Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Mayor and 1st Ward Forum

The Greater Eureka Chamber of Commerce, Humboldt Association of Realtors and the Humboldt Business Exchange held a candidate forum for the 1st Ward candidates for City Council and for Eureka Mayor. I will rate and comment on the 1st Ward candidates but I will not rate the Mayor race as I serve on Virginia’s campaign committee and so it would not be fair. I will make some observations though. Start the arguments!

1st Ward Candidate’s ratings:

1. Larry Glass: He seemed loose and personable and cheerful when in an open audience. He answered the limited time residence question well and pointed out the need to focus on public safety. He felt a lot of local issues flowed through safety. He has been studying the budget and wants to cut waste, but not for the sake of safety. He said he wants the public to be part of the process on the balloon track and if the public wants a mall or a polo field, he will go with the public majority. He has not felt city government has been readable at times, and promises “transparent” processing. He would like to once again address the parking problems of old town. Is for small business incubator plans to give direction to those businesses. Wants to promote tourism and would like the removal of Dams to help fishing on the North Coast. Unabashed tree hugger. His words. Democrat.

2. Mary Beth Wolford: looked great on the KEET debate, and not so good in the open forum. She made a comment on the majority of the police and fire department calls going for the balloon track and had Larry shaking his head no, and Peter LaVallee later saying there were very few calls out there. She also made the comment about parking not being a problem in old town. And she lives down there? She did not really touch on real issues at all. She likes the energy of our people and wants a healthy community. Liked the Meth film on KEET. That was about all as a message. She was not prepared for this venue. Democrat.

3. Tish Wilburne: Less government is the message from Tish. “Government has failed.” She does not like handouts given to people and says people should get off their butts and go get jobs. She would like to see old cars racing in the Redwoods to bring in people. She is soliciting yacht builders currently. Felt Humboldt County attracts some of its problems through government handouts. Libertarian.

Observations of Mayor Candidates:

Jerry Droz: Says the crime rate of Eureka is double the national average and brought graphs to illustrate. Felt people lived in fear and confusion in Eureka. Feels public process was important on all issues. Jerry said we needed to capitalize on a Redwood tree theme by planting them along Broadway and to have Redwood theme area with a huge stump. (Good days of the old Stump house remembered by us old timers here. Jerry is new to the area.) He said he will take no bribes and it isn’t who has the most or biggest signs.

Peter LaVallee: Felt that he had been a good leader and facilitated a huge public process forum of 1,100 at the municipal auditorium about the LGN plans successfully. Talked about how the rail was important, but was not going to happen in the next four years. Felt the homeless problem was “multi –faceted” but did not elaborate. He thinks we need to repair infrastructure to create jobs. He commented we do not have a competitive or prepared local work force. Peter then made a comment that 1 out of 4 high school students in the area graduate with a degree. And claimed he was given this information from city schools. 25%? C’mon, that is not even close. I think the figure is under 10% so one of us is way off. So, we should just give up and go on the government dole? What is he saying or trying to say? He made a claim about making the deciding vote to not give LGN exclusive rights and was corrected by Virginia and Mary Beth that he did not understand the motion he voted on. Peter also made claim on helping the Steamfitters garner prevailing wage on a public works job. No, by law they are assured prevailing wage. Peter did not serve as their agent to secure that. Sid Berg of the Steamfitters would have to do that. You can not take credit for union workers getting what is do them by law! Virginia challenged him to state what he has done the last for years, and he came up with no answers.

Virginia Bass: “We need a can do attitude and local businesses need to grow! We need to remove barriers.” Virginia said she would never take sides to an issue until she had all facts. She pointed out that 91% of the residents in Eureka can not afford to buy a home and would like to reverse that trend. She also would like to see code enforcement and more police available to hire. Virginia is concerned about the local political division and says we need unity to reach our potential. She also spoke of her long ties to the community.

There were plenty of others who saw this forum. Comment away. Please identify who you are if you do comment.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

LGN = Liquified Gas, naturally.

Anonymous said...

hahah i find it funny that marybeth said there wasnt a problem with parking in old town and she lives there...i bet she doesnt have trouble finding parking in her one car garage.

Anonymous said...

LNG Liquified Natural Gas as reported in the Times Standard and Eureka Reporter alaso company literature.

LNG Not LGN
Take your pick:
http://www.times-standard.com/fastsearchresults/ci_4173807

http://www.eurekareporter.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ArticleID=8304

Anonymous said...

This is a little bit ahead of your review, but in the Eureka Ward 3 race candidate Ron Kuhnel is running radio ads, very nicely done in a female voice, listing the reasons she has for voting for Kuhnel. Too bad she doesn't tell us the best reason she is voting this way: "He's my dad!" The ads are done by Kuhnel's daughter!!

Anonymous said...

11:07, prove it.

Anonymous said...

I suppose if Tim Flemming can write letters for his Mom, Ron Kuhnel's daughter can make radio ads for her Dad.

Anonymous said...

She probably works cheap and if she has a good voice who cares?

Anonymous said...

I haven't heard them.....Are we talking about Leslie Lollich?
Went from private industry to the government dole. Will this trend ever stop?

Anonymous said...

I hate it when bloggers post answers to their own yadda, yadda, yadda!

samoasoftball said...

I see no problem with Ron's daughter doing a commercial. Ron has sure been everywhere here lately. Seems to downplay the local solutions and left wing slate. Interesting.

Anonymous said...

So was the TS correct, Richard, saying that Larry is "not necessarily against a Home Depot on the Balloon Tract"???

That seems to me to be a 180 degree turn around from things he said before. Then I read today (I think it was ER), that CREG has a different spokesperson, not Larry anymore.

So, what's up? Ron is now "distancing himself" from Local Solutions, but when they endorsed him he said ”I'm pleased to receive the endorsement of an organization such as Local Solutions, an organization that I think I share common values with,” (got that from the Press/News link on his web page)

and now Larry does this complete flip flop on the Home Depot issue. From being leader of CREG, now "not necessarily against" Home Depot.....

Did they get some poll data or something that makes them think they need to change their message to get more votes? That seems so shifty to me. Change your message and your stand mid-stream in the election. Why do that? Who are you then, anyway? How can voters know what you really stand for and if they can trust you?

I thought I had my mind made up about this election, but now I'm not sure....

Anonymous said...

Larry was against it-Home Depot from the beginning and still is. BUT, he is afraid to lose any possible voters so take the 'moderate' stance of "whatever the voters want". Except he then loses his No Home Depot voters.

Yes, he would have had a solid base (however small) if he could have stayed on his one statement instead of waffling like most politicians in the weeks before the votes are posted. Now he stands to lose voter confidence in sounding like every other person who has ever run for public office.

Anonymous said...

Larry is still as anti Home Depot as always.He's always criticized the council for not allowing public involvement in the process.He hasn't changed his message.He personally doesn't like it,but if a true public process is opened and if a majority wants a Home Depot here,then he has to live with it.The situation is similar to what Jones and Bass had to deal with in regards to Calpine.They wanted it,but the majority didn't,so a council meeting had to be moved to the Muni to accomodate for those who wanted to speak on the proposal.Calpine reps heard what we had to say,and they packed their stuff and left.
Larry is campaigning.He has no time to be a CREG spokesperson.Ron Kuhnel is campaigning,he has no time to worry about local solutions or any proposed slate.

Anonymous said...

Larry said that he wanted public involvement and would respect the voice of the majority. If people wanted a mall or a polo field, he was all for what the "public" wanted. Pretty much on key where he has always stood to be fair.

Anonymous said...

And what is so wrong with candidates sticking to their beliefs and running on what they themselves believe?

Going back and forth or at least appearing to waffle isn't brave- voters get turned off when ANY politician changes their story weeks before the election.

Larry Glass looks like a used car salesman more and more everyday. Would you buy a Pontiac from this man?

Anonymous said...

Larry Glass is an honest guy with a big heart. The reason CREG has a new spokesman is because CREG is an educational committee of a non-profit organization and cannot be directly involved in politics.

Anonymous said...

I owned a Pontiac once--great car. Please don't attempt to say evil things about Pontiac through/by association!!

Anonymous said...

Could a CREG spokesperson tell me one single "real economic growth" plan?

Even after Tom Peters “CREG member explains what organization is really about” letter-to-the-editor, which did not explain any specific ideas and plans.

Just the usual complaints and protests regarding any growth or development in Eureka.

And if CREG is a non-profit organization, what is the charity they represent?

Anonymous said...

Eureka is a changin' and some don't like it. Get used to it. Events like that one will be a lot more common. People moving here have seen unbridled development ruin communities. They will work to make sure there is control no matter how much you bitch about it.

There was a lot of effort put into the event. Many hours of DONATED time and energy. Those community members work for what they believe in no matter how much you think it is a conspiracy all controlled by a single person.

The nay-sayers will blame it on Salzman or some PAC. What they don't get is that it is a changing demographic in Eureka. No one shipped in folks from Arcata... those were your new neighbors.

Anonymous said...

Yes, many volunteer hours were probably donated.

The real question everyone's asking: who is donating to CREG's "non-profit"?

Why won't CREG list their financial donors?

Who paid for CREG's TV commercials?

Who paid for CREG to rent the Wharfinger Building Friday night?

We all know the answer. Will CREG document this for all to see in the light of day?

Transparency in government – I believe those are the words Larry Glass uses.

Do as I say or do as I do, Mr. Glass?

Anonymous said...

Why doesn't the Humboldt Business Council or HELP list its financial donors?Why didn't Wayne Ordos(Arkley attorney)list the donors for the Eureka Coalition For Jobs which he was behind?Why doesn't Humboldt Sunshine list its financial donors?

Anonymous said...

You still didn't answer the question:

We're talking about CREG.

Who is donating to CREG's "non-profit"?

Why won't CREG list their financial donors?

Who paid for CREG's TV commercials?

Who paid for CREG to rent the Wharfinger Building Friday night and to pay for the three speaker's travel arrangements?

Let's not change the subject, but answer the questions on CREG.

Anonymous said...

5:26: I think Larry Glass publically stated at a forum at the Cookhouse in Samoa that he paid for the commercials and such for CREG. He answered Brian Morrisey on that question then. Larry does not read the blogs, so forgive him for not answering sooner.

Anonymous said...

5:26,you have to remember that for many bloggers,this is their political outreach.They go by what happens on the blogs or a small article in a newspaper.They don't attend council meetings,debates,or public forums,or involve themselves with the candidates and incumbants,so you have to understand that they won't find out this sort of stuff here.It's not a shot at bloggers who have busy lives,but that's how it is.Anon 8:41's questions would be answered if that weren't the case.501c3's,c4's,5's,527's ,etc all report to the state and it is public info.

Anonymous said...

"They don't attend council meetings,debates,or public forums,or involve themselves with the candidates and incumbants."

But they know how bitch about it when others do.

Anonymous said...

"Who is donating to CREG's "non-profit"?"

I do.

Anonymous said...

"CREG is an educational committee of a non-profit organization and cannot be directly involved in politics."

LOL!

Nope, CREG ain't involved in politics. Not in the least bit.

Still laughing...

samoasoftball said...

CREG supporters will be at tonights Eureka City Council meeting politicing. 6:30 in the Eureka City Council Chambers. I will be there to witness the public process in action.

Anonymous said...

"you have to remember that for many bloggers,this is their political outreach.They go by what happens on the blogs or a small article in a newspaper.They don't attend council meetings,debates,or public forums,or involve themselves with the candidates and incumbants,"

Except many bloggers are now the PAID political campaign managers of candidates for office. Yep, making money to post "anonymous" comments that make their candidate look good.

I can't wait for Nov. 8 when people will just SHUT UP!