You Can't Make This Stuff Up!
Just when you think the Costa Mesa political drama can't get any stranger, all of a sudden some new event disproves the theory. Today, for example.
As I understand the facts, Katrina Foley and John Stephens were having a cup of coffee and discussing the election at a local Starbucks before heading up to the Registrar of Voters headquarters in Santa Ana to see how the counting of absentee and provisional ballot was going.
They saw Jim Righeimer, also apparently in need of caffeine fortification - or maybe a Diet Coke, I don't know - so they all exchanged pleasantries. I use that word guardedly, since there has been no small degree of friction between Foley and Righeimer for months - years, actually. Then they went their separate ways.
Once at the ROV offices Foley and Stephens saw Colin McCarthy also there and also apparently to see how the vote-counting was going. He apparently called in reinforcements because he feared superior numbers on Foley/Stephens part might somehow influence the Registrar's staff to miscount ballots! Shortly a squad of fifteen or so zealots arrived.
Seeing them arrive, Foley sent out HER alert and very soon thereafter about 30 folks supporting Stephens showed up... sounds like a scene straight out of Westside Story, for goodness sake! For dramatic purposes I'd like to tell you there was rancor and jostling between the factions - but I can't, darn it! Everyone apparently behaved appropriately, although not without more than their fair share of paranoia.
Finally, after a goodly amount of time passed, one of each faction actually spoke with the other and determined that neither group was there for nefarious purposes, so they all decamped the ROV headquarters and went their separate ways, leaving Neal Kelley and his crack team alone to do the job.
A sidebar - Righeimer was on the radio with Bill Carroll on KFI 640 AM immediately after that - he must have been sitting in the parking lot - crying the blues about his bogus Charter scheme going down in flames. He blamed it on the hundreds of thousands of "union dollars" that were used to fight his plan to takeover the city. We all have known that he's a loser, but now we know he's a BAD loser, to boot.
So, now I guess we just sit and wait for the final vote counts from the Registrar of Voters. That probably won't be available until later this week, or maybe next week. In the meantime, don't blink because the players in our political theater will very likely come up with some new wrinkle to keep us busy. Geez!...
NO BIG CHANGES IN THE 5 P.M. UPDATE TODAY
Labels: Colin McCarthy, Jim Righeimer, John Stephens, Katrina Foley
posted by The Pot Stirrer at 11/07/2012 05:23:00 PM
20 Comments:
Geoff, it looks like Stephens closed the gap from 355 to 319. That's 36 votes. Let's hope it continues and there is enough uncounted for him to flip flop this!
By the way how in the heck could anyone vote for Monahan with his performance, attendance and display of non interest these past 2 years.
I know he needs the 20k a year in medical benefits but just his giving the Mayorship to Eric Bever says Mr. Monahan has lost it. I am shocked this many people voted to maybe put him back in this office again.
When I went to vote at the light house church, the machines were down, so a bunch of us used paper ballots, 1-2-3 and no on V! Go Stephens!
What is Happening to the GOP: I agree with you. I can see standing behind your "leaders", i.e. *chokc* Mensinger, or even McCarthy, but Monahan? He is ineffectual, barely sober, doesn't want the job or even to be there, but yet people vote for the guy. But then again, several voted for Melone and Rader. They probably split the vote.
we made the news again today. I was listening to Larry Mantle on KPCC and he was talking about big GOP losses with his guest. He cited our Charter and his guest derided Jim (not by name) for using the tactic of crying to the press and creating excuses for losing in stead of getting the job done.
Hey! The outside world "gets it".
Of all the strange things the various candidates and their followers did, a certain amount of blame has to go to the voters. For instance, what's with the over 1,800 people who voted for a man (Rader) who wasn't even running? If those votes had gone to real candidates, we might have more definition as to who's number 3 or 4.
Yep, at this point the bottom two finishers, Melone and Rader, sucked up more than 4,400 votes. We all can speculate just where those votes might have gone, but it's like that in most elections. Rader is just the worst example of a misguided, clueless guy who realized he made a mistake one day too late, so his name remained on the ballot. There have been many others in years past - Chad Petschl in the election two years ago. Who, you ask? Right - he disappeared from sight... And, so it goes...
Did Fitzpatrick drive Colon and Riggy to the Registar of Voters on his golf cart?
Say what is the process of a recount?
Stephens and Gary are very close in votes that I would think Stephens would go for it.
Recount....
AFTER the election is certified by the ROV there is a 5 day window during which a candidate - or anyone - can request a recount. Requires deposit of fees to cover the costs. If the recount results in a change the deposit is returned. If not, the ROV keeps it. That's the shorthand version of events.
It will be interesting to see what the final outcome is. It might be worth a recount. Lets see what the numbers come out to be. Hopefully we can get that twerp out of office.
Here is a recount fun fact:
After the June primary a recount of Prop 29 votes was initiated. Before the recount was suspended, 371 precincts were hand counted. The results:
Of the 53,057 ballots recounted the totals changed as follows:
Original yes: 20,065
Recount yes: 20,067
Original no: 31,963
Recount no: 31,967
Yep, that was money well spent!
Not surprised at all...
Neal Kelley and his team do a great job every election cycle. They are efficient and professional. This is not Chicago - I don't expect any kind of a huge change in the numbers they finally provide to us. However, it it's close, a recount is still an option. Too soon to have that conversation.
We would like to thank Jim Fitzpatrick for helping defeat V. Jim's dedication to making himself and his gang look like fools was priceless.
THANKS JIMMY BOY!
I only wish we could extend Fred's remarks to council...
It IS surprising that Monasham would get more votes than Stephens and Weitzberg. We all know he's just a bump(almost like a wart) on the city council log who needs the $19,000.00 annual city supplied health insurance premium that he's been taking forever now! So maybe we should be looking at voter/election fraud in their court - check all the signatures on all ballots that voted for him, and check to see if they are still alive too!! Wouldn't put ANYTHING past them!! Something's wrong if he actually ends up with more votes than Stephens. Really...think about it!!
And speaking of incredulous, but then again not really, coming from them, Steve Mensinger's quote in the DP today about the Charter failing and hearing the people loud and clear!!! What are you? Deaf, in addition to dumb and blind? Are you kidding??? "The people" as you call We the Citizens of Costa Mesa, have been telling you and your council majority union of self serving malfeasants that we have NOT wanted this one man's "charter" from the VERY BEGINNING!! Now you say you hear us loud and clear? So you are saying that you just now are getting the picture?! Really?? What a bunch of self serving BS!! How much of OUR money and time have you wasted on this thing? Really - what are the figures?
I think you should reimburse us and our city for all the expenses you incurred for this failed scheme that you tried to foist on us against our will and overwhelming opposition FROM THE BEGINNING!
Maybe Steve's ballots ought to be checked as well for signatures and dead voters too!! His numbers are awfully close to John Stephens also!!
Disgusted, there's no fraud. It all comes down to name recognition. Monahan has been around a long time and people recognize the name. On that alone I'm surprised he didn't do much better. That's why he didn't campaign much. He didn't have to and they knew it. Mensinger did well for the same reason.
Even with the hit pieces, Genis finished high, because of her longstanding name and reputation. That's why they hit her so hard. Even with that, she was the number one vote earner.
With all that said, you are right on the rest of it. After being dismissed as "noise", "lunatic fringe" etc. the citizens are now heard? I hope this election was a humbling learning experience for our council. Regardless of how that last seat comes out, it's time to roll up the sleeves and put in the work.
When it comes down to it, people see "incumbant" and just vote for them again...
Disgusted: Couldn't have said it better. We've spent 11 months telling them it was an idiotic document, and they just refused to listen because they thought they could shove it down our throats. They found out they couldn't. Now, they recognize us. *HA* Too late. We recognize them, and its not pretty.
John may not have won, but he came pretty close for a first time.
RD...Monasham has name recognition in CM by a majority of us, but when we hear his name, we don't think good, positive things, which is why I'm wondering about how he has gotten as many votes as he has. And, actually, McCarthy and Mensinger too! It just makes no sense that their charter goes down and they don't!?!
That being said, however, I've been surprised by the number of people in our city with whom I've spoken who are absolutely clueless! (But not that many!)
But even with that being said, when the ocgop, righeimer, the ms and the rest of them have allowed Fitzpatrick to run their campaigns/attacks on their opposition, with his poor, juvenile choices and stop-at-nothing attitude and actions, I won't trust them as far as I could throw Fitzpatrick's golf cart! Seriously! I hope the Registrar of Voters is looking at this very closely so we can be confident it's all on the up and up!
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