It's an election year for San Bernardino
By Andrew Edwards
Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO -- Election season begins today as the nomination period for the Nov. 3 election opens.
The Mayor's Office and council seats for the city's First, Second and Fourth Wards are up for a vote. The nomination period is set to close on Aug. 7.
Mayor Pat Morris is seeking a second term in office and has already filed papers announcing his intention to run.
"What I hope the election portends is a discussion of what is best for our city," Morris said. "I hope this is not an election that is dominated by special interests."
Morris won his term by defeating City Attorney James F. Penman in a 2006 runoff election. Penman has said multiple times that he will not challenge Morris this year.
The mayor faces at least one opponent who said he plans to drop by the City Clerk's office today to formally begin his campaign. Sir Isaac Lindsay, who said he runs a Loma Linda-based security firm, plans to enter the fray.
"I'm about employment," Lindsay said. "If you give people jobs, they are not going to go out and rob anybody," Lindsay said.
The First Ward, which includes much of the city's downtown and southwestern area, is currently represented by Esther Estrada. The Second Ward, which includes the neighborhoods that surround Perris Hill Park, is represented by Dennis Baxter.
Like Morris, Baxter has already filed preliminary papers for his reelection campaign. Baxter said Friday that he considers his experiencing going through four budget cycles to be an advantage for his candidacy.
"This is no time for on the job training," he said.
The race to represent the northeastern neighborhoods of San Bernardino's Fourth Ward is so far the most competitive campaign of the year. Fred Shorett, who in March one a Special Election to fill the final months of former councilman Neil Derry's term is being challenged by Joe Arnett,
Arnett launched his campaign Thursday outside City Hall with former Shorett supporters. Arnett is making an issue of Shorett's decision not to support a plan to reverse fire department budget cuts.
"As a councilman, I will absolutely put public safety first," Arnett said Thursday after accusing Shorett of reneging on a campaign pledge to support the Fire Department.
In regards to the Fire budget issue, a majority of the council decided not to restore money to the Fire Department.
No firefighters were laid off, but the cuts allowed a dozen firefighting positions to go unfilled, including eight jobs that had been filled by firefighters working overtime shifts. Eliminating the positions resulted in some engine companies being staffed by three firefighters instead of four.
Shorett said Friday that he didn't change his views, and will run on pro-business and pro-public safety platform.
"I'm trying to be fiscally responsible and provide services to the public," Shorett said.
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Well Andrew, There you go again touting Arnett's campaign over Shorett. Arnett is a stooge for Penman and Derry. Shorett received 73% of the vote against Arnett's very poor showing. Shorett has shown that he can not be "Bought or Bossed" by the special interest groups at City Hall.
"Shorett has show that he can not be 'Bought or Bossed' by the special interest groups at City Hall"?!?
PLEASE! He is just another Morris lackey!
The entire City Council ALONG with the Mayor AND City Attorney need to be replaced so this city can heal!
Shorett??? This man spit in the face of almost everyone that supported him and I don't mean the firefighters. He said he stood for one thing and then supported another, on at least 4 major counts. Let's see how he votes on this Arden Guthrie thing. Another Morris lackey is right. Good call, What?!?!
Morris must not be too bright. San Bernardino HATES him. Does he think that there's something to gain by not turning him in for his extrajudicial "investments," or does he think he's not going to be held accountable because he's worn so many "special" hats? Is there ANYBODY who is so "special" that they should not be held accountable?
When someone is in a position of power in our community, they should be especially careful of the advantages they take over the people. San Bernardino, I ask you now if you are happy with a welfare state and city, especially. I'm not talking about the welfare that is there for the widows and orphans. I'm talking about our Carousel Mall that is no longer a mall, but a nest of government assistance agencies. From school health care to C.P.S. and more if Morris had his way, our would-be profitable mall is practically a welfare office! People who use drugs need help, I agree; however, they also need to be held accountable. If drug addicts of San Bernardino knew they were going to go to jail if they kept using, there would be fewer druggies here. We need a firm hand on these issues and Morris is more inclined to keep them on the street and in his special interest programs that probably feed his pocketbook than he is inclined to clear the way for jobs in San Bernardino.
He cares nothing about the muted majority who are too shy to stand up and say "We cannot afford you or your games!" This election, I stand firmly against Morris and his welfare-encouraging plans. Think about it. All he ever looks for is money from this grant and money from that grant...When will we stand up as a city and earn our own livings from our own local taxes? When???
Vote out Baxter and Shorett. They will not stand up for their constituents. They stand with the Mayor, on all fronts. Estrada, although a Morris used to be ally, is not allowed to play in the Mayor's sandbox anymore. She smelled the Operation Phoenix rat awhile ago and he got real mad when she wanted to subpoena city employees to reveal the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But Good for you Estrada. She is the ONLY incumbent worth keeping. Vote the rest out. They have outworn their welcome. No matter how much time they say they need to fix the problem, they always need more, they can't cure the cancer growing out of control here in SB.
OMG! Did Morris recently take the CITY'S videographers, on the city's dime, and tour S.B. to make himself look good for this election?!?!?!?! WHAT A SELF-SERVING, GREEDY LITTLE BEAST!
HEY, MORRIS! STOP STEALING FROM US TO SUPPORT YOURSELF!
SB will NEVER climb from it's current state under the direction of the existing Mayor and his favorites. If SB is to recover, new faces MUST appear on the Council and Mayor's position.
I think there is one or two up at that table that get it, but you are right for the most part. If McCormick and Estrada go, this city is surely doomed.
An open letter to all residents/citizens of SB. Year 2009 above all COULD go down in the City’s recorded history as being the year that the City has FINALLY had enough of the politics as usual. A year that undeclared term limits were finally enacted for those who have held their current elected position way too long. It could also signal the start of a good use of a word we all have heard so often these last 8 months. That being CHANGE. If ever there was a prime time for the enactment of CHANGE in a city, it is now. So much CHANGE is needed in so many different places it will be a challenge to evenly and fairly initiate any CHANGE. This voter hopes to see a Mayor elected that has the ability to lead the Council and Manage the City in parallel or unison with the our new City Manager. Someone who understands team building and common goals that benefit the citizens of SB and not a select chosen few. Someone who has ethics and follows the published mandates which deals with nepotism. Someone who will give the City an account of the City’s money that is being spent and an expected return on these investments. Someone who has lost the use of the word “ I “ yet uses the words we, us and team often. Someone who can recognize the dancing that is ongoing with the City Council and is able to have it result into a positive team effort that is conducive to Citywide improvements. Someone who is blind and deaf to special interests and will foster positive growth that is so desperately needed in SB now. Someone who is brave enough to forgo popularity for correctness and the good of the City as a whole. Someone willing to work with agendas not against them if they are not always his or hers.
Yes, CHANGE just may be coming to SB. That light we see deep (about 120 days or so until we vote) into the tunnel is a welcome train of CHANGE and not just another four year period of the status quo for SB. So much potential is now ripe, just some strong leadership required and SB will once again regain the Community of Pride it once was.
SB, please vote and know whom you are voting for too!