Whew! the election is finally over; now, will the council govern according to tea party's tenets?
That huge sigh of relief you heard last week was thousands of harried residents thankful that this year’s version of the biennial battle for seats on the City Council is finally over.
Gone for two years are the hundreds of roadway signs—including dozens illegally placed within 15 feet of intersections and driveways and on public poles and fences—automated phone calls, repetitive mailers and flyers, phony voter guides and incessant name-calling.
Some say this 24th ballot to select members for the city’s governing body was the worst ever in terms of negative campaigning, with candidates accusing their opponents of lies, distortions, deliberate misrepresentations, unethical behavior and even dirty tricks.
But a “worst ever” tag would ignore donnybrooks in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, where contenders threatened to sue opponents and actually filed a few election-related lawsuits.
Sadly, attack ads and negative mailers have become staples of local campaigns, recently augmented by anonymous websites that belittle candidates. A shadowy “truth” site was this year’s addition to the fast-growing “We lack the courage to give our names” roster.
One significant aspect of the contentious contest: four council members will hold endorsements from the local “tea party” movement when Tom Lindsey replaces Jan Horton at the dais Dec. 7, and Nancy Rikel is expected to be named mayor for 2011.
North Orange County Conservative Coalition, sponsors of two well-attended “tea party” rallies on the Community Center lawn, endorsed Lindsey and John Anderson and promoted Rikel and Mark Schwing as “good, principled members” on its website.
Interestingly, rally organizers allowed Horton to speak on April 15, as Anderson was denied a spot in the program. On Oct. 14, Anderson spoke, and Horton was rebuffed.
And tea partiers criticized Jim Winder when he left the council dais rather than vote on a resolution supporting Arizona’s controversial illegal immigration enforcement procedure.
If Anderson, Lindsey, Rikel and Schwing stick to the “tea party” philosophy of limited government and primacy of private enterprise, changes in Redevelopment Agency operations and the financially challenged Black Gold Golf Course can be expected.
Will the Redevelopment Agency continue to purchase individual Old Town parcels to assemble into larger lots for sale to developers who will re-build a Town Center based on council decisions? Or will private enterprise and market forces play a larger role?
Will the city accept a $3 million Congressional earmark to build a bridge over Imperial Highway in the Old Town area? Or will the money be rejected as an example of pork?
Will the city continue to loan money to Black Gold ($4,786,268 since 2000) and continue to waive interest on the loans ($327,592 since 2007)? Should the city own a golf course?
We’ll see soon if council governs according to “true conservative” and “tea party” tenets.
Gone for two years are the hundreds of roadway signs—including dozens illegally placed within 15 feet of intersections and driveways and on public poles and fences—automated phone calls, repetitive mailers and flyers, phony voter guides and incessant name-calling.
Some say this 24th ballot to select members for the city’s governing body was the worst ever in terms of negative campaigning, with candidates accusing their opponents of lies, distortions, deliberate misrepresentations, unethical behavior and even dirty tricks.
But a “worst ever” tag would ignore donnybrooks in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, where contenders threatened to sue opponents and actually filed a few election-related lawsuits.
Sadly, attack ads and negative mailers have become staples of local campaigns, recently augmented by anonymous websites that belittle candidates. A shadowy “truth” site was this year’s addition to the fast-growing “We lack the courage to give our names” roster.
One significant aspect of the contentious contest: four council members will hold endorsements from the local “tea party” movement when Tom Lindsey replaces Jan Horton at the dais Dec. 7, and Nancy Rikel is expected to be named mayor for 2011.
North Orange County Conservative Coalition, sponsors of two well-attended “tea party” rallies on the Community Center lawn, endorsed Lindsey and John Anderson and promoted Rikel and Mark Schwing as “good, principled members” on its website.
Interestingly, rally organizers allowed Horton to speak on April 15, as Anderson was denied a spot in the program. On Oct. 14, Anderson spoke, and Horton was rebuffed.
And tea partiers criticized Jim Winder when he left the council dais rather than vote on a resolution supporting Arizona’s controversial illegal immigration enforcement procedure.
If Anderson, Lindsey, Rikel and Schwing stick to the “tea party” philosophy of limited government and primacy of private enterprise, changes in Redevelopment Agency operations and the financially challenged Black Gold Golf Course can be expected.
Will the Redevelopment Agency continue to purchase individual Old Town parcels to assemble into larger lots for sale to developers who will re-build a Town Center based on council decisions? Or will private enterprise and market forces play a larger role?
Will the city accept a $3 million Congressional earmark to build a bridge over Imperial Highway in the Old Town area? Or will the money be rejected as an example of pork?
Will the city continue to loan money to Black Gold ($4,786,268 since 2000) and continue to waive interest on the loans ($327,592 since 2007)? Should the city own a golf course?
We’ll see soon if council governs according to “true conservative” and “tea party” tenets.
posted by Jim Drummond at 12:00 PM
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