Contemplating The Charter Hearing Again
WHERE WAS GARY?
Last Monday evening 4/5ths of the Costa Mesa City Council - Mayor Gary Monahan apparently made a tactical decision to stay home or at his bar while Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer orchestrated the evening - went through the charade of "hearing" what the public had to say about Jim Righeimer's Charter scheme for the final time.
PASSIONATE AND VOCAL CROWD
More than 40 people stepped up to the speaker's podium to address the issue, most of whom were Costa Mesa residents - or said they were. Most spoke with passion and some actually presented solid facts and suggestions for modifications to Jim Righeimer's Charter. If you're interested in just how the evening went from start to finish, you can watch it HERE, or you can watch it on Channel 24 (Time Warner Cable) or Channel 99 (ATT U-Verse) at the times shown below through the rest of the month.
WATCH PERRY'S COMMENTS
There were MANY excellent speakers - too many to try to provide clips for all here. However, I think resident Perry Valantine may have captured the essence of many speaker's comments with his three minutes before the council. Please take those three minutes and watch this clip.
KEVIN DAYTON - PROFESSIONAL ANTAGONIST
The most controversial segment, as was reported broadly in the "real" media
and here, as well, was the extended presentation by Kevin Dayton, who described himself as being from the "Dayton Public Policy Institute" - an organization that is either too new to have ANY presence on the web or else it just exists in his head. According to Righeimer, he "contacted us" earlier and asked to make a presentation on the subject of Prevailing Wage. And with that Righeimer let him launch off into what turned out to be nearly 10 minutes, which culminated in him being jeered from the speaker's podium, shouting "Fascism! Fascism! Fascism!" as he stepped away. Not visible in the video clip below was his antagonistic posturing as he returned to his seat, which I described as a "You want a piece of me?" pose.
WHO IS THAT GUY?
It turns out that Dayton, as has been widely reported elsewhere since the meeting Monday night, is a lobbyist for the Associated Builders and Contractors and is associated with the Pacific Research Institute. Tip of the hat to readers Tamar Goldmann and Eleanor Egan for digging up this information. Egan provides us with a brief biographical summary from the PRI web site that reads as follows:
Kevin Dayton is Vice President of Government Affairs for the Golden Gate Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC).
Since January 1998, Mr. Dayton has developed and implemented strategies for Northern California construction companies to advance free enterprise and open competition. From 1995 through 1997, Mr. Dayton managed the Political Action Committee and grassroots programs at the Associated Builders and Contractors headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Dayton was a Legislative Assistant for U.S. Representative Gary A. Franks (R-CT) from 1992 through 1994. He is a graduate of Yale University.
WATCH THE CLIP
As he spoke Monday night it became clear that he had a "history" with some of the more vocal members of the audience. To get the feel for that part of the evening, which resulted in Righeimer calling a time out - a 10 minute recess - please watch this short, 9 minute clip.
NOW ONLY DELETIONS ARE PERMITTED
As I said in my earlier summary of events from that evening, it was clear that Righeimer was NOT going to let any substantive changes be imposed on HIS Charter. He permitted a modification to the Preamble, which was nice but benign. The rest was just window-dressing. The proof will come on March 6th, when the council votes to place Jim Righeimer's Charter on the June, 2012 ballot. We have now passed the point where any additional safeguards can be added. On March 6th only items can be deleted from the draft charter. That is not going to happen. We should see the latest version online today or tomorrow, according to what city staff tells us.
READ IT AND WEEP...
So, take some time over the weekend or next week and view the tape, read the final version of the Charter and you'll understand why this is such a bad idea.
Last Monday evening 4/5ths of the Costa Mesa City Council - Mayor Gary Monahan apparently made a tactical decision to stay home or at his bar while Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer orchestrated the evening - went through the charade of "hearing" what the public had to say about Jim Righeimer's Charter scheme for the final time.PASSIONATE AND VOCAL CROWD
More than 40 people stepped up to the speaker's podium to address the issue, most of whom were Costa Mesa residents - or said they were. Most spoke with passion and some actually presented solid facts and suggestions for modifications to Jim Righeimer's Charter. If you're interested in just how the evening went from start to finish, you can watch it HERE, or you can watch it on Channel 24 (Time Warner Cable) or Channel 99 (ATT U-Verse) at the times shown below through the rest of the month.
WATCH PERRY'S COMMENTS
There were MANY excellent speakers - too many to try to provide clips for all here. However, I think resident Perry Valantine may have captured the essence of many speaker's comments with his three minutes before the council. Please take those three minutes and watch this clip.KEVIN DAYTON - PROFESSIONAL ANTAGONIST
The most controversial segment, as was reported broadly in the "real" media
and here, as well, was the extended presentation by Kevin Dayton, who described himself as being from the "Dayton Public Policy Institute" - an organization that is either too new to have ANY presence on the web or else it just exists in his head. According to Righeimer, he "contacted us" earlier and asked to make a presentation on the subject of Prevailing Wage. And with that Righeimer let him launch off into what turned out to be nearly 10 minutes, which culminated in him being jeered from the speaker's podium, shouting "Fascism! Fascism! Fascism!" as he stepped away. Not visible in the video clip below was his antagonistic posturing as he returned to his seat, which I described as a "You want a piece of me?" pose.WHO IS THAT GUY?
It turns out that Dayton, as has been widely reported elsewhere since the meeting Monday night, is a lobbyist for the Associated Builders and Contractors and is associated with the Pacific Research Institute. Tip of the hat to readers Tamar Goldmann and Eleanor Egan for digging up this information. Egan provides us with a brief biographical summary from the PRI web site that reads as follows:Kevin Dayton is Vice President of Government Affairs for the Golden Gate Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC).
Since January 1998, Mr. Dayton has developed and implemented strategies for Northern California construction companies to advance free enterprise and open competition. From 1995 through 1997, Mr. Dayton managed the Political Action Committee and grassroots programs at the Associated Builders and Contractors headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Dayton was a Legislative Assistant for U.S. Representative Gary A. Franks (R-CT) from 1992 through 1994. He is a graduate of Yale University.
WATCH THE CLIP
As he spoke Monday night it became clear that he had a "history" with some of the more vocal members of the audience. To get the feel for that part of the evening, which resulted in Righeimer calling a time out - a 10 minute recess - please watch this short, 9 minute clip.
NOW ONLY DELETIONS ARE PERMITTED
As I said in my earlier summary of events from that evening, it was clear that Righeimer was NOT going to let any substantive changes be imposed on HIS Charter. He permitted a modification to the Preamble, which was nice but benign. The rest was just window-dressing. The proof will come on March 6th, when the council votes to place Jim Righeimer's Charter on the June, 2012 ballot. We have now passed the point where any additional safeguards can be added. On March 6th only items can be deleted from the draft charter. That is not going to happen. We should see the latest version online today or tomorrow, according to what city staff tells us.READ IT AND WEEP...
So, take some time over the weekend or next week and view the tape, read the final version of the Charter and you'll understand why this is such a bad idea.
Labels: Charter City, Jim Righeimer, Kevin Dayton, Perry Valantine, Prevailing Wage
posted by The Pot Stirrer at 2/16/2012 12:42:00 AM
12 Comments:
The hearing was just a formality that needed to be done to move the charter forward.
The real battle will be at the ballot box.
I fully expect it to pass though.
I seriously can't imagine what the associations/unions will do to raise fear levels high enough to beat it when they couldn't defeat Righeimer, even with stink-eye-gate and checkpoint bluster he cruised to an easy victory.
For most of Costa Mesa, just pointing out that a charter is good enough for Newport Beach and Irvine will get the thing passed.
Now that's just downright depressing! :-)
I suspect there will be plenty of valid reasons to NOT pass THIS charter when it's finally completed on March 6th. Too many egregious segments that Righeimer has refused to address multiple times. I guess we'll see.
Riggy getting voted onto the Council is one thing, but all the stuff he's done since then is what people will remember, and for that this charter scheme will not pass. People see through this charter, everybody knows this his his way of getting out of the lawsuit that he put the City into.
Wake up everybody and remember all the changes that this part-time politician has done for the City, none of which are good.
This guy wants to and is running this City into the ground, and will be gone in the morning to bigger and better things.
When Mr. Krochman took the time to apply for one of the city committees and the council majority arbitrarily changed their minds about those committee appointments, discarding them unitl next year, was he offended/concerned, or was that just another formality?
What an ugly web we weave when first we try to deceive.
Tamar Goldman, Eleanor Egan and Sandy Genis (plus an assortment of other old bags, and hags) all act as shills for Greg Ridge. In turn, Greg acts as the ultra professional antagonist and lobbyist for the unions. By now I think most Costa Mesa residents have nailed him for what he is (a psychotic ticking time bomb).
That whole anti charter crowd is suspect, deceiving and utterly reprehensible with regard to anything involving the unions, the city councilmen and/or the death of the city employee. They have no shame, no morals, no pride and no dignity. Basically, they are nothing more than "bottom feeders".
The aforementioned pathetic old hags just let Greg lead them around by the nose while union leaders give him a pat on the back, and a few extras. They are simply too senile to see the whole picture. Needles to say, their constant presence at every city council and charter meeting is becoming nauseating.
I honestly believe that the entire city is in favor of the charter. Only the handful of naysayers connected to the unions are opposed.
Shill "Re Old Hags spewed:
"The aforementioned pathetic old hags just let Greg lead them around by the nose while union leaders give him a pat on the back, and a few extras. They are simply too senile to see the whole picture."
Me:
Boss Hogg and his minions have hit a new low. They need to be defeated and sent back to Hazzard.
Dear Just Wonderin',
Mr. Krochman was relieved. His schedule had already started to get complicated and he really didn't need another commitment.
If that had not been the case, I am not sure it really would have mattered. I don't think I was, or that I am now, on ANYONE's short list for any job at the city.
I have been pretty clear that it is their city to manage until the next election. I know many here are as frustrated as can be, but that matters not.
Don't stop the critiques though. Opposing points of view are needed and necessary. I will only remind everyone to avoid diminishing the value of your opinions by including personal invectives. That may make you feel better, but many reading your posts will be put off and not get the value of your insights. IMHO that is.
Geoff,
I have not read the final charter doc yet, so I haven't really decided if this one is worth voting for or against.
Sure, the process wasn't pretty, but what would you expect?
It needs to be on the June ballot to improve the odds of passing as well as speed up the process of outsourcing. Those are the goals after all.
Calls to hold off to November are useless. Jim knows how the game is played. By the way, so does Governor Brown. You do remember that he signed a bill last year that requires all initiatives to be restricted to the November ballot don't you? You can read an article on why here:
http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2011/10/jerry-brown-union-dues-paycheck-protection-initiatives.html
Just bare knuckle politics.
Bruce,
Nobody has read it yet, but it should be available online this week. What will emerge from the various meetings and hearings is basically what Righeimer wrote in the beginning, with a couple fairly insignificant modifications, apparently made to make it appear that there actually WAS public participation. I guarantee you that folks WILL hear about this version following the vote on March 6th to place it on the ballot.
And, yes, I know what Righeimer's plan is - to rush it to the ballot so fewer voters will get a shot at it. Kind of like Rizzo did in Bell, by calling for an election that only 450 people voted in when that city converted to a Charter City. Righeimer knows that the voters in June will be predominantly Republican, since the Presidential primary actually means something and we also have what looks to be an interesting race for Assembly District 74 between Mansoor and Daigle sizing up. The broader electorate, including Democrats and Decline-to-staters, won't show up until November... too late. That is, unless they have a reason to vote in June.
And, yes, we all saw the "bare knuckles" part late in the meeting Monday, when Righeimer barely let Wendy Leece get her motions stated before declaring they died for lack of a second. We do understand.
Geoff,
Nice way to avoid Bruce's reference to Gov. Brown, and redirect to Rizzo.
Could it be that you have become a shill for the anti-Righeimer camp?
Food for thought.
Dear Food for thought,
Geoff and I are very capable of communicating without anyone picking nits about our replies.
Th G. Brown reference was for the libs in the group lest they forget That politics runs both ways.
Geoff and I know this very well and don't need anyone to redirect our focus.
Thanks for playing along though.
Bruce,
Geoff masquerades as a Republican while advocating liberal viewpoints. His Rizzo deflection was a prime example.
Food for thought.
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