Morro Bay Mayor: Jamie Irons or Joseph Yukich
Morro Bay City Council: Christine Johnson and Noah Smukler
House of Representatives: Lois Capps
State Senate: Bill Monning
State Assembly: Gerry Manata
Morro Bay voters face a grand opportunity on June 5 to replace the majority of the City Council that favors and defers to business, pro-development, and special interests with a new mayor and two Council members who understand and are committed to the best interests of Morro Bay residents.
The new majority would consist of Jamie Irons or Joseph Yukich as mayor and Christine Johnson and Noah Smukler as Council members. Smukler is seeking a second four-year term on the Council at the June 5 city primary election.
Voters in Morro Bay and throughout the county also have a golden chance to elect Assembly member Bill Monning as state Senator and Gerry Manata as the area's member of the state Assembly to replace state Senator Sam Blakeslee and Assembly member K.H. Achadjian, who both have among the worst voting records on environmental issues in the state Legislature. Monning's voting record on environmental legislation is among the highest. Manata is seeking office for the first time.
Voters can also help Representative Lois Capps win another term in the House of Representatives, which is well deserved based on her sterling record representing this area.
Morro Bay history shows (Slo Coast Journal - A Brief History of Morro Bay Citizens in Action) that the current majority of the Council — mayor Bill Yates and Council members Carla Borchard, Nancy Johnson and George Leage — are the types of elected representatives who would be willing to sacrifice the tradition and small-town beauty of Morro Bay for profit, just as happened with other Councils on numerous occasions over the past 40 years. Fortunately, community members rose up and blocked those previous threats to the well-being of Morro Bay, including development of a new and larger power plant that, studies showed, would have decimated the Morro Bay National Estuary and threatened the health of residents from particulate matter in smokestack emissions. And ruined Morro Bay tourism.
The other candidates in the June 5 city primary are Yates, mayoral candidate Borchard, and Council candidates Joan Solu and James R. Hayes. Yates and Borchard are half of the current Council majority, which has voted consistently to support special interests, and Solu and Hayes appear to be carbon copies of them. Yates jumped into the race at the last minute after Borchard filed as a candidate in the June 5 primary.
Borchard agreed with Yates on almost every matter to come before the Council. One huge exception was Yates' attempt to fire the city Planning Commission in January, 2011, (Yates' Attempt to Fire City Planning Commission Fails) after it refused to support the consultant's Environmental Impact Report for the planned new wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) — at the same site where it is now located without examining alternative sites, as required by the California Coastal Commission staff. Borchard, Johnson, and Smukler refused to support Yates' move so he dropped it. It was one of the rare times that Borchard, Johnson and Leage has failed to vote with Yates.
But then Borchard turned right around in April and showed her own vindictiveness by seeking to fire John Diodati, who chaired the Planning Commission when it rejected the city plan to upgrade the present WWTP, for his absences from Commission meetings to coach his son's Little League team. More than 15 residents protested her move at that Council meeting. Diodati pointed out that the conflict between Commission meetings and the team's games was created when the Council changed the meetings from Mondays to Wednesdays, the days the games had already been scheduled (Surprise! Diodati Resigns from Planning Commission). The Council wound up restricting his absences from Commission meetings. Diodati later resigned.
A special interest was served when the four-member majority of the Council voted to allow construction of a highly-controversial 5,532-square-foot mansion atop little Cerrito Peak in south Morro Bay over the objections of residents living nearby and despite questions raised by the Coastal Commission staff about the project's inconsistencies with the city's Local Coastal Plan. The four Council members all claimed that the "property rights" of realtor Dan Reddell, who sought to develop the Cerrito Peak property, were the issue and needed to be protected. But none of them acknowledged or even mentioned that the property rights of nearby residents also would likely be affected by the development since the city required no Environmental Impact Report on the project (Plan to Mansionize Cerrito Peak Opposed by Residents).
Then, residents filed suit against the city and Reddell to stop construction of the mansion based on claims its approval violated a multitude of laws and that the city engaged in an "admitted pattern and practice of abuse of the law" and actions excluding information from the public. (City, Developer Sued Over Approval of Proposed Cerrito Peak Mansion)
But by far the biggest case of the present Council majority failing to serve the public interest is the proposed new WWTP, which Morro Bay and the Cayucos Sanitary District must build as partners under their Joint Powers Agreement. They are required to do so by the state because the plant fails to meet new state standards for treatment of effluent, which is discharged only partially-treated into Estero Bay. The Council, as well as the Cayucos district board, have been insistent for more than a year on "upgrading" the 58-year-old plant where it is presently located on the shore of Estero Bay — even though the Coastal Commission staff has made crystal clear that keeping the plant at its present site violates the Coastal Act and the city's Local Coastal Plan. That's because, among other things, beachfront property is required to be used for visitor-serving purposes and the scenic views preserved under those two statutes, which a new plant at its present site would not comply with.
The old plant could have never been built where it is, except that the Coastal Act wasn't passed until 1976.
The Coastal Commission staff also has informed Morro Bay and Cayucos that development of a new sewer plant designed to generate most, if not all, of its processed water into water that could be used to supply the needs of residents is not only required by the Local Coastal Plan but is invaluable for residents, whose water rates would likely be lower than the state water the city now relies on and would provide much greater reliability of its water supply than state water, whose future reliability is in question.
In spite of this hard evidence to the contrary, Yates, Borchard, Johnson and Leage continue to defy the Coastal Commission staff in insisting on seeking to upgrade the old plant were it is. But that dispute is expected to come to a head in the next few months, during which the Commission staff is expected to lay down requirements for a new plant. A hearing is tentatively planned before the Coastal Commission on August 9 in Santa Cruz that would likely decide the matter once and for all. (MB/CSD Sewer Plant Project: What's Next?)
Why Morro Bay and Cayucos have defied the Coastal Commission and the requirements of the statues is far from clear. Cayucos Sanitary District board president Robert Enns has said at a meeting with the Morro Bay City Council that Cayucos doesn't need recycled water (the community is served by four water companies who rely on well water). And doesn't want to help pay for it. The district already has refused to pay its share of the cost of conducting a study of alternative sites for a new plant, as required by the Coastal Commission staff, city attorney Rob Schultz reportedly said at a public meeting last year. (Morro Bay-Cayucos Wastewater Treatment Plant Delays: Were They A Sham?)
Perhaps the Council is afraid of the Cayucos district pulling out of their partnership, if the city doesn't pursue the upgrade, which Yates and others claim would be the cheapest to develop, despite the absence of evidence it would.
At a recent candidates forum, Yates said, "I support the plant (staying) where it is because it has always been there." He actually said it with a straight face.
(He, Borchard, Marilyn Johnson and Leage have insisted on supporting rebuilding the plant where it is, arguing it would be cheaper to do so than building it somewhere else. The problem with that argument is that (a) the design of a new plant has not been agreed upon and therefore there is no basis for estimating a cost, (b) the costs of building the plant at other possible sites have not been documented reliably for comparison and, (c) the net cost of building a plant at another site has not been factored in by considering the offsetting fiscal benefits of converting the present plant site to visitor-serving and income-producing uses. Therefore, arguments that a plant upgrade would be cheapest lack any evidence.
Borchard's views on political issues are apparently reflected in a flyer from Budget WatchDogs, which promotes her for mayor and Republican Abel Maldonado for Congress and opposes state ballot issue No. 28, which extends the years legislators can serve in office, and opposes state ballot issue No. 29, which would increase taxes on cigarettes by $1 a pack to fund cancer research, smoking reduction programs, and tobacco law enforcement.
In sharp contrast, Irons, Yukich, Johnson and Smukler are committed to supporting what is best for the community and to working with — not against — the Coastal Commission and its staff to achieve that end. They oppose the Cerrito Peak project and, except for Smukler, have not commented on the attempted firing of the Planning Commission and Diodati, undoubtedly because such a move would be totally out of character for them. Smukler was outspoken at Council meetings in opposition to the firing of the Commission and Diodati.
Their comments on issues in the primary election make abundantly clear that they put the interests of residents No. 1, and Smukler has a fulsome and totally consistent voting record to prove it. What is also remarkable about Smukler is that he is always informed because he reads the reports and agenda items that go before the Council, which enables him to ask valuable questions at meetings. There is no comparison with Yates, Borchard, Johnson and Leage, who consistently seem uninformed and very, very rarely ask questions to obtain useful information for the Council and the public.
Christine Johnson has deep connections with the community as president of the Morro Bay Friends of the Library and who has shown outstanding leadership in that capacity. Irons has valuable experience as a member of the Planning Commission (the same one that Yates tried to fire). Yukich is new to politics but has expressed strong views about working in the best interests of residents. (The views of Irons, Yukich, Christine Johnson and Smukler are contained in answers to questions about key issues facing the city at Who Cares About Voters Being Informed?)
Irons is an engineer at the Morro Bay Power Plant and has stated that he would recuse himself from voting on matters involving the plant that might come before the Council, which seems very likely in view of the fact that the plant owner, Dynegy, is deeply enmeshed in bankruptcy and has avoided making clear what its plans for the plant are, in violation of a new state policy governing future plans for all 19 plants along the California coast. Under that policy, the Morro Bay plant is required to stop using water from the Morro Bay National Estuary by 2015, but Dynegy has been vague as to how it would conform to that requirement.
Now, it appears the power plant will cease operations next year, and new developments have raised questions about the power plant's future. The Council as well as the community may soon be faced with developing ideas and plans for alternative uses of the plant site. So some huge, landmark decisions may lie ahead for the Council.
Therefore, Irons' candidacy has the liability of of him as mayor not being able to represent residents if he recuses himself on matters involving the plant, leaving a likely 2-2 divided Council if Christine Johnson is elected and Smukler is reelected because Nancy Johnson and Leage are likely to support whatever Dynegy wants to do with the plant. But Yukich has his own liability in that he is new to politics and is not well known among residents. But both Irons and Yukich have made clear they intend to primarily serve the best interests of residents, not businesses, even though Yukich is a restaurant owner. He emphasizes that he would serve both interests — residents and the business community — fairly, not favoring businesses, the way Solu and Hayes have strongly indicated they would.
But either Irons or Yukich would be far superior to Yates or Borchard in terms of having the interests of residents as their No. 1 priority.
Solu is a hotel owner and Hayes a retired city employee. They sought endorsement of the San Luis Obispo County Democratic Party, but neither was endorsed. She reportedly was passed by largely because of her anti-union views. But Smukler was endorsed. Her campaign signs are posted at practically every hotel or motel in Morro Bay, and she has made clear she is pro-business. She serves as chair of the city's Morro Bay Tourism Business Improvement District.
Both Solu and Hayes support upgrading the sewer plant where it is now located without ever mentioning the Coastal Act and Local Coastal Plan requirements.
Monning was elected to the Assembly in November, 2008, and then re-elected in November, 2010 to represent the 27th Assembly District, which includes portions of Monterey, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara Counties. On June 5, he is a candidate in the 17th state Senatorial district, whose lines were withdrawn recently by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, giving Democrats a significant majority of registered voters. After that, Blakeslee announced he would not run for reelection.
"I have spent the last three years in the Assembly fighting hard for the Central Coast," Monning states on his website. "I have battled to save our coastline, promote our hospitality and tourism industry, provide greater access to health care options, protect consumers, and make sure the state's budget isn't balanced on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens. His Assembly voting record and his views on issues can be found at Bill Monning.org.
Monning's voting record on environmental issues was 82% positive in 2010, the most recent year Sierra Club California has compiled votes votes of legislators, which was tied for seventh as the highest among state Senators. By contrast, Blakeslee's record was 50% positive, with only 13 other state Senators below him among 40 members of the Senate. Achadjian was much worst with a 36% positive voting record on environmental issues, among the lowest 21 of the Assembly's 80 members. (For more about Bill Monning, see information below.)
in his term of office, Blakeslee has been known to talk like a moderate and vote like a conservative.
With Blakeslee not in the race, Monning's opponent is Larry Beaman, an unknown Republican who is listed on the ballot as a school board member and whose website has no information about him. He did not respond to email inquiries about his candidacy.
Capps' main opponent is Maldonado, former state lieutenant governor, whom the state Republican Party declined to endorse.
She was sworn in as a member of the House of Representatives on March 17, 1998, succeeding her late husband, former University of California, Santa Barbara, professor, Congressman Walter H. Capps. A former nurse for 20 years, she has a long record of commitment to helping people improve their daily lives through better schools, quality health care, and a cleaner environment and is well-known in Congress on issues related to public health. (Capps' Biography.)
Manata would be a welcome replacement for Achadjian and who has views that would much better represent those of this area.
If any of the four Morro Bay mayoral candidates wins a majority of votes cast on June 5, she or he is elected then. If no one wins a majority, the top two vote-getters will face each other at the November 6 general election.
The four City Council candidates are running for two open seats, and if one wins a majority of the votes cast on June 5, she or he will be elected to one of the two seats. Then the next two highest vote-getters will face each other on Nov. 6 for the other seat. If no council candidate wins a majority of the vote on June 5, all four will run on November 6 and the top two vote-getters will be elected to the two seats.
About Bill Monning
Monning is in his second term (fourth year) in the State Assembly where he has been recognized as an effective and qualified leader with appointments as chair of theAssembly Committee on Labor and Employment in 2009 and as chair of the AssemblyCommittee on Health in April, 2012, a position he currently holds. In addition, Bill serveson the Judiciary; Natural Resources; Legislative Audit; Budget; and the Entertainment,Arts,Sports, Tourism, and Internet Media Committees.
During his tenure in the Assembly, Monning has carried legislation signed into law coveringSustainable Seafood Labeling, Condor Protection, Underground Economy Enforcement, California State Veterans Cemetery at Ft. Ord, transfer of state lands to the City of SantaCruz at Delaveaga Park, and a number of Health Reform bills aligning California toimplement the Affordable Care Act that President Obama advocated.Legislation includes patient protection, consumer/patient advocacy, and protection of programs that eliminate the denial ofinsurance coverage based on a pre-existing condition and the elimination of lifetime capson health insurance coverage.
As chair of the Health Committee, Monning has worked with national, state, and local organizations to build a campaign to address the troubling trend of child obesity leading to preventable diabetes.He proposed AB 669 (1 cent excise tax per fluid ounce of sugarsweetened beverages) to establish a California Children's Health Promotion Fund that would have generated $1.7 billion in the first year to fund school and community basedhealth promotion programs.The bill died due to the two-thirds vote requirement for passage to raiserevenues but succeeded in building a statewide coalition to continue working on childobesity.
Besides direct legislation, Bill has worked extensively with local diabetes prevention programs, local food banks, and farm to school nutrition programs to address food insecurity and help children learn healthy eating habits. For his work in this area, Monninghas received recognition from the California Public Health Officers Association and the American Heart Association.
Monning spearheaded efforts to subject the soil fumigant methyl iodide to rigorous review by the Department of Pesticide Regulation, mobilizing a broad-based coalition of workers,public health advocates, and agriculturists that contributed to the manufacturer’s decision to withdraw its product from the market.He continues to lead an agricultural stakeholders’ working group in Sacramento to explore how government can help to incentivize and support agricultural innovation.
In addition, Monning continues to lead environmental stakeholder meetings at the former Ft. Ord and with the Big Sur Coastal Trail Committee.
In all of his endeavors, Monning has reached across the aisle and worked closely with local governments and constituents in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara counties. With district offices in Santa Cruz and Monterey, which also serve Morgan Hill and San Martin, Monning has organized effective and efficient constituent services to help residents and businesses navigate state government agencies and local issues.
Bill’s successful representation has won him endorsements from a broad cross section of organizations and individuals including the California Sierra Club, California League of Conservations Voters,California Labor Federation, Consumer Federation of California, law enforcement and fire fighters, small businesses, and multi-partisan voters including Democrats, Republicans, Greens, and independent voters.
For more information and to ask questions, go to Bill Monning.org |
The Morro Bay Mayoral Debate
Mayor Bill Yates and Candidate Joe Yukich
Time: Sunday, June 3, 2012, 4 p.m.
Where: Manfredo Square Parking Lot, 3118 Main St., north Morro Bay.
Fare: Free hot dogs, apple pie
Ask questions: 805-772-5152
RSVP (Suggested but not necessary)
