|
Wearing out shoe leather wins elections
When you take your politics seriously, as I do, you sometimes have to go
through a process of grieving. Two good people, hardworking, concerned
citizens, persons I've known and admired for decades, were turned out of
office eight days ago. A measure that would have done considerable good for
this community was roundly rejected. I grieve.
Nationally the nation suffered serious losses. The Senate's back in the
hands of Trent Lott and crew. Congress for the near future will be in
hostile hands. As in the windstorm last week, there'll be a lot of natural
pruning and thinning, not all desirable. Great trees fall when a storm
vents its fury.
While I deeply regret Maxine and Barbara have been turned out, I remember
Pacifica's done this to some very good people. Janice Fulford, Aubrey
Lumley, Sid Lorvan all were rejected after serving this city well. John
Schneider and Jon Galehouse were recalled, an undeserved slap in the face
for a mild disagreement with the opinions of some voters.
Sue Digre and Jim Vreeland are hardworking, sincere, concerned citizens,
though there are issues on which we disagree. I wish them well. I hope
Pacifica benefits from their decisions over the next four years.
Since the Trammell Crow plan for the quarry has been so summarily rejected
by the voters, I hope Jim in particular will proceed to implement his ideas
for a library on Palmetto Ave. at Montecito. We need the new library, and
we need it without a lot of second guessing on my part.
While I wish things had gone differently, there are lessons to be learned.
Some concepts need to be re-learned every election. Hard work pays off.
Grass roots diligence wins. Precincts are there to be walked. Doors are
there to be knocked on. Pacifica's second largest precinct, Vallemar, with
1087 registered, turned out 53.36 percent at the precinct, 580 voters.
Since they very likely had a higher than average absentee return as well
(13 percent being the average absentee vote reported in the semi-official
returns) that's roughly seventy percent. Two out of three voters in
Vallemar favored Vreeland (387) and Lancelle (385). Sue Digre was third
there, with 248.
Jim Vreeland topped 26 of Pacifica's 30 precincts outright, and tied in two
more. He came in second at the Pacifica library precinct and at the
Creekside townhomes on Rosita, where Julie Lancelle topped him. They tied
for first in Westview and Rockaway. Sue Digre was a consistent third, with
22 precincts. Barbara Carr was third in five areas, Maxine Gonsalves in
three. Bruce Hotchkiss was fourth in three precincts, fifth or sixth in the
rest.
The traditional areas for heavy turnout, Pedro Point (51 percent) and
Rockaway (48 percent) followed their usual pattern. I credit Sue Digre and
her friends for the high turnout at Good Shepherd Church, practically 50
percent. That portion of Fairmont that votes at Fairmont Rec. Center also
followed its usual pattern, with only 24 percent.
When the final absentees are counted, Pacifica will show more than 55
percent having voted. In a low turnout year with a long, complicated
ballot, that's good. The vote counts for Barbara Carr and Maxine Gonsalves
were respectable even as they lost, 3595 and 3360. They will gain in the
count as the final figures come in.
Bruce Hotchkiss, while at the bottom of the list, received almost 2900
votes. I expect him to run again, and like Cal Hinton before him, he very
likely will win on his second or third try. Perseverance pays. So does hard
work and personal contact.
Sometime ago I explored the concept of dividing Pacifica geographically,
into five council districts with equal populations, so there'd be a
balanced representation from all parts of town. At that time four of the
five council members lived in one of my hypothetical districts, all at the
south end of town. With the new council, Cal Hinton is the only member from
south of Vallemar. No resident of a Linda Mar or Park Pacifica tract home
will be on the council.
Jim Vreeland lives in Edgemar. Sue Digre and Pete DeJarnatt live in Pacific
Manor. Julie Lancelle is a resident of Vallemar, where she received one out
of every eight votes in her total. The north side of town has come into its
own, though the south end still has more than half the voters, and some
northern residents still aren't certain they live in Pacifica. Let's hope
the new council members are as good at balancing budgets, fixing potholes,
energizing the commercial sector and funding a new library as they are at
persuading voters to vote their way.
The Reactor via E mail? Paul@thereactor.net.
Check his website at www.thereactor.net.
|
