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I received two emails today regarding a rally and march taking place tomorrow (Tuesday 1/8) in support of appointing Betty Valencia’s to Orange’s City Council. I don’t know which came first, or if both came from a separate source, so I’m just printing both.
From Karen Hinks‘s WE LEAD OC:
It’s a brand new year! Welead OC wishes you the very best 2019 has to offer. We hope you had an opportunity to rest up after hard-fought campaigns — it’s time to get back to work!
Tomorrow, January 8th, please join Welead OC as we stand with Beatriz (Betty) Valencia.
Please come out to support Beatriz “Betty” Valencia for Orange City Council. Discussion regarding the vacant seat is agenda item 7.1
http://www.cityoforange.org/DocumentCenter/View/8257/01-08-19ccwebOptions include:
1) Appoint a qualified individual to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term; or 2) Call for a Special Election and direct staff to prepare the appropriate Resolution; or 3) Conduct a Special Meeting prior to February 9, 2019, to deliberate further on the matter.
We demand a fair process, and call on the Orange City Council to respect the will of voters by appointing Beatriz “Betty” Valencia to the open seat vacated by now Mayor Mark Murphy. In November, Valencia finished third in an eight candidate race with two vacant seats, making her the highest vote getter not to secure a seat. The current four-member city council can appoint someone to the third seat or hold a special election that would cost up to $450 thousand. Betty Valencia would be the first qualified openly LGBTQ person and first immigrant to serve on the council, as well as the first Latina woman.We will gather around the fountain at Plaza Square (Orange circle) at 5pm sharp for a sunset sing-along with Betty, followed by a candlelight procession to City Hall (candles will be provided) for a short rally before 6pm meeting.
Park at or near City Hall, 300 E. Chapman Ave, and walk two blocks west to the fountain at Plaza Square (the Orange Circle)
Schedule:
5pm – Sunset sing-along around fountain at Plaza Square (Orange circle)
5:15 – Candlelight procession to City Hall
5:30 – Rally at city hall (statement from Betty)
6pm – City Council regular session commencesPlease wear red in support. Hope to see you there!
From the National Women’s Political Caucus (with slight rephrasing and reorganization):
Betty Valencia is seeking to be appointed to the Orange City Council. Betty came in third out of eight candidates to be elected to two City Council seats. When Mark Murphy’s seat became vacant when he won the Mayoral race, this opened the door for Betty to fill this seat. The Orange City Council has the opportunity to appoint Betty, rather than spend $450k on a special election.
At the December 11 City Council meeting, a right-wing racist & bigot pulled a knife after opposing the appointment. Watch the video here.
On Tuesday, January 8 at 5:00 pm, there will be a candlelight “Circle of Love” at the Orange Plaza. Betty will bring her guitar and we will sing, then rally and hear a few words from Betty. The message is, “We want a fair process.” Then we will march to city hall.
Please come down and support Betty, even if you don’t live in Orange. The more the merrier. Let’s show Orange that we want change.
Wear Red in support of Beatriz “Betty” Valencia for Orange City Council.
RSVP on the Facebook page, where you will also find details of where to park, etc.
I don’t think that any hard-and-fast rule demands that the third-place finisher in an election necessarily is the obvious choice to appointment. I think that it should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. In this case, I think that it’s critical that the Orange City Council appoint Betty Valencia for one big reason:
Because they apparently don’t want to.
According to Vern’s earlier reporting, the Republican-dominated City Council wants someone like them, “someone they can work with.”
Well, that may be what they want, but it’s not what they need. What they need is someone who doesn’t approach governing from the same assumptions as they do, someone who can call them on their in-group dominated perspective when there are valid reasons to challenge it.
Betty Valencia is willing and able to do so. Sitting in the deep minority of a city council where the majority thinks the same way about things — but a significant portion of the population does not — is a pretty rough job. Betty is willing to do it, though, and to point out where the majority is blinkered in ways that could lead to problems including litigation against the city if they run roughshod over their own citizens (as city councils sometimes do.) They should appreciate the value that she — and probably no one else applying — can bring to the City Council. It may not lead to a city where everyone in government thinks the same way — but that’s good. Show up and let them know that good governance means going outside of their comfort zone — and that they don’t need a new election to have a damn good idea of what the city councl is currently missing — and who can fill that deficiency.
Ill be there
Only thing missing is a prayer vigil.
Do you think that that would make the difference? If so, maybe Paul Lucas can start a silent one and push Betty over the top.
Note for the record that they’re also missing a drum circle, a piñata, and a magician for the kids, just for starters.
*Aren’t they supposed to have a Special Election instead? Just asking!
As with Fullerton, which is facing a similar situation, it’s up to them whether to appoint a replacement for the vacant seat or to schedule a new election months from now and at the city’s expense. There’s no categorically right answer.
Hey, I know a guy in Fullerton . . .
You know plenty of guys in Fullerton….
That sounds ominous.
Word was the council was now gonna appoint Arianna Barrios, which was a ridiculous idea – Kris Murray’s right-hand lady and the head (with her husband) of “Communications Lab,” she had too many conflicts of interest to count.
Now they’re saying they’re looking at 14 possible appointees, but this was never properly noticed and looks like a real Brown Act Violation.
Betty’s troops need to get serious about district elections.
Thank you Greg for another fine article. I fully support Betty she is a great example of what Bernie Sanders was talking about when spoke about making a movement. I believe we need much more attention on school board and city Council races by our Democratic Party. Local races are very important in there own right and they are also the seeds from which all levels of government grow from.
The council was playing games with the Vacancy. First they age sized it as a discussion item then they were jumping around on the agenda avoiding the item. I stayed as long as I could but I had to go home as I am still
Sore and tired from my surgery the other day
No white smoke from the chimney flue?
What’s the state of city finances? If running in the red, then putting another $500k into a special election doesn’t exactly sound fiscally prudent.
Of course, during a special, if 10% or less actually vote, the winner may wind up with fewer votes than Betty received during the general. That seems…improper.
I hope folks in both Fullerton and Orange are talking about both these issues, but expect the most engaged folks are focused on pure partisan/commercial concerns.
“Of course, during a special, if 10% or less actually vote, the winner may wind up with fewer votes than Betty received during the general. That seems…improper.”
Yeah, but if the council picks a successor the winner will end up with three to five votes. Does that seem proper?
Depends on whether the council picks a successor THEY want based on their unilateral will, or whether the successor was picked by the people.
If the council selects Valencia, they are saying that the voters in the general were voting to ‘fill city council seats’ – they thought it was 2 seats, but it actually turned out to be 3 seats. If the council selects anyone other than Valencia, they are saying that the voters were voting to fill ‘2 seats about to come open’ – and nothing more. Both are defensible interpretations of the meaning of the votes, but given that, the next consideration ought to be cost: special elections are not free.
Whatever at least three of them decide is going to be unilateral, including a unilateral interpretation of what being “picked by the people” means. At least putting something on a ballot lets people decide. If Betty can’t muster up a majority in a low-turn-out election that’s too bad.
Orange is a very conservative city and Betty wants to turn it hard left. I researched all the candidates and most of their values and principles do not mirror mine. That is why I voted the way I did for city council and Mayor. What ever the Council decides to do is up to their discretion. Jon and Betty were close in votes so the council will have to decide if appointment would be best or a special election. If they decide to appoint I am sure they will pick a qualified person.
REMINDER: Citio Orange Council meets again TONIGHT to discuss what to do with the open seat. I don’t know of any organized efforts to get people to show up, but here is a disorganized effort in favor of supporting Betty!
https://www.facebook.com/events/391848871585750/
I recommend a torchlight procession with giant puppets and lots of self-flagellation.
Ha!
Council last night decided to have a special election in November, so Beatriz can make her case again to voters then … along with Dumitru and who knows who else. That’ll be fun.