Letters to the Editor

Jackboot tactics not working in Oceanside 

I had to laugh at a recent letter by Diane Fencl. (NC Times, 1/27/2013) She was frustrated with the “dis” by SANDAG on appointments to significant committees by representatives of the city of Oceanside. Even if she had not stated she was a newer resident, I would have known. She obviously is not aware that the right-wing troika of Feller, Felien and Kern (FFK) decided to upend the process of appointments to SANDAG.

Each City’s Mayor makes the appointments with concurrence of Council. However FFK decided they’d take power that away. Their bullyboy Kern lost big in the mayor’s race by an embarrassing amount of votes; Mayor Wood soundly slapped Kern by winning 56 percent of the vote.

So what did FFK do? They stripped Oceanside’s Mayor Wood of this power and gave it to themselves. Did they really think the other Mayors in the region would support their jackboot, oppressive tactic and appoint any of their choices to significant SANDAG committees?

I’m still laughing at this pitiful miscalculation by FKK but also gloomy because Oceanside has to try harder now to get anything from SANDAG. How foolish to try to subvert the vote of the people who support Mayor Wood.

Of course now we also have hope that Melrose Extension will never get SANDAG funding and we must ask FFK, why are they continuing to waste taxpayer money on a project that will never get built? Our very popular Mayor is against the project and if history holds, SANDAG will respect his wishes on that too! Thank you SANDAG for sticking by our Mayor and the voters in Oceanside!

Mandy Barre,

Oceanside

Encinitas staff divides community, alienates Council from Coastal Commission

Staff should have stood by proper Encinitas protocol with respect to our General and 101 Corridor Specific Plans and our Local Coastal Program, staff’s wording for the January 30 Agenda, as well as its recommendation to abide by Coastal Commission direction. The Coastal Commission is the expert on the Coastal Act, not staff, not Council.

We need a shake-up on staff. Lack of training and qualifications is affecting effectiveness in running projects, making proper, timely, findings and filings. Right now, we have a kind of vacuum.

Because the City’s been doing things wrong, can’t admit its mistakes, so as to stop repeating them, because these mistakes weren’t before brought to the Coastal Commission’s attention, doesn’t mean City actions were correct. Lack of qualification and lack of transparency have negatively impacted our City for years.

Staff’s been going along with the agenda of a previous council majority, too long “ensconced” in Encinitas. We’re hoping for a new paradigm. On flimsy, illegal and unsubstantiated grounds, residents adjacent to the North 101 Corridor and local commuters shouldn’t be forced to be part of a “lane-diet nightmare,” as characterized by Councilmember Kristin Gaspar.

Staff, in writing its report, tried to “have it both ways.” They wanted to stand behind previous methods and recommendations, also acknowledging, through their Agenda #5 recommendation, that the Coastal Commission is the “expert” with regard to traffic impact being a vital element of environmental review.

Not only is our community literally being divided by staff’s inconsistency, but staff’s “hedging its bets,” with a report that implies, “we’re doing it right; the Coastal Commission’s wrong; we recommend you go by its direction,” is alienating Council from a public agency, the Coastal Commission, which most citizens in Encinitas deeply respect. Our coastline is vital to our community’s character and quality of life.

Lynn Marr,

Leucadia