Tomi's Prescription for CD2
Sunland-Tujunga activist and realtor Tomi Bowling is suggesting that all of the "little" seven candidates running for CD2 should choose one amongst themselves to be a united candidate against Paul Krekorian, Tamar Galatzan and Chris Essel. Conceivably once that one "grassroots" candidate was selected the remaining six would withdrawl from the list. Tomi's essay is below. Thoughts?
If we really, really, really want a grass roots candidate to win in CD2 and to see that headline. We can do it. Here's how:
You guys that have come to be known as the little 7 need to get together. You all need to realize that this many candidates is spreading the votes too thin and we won't win this way. We need to see a grass roots candidate win. ONE. One grass roots candidate CAN do it. But the rest need to drop out and back that one, now while we have time to build the momentum behind that one candidate. Back that one with all your might. Big splash in the media with ALL of you doing it, all channels will come if you all have a BIG announcement. All media will run the story.
It will be another CD2 first, and another huge victory for the grass roots campaigns we are now getting famous for.
ONE grass roots candidate will be a top runner and will be in the run off. By virtue of making it that far, they will win over the votes from the two big three kids that fall out.
We can do this. We CAN make this happen but you 7 need to show their devotion and dedication so much that they need to be willing to drop out and back the ONE most sensible runner.
We need to really push this to make it happen. Whomever you guys choose we need to stick together and get the votes out for that person.
We need to work together in true CD2 style and make this go the way we want.
If we do not make that happen there will be way too many washed out votes for the 7 and the big two will be in the run off and we'll be STUCK with them. STUCK.
I don't want to be stuck. Help make this happen!!!
Labels: cd2 special election, tomi lyn bowling
Posted by Michael Higby @ 8/28/2009 09:28:00 PM
37 Comments:
Impossible. Never happen.
Way too much bad blood at this point.
Los Angeles is headed for Armageddon.
CD 2 voters about to speed up the process by election Krekorian.
They need to get their heads examined.
Impossible, but for a different reason than Phil stated.
Add up all the money, all the volunteers, and all the voters that the others have in their pocket, add them up and you will get something close to zero. If they can't communicate a unified message to the voters, what difference does it make?
Don't complicate matters, on the first round vote for ANY ONE BUT ESSEL.
If we do that we will avert disaster.
Tomi is right! This can work. A grassroots candidate will beat the big 2 or 3 (depending on how you look at it).7 cannot.
Just because you don't have a lot of support doesn't mean your some sort of great grassroots candidate. Perhaps the candidate that's most grassroots is the one that spent years building a track record of accomplishment, has recruited the most volunteers, and has the most active campaign.
We all know who that is. Some just don't like it.
OK let's think this through. Who would that candidate be? Surely it must be the one who is most likely to win, since ANY "grassroots" candidate will do in this scenario.
This is how political cartels and parties first got started.
The Candidates already discussed a similar strategy privately among each other and they couldnt all agree. This idea was already floated and that boat sank.
Right. Anyone but the Mayor`s lapdog . That is; Essel the sinking vessel.
Neighborhood councils in CD2 who have elected board members in this Special Election - Sanchez, Essavi, McCue, Benson - all on this short list have a core base of supporters from one or more neighborhood councils. Sheftel, Bisani and Saltsburg can avail themselves to bolster the Neighborhood Council-led team comprising the "fabulous four."
The one candidate in this impressive field who stands for truth, integrity, facing whatever and any issue wisely and fairly, equipped to answer, with compassion, the ripping of the social fabric by dysfunctional government on all levels (city, county, state) is Mary Benson.
Mary's core base of supporters span across four neighborhood councils: Sunland-Tujunga, Foothill Trails, Sun Valley - comprising the largest geographic and the highest population areas.
Mary Benson will be a great Council Member representing District Two, of, by and for our community of interests in the East San Fernando Valley and across Los Angeles.
Working closely with and perhaps picking staff members from the remaining six grass-roots candidates, Mary will build a model that works, coalition politics-based, that other Council Districts will organize on similar lines.
Can six support one? It's there only hope.
The coalition among the six grassroots candidates will best represent, preserve and maintain our neighborhoods across the Valley and Los Angeles - in this time of stress and difficulty.
It is one formula sure to work in the sea of failures and greed-based planning and development run by, and exclusively for developer needs over people's needs.
12:25am, Very beautifully written campaign spin. Is she PAYING you for these services, as well. Oh wait, I think you are just a random NC member, right? Riiiiiiight!
I'll support one of the Neighborhood Council candidates, but just not Mary Benson. I'm sorry. I see there is a big supporter of her's here. You make all the right arguments, but picked someone who clearly is not up to the actual job itself. And I'm not just jumping behind someone because they are grassroots. You can't just let the whole district fall apart over idealism. If you don't get it together, it's going to Krekorian. He already has the Valley NCs locked up anyway, I think. To be honest, I doubt you can really sway your coalition. It's already rigged for Krekorian.
The thing about Mary...MMMary Cumings, not Benson is that the things she say to try and attack you are so dumb they are not even hurtful. It reminds me of when my kid was three years old and would scream, "I HATE YOU." But it's not like you are offended. It just makes you sad for the child that they are so frustrated. But she is mean spirited so I don't mind saying that the stuff she picks on is so dumb, it's doesn't even matter to people. But she's just annoying.
Whew! Forget about mere ethics violations. If any candidate has even hinted to another that there is a staff position for them if they drop out, that's WAY beyond an ethics issue- IT'S A FEDERAL CRIME AND A FELONY.
never gonna happen. and they'll all get arrested for collusion. its not ethical. its democracy, and they all want to run.
where do these people hatch these pipe dreams?
all seven wouldn't even be able to agree on lunch.
This CD 2 resident says YES. Excellent idea!
Riiiiiiight! has one "i"
Accusations (yours) are libous and slanderous if baseless and untrue.
Be on notice - after-the-fact now - check Mary's reporting disclosure for any such item.
Investigate before making false allegations.
This is why I keep my distance. I won't run, EVER, because of this kind of BS.
By the by...everyone is Anonymous so no reference point.
Anonymous said it is an excellent idea....which is excellent ....the original idea of the six dropping out and backing one, or the idea that the six might be staff for MB (which did sound like a dang commercial).
I hear MMMary isn't doing that well. Lay off guys or she might end up pulling a MMMarylin Monroe routine. She's a candle in the wind and Santa Ana's are coming. I don't think she's going to make it. Be nice.
The reason it won't work is that the 7 minor candidates are in it to satisfy their own ego. They know they have no chance to win. With the exception of Mary Bernson who is well-meaning, but has no clue what it takes to win a race like this.
Do you think for one moment that Zuma Dogg is going to give up his chance to perform at the candidates' forums. It's a wonder that he doesn't put his hat on the floor. He could care less about the district or the people in it. This is his opportunity to get the kind of attention that he needs to thrive.
If Mary Benson is promoting this idea it will not work. The Republicans in Sunville-Tujunga who voted for Walter Moore about 66% will vote for Mary but doubt progressives in the rest of the district will not upon discovering her views on immigration.
Krekorian took a poll and found that, indeed, Mary Benson has a higher name recognition than others (including Krekorian).
Rico charges involve racketing, extortion, blackmail, bribery. Say if one (or more) candidates promised a staff position to another candidate to drop out, by what amounts to a payoff.
That is not what is being offered here. The twisted insinuation of felony may very well be made by a spoil-sport - like Galatzan - who herself may very well be formally charged with ethics violations over misuse of LAUSD funds. Galatzan has made false allegations against her fellow candidates - in what may be considered as abuse of her office as a City Prosecutor.
Collusion is not an operant if the cooperation is done in the public space. No objective forbidden by law is being sought. The objective is to support the candidate with the strongest chance of defeating machine candidates in a "democratic" election where the level playing field exists only for the corporate, moneyed candidates.
If the seven grassroots agree freely (without a promise or bribe of future employment) amongst themselves to "gang up" on the machine opportunists then rico is not involved.
http://www.unitedboycott.org/
On more than one occasion, more than one candidate has been overheard as extending an offer of employment to another candidate.
If the fear factor of a misapplication of rico deters the six grassroots candidates to agree on publicly rallying around Mary Benson, then our community has no chance against the developer interests and to unite to help each in this difficult meltdown of government safety net and ecological devastation (such as the La Canada and Morris fires and more to come from the effects of ever-worsening climate change and desertification).
Certainly, after the September election, six of the seven grassroots candidates will decide (given a grassroots candidate made it to the runoff) who to build a coalition around. Mary Benson is the strongest grassroots candidates of the lot of them to make it to the December runoff and actually win in December.
If Mary Benson is offering staff positions to the other candidates that's illegal. I hope that is not what you are suggesting.
My, how words are contorted by your adversaries and set in oxymoronic context.
Here comes the spoil-sport take on coalition politics and their pathetic attempt to scandalously reframe the argument
Anonymous said...
If Mary Benson is offering staff positions to the other candidates that's illegal. I hope that is not what you are suggesting.
August 29, 2009 1:38 PM
machine pigs:
Which survey are you talking about?
The Goodwin survey?
PK's expenditures show nothing for a survey.
I am not comfortable with Mary's ties to Walter Moore as I don't agree with comments about opposing speaking Spanish and immigration. I could not support this.
Machine pigs at the trough, I don't know what you've been eating or smoking, but that claim is ridiculous. More name recognition for Benson over Krekorian. Where at a Benson family reunion?
Lousy idea. Here's why. If the "grassroot" candidates are so popular in their own areas, why haven't their loyal supporters ponyed up a few bucks to their campaigns?
Benson has a whopping total of 3 donations, one of which is probably her husband for a total of $900;
Bisani has 5 donations for a total of $1200;
Essavi has 0 donations but has a loan from himself for $4000;
Essel has hundreds of donations, 98% from outside CD2 for a total of $196,754;
Galatzan has 60+ donations for a total of $21,151 plus a $25,000 loan from herself, NOTE: Galatzan claimed she wouldn't take money from a developer or family member who has any project pending in CD2, well, the wife of one has given her the maximum donation;
Krekorian has hundreds of donations, majority of which is from CD2 for a total of $95,591;
McCue has 2 donations, one of which is from himself for a total of $511;
David "Zuma Dogg" Saltzburg hasn't file info yet;
Sanchez has 8 donations, one of which includes himself for a total of $725;
Sheftel has 8 donations for a total of $2470 plus a $1000. loan from himself.
So much for the loyalty of those supporting grassroots candidates. Between them, they've raised barely over $10,000, including their personal loans.
There's a message here boys and girls. Knowledge and experience matters. I don't want a novice who can't even get a few bucks from their own friends and supporters to be my next councilmember. No matter how you slice it, 7 combined lightweights still won't make a heavyweight.
Just like grass lawns across the city, the grassroots candidates are dead. RIP.
Answering these two who have aversions to do the fact check themselves:
Anonymous said...
machine pigs:
Which survey are you talking about?
The Goodwin survey?
PK's expenditures show nothing for a survey.
August 29, 2009 4:19 PM
and:
Anonymous said...
Machine pigs at the trough, I don't know what you've been eating or smoking, but that claim is ridiculous. More name recognition for Benson over Krekorian. Where at a Benson family reunion?
August 29, 2009 4:44 PM
Both Anonymous posts are answered here:
Published on August 26, 2009 at 1:51pm
Conventional wisdom says it takes deep pockets to reach voters in a district as gerrymandered as CD 2. But plenty of the grass-roots candidates have already earned reputations by crusading on local issues. In a name-recognition poll paid for by Krekorian’s campaign, Benson — a Sun Valley environmental advocate who is only beginning to reach out to voters districtwide — proved to be better known than City Hall favorite Essel.
“I don’t think you need $100,000,” Benson says. “If I can activate the activists, no amount of campaign literature plugging the mailbox will matter.”
I AM SOOO TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT THAT BS POLL. LETS TELL THE TRUTH. THAT POLL ONLY ASKED ABOUT 5 OF THE CANDIDATES LEAVING OFF THE OTHER 5. THE POLL IS BULLSHIT CAUSE WE WILL NEVER KNOW IF ESSAVI OR SHEFTEL OR ZUMA HAD ANY NAME RECOGINTION CAUSE NO ON ASKED ABOUT THEM SO PLEASE QUIT CITING THAT STUPID 1/2 ASSED POLL.
machine pig:
You said that the Goodwin poll showed that Mary Benson had greater name recognition that anyone in the race including Krekorian.
Here is the first statement in the report about that survey from Paul Goodwin:
"First, Krekorian is substantially better known than his opponents and starts with a solid lead."
And remember that this was in late July. As mailers go out the name recognition of those who can afford them goes up. Remember that it's not about what the race was like in late July. It's what it will be about on election day.
the goodwin poll was not mentioned in the link posted at 9:39
did 4:13 and 9:15 look at the LA Weekly link provided by the 9:39 post?
here's what you two anonymous (4:13 and 9:15) self-absorbed besmirchers would like: reading about yourselves - http://phinvv.wordpress.com/2009/08/29/krekorian-campaign-smears-mary-benson/
BREAKING NEWS: THE ETHICS DEPARTMENT IS LOOKING TO SEE WHAT ZUMA DOGG'S "EXPENDITURES" HAVE BEEN. IF HE SPENT ANY OF THE MONEY ON SUBWAY SANDWICHES THAT WEREN'T EATEN AT RELATED EVENTS, HE WILL BE SCREWED.
4:13 and 5:15 - read the LA Weekly article referenced in 9:39
The purpose of the Goodwin/Krekorian poll was to establish PK as the frontrunner. That's all. And that's the reason that the poll wasn't release, just a carefully worded summary by Goodwin.
It is now meaningless. And will be even more meaningless as the weeks go by and those with with money get out the media.
If it were true that Mary Benson at that time had more name ID than any other candidate, the results of the election will show that she blew the opportunity.
This isn't like NASCAR where you get points for leading a certain number of laps whether or not you win.
interesting...seems like tomi has given up...she's endorsed Tamar!
http://www.tamarforcitycouncil.com/endorsements
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