RICK MORGAN, Dana Point
This was originally intended solely as a support letter for our candidate choice in District 3 in the upcoming midterm elections. Now, circumstances have taken a rather dark turn.
My wife and I have voted in every election since moving together to Dana Point in 1987. We’ve just received our sample ballot and, to our utter disgust, find that there is no choice for us to vote in District 3. We moved over the summer—one block, from District 4—and registered our change of address well before the 15-day deadline for voting. I’m not sure what, if any, solution exists to rectify this totally unacceptable situation.
This entire midterm cycle makes me ill. First, the city is carved prematurely into voting districts, mandated by the liberal majority state legislature because of what I believe is a trumped-up minority-disenfranchisement issue. I can understand having voting districts in larger cities like LA, San Francisco, San Diego, etc., where millions of people are involved, but Dana Point, with a “whopping” 34,000 residents? I don’t think so.
And now we have a ballot with no choice for us to make for city council. It appears we’re the ones who have been disenfranchised.
For the record, whether we can vote for city council or not, our clear choice would be Jamey Federico. He is a retired United States Marine lieutenant colonel, which shows me solid leadership capabilities and integrity, two virtues highly prized by the Marine Corps. From what I’ve seen, his opponent has more than one developer backing his campaign. I believe developers will expect a lot in return if one is elected.
I extend my gratitude to Mr. Federico’s opponent for his own Marine/law enforcement service, but there is too much developer money floating around, and I find his recent “Don’t be fooled” charges against Mr. Federico distasteful.
Dana Point has been a draw for thousands of residents for the small-town atmosphere it had when it became a city in 1989. There have always been numerous fierce developer campaigns since incorporation to make us a “destination resort.” Fortunately, the planning commission and a majority of residents kept the developers in reasonable check. Unfortunately, since 2010, the developers have gained far too great a foothold in town since the advent of the Bill Brough-led, 3-2 developer-friendly cabal, upon his election to city council that year.
Don’t be fooled, indeed. We believe Jamey Federico to be one of the very best choices possible for Dana Point City Council. We just hope we can actually vote for him.
By the way, we voted for Scott Schoeffel before, and we would do it again—if we were in the right district.
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