Tito to be stripped of “Pro-Tem?” We answer his distraught fans’ complaints…

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“I can’t take on THIS three-headed hydra!”

Strap in, kids, this is gonna be a wild ride!

Mayor Kim Carr and Councilmembers Dan Kalmick and Mike Posey have introduced the above item to this week’s city council meeting agenda, and some of Current Mayor Pro Tem Tito Ortiz’s fans are understandably upset. Not only are they struggling to understand why their newest political hero is facing these consequences, they are also struggling to understand what those consequences actually are. 

According to self-identified City Hall Watcher Mark Bixby, “This would not have made it onto the agenda unless approval was near-certain.” So, in preparation for this city council meeting, I’d like to take this moment to fact check the Huntington Beach Community Forum, and answer some of the HBCF denizens’ questions: 

“WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON!!! This makes my skin boil! SOCIALISM AT IT’S FINEST! HELL NO!”

It’s not a hostile socialist takeover, it’s just a motion to replace the current Mayor Pro Tem with someone who doesn’t spend their Sunday afternoon yelling at teenage cashiers. Creative mixing of colloquialisms, though, haven’t heard of boiling skin before.

“The citizens of HB have a voice and have made they’re decision, why can’t you just accept that?”

The Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem are selected by members of the city council, not by the general public, and the positions are rotated among members of the council. City Council does not have the power to eject one of its members; only an official recall can remove a duly elected council member from office. Carr, Kalmick, and Posey are perfectly within their right to put this item on the agenda (and I think they got significant public pressure to do so).

“How do WE THE PEOPLE censor THEM … ?”

Perhaps we… don’t bother? Your only real recourse is to start an official recall petition… actually, three recall petitions. Maybe more if Delgleize, Moser, and Peterson join them in voting yes on this item. That seems like too much work for a bunch of people who have tried and failed for two years to recall Gavin “Newsome,” but good luck I guess. 

“Wouldn’t it be awesome if these libs spent 4 years mindlessly ignoring the idea that they have jobs to do while aimlessly spending that time going after Tito?”

No, it wouldn’t. And that’s all the more reason to support the no confidence vote; hopefully removing him from this higher-profile position will mean fewer distractions, and more focus on local governance. It’s supposed to be boring, folks! 

“I thought in this country if your voted in and do your job, thats enough. Why the hypocrisy against democracy?”

“Hypocrisy against democracy” is a phrase that doesn’t actually mean anything. I agree it should be enough for any elected official to show up and do their job. However, I haven’t seen any evidence that Tito has done that. Have you? 

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Listen, children, the job of a city council member isn’t just showing up at a community event, or handing out turkeys at Christmas, or sitting on a dais and voting yay or nay. There’s also listening, reading, writing… and legislating. Kalmick and Moser show up with at least one agenda item every meeting (and usually more). Where has Tito been? 

If Mayor Pro Tem Ortiz were truly showing up and doing the work, I would be firmly against the no confidence vote. I just don’t think that’s the case. 

Where can we get phone numbers to call? Will it help?

I agree with Bixby that this item is almost certain to pass. A phone call might not help Tito Ortiz keep his title of Mayor Pro Tem, but it will help your elected representatives hear you. They sincerely want you to call them about this and everything else going on around town, I promise. 

The City Council’s Administrative Assistant can be reached at 714-536-5553, and you can send an email to all of the council members at City.Council@surfcity-hb.org. If you’d like to speak at the meeting, it will be livestreamed here at 6pm on Monday, February 1. 

I’ll be watching with popcorn and a bottle of wine. Cheers. 

Previously in this series:
And Our Tito Watch Begins…
Tito Tries a Council Meeting!
Tito and Facial Coverings: A Dark Surf City Comedy
#SaveOurChildren… and How it Doesn’t.
Champion of the Oppressed: Unmasked Tito Thrown out of Meeting.
Tito’s World 2: The HB Mayor Pro-Tem’s Plan to Kill Your Grandma.
Tito’s TK-Burger-Gate


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