Tony Blain : The Disturbing Saga Continues...

The State of California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) announced Monday it has opened a formal investigation into D2 Candidate Tony Blain for serious ethical and financial campaign violations. 

What started as a routine complaint filed by another candidate, the likes of which are typically dismissed quickly, has escalated exponentially. There are multiple FPPC departments now involved, signaling serious trouble for Blain...

The allegations against him include:

• Illegal diversion of funds. — Contributors to his aborted term limits campaign were duped into funding Blains’ thirst for office. Classic deception and campaign fraud.
• Exceeding Poway’s strict donation limit, designed to protect local politics from outside influence.
• Failure to report expenditures allowing for potential fraud by misusing donated funds.

No Poway candidate has ever faced such a significant investigation into their conduct. 

And while Blain has thus far managed to avoid his campaign being tainted by his history as a deadbeat dad, or his unstable and threatening behavior toward City officials — which has resulted in multiple reports filed with the Sheriff’s Department — he may have a harder time dodging the FPPC.

They have teeth. Subpoena power. Highly skilled investigators. Massive fines. Criminal charges. Disqualification from office.

Vote Wilson

Settle for Springett 

Avoid Tony Blain like the plague!

Tony Blain: A Spoiler's Rise and the Threat to District 2

Be wary of the deceptive figure descending on Poway with the persistence of the Sixth Plague of Egypt. In the brief span of a month, Tony Blain has transformed from a fringe candidate into a significant spoiler in an election that will profoundly impact Poway’s future. His unethical and narcissistic behaviors, combined with his relentless deflection of responsibility —highlighted by recent court rulings branding him a “Deadbeat Dad” owing nearly $100K— paints a deeply troubling picture. At Powayvotes.org, we have gathered the facts, and they clearly illustrate just how damaging Blain's actions could be to the quality of life in District 2. Here is an overview.

Tony Blain has violated nearly every ethical standard of political conduct, effectively destabilizing the relatively staid election process that Poway has long maintained. This betrayal of trust illustrates why he was rejected by the Deputy Sheriff’s Association, the Poway Firefighters, and the Republican Party.

An FPPC investigation brewing, a toxic management style, an unbelievable work performance record, and with questions of residency due to nearly $100K in unpaid child and spousal support, this scandalous mix is more than District 2 can stomach.

Far from securing a coveted City Council seat, his betrayal of purported principles on multiple levels has positioned Blain as a spoiler, paving the way for a high-density housing advocate and potentially allowing SB9 lot splits to affect nearly all of District 2.

Let’s take a moment to unpack this further.

Nearly two years ago, long before the local political cycle had even begun, Mr. Blain announced his intention to run for office—first for Mayor (until he realized that election was no longer open) and then for City Council. His ambitions were bold, including implementing illegal retroactive term limits and other ballot measures prohibited under California law.  

Poway residents have consistently relied on the Deputy Sheriff’s Association (DSA), the Poway Firefighters Association (PFA), and the central committees of both major political parties to vet and endorse candidates capable of maintaining public safety and reflecting core community values. This scrutiny is vital, as politics often draws individuals driven by vanity, dishonesty, and self-interest.

Blain sought the endorsements of the DSA and PFA but both organizations conduct rigorous interviews to ensure that candidates understand their roles and responsibilities and align with public safety ideals. Blain was unequivocally rejected by both, as his lack of understanding and qualifications, coupled with a counterproductive mindset, made him a poor choice for Poway.

What did these organizations discover in their background checks that led to the rejections? It remained internal—until a deep dive into a lengthy FPPC case file reveals some of it here:

Allegations are swirling about the misuse of funds—donations from Poway residents meant for ballot measures being diverted elsewhere. Plus, questions of residency in D2 have arisen due to a potential court-ordered sale of his house to recoup nearly $100K in unpaid child and spousal support.  It looks like the courts see him as a “Deadbeat Dad.”  Can someone with such questionable financial management choices ever be trusted with Poway's purse strings?

 (The list of allegations below are only snippets to save space)

Is there any evidence yet that Tony Blain has paid his child and spousal support? (Front page of relevant court document)

If true, these allegations suggest that "ethics" is just a weapon for deflection, used to project personal failings onto others. Combine that with poor financial management and unpaid debts, and you have someone unfit to handle the purse strings.

Ironically, Poway was recently ranked as "The Top Place to Live in California" thanks in no small part to its Manager-Council form of government, where the City Manager plays a critical role in maintaining the city’s excellence. Yet Blain wants to get rid of him as soon as he's elected....

If you dare oppose Blain, or even try to help —but are not subservient enough— he wastes no time in silencing you—whether through social media, some other venues better left unmentioned or, perhaps more importantly, if you're of 𛲡𛲡𛲡 𛲡𛲡𛲡𛲡𛲡r 𛲡𛲡x — maybe best said as — if he feels he has some power over you.  

His energy may be better spent addressing his own toxic management style, possibly illustrated by his recent struggles within his own profession, where reviews suggest he’s being fired by patients.

His final attempt to secure endorsement came from the Republican Central Committee, where he is nominally registered.  The application process requires candidates sign a pledge not to support any non-endorsed candidate, if one fails to secure the committee's backing.  This basic ethical standard, though low, serves as a safeguard against those motivated solely by personal ambition.

“I pledge that if the Party endorses another Republican candidate over me, I will honor the decision, suspend my campaign, and support the endorsed candidate. I understand that politics is a team effort.”

    —Times of San Diego, 9/13/24

With his campaign continuing to falter, Blain violated that pledge, returning the disruptive endorsement of Carl DeMaio, who is running in opposition to the endorsed Republican and who, perhaps sharing in Mr. Blain's aspirations, is notorious for advocating the elimination of pensions for firefighters and law enforcement officers.  A disastrous policy for Blain to promote in the Safest City in the San Diego County. Enabled by Blain, DeMaio has plunged the District 2 election into turmoil.

These betrayals did not go unnoticed, drawing direct condemnation from the Chairman of the local Republican Party, who publicly criticized people like this for their dishonesty, labeling them renegades—an indictment that raises serious questions about Blain's loyalty to anything beyond his own personal ambitions. 

“...I say “rogue” because that candidate made a pledge to bow out of the race if the Republican Central Committee endorsed another candidate and now has failed to do so. We expect Republicans to be true to their word; he is not....”

                    —Corey Gustafson (Chairman, Republican Party of San Diego County)

Instead of achieving victory, Blain, an inviable candidate on all levels, has inadvertently cast himself as the ultimate spoiler.  Beginning as a competitive race between two strong candidates and a distraction, it is now an internecine GOP conflict, with a newly minted Democrat waiting in the wings.  And what was her price for abandoning the GOP and securing the Democrat endorsement? 

Support for SB9, the controversial lot-splitting law, which threatens to bring high-density, low-income housing to District 2.

This November, the residents of Poway face a difficult decision: two opportunists—one extreme, the other less so—or a candidate who offers a steady, reliable hand.

Vote Wilson 2024 

Poway Council District 2 Heats Up

Two of the three candidates for the D2 City Council represent qualified choices for the seat.  But there is one clear choice.

Jared Wilson

Jared enters the District 2 race as a long term resident and with the strong endorsements of the Deputy Sherriff's Association, the Poway Firefighters, the Republican Party, and pretty much a who’s who in local and regional politics.  

He is about as well-rounded and qualified a person as a city council candidate can be, having held positions within Poway on the Budget Review Committee, running the San Diego Police Officers Union, and continuing to advocate for a fiscally focused government process that maintains the safety of the residents and improves their quality of life.  He is a long term Poway family man with deep roots with his kids the local public schools on their journey.  

With the continued deterioration of the law and order environment of the surrounding cities, and the bleed through of that criminality into our enclave, it is now more important than ever to ensure that Poway has leadership that is in lock step understanding of what it take to continue to keep the streets safe for all residents.  

Vote Wilson in 2024

Vanessa Springett

A last minute entry into the District 2 race, Mrs. Springett comes to the race with a well-established set of economic credentials and experience, but an unclear reason for running.  She has served on a number of private boards and on an HOA board in leadership positions, and she was a member of the Poway Budget Review Committee.  She also vied for the appointment to the District 2 seat when Barry Leonard retired.  

Curiously, after choosing to throw her hat into the race, she withdrew from the Republican party, moving to NPP.  It appears to be a play for the Democratic vote, as the local branch has thrown their enthusiastic support behind her.  Those entry fees, however, can be a bit steep to the uninitiated, and it’s reasonable to be concerned of what she needed to trade away.  Was it the use of her budget knowledge to redirect some monies to a social justice cause du jour?  Something else?  Speculation to be fair, but a worthy line of questioning, as the choice will certainly raise some eyebrows.  

Despite some potential concern on her motivations and choices, Mrs. Springett represents a quality entry into the D2 race.  However, her lack of meaningful experience in the areas that are most important to the residents, particularly in the area of public safety, and the extraordinarily well-rounded and complete qualifications of her opponent, places her as a strong second choice for D2. 

Vote Wilson in 2024

Tony Blain

Mr. Blain is a social media disaster whose online activities appear to involve grandstanding, providing false information, shouting down those who do not support his activities, and interfering with regular city functions.  

His lack of follow-through is as legendary as the amount of real world and meaningful political baggage he carries, including evidence-backed allegations of serious campaign finance irregularities.  All of which would be worth exploring were Mr. Blain anything other than a candidate on the lunatic fringe.

Vote Wilson in 2024

The Strong Argument for Caylin Frank

Caylin Frank is the clear choice for a better future for Poway.

Why?

Poway is a great place to live and, almost without fail, we all want the same things that are encapsulated in 3 broad concepts:

Safety
Community
Prosperity

Caylin Frank is best positioned to help Poway continue to maintain and improve upon each of those 3 pillars of our society.  And this is what is what sets her apart and above from her challengers, Tony Russo and Torrey Powers.

How?

Experience.  I'm not talking about experience on the City Council, although what she has of that certainly helps.  Holding the bar for a City Councilperson to have prior experience as a City Councilperson is the proverbial Catch-22.  Caylin's experience that distinguishes her is with getting things done at the County level.  Projects and implemented plans that that involve interactions between and within Cities.  

In short, what Caylin has and the Challengers do not, is more than a decade of experience in getting things done at Poway's level of government. 

This is perhaps one of the most important things that matters when looking at a City Councilperson in Poway.  Why?

A Councilperson needs to know how to be effective in their role in order to be responsive to the needs of the residents.

A Councilperson who provides you shoulder to cry on, but does not know how to directly address your concerns is a counsel​or, not a Councilor. 

And what experience does Caylin have to address what Poway needs?

Safety

Mrs. Frank spent the last decade or so as the Public Safety Policy Advisor for Bill Horn, our San Diego County Supervisor.  This gives her unique experience that few others have with how law enforcement works, and how a community can get the most through our interactions with them.  That she comes from a family of law enforcement officers reinforces her connection to that vital part of our society.  It is important to remember that Poway contracts its Police services through the San Diego County Sheriff's office.

Community

Parks, walkways, quality of life.  These are the things that bring us all together as a Powegians.  This is one of the major reasons that people choose to live in Poway, like Caylin and the rest of us, and raise our families.  For all walks of life and people, Poway has long shown to be a welcoming place.  More parks per unit area than any other city in the county.  Public facilities like the Senior Center and the public pool for young and old alike.  Achievable and low income housing - often the bane of cities, these unfunded state quota mandates are a fact of life and must be implemented in a way that brings the most benefit, in multiple dimensions, to the rest of the city. 

Many of these things take outside, county and state level grants.  Experience with priorities and philosophies at this level is one of Caylin's strengths and, fair or not, is simply not something that is held by any of her challengers.  It is an interesting coincidence that the Villa de Vida low income housing project received County grant funding that can permit its existence, after Caylin was in office for some time.  Behind the scenes work can bring about meaningful improvements in Poway.  

No bragging, no large press conferences.  Just results.

Was this a Republican priority?  No.  The project was approved by the City Council, so it was a Poway priority.  

Prosperity

Poway has long been the envy of local and regional Cities because of its ability to attract businesses to locate here.  Just try to get space in the Poway Business Park.  The demand is high because the environment is good.  Streamlined business application regulations and responsive city government are the cornerstone of bringing the necessary local revenue and local business to ensure quality services for the residents.  This philosophy has been passed down through City Councils since Poway's founding and Caylin has long shown she is aligned with this understanding.  This is typically best described as a form of Republican fiscal conservatism that ensures that Poway remains focused on its core values and does not get distracted by special interests that tend to result in longer term financial encumbrances upon a government.

The challengers will all tout their long residencies in Poway.  But can they deliver on their promises?  No.  They will stumble out of the gate as they don't know the map and have never experienced the territory.

So....
When you go to the polls or sit down to vote, ask yourself:
Who is best positioned to actually address MY needs and MY concerns?
Who has the experience in government at moving things from Concepts to Completion?

There is only one Candidate who fits the Bill

Reelect Caylin Frank

Why you should vote for the Incumbents and not for the Challengers.

What follows is a direct submission from a reader of this blog.  This reader has anonymously contributed to this blog in the past, but has specifically asked to be identified here and to not have the text altered in any way to conceal their identity.  This is an unusual request but was granted for a number of reasons, one of which was the congruence with the editorial “staff’s” viewpoints, and another was that there was not much else to publish.  The post is technically not complete (see the end) but will be updated when the additional text is received.  Enjoy.

Why you should vote for the Incumbents and not for the Challengers.

By Peter De Hoff

The group of incumbents in the City Council and the Mayor’s office represent one of the most accomplished and successful groups of representatives in recent memory.  The challengers for the seats, by and large, represent a fringe viewpoint in Poway politics that is attempting to expand and capitalize on the perceived “South Poway” vs “North Poway” divide.

Let’s take a look at the opposition for a moment in detail.

The challengers have united around the “South Poway” narrative that essentially goes like this:

"Before time began, South Poway lacked representation on the City Council and has borne the brunt of the negative impacts of economic development while gaining none of its fruits."

Let’s examine that argument in detail.

First, what is “South Poway?”  

This has long been an elusive term bandied about by various challengers across elections over time.  However, according to Chris Cruse, a longtime critic of the Poway City Council and self styled organizer of the South Poway First movement (Link to Facebook Group), South Poway encompasses all properties south of Twin Peaks and some RS7 properties to the north of it.  Quite a large territory to be “underrepresented” and ruled from afar by the dastardly Northerners.

But is “South Poway” truly “underrepresented on the City Council?”  To answer this pertinent question, we first have to understand how elections take place in Poway.  Poway is split into 4 districts of approximately equal population size.  These districts were delineated in 2017 for implementation in this election of 2018 and in 2020.  They were chosen from a series of map submitted by the public, the City Council, and the Mayor.

Each of the four districts vote for a single City Councilperson and the Mayor is elected “at large” throughout the city.  As such, the Mayor (currently Steve Vaus) had no “horse in the race” in terms of where the district boundaries would be drawn.  In the end, the final map was chosen such that each of the four districts had a significant portion of it on the Poway Road corridor, to help ensure that the area of economic development, and burden, had as much of a voice in city decision making as possible.  There were several equivalent maps submitted that met this criteria submitted, and the one chosen by unanimous consent, had been submitted by Steve Vaus.

Now how about “South Poway” representation on the Council?  Let’s break it down by how much of the population in each District is within “South Poway?”

District 1: 100%
District 2: ~10%
District 3: ~70%
District 4: 100%

How is this possible?  How could the claims of “gerrymandering” being used to disenfranchise the “South Poway” vote be true if 3 of the 4 Council seats are held by supermajority of “South Poway” residents, and two of those seats are at at 100%?

The simple answer is:  It’s not.  

There was no gerrymandering.  There is no disenfranchisement of “South Poway.”  In fact, if anyone has been disenfranchised, it’s “North Poway,” whatever that is supposed to mean.

But what about the Mayor?  Who elects the Mayor?  EVERYONE.  All for 1 vote on the council.

In short, the Challengers, or the Opposition, or the “South Poway” malcontents, don’t want you to look into the details surrounding their arguments.  They want you to listen about how they think they should have been appointed to the council and were not.  Or about imaginary misdeeds of the council, or about a whole host of things that, like their arguments concerning disenfranchisement, fall apart upon the simplest of inspection.

But voting for someone, even an incumbent, should be because they have performed well, not because the opposition is so clearly inferior.  What has this City Council and Mayor actually done?

The following achievements are discussed in more detail below.  It is unlikely that you will have time to read it all.

Poway Road Specific Plan (PRSP)

Smart growth business and housing development project to renovate the Poway Road Corridor and make it a destination location throughout San Diego.  Brought about through a massive public engagement/input process, planning, and adoption. 

Espola Road Improvement Project:

After enormous public input from stakeholders adopted a plan that will bring major safety and aesthetic improvements to a previously neglected and heavily used transportation corridor.  An accomplishment not successfully achieved by any prior council.  Still under budget, even after discovering a city-side contract specification problem.

Poway City Pool Renovation:

Brought about needed major renovation to significant city run recreational facility on budget and to quality specifications.  Took a political hit to ensure that substandard work was not accepted at the cost of delay in the completion time.

Senior Center Replacement Project:

Took lessons from prior City Public Pool piecemeal renovations to heart and opted for a rebuild of the Senior Center.  Large public engagement to assess the needs of the users of the facility.  Made adjustments to the budget and expenditures to help facilitate the process through increasing city reserves.  Searched for potential outside partners to develop the property.  

Budgetary Surpluses:

Kept a close watch on expenditures, and made efficient use of available properties that resulted in a ~$4.9 million budget surplus.

Public Safety Improvements:

Continued close association with the County Sheriff resulted in Poway being ranked the safest city in San Diego County, and in the top 50 in California.

Each City Council member and the Mayor plays a role in each of these accomplishments and more.  They have easily earned my vote.  And they deserve yours.  

Vote to Keep Poway on the Right Path.

Reelect the Poway Incumbents

Poway Road Specific Plan (PRSP):

For more than 10 years, the Poway Road Corridor has been recognized as needing significant improvement.  Large portions of the area are run down and/or have vacant lots.  Efforts to improve the area have been piecemeal, although reasonably successful.  ie the new public health building next to the Salvation Army.

In order to more comprehensively revitalize this area, and to realize the needed revenue to maintain our public safety services, this area has been the subject of extensive public input and planning.  This process was jumpstarted by this City Council through their arrangement, over several years, of a series of public informative and interactive forums to gain input from the local residents and potential developers.

Through this interactive process of public input and practical planning options (from the City Planners), a final (more or less) plan for this region was prepared and approved by this City Council and Mayor.  Additionally, the Council and especially the Mayor have been active behind the efforts to recruit and sell the positive aspects of this Planning overlay to prospective tenants and developers.  One of the fruits of this labor is the upcoming Urge Gastropub development in Poway.

In time, and with continued effort, the Poway Road Corridor will become a destination location for San Diego.  In many ways, this is a win-win for everyone involved. 

This type of activity employs an enormous number of soft skills and hard negotiating that are simply lacking in any of the challengers for any of the seats.

Challenger Complaints:

They essentially boil down to a claim of insufficient public input in the process.  There are specific complaints of increased traffic and housing.

The first complaint is ludicrous on its face.  The amount of public input in this process is nearly unheard of in a city of this size.  What may be true, is that some of the ideas of some of the challengers, if they chose to actually participate, did not make it into the final package.  It is unclear if any of the challengers actually chose to participate, or if they simply boycotted the proceedings, as their names are not listed amongst the many notable participants of the plan.

The complaint about housing density is also patently false.  Prior plans for the area had overall more housing than the new plan.  That said, it is possible that some of this housing has been concentrated in certain areas rather than being spread throughout the area.  This is part and parcel with any smart growth planned development.  You cannot have walkable commercial areas without nearby housing.

The only viable complaint is about increased traffic.  This is partially mitigated through more developed mass transit locations, defined underground parking facilities and increased walking (as opposed to driving) pathways and commercial design.  In truth, there is no way to have increased commercial development without some increase in traffic.

Espola Road Improvement Project

The Espola road corridor from around High Valley to Twin Peaks is heavily impacted by road traffic, especially during peak use times around Poway High School and Twin Peaks Middle School entrance and dismissal times.  This stretch of road lacks basic sidewalk protections, sound barriers for local residents, and has dangerous overhead power lines that have been knocked over by trucks more than once.  Improvements to this stretch of road has bounced for 20 years or more between previous city councils, the public, the city staff.  This council was able to convene a final series of public workshops and hammer out a plan.  This plan was not perfect, but, instead of repeating this costly futile cycle, the council members decided to adopt the plan in its entirety and specify that some controversial parts be put off to a later date, or ignored.

The project was sent out to bid, however, after the bids were received, a city side contracting error was discovered and traced to a person in the employ of the city.  This person no longer works for Poway.  Rather than fix the contract and get a new round of bids (a fairly costly process), the city chose a contractor and had them adjust it to include the previously omitted work.  Even with this amendment, the project still came in under the original budget.  The work progresses and the residents will see both the benefits of the improvements, as well as a project under budget.

Challenger Complaints:

The primary issue brought up by the challengers surrounds the cost difference between the award for the under-specified contract and the final contract that meets the actual specifications.  

That is an apples to oranges comparison and is not reasonable.  The appropriate analysis would be to see that the Council followed the process, corrected an error in the process, and managed to negotiate a contract that was still under the original budget.  If the project had come in significantly over budget due to this specification error, then there would be some shred of an argument to make.  However, this is not the case and the challengers are trying to convince the voters that there is something behind the curtain.  There is nothing behind the curtain.

Poway City Pool Renovation

The Poway City Pool is a significant City-run recreational facility for Poway residents.  For many years, it has been undergoing minor renovations to keep it from falling apart.  However, these stopgap measures have really just forestalled the inevitable requirement for a major renovation, in part to bring the ancient facility up to modern safety codes.  This process was put out to bid, as by State law, the lowest bid of a capable contractor was chosen, and the work was performed.

A concrete subcontractor performed substandard work, which was found by the City when it performed the required inspections.  At the Council’s direction, the work product was rejected and the main contractor agreed to redo the work to specification at his cost, and wound up using a different concrete subcontractor for the work.  The Council knew that this would mean the facility would be effectively closed for the summer, but that it was the right thing to do.

If they had accepted the substandard work product, extensive and costly repairs would need to be performed within a short period of time, and at the City’s expense.  It is truly unfortunate that contractor was unable to perform on time and to specification, but it is the job of the Council, Mayor, and the City to take the long term view of City projects.  They are not flipping houses here.  Building for the long haul is responsible both financially and philosophically.  

Challenger Complaints:

That the pool was closed for the summer and that the contractor performed substandard work.

This is a vastly unfair criticism of the Council and Mayor’s work.  Their job is not to pour concrete.  Their hands are tied by law in terms of whom to pick for contracted projects.  These contracting laws are in place to prevent real corruption where a government agent doles out contracts to their friends, then OKs substandard work.  The Council did a fantastic supervisory job of the work product of the contractor and behaved ethically when they insisted on getting the job done right.  Although it would have been politically expedient to accept substandard work, it would have been ethically bankrupt.

Senior Center Replacement Project (will get to this later)

Budgetary Surpluses 

Background:
One of the reasons that Poway has remained a viable city, both to the envy of other municipalities and to the begrudging respect of the state, is fiscal conservatism.  Poway has remained focused on its core functions:  Public safety, reliable clean water, and a well maintained road system.  It is curious that it is this third point that is the thorn in the side of other local city governments.  It is these roads that serve as a constant reminder to the residents of these other local cities/regions of the inadequacies that arise within their own local governmental decisions in how to allocate their own resources.

All of these things require the constant focus of the City Council and Mayor to resist interest groups and their desire to siphon off city reserves for non-essential items.  Not surprisingly, the core of this fiscal conservatism resolves around reducing recurring expenditures, planning for the long term, and a sound investment strategy.  In coarse terms, Poway reduces recurring expenditures on several fronts.

First, it efficiently uses outside contractors for activities that are intermittent (ie building permitting, projects, road resurfacing), or lack the scale needed for efficient in-house operations (such as the police).  This choice allows it to avoid the costly overhead that comes from maintaining a large number of non-essential employees, particularly union employees.

Secondly, the when Poway undertakes a project it is for the long term.  This sometimes increases short term costs, but decreases long term ones.  These would be things like choosing to rebuild the Senior Center rather than renovate it.  The same holds true for the public pool facility.  It also has seeked to reign in retirement costs by bringing the program in house as opposed to keeping it at the state level, with the associated overhead inefficiencies.  This actually fits with the third point as well.  

Finally, Poway maintains a a 45% budgetary reserve for when the economy enters in a downturn.  For instance, Poway was able to weather the latest financial crisis, in part, because of this reserve and the ability to keep city functions funded while other cities needed to cut back.  This has the added benefit of of greatly aiding in the recovery phase of the downturn.

This year, because of this Council and Mayor's sound fiscal management, Poway had a budgetary surplus of about $4.9 million on a total budget of approximately $95 million.

Challenger Complaints:

Challengers like to point out that perhaps a little more than half of this surplus came from one term items, bringing the actual surplus to ~$2 million.

A $2 million budget surplus is a criticism?  Seems kind of odd, but there it is.  The City Council even publicly emphasized that one time budgetary gains are forbidden by practice (but not law) from being used to fund operational recurring expenses.  This is the right way to run the city.  

To be fair, some of this surplus is due to challenges in budget forecasting with at least one source coming from the state as a result of the dissolution of the redevelopment agency.  This source uses a complex formulary in determining how money is divided up amongst participating municipalities, and the factors influencing it are somewhat opaque.  In the end, it is far safer to assume that your revenues will not be as high as you want and your expenditures will be higher.  Having extra money in reserves is better than having less money.

Unfortunately, the challengers have promised anything under the sun to gain votes.  They are correct when they state that Poway has significant monetary reserves.  They will spend these long term reserves to pay off their short term supporters to the determinant of everyone in the Poway.  


Public Safety Improvements  (will get to this later)

Report from the Painted Rock Candidate Forum

Local candidates for the upcoming elections were on hand for tonight's (10/3/18) forum hosted by the Poway Chamber of Commerce and the Green Valley Civic Association (GVCA).  I spent a decent four hours there to get a better feel of the field.  Below are my impressions.  There is a quick endorsement and more details as to why further down.  I made notes of each question and who I thought answered it best.  This was used in figuring out who is the candidate most deserving of your vote.

The following local elections will be taking place on November 6th, 2018. 

• Poway Unified School District Board, District B
• Ginger Couvrette <- Vote for Ginger
• Kim Garnier
• Kevin Juza <- Avoid Juza like the financial plague
• Poway Mayor's Office
• Steve Vaus <- Vote for Steve
• Yuri Bohlen
• Brian Edmonston
• Emily Johnson
• Poway City Council District 1
• Dave Grosch <- Vote for Dave
• John Carson
• Peter Neild
• Jonathan Ryan
• Poway City Council District 3
• John Mullin <- Vote for John
• Joe Calabrese
• Poway City Council District "at large" Special Election
• Caylin Frank <- Vote for Caylin
• Torrey Powers <- Torrey is a strong second
• Tony Russo 

PUSD Trustee District B is mostly "North Poway"

This person serves as part of an oversight board of directors with the superintendent and technical staff.  They need to have a good grasp of the big picture, have good budgeting skills, fundraising skills, and a focus on what schools do: ie teach students.  PUSD Areas B & E also need to interface with the City of Poway, as there are shared used facilities.

The questions ranged from equality across campuses, through funding issues, through technology, and arts classes.

Ginger Couvrette

Vast experience across the spectrum of education (former science teacher), she's served on the City of Poway's Parks and Recreation Committee, she has started and grown a local successful business in Poway, she has many contacts in the City as well.  Perhaps most importantly, she also comes off as a person who knows how to build a consensus with stakeholders.  Buy-in is key for successfully executing strategic plans.  She appears to have a very strong understanding through experience of successfully working within a governmental style budget.  All in all, she is the strongest candidate.

Kim Garnier

Holy smokes, she comes off as really angry.  She has a very high regard for her intelligence (and she may indeed be really smart, I just don't know her that well).  Her general answer to finances is to cut everyone's salary or jobs, while keeping the focus on the students.  Not quite sure how that works.  Despite that, she does appear to have a strong grasp of how the PUSD is run, and perhaps a stronger grasp in how she thinks the finances have been vastly mismanaged.  A good point to remember, however, is that she has played a role in the downfall of high level members of the PUSD governing structure.  She is quite proud that no one has endorsed her.  She just does not strike me as someone who can work well in the group setting that is the trustee's board.

Kevin Juza

Is running a standard campaign with lots of signs and handshakes.  Seems like a friendly person.  Pretty sure he is endorsed by the teacher's union.  He has done a lot of volunteer work his child's middle school.  He led some sort of local school board that raised a lot of money for the school.  It sounded like a PTA related thing.  His experience is mostly on a single school level.  He had really poor answers to how to pay for things.  I strongly suspect it would involve lots of money that does not exist to pay for raises for teachers.  Unstated dependance on magical outside sources of money.  Perhaps a bond or taxes?  Not sure as he did not have great answers for the questions about money.

Recent news:  Juza was just endorsed by the PUSD Union and they dropped a huge block of money to get him elected.  It's a sure thing they'll get their money's worth.  But where's the money going to come from?  Not from bonds with the Billion Dollar Bond fiasco.  Teachers? Classroom technology?  In the end, like it or not, endless raises diminish our children's future's.  How? Through not getting access to learning tools or being able to participate in activities they don't know no longer exist.  Definitely don't vote for Juza.

Poway Mayor's Office

Steve Vaus

Understands the process.  Knows what people want in Poway (ie Safety, Prosperity, etc)  Deep knowledge of what's going on and how to run government.  Need more money?  Both grow the economy and cut the fat.  Clear and detailed answers to all of the questions.  Really on his game.  By far the strongest candidate.

Yuri Bohlen

Angry angry doom and gloom.  I thought this guy was supposed to be a comedian.  Don't vote for me and the City will be gone in 3 years.  One of the most negative candidates there.  Highly focused on rejecting the Poway Specific Plan.  Something about the city taking private vacant lots on Poway road and developing them.  Really strange.

Brian Edmonston

Lots of criticisms of the budget.  Would probably do well to serve on the budget committee.  Strongest of the three challengers, but that's a pretty low bar.  Balance budgets through cuts.  No acceptance of costs of development, but wants the benefits.

Emily Johnson

Wants Poway to be a more inclusive place.  Not quite sure what that means.  Something about LGBT and the homeless population.  There is pain in her voice.  She is sincere, appears to have a really good heart, and wants to make Poway a better place (or at least her vision of a better place).  Very young.  Just doesn't have the experience to be effective.

Poway City Council District 1

Dave Grosch

Excellent grasp of city planning and management.  Understands role of the City Council. ie limitations and powers.  Most reachable Councilman <- this is actually saying a lot as the entire council is easily reachable.  Heads above other candidates.

John Carson

Would focus on impacts of decision on people around the area.  Wants to rework the Poway Specific Plan.  This would lead to more stagnation on the Poway Road corridor.  Strongest challenger in a pretty weak field.  

Peter Neild

Seems nice.  Rambled a lot.  Meaning that when asked a question, just started talking about something else.  Some decent stories, though.  Really good knowledge of Poway's history as he's been here since just before it became a city.  No real agenda other than to walk around and ask the local residents what they want.  In practice, that does not work for any form of government.

Editor's note:  Peter Nield responded to this report and requested a link to his rebuttal of this, admittedly short, impression of his performance at the forum.  Although it does not change our analysis, it may influence yours.  I encourage you to take a look and make up your own mind.

Link to Peter Nield's response

You can see this link in the comments below as well.

Jonathan Ryan

Also very negative.  Appears to believe that he knows Grosch's voting record better than Grosch.  Inappropriately critical of some recent issues with the city and some of its contractors.  Appears not to fully understand the role of the council.

Poway City Council District 3

John Mullin

Keeping the City focused on it's core functions.  A very important part of what makes Poway the place it is. "you hear people here complain about some things, but you don't hear them complain about the smooth roads, about the balanced budgets, the city reserves."  Great quote.  Wants to see a number of projects and initiatives come to fruition. 

Joe Calabrese

Did not show up.  Quite disrespectful.  Really should have shown up.  This makes two forums he's missed.  I suspect he was "traveling" at home.

Poway City Council District "at large" Special Election

The closest race by far.  

Caylin Frank

Understands difference between "affordable" and "achievable" housing goals.  Strong focus on Safety (comes from a family of cops) In depth knowledge of governmental policy formulation.  Great knowledge of how the Council works.  Strong ties to the future of the city.  Really brings a lot to the table. 

Torrey Powers

Very strong challenger.  Family history in city.  Lots of volunteering.  Had a good idea of a backstop to Prop FF to require any property that survives a Prop FF vote to need another vote if owner wants to up zone it again.  Was the only unique idea I heard from anyone.  Although, I'm not sure if it would be legal.  Would not be a bad councilwomen, but is just not as good as Caylin.

Tony Russo

Rambles a lot.  Funny guy.  Clearly a good bar owner.  Does not have experience, significant opinions, or goals, it seems.  Would not work out as a council person.

Making Sense of Election 2018: Poway

District and At-Large Elections for Poway, 2018

In the past, all Poway elections were "at-large" with the entire city electing the members of the City Council as well as who would be the Mayor.  This has changed (see below) and, much to the chagrin of anyone who's been paying attention, we are in a transition period to district elections.  This process has been further muddled by the resignation of now former councilperson Jim Cunningham.  The purpose of this series of posts is to help clear up any potential confusion about these local 2018 elections.

In November, we will choose who will occupy the following seats:

Mayor's Office:  Currently held by Steve Vaus, this is an "at-large" seat, meaning everyone in Poway can vote on it. Short version: Steve is highly responsive to the residents and has done an excellent job representing Poway to the outside world.  Vote for Steve Vaus

Council Seat District 1:  Currently held by Dave Grosch.  This election is restricted to those residents who live within District 1. Short version: Dave is one of the most hands on city councilmen in Poway's history who keeps a close watch on the city's finances.  Vote for Dave Grosch.

Council Seat District 3:  Currently held by John Mullin.  This election is restricted to those residents who live within District 3. Short version: John has used his knowledge of the interface between government and business to reduce unneeded barriers and increase governmental predictability, thus allowing for more entrepreneurs to call Poway home.  Vote for John Mullin.

Council Seat District 4: Currently held by Caylin Frank (right).  This election is at large (why? - see below) meaning everyone in Poway can vote on it.  Short version: Caylin brings nearly a decade of governmental policy and planning experience at the county level to the table for Poway.  Vote for Caylin Frank.

There are more detailed pages (to the right) about why each of these candidates deserve your vote.

All of the serious candidates will be at the Painted Rock Forum on October 3rd.  If you have the time, take a look.

Why are there Districts in Poway?

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past several years, (which makes up a surprisingly large number of us), you would know that the Poway City Government moved from "at-large" to District Elections.  Why?

The Poway City Council had No Choice.

A pair of focused interest groups got a state law passed that had been written in such a way as to effectively mandate districts in all elected bodies. That this tossed out California's original and progressive plan to reduce Chicago style corruption mattered little to the redistricting proponents, and we will all bear the consequences going forward.

So, about this time last year, the Poway City Council made its choice for a redistricting map with four districts, one for each Council member, and a single at-large (like previously) election for the Mayor.  Especially confusing is this election year is that we are within the transition period between at-large and district elections.

Below is a map of Poway's new districts.  All of us get to vote for the Mayor and the City Council seat currently held by Caylin Frank.  Those people who live in Districts 1 or 3 will additionally vote for one of the people running for those city council seats.

Holy moly!  Why is District 4 being held "at-large?"

District 4 is being held as an "at-large" election because councilperson Jim Cunningham, lawyer well versed in the arcane rules of city governance and election law, chose to vacate his seat with more than two years till the term ended.  There are a lot of odd theories running around about why Jim chose to vacate his seat and the timing of that decision.  They essentially range from Jim being cynical and self centered to him trying to encourage voter turnout to Jim throwing an adult version of a hissy fit over the failure of a handful of his recent pet projects.  Like most things in life, the truth is probably a little bit of everything. 

In some sense, by effectively springing District elections onto District 4 two years early, it has robbed that section of Poway any additional time to cultivate a quality batch of local civic leaders to put forth onto the council.  Ironically, it appears perhaps as blatant a way that the old Poway City Council (represented by Cunningham's era) is screwing the folks represented in District 4.

Frankly not a great legacy to leave, although it was one already pretty tarnished with the series of scandals and missteps near the end.

In short, because District 4 won't have District elections until 2020, anyone appointed to fill the seat that Cunningham held could come from anywhere in the city.  But when 2020 rolls around, would a current councilperson have to resign their position to allow for the seating of the winner of District 4?  Which Poway voters would be disenfranchised?  Conveniently absent from the state redistricting mandates is any legal guidance for this foreseeable circumstance; leaving situations like this ripe for lawsuits and lining the pockets of the lawyer interest groups who wrote the state laws in the first place.

Fortunately, in a bid to unify and mend potential wounds, our current crop of elected officials saw a path out of the weeds and chose a highly qualified candidate (Caylin Frank), who lives in District 4, to fill the seat that Cunningham previously held.  Only one of the two challengers to that seat (Torrey Powers) lives within District 4.  So, it is up to the at-large voters of Poway to ensure that our choice for that City Council seat goes to a candidate who lives in District 4, lest we open up the City of Poway's pocketbook to a feeding frenzy of lawyers in major election lawsuits.