FAILED COUNCIL CANDIDATE SHOWS SOUR GRAPES?
Failed City Council candidate Chris McEvoy, who also failed in his attempt to be appointed to the Planning Commission, alleged at the City Council meeting last night that Colin McCarthy and Stephen Mensinger were improperly appointed to the Planning Commission and that Jeff Matthews was improperly appointed to the Parks and Recreation Commission, because each of the three had donated more than $ 250 to the election campaigns of Councilmember Bever and/or Councilmember Monahan and that Bever and Monahan then voted on the appointments of McCarthy, Mensinger and Matthews.
In so alleging, McEvoy ended up demonstrating a second reason (the first reason is below) why it's a good thing that he didn't win election to the Council and why it's good that he didn't get appointed to the Planning Commission--he apparently couldn't understand the plain meaning of the law--at least in this case.
The law doesn't bar appointments of political supporters and donors to commissions and it doesn't bar Council members from voting on those appointments as McEvoy apparently believes.
It just bars Council members from voting to appoint people to the commissions who donate more than $ 250 to their campaigns, and who are bringing things--development projects, or contracts one wants approved, for example--before the City Council.
In other words, the plain intent of the law is to stop people from buying approval for projects or contracts in which they stand to make a financial gain. It's an anti-corruption law.
At any rate, the City Attorney, the Assistant City Manager and the two Councilmembers all told McEvoy last night that before the appointments were made, the very question raised by McEvoy was looked into and dismissed as a non-issue.
Now as to the first reason why it's a good thing McEvoy didn't win election or appointment.
During the just past election campaign, McEvoy put himself squarely on the side of the improvement obstructionists who don't want real improvement on the Westside.
Most citizens who are not improvement obstructionists understand that the Westside is the worstside and that it should be the bestside given its bluffs and its closeness to the ocean.
Apparently, McEvoy doesn't believe this and wants the Westside to remain pretty much as it is now.
That's not an argument that McEvoy is likely to win given the crime and other problems that originate on the Westside and given the fact that the Westside Bluffs, which are presently mired in industrial buildings, cry out to have some homes built on them just as we see in Newport Beach, Huntington Beach and virtually all other communities along the coast with similar bluffs. *
Homes on bluffs are in high demand. If you doubt it, check the prices on bluff homes in other cities. Industrial buildings don't need or value views and other bluff amenities. In addition, people who can afford high priced homes on bluffs often become contributing members of the local community.
Furthermore, the battle for the future of the Westside and the direction it should take was fought and won by the Improvers several years ago after the City empowered two committees to come up with ideas for the Westside.
McEvoy seems to want to undo what these committees established as the best direction for the Westside.
On the plus side...
Mr. McEvoy seems to be attending more public meetings lately, and he seems to be personable and alert.
We hold out a slim hope that he'll learn more about the city and the Westside and understand why the area needs change.
We hold out a slim hope that he'll learn more about the city and the Westside and understand why the area needs change.
During the just past election campaign, McEvoy told voters that he should be elected partly because, as a math teacher, he says he's logical. Well, if true, then McEvoy will start looking at the statistics of why the Westside is as it is and why it needs improvement. The numbers are there. One just has to look at them and understand them.
The CM PRESS has published the stats for years. A logical minded person, as opposed to someone who is, er, emotional, can look at those stats and immediately see what needs to be done on the Westside. Mr. McEvoy can find those stats in earlier editions of the CM PRESS.
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* Don't be confused. The Improvers aren't calling for the Westside Bluffs to be exactly like the bluff developments in other cities. They have been clear for years that they would like to see an organic evolution of the Westside Bluffs that will start integrating appropriate housing--lofts and live work/work live units, for example--into the industrial area and which will keep a certain slightly artistic or bohemian vibe.
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DENVER WOMAN FILES CLAIM AGAINST THAT CITY FOR $1.9 M CLAIMING CITY FAILED TO DEPORT ILLEGAL ALIEN WHO KILLED PEOPLE IN DRUNKEN AUTO CRASH
# # #Those are our opinions. Thanks for reading them.
