One of the MB City Council candidates is asking an unusual question of residents while on the campaign trail; “what do YOU want?” We’d like to hear your answer.
Every City Council candidate for the last umpteen years ran on the premise of them telling us what he or she can do for us. And some have gotten pretty polished at it even after they get elected.
Many of our readers have been living in MB for a long time and have seen a change from governance by neighbors we trusted to serve our little beach city, to homegrown politicians who are way too cozy with a political party, and State and County leaders.
What do you think about that?
We have become a city where decisions are made by a few, not by the many. Even the process of deciding who is “worthy” of running for City Council has been controlled by the political MB establishment.
The machine has groomed candidates through a cookie-cutter process of requiring prospects to work on Commissions, the PTA, and the School Board. If you have proven you “have the chops,” you might get selected to run for City Council and carry the torch for those who got you there.
Once the preferred candidates are chosen, the full weight of the machine is behind them, and all other interested contenders are discouraged or asked to wait their turn.
Here at MBStrong, we’ve never subscribed to that un-American way of thinking. If someone wants to throw their hat in the ring and let the people decide for themselves if they want that person representing them in office, God bless 'em.
What do you think?
Having multiple candidates running for so few seats has given rise to the Bullet Vote. Residents have asked us about Bullet Voting and have raised the issue of Ms. Hadley using Bullet Voting to her advantage in the past, so we will cover this briefly here.
There are currently 2 seats open on City Council, so you can vote for 2 candidates. By only voting for ONE candidate, the voter increases the total vote count of the one candidate without increasing the vote count of any of the other candidates. In other words, if you have 2 votes but only use 1 and you cast it for candidate A, you have moved candidate A forward and left candidate B where he’s at. This is called Bullet Voting.
Election strategists view Bullet Voting as a useful tactic and some candidates actually solicit voters to Bullet Vote for them. Whether soliciting a Bullet Vote is ethical or not, is up to the voter to decide. It’s not against the rules, but if candidates are soliciting, it’s not something they do openly.
Candidates may do it because of the premise that if he or she gets enough Bullet Votes, it could be the deciding factor for a win, especially in a tight race.
Some MB voters remember Ms. Hadley asking close supporters to Bullet Vote for her in the March 2019 City Council election. Her opponents were Hildy Stern, Joe Franklin, Mark Burton, and Wayne Powell.
There were two seats open and Ms. Hadley came in with 3,111 votes, beating Hildy Stern who took the second seat with 2,363 votes, and Joe Franklin barely missing the second seat, coming in at 2172 votes. He lost by the skin of his teeth to Ms. Stern by less than 2 points, only 192 votes.
Could Mr. Franklin have won the second seat in 2019 if there was no Bullet Voting for Ms. Hadley? Without knowing how many people Bullet Voted in the election, there is no way of really knowing.
Ms. Hadley is not the first candidate to solicit a Bullet Vote, nor will she be the last.
You can find more information and opinions about Bullet Voting with a Google search.
So that brings us back to the question by a current City Council candidate, “what do you want?” This is your city, your City Council and the Councilmembers sit in service to YOU.
Send us an email and share your thoughts with 6000+ of your fellow Manhattan Beach residents. Your letter could encourage others to vote!
Here are some other questions to consider answering in your email, or you may have your own topic to write about:
What do you want to see from our City Council in general and what do you NOT want to see coming from our Council going forward?
How important is it to you to have your voice be part of the decision making process of our governance?
How can those whom we elect better communicate and connect with us?
We will begin publishing letters on Friday 11/4 and every day thereafter, right up thru election day, Tuesday 11/8.
You can sign your name, your initials, or keep your information confidential. Please keep your comments 100 words or less (and please be mindful that this isn’t a plug to tell people who to vote for).
~MBStrong
MB RESIDENTS SPEAK…
“Dear MBStrong,
Early in the year, I had a neighbor approach me and asked me to sign a petition. It was a petition to get a Measure on the June ballot. I read the literature and knew immediately there was no way I was supporting another tax hike for our city and schools.
Then it makes the ballot and yard signs go up everywhere. Each sign I saw was supporting this Measure. The more signs I saw supporting this Measure, the more upset I became.
I felt hopeless and I didn’t know where to go for help. I knew my voice was not being heard in my community. This little event was the icing on the cake for me. I was over it and everything else I felt was going wrong here in Manhattan Beach. I felt that in the last couple of years our city had lost its values.
Then I found you (MB Strong) through a friend! After reading one newsletter I knew right from the start that there were more people like me. People who care about our children, police officers and our fire department, and everyone in our community!
Thank you for helping me and our community find our voice! Thank you for keeping us informed! I really feel some positive change is coming our way! You’re a huge reason why!
R.C. - MB Resident since 2004”
“Dear MBStrong,
We so appreciate the transparency and the unveiling of Truths we have not been privy to from our City Council Members! Continue your outstanding efforts on behalf of the deserving residents of MB.
In gratitude,
-Long Time Residents since 1974”
WHERE TO VOTE IN PERSON:
Make voting fun, come out in your red, white, and blues! Take your kids and show them how it’s done. Take some photos and send them to us!
MB VOTING SITES:
Sat. 11/5 - Mon. 11/7: 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Tues. 11/8: 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
Joslyn Community Center Auditorium 1601 N. Valley Drive.
Manhattan Heights Community Center 1600 Manhattan Beach Blvd.
OTHER LOCATIONS: according to lavote.gov
Hermosa Kiwanis Club
2515 Valley Dr, Hermosa Beach
Hours: Beginning Saturday 10/29 - 11/7: 10 AM - 7 PM
11/8: 7 AM - 8 PM
Dockweiler Youth Center
12505 Vista Del Mar, Playa Del Rey
Hours: Beginning Saturday 10/29 - 11/7: 10 AM - 7 PM
11/8: 7 AM - 8 PM
About MBStrong…
Our subscribers are MB residents from moderate Democrats to conservative Republicans and everyone in between. We started in Jan. 2021 with 100 subscribers and have grown to thousands. Thank you for staying plugged into crucial MB issues by reading MBStrong’s Newsletter.
We’d love to hear from you! MBStrong2021@gmail.com
We keep all personal information about our writers and subscribers confidential unless instructed otherwise.
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Disclaimer: We are not a political group or a campaign arm for candidates, measures, or bonds. We do not collect or spend money on elections and we follow guidance from our Attorney to comply with the rules and regulations of the Political Reform Act.