Wow. What a great time at the cityhood campaign kickoff celebration last night! Good times all around. Thanks to the organizers for... well, for everything. Thanks to the firefighters local 522 for rockin' the grill. Awesome dogs, guys (and ladies)! Thanks to the candidates to showed up to meet us common folk. Thanks to Stevie Scott and band for a great performance. And especially thanks to the dozens of volunteers who kept the trash emptied, kids playing safely, lawn signs and t-shirts moving out, and all of the other thankless tasks that made it all work.
For a political event, it really didn't seem all that political. This was community at its finest. People coming together from all races, belief systems, ages, and whatever else you can think of, simply to unite as Arden Arcadians. It rocked.
Shortly before everything closed down, I was chatting with Brian Rice from Sac Metro, when an alarm went off and three trucks, including the huge ladder rig, pulled out of the Butano station and temporarily deafened us all with the siren's blare. Someone, somewhere, was in danger of losing life or property, and our finest were on the way to stop the tragedy. That is community. That is what I don't want to see continually eroding, or swallowed up in the metropolis. That is what I want to keep. Not Stay Sacramento - Stay Arden Arcade. I'm not going to let you take that away.
***
You may notice the list of links on the right side of the page. People I meet out there in the real world keep asking where they can get the facts, and I finally decided to just post everything here and let the chips fall. If you are a candidate, and have a site I didn't post here, get it to me asap so you can be included. Then find a good search engine optimization consultant who can get you listed higher in Google. If you were in the first two pages, you would also be here.
I really went through a "long dark night of the soul" experience about adding the Stay Sacramento site to the list. But then I realized what several people have told me in the past few weeks. Nothing sells cityhood like reading their site and seeing how incredibly flimsy their rhetoric really is. I want this to be a place for open communication and debate, something their site just doesn't seem to appreciate.
***
Campaign signs are now available! Check the Cityhood web site for info on how to get one! They will be the fashion hit of the season!
***
This Tuesday (10/7) is an open debate at the Community Center in La Sierra Park. One of our council candidates, Anthony Hernandez, will be representing cityhood across the aisle from Dr. Mike Duveneck. This is an open event, but it is also a meeting of the local homeowner's association. If you're settled on the incorporation issue, which you should be after reading this blog, then don't go. But invite your friends, neighbors, relatives, and anyone else you know who is still on the fence.
***
More fun stuff coming this week. Stay tuned!
Showing posts with label city council. Show all posts
Showing posts with label city council. Show all posts
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
And away we go...
see the update at the bottom of this post.
Today, at the end of the business day, we will have a final list of the candidates who are running for city council. There was a bit of confusion previously about whether the mayoral race would be separate from the city council, but the word as of now is that every candidate will register for the council election, and the one who receives the most votes will be mayor. If that person turns down the mayor's office, then the council will vote for one of their own to assume the office. And yes, I made that sound much more complicated than it really is.
Soon you will start seeing campaign materials for the candidates. Some will be good; some may not. Your job as a responsible Arden Arcade resident is to go deeper and get to know the candidates. Read the ads, go to their web sites, find out what they stand for. Find out how long they have been cityhood supporters. Get to a meeting where they will be speaking, and find out why they want to be on the council.
I will be doing my best to get out information on all the candidates, to help you make informed choices. I won't endorse anyone here, but I will try to share the information I get. To that end, I will be sending a questionaire to all the candidates (assuming I can get an email address). In a week or two I will collect the ones I get returned, and put the data into some charts and such that I can post on this blog. We'll see how it turns out.
You can be a part of the process. If there's a question you think needs to be asked, that has a general interest for the community, send it to me and I'll try to add it to the questionaire. But keep in mind I want to get these into the candidate's hands as quickly as possible, so send them as soon as you can. And please don't ask the candidates if they will come to your street and make your neighbor trim back her azaleas.
*** UPDATE ***
After spending a couple hours in Dante's 5th circle of Hell - also known as the county election office - I discovered the candidate list is complete, but not really final just yet. I got a list of the candidates who had filed and turned in their paperwork by close of business today, but the people behind the desk explained that the final turn-ins still needed to have their petition signatures verified, and all the other paperwork reviewed for errors or omissions. So even though I have a list, I won't post it here until it's blessed by the county. Look for that about Tuesday, I'd guess.
Today, at the end of the business day, we will have a final list of the candidates who are running for city council. There was a bit of confusion previously about whether the mayoral race would be separate from the city council, but the word as of now is that every candidate will register for the council election, and the one who receives the most votes will be mayor. If that person turns down the mayor's office, then the council will vote for one of their own to assume the office. And yes, I made that sound much more complicated than it really is.
Soon you will start seeing campaign materials for the candidates. Some will be good; some may not. Your job as a responsible Arden Arcade resident is to go deeper and get to know the candidates. Read the ads, go to their web sites, find out what they stand for. Find out how long they have been cityhood supporters. Get to a meeting where they will be speaking, and find out why they want to be on the council.
I will be doing my best to get out information on all the candidates, to help you make informed choices. I won't endorse anyone here, but I will try to share the information I get. To that end, I will be sending a questionaire to all the candidates (assuming I can get an email address). In a week or two I will collect the ones I get returned, and put the data into some charts and such that I can post on this blog. We'll see how it turns out.
You can be a part of the process. If there's a question you think needs to be asked, that has a general interest for the community, send it to me and I'll try to add it to the questionaire. But keep in mind I want to get these into the candidate's hands as quickly as possible, so send them as soon as you can. And please don't ask the candidates if they will come to your street and make your neighbor trim back her azaleas.
*** UPDATE ***
After spending a couple hours in Dante's 5th circle of Hell - also known as the county election office - I discovered the candidate list is complete, but not really final just yet. I got a list of the candidates who had filed and turned in their paperwork by close of business today, but the people behind the desk explained that the final turn-ins still needed to have their petition signatures verified, and all the other paperwork reviewed for errors or omissions. So even though I have a list, I won't post it here until it's blessed by the county. Look for that about Tuesday, I'd guess.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
We're all Bozos on this Bus!
One reader of this blog sent me a note asking me to address some things that were said in a Sacramento Bee editorial a few days ago. The article concerned the mis-steps that were made by the Cityhood Study Team, the Arden Arcade Incorporation Committee, and the Arden Arcade Campaign Committee (3 separate organizations) in handling required filings with the state and federal government. The thrust of the editorial was a simple question: How can we trust running the new city to the people who couldn’t follow the rules in bringing it to the ballot?
It’s a semi-valid question. Valid in the sense that when we complete the incorporation process, we need to have people we can trust filling the mayor and city council offices. The problem comes in assuming the committee members will be those people. You would think that the editors at the Bee would understand that, but maybe they have had to lay off their fact-checkers.
Over the years, the various committees have been composed of a diverse group of people. They included a retired grandma, a civil engineer for the state, an education professional, a financial planner, a freelance writer, a graphic designer, a retired deputy sheriff, a retired engineer, a pair of full time foster care providers, an attorney, an I.T. consultant, and various others. As the political wave rolled along, every time the tide seemed to be in our favor, certain people would come on board, obviously looking for personal gain. Then as soon as the tide turned against us, they were out the door in a flash. But that list includes most of the ones who were around for the long haul.
That hardly seems like a group you would expect to see running a city of about 80,000 people. But they never aspired to do so. As of now, the only ones on that list who have filed to run for office are the deputy and the writer. There may be more down the road, but I have no knowledge of it at this point.
The mistakes the various committees have been accused of are mostly on the mark. But no one on the committees had ever tried anything like this before. Very few had any experience in bureaucracy or government, or administering a non-profit organization. It’s not all that surprising that slip-ups happened along the way. But the folks that made the mistakes, me included, won’t be the ones running the city. The Bee editors have nothing to worry about there.
When the incorporation issue goes on the ballot this November, you will have the opportunity to elect the mayor and city council. For the most part, the people you elect will not be people who served on the incorporation committee (or the other bodies mentioned above). There are some overlaps, but most of these were people who came into the game later, with a desire to serve the new city, and worked for incorporation to reach that end. The majority of the committee members were interested in serving the community, but want to leave the running of the city to others.
The most important thing for you, as residents of our new city, is to become informed. Meet the candidates, and listen to their plans to make life better in Arden Arcade. Don’t accept canned answers or platitudes. Demand better. Then in November, make a wise choice for you and your neighbors. Cityhood will make this a better place, but how much better will depend on how well we do at electing our new government.
It should be apparent by now that I’m not running for anything. I don’t have the temperament or personality to handle a full time life in politics. I’m perfectly happy here on the sidelines, observing and complaining about what everyone else is doing. So unless the city decides to post an opening for official curmudgeon, I’m out of the picture. Mission Accomplished.
postscript
This morning I was fortunate to have an impromptu meeting with three of the people who are running for seats on the Arden Arcade City Council. I was actually surprised to find a couple of these folks had thrown their hat into the ring. All three of these are people I would be proud to have represent our new city. That isn’t an easy statement to make. Most of the folks I’ve heard express an interest in running just don’t work for me.
All of which makes this a good time to clarify something. This forum is to promote incorporation, and help our residents understand the positive benefits of becoming a city. It is not a place for endorsements of any candidates. Candidates are welcome to comment on the posts, hopefully to address the issues and let us all know what they want to see happen in our area. But I won’t endorse anyone here. That way I won't feel guilty when I drag them over the coals later.
It’s a semi-valid question. Valid in the sense that when we complete the incorporation process, we need to have people we can trust filling the mayor and city council offices. The problem comes in assuming the committee members will be those people. You would think that the editors at the Bee would understand that, but maybe they have had to lay off their fact-checkers.
Over the years, the various committees have been composed of a diverse group of people. They included a retired grandma, a civil engineer for the state, an education professional, a financial planner, a freelance writer, a graphic designer, a retired deputy sheriff, a retired engineer, a pair of full time foster care providers, an attorney, an I.T. consultant, and various others. As the political wave rolled along, every time the tide seemed to be in our favor, certain people would come on board, obviously looking for personal gain. Then as soon as the tide turned against us, they were out the door in a flash. But that list includes most of the ones who were around for the long haul.
That hardly seems like a group you would expect to see running a city of about 80,000 people. But they never aspired to do so. As of now, the only ones on that list who have filed to run for office are the deputy and the writer. There may be more down the road, but I have no knowledge of it at this point.
The mistakes the various committees have been accused of are mostly on the mark. But no one on the committees had ever tried anything like this before. Very few had any experience in bureaucracy or government, or administering a non-profit organization. It’s not all that surprising that slip-ups happened along the way. But the folks that made the mistakes, me included, won’t be the ones running the city. The Bee editors have nothing to worry about there.
When the incorporation issue goes on the ballot this November, you will have the opportunity to elect the mayor and city council. For the most part, the people you elect will not be people who served on the incorporation committee (or the other bodies mentioned above). There are some overlaps, but most of these were people who came into the game later, with a desire to serve the new city, and worked for incorporation to reach that end. The majority of the committee members were interested in serving the community, but want to leave the running of the city to others.
The most important thing for you, as residents of our new city, is to become informed. Meet the candidates, and listen to their plans to make life better in Arden Arcade. Don’t accept canned answers or platitudes. Demand better. Then in November, make a wise choice for you and your neighbors. Cityhood will make this a better place, but how much better will depend on how well we do at electing our new government.
It should be apparent by now that I’m not running for anything. I don’t have the temperament or personality to handle a full time life in politics. I’m perfectly happy here on the sidelines, observing and complaining about what everyone else is doing. So unless the city decides to post an opening for official curmudgeon, I’m out of the picture. Mission Accomplished.
postscript
This morning I was fortunate to have an impromptu meeting with three of the people who are running for seats on the Arden Arcade City Council. I was actually surprised to find a couple of these folks had thrown their hat into the ring. All three of these are people I would be proud to have represent our new city. That isn’t an easy statement to make. Most of the folks I’ve heard express an interest in running just don’t work for me.
All of which makes this a good time to clarify something. This forum is to promote incorporation, and help our residents understand the positive benefits of becoming a city. It is not a place for endorsements of any candidates. Candidates are welcome to comment on the posts, hopefully to address the issues and let us all know what they want to see happen in our area. But I won’t endorse anyone here. That way I won't feel guilty when I drag them over the coals later.
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