Back in January, Frank Gormlie wrote this piece for the OB Rag, entitled:
“It’s time for Lifeguard Ed Harris to Jump in and Rescue Residents of San Diego City Council District 2″
I was humbled by Frank’s opinion and proud that he had the courage to share his controversial thoughts, despite the fact that he might make enemies.
Obviously, I did not agree with him 100% and I did not enter the race. It is my belief that there comes a time when leaders must step back and allow others to move forward. I believe it is time for younger leaders with new energy and new ideas to take control of their future and the future of their generation.
New leaders are emerging all around us; we just have to provide the opportunity for them to grow and thrive. Lorie Zapf has been on City Council for eight years. Due to a loop hole, she is eligible to run again. Should City Council be a career? This was not the intent of the Charter which restricts Council Members to two four year terms.
I believe Frank’s assessment of Dr. Jen Campbell and Attorney Brian Pease was 100% accurate. I do not believe that either has a chance to unseat Lorie in November and I cannot support them for this reason. Frank’s assessment of Jordan Beane was not far off either. Frank lays out that Jordan Beane is inexperienced.
Jordan Beane campaign photo
I agree, but I do not see that as a negative because I was inexperienced as well. I was wearing a red swimsuit one day and sitting on the dais in a much different suit the next day. Like Jordan, I did not have or want the kind of experience we see with career politicians. Because of this, I was able to decide issues based solely on their merits. I was not bound to developers, hoteliers or their lobbyists.
Council District Two is facing big issues and protecting our way of life will fall on the next D-2 Council Member. Some issues include the redevelopment of a large part of Mission Bay, the Bahia Hotel expansion and redevelopment of the Sports Arena. There are also density issues and challenges to our coveted 30 foot height limit. I do not agree 100 % with any of the candidates, but I do believe that Jordan Beane is the only candidate running that will make decisions based on the public good and not be influenced by developers and other special interests.
Jordan Beane is the underdog, but he is the only one with a chance of going the distance. In order to win in November, we must first ensure that Jordan Beane wins in June. Get out the vote!
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
The OB Rag and our sister website San Diego Free Press have not made an endorsement for the District 2 council race.
I like Ed Harris and I also wish he had entered the race because he had the best chance of beating Zapf. The goal here is to unseat Zapf and everyone needs to get behind the candidate that has the best chance of doing that. Beane seems like a good guy but he has not made an impression on me. Brian Pease is the candidate with the best name recognition and is the only one running who stands a chance of unseating Zapf. While we may like Beane, or one of the other candidates, let’s not have a Bernie Sanders moment here and vote only with our hearts. Pease may have his faults, every candidate does, but are they so egregious as to split all the votes and let Zapf walk back into office? I would urge everyone to get behind the candidate that at least has a chance.
The Bernie example is exactly why we should NOT vote for the presumptive nominee.
Ed, you cut a deal with the Republicans (including Zapf) and Sherri Lightner–who frequently voted against the other Dems–to be appointed to that council seat in 2014. You came in third in the 2016 mayor’s race behind Lori Saldana–who ran as an independent–but say you’re not a politician. Now you say Beane is the only one who “will make decisions based on the public good and not be influenced by developers and other special interests.” Really? All he’s been doing on the campaign trail is repeating developer talking points against affordable housing and tenant protections. And he’s endorsed by the YIMBY Democratic Club–an endorsement I refused to seek–because they are on the side of the developers.
I’ve spent my entire life fighting corporate special interests and winning. Beane worked for the Chargers the five years he’s lived in San Diego and now thinks he’s the one who should represent District 2. His robocalls, text message spam, and signs in the public right of way are annoying people, but he’s not persuading more than a handful of voters. The small clubs and individuals supporting him want a blank slate to pander to them, because I’ll stand up to them just like the other special interests.
I am very happy being a litigator for the public interest and am not running for job security. I’m running to make change in San Diego, and as the only candidate challenging Zapf who is attending Smart Growth & Land Use Committee hearings to refute the misinformation being spread there by the Building Industry Association and San Diego Housing Commission, I see exactly what will happen if Zapf is re-elected or a candidate other than me takes her place. More of the same. I can’t be bought, and I can’t be misled by corporate propaganda either. I battle it every day and will continue to do so on the City Council.
What deal did I cut? Was it not to vote for minimum wage? Nope, I pushed that through. To support their bad deals? Nope, I blocked those. To stop the OB plan? Nope. To remove the only LGBT member on the Civil Service committee? Nope. I kept that from happening. Yes, I was appointed over you in 2014, you had no votes. I think that was after you moved to La Jolla to run in D-1? Where you also lost. This was before you got crushed in the City Attorney Race.
Your response is why I endorsed Jordan. While you threaten and accuse those that do not support your theatrical behavior. Jordan remains the only adult in the room.
Yup, elections are not easy, and having been through a couple that I entered very late, I know how to win this one that I have been waging for over a year now. But, you were being very disingenuous when you said previously before switching topics that your endorsement was based on who is going to stand up to special interests. Your guy wouldn’t know how to begin to do that, nor has he shown any interest in doing so, instead choosing to repeat their talking points. Now you’re admitting that you’re just supporting who you have more personal influence over. You are right about that at least.
I’m trying to keep an open mind here and I don’t see any obvious choices. It seems like although you aren’t a career politician, you’re making a career of running for office, any office, even if it means relocating to a new district.
I can’t help but question the motive there.
Fellow Rag Readers:
We have a neighborhood group of 10-15 people that formed soon after the election in Nov 2016 to discuss what we could do in response: we’ve participated in the Women’s March both in DC and SD, the SD Marches for Science and in voter registration drives (with SD Indivisible); one member is responsible for hundreds of new voter registrations.
Our group invited Bryan Pease, Jen Campbell, and Jordan Beane to speak with us and give their views differentiating themselves from the other candidates. Fair to say our consensus was that Jordan had done his homework, knew details on the bulk of issues. He was well-spoken, engaging and approachable, and someone we thought could work well with others on the City Council. “Dr. Jen” certainly is well-connected, but was long on name-dropping and short on solutions. Bryan’s response above is in good keeping with how he addressed our group: dismissive, putting others down, “theatrical” and an in-your-face attitude that concerned us how he would interact on the Council.
Agree with Ed Harris that Jordan is the one to get behind. He’s got our votes.
I agree with your assessments and conclusions, based on the candidates presentations and behavior at the Point Loma/Ocean Beach Democratic Club. I think that all three candidates are intelligent, up to speed on issues, and caring about ordinary people. However, Jordan Beane appears to have the interactive people skills that would help our communities address our very real problems.
You’re completely oblivious to political reality. Someone with zero endorsements from any local elected officials, zero history doing anything except having worked for the Chargers, and a ballot title of “small business owner” is definitely not making it through the primary. Pithy sound bites do not give you the ability to outsmart corporate lobbyists in the details of legislation, and voters know that. With Republican Zapf sucking up a large swath of uninformed Democratic votes due to deceptive mailers, and the party and labor doing absolutely nothing to educate voters at this stage, the competition for the at least semi-informed primary voters is between Jen and me. A vote for Jordan is a vote for Jen. If you want to see some of the terrible things Jen has been saying on the campaign trail, just look at the videos I’ve been posting on fb. If you are not outraged at what is happening to our world or don’t like my attitude about it and those causing it, you’re either not paying attention, or you’re part of the problem, or both.
OK, RagReaders:
“you’re completely oblivious”
“pithy sound bites”
“you’re either not paying attention, or you’re part of the problem, or both”
These lead us to today’s Latin lesson:
“res ipsa loquitor”.
The thing speaks for itself.
Please, everyone, VOTE!