On Monday, The Record (Stockton) came out with its endorsements for Lathrop candidates. Citing a "shallow talent pool," they begrudgingly endorse Robert Oliver for mayor but go on to say that it's more a "vote of no confidence" for Mayor Kristy Sayles than an endorsement of Oliver.The Record doesn't say why the vote of no confidence but they usually don't endorse Republican candidates. While the mayor's office is non-partisan, Sayles is prominent in the South San Joaquin Republicans and is a former city captain for the group.
I think The Record was remiss in not pointing out that if Oliver, current councilmember whose term is not up, wins the election that there will be an empty council seat. Technically, that seat can be filled by appointment which it probably would be. The alternative is an expensive special election. Lathrop could have a drastically different council if Oliver is elected and one (or both) of the current council incumbents defeated. Different doesn't mean better or smarter.
Something to think about Lathrop!
I just wanted to write as to why I did not allow the Stockton Record to interview me it is because I care more about the people in this country than the Record does that is why they send thousands of jobs over seas, and I refuse to be interviewed by any newspaper that I know is sending jobs over seas when the unemployment rate is so high here.
ReplyDeletesecond rearding your comments about me asking Mrs. Sayles to step down DAM right I did. I think she needs to stop worrying about Lathrop and start worrying about her family and her financial mess, and as for your comments as me being nasty to her ask her if I did not unlike others speak to her with out an audence present. ask her if I was the one who shook her hand at the last council meeting and that as we shook hands she said and I " I will shake your hand anytime Rosalinda" then exactly what was written on the other site did take place I am starting to think that you may be the friend that wrote that post there, because you feel a lilltle guilty about finaly seeing first hand what most of us already know you are just starting to see for yourself. All I can say is do not go through life wearing blinders because it tends to block your vision of what is really right in front of you, and do not go through life only looking through rose colored glasses because there are other colores such as the ones I like best
Black & White. I will gladly walk into any lions den as one person put it if means it will help in the end. I have never been afraid of bullies I am an
ex-military spouse after all, that helps make one tough. and the thing is I would do it again if I feel I needed to. I want to help teach our young women that are growing up that we can have a mind of our own and stand up to any bully man or woman if we have the confidence to do so and that I have as well has my own daughter we know what right and wrong are we fight injustice and I want everyone reading this we know what we need to do to get things done and done right.......
PS: why not interview the other candiaites for mayor or is your site also one sided as the bulletin and the Rush?
Rosalinda Valencia
NOTE: I only posted this here as well as the other site because I wanted to be sure it was read by those who need to read it and I know they read both this site and the other site.
ReplyDeleteBy: Rosalinda Valencia
I just wanted to say something here I know that most people do not want Martha on the council any longer and I am running against her but would like to have it stated in public that she is a teacher and in my eyes teachers should be given respect not all but most teachers after all they are the ones teaching our children and preparing them for the future I want everyone in here to know that my daughter had Mrs. Salcedo has a teacher and I had no issues with her as my daughters teacher if you have issues with her as a council member then leave it at that do not attack her as a teacher unless you know something I don't. I know when it comes to the city council she is not real clear on the issues and tends to vote in Kristy's favor more than most but she does have a big heart and wants the best for Lathrop but at this point I do not think she's sure on how to achieve it. I read on here from GOP Girl and I quote " that she gives us teachers a bad name" in my opinion teachers talk ill of one another gives our school a bad name. All am saying is her being a teacher and her being a council member are two totally different subjects so let's keep it that way ok because when my daughter heard about what others were saying about Mrs. Salecedo's teaching ability it made her angry and she wanted to tell the people who wrote it what she thought but I convinced her to let me post this instead. so please let's keep it separate issues. teacher \ council member if you thinks she is a bad teacher take it to the school to her boss Mr. Salveria 209-858-7250 or the district Mr. Messer 209-825-3200 but if you think thin she is not a good council member then vote for someone else. To Laura I know you have spent many hours at the school as I do why would you say mean things about how Mrs. Salcedo teaches? Why now why not years ago when all she was was a teacher not a council member as out spoken and passionate you are about what is best for Lathrop I would think you would have made an issue about her teaching abilities back then as you care so much about the youth in Lathrop what has changed in Mrs. Salecedo that only now you make the comments you do here today?
Like I said if you want change and the best for Lathrop vote show it at the polls. I have not put up signs because I think it will send a more powerful message to the city that we want change and we want it now and that we need people who truly show what they have no hidden agenda yet know what needs to be done and how to get it done. People who know the issues and aren't afraid of speaking up when it needs to be done. People who go against the grain.
Thank you,
Rosalinda Valencia
Aghazarian, Oliver and Dresser are Republican. I think the only Dem was McNerney.
ReplyDeleteso what are you trying to say?
ReplyDeleteThe post said Stockton record endorses Dems and not Reps which is inaccurate. I am correcting the statement.
ReplyDeleteThe Manteca Live Editorial Board did discuss that issue of why The Record makes certain endorsements and one of the factors was a general tendency to endorse certain kinds of candidates and issues.
ReplyDeleteThis is not the same as saying they "always pick the democrat."
You can blame me for the simplified comment. I found there's a "trend" or "tendency" toward endorsing left/democratic over right/republican candidates and issues in The Record. It's based on some statistical and comparative analysis and of course my own opinion. But actually every news outlet exists somewhere on a continuum -- there isn't one that's "correct" and the others are "biased." All of the news outlets have a "tendency." You can call it a "bias" if you want but I don't mean that in the negative way.
Just compare the positions taken by The Record vs. The San Joaquin Herald or the Manteca Bulletin vs. Sun Post. Fox News vs. CNN. Even local TV: KCRA-TV (3) and KXTV (10) cover the same news in Manteca from a different perspective. There's even a different "bias" in local affiliates of the same network. Compare KQED vs KVIE. Both are PBS yet one is "left leaning" and the other is lefter leaning. (Or, someone else might say one station is "middle" and the other one "leans right.")
Jackie wisely simplified the whole discussion for the sake of brevity and sanity and said "usually." "Usually" doesn't mean "always." It means something like "has a tendency toward." And they do!
Given a choice between two equally qualified candidates, The Record will usually endorse the democrat but it's not that simple. There's also a tendency against "extreme partisanship" from both sides. In other words, a moderate republican would have a slight edge over an extreme democrat. The ones you mentioned are perfect examples of this centrist bias:
Agahazarian bills himself as a "republican" sometimes and campaigns on a "can't we all get along" non-partisan platform. He even uses the term "independent republican" sometimes. This would fit with the centrist bias.
Same with Oliver and Dresser. Why? Because if you hadn't said they were "republicans" I'd never know it. But Sayles attended a few meetings of that partisan republican club and was on the email list. This "flagged" her as a "party member" and even if she's just as moderate as anyone it's still a point against her against her with The Record. It's important to bear in mind that even between two nominal "republicans" the one that is "less republican" is slightly more "left" on the scale -- so given a choice between two roughly equally qualified candidates the one that's "less republican" would be chosen over the one that is "more republican." So it is very possible for the Record have a bias toward "the left" and to endorse "a republican" in some cases.
Also it's critical to remember that the knowledge of the newspaper, like all human knowledge, is limited. The press, sad to say, can let itself be manipulated or a lazy reporter will just check a few forums or look at their email inbox and conclude there must be lots of people who don't have "confidence" in Sayles. I've talked to a few reporters and most of them are sharp minded but sometimes one never quite understands when I tell them "but all those emails could have come from the same one person!" I've heard them say things like, "but they all have different email addresses..." and sometimes I just have to put my head in my hands and try to explain it better.
God only knows what led the Brain Trust at The Record to conclude there was some "lack of confidence" in the mayor -- because in the real world, there are people speaking out in support of the mayor all over Lathrop and there are campaign signs for the mayor all around and there seems to be about three people unhappy with the mayor for some vindictive personal reason. How that adds up to "a lack of confidence" is anyone's guess.
The Record also tends to support "left" causes and issues. Example: props 4, 8 etc. And they also tend to endorse any new tax increase unless it's really bad. They suggested a tepid "no" to a very badly written parcel tax a few years ago, but two years later they strongly endorsed at sales tax increase in Manteca (it will help the police fight crime) and did the same in Stockton a few years earlier (also a sales tax increase to "fight crime."). Remember these are trends and not absolutes, you can always find exceptions.
They will also often endorse an experienced or intelligent moderate candidate over the village idiot regardless of party. But here's the important thing, if all things are equal, they will "tend toward" or "lean" toward the democratic candidate. So if both candidates are well qualified, they will generally pick the democrat and conversely if both candidates are idiots of roughly equal splendor they will also tend to go with the one that's more democratic leaning (or just a little less republican, but still a republican). It's just not as simple as "they always pick the democrat." If it were that simple, then everyone would simply see that and discount it.
Aren't you glad she just said "usually" instead of this long explanation?
American hero..................PLEEEEEEEEZE......3 people that are dis-satisfied with the Mayors performance in Lathrop? Try to sell that bag of goods at a city council meeting, the lathrop senior center or even the local market. People are very unhappy with our current regime. I believe she indeed gets the blame for things she has nothing to do with.....but in the same breath.....she will take credit for things she has nothing to do with.
ReplyDeleteOur system of government was set up to allow for a mayor to conduct the city council meetings. It is not a full time position. I think the language I hear is that many are in favor of going back to our old system of a rotating mayorship with all members of council taking an annual term. Many townships and cities through out the state are utilizing that system quite successfully. Think of the retoric and money that would not only be saved.....but the energy spent could go towards something much more productive than self promotion.
People are unhappy and want to not only see, but paricipate in, future change. The signs we see around town are more of a reflection of sypathy of percieved personal attacks rather than confidence of exhibited performance. Very few things can be cataloged as successes in the last 2 years....yet a plethora of dissention and infighting has become commonplace. I would have loved to hear her say just once...."With the help of council and city staff we were able to accomplish....."......She is a single vote of 5....We want a "council"......not a fearless leader out battling the "bad guys".Leadership sees through the differences......leadership demonstrates qualities of focusing on the simularities rather than the differences.....Thats how you get people to work together....open, honest communication........that is what is lacking these days at city hall.
Dan mac neilage
I meant to say I disagreed that only 3 people with the mayor..........
ReplyDeleteDan
Dan, how much money are the "Developers" giving you?
ReplyDeletewhy are people on this blog so gutless they cannot sign their name and own their words?....Kinda like flippin the bird when you drive away from someone......punk-ass gutless.....and for the record....I have NOT taken nor recieved a dime from a developer....or do you mean TCN?...HELL NO!.....I am proud to be a part of the development and construction industry and will have no fear taking on ANY dirty rat bastard that tries to crap on the hard working men and women that have chosen to build roads, schools, shopping centers, parks and the like for a living to improve our quality of life. Your ingnorance mirrors that of our mayor......those guys (developers) dont see their profit until the projects are completed! Show some intestinal fortitude and stop hiding behind your mamas apron strings and sign your name when you want to try to throw shit on me.....or just keep your insidious thoughts to yourself
ReplyDeleteDan Mac Neilage