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Some of Jerry's Accomplishments
Latest Editorials
EDITORIALS AND ARTICLES ABOUT
THE RECALL
In case you missed it, below is from the Roses and Raspberries editorial section of the N.C. Times on Monday July 13th.
EDITORIAL: Roses and Raspberries, NCT, July 13, 2009
By the North County Times Opinion Staff | Monday, July 13, 2009 12:10 AM PDT ∞
A rose ---- the "They Get It" award ---- to the Oceanside City Council majority for rejecting an agreement with the Oceanside firefighters unions that would have reinstated three high-ranking positions in the fire department. The union had agreed to some monetary concessions in order to keep the positions, but as the council majority noted, Sacramento is very likely to dig deeper into the city's pockets before it's done with this year's state budget. What's more, the concessions were for only one year, but the budget shortfalls will be ongoing. The loss of two captain positions and a battalion chief post will mean some demotions in the department, but no actual layoffs. That's not too bad in this economic climate.
Letters to the editor:
Unions Create a Conflict of Interest – NCT July 11, 2009
Public employees made up of many nonresidents are putting thousands of dollars each month into controlling the destiny of our city. Hundred-thousand-dollar paychecks, with equally generous early pensions, give them plenty of extra cash. Some of the money spent by the unions on an unjustifiable recall of Councilman Kern could have paid for the fireworks for July 4.
Instead, they want us to spend $500,000 for a recall election. What about the needs of the city? We need more businesses and industry to increase our tax base. If you see any candidate backed by city employee unions, vote against them! There is an obvious conflict of interest when you control the person who decides your compensation. Oceanside must fight this blatant corruption in order to keep taxes and rent within our ability to afford them.
Allan Milew
Oceanside
Kern Recallers Getting Desperate – NCT July 11, 2009
Reading Mr. Michael Byron's bizarre letter of July 4, I can't help but respond. No conspiracy theories please, Mr. Byron! Sorry, but Councilman Kern had nothing to do with arrests at the recent Busby fundraiser - quite a stretch, even for a Democrat!
Mr. Byron lacks knowledge of facts in many areas, but he must also be unaware that under Councilman Kern's watch, nine new police officers were hired under the qualifications set forth by the police department. Another fact is that Oceanside's police officers are the highest-paid in the county. Councilman Kern insists that Oceanside residents have the best-qualified, competent police force and fully supports our police chief and his officers. Despite the innuendo, Councilman Kern has never, ever proposed the hiring of low-paid, unqualified police officers and never will.
More deception and lies in the recall effort, Mr. Byron? To continue to manufacture new ploys to deceive and con people must mean that you and your little faction must be getting desperate.
Amy Petracca
Oceanside
PLEASE COPY AND FORWARD THIS TO AS MANY ON YOUR EMAIL LIST AS POSSIBLE!
Oceanside Again Benefits
From Republican Leadership
Oceanside, July 9th - Chairman Tony Krvaric today praised the prudent fiscal
discipline and leadership displayed by Oceanside Republican councilmembers
Rocky Chavez, Jack Feller and Jerry Kern last night, issuing the following
statement:
"Last night Republican councilmembers Rocky Chavez, Jack Feller and Jerry
Kern once again stood up for hardworking Oceanside families and taxpayers by
rejecting budget gimmicks pushed by the public employee labor union bullies.
"While the rest of us have to tighten our belts and live within our means,
public employee labor union bosses operate in an alternate reality where
taxpayers are there to serve them and not the other way around. (North
County Times: [1]Fire Positions Won't Be Reinstated)
Links:
1.
"This is especially evident in the sham recall of councilmember Jerry Kern,
which is being pushed and funded by those same labor union bullies who are
trying desperately to add union puppets to the city council." (North County
Times: [2]Oceanside Recall Really About Control)
Links:
2.
_"Standing up for taxpayers should not be partisan issue, but in the city of
Oceanside, the only ones doing so are proud Republicans Rocky Chavez, Jack
Feller and Jerry Kern."_
###
_Action Items_
1. Please forward this email to others in Oceanside who care about
hardworking families and taxpayers.
2. Sign up as a volunteer in Oceanside via email at
[3] or call (858) 450-4600.
3. Send [4]Rocky Chavez, [5]Jack Feller and [6]Jerry Kern each an email and
thank them for standing up for taxpayers!
Links:
Jerry Kern Should Definitely Stay in Office – NCT July 9, 2009
It is extremely apparent to me that the anti-Kern faction can say anything they want under the guise of "facts," even to the extent of knowing what Councilman Kern thinks and will do before it actually happens! Even better, things he has never said or done! I fully anticipated the newest drumbeat: Councilman Kern should resign and save the cost of a special election. I must vehemently disagree, since he's done nothing but fulfill his promises to the voters, and deserves to finish his term as representative of the Oceanside residents, who elected him to office.
Councilman Kern didn't put the ball for this recall into play. If these individuals are now so concerned about the cost of a special election, I would remind them that they should contact the "puppets" being manipulated by the public safety unions to ask them to withdraw the recall petition and save the taxpayers $500,000. Is it really the wish of certain individuals to hamstring local government and do nothing the next 15 months? Hmmm ...
Susan McGuirk
Oceanside
July 9, 2009
This is a fantastic article from Jack Feller that appeared today in the North County Times - Community Forum section.
Click on link below for full article.
Story:
FORUM: Oceanside recall really about control
Oceanside, like the rest of California, is in a severe economic downturn.
Almost every dollar we generate is spoken for. We are closing recreation centers, laying off employees and curtailing library hours. So it is infuriating to see a small faction of people, backed by the public safety union's money, hire out-of-town signature gatherers to force a $500,000 special election for an attempted recall of Councilmember Jerry Kern.
For more of this story, click on or type the URL below:
Demanding Right to Vote on Kern Issue – NCT July 8, 2009
Oceanside is going to have a recall election costing us half a million dollars. Not because anyone has committed fraud or a felony (justifiable reasons for a recall), but because an opposing political group wants to take control of the council in time for the next round of pension negotiations.
OK, I don't agree, but that's Oceanside politics for you, embarrassing but a constant source of entertainment for the neighbors. I now see letters for Councilmember Kern to resign to save the cost of a special election and that's when I say, hold on a minute, my rights are being trampled. I want my vote, win or lose. I accept the democratic process of the recall, but if anyone should pay for this election, it should be the recall sponsors, our local fire and police unions who have now admitted to financing most of the costs and who will be the chief beneficiaries if successful.
Make no mistake of my total support of our brave police and fire personnel; that is not in question here. This is Oceanside politics at its dirtiest. Stand your ground, Councilmember Kern, you were duly elected. I demand my right to vote on this.
Brian Shepherd
Oceanside
Recall Petitioners Have Little Regard for Public – NCT July 7, 2009
With the state of California about to go bankrupt because of extravagant and reckless use of public funds, and the municipalities and county governments also in dire financial straits, the city of Oceanside too is flirting with disaster. Those people who organized the recall petition campaign against Jerry Kern have little regard for the public's money.
A special election could cost as much as $500,000, but that means little to the police and fire unions who donated money to the recall campaign. What are the motives of these unions? Simple answer: They want to get people on the City Council who will vote to give them pay raises and improve their pension programs. Never mind that their salaries and pension programs are among the highest in the state. The unions are greedy beyond all reason.
Bob Lavender
Oceanside
Trickery and Deceit in Recall Tactics - NCT July 7, 2009
II read Frank Biddle's July 2 letter to the editor with anger. Trickery and deceit have been used in this recall attempt of Councilman Jerry Kern, and the taxpayers are expected to pay for this unnecessary and expensive recall. I'm one of many who contacted Councilman Kern to apologize for being duped into signing the petition at Trader Joe's. I signed for a new recycling center. Shame on me for not taking time to read the small print, but shame on those who lied (yes, Mr. Biddle, lied) to achieve their goal!
I understand people signed these petitions to lower gas prices, save senior and veteran housing or save the fire station. Realizing I had been duped, I contacted the City Clerk's office to have my name removed, but apparently it's too late. That's unfortunate. I know now that these paid signature gatherers broke the law; the deceitful tactics were funded by the police and fire unions. Shame on them!
Mr. Biddle, explain to me how Councilman Kern insisted on "divisive and obstructive tactics, all to the detriment of the city."
Shirley Bedard
Oceanside
Jerry Kern Recall Premise is Fraudulent – NCT July 7, 2009
The recent letters by the recall supporters stating that Councilmember Kern should resign to save money is a nice try at reframing the facts. It is the recall movement that is costing the taxpayers $500,000 for a council position lasting 10 months, not Jerry Kern.
I voted for Jerry Kern, and suggesting that he resign is disenfranchising my vote.
Jerry Kern was duly elected and my vote should mean something.
The premise for this recall is fraudulent. Jerry Kern did not run off to Argentina with a secret girlfriend, and he did not engage in illegal or improper conduct. Indeed, Jerry Kern did not even misuse a city credit like his predecessor, who is now a part of the recall effort (I guess she misses the credit card). The complaint against Kern is that he has voted as he said he would when he ran for office.
Only in Oceanside is an elected official recalled for following through on his campaign promises.
David Shore
Oceanside
Recall of Jerry Kern Motivated by Greed – NCT July 6, 2009
Who is behind the recall election against Jerry Kern? Who put up the money to hire professional signature gatherers? Simple answer: The police and fire unions.
These men and women could care less about the financial solvency of the city of Oceanside. Pure greed has motivated them to oust Mr. Kern because he is not a rubber stamp for wild and unjustified salary increases.
We need responsible government, and the recall folks could care less about that.
Isaac Hillhouse
Oceanside
Don't be Fooled by Recall Tactics – NCT July 5, 2009
Our mayor, Jim Wood, wanted to put Shari Mackin in his vacated position on the City Council without an election by the people of Oceanside. He lost then, and Jerry Kern was ultimately elected by the people of Oceanside for Mackin's council seat in 2006. This time around, Mackin and Wood's method is to recall Kern, the choice of the people.
Mackin and Wood are persistent, fellow citizens! I went to Ralph's to purchase groceries and out front was a table with a recall petition. The sign read, "Housing for Veterans and Seniors." A little heart-touching!
I asked who they were recalling on their petition.
"Kern, our councilman," was his answer.
I asked why wasn't Councilman Kern's name on the sign.
"It appeared on the petition."
"A little sneaky," I thought, and told him so.
"I only get paid to get signatures," he said.
They are a determined group, fellow citizens of Oceanside. Won't stop at much. Don't let them fool us. Are unions involved? Could be, folks. Are they looking for three on the Oceanside City Council to get an advantage to them? Could be. Don't be fooled, fellow citizens.
Cora Frolander
Oceanside
COMMUNITY FORUMS
FORUM: No need exists for costly recall attempt of Kern – NCT July 1, 2009
There is no need to remove Oceanside Councilman Jerry Kern at this time. The recall is being pushed by a group of malcontents, and funded by the public safety unions ---- this is a misuse of the recall process.
Recalls should only be used in cases where there is obvious evidence of wrongdoing, like the misuse of a city credit card. Expecting the taxpayers to pick up the tab on an unnecessary $500,000 election (an election that will more than likely fail to achieve its goal) is a gross misuse of taxpayers' money. This money could be better used to restore some of the library cuts the city has made because of these tough economic times. But I guess this doesn't matter to those who feed at the public trough and expect the taxpayers to cater to their every whim.
As a former council member, I can attest to how vicious politics in Oceanside can be, but trying to make a power grab for City Hall in what is probably the worst economic times I have seen this city face borders on criminal.
Remember, Councilman Kern will have to face the electorate next November, just like last time he ran. Voters will decide whether he will continue to represent them at City Hall. This blatant power grab by the unions is what has run California's economy into the ditch, and now they want to do the same to Oceanside on a local level. If you think this is far-fetched, just look at the city of Vallejo's bankruptcy.
Jerry has helped to create a new vision for Coast Highway and Oceanside Boulevard.
He is trying to energize this city, despite our current financial troubles ---- working with neighbors in regard to traffic or anytime he is called upon to put residents at ease. He is making Oceanside an economically sustainable city and continues moving toward its potential. He is one councilman who personally returns calls, which some city officials refuse to do.
But the bottom line of this fiasco is the cost to the taxpayer. When Rosemary Jones, our longtime city treasurer, passed away, the council had to make a decision as to whether to appoint a new treasurer or hold a special election. The report came back from the county that a special election for the city of Oceanside would be at least $465,000. That was the minimum cost, so the council wisely chose to appoint a very capable and extremely qualified treasurer. I can only conclude that spending a half a million dollars is absolutely outrageous.
Again, I reiterate there was no reason voters should have to spend $500,000 needlessly because one group is singling out an individual. Jerry should remain in office and let the voters decide in 2010.
We talk about wasting money that our politicians throw away daily, yet there are some who feel it is important to recall a neighbor-friendly councilmember. Let Jerry remain in office and serve his full term.
SAM WILLIAMSON of Oceanside is a former councilman and once served as the city's deputy mayor.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
Fight those wanting to destroy Oceanside – NCT July 1, 2009
No fireworks this year in Oceanside? City budget problems? Shame on the Oceanside police and fire unions.
The police and fire unions have paid for a recall of Oceanside City Councilman Jerry Kern. People who get paid to collect signatures used deceitful tactics to get signatures ... even though Kern will be up for re-election in 2010. This election is at a cost of $500,000. The Oceanside police and fire unions want to place in the council seat some left-wing breadmaker (Charles "Chuck" Lowery) ... to increase the pay for the unions.
This will not stand! I and many others are now going to (fight against) those who want to destroy Oceanside. Many of our police and firemen make more than $100,000 a year, plus a pension. This is the highest in Southern California, yet they want more control.
Please join me and other neighbors to stop this madness. Contact Larry Barry at LBarryIndustries@cox.net.
Escondido residents, this corruption is coming to you!
Larry Barry
Oceanside
Recall tactics questioned – NCT June 29, 2009
Now that the recall petitions of signatures for Councilman Jerry Kern have been turned over to the City Clerk's office, I hope the clerk's office not only verifies each and every signatory, they also contact each person and ask them whether they knew they were signing a recall effort.
My wife and I were asked to sign this petition during the past few weeks under the guise of "objecting to a local landfill project" and a "support for senior citizens." I bet many of the folks who signed had no idea that they were signing a recall effort.
The tactics of those obtaining signatures can be described as less than forthright. I will volunteer my time for free to contact each and every signer of that petition and verify they were aware of what they were signing. I hope others join me in doing so.
Michael Clark
Oceanside
Kern recall makes no sense – NCT June 26, 2009
We are very upset about a possible waste of $500,000 in scarce Oceanside funds to pay for a special election if Jerry Kern is recalled from the City Council. A recall petition is circulating to recall Kern. If enough signatures are gathered, a special election would be required in January. However, Kern is up for re-election in November 2010. Even if you disagree with all of Kern's positions, is it worth $500,000 to try to get him out of office 10 months early? This makes no sense.
Please don't sign this petition. There are plenty of better ways to spend a half a million dollars in Oceanside.
Gideon and Debra Mann
Oceanside
Let Jerry Kern remain in office – NCT Jun 25, 2009
For those who are reading this for the first time, a group of individuals is petitioning for a recall to remove an Oceanside City Council member. The cost of a recall would cause some city employees to lose their jobs. When a city forks out $500,000 processing a special election, someone has to pay.
We as taxpayers will pay the price for this special election. The economy is bad enough and expected to get worse. No need for city employees to become jobless, no need to close public facilities, no need for a recall and no need for the city to pay $500,000.
Let Jerry Kern remain in office completing his term. Let the voters voice their opinion at the next election in 2010.
June Weers
Oceanside
Kern Recall is Pure Nonsense – NCT June 20, 2009
The current efforts to recall Councilman Jerry Kern by a group of Oceanside residents are just the latest shabby political attempt by recalcitrants who have long plagued the city's politics during the years.
Coupled with the recent attack on the city's planning department for approving a logical commercial development at Oceanside Boulevard and Vine Street, the recall campaign is detrimental to the city.
The taxpayers will reject this foolishness by not signing the recall petitions as they also shake their heads in dismay at futile attempts to stop logical commercial development.
These efforts are destructive of good government, and over the years have made Oceanside the political laughingstock of North County. To suggest that Jerry Kern does not represent the best interests of the city is pure nonsense.
Jeordie Fellner
Oceanside
Recall effort is self-indulgent – NCT June 18, 2009
Not only are paid petition gatherers obtaining signatures, Jerry Kern's recallers seem to think the expenditure of a mere half-million taxpayer dollars is a drop in the bucket.
Harriett Bledsoe tells us these recall activists "have done much for the city" in her June 14 letter. That may be true. But they look casually at burdening Oceanside taxpayers during tough economic times when budget cuts are ravaging all departments.
To everyone who despises trickery and self-indulgent spending, beware of any petition you are asked to sign. You may be adding your name to an effort destined to further deplete Oceanside funds. If a recall is truly in order, do it the fiscally responsible way: Do it at the next election.
Patricia Berry
Oceanside
NEWS Articles:
Signatures submitted for councilman's recall –UT June 26, 2009
OCEANSIDE — The petitions will need 11,389 signatures of registered Oceanside voters to force an election, said Holly Trobaugh, assistant city clerk.
Trobaugh said her office has 30 business days to determine if there are enough valid signatures to compel an election. If there are, the City Council would have to schedule it within 88 to 125 days.
An Oceanside group, Citizens to Recall Kern for Fair and Balanced Government, has criticized the councilman for votes benefiting developers.
Former Councilwoman Shari Mackin, whom Kern unseated in 2006, is active in the recall effort. The city's police and firefighters unions also contributed at least $15,000 to the effort, to pay signature gatherers.
Kern has said that the true intent of the recall is to protect union jobs, and that paying $500,000 for a special election is wasteful as the city struggles to balance its budget in a hard economy.
Kern's critics file signatures for recall – NCTimes June 26, 2009
OCEANSIDE ---- Petitions listing roughly 17,000 signatures to recall Oceanside Councilman Jerry Kern were submitted to the City Clerk on Thursday ---- nearly a month before deadline.
Only 11,389 signatures are needed to trigger a special election. By gathering extra, Kern's critics gave themselves a buffer in case some are invalid.
The City Clerk has 30 days to verify the names as registered Oceanside voters. If the signatures check out, the council would have two weeks to call for an election. Balloting would then take place between 88 days and 125 days later.
Thursday's filing marks a significant step for recall proponents. The last two attempts to strip seats from Oceanside officials ---- a 2001 effort aimed at then-Mayor Terry Johnson and a 2006 attempt to recall Councilwoman Esther Sanchez ---- never made it to this point.
"It shows a lot of dissatisfaction with the way City Hall is being run right now," said Jim Sullivan, spokesperson for the recall committee.
The petition accuses the councilman of putting developers' interests above those of residents, attempting to repeal the city lobbying ordinance, insulting people and championing heavy industry, among other things.
Sullivan, who is also the president of the homeowners association at the Mira Mar Mobile Village, was among 14 people who delivered the petitions to City Hall. They carried signs with slogans such as "Go Kernless."
Kern, a first-term councilman who is up for re-election in November 2010, became a recall target in January. His ouster could change that dynamic on an oft-split council as he is part of a three-person majority considered more friendly to business and development.
The city's public safety unions acknowledged to a newspaper last month they were backing the recall effort. Kern has characterized the whole thing a "union ploy" ---- an attempt to "gain control of the council."
"People are going to have to decide whether they're going to vote for the taxpayers or vote for the unions," Kern said Thursday.
There are 21 recall proponents listed on the petition, including Sullivan and Carolyn Krammer. Krammer founded the Citizens for the Preservation of Parks and Beaches with former Councilwoman Shari Mackin, whom Kern defeated in 2006.
Paid signature gatherers helped circulate the petition. Sullivan said volunteers also gathered names.
Kern said he has heard complaints about deceptive practices. "I bet half the people that signed them didn't know they were signing a recall petition."
Sullivan disputed that.
The cost of a special election would depend on whether other items are on the ballot.
North County Times - Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Kern Recall Really About Protecting Pensions
By OLLIE SPERAW
I met Councilmember Jerry Kern 16 years ago when I first came to Oceanside, joined the Chamber of Commerce and helped form the Chamber Governmental Affairs Committee. As president of the Junior Chamber, he immediately became involved and ultimately was chairman of the committee as well as president of the chamber.
During those 16 years, I witnessed a relatively young man serving his community in a substantial way, studying and working against the laws imposed by a non-representative Legislature. Foremost to him at all times was one of our guidelines: "It can't be good for business unless it is also good for the community."
Unfortunately, there are the misinformed who picture the chamber as a group made up of business owners working against the good of the community in order to increase profits. In their ignorance, they fail to understand that a healthy, prosperous community adds to the success of a business and that more than 90 percent of Chamber members are small businesses, living and doing business in the community.
One of the complaints against Kern is the fact that he has received campaign funds from developers ---- but no one names a development that should not have been built. Regarding the cement plant, please keep in mind that its application conformed to all aspects of the zoning law and would supply the area with a much-needed resource, particularly for our infrastructures. It was the city zoning that dictated Kern's vote. Those who are displeased with the zoning should submit a petition to change it.
Because of the city employees, who are backing his recall, we are saddled with a public employees' pension system that will ultimately bankrupt the city.
Council members, elected by the union's money and their campaign volunteers, created this formidable threat to our future. Using this recall and a complete distortion of the truth, they will be happy with either Kern's recall, or enough damage to his image that one of their minions can defeat him in the next election only a few months away.
Questions: If the backers of the recall are such good government advocates without hidden agendas, why don't they wait until the next election and avoid the $500,000 cost of the special election? In addition, why did they attempt to conceal their funding of the recall?
To support the healthy growth of our city, we need to educate our friends and neighbors to the falsehoods and distortions of this contrived petition. The last thing we need is another of their lackeys on the council to further serve the unions' best interests instead of working to eliminating the city's growing budget deficit.
OLLIE SPERAW of Oceanside is a former state senator and past president of the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce
ARNOLD: Recall try corrupts political process
By THOMAS K. ARNOLD -- For the North County Times | Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Oceanside certainly has seen its share of political folly, but the current recall campaign against City Councilman Jerry Kern is a ridiculous study in absurdity ---- and a shameless corruption of the political process.
The recall drive is being engineered by a consortium of 21 groups and individuals, the public face of which is Jim Sullivan, president of the homeowners association of Mira Mar Mobile Village. The recall petition charges Kern with putting developer interests above those of residents, insulting people at public meetings, championing heavy industry, and other complaints.
The absurdity lies in the fact that Kern, by most accounts, is a standup guy ---- a member of the Oceanside City Council's majority Republican troika, along with Jack Feller and Rocky Chavez, that's considered friendly to business and development.
In these recessionary times, one would think that's a good thing, but these three conservatives have come under fire from some neighborhood groups because of their advocacy of controversial projects such as a concrete plant near Oceanside Boulevard and a planned extension of North Melrose Drive.
They've also put themselves into the crosshairs of the public unions, who in these tough economic times obviously see their generous pensions as vulnerable ---- and would like nothing better than to give Mayor Jim Wood and Councilmember Esther Sanchez a third sympathetic voice on the council.
Indeed, word is now out that Oceanside's public safety unions are publicly backing the recall and have chipped in $15,000 of member money to help gather the signatures from 11,389 registered Oceanside voters that are needed by July 23 to require a special election.
Kern has long been one of North County's loudest voices questioning the sustainability of union pensions, and when union officials learned of the recall they jumped at the chance to shut him up, once and for all.
Looking at Kern's voting record, I see things I agree with and things I don't (like that horrid concrete plant). But the point is, the citizens of Oceanside elected Jerry Kern to his first term in 2006, and he should be allowed to finish his term out. Give the guy his four years, and then either retain him or kick him out.
A recall, any recall, corrupts the political process, and should only be deployed in those rare instances in which an officeholder has committed a truly egregious act or flagrant abuse of power.
Kern has done nothing of the sort. He's simply voted in line with his ideology, the same ideology upon which he was elected to the City Council in the first place.
If the petition drive is successful and a special election is called, Oceanside taxpayers will be out an estimated $450,000 to $500,000 to pay for it ---- hardly a wise expenditure of public dollars, given the recession and Oceanside's own budget crunch.
What's more, a special election couldn't be held any earlier than December, less than a year before Kern's term is up.
Just what, exactly, is the big hurry?
THOMAS K. ARNOLD writes from Carlsbad. Contact him at TKARNOLD@aol.com.
San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial - May 30, 2009
A Wasteful Recall Try in Oceanside
NORTH COUNTY - If Oceanside voters would like to dump half a million dollars
into a trash can, there's a petition they can sign to do just that.
It is being circulated by Citizens to Recall Kern for Fair and Balanced
Government, aka Oceanside fire and police unions. If paid petition
circulators collect 14,300 valid signatures by July 23, the city will be
forced to call a special election, probably in January, for a councilman's
term that ends 10 months later. The cost? Half a million or so.
What has councilman Jerry Kern done to merit such treatment? For openers, he
defeated the unions' favored candidate, Shari Mackin, in November 2006.
Kern also has had the temerity to put the taxpayers first. He questions
whether it is fair for taxpayers in Oceanside to pay both halves - the
city's and the employee's - of pension contributions. He questions how long
Oceanside can remain solvent while paying public safety employees to retire
as early as age 50 with up to 90 percent of their salaries.
Kern is part of the council majority and, along with Jack Feller and Rocky
Chavez, has had to say no during these recessionary times. No to using up
the city's reserves while doing spending as usual on pampered municipal
employees. No to giving Fire and Police Departments a free ride while the
rest of city government falls victim to Oceanside's budget ax.
Kern has had the gumption to inquire about outsourcing certain functions
such as ambulance service and possibly save taxpayers a bundle. Guess who
does not like that idea?
If public employee unions want to engage in the political process, they have
that right. But they should be brave enough to come out and say so, not hide
behind some fictitious name.
Oceanside residents can sign the petitions if they choose.
But we can think
of many better ways to spend half a million.
FORUM: Recall effort potentially destructive to Oceanside
By GARY GOVER - Oceanside | Sunday, May 24, 2009 - NCT
The current attempt underway in Oceanside to gather enough signatures to force a recall election of Councilman Jerry Kern would be amusing if it weren't so potentially destructive to the city.
Traditionally, recall elections are intended to remove elected officials who have violated the law or breached the public trust. However, attempting to force a recall election purely on political grounds is an outrageous corruption of the process.
Accusations that Councilman Kern is anti-senior, anti-veteran, anti-neighborhood simply aren't based in fact. Mr. Kern is a veteran. He is also a senior citizen and has supported senior centers and assisted living facilities throughout the city. He is a former educator who continues to support local schools as well as MiraCosta College.
Mr. Kern has been criticized by some for his support of the Robertson concrete plant. The reality is that the land in question is zoned for industrial use.
Those who opposed the plant should focus on changing the zoning designation.
Kern voted completely consistent with the guidelines provided by the zoning ordinance. Instead of fixing the law, supporters of the recall election would prefer to spend upwards of $500,000 of public funds at a time when the city is facing a $2.7 million deficit.
Criticism of Councilman Kern by the recall organizers for being "pro-business" provokes some fundamental questions. At present, nearly $70 million of the city's $117 million operating budget is generated from economic activity in the form of property tax revenue and sales tax receipts.
The economic "isolationists" behind this recall attempt would stop economic development, to the detriment of all Oceansiders.
A policy of economic isolation means an ever-smaller pool of revenue from the city's most robust sources. Should this recall succeed, allowing the mayor to appoint a political ally, the isolationists win and voters will have to ponder some very unpleasant questions.
-- Will it be my neighborhood that suffers decaying sidewalks, unrepaired street lights and potholes due to budget cuts?
-- Will it be my neighborhood that suffers from the inevitable reduction in public safety personnel?
-- Which community center(s) gets closed? What about the public library or your favorite city supported local charity? Will they remain open?
-- Finally, which tax and user fees increases are you prepared to accept?
In the end, this recall effort is a really bad idea for all Oceanside residents.
Gary Gover lives in Oceanside.
San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial - May 23, 2009
IS THE KERN RECALL ALL ABOUT ANOTHER POLICE AND FIRE UNION RAISE?
Oceanside councilperson Jerry Kern may have been surprisingly accurate when
last July, he called members of the Citizens for the Preservation of Parks
and Beaches "the most dishonest, disingenuous and deceitful group of
people." In their petition to recall Kern, the previously unidentified
recall backers curiously cited his to-the-point comments as the paramount
reason for removing him from office. They also complained that that he is
disrespectful and supported by the business community.
Significantly, the character attacks against Kern focus on his plain
speaking manner and his fiscally conservative politics; no one has alleged
Kern committed any ethical breach or crime. Unfortunately, California law
allows anyone who can pay for professional gatherers to sign up enough
voters at 1 to 3 dollars per signature, to force an election at great
taxpayer expense for purely political reasons. According to recent news
reports, such an election may cost the cash-strapped citizens of Oceanside
more than $500,000 and will surely divert city money and Kern's attention
from other more pressing issues facing the city.
Because of the limitations of the fair political practice laws, the real
people behind the recall effort successfully shrouded their identity in
secrecy until this week when regulations required they disclose how the
professional signature gatherers were being funded. According to Lola
Sherman's excellent May 14, 2009 Union Tribune article, "Public Safety
Unions Back Recall Effort," virtually all of the financing for the recall
has come from the city's police and fire unions, the same folks that for
years aligned themselves with longtime Oceanside political strategist Melba
Bishop and who financed the elections of Mayor Jim Wood, Esther Sanchez and
Sheri Mackin. It was Mackin that Kern defeated in 2006 by 500 votes, who
formed the so-called parks and beaches group, and who is an outspoken
supporter, if not organizer and chief beneficiary, of the recall effort.
Now, why would the police and fire unions pay so much for out of town
professional signature gatherers to unseat Kern and to attempt a majority
shift on the council? One need only remember it was the newly configured
Wood, Sanchez and Mackin majority "troika," engineered by Melba Bishop that
approved a record breaking raise for the police and fire union members
within days of Mackin's 2005 election.
While Oceanside politics has a long history of conflict and intrigue, one
wonders whether these public employee unions have crossed admittedly loose
ethical bounds by surreptitiously financing an effort to influence public
opinion through vague character attacks against a fairly elected official
and to replace Kern with another, probably Mackin, who will vote with Wood
and Sanchez for a repeat of the 2005 raises. Not only would such a strategy
by those who claim to be the city's heroes be disingenuous but seems
especially insensitive to the city's struggling taxpayers, many of whom have
no jobs and face losing their homes.
Ronald J. Cozad
Bonsall, CA
No Reason to Recall Jerry Kern – NCT June 3, 2009
I would like to know why there is this ongoing effort to recall Councilman
Jerry Kern. Has he broken any laws? Has he failed to meet his obligations
as a councilman? Has he misused public funds? Has he violated his sworn
oath? Has he taken supporters to lunch and paid for it using the city
credit card?
The answer to every one of those questions is no! This recall effort is
simply nothing more than for political gamesmanship. The city can hardly
afford a recall in mid-term (reported cost for a recall is somewhere in the
$500,000 range).
If these concerned citizens really want to help Oceanside, then take the
money they are wasting on obtaining signatures and donate it to the general
fund.
Michael Clark
Oceanside
A Recall By Any Other Name – NCT June 3, 2009
Slowly the covers are coming off the recall effort of Jerry Kern from the
Oceanside City Council. While the group calls itself the Citizens for the
Preservation of Parks and Beaches, we now learn the funding is coming from
the fire and police unions.
Could it be they don't want a review of the city pension and salary
structure? Remember, these are the folks who get paid to get dressed. Every
pension and salary system in the state is being re-evaluated, and many are
undergoing sustainable changes. Oceanside should not be an exception.
We have seen what the unions have done to the car industry and are doing to
the city of San Diego. It is time for unions to be sustainable partners
with the city. We would do well not to let the unions get the upper hand on
our City Council.
The recall is a waste of money and valuable time! After all, we have a dog
beach to establish!
Jack Key
Oceanside
Misuse of Recall – NCT May 24, 2009
It appears that, for whatever reason, a group is paying professionals to gather signatures to recall Councilman Jerry Kern. Such drastic action will cost the citizens of Oceanside about $500,000 at a time when the city is already facing cutbacks in services due to lack of revenue.
Next year, at the regular City Council election in November, the councilman's term will be up and if he desires to remain on the council, he will probably run then, whether recalled or not. It is a waste of time and money to remove him from office for about nine months.
Jerry Kern is doing a good job and deserves to serve out his term of office. I encourage not signing the recall petition. This is not the time to allow emotions to overtake common sense.
Arthur Mandelbaum
Oceanside
Recall Disaster
It’s a shame that two losers like Shari Mackin and Carolyn Krammer and their pathetic group (Citizens for the Preservation of Parks and Beaches) are trying to do a recall of Jerry Kern. Why does this group want to recall Kern? Because Kern beat Mackin in the election 2 ½ years ago? If this is the reason, why didn’t Mackin run again 6 months ago? Or was Mackin afraid that if she ran, neither she or Esther Sanchez would be elected? Or because Kern does not vote the way they want him to? Or is there another reason? I personally disagree the way some of the Council members vote on certain issues, however, they were elected by the Oceanside voters to look out for the betterment of all Oceanside citizens.
The only reason for any type of recall is because of corruption (Rod Blagojevich – Illinois). Recall Costs
$100,000.00 to verify all of the signatures.
$500,000.00 to have a recall election.
$500,000.00 to have a new election if the recall is successful.
If Krammer and Mackin really want Mr. Kern out of the office, will they fund the $1,100,000.00 to do it? Or do they expect the City of Oceanside to pay this money? Oceanside already has a Fiscal Problem and does not need to spend this money to satisfy two people.
Ken Hacker
Oceanside
Don't Recall Kern – NCT May 3, 2009
I encourage all Oceanside voters not to sign the petitions regarding a recall of Councilman Jerry Kern. Here are three reasons why:
1. We are in the middle of a serious recession. Recall elections are expensive, and Oceanside cannot afford the tax dollars needed to pay for this one.
2. For many years before becoming involved in politics, Jerry Kern was proving his devotion to this community by volunteer service in many areas. He is conscientious and serious about his work as a council member. We elected him to work for us and he is doing that. People who don't agree with him can vote against him at the next regular election.
3. Recall elections tend to divert attention from important issues facing the city. We need for our council persons, and our citizens, to focus on these issues, not on an unnecessary election in the middle of a term.
Nancy Foran
Oceanside
Kern Recallers Dishonest
I have come to the conclusion that the people behind the Recall of Jerry Kern are fundamentally dishonest.
Today at Von’s there was a large sign asking people to sign a petition to support veteran housing, but upon investigation it was actually a recall petition. I could not believe the deception that these people are using to get people to sign. As the widow of a disabled veteran I’m furious that they are using these good people to further their own agenda. Upon questioning this signature gatherer I discovered he was from out of town and was being paid for every signature that he duped people into signing. This leads me to believe that there is no valid argument for the recall and the only way to get people to sign is through trickery. I do not blame the person sitting there; he is just trying to make a buck. My disgust is reserved for the shadowy, anonymous, political group paying them.
People of Oceanside, please do not fall for this! If you think any elected official is not doing the job you elected them to do, vote them out at the next election. Don’t ask the people of Oceanside to pony up half a million dollars for a special election. Who can afford that?
Please, before you sign any petition, learn the facts.
Lorrea Crane
Oceanside
What's the Recall Fuss All About?
After receiving so many questions about whether or not to sign a recall petition that is
paying professionals to gather signatures to recall Councilman Jerry Kern. I found answers to some of the questions:
1. It will cost an estimated $450,000 to $500,000, depending on the Registrar's cost.
2. The money will come from the City Treasury, probably from its meager resources.
3. The earliest a recall election probably can be held is January 2010.
4. The next regular City Council election is November 2010.
5. If Councilman Kern desires to remain on the Council he probably will run then, whether recalled or not.
My conclusion is it is a waste of time, effort and money to remove him from office for, at best, nine months.
Then I had another question asked: Rent Control on Mobile Homes. I learned that the
Council fears Mobile Home Park owners are seriously considering selling out which would work more to the Mobile Home owner's disadvantage than loss of rent control.
My conclusion: It is folly to sign the recall petition and waste hard earned dollars on a recall that would be effective for less than nine months and accomplish nothing. Don't sign. I haven't and will not.
Randy Mitchell
Oceanside
TRAGESER: Recall backers should stop hiding in shadows
By JIM TRAGESER - Staff Writer | Monday, April 27, 2009
It borders on cowardice, to be perfectly honest ---- launching a recall drive against an elected official, and then refusing to identify the folks financing it.
Jerry Kern is certainly identified ---- he's the Oceanside City Councilman who's being targeted. His name will be dragged through the mud in the weeks and months to come by those trying to get him off the council.
Now, I don't know Mr. Kern ---- have never met him nor talked with him. Nor have I followed Oceanside city politics closely enough to know whether a recall is justified. (Although as he faces re-election next year, assuming he chooses to run again, it's hard to see how spending tens of thousands of dollars, if not more, of city money on a special election is a particularly wise move).
But fair is fair, and if you're going to attack someone, if you're going to try to put a special election on the ballot at taxpayer expense, then be adult about it and identify yourself. Or yourselves, as the case may be.
So far, we only know a few members of the recall committee seeking to oust Kern ---- and they're not telling who's bankrolling the recall; at least, not until the law requires them to do so on April 30, when their campaign finance reports are due.
Recalls aren't inexpensive, either. Paid signature gatherers typically charge between $1 and $3 a signature, according to an article on the recall in Friday's paper.
And with 11,389 valid signatures from registered Oceanside voters needed to qualify the recall, we're looking at a minimum of some $11,000.
Oceanside voters have a basic right to know who's ponying up the cash before they sign the recall petition.
This shroud of secrecy is not only unfair in the extreme to Kern, who must endure having his reputation pummeled by foes he can't even respond to, but to voters as well. Putting a recall on the ballot is a serious issue. How can voters be asked to make an informed decision about the recall if they're not being given all the information about it? After all, Kern's performance in office is only part of the equation ---- the motivation and identity of those seeking to oust him will also factor in to people's decisions on whether to sign the petition.
Assuming they have that last bit of information.
There is still such a thing as honor. And if those who are putting up the money to circulate the recall petitions against Kern subscribe to such an old-fashioned concept, each of them will step forward and say to the voters (and Kern), "I'm donating this much money to the effort, and here's why."
If they can't muster up that base level of integrity, then it seems to me that the voters should turn down the request to put the recall on the ballot. Refuse to sign the petition until and unless those behind it have publicly identified themselves.
Contact staff writer Jim Trageser at jtrageser@nctimes.com or (760) 740-5408.
Correction: Deadline misreported
This column contained an incorrect deadline for a political action committee's campaign finance statement. The committee that is seeking to recall Oceanside City Councilman Jerry Kern is required to file its next statement by April 30, according to the state Fair Political Practices Commission.
We apologize.
OCEANSIDE: Jerry Kern answers recall proponents
By CRAIG TENBROECK - Staff Writer | Thursday, January 22, 2009
OCEANSIDE ---- City Councilman Jerry Kern responded to a group targeting him for recall Thursday, saying it would be "counterproductive" to spend money on a special election given Oceanside's budget constraints.
"This money would be better spent supporting essential services such as public safety, libraries, parks and recreation," Kern said in a written rebuttal.
By law, Kern's 184-word statement must be included in any recall petition.
Last week, Oceanside resident Jim Sullivan gave Kern a formal "notice of intention" to circulate recall petitions.
The move came as something of a surprise. There had been no overt discussions of a recall and Kern has not been at the center of any scandal.
However, he is part of a three-person majority that has drawn the ire of some neighborhood groups over controversial projects such as a concrete plant near Oceanside Boulevard and a long-planned extension of North Melrose Drive.
Twenty-one people signed the recall notice, which accuses the first-term councilman of putting developers' interests above those of residents, insulting people at public meetings and championing heavy industry, among other things.
In his response, Kern wrote that he evaluates all proposals before the council with an eye on "which will provide the greatest long-term benefit for Oceanside and ALL its residents."
He said he invites public input. If his own words sound strident, he said, "it may simply be because I am passionate about our city."
Kern estimated that a special election would cost $500,000.
Recall proponents need signatures from more than 11,000 registered Oceanside voters to force an election. They can start collecting them once the city clerk approves the petition.
It remains to be seen whether the recall drive will get anywhere. Recent attempts to strip seats from Oceanside officials ---- including a 2001 effort aimed at then-Mayor Terry Johnson and a 2006 attempt to recall Councilwoman Esther Sanchez ---- never made it past the signature-gathering stage.
The last Oceanside officials recalled from office were Councilmen William Bell and Ray Burgess in 1981.
Sullivan said his group is forming a committee to accept donations.
Kern took office in 2006 after edging out incumbent Shari Mackin. He has less than two years left in his term.
On high-profile issues, Kern has been aligned with Councilmen Rocky Chavez and Jack Feller. He is active in the Republican Party.
Sullivan said last week that Chavez and Feller won't be targeted for recall. Kern, he said, has not seen the same community support at the ballot box.
Mayor Jim Wood, who is often at odds with the three-member bloc, said last week that it's "certainly the right of the citizens" to attempt a recall.
"If people are coming forward, there's a reason," Wood said.
Sullivan has said he is part of a "good-sized group," but he has declined to provide names beyond the handful on the notice of intent.
"We are not organized in a way that people have given me permission to say who is in it and who is not in it," Sullivan said, before adding, "it will become very evident."
Because some who signed the notice listed addresses in Jeffries Ranch, Kern has speculated his support of a proposed extension of North Melrose Drive could be motivating the effort.
Contact staff writer Craig TenBroeck at (760) 901-4062 or ctenbroeck@nctimes.com.
