Could City Council's Arizona support influence election?
Now that the dust has settled a bit, let’s examine the impact of the City Council proclamation supporting the new Arizona law enabling that state’s police officers to enforce federal immigration law on the upcoming election for two council positions.
The 338-word proclamation, signed June 2 by Mayor John Anderson and supported by Nancy Rikel and Mark Schwing, says the city “stands with the people of Arizona” and “applauds” the state for “action to protect and defend” citizens, country and sovereignty.
The proclamation also “supports the proposition that the individual states of this country should be able to defend themselves” consistent with the Constitution “when it comes to matters of defending its citizens, our country and the sovereignty” of the United States.
Yorba Linda voters will fill two council seats on the Nov. 2 ballot now held by Anderson and Jan Horton. They hold strikingly different views regarding the Arizona proclamation.
Horton, who left the June 1 session before the matter was discussed due to a family emergency, told 15 attendees at a June 5 Java Joe’s meet-up “the issue is emotional,” “isn’t city business” and “I would have abstained on the vote.”
Proponents argue illegal immigration is city business because the state took $5.7 million in Redevelopment Agency cash for a Supplemental Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund, with another $1.2 million due next year, noting schools educate children regardless of legal status.
But Horton would have stayed for the vote, unlike Jim Winder, who left after speaking against Anderson’s suggested proclamation. Winder also said the matter, and others on the “other business” section of the agenda, were “political” in nature and walked out.
Of course, Winder, whose term ends in 2012, can’t seek re-election under a 1996 three-term limit law. Rikel’s first and Schwing’s fourth term also expire in 2012. (Schwing was elected to three terms before the law took effect.)
So far, Horton is the only announced candidate for November. She’s already paid $500 each for endorsements on the COPS and California Vote by Mail voter guides and held her first fund-raiser.
Anderson has yet to say if he’s in or out of the race, but he told me nearly three years ago, as I reported in an Oct. 11, 2007 column, “I have no intention of running for re-election.”
He stated, “My personality, belief that people should say what they mean and mean what they say and expectations of others to be true to their word are incongruent with politics.”
Mark Aalders, assistant to the city manager, said the city has received 841 e-mails, faxes or letters as of June 15, “with more coming in on a fairly consistent basis.” He noted 207 from residents in support and 24 opposed, with an out-of-state count of 501-9 in favor.
One resident brought cookies to City Hall in support of the proclamation.
The 338-word proclamation, signed June 2 by Mayor John Anderson and supported by Nancy Rikel and Mark Schwing, says the city “stands with the people of Arizona” and “applauds” the state for “action to protect and defend” citizens, country and sovereignty.
The proclamation also “supports the proposition that the individual states of this country should be able to defend themselves” consistent with the Constitution “when it comes to matters of defending its citizens, our country and the sovereignty” of the United States.
Yorba Linda voters will fill two council seats on the Nov. 2 ballot now held by Anderson and Jan Horton. They hold strikingly different views regarding the Arizona proclamation.
Horton, who left the June 1 session before the matter was discussed due to a family emergency, told 15 attendees at a June 5 Java Joe’s meet-up “the issue is emotional,” “isn’t city business” and “I would have abstained on the vote.”
Proponents argue illegal immigration is city business because the state took $5.7 million in Redevelopment Agency cash for a Supplemental Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund, with another $1.2 million due next year, noting schools educate children regardless of legal status.
But Horton would have stayed for the vote, unlike Jim Winder, who left after speaking against Anderson’s suggested proclamation. Winder also said the matter, and others on the “other business” section of the agenda, were “political” in nature and walked out.
Of course, Winder, whose term ends in 2012, can’t seek re-election under a 1996 three-term limit law. Rikel’s first and Schwing’s fourth term also expire in 2012. (Schwing was elected to three terms before the law took effect.)
So far, Horton is the only announced candidate for November. She’s already paid $500 each for endorsements on the COPS and California Vote by Mail voter guides and held her first fund-raiser.
Anderson has yet to say if he’s in or out of the race, but he told me nearly three years ago, as I reported in an Oct. 11, 2007 column, “I have no intention of running for re-election.”
He stated, “My personality, belief that people should say what they mean and mean what they say and expectations of others to be true to their word are incongruent with politics.”
Mark Aalders, assistant to the city manager, said the city has received 841 e-mails, faxes or letters as of June 15, “with more coming in on a fairly consistent basis.” He noted 207 from residents in support and 24 opposed, with an out-of-state count of 501-9 in favor.
One resident brought cookies to City Hall in support of the proclamation.
posted by Jim Drummond at 12:00 PM
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