• Support
  • Advertise
  • Locations
  • Contact
Thursday, January 26, 2023
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTERS
San Clemente Times
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye on SC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit a Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • SC Surf
    • Dana Point Times
    • Capistrano Dispatch
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit a Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Announcements
    • Submit an Announcement
    • Legal & Public Notice Advertising
  • Special Publications
    • Money Matters
    • Best of San Clemente
    • A New You
    • Aging Well – For the Young at Heart
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Program
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Triton Football Preview
    • Go See Do
    • The Green Issue
  • SC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye on SC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit a Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • SC Surf
    • Dana Point Times
    • Capistrano Dispatch
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit a Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Announcements
    • Submit an Announcement
    • Legal & Public Notice Advertising
  • Special Publications
    • Money Matters
    • Best of San Clemente
    • A New You
    • Aging Well – For the Young at Heart
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Program
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Triton Football Preview
    • Go See Do
    • The Green Issue
  • SC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who
No Result
View All Result
San Clemente Times
No Result
View All Result

Letter: Straws and Laws

Staff by Staff
August 23, 2018 5:00AM
in Letters to the Editor, SOAPBOX
UPDATE: Rock Slide at San Clemente/Capo Beach Border Closes Coast Highway
0
SHARES
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Cord Bauer, San Clemente

I called the city attorney for Santa Barbara this week, not to turn someone in for plastic straw distribution, but to ask him about their voting process. Santa Barbara was sued in order to switch to district elections. My specific question to him was about money; how much did the lawsuit cost?

“Just shy of $1 million,” he said.

The money wasn’t for a trial but simply to settle the case out of court.

In California, there is a group of lawyers who sue cities that has a significant minority population but don’t have district-style elections. The concept is that minorities never run for City Council because they know they’re fighting an uphill battle against candidates with more money and a system that protects incumbent officials.  California cities have learned to expect lawsuits for district elections when a minority group in town reaches about 20 percent of the population. San Clemente’s Hispanic community now represents about 18 percent of the total.  From what I’ve read, the group of lawyers have never lost a lawsuit for districting against any city in California.

To be blunt, San Clemente can’t afford a “no” vote on district elections. The city’s legal budget is already 250 percent higher than it was three years ago, and sooner or later that lawsuit for districting will happen. Can’t that money be better spent elsewhere?

A San Clemente citizen’s initiative for district elections was put on the ballot two years ago, but the City Council decided to shelve the vote in order to “study” the issue. The city has apparently spent $18,500 on a study regarding district voting. I haven’t seen the study, have you? I truly hope that the city releases this study far and wide so that the voters in town can see how their money was spent.

The district initiative on the ballot is not perfect, but it can be improved with input from the residents. If we wait until our town is sued, it will be money wasted on a lawsuit that could have been avoided.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Tags: LawsLegal FeesOrange CountySan Clemente
ShareTweetPin
Staff

Staff

Related Posts

Council to Hold New Election of Mayor Pro Tem Amid Debate over Voting Process

Council to Hold New Election of Mayor Pro Tem Amid Debate over Voting Process

January 26, 2023
Permitting

Planning Commission Finds Pros, Cons in Permit Streamlining Amendment

January 26, 2023
Creativity Keeps Surfing Interesting

Grom of the Week: Zaddock Hodgman

January 26, 2023
Creativity Keeps Surfing Interesting

Creativity Keeps Surfing Interesting

January 26, 2023
Next Post
UPDATE: Rock Slide at San Clemente/Capo Beach Border Closes Coast Highway

Letter: Whistleblower Should Manage Safety at SONGS

Discussion about this post

No Result
View All Result

SC Times Daily
Get important news and updates delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up here.

Subscriptions
Don’t get the SC Times delivered to your home? Subscribe today.

Advertising
Get new customers and drive traffic to your business. Advertise with us.

Support Local Journalism
For less than the cost of a couple of cups of coffee a month, become an “Insider” member and continue to get “Local News You Can Use” from the only independently owned, dedicated local news organization in South Orange County.

Contribute today.

Picket Fence Media is a proud member of the SoCal Media Network.

  • Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Dana Point Times
  • The Capistrano Dispatch
  • Terms of Use
  • About Us

© 2022 Picket Fence Media

No Result
View All Result
  • Calendar
    • Event Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Sections
    • Eye on SC
    • Soapbox
      • Submit a Letter
    • Getting Out
    • SC Living
    • Sports & Outdoors
    • SC Surf
    • Dana Point Times
    • Capistrano Dispatch
  • Digital Edition
  • Best of SC
  • Legals & Classifieds
    • Locals Only Business Directory
    • Classifieds
    • Submit a Classified
    • Obituaries
    • Announcements
    • Submit an Announcement
    • Legal & Public Notice Advertising
  • Special Publications
    • Money Matters
    • Best of San Clemente
    • A New You
    • Aging Well – For the Young at Heart
    • Crib to College
    • Festival of Whales Event Program
    • Holiday Happenings & Gift Guide
    • Triton Football Preview
    • Go See Do
    • The Green Issue
  • SC Guide
  • Real Estate
    • South County Real Estate Guide
    • Real Estate – Who’s Who

© 2022 Picket Fence Media