Mar
12
The Los Alamitos City Council’s options on filling Dean Grose’s Council seat
Filed Under 2009 Issues, City Council, Dean Grose, Election Issues | 2 Comments
Our current 4 member Council with press on floor at their packed March 2 meeting
Please note: Our newest reader poll, on how you think the Los Alamitos City Council should fill former Mayor Dean Grose’s vacant Council seat, is near the end of this post. Your input is needed!
(3/12/09 by Dave Emerson) The topic of how to select someone to fill out Dean Grose’s City Council term is sure to be on the Agenda for the Monday, March 16th Los Alamitos City Council Meeting, so let’s take a look at the options our Council will have (We should have the agenda up for you sometime Friday, depending on when we receive it.)
There are actually three options available: Two could be completed as quickly as the Council wants, the other would take at least Read more
Mar
7
A closer look at Chuck Sylvia’s pre-election suit against Ken Parker
Filed Under 2009 Issues, C.P.L.A. & L.A.T.A., Election Issues | 17 Comments
Chuck Sylvia's lawyer wanted $25,000. The judge awarded $4,500.
(3/7/09, by Dave Emerson) Over the last few days a few anonymous posters here have been gloating about Ken Parker recently complying with a court order to reimburse Chuck Sylvia $4,500 for legal fees incurred by Sylvia last September in a lawsuit filed over Parker’s ballot candidate statement.
Since they brought it up, I’d like to go into that both Sylvia’s original lawsuit and subsequent request for Parker to reimburse him $25,000 in legal expenses. You see, it was this sort of action by Mr. Sylvia and his CPLA that gradually changed me from wanting to see Ken Parker off the Council to someone fighting against Sylvia, his Citizens for the Protection of Los Alamitos (CPLA) and it’s sister Los Alamitos Taxpayers’ Association (LATA), and their benefactor, George Briggeman Jr.
Loading ...Along the way we’ll hear first hand from one of Sylvia’s attorneys, look at the specifics of the suit, get a candidates perspective on the statement, find out why the judge cut the payment so dramatically, and further explore the negative side of the Sylvia/Briggeman/CPLA/LATA juggernaut that brought us Mayor Grose.
Feb
26
Should Mayor Grose and his majority resign?
Filed Under Decency, Election Issues, National Issues | 20 Comments
Mayor Grose and City Council welcome visitors to city website
Thursday night update: The 24 hours which ended at 4 this afternoon (midnight GMT) were the busiest in this blog’s short history, with about 1,200 page views, most apparently from local residents. Sometime tomorrow, Friday, I hope to get up a post to get the community discussing specific options for moving forward. ( I briefly mention a few in the comment I added below at 10:35 p.m. 2/26.) I’m bringing this up for the purpose of discussion. Your thoughts and ideas, as always, are far more important than just mine alone. For now, however, I’m going to get some sleep. Hope to see you by tomorrow afternoon.
(by Dave Emerson) Well, at least we’re no longer best known for Cypress’ race track.
In the last 24 hours thousands of comments have been posted on websites across our country decrying the racism of our Mayor and even our city.
“What is Los Alamitos, a white trash town of 400 people?” wrote one commenter on a nationwide blog.
Maybe it’s time for our Mayor and Council to take decisive action that will put this whole ugly inccident behind us all so the city and Dean Grose can move forward.
On most blogs that I’ve scanned, the comments tend to fall into 4 categories:
- What a racist and insensitive thing for a Mayor to do! (about 35% of comments)
- What an incredibly stupid thing for a Mayor to do! (about 30% of comments)
- What an overly sensitive evil thing Keyanus Price did in making the e-mail public. (about 10% of comments)
- What’s the big deal? It was a dumb, tasteless joke, the Mayor apologized, get over it. (about 25% of comments)
Sadly, there’s more involved here than just Mayor Dean Grose. Read more
Jan
29
Agenda for Monday, February 2 Los Alamitos City Council Meeting
Filed Under City Council Meetings, Election Issues | 17 Comments
About the above photo:
(by Dave Emerson) I thought I’d let you be the first on your block to see the new photo of the Los Alamitos City Council that now graces the city website. Unfortunately, the caption and heading appear to be embedded in the image, so now it looks like we’ve got our Council welcoming you to my blog. [Insert comment or humorous remark here.]
Actually, the Council’s intent was to welcome you to the city’s website, which you can go to if you scroll down to the “Los Al City website” link under “Local info” on the column to your right (and the Council’s left).
In any case, I did think the photo was a nice idea of Mayor Grose, who’s trying to emphasize a team approach this year.
The agenda:
The agenda was posted early, so you get it early as well. Once again, it seems to be another reactive rather than proactive agenda, which is the way most organizations work. Hopefully some high priority items will eventually work their way onto the agenda.
Anyway, here it is. I hope to add some links where needed later. As always, your thoughts and comments are welcome.
AGENDA, Los Alamitos City Council
REGULAR MEETING, February 2, 2009 – 7:00 p.m.
1. CALL TO ORDER
Jan
13
Cat’s letter to the Council about the median
Filed Under City Council Meetings, Election Issues, Traffic | 13 Comments
Dave Emerson here. Former Mayor Cat Driscoll graciously forwarded to me a copy of the letter she presented to the Los Alamitos City Council last night regarding the proposal to cut a left turn pocket and openint to the 24 Hour Fitness Center into the newly constructed Katella median. Below is the letter in its’ entirety, with room for your thoughts and comments below.
Traffic, especially relating to Cypress development, has always been a key issue for Cat. Her letter is well worth reading.
Jan
12
Your thoughts & summaries of tonight’s City Council Special Meeting
Filed Under City Council Meetings, Election Issues | 5 Comments
(intro by Dave Emerson) Well, it looks like the public portion of tonight’s special Council meeting will be carried live on LosAlTV, giving you, the citizen, the opportunity to comment live as you watch, or delayed as you replay or watch a replay later this week.
If you have Verizon Fios or Cable and live in Rossmoor or Los Alamitos, it’s going on live. The bulk of the public session, as indicated in my agenda summary, will deal with the mid year budget review and how to correct the shortfall. (You can link here to a pdf version of some of the budget info the Council Members received.)
I’m going to again try my passive approach, so it’s up to you to let your fellow citizens know what you saw and what you think of it. Remember to keep your language polite and try to disagree relatively agreeably. (We want to build bridges, but Read more
Dec
19
The new majority’s first Council Meeting: a solid “C?”
Filed Under City Council Meetings, Election Issues, Post Election Analysis, Teamwork | 30 Comments
(by Dave Emerson) Between judging a local Holiday decorating contest and welcoming our newest grandchild into the world, I never got to see all of Monday’s City Council meeting, but I did catch enough to gain some first impressions of the way the new majority started off, some good, some bad.
I also learned a bit from scrolling through the on-line discussion here of that meeting (See “Your comments on the 12/15 Los Alamitos City Council Meeting,” with 34 comments so far.) I’m pleased to see the interaction, some of it actually constructive. Discussion helps us understand each other and find the areas we can work together on.
In this post I’ll focus on item 11, topics B, C, and D, and being the old teacher that I am, grade the Council on each item.
11. B: Purchase of financial hardware and software
The good news is the Council unanimously approved this purchase, despite the high initial cost. To me this was a classic case of needing to spend money now to save lots more money later, and it was gratifying to see the Council agree unanimously. It demonstrated the Council’s willingness to embrace technology and strategic spending, at least in this case. Read more
Nov
10
Closer than it looked?
Filed Under Election Issues, Post Election Analysis | 7 Comments
[Coming Tuesday: What do you think should be our new City Council's top priorities?]
Los Alamitos City Council Election Results, Monday, 11/10, 10 a.m.
| CITY OF LOS ALAMITOS Member, City Council |
| Number To Vote For: 2 |
| Completed Precincts: 10 of 10 |
| Vote Count | Percentage | |
| MARILYNN POE | 1,711 | 25.9% |
| KEN STEPHENS | 1,668 | 25.2% |
| KENNETH C. PARKER | 1,372 | 20.8% |
| DAVID “DAVE” EMERSON | 1,132 | 17.1% |
| CATHERINE “CAT” DRISCOLL | 726 | 11.0% |
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(by Dave Emerson) Well, that surely was an interesting election, with some very interesting results.
Today I’d like to address a couple interesting items in addition to some of the items we discussed in Wednesday’s “The Day After” post and Friday’s precinct-by-precinct results post.
Anyone who kept track of what they got in their mail know that the winners sent out at least three to six times the mailers that their opponents did, depending on if you count the eleven “slate mailers” paid for by the Los Alamitos Taxpayers Association, not to mention the hit pieces from CPLA and LATA. But we’re going to ignore the obvious money disparity for now and look at two less noticed items.
The impact of ballot order:
It has long been known that candidates whose names appear first receive additional votes. One grizzled veteran of many California campaigns told me that in his experience about 10% of voters automatically vote for the first two candidates in races where the ballot instructs voters are to “vote for two.”
In case you forgot, here’s the ballot order for all precincts for Los Alamitos City Council:
- Ken Stephens
- Marilyn Poe
- Dave Emerson
- Cat Driscoll
- Ken Parker
Back in 1998 a study was conducted on the topic by Jon Krosnick, an Ohio State Professor of psychology and political science (an interesting and appropriate combination.) He found that on average candidates in Ohio received 2.33% more votes when their names appeared first. However, he found that number was dramatically higher in non-partisan contests, and in contests that received less media attention. The factor would be greatest in a Presidential election, especially one with a high voter turnout. It might well be higher in California than in Ohio, and in 2008 than in 1998.
It’s most logical that the influence would be even more pronounced when the first candidate and the last candidate on the ballot were both named “Ken,” with the first being a newcomer and the last a two term incumbent and Mayor. But if we just stick with the California political pro’s 10% of the voters picking the top two, here’s how the results would stack up if Parker and I were listed 1st & 2nd on the ballot instead if Stephens and Poe:
- Ken Parker, 1705 votes
- Dave Emerson, 1462 votes
- Marilyn Poe, 1381 votes
- Ken Stephens, 1338 votes
- Cat Driscoll, 726 votes
If you went with a 5% difference, which seems really conservative in this race, the order would have been:
- Marilyn Poe, 1546 votes
- Ken Parker, 1540 votes
- Ken Stephens, 1518 votes
- Dave Emerson, 1297 votes
- Cat Driscoll, 762 votes.
None of this changes the results. Ballot placement, like bad calls by refs at sporting events, are just part of the program. But it is interesting.
Cat’s 726 votes:
This is the tough one for me. Catherine “Cat” Driscoll’s withdrawal from the race on her doctor’s recommendation was announced by a press release from the City on Tuesday morning, October 7, almost a full month before the election. Cat made it clear that she would not serve if elected. It was posted here and on the city website the same day, and made the OC Register on Wednesday, 10/8. It was also at the top of the left hand column of the News Enterprise on Wednesday, 10/8, although it was dwarfed by the AutumnFest headline and huge color photo of the event’s Ferris wheel.
The newly created “Los Alamitos Taxpayers Association” lost no time getting out a $5,000 full color card stock, oversized flyer announcing Driscoll’s withdrawal in bold 60 point type. Apparently they wanted to be sure she didn’t beat either of the two candidates they supported and then change her mind. I also made mention of her withdrawal in several flyers I distributed targeting absentee voters, who began voting shortly after Cat’s announced withdrawal.
A little while later Cat went on to endorse myself and Ken Parker. In two subsequent flyers I both mentioned Cat’s withdrawal and her endorsement. As I visited homes and called voters even on election day many were surprised to learn that Cat had withdrawn.
Even so, 726 of about 3,300 voters–about 22%–still voted for Cat! That in spite of being listed 4th on the ballot! If 80% of Cat’s votes had gone to me, I would have finished first, with no change in ballot name order. If 75% had gone to me, I would have finished second. If 40% had gone to Ken Parker, he would have finished second, with 45% he would have taken first, despite being listed last on the ballot.
The sad truth about Los Alamitos’ media coverage
22% of the voters apparently were not aware Cat had withdrawn, despite front page coverage in the News Enterprise, on the City’s website, on this blog, and coverage online and in print in the Orange County Register. Plus one of the most expensive mailers this city has ever seen for a local race going to every voter in the city. Plus my one full page two sided color flyer left on most porches the weekend just before the election.
This shows how hard it is to inform voters in our community. We get virtually no coverage in TV and radio, other than LosAlTV3. Unless you live in Rossmoor Highlands, Los Al residents now only get one local weekly paper to one, now that the Sun has cut out the rest of our residences. Less than a third of our residents get a daily newspaper, you really have to search to find coverage of Los Alamitos in the dailies. It’s usually buried on page 5 or 6 of the Register’s Local section, almost never in the Times, and rarely in the Press Telegram.
Which is one reason I intend to keep this blog up and hopefully even growing in the months ahead!
It’s also why everyone is free to post their thoughts, questions, and concerns in the comments box below. (No box? Just scroll to the top and click the blue “Comment(s)” below the headline.) Please remember to use polite language and a relatively respectful tone.
Because the easiest way to Fix Los Al is to learn to work together, starting with the things we all agree on.
Nov
7
[Coming Monday: Why the Los Al election was closer than it looks.]
(by Dave Emerson) Over the next few days I’m going to try to get up several more post-election posts. There is much to discuss, including some interesting info on ballot placement and how close I might have been to winning with a couple of changes. I appreciate the visits and comments of the hundreds of citizens whose interest in our town didn’t end on election night.
Over the next week we will also be refocusing this web site to serve as a valuable tool for information, discussion, and monitoring of what’s going on in our little town of Los Alamitos. Thanks so much for your visits, participation, and insights! We want this to be a place where friend and foe can learn about & discuss the issues & needs of our town 24/7/365 in an effort to find both truth and common ground. A virtual town hall where good ideas bloom.
The Orange County Registrar of Voters election results pages for Los Alamitos contain a wealth of data by precinct on every race, if you’ve got the time to click through precinct by precinct and notes on which precinct is which. The numbers below were current as of 9 a.m. on 11/7, but there are about 300,000 absentee ballots county-wide that still need to be tabulated.
I’ve done the work for you on the Los Alamitos City Council Election results, moving from South to North and from west to east: (I’ve posted some brief remarks after each precinct. I hope to get more election analysis up in another post later.)
Results for Parkewood:
| Precinct | 33134 – LOS ALAMITOS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Contest | CITY OF LOS ALAMITOS Member, City Council | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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- – -
Parkewood is the small S & S tract of “patio homes “off Lampson at the far east end of town. I passed out flyers here once but never door knocked.
Results for Rossmoor Highlands:
| Precinct | 33117 – LOS ALAMITOS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Contest | CITY OF LOS ALAMITOS Member, City Council | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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- – -
This is the large tract on the south end of town. I passed out several flyers here, and did a little door knocking, but never had the time to cover even half of the tract. I expected to do better here.
Results for Old Dutch Haven, Suburbia Estates, and part of central Apartment Row:
| Precinct | 33121 – LOS ALAMITOS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Contest | CITY OF LOS ALAMITOS Member, City Council | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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- – -
This includes my small neighborhood of Suburbia, 100 homes total, as well as neighboring Old Dutch Haven, where I did most of my campaigning early on. That’s partially offset by a small part of Apartment Row where I never campaigned or left flyers, as well as a fair number of strong CPLA supporters in this precinct. Even so, people who know me apparently tend to vote for me.
Results for Apartment Row West:
| Precinct | 33128 – LOS ALAMITOS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Contest | CITY OF LOS ALAMITOS Member, City Council | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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- – -
I never made it to Apartment Row, West or East, and very few of my flyers went out there either. All they had was two small mail pieces from me.
Results for Apartment Row East:
| Precinct | 33122 – LOS ALAMITOS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Contest | CITY OF LOS ALAMITOS Member, City Council | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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- – -
This is Ken Stephens home precinct. I never made it through this section of Apartment Row either. Ran out of time.
Results for Carrier Row and New Dutch Haven:
| Precinct | 33126 – LOS ALAMITOS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Contest | CITY OF LOS ALAMITOS Member, City Council | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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- – -
Now this is more like it! This precinct includes the homes of Marilyn Poe, Ken Parker, and Cat Driscoll, and Chuck Sylvia. I got a few flyers out here later in the campaign but nothing for absentee voters. Never did much door knocking here. Ken Stephens, Ken Parker, and I all carried our home precincts. Marilyn Poe finished fourth in hers. Interesting.
Results for Old Town and North Los Al (Greenbrook, College Park N, etc.):
| Precinct | 33601 – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Contest | CITY OF LOS ALAMITOS Member, City Council | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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- – -
This used to be two precincts. I left several flyers in some parts of it, but never did any door knocking.
Results for Northeast border of El Dorado Park Estates
| Precinct | 33901 – | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Contest | CITY OF LOS ALAMITOS Member, City Council | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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- – -
This is an interesting precinct that used to be combined with the Greenbrooks & the rest Los Al north of Cerritos. It’s basically the homes in El Dorado Park Estates south of Ball/Wardlow that back on Coyote Creek. They have a Long Beach mailing address, and the street they live on is in Long Beach.
What’s interesting is that I walked and knocked the 2/3 of these homes that are on Marna Ave., and Ken Prker knocked the 1/3 that are on Lilly Ave. I’m guessing that Marilyn Poe knocked all of them and Ken Stephens didn’t knock any, and I’m also guessing the city employees didn’t make it over there. Interesting.
I’ll be posting more on the election results and my thoughts moving forward in the days ahead. Please feel free to post your thoughts as well. If you’re new here, the only rules are to use polite language and try to be respectful of all. If you don’t see a “comment” box below, scroll up to the headline, click it, then scroll back down. Your “name” is public and can be initials or a pseudonym. Your e-mail is kept private. Thanks for visiting!
For more post-election thoughts, see “The day after.”
Nov
6
Important Questions
Filed Under Election Issues, Los Alamitos Priorities | 1 Comment
Coming mid day Friday: Election review–my thoughts on what happened & why. The race was actually closer than it looked! See you then. In the meantime, we’re adjusting to our new post-election role, as indicated below. Would appreciate your feedback & input as requested, if you’re so inclined!
(by Dave Emerson) We’re in transition here at “LetsFixLosAl.com.” Moving from a combination candidates site and political blog to a place in cyberspace to learn and discuss what’s going on in Los Alamitos.
I’ve changed the tag line on the mast head to “Los Alamitos’ 24/7 virtual town hall meeting: Where good ideas bloom!”
As we’re switching modes, I’ve got a few more posts reflecting on the election in mind, but I also want to keep the focus primarily on moving ahead. With that in mind, I’ve got a couple questions, and maybe you can help answer them:
- Why did you vote (or not vote) the way you did in our Los Alamitos City Council election?
- What are the key priorities you would like to see our new Council focus on?
Of course, the right to a private ballot is one of the cherished principals of our democracy, so feel free to use a pseudonym if you want for your “name.” Even a generic one like “voter.” (Your e-mail is kept private).
I’m especially interested in voters who didn’t vote for me (and there are quite a few of them!), voters that only voted for one candidate, and voters who voted for Cat.
Even more important is where you’d like to see the council move now. Having that info with who you voted for and why could prove enlightening.
If there isn’t a “comment” box below, just scroll up and click on the headline for this post, then scroll back down. Polite and respectful, please. We want this site to be a place where all can discuss what’s going on in a cordial, respectful atmosphere.
A place where good ideas bloom!
Nov
5
Wednesday sermon: “Be an Example”
Filed Under Decency, Election Issues, Inspiration | Leave a Comment
Warning: Religious content on this particular post. I found it quite appropriate and helpful for me this morning, but If it might offend you, there are plenty of non religious posts on this blog. You have been warned. (By tomorrow afternoon I hope to get up an election analysis post. This one just spoke to me today.)
(by Dave Emerson) This year I’m reading through Wisdom for Today, a new daily devotional book by my pastor, Chuck Smith. I’m guessing each day’s thoughts are drastically condensed from a sermon. I found today’s especially helpful the day after a defeat that was a little tough to swallow:
Be an Example [sections especially appropriate to me are underlined]
“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” –I Timothy 4:12
Because Timothy was young, some in the church looked down on him and refused to receive from him. So Paul wrote to him, saying “Look, just be an example.” Paul outlined six areas where Timothy should be an example to the believers:
In word–This could be interpreted two ways. First, Paul may have meant, “Be an example in your language.“ But he could also have meant, “Be an example in your knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures–be a man of the Word.” Both are important.
In conduct–Let your lifestyle be an example of what a believer is. Model Christ in your actions and your attitudes.
In love–The love that Paul described in I Corinthians 13 is the love that should emanate from the life of every believer.
In spirit–Some people have a sweet spirit; others are just mean-spirited. There is no place for mean-spiritedness among believers.
In faith–This also could mean one of two things. Either we are to be an example in our trust in God, or in our own trustworthiness–or both.
In purity–Timothy was young, not married, and living in a corrupt, pagan society. Paul urged him to live a life of purity, a life above reproach.
St. Paul sets a high standard that none of us will completely achieve, but one well worth striving and praying for. Over the last few months I’ve felt God help me grow in some of these areas, even as I know I’ve failed in others. Even this afternoon some mean-spirited sarcasm crept into a conversation I was having with a customer service rep at Medco, my mother’s Boeing retiree pharmacy. Thankfully, God is forgiving, and so was the customer service rep. As they say, “Nobody bats a thousand.” (That’s why you can always find some mud to throw about anybody.) But by God’s grace we can all keep improving. That’s good for us, good for our families, good for our community, and good for our world!
Nov
5
The day after: A time for disappointment, thanks, and healing
Filed Under Community News, Election Issues, Teamwork | 24 Comments
This is the first of several post-election posts I hope to put up over the next few days. There are several important lessons to be learned from the election results, including the need for better local election coverage. As mentioned below, this blog can be a continuing tool to promote discussion, community, and good ideas that will move our town forward.
If you have one of my signs in your yard, I’ll try to come by and pick it up today.
| CITY OF LOS ALAMITOS Member, City Council |
| Number To Vote For: 2 |
| Completed Precincts: 10 of 10 |
| Vote Count | Percentage | |
| MARILYNN POE | 1,632 | 25.8% |
| KEN STEPHENS | 1,599 | 25.3% |
| KENNETH C. PARKER | 1,304 | 20.6% |
| DAVID “DAVE” EMERSON | 1,094 | 17.3% |
| CATHERINE “CAT” DRISCOLL | 686 | 10.9% |
(by Dave Emerson) The above final results form the 2008 Los Alamitos City Council election are deeply disappointing to those of us who have worked so hard to move the city forward in a different direction than that ultimately chosen by our voters.
Things we can be proud of
There is, however, much in which we can take consolation, perhaps even some pride.
Cat Driscoll and her supporters can certainly be proud of the votes she received despite withdrawing from the race before absentee ballots had even been mailed, and despite a $5,000 full color card stock mailer by LATA to make sure the voters knew that Cat had withdrawn. (They were obviously afraid that her popularity was so high that she might still win even after withdrawing!) If that’s not a vote of confidence, Cat, I don’t know what is!
Ken Parker and his supporters can take consolation in coming within a few hundred votes of retaining his seat despite an unprecedented campaign specifically targeted against him by two “independent” organizations (The Citizens for the Preservation of Los Alamitos and the Los Alamitos Taxpayers Association), combined with equally unprecedented spending by his victorious opponents. Not to mention the unprecedented involvement of the city employees union.
My supporters and I can certainly console ourselves with a surprisingly strong showing from an unknown, poorly funded candidate who didn’t even pull his papers to run until the very last day of the filing period. Especially considering that the victors spent more on one oversized full color professionally prepared mailer than I did on my entire campaign.
Even so, if all of the people who voted for Cat had instead voted for me, as she requested, I would have actually have finished in first place! That’s a huge tribute to the many people who worked so hard on my behalf, and the many voters who spent the time to look beyond the large type glossy mailers to thoroughly research their votes. In fact, despite all resources marshalled against us, the combined vote total cast for the victors only exceeded that of their opponents by less than 150 votes!
Cat and Ken can also be proud of all they accomplished on the Council and of their many friends and ardent supporters.
We can all be proud that we worked hard, did our best, ran positive campaigns, told the truth, and tried to do it with grace. Today we must be sure a gracious spirit overcomes temptations to bitterness or negativity.
A tip of the hat to the winners
Marilyn Poe and Ken Stephens did an excellent job of “walking, knocking, and talking.” My guess is each of them probably knocked on over half the doors in our town, and well over half the doors in the single family tracts. They kept their personal campaigns positive. I wish them all the best and offer my assistance and the assistance of this website to move our town forward, improve traffic flow, build a team spirit throughout the community, plan long term for the future, improve resident and business services, and plan for the long term future of our community.
I would be pleased to serve under their majority as a traffic or planning commissioner. As I’ve said repeatedly, it’s time to put the schisms, bickering, and bitterness behind us and work together for the good of our community, and I’m available to do my part.
Congratulations, Marilyn and Ken, on a hard fought victory.
A time for thanks
All of us who fought so hard for a different outcome can move forward knowing that we did our very best right down to the last hours of this election. I think of my daughters working the phones on my behalf until late yesterday afternoon, one of them from her present home in Tennessee! Or my son squeezing in time late Monday afternoon to pass out flyers with me. Barb and Nate encouraging, supporting, helping, and praying for me through three crazy months. People putting unsolicited checks of support through my mail slot. And Loren Driscoll calling me after work yesterday with the great idea of waving campaign signs at major Los Alamitos intersections as Election Day turned to Election night.
Thanks so much, Loren, Sarah, Beth, Nate, Barb, Cat, Ken, Kim, Gerri, Jav, Paul, Ginnie, Jody, Pete, JM, Bruce, Brad, and the many, many others that put so much time, effort, prayers, money and encouragement into my campaign. I love and deeply appreciate each one of you.
Thanks also to the many who have followed my efforts on this blog, and the many who have posted their support, ideas, and even disagreements here. Today we will exceed 11,000 total page views since my first post just over two months ago! There seems to be a real need for an interactive Los Alamitos website, so not only will we be sticking around here in cyberspace, but we may be expanding. I’m thinking it may be time for some volunteer reporters from each of our town’s neighborhoods, schools, churches, and organizations. Send me an email (RealtorDaveE “at” msn.com) if you’re interested.
Thanks to the hundreds of citizens who allowed me to put a sign in your yard. I’ll be by today to pick it up. (If I miss you, you can put it in tomorrow’s trash, or leave your address on my home office number, 430-0262.)
And thanks to every one of my one thousand and ninety-four fellow citizens who voted for me. That’s an awful lot of supporters for a guy who was pretty much unknown three months ago.
A time for healing
Cat prayed for healing in her invocation at Monday’s Council session, and that’s certainly what our city needs. It’s incumbant on each of us to move beyond our disappointment and even bitterness to reach out to work with the new Council members as a unified team for the good of the community. We need to do everything in our power to try to move the city beyond the deep schisms of the past. Yes, we need to speak the truth, but we need to speak it in love. Sometimes we need to remain silent in love as well. We need to lead by example, even in defeat.
Likewise, the new majority has a golden opportunity to put the animosity behind and reach out graciously to their opponents, in both word and deed.
I hope they will not ignore the 1,300 citizens who voted for Mayor Parker despite all the negative flyers, or the almost 1,100 who voted for me.
I hope they follow Lincoln’s example of gracious attempts at reconciliation after victory. I hope they leave the existing commissioners in place, and reach out to include commission members from all constituencies of our electorate.
I hope they strive to include Gerri Mejia as a valued Council Member in their decision making, paying attention to her concerns and opinions.
I hope they listen carefully to the concerns of all the community.
I hope they join in the discussion on this website.
I hope they reach out to build a real team that includes all of the citizens of Los Alamitos.
If they do, we might just all end up as winners.
Nov
4
Vote!
Filed Under Election Issues | 4 Comments
Election results: Click here and scroll down about half way to Los Alamitos. Initial results will tend to be absentees, when I was less well known. Absentees also tend to have a higher percentage of CPLA types. I expect to do better in the regular voting. We probably won’t know for sure until Wednesday morning sometime. I’ll get a post up Wednesday.
Again, thanks to everyone for their support, prayers, and help. Win or lose, this blog will stay up, and so will our spirits!
Mid afternoon update: Thanks to everyone who’s dropped by this blog over the last two months. Today we recorded our 10,000th page view, which shows pretty impressive interest in on-line politics for a small town like ours.
I plan to keep this blog up and running after the election, so we’ll still have a “virtual water cooler” where we can discuss our thoughts on what’s going on here and how we can make Los Al even better.
BTW, I’ve been calling voters this afternoon, and have received a number of favorable responses. It’s still not to late to call a few friends and remind them that the polls are open ’til 8.
Thanks for stopping by!
(by Dave Emerson) Today’s the day! Even if the national elections are decided before our polls close, there are many important California issues on the ballot.
There’s also a really important City Council race for Los Alamitos residents who don’t want their city taken over by the George Briggeman, the city employees union, or the mud-flinging, ever negative Citizens for the Preservation of Los Alamitos.
I think Loren Driscoll said it pretty well on the sign he mounted on the kids’ basketball hoop, which happens to be just 100 feet down the street from the polling place for New Dutch Haven and Carrier Row:
If you want more info on what events pushed two independent-minded candidates like Mayor Parker and myself together, you might start with “The $20,500 tip of the Briggeman/Poe/Stephens iceberg,” or “Have you no decency. . . ?“ Here’s where top click if you’re interested in what my priorities are or where I stand on the key issues in this race.
If you’re worried that I’m not really independent because Parker and I have teamed up against the Briggeman political machine, you may want to check out “OC Register: Dave Emerson “independent,” “true to his word.”
If you want election information, including the location of your polling place, check out “How to Vote.” Finally, whatever you do, be sure to read Cat Driscoll’s touching comment at the end of my post about “Last Night’s Council Meeting: CPLA crew goes down swinging wildly.”
After you vote, be sure to stop by Starbucks for a free tall coffee. (If you voted absentee, just tell them.) Or you can drive to Long Beach for a free Crispy Creme donut, but you need your “I have voted” tag for them.
Please help the citizens of Los Alamitos demonstrate that “people power” is stronger than Big Bucks power. Take the time to vote today. Thank you!
Then check back tomorrow for post-election thoughts and to express yours. With the response we’ve been getting (667 page views yesterday alone), this blog may be around for a long time.
Nov
3
How to vote
Filed Under Election Issues, News you can use | 2 Comments
(by Dave Emerson) Well, tomorrow’s the big day. It’s important to get it right, from where to vote to who to vote for & what to do about those issues you know nothing about. I’ll see if I can be of assistance.
Where: First, if you’re not sure where your polling place is, this link to the OC Registrar of Voter will let you input your address & then give you your polling place information. If it comes back “no address,” be sure you spelled the street name right, including spacing or not.
When: The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Registrar says peak hours (longest lines) are 7 – 9 a.m. and 5 – 8 p.m. Here in Los Alamitos, lunch time (11:30 – 1:30) seems to be pretty busy too. The good news is that about 35% of us have already voted, so that should cut the wait some. If you have to vote before work, arriving a bit early with a book or work to do might help.
The Daly “Machine” in Chicago used to have a saying, “Vote early and vote often.” While voting more than once is frowned upon here in California, voting early is a good idea. The later it gets, the more inclined we can be to just skip it. City Council races in Los Alamitos are usually decided by a margin of 20 – 50 votes, so your single vote can make a huge difference in the City Counsel race alone.
When you’re tired and on your way home from work and a Presidential winner may already be projected, there’s a natural tendency to drive on past the polling place when you see long lines outside. But there are many important issues on the ballot, from the propositions to Prop K, the Los Alamitos Unified School District School Bond issue, to Orange County Pension reform and several propositions regarding the criminal justice system.
There’s also that Los Alamitos City Council election. The right choice of candidates could save you hundreds of dollars in utility taxes and trash bills. It could also save you hours of time stuck in traffic. More on that later, the point is, the Presidential election is just one of many important things you and I have the opportunity to vote on.
The forgotten secret of wise voting:
If you’re not sure who to vote for, don’t. There’s no penalty for leaving all the boxes blank in some races.
If you’ve got an option to vote for two out of four, it’s OK to just vote for one! Some people call that “the bullet.” If you’re sure about one candidate but unsure about the others, just vote for the one you’re sure of. In a sense, it makes your single vote count double.
Important info on the Los Alamitos City Council race
First, unfortunately, Cat Driscoll has withdrawn from the race the advice of her doctor. She has stated, “If elected, I will not serve.” Complete information from the city’s website is available here. Cat has endorsed myself (Dave Emerson) and Ken Parker.
That leaves you four candidates for two positions, two of them named “Ken,” just to make it interesting.
The candidates supported by the Citizens for the Preservation of Los Alamitos
Two candidates, Marilyn Poe and Ken Stephens are very closely aligned. They held their fund raiser together (I would link here to a video on YouTube, but it was taken down for some reason.) They have been repeatedly endorsed by members of the CPLA in the News Enterprise.
The CPLA is a group of very disgruntled older citizens who are opposed to the current Council majority of Parker, Driscoll, and Mejia. It is also the sponsor of the Los Alamitos Taxpayers Association (LATA). The Orange County Register has linked LATA, Poe, and Stephens to $20,000 in contributions just during the first eighteen days of October that appears to have come from local property owner and former trash hauler George Briggeman. By my projection, based on the information revealed in the article and in public records, Briggeman is on a track to spend well in excess of $100,000 to defeat Parker (and me) and elect Poe and Stephens. This doesn’t make Poe and Stephens bad people, but in my opinion it would probably make them a poor choice for Council Member at this time.
Marilyn Poe is a very long term resident of the city who served on the Council for 12 years from 1994 – 2006. During that time she voted to rename a portion of Sausalito Street “Briggeman Drive,” and also voted to extend Briggeman’s trash contract for ten years without going out to bid. By some estimates that costs the city, our schools, our businesses, and our apartment dwellers, and any homeowner needing a trash bin for remodeling or whatever hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. Marilyn has been very active with charities for many years, but I don’t think she is a good fit for the Council at this time. I believe she has had her oppportunity to serve as a Council Member for twelve years, and the result has been minimal leadership and neglect of major issues while majoring on minors.
Ken Stephens is a fairly new resident of our city. So new, in fact, that he didn’t answer the question, “How long have you lived in this city?” on the press information form the city gives to each candidate. He rents in Apartment Row. His flyers are extremely expensive, frequent, vague, and somewhat contradictory. On the other hand, he is usually a very pleasant gentleman. He is the general manager for the 24 Hour Fitness gym in Cypress. His flyers claim he is also the “sponsor” or “corporate sponsor” of the Race on the Base and the Olympic Water Polo Teams, but that would actually be his employer. For more information on Mr. Stephens see “Who is Ken Stephens?“ I think he’s a great guy who would make an excellent Commissioner, possibly on Parks and Recreation. I hope that some day he will be able to join me on the Council. But with the amount of money he’s spent on this campaign, I’m afraid he may get there first.
The Incumbent Mayor, Ken Parker
With Cat Driscoll out of the race, Ken is the remaining incumbent on the ballot who’s still a candidate. (Cat’s on the ballot because she withdrew in October, after the ballots had been printed.) He has served eight years, from 2000 to 2008, and has lived in Los Alamitos all his life. He is a part of the current majority that is opposed by the CPLA, but has made significant steps in moving the city forward, and possibly a few moving it sideways or back.
The CPLA and their sister LATA have both blasted Parker especially in many highly deceptive “hit pieces,” the worst being the one you received in the mail on Friday (See “Have you no decency. . . ?“) He has taken no money from Mr. Briggeman in the current campaign, and is committed to putting the trash contract out for bid.
Yours truly, David “Dave” Emerson, # 3 on your ballot
I’ve lived in Los Alamitos for 20 years, when Barb and I bought our current home here (see “Meet the Emersons” for more about the family). I was born in Los Angeles, grew up in Lakewood, got my bachelor’s and secondary teaching credential form UCLA by way of Biola University, and a Masters in Educational Administration from Pepperdine University.
After eight years in the classroom I went into real estate full time and have developed two successful small businesses. I want to bring an entrepreneurial, creative but businesslike approach to City Hall. I have been active in scouting, youth sports, and my church.
I am running as an independent candidate, but I welcome the endorsements of both Cat Driscoll and Ken Parker. (See “OCRegister: Dave Emerson “independent,” “true to his word.”)
My goal from day one was to sit on a Council that was split evenly between the two factions that have been battling for the past 12 years. That would enable me, as a swing vote, to encourage both sides to work together for the common good. If I am elected along with Ken Parker that hopefully cure George Briggeman of his desire to control our City Council. At least it would keep the Council out of his hands for the next two years, unless he attempts to orchestrate a recall. Just as important, it would lead to that 2 – 2 – 1 split that would give me maximum leverage in getting people to work together. (I have many posts up on the category of “teamwork,” one is “Moving forward. . . together.“)
How to Vote for Council
If you’re a big fan of George Briggeman and want him to control the Council, vote for Stephens and/or Poe. If even one of them wins, he will have control. (Troy Edgar and Dean Grose have campaigned extensively for Poe and Stephens.)
If you want to make sure Briggeman keeps his hands off our City Council, or if you want to force both factions on the council to work together more often, vote for Emerson and Parker. If you’re not sure about one of us, then just vote for the other, but not for Poe or Stephens.
I again want to emphasize that I Parker and I are not running as running mates. We have not held fundraisers together. What we have in common is a desire to move the city forward and to keep the Council out of Briggeman’s hands. When elected, we will work together, as I intend to work with all the Council members towards what I believe is in the best interest of the city. But we will each think for ourselves. And we will both be free of outside influence.
An independent council, where both factions finally unite for the common good of our little town. For me, it would be a dream come true!
Nov
2
Who’s vandalizing my signs?
Filed Under Decency, Election Issues | 9 Comments
(by Dave Emerson) Early this morning, on my way back home frompassing out a couple hundred flyers in Rossmoor Highlands, I noticed that a number of my signs had been vandalized overnight.
I also noticed that my competitors’ signs, which were right next to mine, were not.
Apparently the tens of thousands of dollars George Briggeman is spending to elect Stephens and Poe isn’t enough of an advantage for some of their supporters.
At least the components of the signs were still there, so I repaired them and put them back up. How long they’ll stay up remains to be seen.
On a more costly note, I soon discovered that at least two of my grand total of six vinyl banners had been cut down overnight and removed. 
Although my banners are smaller than my competitors, they were still a major expense, so losing 1/3 of them was a bit upsetting. It appears that I’m being outspent by well over ten to one–you’d think they’d leave my six puny banners alone. Or at least take them down but leave them there so I could have them for future campaigns or at least the final days of this one.
If something I said was wrong or offended them, the right thing to do would have been to post a response right here on my website. I’m the only candidate who offers free web space for anyone and everyone right on my own website. Even if you want to be anonymous!
These aren’t the first stolen banners in this campaign. Ken Parker had one of his slashed & removed from the back wall of a supporter’s property. And I know both Ken and I have had lots of signs stolen.
A pile of stolen signs a supporter found while passing out flyers.
Just last night I received an e-mail from Paul Smith telling me two of my signs had been removed from his corner lot home. Ironically, I had just finished replacing them before I discovered the missing banners.
I’ve figured stolen signs and minor vandalism are part of elections, but it really seems out of place in Los Alamitos. But not in this election.
How sad.
I sure hope the voters figure out what’s going on. Please help spread the word.
It’s “David (literally) vs. Goliath” all over again. I don’t have a slingshot, but with God’s help, people power may be just as effective.
