Who should run Encinitas?The Council is likely to vote for a change that would anoint Kristin Gaspar as mayor for the next two years, regardless of who the voters elect in November. Fearful of the growing anti-incumbent movement in our city, Stocks and Gaspar contrived a proposal that would make Ms. Gaspar the mayor for the next two years, based on the 2010 election. Under the current system, the mayor is elected by a majority vote of the Council. Without the proposed new change, when the voters elect new Council members in November, that new majority could elect someone else, such as Teresa Barth, who has never had the opportunity to serve in spite of her popularity and her 6 year tenure on the council. Under the proposed new ordinance, Ms. Gaspar would be anointed Mayor and could choose her own Deputy Mayor. The proposed ordinance change is unfair, undemocratic and poorly written. If the council passes it, as expected, the purpose of democracy will be defeated.
Milton Saier,
Encinitas
2 comments
It’s unfortunate that Kristin Gaspar chose to take her cues from the least mature individual on the Encinitas City Council, Jerome Stocks, when she was newly elected to the Council in 2010. Admirably, Gaspar had campaigned on a promise to bring council together and restore civility. To our disappointment, she has not been able to exercise the mature leadership to do so, as demonstrated by her personal tirade against fellow councilwoman, Teresa Barth, in the last Council meeting. If she had personal issues with Barth, she should have chosen to work them out with Barth in private and not air them inappropriately in a public forum.
I watched the March 28 Encinitas Council meeting webcast at 3:00 a.m. from the London hotel where I was staying on business. I was shocked and astounded by the lack of civility and lack of decorum displayed by both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor. A colleague hailing from the People’s Republic of China of all places- who was also working in the hotel lobby, struggling with jet lag, watched with me for awhile and then asked whether this was typical of city government meetings in the US. I had to explain to her, with no little embarrassment, that Encinitas was somewhat of an exception.
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