Would the Mayor of Encinitas Rise to the Challenge?

If a vacancy were to open on the Encinitas City Council, what would Mayor Catherine Blakespear do? 

Would she call for a special election so the voters could choose a replacement? Would she appoint another toady who would fall in line and vote with her 100 percent of the time? Would she have the courage to appoint a rival, namely Julie Thunder, the candidate who came within 10 percent of beating her in the November mayoral election?

Lincoln had the courage and strength of character to appoint a team of rivals as cabinet members. Would Blakespear match Lincoln’s action, or would she round out the City Council as a team of toadies?

Considering her past appointments and endorsements, the chances are Blakespear would appoint another toady. But if she’s politically ambitious, that would look weak, would be unpopular, would generate serious criticism and wouldn’t shape future campaigns well.

What would Blakespear do about a vacancy on the Encinitas City Council? Take a guess.

 

Encinitas Will Build Gateway Arch – But Where?

The Encinitas City Council has decided to build a gateway arch as a way to welcome visitors to the city. Council members are debating among themselves as to where to put the arch.

“Most sales tax revenue is generated in New Encinitas,” said Councilman Joe Mosca, “so I think the arch should be at the El Camino Real or Rancho Santa Fe Road entries to the city.”

“The city treasurer would probably confirm that,” said Mayor Catherine Blakespear, “but most visitors arrive via the freeway or Highway 101, so I think the appropriate choice is one of those routes.”

“A lot of tourists fly to the San Diego airport and then come to Encinitas on the coast route,” said Councilwoman Jody Hubbard, “so putting the arch across 101 at the Solana Beach border sounds good to me.”

“You might accuse me of bias because I worked for the Leucadia 101 Main Street Association,” said Councilwoman Kellie Hinze. “Nevertheless, I think the border with Carlsbad along 101 is the best place for the arch.”

“I’ll join the discussion, and maybe we can come to a consensus here,” said Councilman Tony Kranz. “Here’s my reasoning: There are six freeway exits to Encinitas. We can’t put an arch at one or more, so that takes the freeway out of contention. Councilman Mosca is probably right about sales tax revenue, but that’s almost all from residents. The arch is to welcome visitors, so El Camino Real and Rancho Santa Fe Road are gone from the discussion.

 “Most visitors come from north of us,” continued Kranz. “That puts the Solana Beach border out of consideration. Visitors driving 101 from the north would go under the arch if it crossed 101 at the Carlsbad line. Those exiting the freeway at La Costa Avenue and heading for the fabulous Alila Marea Beach Resort, the fantastic Marea Village adjacent to it, or anywhere south of those two would see the arch looming over 101 just north of the intersection.

“The facts point to what I think is the inescapable answer. I’m not saying this only because my choice is in my district,” concluded Kranz. “The arch should cross Highway 101 at the Carlsbad-Encinitas border. After careful consideration, I think the other council members will agree.”

Encinitas Announces Graffiti Competition

Following the success of the I-5 underpass murals at Santa Fe Drive and Encinitas Boulevard, the city of Encinitas has announced a graffiti competition. The competition is part of the city’s public art initiative.

Only graffiti artistry displayed on public property surfaces will be considered in the competition. They are available throughout the city.

For example, the city cited the surface shown above. It’s near the corner of North Coast Highway 101 and Phoebe Street and close to the Leucadia post office. The front and back are eligible as individual surfaces.

Only the first and sole graffiti on any public surface will be accepted in the competition. Defacing done following the original graffiti will disqualify it. Spot graffiti are discouraged. The more of the surface the artist uses, the better the chances of winning the competition. 

Judges will look for originality of concept and design, and quality of execution. The city cited Banksy’s and Keith Haring’s graffiti as outstanding examples.

Winners will be announced in January 2021.

It’s Official: The Votes and the Mandate Are In

The San Diego County Registrar of Voters has counted all the votes cast in the November 3, 2020 election and posted the results.

I beat Julie Thunder by 10%. Tony Kranz beat Alex Riley by 11.7%, and Kellie Hinze beat Susan Turney by a whopping 23.3%. Measure H, which lets four pot shops open in Encinitas, passed by 2.3%.

To be honest — you know I’m always honest — I’m surprised by the comfortable margins. The four council members and I inflicted so much pain across the breadth of the city that I thought the three eligible positions were in danger. 

Of course, I see our triumphs as a clear mandate. I assure residents who didn’t vote for us, who opposed us at council meetings and who slammed us on local social media that we will not only continue to ignore you, but we will actively pursue policies that are opposite your wishes.

For those who don’t agree that my victory is a mandate, witness my unanimous election as the upcoming chairwoman of SANDAG. If I didn’t think I deserved it, I would find the board’s gushing praise embarrassing. The position will let me impose my power countywide, at least regarding transportation.

Encinitas residents can look forward to my doubling down on the agenda I’ve been pursuing since my first election as mayor in 2016. Some specifics: More and denser development, abusive land use, bigger population, fewer and narrower traffic lanes, more and wider bike lanes, more bollards, letting the state tie my hands, fewer and longer council meetings, inviting more homeless to our city, killing Prop A dead as a doornail, fully funding and building Streetscape, pursuing an ineffective climate action plan, suing residents who organize to oppose me, and packing the commissions and staff with acolytes. 

I’ll soon start my third term as your mayor. My policies and I will become so firmly entrenched that we will be very hard to undo. I only wish I didn’t have to run for reelection every two years. That’s really a pain. With so many voters on my side, maybe the majority will pass a measure to make the mayor’s term four years.

For those who are stressed by my secure position in seats of power, I suggest sampling the wares I will offer in my soon-to-open Encinitas pot shop.

 

MiraCosta College to Offer Highway 101 Course

In keeping with the academic tradition of offering introductory courses like Economics 101 and Biology 101, MiraCosta College will soon offer Highway 101 at its Cardiff campus.

The course will trace the nearly 100-year history of Highway 101 along its route through California, Oregon and Washington from Mexico to Canada. 

Because the approximately 1,700-mile Highway 101 has been traveled for nearly 100 years, a huge catalog of history has accumulated. The course will examine that history through written accounts, still photographs, movies and videos. The course will cover the various names for segments of the route and the origins of those names.

The MiraCosta College Highway 101 course will acknowledge the prominence of the route in the cultural history of the U.S. West Coast. Student response to the introductory course will determine if an advanced course will be offered subsequently.

Alila Marea Hotel Room Reservations Going Like Hot Cakes

Since the stunning Alila Marea Beach Resort announced that room reservations are available starting on February 28, 2021, they’ve been going like hot cakes.

The resort hotel is on the bluff above South Carlsbad (Ponto) State Beach at the foot of La Costa Avenue in Leucadia.

For cheapskates and budget-conscious people, a room for two is available for a paltry $427 per night. For those with a bigger purse, rooms go for $452, $627, $727, $827, $1227 or $4477.

“It’s such a lovely spot,” said Leucadian Edith Quesadilla. “I’m so looking forward to its opening so my hubby and I can do a staycation there.”

“Well, I don’t know what the big deal is,” said local Peter Wiener. “It’s not that great a beach, it’s all rocks in the winter, and the surf break is on the other side of the jetties. It’s a public beach, just like all the others in California. OK, I guess some of the rooms have a nice view.”

“If I stayed at one of the Hiltons a little north in Carlsbad,” said Suzy Cue, “I’d have to cross 101 to get to the beach. So I’d rather pay four or five times as much to be on the west side of the road. And Ponto has great volleyball courts.”

Feast your eyes, soothe your soul, and make your reservations here:

https://www.alilahotels.com/marea-beach-resort-encinitas#top

Mayor Blakespear to Open Encinitas Pot Shop

“Although the vote on Measure H is close,” said Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear, “the margin between yes and no is big enough that it’s likely the measure will pass. Since only four pot shop licenses will be granted in Encinitas, I wanted to jump in early to ensure I get one.”

At post time, the margin between Measure H yes and no votes was 876. That’s a 2.24% spread with 11,000 votes left to tally countywide. It’s not known how many of that number are from Encinitas. Counts on recent days have increased the margin.

“I see owning a pot shop as a way to be close to and understand our city’s business community,” said Blakespear. “It’s difficult to truly understand a group’s interests without being a member. Running a retail business in Encinitas will give me an insider’s view.

“I considered other types of businesses before deciding on a pot shop,” said Blakespear. “Along with having so many restaurants, beer joints, bars and coffee places already, COVID made opening another look too risky. Pot shops in other cities in the county are doing well. Since we have none in Encinitas, the venture looked like a sure success.

“I’ll keep Encinitans up to date as my pot shop develops,” said Blakespear. “I look forward to my grand opening and seeing you all as customers.”

XANAX® Use Soars in Encinitas 

 “We noticed the spike on Tuesday, November 3,” said Chester Field, spokesman for the Encinitas Pharmacists’ Council (EPC). “Closer examination revealed it shot up when the San Diego County registrar of voters released the first election results for the three Encinitas City Council seats. Then the steep incline continued as the voting trend held. Cause and effect aren’t usually so easy to determine.” 

XANAX® is a controlled substance. It’s used to treat anxiety and panic disorder. It can cause paranoid or suicidal ideation and impair memory, judgment, and coordination. Combining it with other substances, particularly alcohol, can slow breathing and possibly lead to death. 

“XANAX® is a serious medication,” said Field. “It’s not like having a beer or glass of wine or toking on a joint. It’s not to be toyed with.” 

While doctors and pharmacists acknowledge the urge to resort to XANAX® when considering the consequences of the Encinitas election, they advise caution in using the medication.

Make Encinitas Great Again, Again — Vote to Keep Me as Your Mayor

I’ve been here for 100 years. No, wait, I’m delusional. My family has been here 100 years.

I’m the developers’ pal. I want to Make Encinitas Great Again, Again. You must re-elect me as your mayor so I can do that.

We can help solve the climate crisis by building more and denser housing in Encinitas. It’s common sense. More people packed together more tightly will release fewer GHG emissions. It’s the same as more cattle on less acreage burping and farting less methane.

My hands are tied when the city is up against state law. But it’s not a B&D thing. State law prevails over local ordinances, and there’s nothing we can do about it.

I know better than you. That’s why I don’t listen to residents and can do whatever I want. I’m sure you know that whenever the council faces an important decision, we don’t wait for the meeting. We decide ahead of time.

At council meetings, residents can talk until they run out of wind. They can appeal our land-use decisions, but it doesn’t matter. We’re not listening. We’ve already decided. The hearings are fake. We’re just going through the motions so it seems our local government is a democracy.

I’m all about power. It’s a drug I like. I welcome the Verdu and Gonzalez PAC money behind my re-election. The city’s $250-per-person limit is piddly. Only the PAC money lets me roll out the big artillery.

One of the ways I exercise power is to have fewer but longer council meetings. Residents get bored or tired and log off or go home. There’s weaker opposition and less the council has to pretend to listen to.

But the ultimate power is my ability to sue residents who refuse to bow to my will. The city attorney is at my disposal, and the city has bucks the residents don’t.

Of course, the real purpose of the Prop A lawsuit is to let a simple majority of the council make land-use decisions. Now it takes a super majority or unanimity. That and the pesky Prop A are in the way. I want them gone. They’re frustrating my big development plans.

Even though COVID has hurt city tax revenue, we still have a surplus. That’s how we can commit $7.3 million for the first phase of Leucadia Streetscape.

Then there’s the homeless problem. Everybody knows that experiencing homelessness is different from being homeless. Whatever you call it, it persists. Attracting more homeless people to our city will reduce the number experiencing homelessness.

I want you to re-elect me as your mayor so I can continue to destroy what makes Encinitas a fabulous place to live. And besides, if I’m not mayor, I wouldn’t know what to do. I don’t want to go back to being an estate-planning lawyer or a journalist. That’s behind me. What I want ahead is another term as mayor and to become SANDAG chair. Beyond that, who knows? The sky’s the limit.

Vote for me, Catherine Blakespear. Keep me as mayor of Encinitas.

Elect Leucadia 101 Main Street Association to Encinitas City Council

I grew up around here. I went to local schools. What does that say about the quality of education in Encinitas?

I was executive director of the Leucadia 101 Main Street Association. Taxpayers paid much of my salary through the City Council’s annual $30,000 subsidy to that merchants’ group. Leucadia must be really special because downtown and Cardiff get only $20,000 each.

When I was appointed to the council after Tasha split, I quit that chamber of commerce job. When I was there, I pushed for projects most residents don’t want. Streetscape is a good example. Some of the merchants and property owners want it, but most residents don’t.

I brought that same thinking to my council seat. I go along with the mayor and support all kinds of things most residents don’t. The Cardiff cycle trap is a good example.

I’m really glad I don’t have the $10 million Pacific View albatross hanging around my neck. Tony Kranz is welcome to that dead bird.

I’m comfortable speaking in public. But if you examine what I say, you’ll find a lot is illogical. It just doesn’t make sense. Most residents recognize that. They’re more experienced and more practical that I am. I embody the millennial mentality. I’ll get better as I get older.

I recognize the need to reduce GHG emissions. That’s why I support the Streetscape plan and a denser population. They’ll both increase GHG emissions and let us work harder to find ways to reduce them.

Everybody says there’s a housing crisis. I say stack and pack ’em in. It doesn’t matter that only a few are affordable. We need more upscale housing throughout Encinitas. 

I was appointed to the City Council. Now I want to be elected. Vote for me, Kellie Hinze in District 2.

It’s Incumbent Upon Voters to Re-elect the Incumbent in District 1

Go figure. I’m the most senior member of the Encinitas City Council. Who woulda thunk?

I ran for a seat in 2010 during the Stocks era. That’s the year Dalager had the gall to run for re-election after he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He lost. So did I. During one of the forums, I said I’m not a tree hugger.

When 2012 rolled around, I ran again. I was blessed that Lisa Shaffer was also running for another open seat. She worked hard, got a lot of attention and left the impression that she and I were aligned. So I really didn’t have to do much to get elected.

Then in 2016, I was re-elected at large. That was before districting.

Now it’s 2020, we have districts, and I’m running for council in District 1. It goes from the ocean and north of Leucadia Boulevard to La Costa Avenue, runs east, widens south toward Encinitas Boulevard at about Saxony, continues east and nicks off a tiny corner of Olivenhain.

 
Don’t blame me for the placement and shapes of the districts. Blame Tasha Boerner Horvath. She tried to anonymously sneak the gerrymandering past the public and council but got busted through a public records request. 

Districting makes getting elected harder because voters in any district are more aware of what’s going on in their neighborhood than the city overall.

One question is, well, what have you done to make life better in District 1? My answer is very little.

Another question is, OK, have you represented the majority of residents in your attitudes and votes? Not really. I’m much more in the corner of the minority and special interests, especially developers.

I really enjoy the power and celebrity of being on the council and representing the city in other government agencies like the North County Transit District (NCTD). I have authority. I’m a big cheese.

For years, my slogan has been Deep Community Roots. That’s because my family moved here in 1960 when I was a baby. Some people say my deep community roots are clogging drains and sewer lines and invading water mains, but that’s not true. The accusation is a metaphor meaning I’ve betrayed my constituents. I deny that.

One of my accomplishments as a council member is having mastered govspeak. Here’s an example: “I believe we should have a conversation about bifurcating the project to mitigate the issues it causes.” Go ahead, figure out what that means.

I’ve voted to approve virtually every development that’s come before the council during my tenure and voted to deny virtually every appeal opposing a development. 

But I’ve recently made a show of denying the Surfer’s Point project and temporarily tabling a proposed development just north of Central School. The former is in my district, the latter is not. Guess what. It’s an election year! I have to make it seem I’ll fight on the residents’ side.

Most folks know my nickname is Mr. Roundabout. Some people call them traffic circles. I especially like the really tiny ones because they do a great job of plugging up the roads.

 
I say the more roundabouts the merrier in Encinitas. But not at big, obvious intersections where they might actually work and do some good. Put them at little intersections along Santa Fe Drive and Leucadia Boulevard west of the freeway. Then, of course, at T intersections on the Coast Highway in Leucadia. Boy, talk about impeding traffic! There more than anywhere else.

OK, enough for now. It’s incumbent upon District 1 voters to re-elect the incumbent — that’s me, your man Tony Kranz!

 Possible Punishments for Breaking Campaign Promises

Ostracism

Jail time

Pillory

Tar and feather

Flogging

Crucifixion

Firing squad

Guillotine

Burning at the stake

How to Destroy Democracy Nationally and Locally

 

City of Encinitas Has Solution for Leucadia Flooding Problems

Anticipating the coming rainy season, the Encinitas government has developed a solution for the persistent flooding problems in Leucadia. 

The city will soon receive several mating pairs of specially trained beavers from a supplier in Oregon. 

Beavers are known to build dams that form ponds in creeks. Contrary to freeing the water flow, the dams slow it. The beavers soon to arrive in Encinitas have been trained to do the opposite of what their evolutionary instinct demands. Rather than building obstructions that restrict water flow, the Encinitas beavers will remove blockages and form tunnels that increase drainage. 

The Oregon beaver supplier has had remarkable success in reversing the beavers’ natural instincts. There are few behavioral changes in the animal kingdom to match the achievement. 

Encinitas residents, repeat visitors and passers-through are all too familiar with the floods that occur in various city locations even after light rains. The unusually heavy rains of the 2019-20 winter produced floods and damage of epic proportions. 

The city had to do something. That something will be the arrival of several pairs of problem-solving beavers.

 

One Device Helps Meet Two Encinitas Climate Change Mitigation Goals 

Walk and ride at the same time! 

Who would have thought that two activities that relieve climate change could be combined in one device? With an elliptical bike, you can double your reduction of greenhouse gas emissions! 

There is a broad consensus among climate scientists that climate change is real and largely caused by human habitation. They point to overwhelming evidence to support that assertion. 

Some say necessity in the mother of invention. Sociologists contend that view is too narrow. They say the existing culture base is the fertile soil from which invention grows. 

Of course, walking has been with us since we became erect and bipedal. The bicycle didn’t come along until the mid-1800s. Then the elliptical bicycle was introduced in the early 2000s. 

That line of development supports sociologists’ contention that the existing culture base is the mother of invention. But if an exercise and transportation device can mitigate climate change, why quibble with how it came about? 

In recent years, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging walking and bicycling has been a principal part of the Encinitas Climate Action Plan. Elliptical bicycles can speed the city’s success.

 Encinitas Social Media

 Tell the Truth, Lose Your City of Encinitas Job

What? The Encinitas city fire marshal wants to tell the state attorney general the truth about a proposed public works project? You mean she wants to say that the project would increase emergency response times and endanger public safety? That the project violates various statutes, codes, rules and regulations?

The gall! The audacity! The temerity! The disobedience!

She refuses to go along to get along!

The honesty! The honor! The integrity! The responsibility!

What does the city do about that principled long-term employee? Well, they fire her, of course!

Never mind that she did various jobs well for more than three decades. Never mind that she started at the bottom of the ladder, worked hard and got promotions, awards and pay increases. Never mind that she was the dedicated fire marshal of Encinitas, Solana Beach and Del Mar for five years.

Here she wants to tell the truth. She refuses to take part in the cover up. She refuses to collude. The city can’t have that honesty. The city can’t have that integrity. The fire marshal is not a team player. She must go!

Add one more lawsuit to the growing stack on the city’s plate.

Encinitas Mayor Lays Down Her Philosophical Foundation

It’s traditional that politicians establish a philosophical foundation for their policies and actions.

On November 17, 1973, Richard Nixon confirmed his basic philosophy when he said, “People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I’m not a crook.”

In her May 22, 2020 newsletter, Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear laid down her philosophy as an elected official when she wrote, “Elections are the way that we resolve values disputes.”

In subsequent newsletters and speeches, Blakespear stated many of her other philosophical principles:

“Development is the way we balance concrete and asphalt.”

“Cycle traps are the way we test the 9-1-1 system.”

“Surfing is the way we communicate with our aquatic ancestors.”

“Collecting pennies from heaven is the way we build affordable housing.”

“Experiencing homelessness is the way we learn to appreciate showering.”

“Pandemics are the way we resolve population difficulties.”

“Generating countless incomprehensible reports is the way we achieve capital improvement projects.”

“Ignoring resident input is the way we promote transparency in local government.”

“Walking and bicycling are the ways we take road trips.”

“Squandering taxpayer funds is the way we economize.”

“Provoking lawsuits is the way we keep the city attorney alert and busy.”

“Collusion among City Council members is the way we foster best practices.”

“Terminating uncooperative employees is the way we keep fire department personnel and the staff in line.”

“Accepting campaign donations from developers and their PACS is the way we ensure diverse representation.”

“Encouraging residents to participate in city government then disparaging what they say is the way we demonstrate hypocrisy.”

Encinitas City Council Challengers Alleged to Have Been Poisoned

The Encinitas Locals Council (ELC) has alleged that the candidates challenging the incumbents for the mayoral, District 1 and District 2 seats on the Encinitas City Council have been poisoned.

The ELC expressed shock that the case is reminiscent of the mysterious recent poisoning of Russian dissident Aleksei Navalny.

Mayoral candidate Julie Thunder, District 1 candidate Alex Riley and District 2 candidate Susan Turney are reportedly responding well to treatment. The effects were serious but not life threatening. None fell into a coma as did the unfortunate Navalny.

Thus far, doctors and medical technicians at Scripps Memorial Hospital in Encinitas have been unable to identify the substance used to allegedly poison the candidates.

Interviews with the candidates have not revealed a common means of ingestion. Speculation about the means was varied.

The perpetrators of the alleged poisoning are unknown. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department has joined the ongoing investigation.

Cardiff Woman Chosen as Community Scold

The Encinitas Locals Council (ELC) has chosen longtime Cardiff resident Lorri Greene to be the community’s censor and scold.

The ELC announced the appointment in a statement on its website:

“After careful consideration of a dozen candidates, the Encinitas Locals Council has chosen Lorri Greene as community censor and scold because we felt she was most qualified.

“Ms. Greene launched a Facebook page called Encinitas Votes several years ago. She regularly kicks members off the page after scolding them for not being nice or for not following the rules.

“She consistently complains about how much work monitoring and censoring the page is, yet she doesn’t seem to realize that if she didn’t smother so much, the good apples would drive out the bad, and she wouldn’t have so much work.

“The ELC recognized Ms. Greene as the perfect person to roam through all the Encinitas Facebook pages, the local Nextdoor, Instagram, TikTok and other social media sites, and the local blogs to apply the same rules and exacting standards she applies to Encinitas Votes.

“The job would likely be overwhelming for a lesser person, but Ms. Greene is reportedly a doctor of some kind, so the ELC is confident she can handle it.

“We look forward to having Ms. Greene clean up social media in Encinitas.”

Encinitas Mayor Announces Series of Speeches

Given the popularity of her Oct. 15, 2019 speech titled “Increasing Suburban Density to Fight Climate Change,” Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear has announced a series of Zoom speeches she will give toward the end of her reelection campaign this year.

Blakespear will give the first speech in the series on Oct. 5, the date the county registrar of voters starts sending vote-by-mail ballots to registered voters.

She’ll give the final speech on Oct. 31, which is Halloween and the night of a blue full moon. Blakespear will announce the dates of the intervening speeches in her newsletter.

The titles of the speeches are —

“Marketing Perforated Condoms to Fight Population Growth”

“Wearing Lace Face Masks to Fight COVID-19”

“Eating Cheeseburgers and Fries to Fight Obesity”

“Selling Aphrodisiacs to Fight Promiscuity”

“Building Cycle Traps to Fight Using Cars”

Encinitas Mayor Adopts New Campaign Slogans

Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear is running to be elected for another two-year term. Her campaign slogans are:

Pave Paradise, Put Up a Homeless Parking Lot

Pave Paradise, Put Up a Humongous Hotel

Pave Paradise, Put Up a Colossal Apartment House

Pave Paradise, Put Up Tons of Market-Rate Housing

Pave Paradise, Put Up a Cycle Trap

Blakespear will rotate the slogans among her campaign appearances and communications.

Election day is Tuesday, November 3.

Bike Groups Demand Bike Wheel on Encinitas Sign

BIKE WHEEL! BIKE WHEEL! BIKE WHEEL!

The chants rose from the area of the Encinitas sign over Highway 101 at D Street downtown. Hundreds if not thousands of bike group members gathered with their wheeled steeds, filling the streets and blocking traffic as they chanted.

“The wings are OK but not the wheel between them,” said Isaac Sergakov. “That’s a chariot wheel or a wagon wheel or a mag wheel from a redneck pickup. We demand a bike wheel. We want more spokes.”

Asked if the bike riders also wanted an air pump and some goat’s head thorns added to the Encinitas sign, Sergakov said, no, just a bike wheel will do.

The number of bike riders at the protests has been rising daily, as has the agitation level. Sheriff’s deputies have been seen monitoring the protests, and their level of self-protective gear has been growing.

The deputies presence and rising gear level but lack of action has had some bystanders wondering if a National Guard or Homeland Security deployment is imminent.

“We can’t have this perpetual disruption,” said local resident Hooey Buoy. “With state and federal property nearby and peace under attack, I think we can expect a response from a higher law-enforcement authority.”

“Non-violent protest and redress of grievances are American rights,” said Sergakov. “They are guaranteed and protected by the Constitution. We are within our rights to demand a bike wheel on a public sign. We will continue to protest until we get the result we seek.”

Seven Questions for Encinitas Mayoral Candidate Julie Thunder

At Large: Are you a Republican in disguise?

Cardiff: Tasha’s gerrymandered districts put Mark Muir in your Cardiff district. You and he co-publish the Encinitas Current online. What is your comment on the allegations that Muir paid for robocalls that attacked Phil Graham, Muir’s wife Maureen’s opponent in the 2018 76th Assembly District race?

Leucadia: Do you support Leucadia 101 Streetscape and tunneling the railroad tracks through Leucadia?

New Encinitas: As more retail along El Camino Real becomes vacant, do you support converting it to affordable housing?

Old Encinitas: Do you support the concentration of bars and other alcohol-serving businesses along Highway 101 in downtown Encinitas?

Olivenhain: Do you support the proposed Encinitas Boulevard Apartments complex near the boulevard’s intersection with Rancho Santa Fe Road?

Bonus: If you are elected mayor, what will you do to contain and defeat COVID-19 in Encinitas?

Encinitas Mayor and Acolyte Choose Which Laws to Obey

FPPC — pffft! Who cares? Certainly not Kellie and me. If the FPPC drops a fine on us, our rich friends will pay it, and we will have accomplished our purpose anyway. That’s to get elected so we can continue to ruin Encinitas. We can’t win on our merits or records, so we cheat.

I’m in it for me, my family and my friends. They said, hey, you’re the perfect politician. You look OK, you come across well in public, you grin and sound real even when you’re lying through your teeth. People will believe you, not realizing that you’re totally disingenuous. 

Guess what. The people who told me I’m a perfect politician were right! They nailed it long before I did myself. They said, OK, get your feet wet on one of the commissions, then start up the ladder. You’ll be mayor in no time, and if you can keep the phony front up, you’ll be reelected as many times as you want. Just think of what you can gain for yourself, your family and your friends. What a legacy!

Prop A — it might as well be renamed Prop ZZZZZ. Sure, I know it was a ballot proposition that passed in a special election. Sure, I know it was incorporated within the municipal code, but I don’t like it. It goes against my interests. I chose to ignore it, undermine it and will eventually kill it altogether.

Lots of locals are angry that my cronies and I got the city to sue them over Prop A. Too bad, losers. I’m playing hardball even though Encinitas is in the bush leagues as cities go.

And, hey, if I can get free Surfing Madonna entries for me, my family and my buddy Scott, why not? If Encinitas merchants — grocers, bars, restaurants, whatever — want to comp me, my family and my friends, I’ll go for that, too. Why the hell not? I’m the mayor!

Surfing Madonna crossed me, so they’re gone. Let that be a lesson to anybody who doesn’t follow my dictates.

Measures T and U — total straw-man measures. I knew the voters would kill them, but the measures were a means to an end. The judge put Prop A aside, the state lit the green light, and we got the HEU that allows humongous developments that my family, my cronies, the BIA and I want.

You do realize that “Preserve Paradise” was just a manipulative slogan, don’t you?

I trot out the “my hands are tied” line when it’s expedient. I choose which laws to follow and which to ignore. That’s my privilege!