Please, please, please citizens of Encinitas — let’s get some new blood in our City Council.Our town is too cool and too precious for us to ignore what’s been happening at City Hall.We desperately need change!And yes, that means dumping Stocks and his good old boy buddy, Mark Muir.
Did you know that the 300,000 member International Association of Firefighters called Mark Muir’s actions “despicable?”
This came about when Muir formed a one-member political action committee called “The Southern California Firefighter’s Association” and endorsed Jerome Stocks for City Council, using an image of a fallen firefighter.
Next, Muir is appointed Fire Chief.
Next, he retires on a $170,000 pension.
Next, his buddy Jerome appoints Muir interim Council member to fill out our much-loved Maggie Houlihan’s term.
Next, Muir is “not available” to weigh in on Encinitas pension reform — just couldn’t make the meeting.
Are these the kind of people we want to lead our beautiful seaside town?
I am voting for Lisa Shaffer and Tony Kranz.
I ask you to do the same.
We need them.
Jim Kydd,
Publisher and Owner of The Coast News Group
42 comments
I find it very interesting that the majority of the citizens posting to this board have posted using their real names. User “Kydd is Clueless”, you seem to be the only one stooping to name calling, and yet you’re the only one who hides behind a name-calling alias! Who are you anyway? What are you afraid of? If you truly believe that you represent the majority opinion, then your reticence is confusing. I have my own guess concerning your identity, though it’s just bizarre that I need to have a guess about such an obvious troll. I’m tempted to use the “H” word so that we can declare this thread dead.
FWIW: I try and stay active and knowledgeable in local politics. I like Theresa Barth, and I like Jim Kydd. I have a Lisa Schaffer and Tony Kranz sign in my front yard.
I find it real interesting that the politicans Clueless defends do not post anything to support themselves and their actions. Are their platforms and opinions so flaccid, that they must depend on a prison punk to do their work for them?
Public officials should not be stooping to the level that Barth does by participating in this forum. They should simply do their job and let the voters decide, like they have for the last 12 years. Most citizens are thankful that 4 Councilmembers are tough enough to accept these disingenuous attacks for what they are- complete falsehoods. The voters tend to make the right decisions. It remains to be seen whether they will again this time.
The Coast News, led by Jim Kydd, is a brave balance against the City Hall cronyism and rhetoric that residents have endured for far too long. The paper’s quality stands head and shoulders above the other local publications and I subscribe to it because I know I can count on news and commentary that are not spun to satisfy monied interests. Thanks, Jim!
The Coast News, led by Jim Kydd, is a brave balance against the City Hall cronyism and decision-making that residents have endured for far too long. The paper’s quality stands head and shoulders above the other local publications and I subscribe to it because I know I can count on news and commentary that are not spun to satisfy monied interests. Thanks, Jim!
Still none of you can point to any Council decisions you did not like. You just seem angry that your people have not been elected or appointed, so you can’t get things done- like a Barth/Shaffer repeat EIR study to block the new park from opening.
As for Kydd being brave, that is true. You have to be brave to expose yourself in an open forum as a rude, partisan idiot.
I disagree with the banner policy that would not allow for those who love Maggie Houlihan to express their respects by displaying her likeness.
I would have been equally saddened if any of the other council members had died while in office, and if his/her family and supporters had not been allowed to honor him/her in a similar, appropriate, public display.
It is obvious to me that all of our council members have wonderful family members who love them, and that all council members and their families have made sacrifices in order for them to serve this community. I think that to honor a community leader is fitting and appropriate under these circumstances.
I did not know Maggie well, but the fact that others cared so deeply about her and still feel hurt is a reason to reconsider this decisions.
Let us hope that Encinitas never suffers the loss of another coucil member who is office, but if this were ever to happen again, I would hope that a situation like this could be handled better.
Julie is the only other person on this blog trying to be reasonable and look at facts. Fact is though that the Council is working on the banner policy- even the Coast News reported that recently. The policy will be fixed soon, but the Council did allow the Maggie banner to go up when it was brought before them. The Council should not interfere with every happening in the City. If that is the only concern about the Council though that is great. As you can all see by the City survey, most people don’t care as much about banners as they do about public safety, parks, beaches, and the outstanding fiscal health of our city. When things are going poorly in a city, state, or country, the people in charge are generally held responsible. On the other hand, when a huge majority of the people like the way things are going, usually the people in charge should get at least some credit. The reason why you don’t see a lot of people weighing in on this blog that agree with me is that we expect our cuurent Council to withstand all the petty/false attacks and KEEP doing a great job!
Again, you can’t point to even one vote that the public was not in favor of. You are probably against the appointment of Muir because he does not suck up to your group, like Teresa Barth. The notion that any Council Member is bought off when max campaign donations are $250 is completely absurd. If you use that logic, you would also have to say that Shaffer and Kranz are bought off by the local Enviro or Extreme Hyperpartisan Lobby. Everyone loves the environment and wants to protect it, but not when you use fear tactics and lies to try to hijack the park again and run up a MASSIVE bill with a repeat EIR. No, the Council is not guilty of cronysim, only COMMON SENSE (Barth excluded sometimes).
Not Mike Andreen again. He’s what is called in Mexico a sicario, only this hit man uses a pluma instead of a pistola.
¡Viva Jim Kydd! ¡Viva Jim Kydd.
Please be careful to show your respect. I fear that Clueless is the private name of none other than our imperial mayor himself! His words bring back bitter memories of the tongue-lashings we poor knaves have suffered in his royal presence. Hold thy tongue, lest ye be cast out among the 2 percent and left in the company of those unable to show their appreciation for his gifts to the kingdom.
Another poor victim playing the “Barth Card”. Your are wrong. This is not Jerome, just a private citizen concerned your rhetoric is an embarassment to one of the finest and best run communities in the USA. You were right that you are all in the 2%. Read the survey and WEEP!
On the subject of being dishonest and unethical, have you noticed the election signs popping out for Stocks and Muir? They were not supposed to put them out until October 7th. When it comes to ethical behaviors, we know on what side they are. In sports it is called a false start, in Encinitas Politics it is called fair game. Shame on Stocks and Muir!
Nice try. Your hyperpartisan goggles must have shielded your vision from the Tony Kranz signs which were illegally up ALL DAY in Leucadia! Would you like to see the pics or maybe Kydd will post them on the front page of the Coast News with a time stamp on them. Will the ivory tower ethics guest lecturer, Lisa Shaffer, distance herself from Tony now…..No, she will probably make more false accusations to the UT regarding Mark Muir and get called out for it by the writer for lying. Hypocrites at their finest! As for Shaffer- Liar, Liar, Pants on fire!
Let’s see what the News will have to say about Mr. Stocks and Mr. Muir false start. Should be entertaining!
The Coast News is not news, it is tabloid TRASH.
Who said it was Coast News,Faceles Clueless?
And I wonder if the Coast News will report on a whole host of Kranz signs that were up a full day earlier- AND on public property! My best is that they won’t report it because it is a tabloid handout paper that does not even merit charging people for.
If it were not for the courageous convictions of Jim Kydd and the Coast News, there wouldn’t be a credible challenge to the spin and outright falsehoods spewed by “Clueless”. Our residents might accept their accounts of our financial solvency, their attempts to maximize their tenacious pro development stranglehold on our city government by extending the term of service for mayor from 1 year as it currently stands to a maximum of 4 years on the ballot. 11 years of this council’s DEVELOPER DOMINATED DECISIONS needs to come to a quick and abrupt end! Vote NO on Propositions K,L,and M which insures and extends the Sale of every square inch of Encinitas to the highest bidder with no concern for the destructive impact on infrastructure or the quality of life we all deeply value. We deeply appreciate not only the courageous convictions of Jim Kydd on behalf of Democracy and the Public’s Right To Know, but we also owe a deep debt of gratitude to Teresa Barth for her unfaltering devotion to upholding our values and vision. Our appreciation for Teresa,our beloved Maggie, and our treasured democracy can be demonstrated by VOTING for SHAFFER AND KRANZ.
Again, you can’t point to any votes favoring developers. And you can’t point to any positions from the Council Members on those propositions (that you disagree with). You just use the Coast News as your personal platform to spew misinformation and hate. Most people in town do not approve of your beloved Barth’s behavior. She would not have even been re-elected if Dalager had not gotten himself in that mess.
Candace, while I understand and concur with your valid reasons stated for not wanting a “strong mayor” that would exert too much influence on us, through chairing Council Meetings and controlling the agenda, but rather voting not to have an elected mayor, instead, after this coming election, codifying the selection process so that no elected Councilmember could be skipped over three times in six years, as has happened with Councilmember Teresa Barth, I would urge readers here, the electorate, to vote for a TWO YEAR TERM of office for mayor, SHOULD THE MAJORITY VOTE FOR AN ELECTED MAYOR.
One can vote NO on having an elected mayor, and still choose between the two year and four year term. Unfortunately, this is not made clear by the sample ballot. However it was discussed at the Council Meeting, in July, at the Community Center, when Council voted, unanimously, to put the three questions on the ballot.
So whether we vote for or against having an elected mayor, please also vote for only a two year term. Should the majority want an elected mayor, then we certainly wouldn’t want that term to be for four years! How terrible, if someone who favors over development were elected by those not following city concerns, someone who essentially is able to “buy” the election with misleading campaign literature, plastering the City with signs . . .
I am a proud subscriber to the Coast News and I read it weekly. I also read blog comments since they serve as an extension for what Oral Communications at City Council meeting COULD be, if people were allowed the freedom or adequate time to express their thoughts without fear of embarrassment and retaliation.
I disagree with the blogger who does not like this paper. I think that Mary Fleener, Andrew Audet, and Wehtahnah Tucker are all top talents, and I look forward to seeing what they say every week. I have found them all to be very professional and balanced in their coverage.
For example, Wehtahnah Tucker ran a very positive interview with Mayor Stocks a few months ago, and Mr. Stocks was able to write an op ed in response to a critical piece that Andrew Audet wrote about the financing of the Hall Property (Encinitas City Park). Furthermore, not all of Audet’s pieces are critical. For example, he recognized one of my favorite City employees, Cynthia Miller, who often provides the first and most favorable impression of City staff to any visitor at City Hall. There are many other friendly, helpful and affable City staff and City leaders, but since staff and City leaders work for us in a professional capacity, I am glad that there is a place where citizens can share concerns. For citizens to have a place to voice concerns can also allow for improvement if they read the comments and take them to heart.
Mary Fleener’s work often has a local message, but like all great artists, her work captures the big ideas and resonates beyond time and place. I also enjoy reading letters and the Community Commentary pieces when they appear since those who take time to write usually feel passionately about issues.
Thanks to Jim Kydd and his team. The Coast News and other local publications like the Encinitas Patch are rapidly becoming the source of REAL information, when the traditional media outlets are selling out those who wish to use their papers as platforms to get richer.
There is plenty of time for rational discourse, but some of the people weighing in on this blog are THE main problem regarding a respectful dialogue. The lack of respect for law enforcement and shouting at public officials in the Council Chambers should never be tolerated. The Sheriff’s Dept have shown great restraint by not arresting some of them for their adolescent behavior.
However, the adolescent behavior of Teresa Barth far is the most shocking. She hides behind her hyperpartisan group and her NIMBY followers who have been organized to form a campaign of lies about the City. She supports all the groups and bloggers making personal attacks against our elected neighbors and their families, as proven by links on her social media pages to their websites. Her insecurity and ugly behavior are truly unbecoming of an elected official. She’d do best to stick to the issues instead of constantly electioneering. That is why the UT said “Barth is a divisive member of the Council and has accomplished nothing in 4 years. Why does she want 4 more?”
Please DUMP Barth!
As for the rest of the haters, you have been frightening the citizens of Encinitas for 12 years with stories about over-development, high rises, and overpopulation. I have not seen any nor can you point to ANY vote where anyone supported it- except Teresa was originally in favor of jamming all high density into ECR to favor her NIMBY friends, until she flp-flopped when she saw it was very unpopular. The population has not increased during the last 5 years. There is no room for development and no one on the Council favors building height. Denise Martin and her hyperpartisan Barth supporters are just trying to scare everyone. However, now MOST of her New Encinitas thinks she is a complete Looney Tune.
Me? You are picking on me now? Wow, you must be really desperate. I don’t know if I should laugh at you or feel sorry for you. Actually, the best approach is to ignore you. My time is more valuable than to waste it on you. Move on to the next one on your list. Bullies be gone!!
Interesting how you can repeatedly and DESPERATELY lie about the Council’s direction on the GP in public, but when the truth is brought to light, I am “picking on YOU”. You play the victim card almost as well as Teresa Barth. Will there be a bullying or sexual harassment complaint coming from you too? At least yours would not cost the City $15,000 since this is a private citizen. Maybe your bullying complaint should be lodged against Tony Kranz. He was accused of assault by citizens expressing their free speech rights. Oh, I almost forgot, Teresa does not really believe in free speech either- unless you happen to agree with her 100% of the time. That’s why she said that the Patrons of the Park should recuse themselves of free speech rights during the election. Hypocrits one and ALL! It’s obvious you can dish it out, but you can’t take it.
Interesting comment: “There is no room for development”. Apparently we will have to make some room for the 2,353 new dwellings to be planned for (including 1300 at 30 units per acre). If there is no room for development, why go through a General Plan Update? Just tell SANDAG we have no room. I don’t think that conversation ever took place.
Time to bring some decorum to this blog. You might want to start by sharing your real name.
Also I don’t see anybody coming to your rescue. You are coming down swinging hard!
Wrong again Olivier. We do not have to make room. We may have to go thru a planning exercise to demonstrate that we could accomodate more untis. No one should be able to force a private citizen or business owner to give up his land to actually accomomodate the units in proposed plan. I know this is difficult for your people to understand. Or maybe you do understand it and choose to misconstrue it. On the issue of decorum…are you guys planning on taking down your Dump Stocks signs and stickers? Oh, I see. Hypocrits. Do as I say but not as I do is your philosophy?
Now that sounds like something Jerome Stocks said: “This is just a planning excercise, we don’t have to issue one building permit”. Sure, we are going to believe that coming from a guy who has a majority of his campaign funds coming from developers (most of them from out-of-town)
How about telling us who you are or do you want to stay in hidding?
LOVE the Coast News. I will always support it. Congratulations to Jim Kydd for his continued success and dedication to our community.
Adore Mary Fleener’s cartoons.
Agree with the comment of needing new blood. Stocks has been on the council a long time. Time for someone else’s turn.
Lisa Schaffer and Tony Kranz all the way, for sure. Really nice and sincere people with the best intentions for our city.
I am a big fan of Coast News. While NCT is being gobbled up by Papa Manchester, the real-estate Tycoon, it is nice to see the Coast News is still kicking around covering local news and shinning the lights on the shenanigans of our city affairs. Thanks to Jim Kydd and all that contributes to it. Long live the Coast News and good luck to Lisa and Tony.
Oh Mike(Andreen)…(alias this time as “Kydd is Clueless”)there you go again, desparately trying to support your “handlers”.
This continual citing by Clueless and his many aliases, of 98% of Encinitas voters being happy with the city, is primarily a case of taking credit for the sunshine. And talk about free advertising. Everyone knows that Stocks routinely manipulates the rotation so that he is mayor whenever he is up for re-election, and conveniently schedules a citywide survey just before the election, paid for with $20000 of tax payer money, in which residents say they are happy to live here. He and his cronies then shamelessly trumpet the results as proof of their competence, and attempt to marginalize any concerns as coming from the 2% of whiners. I would remind everyone that in 2008, Maggie Houlihan received 12488 votes; more than Stocks, Bond, or any other council candidate before or since. Upon her tragic passing, Stocks, Bond, and Gaspar wasted no time in effectively disenfranching those 12488 voters by appointing crony, Mark Muir. 12488 voters sounds like a little more than 2% to me.
I applaud Jim Kydd and the Coast News for having the courage to stand up to the development money machine that funds the council majority. 2/3’s of Stocks campaign contributions in 2008 came from development, and real estate interests, and nearly 2/3’s came from outside Encinitas. I don’t expect those percentages to change. What interest does a builder in Poway, or a developer in Vista have in Encinitas? This election is about money vs. grassroots community engagement. Let’s not let money win again. Vote for Lisa Shaffer and Tony Kranz.
Just the fact Mr. Bigmouth cites 98%, should give you clue to who this is…a failed 3rd rate publisher, perhaps?
For his unwaivering dedication to informing citizens about what is unfolding in their communities, there is no better printed media coverage than Jim Kydd’s Coast News. Time to rally around our wonderful hometown paper and sign up online for the Coast News. After 25 years committed to the public’s right to know, he not only deserves our deep admiration, he deserves a wellspring of support, especially at this most critical juncture since our incorporation. While the S.D.Union has always supported the most moneyed interests in the San Diego area including big development entities, the sale of the Union Tribune and The North County Times to Doug Manchester and the possible sale of the Los Angeles Times by Manchester is also being considered should cause many of us to be concerned about the freedom of the press.
To”Kydd is clueless” your comments supporting the “real papers, the San Diego Union and the North County Times” grossly underestimates the intelligence of this community and clearly illustrates your entrenchment with the most monied development interests in and outside our city who are trying to maximize development at the greatest cost to residents. As for misrepresenting Tony Kranz as a “bully”,there is 1 person in this town that is unrivaled for the title of “bully” and it is Jerome Stocks, so peddle your propaganda in the U.T. or the North County times
“Kydd is Clueless” sure sounds like Mike Andreen. Be sure and read the newest edition of the Hoodlink for a little more info on Mr. Andreen. As some of you are aware, Jim Kidd once fired Mr. Andreen – looks like Mr. Andreen hasn’t forgotten.
Andrew Audet was not my campaign manager or part of my campaign team. He has included me in his criticism of city council actions, most recently the decision to borrow money to build the Hall property park.
Mary Fleener is a nationally recognized cartoonists and artist.
Kydd, Audet & Fleener all have the right to express their opinions and they do so under their own name.
Kydd is Clueless makes wild and false accusations while hiding behind anonymity.
Just who’s the bully?
Uh… that would be Mike Andreen!!!
“Kydd is Clueless” baffles me completely. It has always been a publisher’s prerogative to offer editorial opinions on matters of interest to the readership.
What do you think the publishers of UT and its recent acquisition the NCT do? These publications carry their political opinions right on their front pages. The sins attributed to Kydd by this writer are there for all San Diegans to see in the UT and the NCT and have been for years… (Yes, it has been years since the region has become a single paper area, with all the predictable sins that this entails!)
It is part of the very mission of a newspaper to foster debates, and to be honest about its own preferences. The Wall Street Journal does the same thing on a national scale and so do the Washington Post and the New York Times. In the Bay area, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Sacramento Bee, and the San Jose Mercury do the same thing. In Los Angeles, the LA Times does the same thing. The list goes on. In each instance, it does not take much effort to discover where the paper’s preferences lean.
So I wonder who is clueless, here. Unlike this writer, readers are not clueless and understand that issues are meant to be discussed for a democracy to work. Discussion does not mean irrational harangue deliberately designed to poison the atmosphere and to stop any attempt at rational debate. Is it possible that we have here someone who is scared witless that the politics of Encinitas might just become more honest, more transparent and more respectful of citizens, and less indebted to other interests?
Jim Kydd is asking us to think before voting, and to contemplate the kind of city we want. He also has the courage to be honest and open about his own preferences. Isn’t that what we expect from a respected member of the fourth estate?
The banner ads for Shaffer for Council and the business card-sized ads on the Encinitas page were all paid for by Shaffer for Council 2012 and labeled in accordance with FPPC regulations.
Jim Kydd has again violated journalism ethics and led many to believe that he probably received his journalism credentials from a gumball machine. He appears to be giving free ads to Kranz and Shaffer to bolster their election hopes (notice no paid for lines on many of the ads). He hired Andrew Audet, one of Barth’s campaign managers to cover Encinitas for Coast News and slam all of the Council members except Teresa on a regular basis. Audet committed FPPC violations on Tony and Teresa’s behalf in the last election and failed to take responsibility for his actions for months. Kydd also pays to have a 3rd rate cartoonist, Mary Fleener, rip good people on the Council in failed attempts to destroy their reputations. The people of Encinitas are not stupid as Teresa Barth’s followers assert. They have blown off the false accusations by the Coast News for the last 12 years because they know the paper is barely fit for a toilet paper roll. I wonder if the ‘real’ papers like the NCT or UT know about Jim Kydd’s journalism indiscretions? I think there might be a story coming……
Until then, Jim and friends will probably try to continue persuading the 98% of citizens that view the City favorably that our Council friends are bad people.
Shame on Jim, Andrew Audet, Teresa Barth, Mary Fleener, The Coast News and their favored candidates Lisa Shaffer and Tony “The Bully” Kranz!!!
Kydd is right. New blood is needed in the Encinitas Council. The back room deals with Stocks, Muir and Gaspar need to be stopped. This election both Stocks and Muir need to be replaced by persons with integrity and vision. Muir is beholden to Stocks , just as Stocks is beholden to the local and out of town developers who salivate at the thought of unrestrained development. The infrastructure cannot tolerate what Stocks and Muir’s handlers envision for Encinitas.
Stocks spouts off that the city is in fine fiscal shape, yet the city cannot manage to repair the numerous potholes that are found on the main traffic arteries. If the true accrued city debt that includes pensions and bonds is disclosed it is worse than you can ever imagine.
Dump Stocks! And should Muir not be elected I am confident that Muir will be just fine with his $170,000 per year pension that Stocks helped him attain.
You are truly a prince for speaking the truth in the land of the big lie.
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