A "Charter" Lesson From Our Neighbors
Tomorrow night, Monday, October 15th, Barbara Venezia and her pals from the Feet To The Fire mob will conduct a debate of Jim Righeimer's Charter between Katrina Foley - former councilwoman and current trustee of the Newport Mesa Unified School District - and Righeimer - the sperm donor of the charter. Doors of the Neighborhood Community Center at Lions Park open at 6:30 and the interrogation begins at 7:00 p.m.
The Daily Pilot is currently running an article by reporter Jill Cowan on Measure EE, Newport Beach's charter-related item that's on their ballot next month. You can read that piece HERE. When you go through that article you'll find some interesting facts - some of which should make you contemplate just a little more about Jim Righeimer's Charter.
I mention this because, from the very beginning, Righeimer has touted Newport Beach as an example of a Charter City that makes it work. More than once he's said we - Costa Mesa - should be more like Newport Beach. OK, let's discuss that just a little.
Cowan tells us that 3,703 residents voted to adopt their charter in June 1954. She also tells us that, since that time charter amendments have appeared on the ballot 21 times! I don't know the exact dates of all those ballots, but it averages just under once every 3 years. She also tells us that the most recent previous time charter changes were considered was two years ago, in 2010, when 15 changes were made with one vote. This time around Measure EE has thirty-eight (38) changes for the charter! Jim Righeimer's Charter provides for the first review of his document ten years (10 YEARS!) downstream.
CAPRICIOUS COUNCIL ADDITIONSAlthough Newport Beach has used a citizen's committee to come up with recommendations for changes to their charter this year, the city council added a prohibition of red-light cameras, described in the article as "a vote-getter", even though "Mayor Pro Tem Keith Curry said the city hasn't considered installing red-light cameras and that in theory an ordinance would suffice to keep them off city streets." It's that kind of capriciousness that has many Costa Mesa residents concerned about Jim Righeimer's Charter.
STREAMING VIDEOSo, think about this as you gather your thoughts before you attend the Feet To The Fire debate Monday night - or watch it streamed live on your computer at this address, www.feet2thefireforum.com. Apparently you can also view it on an Ipad, Iphone or Android enabled smart phone by going to an app store and download the Ustream app, then search for "Feet To The Fire".
BE THERE OR...See you Monday Night...
Labels: Barbara Venezia, Charter City, Daily Pilot, Jill Cowan, Jim Righeimer, Katrina Foley, Newport Beach
posted by The Pot Stirrer at 10/15/2012 12:18:00 AM
18 Comments:
When the Costa Mesa City Council announced the website where citizens could leave suggestions for amending the proposed charter, I posted a 20-some-page document: the Newport Beach charter, verbatin, with all reference to Newport Beach edited to state Costa Mesa. Took me over an hour to do this editing. Do you think Righeimer and his cohorts considered my suggestions for changes? NOT!
Right Flo, unfortunately the rigged charter did not allow us any time to compare Newport's charter and it's value to help us craft ours. Same with ALL other suggestions from residents which were hundreds. Many were valuable but ignored. I tried to read other charters too. I found those charters very different from the one proposed for Costa Mesa. Charters should be authentic and unique to fit the character of each city. Not ours! Copied and pasted by one council person running the show, ours resembles charters in Vista and Oceanside. As an elected council person representing all residents, I was prevented from giving input at the beginning. The goose was already cooked when I saw it for the first time. Maybe an elected mayor might present a model charter to get things rolling and be open to the rest of the council's input.One council person should not have all the power to control such an important issue with long term effects on the quality of life in Costa Mesa.
The Huntington Beach, Irvine and Santa Ana charters were all drafted by the city councils of each city, placed on the ballot and voted on by the people. That is the predominate process.
Keep spinning, but facts are facts.
Wendy, nor will he have.
Like I used to tell my five kids when they would say "But Mom, Susie got to do such and such" or "Tommy's mom lets him do it".
"I don't care what other parents let their kids do. I'm responsible for you". Likewise what those other cities did years ago maybe was right for them. That was then. This is now. This is a debate about what is best for OUR city. Don' t compare us with those cities. if you like them so much and their charters then you can move there! Or perhaps you don't live here anyway since outsiders recruited by the ocgop have been known to post here.
Just the facts-- you say "drafted by the city council", well this cut and paste job was created by one person, and not the whole council. One person shouldn't have all the creative power for such an important document.
Another set of facts conveniently left out by our anonymous friend:
Huntington Beach - 1937 and 1966
Irvine - 1971
Newport Beach - 1954
Those were the years each city adopted their charter.
Now, that probably WAS the predominant process 40-60 years ago. Today, however, the people are in closer contact with and demand greater accountability from the politicians. We didn't get that this time around.
Old Hank Panian and other members failed Costa Mesa in 1971 by not getting a Charter done. We could have had many oppprtunities at amendments by now.
What kind of person is so disrespectful of one of our elder and wiser residents to attack him for being old? I respect him for his wisdom and analysis that this charter is wrong on many counts. Prudence and wisdom prevailed in 1971. It's easy to use ad hominem if your arguments are weak.Just attack the person.
Form 460's reveal eastside neighbors gave over $5,000 in campaign donafions to Genis, Stephens and Weitzberg. They are the largest resident donations . Many have No on V yard signs
They don't represent the neighborhood.
Is Katie Arthur trying to buy a Council so she can influence votes?
Geoff West would go crazy if this were in reverse. But he gives a free pass.
Missed Chance: If this charter passes, you won't have any opportunities for amendments either. It cannot be up for review for 1O YEARS. TEN YEARS! Besides, the only way to amend this lousy proposed charter, is with almost 9,000 votes. And even then, the council decides when (maybe years away)it can go on the ballot.
VOTE NO ON MEASURE 'V' and YES FOR THE FIRST THREE!
Facts show a bias,
Amazing - a group of actual residents (your neighbors, I assume) listen to candidates for city council, like what they hear and decide to support their campaign. How bizarre! And that, of course, differs from your pals who are currently begging for supporters to attend the Debate tonight and who are accepting lots of dollars from outside the city. Just who do you suppose has the city's interests at heart?
So ya wanna be just like your wealthy neighbor Newport Beach with its charter, huh? I hope you’re prepared to take the bad with the good.
Here’s how Newport Beach citizens got their charter:
1. A committee of CITIZENS was ELECTED May 18, 1948 to draft a charter.
2. Unfortunately, version 1.0 of the charter was REJECTED by the voters on Feb. 8, 1949
3. Four years later, another board of citizens was elected (Dec. 22, 1953) to draft version 2.0
4. Version 2.0 was approved by the voters on June 8, 1954
Here’s the hassle they’ve gone through since:
1. Just NINE MONTHS later, the first amendments to the charter went to ballot on March 15, 1955. Two of the five were rejected. This gave Newport its version 2.1 charter
2. They are now on version 2.20. After this November, it might be version 2.21 if the 38 amendments in Measure EE are approved by the voters.
3. To put a number on the “hassle factor,” you can just note that they’ve had to put their charter to ballot 21 times since 1954.
This information was drawn from the Newport Beach city website: http://www.newportbeachca.gov/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=13460
But charters are simple and the people really want them, don’t they? No, and sometimes.
• Newport’s charter needs many more pages than Jim Righeimer’s puny 9-pager
• Newport's first draft was rejected and, of all the proposed amendments to date, 19% of them failed (10 out of 54).
Bottom line: Having a charter is something like hosting a leech ... you have to keep feeding it, whether you like it or not.
One more thought re: Just the facts: "That is the predominate process."
FYI from the American Dictionary of the English Language,"(Noah Webster) "predominate" is a verb meaning "to rule, from dominus, lord, to prevail; to surpass in strength, influence or authority;..."
The correct word you should have used is an adjective, to modify the noun “process”: "predominant" meaning "prevalent over others; superior in strength, influence or authority;...as a predominant color, predominant beauty or excellence, predominant passion."
My point: I don't know how one can judge which “process” is the "superior” process for any city unless you talk about all aspects of “process” including a citizens’ committee. We, as a city council, didn't even discuss a predominant process for Costa Mesa. It was already pre-determined. Copy, paste, 2 hearings. Done.
Words matter, meanings matter, interpretations of words matter. That's why this charter is a problem. Much left to be interpreted if it passes. Vote No on THIS charter.
All the more reason to vote against this proposed charter. Its a headache. This one is a migraine headache. Vote No on Measure "V" and Yes for the Top Three.
Facts show you're biased -
People who show support for candidates opposed to Righeimer's charter and opposed to foolhardy "governance" by the three M's DO represent the neighborhood. They ARE the neighborhood. They obviously don't "represent" you, but that's your problem.
The council majority's rude, roughshod, sneaky, and unethical approach has offended many people in Costa Mesa. Many were not really paying close attention before Righeimer's grandstand play, but they are paying attention now. If your boys had moved a little less in-your-face than they did, they could probably have slipped their agenda by with just a few compromises. But they're not smart enough to know how to play things that way.
People like Geoff, the Egans, Robin Leffler, Katie Arthur, and everybody else opposed to your team's poorly designed and grossly overplayed agenda are very much representative of the many people in Costa Mesa who can read and think for themselves. Personally, I think that's a majority of my neighbors, but I guess we'll just have to find out in a few weeks.
charter supporters just lie, just the facts, your facts are made up therefor they are lies.
Tom Egan exposed your lies about Newport.
12/22/53 Shall a Board of Freeholders be elected to frame a proposed Charter for the City of
Newport Beach?
Yes – 1,214 No – 148
I hear either Irvine or Huntington Beach also used some sort of committee.
The most recent Charter activity in Huntington Beach (google it)a committee was formed.
I am just curious just the facts, why are your facts lies?
Here is another lie the Pro Righeimer Charter folks like to spread. Newport Beach and Huntington Beach are exempt from paying prevailing wage. WRONG and a lie. Below is what the ABC who are donors ro Mensinger and McCarthy says...
Are
Charter Cities Taking Advantage of
Prevailing Wage Exemptions?
ASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS
CALIFORNIA COOPERATION COMMITTEE
2012 1st EDITION
Huntington Beach
Prevailing Wage Policy The city requires compliance with the state’s prevailing wage law.
Full/partial/no exemption = No exemption
Newport Beach
Prevailing Wage Policy The city requires compliance with the state’s prevailing wage law.
Full/partial/no exemption = No exemption
Notes City of Newport Beach Request for Proposal RFP No. 5-12.
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