Image from PL-OB Democratic Club website
Editordude: Sunday night, January 21st, the Point Loma- OB Democratic Club held their endorsement forum for the upcoming District 2 city council race. The following is unsolicited review of that candidate forum and does not represent the views of the OB Rag:
A Beans, Peas and Campbell Soup
By Michael Winn
Three people sought endorsement from the PL-OB Democratic Club Sunday night:
Mr. Bryan Pease said he’ll beat Ms. Lorie Zapf (the incumbent) because women voters like environmental attorneys (like him).
Mr. Jordan Beane said his chances are best because he’s young and a renter, since most District 2 voters are close to his age and income.
Dr. Jen Campbell, claims our City Council needs a doctor and she’s already raised more cash than Pease and Beane put together.
None of the three mentioned issues that specifically concern the Peninsula.
All said they hadn’t taken money from developers (yet?) but at the same time, they each expressed support for development as a solution to our problems.
It follows they’d be no more concerned than Zapf has been about new condos on Kellogg Beach, 4-story buildings in Roseville, or the impact of 3 new hotels on Harbor Drive or 15 new gates at Lindbergh Field.
Ms. Zapf’s absence from and lack of concern about this community wasn’t addressed by those who sought endorsement, nor did thy show knowledge of nor interest in learning about us. This could be a result of the way the Club structured the event, however, since they each indicated a commitment to densification, even the doctor, who talked about preserving community character, tacitly they each really support development.
For instance:
Mr. Beane asserted that adding housing density lowers rents. Dr. Campbell suggested building houses will solve homelessness. Mr. Pease said the City should encourage development and force rental property owners to accept welfare vouchers and also increase the amount of the vouchers to match actual rents. Right?
Given the current political environment and her record, would it be ironic to find Ms. Zapf is more in touch with us than any of these prospective opponents?
Perhaps, Dr. Campbell is right—the City Council needs a doctor, but Is there an inoculation for being out of touch?
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Don’t you know making fun of someone’s name is the lowest form of humor. I’m surprised you didn’t add, “Give Pease a Chance”.
Nailed it.
What district issues has Zapf been on the wrong side of exactly?
It is it’s naive and insulting for these candidates to presume they’ll get all the votes simply for having a D after their name.
Given a primary system that selects the most extreme candidates, I expect the Socialist sounding Mr Pease to get the endorsement.
What the author couldn’t have known, as this was his first meeting, is that these candidates have been coming to club meetings, are members of the club and have met individually with members for one-on-one discussions, for months. One candidate has been before the club in another previous race, so has been through the endorsement process, and before the membership, in that city-wide race.
The author didn’t mention whom Pt Loma Dems endorsed-Jordan Beane. That was the point of the meeting – to help inform the County Democratic Party of the grassroots (the club members) will, when it does its own endorsement. With that endorsement, flows Party support.