Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Jager vs Clark & Atkins vs Endert. Eureka has tough choice!

Frank Jager is running against George Clark for the 4th Ward seat on the Eureka City Council. Both are long time residents with strong local roots.

I would say that Frank is better known in the area and will have a head start name recognition wise. His community service as past Councilman and his current public service as Humboldt County Coroner really helps his cause. Almost 40 years in law enforcement! And he is really a nice guy. One thing I find really impressive is his work in helping over 50 Humboldt County Boy Scouts achieve the ranking of Eagle Scout. Too bad I wasn't in his troop. I think I stopped at Second Class in Myrtletown. Troop 79? I loved the camping trips.

George and I were on the HCDCC at the same time in the 90's. I did not really socialize much with him, but he has always been cordial. He wrote some letters to the editor that were kinda radical in the past. I think he might be just a bit to the left of my politics. But that may work good for him because he controls the political demographics. All he has to do is carry the Democrats and Greens in Eureka, and he has a chance to win. And he has already garnered the HCDCC endorsement. Now he just needs a fancy aggressive mailer with his agenda and the HCDCC endorsement predominately splashed on the cover. And you have to admit his website is very well done.

Linda Adkins is fairly new to the area. She recently retired from Cal Trans and is a past union member and advocate. She has an uphill battle as far as name recognition. But she does have the collaborative help from the Clark campaign. And their combo website is cool. George Clark & Linda Atkins Campaign Website Her campaign needs to do the same with the HCDCC endorsement. Identify herself as the Democrat in the race and ride the tide.

Polly Endert was appointed the 2nd Ward Council seat by a community committee chosen by Eureka Mayor Virginia Bass. She has been a good addition to the Council. No web-site for her campaign as of yet. She has long time roots to the community.

I know I will hear the non-partisan thingy being spouted, but like I have said, politics in Humboldt County have become undeniably partisan. 15, count them, 15 of the last candidates that the HCDCC endorsed are in office!

Democrats outnumber Republicans by a large margin in Humboldt County. I don't make the rules, just report them.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you should be in Colorado right now. I hate it when people vote the party line instead of the individual.

Anonymous said...

Though choice,are you back on the booze? Voting for Clark or Atkins would be like putting another bozo like Gags in control of Eureka x"s 2. Can't you star gazers see what your vision is doing?

Anonymous said...

Actually, Eureka doesn't have a tough choice. They can vote for railing partisanship and reap the sour grapes, or, vote for "change"-Jager and Endert. Yes, change. People are sick of politics and partisanship. We've learned too much from Washington and things didn't used to be that way around here. Clark and Atkins embody what doesn't work in Washington. Larry Glass has learned that partisanship doesn't work and he behaves accordingly and gets things done with his fellow councilmembers. Jager and Endert will definitely work together with the rest to accomplish good things for the city. We don't need a mutiny now. Political agendas are a dangerous thing for the city and Clark and Atkins are attempting to bring their version of political shock and awe to Eureka. Get ready to move if they assume office as they'll wipe out any possibility of future jobs.

Anonymous said...

"shock and awe "?

Give me a break. If Linda and George bring to the table half of what Larry has it will be awesome. We need free thinkers. Maker that we need thinkers.

Larry does and Linda and George will too.

Call free thinking an agenda if you will. That's okay with me.

Fred Mangels said...

"Eureka doesn't have a tough choice. They can vote for railing partisanship and reap the sour grapes, or, vote for "change"-Jager and Endert.".

Agreed. No tough choice this time.

Anonymous said...

Got a "push poll" phone call from the Clark/Atkins camp yesterday. These two are from the "I got mine but you can't have yours" party, A.K.A. The Green Party.

Anonymous said...

Jager had his shot in the 90's, and then bailed to take the coroner's job, just like Virginia bailed to become mayor. If you sign up for four years, then you should fulfill your commitment. And what good did Frank do when he was on the council? He was part of the Nancy Fleming crowd which was a total joke and did nothing for Eureka.

Anonymous said...

Maybe it is time for Eureka to revisit the ward system.

Anonymous said...

8:11am-The redevelopment progress in Old Town was during Frank and Nancy's do nothing days. Wow, spreading disinformation. Cruise ships visited the Bay. Jobs were abundant. Gas was $1.50 a gallon as was milk. oh yes, those were the bad old days, weren't they!

Anonymous said...

This is somewhat like voting for president- there are no perfect candidates. We wind up choosing the ones who we believe will do the least damage and avoid the ones who will inflict the most harm. We need 2 candidates who will control the ball, move it effectively down the field, and not cough up turnovers all the time. The city of Eureka will not overcome the turnovers Clark and Atkins are waiting to produce from their progressive playbook. Besides, what is free thinking about being beholden to an aggressive, drum beating, political group? The council doesn't need a progressive prison riot at the moment.

Anonymous said...

Well Richard, I am a democrat and am voting for Jager because I don't like the crazy leanings of George and Linda. Yeah, we are an umbrella party and have a lot of diverse views, but George to too out there for me.

I want leadership and experience. I am tired of the partisan bull on this lower local level. Too many are being disenfranchised and it is making the area a worse place due to the divisions that are created by these new species of politial players.

Anonymous said...

10:57. What redevlopment process? Kramer refurbished the Vance Hotel, but other than that little was done. Have you seen the waterfront lately. There is a boardwalk inhabited by transients and druggies and not much of anything else. As far as the economy and price of gas goes, that has absoultely nothing to do with the City Council and their decisions. Get a reality check. Nancy and the 90's council was a bad joke.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Buettner got his degree, of course, on the Arcata Plaza. 3 reads of Marx's Manifesto and you get to walk across the stage and shake Dave Meserves' hand...

Anonymous said...

Kramer didn't use redevelopment money for the Vance even though Eureka shows pretty pictures of it in the redevelopemnt pitch slide show.

Anonymous said...

Clark and Atkins all the way. They represent the type of new direction Eureka needs. I look forward to them teaming up with Larry Glass to move this city forward.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely Load...

What the Clark-Atkins high priced, out of area handlers don't understand is that Eureka is not a cookie cutter electorate.

They've both made it clear that they will be beholding to their financiers for a (self described) progressive majority on the Eureka Council. Neither one of them offers any solutions...only complaints and accusations. And why is it my dear 5:32, that Larry Glass stood next to Endert at her public announcement. I think Larry is smarter than you think and has not and will not be bought by the machine. He knows how much damage George and Linda could do and most likely, how remote their chances are.

I know and like George (Linda is a newcomer) very much. He has some really good ideas. But there's a point in most conversations with him when you reach for the mute button and order another Hamachi. That reality will translate into the campaign.

And when that happens, the Kerrigan juggernaut will hit high tide and sink back into the glib yet unconvincing quicksand of cheap lip service that it has always been.

Anonymous said...

Clark and Atkins support a "Civilian Review Board" to review actions of the Eureka Police Department.

This would, I believe, empower the small but radical and vocal anti-police faction in Eureka.

My reasons are given more fully in the comments section of the "Drumroll..." thread.

Proposals like this may sound attractive on paper, but given the recent history of Eureka, such a proposal could do our city great harm.