Jul
29
Only 2 candidates so far for 3 Los Alamitos City Council Seats
Filed Under 2010 Issues, City Council, Election Issues | 5 Comments
(Los Alamitos, 7/29/2010) As of noon today, only two people had even “pulled papers” to run for the three seats up for election this November for Los Al’s City Council, and both are incumbents.
Both Troy Edgar and Dean Zarkos have picked up their election packets but neither had returned them yet. Papers must be filed with the City Clerk by next Read more
Jul
17
Mob payback & reconciliation in “Shark Tales” movie at the Base pool tonight!
Filed Under Election Issues, News you can use | Leave a Comment
(Saturday, 7/17/2010) Wow! Our Los Alamitos Recreation Department sure knows when to schedule a free movie in the pool! Their choice of topics is even more intriguing. . .
At 7 p.m. tonight they’ll be showing the first of three free movies set for this summer. It’s Dreamworks 2004 animated film, “Shark Tales.” You can watch it from in the water or on the bleachers, and you’re even encouraged to “bring your inflatables for the pool!”
Shark Tales is a 90 minute feature with the voice of Will Smith as the main character.
It’s a kid’s movie that’s essentially a symbolic parody of 1972′s The Godfather (I’m not making this up. . . yet. . .) in which a City Council Majority elected with big money support from the local trash boss orders a hit on the Chairman of the Ocean’s Traffic Commission after he publicly opposes the Council for awarding the trash boss’s former company a ten year exclusive franchise costing six million dollars more than the lowest bidder.
Or something like that. The rumor is that the film’s been updated with a segment in which an evil foreign oil conglomerate’s massive oil spill threatens to destroy all the sharks in the Gulf, both good and evil. Anyway, in the end the mob boss comes to accept Will Smith’s character even though he doesn’t fit the standard mob mold, proving (are you listening, JM?) that even villains can have a change of heart. . .
If you don’t have air conditioning and are tired of paying to watch a movie to keep cool, then you might just want to toss the kids into the car tonight & drive over to the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base Pool. (Take Lexington south from Katella right into the main entrance. Lexington is east of Los Al Blvd. and west of Costco (Walker).
All adults entering the Base must have photo ID, but you do not have to be a Los Alamitos resident to participate.
This is the first of three “Movies in the Park” co-sponsored by Los Al Rec & and Revolution, the same folks that have combined to bring us the Easter Egg Hunt and Halloween Carnival for the last few years. (Despite rumors allegedly spread by a former Mayor, neither the Los Alamitos Easter Egg Hunt nor the White House Easter Egg Hunt was ever canceled due to the introduction of new crops on the White House lawn.)
Revolution is a non-denominational, contemporary church that meets at 10:00 a.m. Sundays at Artesia High, 12108 Del Amo, Lakewood (east of the 605). Church offices are actually in Los Alamitos at 10867 Portal Drive.
The other two movies are scheduled for Read more
Apr
5
Los Al Council to raise trash fees tonight?
Filed Under 2010 Issues, City Budget, City Council Meetings, Election Issues, George Briggeman | Leave a Comment
(Los Alamitos, 4/5/2010)If you live or work in Los Alamitos, the City Council could easily reduce your monthly trash bill for the next ten years.
They could just as easily increase your bill.
Whether your bill goes up or down will largely be determined by a Council vote tonight on the weighting of criteria for evaluating the seven proposals received for this decade’s Solid Waste Disposal Contract.
Unfortunately, as it now stands, the recommendations by the Council’s subcommittee of Mayor Poe and Mayor Pro Tem Stephens appear to Read more
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.
