When a "Mayor" is not a Mayor- a public service announcement

5/15/2014

In November the City of Encintas will elect a "mayor" which I vainly attempted to explain to our city council is not what the public understands the word to mean.  Maybe the viewer will get my point, but this body didn't choose to help clarify the reality of this position to the voters.

Here's the city's video of my presentation- at drop down menu item 8D.  But while not responding to my claim of the absurdity of the trivial difference in salary between the position of council member and mayor, which became a political football,  that was the only item they decided to clarify. I specifically pointed to the description on the city's own website, which perpetuates the confusion yet there was no acknowledgement of this. 

Most defects in government at all levels are more difficult to address, so it's rare when something like like this pops up -- an ill advised option for a general law city,  a confusing referendum, a choice made by an uninformed electorate......all further increasing alienation of "the people" when the expected dynamics between the four council members, and the fifth, with enough extra authority to be chaotic if he doesn't have two other council members on his/her side 

On another front, my attempt to rationalize our multi way stop sign practice met a solid wall of resistance at Monday's Traffic (and Public Safety) commission.  I put the last part in parenthesis as the lofty mandate shows no sign of being accepted, as it provides for :

The scope of the commission’s role with respect to public safety includes but is not limited to traffic safety, emergency response for fire, medical and other crises, as well as the City’s efforts to control and reduce criminal activities of all types. The commission may conduct informational and educational meetings, prepare reports and analyses, and work with fire, marine safety,ambulance, and sheriff personnel

Most of the members are holdovers from the five member more limited Traffic Commission and have no taste to engage the responsibilities that have been added.  I have done extensive work on the reasons why Multi way Stop signs are counterproductive, described as such by the Federal Department of Transportation, especially when they don't meet the formal ratios between primary and secondary streets, and other criteria referred to as a "warrant."

In spite of the happy talk buzzword "vision statements" that is a disease where the rose colored glasses can makes addressing complex issues seem like rudeness,  I attempted to make the case for going to the root of this problem, which is the assumption that carefully moving through a Stop sign intersection is safer on many levels. None wanted to take on the chair who is quite skillful in defending his neighborhoods (Olivenheim's) right to force a million cars to slow to a crawl because of these signs on Racho Sante Fe Rd being foisted on a weak council in the late 1990s.

I will stick on that commission as I believe the mandate is a worthy one, and will require independence from the political pressures of those in elected office who must cater to the will of established uniform services and not ask rude questions.

Maybe when we get that new elected Mayor he will straighten all of this out!!!!