Friday, January 20, 2012

Recall three (3) city council members - Vreeland, Digre, DeJarnatt


10 year city "balanced economy" motto

In a follow-up conversation with Therese today, her intent is to recall 10 year city council three (3):  Vreeland, Digre, DeJarnatt.  She wants to get started right-away, and will need help.  If you're interested in getting involved send her an email.  

Pacifica Tribune Letters-to-the-editor, 1/17/12. "Dyer weighs in".  "Editor: I'm responding to Elaine Larsen's column, "What I would say if anyone cares to listen." My answer is yes, and I'm responding. I agree with everything you said regarding the lack of leadership in our city council, the environmentalists and the assisted living development. That is why we need the leadership in the media.

I don't have to remind people of the lawsuits, waste of money for consultants, sewer spill fines, etc. only for them to rush to the bank with their fat checks for doing nothing. They are the highest in the county. Vacant buildings, free parking except at the council meetings where if you don't put that stupid piece of paper on your windshield, even though you are in a handicapped space with your handicapped sticker in view, you will get a ticket (but I won my case). My one regret is that when I helped Bernie Sifry gather signatures for term limits it would have been for a recall and it isn't too late.

If we outsource the police department we'll have yet another vacant building, won't we, just like the old sewer plant. They haven't even mentioned if this becomes reality what the plans are for that building. I'm all for the assisted living facility since that's what Pacifica has become, a retirement center.
Be sure you attend the meeting tonight at the Community Center at 6:30 p.m. and give them hell. I already sent my survey in, but I plan on attending. Next year will be the same thing unless we change guards, and it's long overdue. They need to step down and finish their term without salaries or benefits or be recalled. Let me know and I'll get it started. You can contact me by email at theresedyer1932@gmail,com See you Wednesday night."

Therese Dyer

Posted by Kathy Meeh

37 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is great! I always love it when the clown car arrives at the city council, now we may get the whole circus!

Steve Sinai said...

DeJarnett is up for reelection next time anyway, so there's no point trying to recall him.

Last time he ran, he said this would be his last term.

B said...

This is great! Where do I sign?

Kathy Meeh said...

"DeJarnatt...Last time he ran, he said this would be his last term."

That's what Vreeland said prior to running for his last term, category "trust me".

Anonymous said...

I have heard DeJarnett say he was not going to run again for the last two terms. If he is not named in the recall his enviro no growth buddies will have him run again.

Steve Sinai said...

If DeJarnatt runs, why not simply vote for someone else?

Anonymous said...

Because if the enviro group stick together behind one person they may be able to get DeJarnett elected again as he has been around for along time and has name recognition on the ballot. The two planning commissioners went no where in the last election and the enviros are still shaking their heads on how Len Stone got in.

Anonymous said...

Where is Vreeland anyway? If he is ill, please resign as it does not seem to be a short term problem. This will save him from the recall stigma. I do not wish illness on anyone but the City of Pacifica faces difficult problems that need serious people at the helm.

Kathy Meeh said...

Anon (446) has started an accounting list on the 1/23/12 City Council meeting article.

Good thinking Anon. To that Financing City Services list, you might want to add a request for a detailed account of monies spent on the Redevelopment Agency since its inception.

Anonymous said...

A lot of people would vote to recall Vreeland because of his poor attendance. He's made himself an easy target. Add more to the recall list and you will run into the Green Wall. You do remember the Green Wall, right? Unless you want to go for all 5 and bill it as housecleaning. Yeah! although I'd hate to see Stone go. Recall Vreeland and defeat the others in regular elections. The recall team will have to be smart, energetic and fast to make that June ballot.

Professor Peabody said...

How about this request to the Finance Committee, what is the total indebtness of this city? City proper, waste water treatment plant, and the RDA? All the bonds, all the COPS, loans from pawn brokers, everything. Then dare us to pass a tax on ourselves to debt service your ineptitude.

todd bray said...

Recall, SmeeCall. Go out and get elected.

Steve Sinai said...

"Because if the enviro group stick together behind one person they may be able to get DeJarnett elected again as he has been around for along time and has name recognition on the ballot."

What happens if DeJarnett gets recalled and wins enough votes to be reelected to council?

Anonymous said...

Vreeland can hide behind the "medical" issue. More than likely he is protected by law.
Bummer.........

Anonymous said...

A recall would trump the medical issue. Also, all sorts of reasons can be given on the recall filing.

Anonymous said...

FYI concerning Pete and recall...from the CA Recall Rules for Local Officers...no recall is possible if the officer's term ends within 6 months. Also, no recall is possible if the officer has not held office during the current term for more than 90 days.
Hmmm.

Anonymous said...

So if anon is right about the recall rules then Pete would have to be recalled by special election no later than May 2012. That would seem impossible due to the expense of a special election and the limited time so let's hope he decides not to run again. But if he runs and wins that recall window re-opens in March 2013.

Anonymous said...

that's depressing

Steve Sinai said...

If DeJarnatt runs and wins, it would be ridiculous to try to recall him few months later.

Anonymous said...

Remember, Mirkarimi has been around for a long time to and thought he now had "name recognition" You want to unseat Dejarnett? it's simple. No problem.

Anonymous said...

How can you tell when "Sneaky" Pete is lying..

When his lips are moving.

Anonymous said...

I'd settle for a recall of Vreeland because it has an excellent chance of succeeding. As usual the big problem is an acceptable and electable change candidate to take his place and dismantle that 3 to 2 majority.

Anonymous said...

Anon@940 Simple? Mirkirimi has criminal charges against him and he may still survive. Sounds like recalling DeJarnatt can be derailed simply by the rules and timelines for conducting recall campaigns. Is there even an actual campaign yet? I don't think so and the clock is ticking. Let's hope he chooses not to run again because that really would be simple. Vreeland is still the most vulnerable and there is plenty of time to develop a smart, well-run recall campaign for the November election and some strong candidates to replace Vree and Pete. Developing strong candidates who can win is the most important part.

Anonymous said...

You can't recall a Council Person 6 months before their election. Check the laws.
But....Sue Digre and Vreeland are not campaigning for their seat which opens them for recall.
Two is better than none !

Anonymous said...

Old news. Does the recall committee know?

Anonymous said...

Vreeland is the easy target. He's lost core support over the last few years. Not even the greenies are going to fight hard to protect someone who isn't there to fight for them. But they will put massive effort into a healthy green replacement. Pete is immune for now and sure seems like he's had enough. Add Sue to the recall and the real risk is that the Green Wall goes up and everybody stays right where they are. Haven't we seen that before? Pick off the straggler and find someone electable to replace him. And then get ready for surprises because being in office is a lot different than running for office.

OZ said...

http://www.lao.ca.gov/1996/120196_prop_218/understanding_prop218_1296.html
legislative analyst office, state of Calif.

see section 4

Requirements for New Taxes
In order to impose or increase a tax, local government must comply with the following provisions:

All general taxes must be approved by a majority vote of the people. (A 1986 statutory initiative--Proposition 62-- previously imposed this vote requirement on general law cities and counties. Proposition 218 expands this requirement to include charter cities, such as Los Angeles, Oakland, and San Francisco.)
Elections for general taxes must be consolidated with a regularly scheduled election for members of the local governing body. (In an emergency, this provision may be waived by a unanimous vote of the governing body.)
Any tax imposed for a specific purpose is a "special tax,"even if its funds are placed into the community's general fund. (Prior to Proposition 218, all taxes placed into a community's general fund were commonly considered general taxes, requiring only a majority vote.)



The beauty of this is you need a unanimous vote of the governing body for June, which they probably cannot meet anyway. But what happens if Vreeland is still "away"? Is that unanimous? If the city has been structurally deficit spending for ten years, isn't it a little disingenuous for them to declare an emergency now? I would think at least one council person doesn't want to support a tax, so why would they vote for an emergency? Nihart probably doesn't want a vote either but, I would venture to guess she doesn't want this tax on her re-election ballot. Sounds like a political duck among all involved! There is no scenario that makes council look good.

Hutch said...

Thanks for that Oz.

Yeah if this is true I would think Stone and maybe Nihart would vote against putting yet another tax increase before the people.

I think the next step should be a redo of the fake survey only this time include city employee wages and benefits as possible cuts and ask how much and what we should cut.

Anonymous said...

Where can I get my "Recall Vreeland" swag?

Anonymous said...

Why solve 1/3 of the city council problem?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 2:12 Do what you can do, If you bite off more then you can chew you fail.

Kathy Meeh said...

"If you bite off more then you can chew you fail."

Anon 4:52pm maybe you fail anyhow, or maybe you succeed. The effort and the price is about the same.

Maybe talk to Therese directly about your concerns, and 1 vote majority strategy. I'm sure she is considering the larger issue: 3 (previously 4) 10 year city council members have failed to deliver a developed economy for this city when opportunities were available. By failing this city, they have failed us.

Anonymous said...

Keep it simple and it might work. Vreeland is the low-hanging fruit.
Recall him AND get a good replacement elected and the council majority has changed. Focus, focus, focus and K.I.S.S.

Anonymous said...

Is he vulnerable because of his absentiism or his politics? He just won re-election a year ago. I'd say it's the absentiism not his politics that truly make him vulnerable. Not what some people want to hear but it's risky to assume the voters are finally ready for wholesale change and by that assumption muddy the waters and miss an easy target in the uproar and wagon-circling.

Kathy Meeh said...

"It's risky to assume the voters are finally ready for wholesale change and by that assumption muddy the waters and miss an easy target in the uproar and wagon-circling."

Hopefully the voters have finally had enough. And, the spin for 3, 10 year "cannot do" city councilmembers cannot fake the obvious any more. Now that is clean. Whereas, some voters may already feel sorry for "picking-off" a return, 1 year into office, sick city councilmember.

Hopefully you will support and work for whatever recall is organized. Or, here's another idea: organize your own Vreeland Recall. Double the money and the effort, but then we can see who has the more perfect approach. Hey, some of us will sign both petitions.

Anonymous said...

The mighty Lord Vreeland thanks you.

Anonymous said...

Bless the mighty Terese and Bernie. They have the moxie to follow through with their agenda.
Again, two is better than one on the recall.