JANINE……..WHO’S YOUR DADDY? GET RID OF YOUR TIRED, OUTDATED “REPUBLICAN” STRATEGY!!
YOU ARE A FLAT-OUT RACIST WHEN IT COMES TO CIVIL REPRESENTATION. DO WE HAVE TO COME TO CITY HALL TO YELL AND PROTEST? DO WE HAVE TO COME TO LOUISA WITH SIGNS AND BULLHORNS TO BE HEARD? DO WE HAVE TO GO INTO NELLIE GALE TO GET THE ATTENTION OF THE SELF-PROCLAIMED GREAT ARCHITECT? DO WE HAVE TO GO TO YORBA LINDA TO SEEK LEGAL COUNCIL?
WE ARE BROWN BUT NOT DOWN. GIVE US DISTRICT VOTING!!
The issue of district voting is currently stirring controversy in Laguna Hills, California, and it raises unsettling questions about the motives of the City Council, led by Mayor Janine Heft, Council member Don Caskey, and their city attorney. While they may have valid reasons for resisting a switch to a more representative district voting system, the delay has raised concerns about possible racial bias. This comes at a time when neighboring cities, including Laguna Niguel, San Clemente, and Rancho Santa Margarita, are transitioning to district voting.
The optics of an all-white city council opposing a shift towards greater equity in the voting system are concerning and invoke echoes of the past, particularly the “George Wallace” era in American politics when some political figures defended segregationist policies.
In this context, it’s essential to consider the motivations behind the City Council’s actions. Could the delay be financially motivated, with the city attorney potentially benefiting from increased “billable charges” for advice related to this issue? While it’s important to remember that these suspicions are just that—suspicions—it is crucial for the council to be transparent in communicating their rationale to the community.
The fact that Laguna Hills has already exhausted the “safe harbor” opportunity, as mandated by the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA), only adds to the concerns. Under Assembly Bill 350, potential plaintiffs must wait 45 days after receiving a letter before filing lawsuits, during which no legal action can be taken. This provision is in place to cap the costs the city and its citizens would bear for the initial legal proceedings.
However, with Laguna Hills now set to face legal action on this issue, the financial burden on the city and its residents could be substantial. Moreover, history has shown that no city has won a judgment in court on this issue, meaning that even a miracle win would not absolve the city from covering the costs of the legal battle.
Given these circumstances, it’s essential to question the motives of Mayor Janine Heft, Don Caskey, and the city attorney. Do they genuinely have the best interests of the citizens at heart? Are they pushing the old and tired Republican strategy of “promote diversity but vote white.” Is Janine trying to enhance her party profile for a higher office? Or can they just be pushing forward with a costly and seemingly futile resistance, shifting the financial burden onto the people they are meant to serve just because they can?
Laguna Hills, with a nearly 20% Hispanic population, has never had a minority city council member, and the delay in adopting a more representative voting system raises doubts about the council’s commitment to diversity and equitable representation. Council member Don Caskey’s willingness to spend $50,000 of his own money on his campaign suggests a significant cost associated with running for office in Laguna Hills, particularly in the Nellie Gale area.
It is indeed time for a change that prioritizes the citizens’ interests, promotes diversity in the council, and ensures a more equitable and representative voting system for the future.
Read this take on why district voting leads to the Holocaust or something like that. Can we keep the Holocaust out of it. Sheesh!
https://voiceofoc.org/2023/10/schiff-facts-irvine-voters-should-consider-but-werent-provided-by-the-city-council-before-voting-to-adopt-by-district-elections/
Geez, what a nutty-ass piece! Talk about Godwin’s Law.
What a smorgasbord of arguments that could all be debunked if one had the time.
LOL. Immigrant Jews in the south used to be asked if they had horns …. BECAUSE their ghettos back in Europe had been broken up into DISTRICTS!
And this Schiff lady acts like district elections are some brand new novelty which has never been tried, like, EVERYWHERE ELSE. Okay I’ll stop or I won’t be able to.
This “do you have horns” question literally happened to me, though it was in rural Indiana (which is pretty much the South culturally.) When I taught in Arkansas, I think that they may have been either more worldly or just too polite to ask.
Maybe they didn’t know your ancestors hailed from a place divided into DISTRICTS!
The Voice, understandably, did not consider this piece worthy of posting on their Facebook page. Perhaps that was merciful to Ms. Schiff, sparing her a barrage of rotten tomato comments.
I dunno about being Brown But Not Down, hadn’t heard of that, though it’s true that the CVRA is generally argued in racial terms.
The real reasons many of us support district elections is to make it easier for less well-funded non-insiders to win, break up these little self-perpetuating “cabals” they seem to have in South County, and have voices for different areas in a city.
And Laguna Hills shouldn’t be risking wasting so much money hoping to avoid the 21st Century.
If a city is divided and a developer is aiming for a project, that council representative will be the first to be bribed. LA is notorious for corrupt councilmembers who have been busted by the FBI. My neighborhood has approximately 50% of non English speakers at home. Our culture will not be satisfied until they drive every conservative out. Who identifies with diversity? Much of the children residing in the human filing cabinets built in the Irvine Business Complex go to Santa Ana or Tustin school districts. Education is just as important as where you reside, probably even more. If you enjoy being told how to think and live that is fine but don’t expect me to comply.
Take your pill.
Rotfl.