Candidates Debate Loses Debaters by Jack McCurdy

A debate planned among candidates in the Morro Bay City primary on June 3 is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, May 7, at 5:45 p.m. at the Vets Hall, 209 Surf Street.

But attendance will be limited — not among people in the audience but among candidates.
Mayor Jamie Irons and City Council candidate Matt Makowetski have said they will not attend.
Irons did not say why he will not attend. But Makowetski said, "I feel that, with the Tribune endorsement and my participating in the League of Women Voters forum (on April 17), that my time is better suited to hitting the pavement and contacting voters directly."

There had been reports that they would not attend because the moderator was to be Neil Farrell, a newspaper reporter who reports often on Morro Bay events and who signed the petition to recall Irons. That petition was unsuccessful in getting the recall measure on the June 3 primary ballot.

Also, instead of members of the audience asking questions of the candidates, Farrell was to ask them on his own. The Chamber later announced that Bud Zeuschner, former Morro Bay mayor, would be the moderator.

Those invited to participate are: Irons and mayoral candidate Carla Wixom, City Council candidates Nancy Johnson, a sitting member of the Council, and John Headding and Makowetski. Arrangements for the debate apparently were made by Tolosa Press, for whom Farrell works, and the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce, which were mentioned as sources of information in the press release on the debate. Farrell was honored recently by the Chamber for his reporting.

The debate is scheduled to be telecast by AGP Video on Morro Bay Channel 20, and will also be broadcast by radio station FM 97.3 The Rock. For more about the Morro Bay candidates, Candidates Campaign Statements.

Morro Bay History - Imaginary Brand

Morro Bay's history, posted on the Landmark and Legacy website, is supposed to mark the city's 50th anniversary of becoming a municipality, but it ranges from being misleading to extremely political by selectively describing such momentous events as opening stores and fishing enterprises while failing to mention things like the closure of the power plant, the struggle to build a new wastewater treatment plant (with the city's water supply at stake) and failed attempts to launch developments that would have changed Morro Bay  negatively and forever as the unique community it is. Read More

Who You Should Vote for on June 3 — and Why by Jack McCurdy

They tried to get a measure on the June 3 primary ballot seeking to recall mayor Jamie Irons, but that effort flopped. However, the recall is still alive in different form. The reasons for seeking his recall are likely being used in an attempt to defeat Irons in his bid for reelection against former City Council member Carla Wixom. And possibly, also indirectly, defeat Matt Makowetski, who is running for the Council and shares Irons' views on key matters. Read More

Destiny for the Morro Bay Power Plant Site Now Seems Clear by Jack McCurdy

The Morro Bay City Council has taken the first big step in deciding what the future holds for the 107-acre site of the now-closed Morro Bay Power Plant. They have approved the hiring of a consultant to review and revise the city's local coastal program, which covers the site and determines how it can be used. It is almost certain that the California Coastal Commission, which must approve the local coastal program, will require public and visitor-serving uses and not further industrial enterprises, such as a new power plant or a whole range of other possible developments. Read More

Letters to the Editor

For the past two years, Morro Bay has enjoyed the privilege of an open, transparent city government. No longer are we subjected to lease sites being agreed to behind closed doors and policies being created without citizen participation. For years, special interests were placed ahead of the will of the people, our infra-structure was ignored, streets went un-repaired, and real estate projects that benefited only the few still sit deserted to this day. Read More

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