Your Los Alamitos Election 2012 “Cheat Sheet”

November 3, 2012 in Uncategorized By: Dave Emerson

Updated 11/3 with Municipal Water District of Orange County, Division 3 ballot recommendations added!

(Los Alamitos, 10/27/2012)  We’ve sat through two Candidate Forums, read through all the pertinent OC Register Editorials, and spoken with almost all of the candidates.!

Below we present your “cheat sheet,” with both the Register’s and our recommendations for your consideration.  We also encourage you to share yours (diplomatically, of course) in a comment below.

OC Register Recommendations (followed by ours in italics):

  • Prop DD (“Telephone Users Tax Reduction/Modernization”)  No  (Expands the tax to “cover virtually every form of electronic communication”)   LetsFixLosAl’s  recommendation:  Agree.  Way to broad (just read the 4 pages of fine print in your sample ballot book!).  Needs to be rewritten and resubmitted to voters in two years.
  • Los Alamitos City Council:  Richard Murphy(His “independence and fiscal probity would be a welcome reprieve from the lock-step behavior of the current Council majority.”)
    • The Register on our other 3 Candidates:
      • Ken Stephens:  “We found his argument that what amounts to a massive tax increase was about “fairness” to be disingenuous.  There’s nothing “fair” about increasing the city’s total tax take during tight economic times.”
      • Demi Devaney:  While we stop short of endorsing her, we encourage residents to take a closer look.”
      • Dean Grose:  “Strikes us as lacking the judgment necessary to serve. . . . Were he re-elected, we worry what message that would send to the world about Los Alamitos [referring to Grose’s possibly “racist” watermelon e-mail]. . . .  Mr. Grose’s support of Measure DD is but the final example of why he doesn’t deserve a return trip to the Council.”
    • LetsFixLosAl:  Agree 100%..  I plan to vote for only 1, Richard Murphy, a 30 year resident with 25 years CPA experience & supporters on both “sides” of our divided city.  If I vote for a second candidate, I’ll probably go along with the Register’s semi-endorsement of  Demi Devaney. 
  • 72nd Assembly District:  Travis Allen.  “After vetting both candidates, both of whom have merit, the Register’s Editorial Board endorses Travis Allen, whom we hope will be energetic, circumspect and stand up for fiscally prudent principles in the California Assembly.” LetsFixLosAl:  Agree, after watching both candidates at the RHA Candidate Forum.  Allen seemed more energetic, more excited about the potential for California’s future.

 Rossmoor/Los Al Sewer District:  Nothing in the Register on this one, here’s my evaluation based on what I saw at the Candidate Forum and learned from a few locals with a long memory.  Candidates in ballot order, vote for 3 max:

  • Carolyn Sylvia:  No.  Supported Los Al taking over the Sewer District and it’s huge surplus in 1999, couldn’t explain why when asked at the Forum.
  • Eric Frankenberg:  No.   No real problem with him, I simply felt the other three candidates were stronger.
  • Van M. Jew:  Yes! A Civil Engineer with professional experience in Sewer-related issues.  Very impressive.
  • Jim Bell:  Absolutely!!!   I’ve known Jim, the son of Los Al’s first Mayor, for years.  He’s honest, diligent, & done a great job as an incumbent.  I think anyone who knows Jim would agree.
  • William Poe:  Yes!! Like Jim Bell, Poe’s an experienced incumbent whose Dad helped start the Sewer District.

 Municipal Water District, Div. 3:  Joel M. Rattner .  Crandall & Osborne also appear qualified, but Rattner is an Industrial Engineer and has served admirably on our on Rossmoor/Los Alamitos Sewer District as well.   He’s also been attending the OC Water Council Monthly Meetings for almost six years. [ad]

Click here for our 2012 California Propositions “Cheat Sheet,” with positions of both major parties & all three local daily newspapers.  

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