passionate supporters fail to recognize that past alliances, long-held grievances and unhealed wounds are driving the current battle for votes.
Certainly, there’s much to criticize about Hank Wedaa’s 28 years and Keri Wilson’s four years at the dais, and each camp is spending plenty to publicize their opponent’s real or imagined faults.
Residents frequently are reminded of the oil industry money Wedaa raised for his 1990 campaign and his reputation for tough talk and political gamesmanship.
Voters also are asked to recall developer and builder-related donations to Wilson’s 2002 campaign and her past support of possible eminent domain use in Old Town.
Wedaa’s strong opposition to term limits and Wilson’s signature on a developer-funded letter to residents supporting Town Center zoning changes are among other issues.
Naturally, all campaigns claim to deal only in facts, but candidates and supporters often exaggerate key elements of past events.
For example, Wilson opponents say she was overwhelmingly defeated for re-election “by more than 3,000 votes” last year. Actually, she needed only 1,456 more votes to top John Anderson, and if 729 Anderson votes were cast for Wilson instead, she’d still hold office.
And Wilson’s web posting of one of my past columns noting Wedaa admitted writing an unsigned newspaper ad attacking Wilson morphed into a recent Wilson mailer claiming Wedaa was “forced to admit” the deed. Actually, Wedaa readily acknowledged his role.
Of course, because of all the attacks and counterattacks, voters might be looking for an alternative, and they could respond favorably to the low-budget, self-financed campaign run by recent resident and ballot newcomer Victoria Gulickson.
But how do candidates expect to govern effectively after running campaigns that divide the community and consist of so many negative comments about their opponents and the residents who support them?
They should remember that after the election, they’re supposed to represent a citywide constituency that includes supporters and opponents.
A FINAL NOTE
The election has drawn the attention of longtime Wedaa nemesis John Gullixson, a developer-friendly three-term councilman who left Yorba Linda for a more rural, low-density lifestyle in Plumas County.
I e-mailed Gullixson to ask if he was involved with an anonymous blog that popped up last month, and he answered with a phone call recounting events that led him to believe Wedaa is “less than standup.”
Gullixson then sent an e-mail detailing one of his stories to the unsigned blog and me. I guess it’s too hard for a political junkie like Gullixson to retire gracefully from the field.
But sadly, the June 5 contest to fill a vacant seat on the city’s five-member governing body is often mired in the past, with two former council members spending too much time sniping at each other’s prior city service.
Perhaps only the candidates and their most passionate supporters fail to recognize that past alliances, long-held grievances and unhealed wounds are driving the current battle for votes.
Certainly, there’s much to criticize about Hank Wedaa’s 28 years and Keri Wilson’s four years at the dais, and each camp is spending plenty to publicize their opponent’s real or imagined faults.
Residents frequently are reminded of the oil industry money Wedaa raised for his 1990 campaign and his reputation for tough talk and political gamesmanship.
Voters also are asked to recall developer and builder-related donations to Wilson’s 2002 campaign and her past support of possible eminent domain use in Old Town.
Wedaa’s strong opposition to term limits and Wilson’s signature on a developer-funded letter to residents supporting Town Center zoning changes are among other issues.
Naturally, all campaigns claim to deal only in facts, but candidates and supporters often exaggerate key elements of past events.
For example, Wilson opponents say she was overwhelmingly defeated for re-election “by more than 3,000 votes” last year. Actually, she needed only 1,456 more votes to top John Anderson, and if 729 Anderson votes were cast for Wilson instead, she’d still hold office.
And Wilson’s web posting of one of my past columns noting Wedaa admitted writing an unsigned newspaper ad attacking Wilson morphed into a recent Wilson mailer claiming Wedaa was “forced to admit” the deed. Actually, Wedaa readily acknowledged his role.
Of course, because of all the attacks and counterattacks, voters might be looking for an alternative, and they could respond favorably to the low-budget, self-financed campaign run by recent resident and ballot newcomer Victoria Gulickson.
But how do candidates expect to govern effectively after running campaigns that divide the community and consist of so many negative comments about their opponents and the residents who support them?
They should remember that after the election, they’re supposed to represent a citywide constituency that includes supporters and opponents.
A FINAL NOTE
The election has drawn the attention of longtime Wedaa nemesis John Gullixson, a developer-friendly three-term councilman who left Yorba Linda for a more rural, low-density lifestyle in Plumas County.
I e-mailed Gullixson to ask if he was involved with an anonymous blog that popped up last month, and he answered with a phone call recounting events that led him to believe Wedaa is “less than standup.”
Gullixson then sent an e-mail detailing one of his stories to the unsigned blog and me. I guess it’s too hard for a political junkie like Gullixson to retire gracefully from the field.
posted by Jim Drummond at 12:00 PM
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