Mendocino Elec. Nov 00

www.KnowTheCandidates.org

General Election - November 7, 2000 - Mendocino County
Local Measures and Elected Offices

Sometimes getting reliable information in Mendocino County is like pulling teeth. With limited time and limited availability of contacts, this is what we learned:

Federal and State Law will most likely supercede the proposed ordinance. This ballot measure is a small symbolic message that the current federal drug enforcement efforts are expensive, and counterproductive to solving the underlining problem and they undermine local and state's rights in deciding what course best fits resident's needs.

Fort Bragg City Council - Two council seats up for election.
Recommend: David Turner and Bob Doyle

Jere Melo and Lindy Peters are incumbents who have supported much of the destructive city-subsidized development and over use of the limited water supply for the Fort Bragg region. The Glass Beach housing development is one example; private developer had 100% of their infrastructure cost subsidized by local tax payers via a council vote (approximately $ 1.7 million initial cost). To add insult to injury, the then planning Chair, Jere Melo, did not even vote to require the developers to include a park or playground in the development.

Jere Melo's current planning commission appointment, Matson, is a building supply owner who has been tagged with an enforcement action by the city for using his properties illegally (industrial use in residential zone). Matson is a big supporter of Lindy Peter's campaign. Lindy also has a reputation of being the most counterproductive Councilmember who supports the worst elements of the status quo in council meetings even though he is a pleasant person in social situation.

David Turner, a local businessman, in the local debates appeared to have the greatest command of the details of the budget and financial structure of Fort Bragg, even though he is not an incumbent. He appears to be fiscally responsible, hardworking and a detail person. He also appears to be independent of any factions in Fort Bragg politics. Turner has pointed out how it seemed odd and abusive to the local taxpayers to create a subsidy for three motels that were already being constructed.

Bob Doyle is a proponent of parks and open space for the City of Fort Bragg, which he feels have been neglected areas that would be both good for the city's businesses and general fiscal health and the local resident's quality of life. He has given a very detailed critique and suggestions for how he would do things differently.

Point Arena City Council - Three seats up for election:
Recommendation: Leslie Dahlhoff, Lauren Sinott and Kevin Gallagher

Current Mayor Leslie Dahlhoff has a good track record at both being very active in environmental protection issues and being a fiscal pragmatist. Having a small city survive on very limited sources of income is no small feat and having Point Arena come out from under the cloud on red ink was no small effort on her part. Dahlhoff was recently appointed to a Regional Water Quality Board; this might be Governor Davis' only appointment of a real environmentalist which will mean at least one voting member in an important agency. Dahlhoff has been able to keep open channels to most of the factions in the community.

Lauren Sinott, like Jeff Gunning, are both non-incumbents. Lauren appears to be the more environmental and sustainable economics oriented of the two. She feels that any business that Point Arena encourages should keep a very high percent of its money in the city i.e. large remotely owned businesses should not necessarily be encouraged. Lauren also feels local businesses should not deplete the local natural resources beyond natural replenishment.

Jeff Gunning is a local fisherman who has a strong interest and knowledge about that industry as it relates to the Point Arena pier. When the City was repeatedly spending more than the income it generated at the pier, he tended to defend the chronic, red ink operational imbalance. It was obvious to most that this would eventually bankrupt the City. In all other areas, we could find no faults.

Kevin Gallagher is the local owner of the Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast Inn and an incumbent Councilmember. He has a track record of being pragmatic and a reasonable mix of representing the needs of the local business community and local residents.

Mayor of Ukiah: Philip Ashiku incumbent,
Recommend (with reservations) Philip Ashiku

Kathy Libby Incumbent Councilmember.
David Dickey recently withdrew and endorsed Kathy Libby

Here is what we could find out: unless one of the candidates has changed their registration recently, they are all Republicans.

Dickey ran in the March Supervisor's race and lost to Shoemaker.
A large part of his funding came from out of county large development interests and from Supervisor Delbar's encouragement. This would tend to say that he is in the wrong pockets. He now has thrown his support behind Kathy Libby. Dickey's campaign manager was Ron Libby, Kathy Libby's husband.

Many times Kathy Libby appears to be representing interests who have given her written instructions on what to say or do. She comes with prepared notes that she does not deviate from even when the situation in the meeting changes and her "notes" are not relevant or need adjusting. Many times her husband Ron Libby is in the audience, Ron Libby is very politically active and at one time worked for Congressman Riggs. Libby's votes tend to be more development oriented.

One area where Ashiku and Libby disagree is on the Palace Hotel in Ukiah. Ashiku thinks it is an important structure to the City and that taxpayer funding should help renovate it. Libby feels it would be a waste of money. There are good and bad points to both stances. The building is a famous and a unique, historically registered building but the City's cost need to me limited and protected if tax payers funds were to be involved.

The electric power costs are another area of disagreement, Ashiku's position is probably slightly more fiscally responsible on this issue. Without going into all the long details, the more responsible position is: the bond that financed the Ukiah portion of the electric power, for which all Ukiah tax payers are responsible (and that neither Libby or Ashiku are to blame for) needs to clearly have enough financial reserve built up so that Ukiah will not default on the payment in the future, before rolling back local rates, which has not taken place quite yet. This is approximately Ashiku position, Libby's position is to roll back the rates now. Projecting electric power needs and financing is a complex issue and messy issue in California at the moment. On the rate-roll-back issue, a position half-way between Libby's and Ashiku position might be in order. On the issue of deregulation of the local utility, what is happening with PG&E and other providers at the moment would tend to support Ashiku's position.

Ukiah City Council - Two seats for Council up for election:
Recommend: Eric Larsen woodworker and Paul Andersen, computer specialist.

Roy Smith incumbent, Jim Mulherson, businessman and Ed Harnett retired accountant.

Paul Andersen, works for the County Information Services Department. Andersen took it upon himself to get the City Council agenda available on the web for all citizens to view. He tends to be accessible and approaches growth issues and city service issues in an intelligent, pro-local resident manner. Andersen is relatively youthful and energetic and will be an asset to the city.

Eric Larsen is chair of the Planning Commission and has devoted a huge amount to detail work in attempting to have "smart growth" as opposed to big remotely-owned, willy-nilly growth that has tended to prevail in the Ukiah region.

Ed Harnett is a vocal and tireless critic of the city government but seldom proposes any solutions.

Roy Smith and Jim Mulheron offer the business-as-usual oriented development and pollution stances. Roy Smith appears unengaged with council matters. Jim Mulheron has a good point in that he has devoted personal time and resources and attempted to engaged the council in the plight of the homeless in Ukiah.

Willits City Council - Three seats up for election:
Recommend: Greg Kanne (postal clerk); Robin Jeavons Leler (teacher); and possibly Kristi Yde, businesswoman.

Karen Oslund, incumbent; Terry Harvey, incumbent. Bruce Burton incumbent.

The major problem in Willits is the Mayor, Denny McIntyre. He has been largely responsible for the Willits reputation of being the least open to listening to citizen input and most hostile to open government in the county. Unfortunately, his office is not up in this election cycle.

The incumbents Oslund, Harvey and Burton have been part of the mismanagement of city government which has resulted in Willits becoming much less quaint and more polluted with major infrastructure problems and increasing crime and youth problems. Oslund has made some efforts on the youth issues but does nothing to hold McIntyre in check. Burton has a similar problem and Harvey is considered accessible but very inconsistent.

Greg Kanne is a respected member of the School Board and he is considered open minded and accessible. He tends to be more respectful of the importance of preserving a rural environment in the Willits region than the current incumbents. He along with Robin Leler has been active on the Remco toxic pollution problems that have affected the community.

Robin Jeavons Leler is a teacher who has also been involved in the world-famous organic and small intensive agriculture techniques pioneered by her ex-husband. She will make every effort to prevent Willits from becoming just another non-sustainable ugly, polluted suburb. She lists traffic, youth and economic issues as the big three challenges currently facing Willits.

Krisi Yde, local businesswoman who was once a local police dispatcher, may bring a reasonable balance of local business interests and openness to the city government process. She has a strong interest in youth issues and policing issues.