Jim Eckel, San Clemente
San Clemente needs City Council members who possess the aptitude, experience and conviction to help lead it into the future. A very important area of our city is our charming downtown. As a property owner and former downtown business owner, I can tell you that maintaining our downtown charm is a top priority of both business and property owners.
As a resident of twenty years, I can assure you there were times when our downtown may have appeared charming, but it was definitely not profitable for business or property owners. As with any downtown area, there has been and will always be turnover, which can be a healthy exercise in regeneration. However, it was not that long ago that the word “charming” was not your first thought when describing downtown. For most of the nineties, our downtown barely limped along and business turnover was very high. Fortunately, in recent years, beginning with Dave Donaldson’s Beachfire Grill restaurant, the downtown has thrived with the additions of Nick’s, The Shore, Mimosa’s, and South of Nick’s.
However, there are challenges ahead for the economic viability of downtown in the form of increased retail competition from the future Marblehead outlet mall. We need to encourage sensible business development for downtown by resisting heavy-handed measures such as building height restrictions that would halt our upward momentum and sabotage our chances for sustained growth.
Mike Mortenson and Jim Dahl are two City Council candidates who have been endorsed by the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce, the San Clemente Downtown Business Association and the Orange County Register for one important reason; they understand that business is an important part to maintaining our Downtown vitality. From bartenders to board shapers, San Clemente runs on business. A City Council comprised of individuals who are aware of this reality is essential for a strong, fiscally responsible city.
Mike and Jim will have my vote this coming November 6 and for the future sake of our much loved downtown, I’m asking you to do the same.
We don’t need business friendly folks on the council– we need folks who want good development and good business here, that’s all. It isn’t ALL about business it’s about quality of life for the 99% of us that live here and work elsewhere.
Dahl has proven to be 100% pro toll road, pro Lab strip mall, pro cheap bad development—- Mortensen is right with him– Turns out he took 10k from the LA Realtors Assoc——for what????? It is so obvious that Hamm and B.Baker#1 are the candidates for a quality of life in San Clemente that most residents would want.
A weak economy = San Clemente in the early 1990s. Remember that? I do. A strong local economy = what we have now. Which do you prefer? Ask yourself this, why are businesses so hostile to Baker? Even the small, local merchants and restaurants? Because he’s irrational and prejudges things. That’s the same reason he has pre-prepared statements at council meetings. Yep, he’s actually decided issues before he even hears them. Not a surprise.
Actually, ask yourself this: why don’t any other councilmembers or former mayors support Baker? Why don’t the firemen in Hamm’s own station support Hamm? Maybe because they know them better than everyone else.
The “LA Realtors Assoc” is such a lie. give me a break. Yes, it’s a PAC – a statewide PAC located in LA. The same place as Baker’s $30k political consultant. I read the disclosure and actually went to the website, have you?. It’s an association of realtors, many of whom live right here in San Clemente. They’re residents which Baker/Hamm are supposedly putting first. Do you actually own a home in SC? I do. One thing I’d like to see is my property values increase. Guess who also does? Yep, realtors. Guess how that happens? A strong local economy, a safe city and strong schools. 2 of which are within the purview of our City Council. If you were at the debates, you would have heard Mortenson talk about this. You wouldn’t have heard Baker/Hamm talk about it because it wasn’t on the talking points that Herr Eggleston drafted for them. So, I presume, realtors, like most reasonable residents, residents with a modicum of business savvy and business owners themselves, support Mortenson because they think he’s the best candidate to improve our city and, yep – you guessed it again, implement policies that will benefit our property values.
The better question is why is Charles Mann, Baker’s best friend, spending $100,000 of his own money on Baker/Hamm’s election. Together with Baker’s supposed “loan” to himself, and Hamm’s money, that’s about $150,000 combined to get these guys elected. Who does Mortenson owe? NOBODY, and he’s said as much. That’s what men of character say. Who does Baker/Hamm owe? I can think of two, a guy who’s spent $100k of his own money and another guy who needs to refresh his WWII collectibles.
Wow sc voter– another super defensive post from you. Why did you never answer the questions about Mr. Dahl and the money he takes from the toll road and his HUGE conflict? Why can’t you get a better Dahl rep out here to explain how he votes on transportation issues on the council and still takes 150k from the TCA?
I was at all of the debates.
Mortensen is Dahl. EVERYone sees the signs, both literal and figurative.
The single largest donation in SC history– from realtors–developers pac—— sad amigo.
I voted for Hamm and B. Baker #1.