Encinitas Politics

“When the ax came into the forest, the trees said, ‘The handle is one of us.’ ” I heard that a month ago and thought it quite appropriate to the Encinitas City Council elections.

Three seats on the council are up for election. This means that the voters can elect a new majority. This time, let’s hope we elect a council that listens to the people and treats them with respect.

Those who have been to council meetings know the contempt that John Davis regularly shows the audience as he tells them he knows what is best for them. Many won’t forget the time Gail Hano wouldn’t let Paul Reynolds speak. He was there to read a statement that represented the position of the Cardiff Town Council on a matter before the City Council. Of course, as Anne Omsted says, the people who attend City Council meetings are only “city groupies” and everyone else is “just thrilled to live here.”

We have a chance to elect a City Council that truly represents the community. Elect a council that will take control of the staff. Elect a council that has the initiative to come up with plans and ideas; the council is not meant to be merely a reactionary board.

Just as the tree that became the handle for the ax came from the forest, the people we elect will be from Encinitas. But what is their vision of the future for Encinitas? Will the city be cut down and overdeveloped in the name of progress and job security for an overgrown bureaucracy, or is the vision one of a progressive community, sensitive to the residents and the quality of life, as well as the budget?

JEFFREY GERE

Cardiff