A Seasonal Wish

As they say…and now for something completely new and different.

Over the past couple of years this column has centered around all things political in Marina, with a very few exceptions. While I certainly will continue to weigh in on the many issues that face our community in the future I want to enlarge the palette a bit and incorporate many other ideas, issues, concerns and hopes. Most will directly or indirectly still affect our Marina community.

Let’s start off on a positive note! The election season is over and a new year is just around the corner. We are just now getting into the holiday spirit with Marina’s Christmas Tree Lighting coming this Friday night (rain or shine). The lights are going up all around town and soon we will put up our tree.

We have all spent the past year hearing about this argument or that one. We have been concerned about our economy, our kid’s education, stories about corruption here or there and seemingly one crisis after another. Can we stop already?

Not to be overly idealistic or optimistic but I am sure I am not the only one that is ready to get off this merry go round at least for a couple of weeks. Maybe we can all try to find a way to do it this year.

What if you put up an extra string of lights, play a little more Christmas music, bake an extra batch of cookies, visit an extra store or two or even turn off the evening news for a couple of weeks. The world will still be there but my bet is that you will feel a bit better about it and that’s a start.

So much of our days are filled with things that seemingly wear us down and in some ways divide us. Let’s take a little extra time this season and make an effort to come together as individuals and as a community. It really won’t take much to make it happen.

That’s my wish for the holiday season. What’s yours? I hope to see you at the Christmas Tree Lighting on Friday night to sing a song, have some cookies and share a laugh or two.

More later

It's Finally Over...

To paraphrase former President Gerald Ford - “our long national nightmare is over”. Of course his context was completely different. He was talking about President Nixon and Watergate while I am talking about the 2012 election.

It seemed that this year’s election cycle went on forever and I am sure that the history books will not be too kind on the type of campaigns we saw nationally. It does not matter if you liked the outcome or not, our election process seems to need some improvements. I for one would like to see the candidates talk about what they want to do - not call their opponents names, lie about their records or accomplishments (or lack of), send others to do their dirty work and spend billions of dollars doing it.

Locally it was a long process as well. I can certainly attest to that. While the outcome was not what we had hoped for I remain very proud of the campaign we ran. It is always difficult to run against an incumbent and the Marina Mayor’s race was a perfect example. I wanted to stay on a positive course and talk about what I would do and not go “negative” and attack the Mayor on his record. That’s what we did, we stayed positive and rarely even mentioned the Mayor - rather we focused on the issues at hand and what I would do about them.

As a result, either the voters did not like the message or they paid little or no attention and decided to stay the course. So the Mayor was re-elected and I will go on about what I do professionally and philanthropically for our community. Clearly I am disappointed but I will move on.

Unfortunately, I do have a series of predictions as to what will happen in our community over the next couple of years but I will put them in an envelope and hope they do not come true. The good news is that I will likely spend a lot less time sitting in endless City Council meetings that seem to get nowhere and accomplish even less.

I do have one very strong recommendation for our Community. We need to insist on the Code of Ethics that the Civil Grand Jury recommended. Our City Council has been called out by the Grand Jury for its conduct and our citizens have complained as well. It’s time that the Council adopts a formal Code of Ethics as soon as possible. Such a document, and the commitment to follow it, will help to bring our community back together and put some faith back into the leadership of our community.

Finally, I will continue to write this column and the corresponding blog to keep you updated on the things within our Marina community because Marina Matters!

More later

Grand Jury Report

It is usually called an October surprise. That’s when one candidate or another comes up with something out of left field to use against his/her opponent just prior to an election.

In Marina we have something very different in that the Superior Court of California, Monterey County 2012 Monterey County Civil Grand Jury issued an interim report on Friday. I do not think anyone can underscore enough the fact that they released this report when they did. The Grand Jury report is normally issued in January but because its findings are directly related to the governance of our City they must have felt it very important to release this report prior to the election.

The report outlines the improper interference in negotiations of business development opportunities by at least one Council member, at least two cases of Brown Act violations in relation to the Equestrian Center Ad Hoc Committee, the improper use of an Ad Hoc Committee, not using staff properly (even avoiding their input), putting at risk the government grant of land and facilities, asking that the Council use professional staff for their expertise, and pleading for the City Attorney to take a more pre-emptive role in helping the City conduct its meetings.

These findings should never be taken lightly as some, including the Mayor, already has. In fact, the Grand Jury Report states that “The Marina City Council should develop and enact an ethical code of conduct for all City of Marina officials”. I have to ask: what does that say for the way our current Council majority has been conducting business?

The reason I state the current Council Majority is that both Council members Ford and Amadeo have repeatedly tried to bring up potential violations of policy and conduct over the past two years. The specific cases that are identified in this report trace back to interference by the Mayor and the conduct of Councilman O’Connell and candidate Morton on the Equestrian Center Ad Hoc Committee. We will get more information and background when the final report is released.

This is a very important issue that needs to be properly aired prior to the election itself. Unfortunately there are no City Council meetings between now and the election and very few outlets to disseminate this information to the general public. The Monterey Herald gave it a couple of paragraphs so far but both KSBW and KION TV are currently or will be running the story soon.

It should go without saying that whenever the Superior Court Grand Jury issues a report on Marina, it should be of utmost importance to our elected officials and the residents of Marina. In this case, especially since the election is just days away.

More later.

http://www.monterey.courts.ca.gov/GrandJury/Reports.aspx

(Reference 2012 Civil Grand Jury, Interim Final Report #2)

 

Being Mayor

Since this is the last Marina Matters column in the Gazette before the November election, I think it is important to take a few moments and talk about the role of a Mayor.

A lot has been said during the campaign by the Mayor about how involved he is with everything in the community, how friendly the Council meetings are and what a great job he has done. It has been my role to point out the differences in the reality of his perception and the vision for our community going forward. That is the role of the challenger.

I am proud of the way we have handled this election. We have kept the process ‘above board’ and challenged facts while not degrading the campaign into personal attacks. When all is said and done and the results are in on election night, we will hold our head high regardless of the results. That’s the way it should be.

All of that said, I do think it is imperative to really talk about what has become a key difference in the way the Mayor and I see the role of the Mayor. He talks about helping to pay peoples’ rents that are in crisis and helping to move kids out of town due to the fear of gang violence. He talks about handing out fliers and posting temporary signs all around town to stimulate local business. While these are worthy and important, there are groups and organizations that can better fill those roles, rather than the Mayor.

The Mayor’s role is to help create the jobs and opportunities for individuals and families so no one has to help them pay their rent. It’s the Mayor’s role to work with our schools and recreation department to keep kids occupied and away from gangs where possible, and law enforcement when needed to keep the gangs out of the City. It’s the Mayor’s role to find ways to market our City locally and regionally to encourage people to shop, dine, and experience our City and stimulate business for the benefit of everyone.

Sure, there are events to attend and meetings to conduct but the Mayor has to be more than a friendly person. The Mayor has to have the vision and ability to unite and inspire the Council, the staff and our citizens. The Mayor needs to lead the City, to set goals and to accomplish them. The Mayor needs to pull a fractured City together so that everyone benefits. That’s what being Mayor means to me. That’s the role that I commit to as Marina’s next Mayor.

More later

The not so great divide

It’s quite the experience, running for a major office within your community. You get to talk to a lot of people and you learn a lot. You also get asked questions from people and the media that are not always easy to answer. I was asked just such a question on Friday as part of The Herald’s candidate interview with the Mayor and myself.

The question was: why is Marina so divided politically? While the Mayor answered with issues from the past that have some resonance, they seemed limited in scope. I feel it’s not a matter of blame or perception on what has happened in the past, it’s how do you deal with it today and how will you deal with it in the future that’s important.

In my conversations with people of all ages, all parties and all segments of our community, I have come to the conclusion that the citizens agree on maybe 85 to 90 percent of the things that need to be done within our community.

We all want our City to function well. We want our Police and Fire services to be the best we can deliver. We want our streets to be maintained, we want recreation programs to be available to all ages, and we want all of our citizens to feel safe, especially our seniors. We want our City staff to deliver the best service possible to our community and we want our City to grow enough that we can have the goods and services available to our citizens that they desire. Finally, we want to have a community where jobs are available so that our kids and their kids can stay within our community and raise their families.

These are the things we all believe in and want for our City. So you see we are not really divided as a community, we are divided politically by a relative few that live and breathe politics. They are the ones that speak before City Council meetings and write letters to the editor. Even they really agree on most everything we want as a community, they just disagree as to how we get there. While it may not be pretty all the time, it’s healthy to have dialog and work towards the compromises that make agreement possible. That’s how our system works.

My goal is to work with everyone to facilitate the agreements needed to move our City forward. I don’t want to argue over who said what when. I want to go beyond that and actually get things done that will benefit our entire community.

More later.

Revenues and more

There has been lots of discussion about new revenues to help our City budget since our community voted for Measures M & N. Part of that discussion has been the lack of new revenues provided by the City since that vote in 2008.

That brings us to last week when our City Council approved a FORA measure that will guarantee at least a 10% share of the property taxes from new development on Ft. Ord. The curious part of the vote was that Mayor Delgado was the lone vote against it. The staff report says that it will provide a minimum of $150,000 annually to our City’s general fund. These are funds that can be used to hire additional fire personnel, to repair and pave our streets or to help market our City to new businesses that can bring jobs to Marina. So it’s a simple question to ask the Mayor: why did you vote against new revenues for Marina?

Perhaps this is another case where credit can be taken but where the actions say something different. Like speaking out against the Wellness Center while it was being planned but taking credit for it now. Or like the movie theatre, where the Mayor voted against the extension to the master agreement that made it possible but wants the credit for it coming soon. We all want to see an open discussion on the issues. Let’s make sure it’s an honest one too.

It’s been just over a week since we could all put up signs in support of our candidates. One thing is certain; we will have no lack of signs around town for the next couple of months. I firmly believe that signs are a way of expressing one’s first amendment right of free speech. What we do not want to hear is that people are taking away that right by removing, damaging or intimidating peoples’ rights to choose the candidate of their choice. Let’s all agree to treat everyone as we wish to be treated.

Finally, I hope you had a chance to watch the recent debates. They were full of detail and discussions on the issues that affect Marina. If you did not get a chance to watch them we have put the entire Mayor’s debate and the Council debate on my website for you to see. Simply go to www.EmersonForMarinaMayor.com and click on the box on the front page. This is the complete unedited version so everyone can watch and decide: who would you like to see lead the city for the next two years?

More later….

The Campaign

It’s the first of September in an election year.  That means that campaigns have begun, not only for President, but for Mayor of Marina as well. I thought I would give you a little insight into the process and what it’s like to be a candidate.

There are many places to be, places to speak, places to talk to people and to hear what you the voter have on your mind. These are important opportunities to understand your concerns and what you want to see for our City. Of course, part of this process also includes walking your neighborhood, knocking on your door and talking to you. If you would like me to attend your meeting or an event please let me know by e-mail (emersonformarina@gmail.com) or phone (595-6282).

There is also the planning and design of campaign materials. This means translating my thoughts and desires for Marina in a way that the voter can understand who I am and what I stand for. It’s an interesting challenge but as a whole this Marina Matters column has helped to define these positions for the voters. The decision to produce our own newspaper evolved from this column and is chocked full of detail that goes beyond the typical campaign sound bites and slogans. Let me know if you have not seen one yet and we will do our best to get one to you.

Another aspect of the campaign that you may not think about is the endless questionnaires and endorsement meetings with various newspapers, interest groups and organizations. These are great opportunities for a candidate to communicate ideas but you wonder just how many of them have made up their minds long before the candidates arrive to answer their questions. Time will tell if that is in fact the case.

Of course, this past Saturday was the Labor Day Parade. This was the first real event of the campaign where you could meet and greet the candidates after the parade. I was honored to have the opportunity to ride “Star” a beautiful white Percheron horse down the parade route to lots of great cheers and support. She was a favorite of everyone young and old. Afterwards we met many of you at our booth and I was amazed at how many of you asked for a lawn sign for your homes. We also registered people to vote and were grateful for your support.

Next up for us will be the Marina in Motion debate this Saturday, Sept. 8^th. Here the candidates for Mayor and City Council have their opportunity to debate each other, to explain their thoughts and to defend their records. It promises to be an interesting hour and a half. I hope you have the chance to watch it either live or on ‘video on demand’ before the election.

The bottom line is that I am proud of the campaign so far. We have a positive message for the future of Marina that resonates throughout our community. It’s clear that many of you want to see a positive common sense approach to the management of our City going forward. I hope to earn your support and VOTE in November.

More later...