Aug

25

Olympic silver for Los Al!

Filed Under Teamwork | 3 Comments

Congratulations are due USA Water Polo’s Silver medal winning women’s team, based right here in Los Alamitos!

Not only did they come within one point of upsetting the Dutch and winning it all, they also became the only team to medal in all three Olympics with women’s water polo!

It makes me proud to be an American, and also to live in the community the team calls home!

Like the Gold medals for our basketball and volleyball teams, it’s a great lesson in the power of teamwork.

Have you ever watched our City Council on LosAlTV? There just isn’t enough teamwork there. Unfortunately, the congestion on our streets, the gophers destroying local parks and yards, and the blighted Base housing shows what a lack of teamwork can accomplish.

How dysfunctional is our Council?

So dysfunctional that in the local paper paper a Rossmoor resident recently cited the behavior of Los Alamitos’ City Council as his # 1 argument against Rossmoor becoming a city!

“The backbiting and petty sniping that go on should embarrass any resident of Los Alamitos,” he said. Amen!

One Example:  The August 4 Council Meeting

Our Council is so dysfunctional that almost half of their August 4th meeting was wasted arguing about changes to the minutes of a previous meeting. Minutes that will probably be read by less then twenty people!

That was followed by a long discussion of how the Planning Commission drafted a zoning ordinance affecting a grand total of two Los Al businesses. An ordinance the Council went on to approve unanimously, but felt the need to argue about first.

Then came by a dispute over regional board and committee assignments. Troy Edgar wondered why Ken Parker had 8 assignments, while all Troy got was the Library Board. The highlight of that squabble was Council Member Mejia asking Edgar to “take one for the team.”

What team?

Our Council looks more like two teams, sometimes four or five. What should be a civil discussion looks more like a civil war., and nobody wins a civil war.

It would be a disaster if our Air Force pilots began attacking our Navy’s ships. That’s what’s going on in Los Alamitos’ City Council right now, and we’re all losing.

This isn’t a gerrymandered state legislature—it’s a small town city council. There are far more things that unite us than divide us.

Every Council Member has a unique perspective and unique abilities and skills. It’s in everyone’s best interest for them to work together as a team.

I can’t bring about unity single handedly, but even one voice consistently focused on working together as a team can make a huge difference. With your voice, we can become a mighty chorus!

I’ve spent most of my life trying to help people set aside their differences and work together for the common good. In fact I only get paid when I bring together two parties with fundamentally differing priorities. I frequently remind my clients that we’re all on the same team. Our City Council needs to remember that as well.

How you can help:

If you agree, I’d love to have your support. Whether it’s letting me put a sign in your yard, passing out flyers, or just sharing your good ideas, I need your help.

You can find out more, offer your input, and even point out where I may be wrong here on my website and blog, LetsFixLosAl.com. All comments post instantly without censorship, although I do request the language and tone be kept appropriate for our family-friendly community. I even welcome responses from my fellow candidates. It’s a 21st century town hall meeting in cyberspace!

I’ll be posting my ideas on lots of topics, from my thoughts about Monday’s City Council meeting to how to attack traffic and budget problems, instead of attacking one another. I need your input to make those ideas the best they can be.

Because one thing Los Alamitos needs is more teamwork. And if you live or work in Los Alamitos, you’re an important member of the team!

Aug

18

Another wild City Council meeting

Filed Under City Council Meetings | 2 Comments

I just got back from attending tonight’s City Council meeting. I think it just may be both the best and the worst free entertainment available this side of the Venice boardwalk.

Unfortunately, I’m not sure anything positive was accomplished. In fact, given the opportunity to do something to actually reduce traffic congestion, the council passed.

This time, however, most of the sniping and backbiting came from the audience, especially during what appeared to be a “spontaneous” outcry organized by the Citizens for the Preservation of Los Alamitos. Before the meeting was done, I decided I’d rather alienate a major source of potential support than remain silent about anonymous personal attacks that should be beneath us all.

As for the Council Members themselves, with Geri Mejia filling in for Mayor Parker I thought they conducted themselves much more professionally and diplomatically than they did two weeks ago. . . up until the last fifteen minutes, anyway. (More on that prior meeting in Wednesday’s News Enterprise “Guest View” editorial).

Unfortunately, near the end, things started to get pretty ugly.

For now, let me just say that both our Council Members and the audience members really don’t seem to be much better or worse than you and me. They’ve all got their strengths and weaknesses. Which makes for an interesting meeting.

If you happened to be there, I’d love to hear your impressions. Just fill in the “comment” box below, or click on “Leave a Comment” under the headline above. Your thoughts will go out to the world at the speed of light! Which are two things our city government could use a little more of: Speed and light.

Aug

17

Let’s fix Los Al!

Filed Under About Dave Emerson | 4 Comments

I’m running for the Los Alamitos City Council this year primarily for two reasons:

  1. I’m tired of being stuck in traffic before I’m even a half mile away from my home here in Los Alamitos.
  2. I tired of watching our City Council Members spend too much time fighting each other and not enough working together.

I’m a big believer in teamwork.  The things that unite us as citizens of Los Alamitos are greater than the things that divide us.  I hope to contribute to a city council that works as a team for the good of our community as a whole.  Not two teams that fight amongst themselves.

This website is designed to serve as an electronic town hall.  Anyone and everyone is encouraged to post their thoughts, questions or opinions.  All I ask is that you keep the language and tone appropriate for our family-friendly small town, and try to be concise.

I’m especially interested in hearing what you like about Los Alamitos as well as what things you think need to be fixed.  You can use your real name or a “handle” or nickname for this blog.  Just post your comment below.  (If you don’t see a “comment” box below, then just click on the blue “Leave a Comment” at the top of this post.)

Together, we can fix Los Al!