Posted by: Dave Everett | 03/11/2008 8:32 AM
Menifee is a pretty conservative area that incorporates Menifee, Quail Valley, Sun City and parts of Romoland. The area has a population of about 60,000.
That is why I was so surprised that, according to this PE article, the main issues are controlling growth; ensuring that developers fund and build their "fair share" of park, road and storm-drain improvements; and expanding the city bureaucracy that doesn't yet exist. The area does struggle with the inevitable shift from agricultural use to residential, but government planning will make that transition longer and more inefficient than the invisible hand would.
A check of the 19 candidates who have filed produces only two candidates I am familiar with. John Denver, longtime GOP Central Committee member and a former school board member; and Darcy Kuenzi, a legislative assistant for Republican Supervisor Marion Ashley.
I'd have to think that they would both be able to capture one of the five possible seats, but I'd be interested to hear from the other conservative candidates in the field of 19. The start of a new city is a critical time for conservatives who care about limited government.
Will the city hire union employees? Will they have their own unionized police and fire? Will they have their own unionized trash service? Or will they make some effort to contract out for services and protect taxpayers far into the future.
19 residents joining Menifee cityhood on ballot; they seek seats on first council
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
By JULISSA McKINNON
The Press-Enterprise
Nineteen people are running for five spots on a new Menifee city council that would come into being if voters approve cityhood for the region in June.
The candidates' names will be on the June 3 ballot along with the cityhood question. The aspiring council members range in age from 32 to 67 and come from various walks of life, from ranching to government work.
They share several concerns regarding the Menifee area. All support cityhood, which would bring Menifee, Quail Valley, Sun City and parts of Romoland -- an area with a population of about 60,000 -- under the control of the council.
In statements filed with the county's registrar of voters, most candidates acknowledge the need to better monitor development in the quest for "well-planned" and "balanced growth."
Many candidates said it is important to make sure that developers fund and build their fair share of park, road and storm-drain improvements. Some stated the new council should focus on establishing the area's own local police and fire departments to improve what some allege are substandard response times.
Several candidates also vowed to advocate for Sun City's predominantly senior population and to preserve the strictly senior status of Sun City's "core."
Six of the 19 candidates are from Sun City. They are:
Darci Castillejos, 47, a restaurant owner; John Denver, 61, a businessman and mortgage broker; Louis Mazei, 62, a Riverside County planning technician; Chuck Reutter (he has not yet filed age and occupation information with the registrar of voters); Carol Sullivan, 64, a businesswoman; and Gerald Walker, 45, a county maintenance plumber.
The remaining 13 candidates are from Menifee. They are:
Tony Amatulli, 49, a businessman; Dina Biedermann (age and occupation information not yet filed); Dean Deines, 52, a public finance officer; Wallace Edgerton (age not provided), a Mt. San Jacinto Community College political science instructor; Tom Fuhrman, 63, a businessman and owner/operator of Wooden Nickel Ranch in Menifee; Ken Gaunt, 67, a retired businessman and former county commissioner in Nevada; Darcy Kuenzi, 45, a legislative assistant; Scott Mann (age not provided), a risk manager for the Menifee Union School District; Marc Miller, 50, a rancher and businessman; Jason Reeves, 32, a businessman and Sunday school teacher; Jerry Stamper, a real estate broker; Fred Twyman, 43, a high school math teacher and Menifee Union School District trustee; and Dorothy Wolons, 43, a businesswoman and mother.
The county registrar of voters' office will begin mailing out sample ballots and other election information April 24, according to Leticia Flores, elections coordinator for the county registrar of voters' office.
Mailed absentee ballots will be accepted May 5 through 30.
Dina Biedermann has been an active member of the Riverside YR's and would also make a good councilwoman with Kuenzi and Denver.
John Denver is the LAST person I want to see running my city. We need some non-partisan council members who don't have a right wing only agenda! How about a write in? Most of the people running are not worth having. I say draft Bill Gould from the Romoland School Board!!
Yeah, we need bigger government and higher taxes and every employee of our new city to be a union member.
I hate when I get to keep any of the money I earn. If only the government could spend it and keep me from making stupid decisions.
Menifeelive.com just secured and published the candidate statements to be published on the ballots. Please check it out and get to know the candidates and the contributions they've already made to our community. We need to be informed about cityhood, unification and the candidates that are seeking office.
At this time none of the candidates anticipate an increase in taxes, but rather a change in control of how the tax money we already pay gets spent. It's important that we don't vote on name recognition and hearsay alone. Be informed.
I ran into Darci Castillejos this morning at a Menifee Relay for Life kickoff and she mentioned that there are several candidate forums scheduled the end of April. One forum is sponsored by the Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce, but not posted on their site. The other is sponsored by the Municipal Advisory Committee put together by Supervisor Stone's efforts.
I encourage folks to check our http://www.menifeelive.com site on a regular basis. We'll try to hunt down what ever we can find out so that we can have an informed voter before June 3.
Look, I like smaller government too, but don't knock unions. It is not like this is jersey and there is mass corruption. I am just sayin that the majority of the candidates suck, especially some of the front runners.
Unions force their members to contribute dues and then they give 99% of that money to Democrats. Propping up little bureaucracies that raise money for the Democratic Party is no way to get smaller government.
Not until the unions, especially public safety unions, stop giving the majority of their political donations to the Democrats will they be taken seriously by Republicans. It is legalized bribery for higher pay and more benefits. We all know the Democrats don't give a crap about public safety.
April 3, 2008
Scott A. Mann, Candidate for City Council, Proposed City of Menifee proudly announces his official endorsement by the Republic Party of Riverside County.
..."We are confident in the qualifications and experience you would bring to Menifee City Council and are proud to announce our official endorsement for your candidacy..."
//s// Bob Richmond, Chairman
Republican Party of Riverside County
April 25, 2008
Scott A. Mann, Candidate for City Council, Proposed City of Menifee proudly announces his official endorsement by the Coalition of California Law Enforcement Associations and the Riverside Sheriffs' Association.
..."On behalf of the Riverside Sheriffs' Association (RSA), which represents more than 3,500 Deputy Sheriffs, Correctional Deputies, District Attorney Investigators, Probation Officers, and Deputy Coroners, nearly the entire Criminal Justice team for the County of Riverside, it is my pleasure to announce the RSA's endorsement of your candidacy for Menifee City Council. Your staunch commitment to public safety and law enforcement concerns along with your devotion to community service has made our decision an easy one..."
//s// Pat McNamara
President, Riverside Sheriffs' Association
Hi I'm John Denver,
You wanna talk about City Hood? Come to my house this Sunday from 2pm-4pm for a meet and greet. Refreshments will be served. I will be more then happy to answer any questions that you may have. There will also be a couple of other canidates present as well.
John Denver
27230 El Pico Ln
Sun City Ca 92586
951-951-505-7198
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MANN CAPTURES TWO KEY PUBLIC SAFETY ENDORSEMENT
Menifee, California, May 12, 2008 – The Scott A. Mann Campaign for Menifee City Council released information today related to Mann’s Public Safety platform in the race for Menifee City Council. These two new endorsements include:
* Police Chief Kevin Segawa, Mt. San Jacinto College Police Department, and,
* The CDF Firefighters Riverside Chapter – Local 2881
These endorsements come in the wake of the Riverside Sheriffs’ Association and the California Coalition of Law Enforcement Associations’ endorsements which were announced in a press release on April 30th. No other candidate has captured these public safety endorsements to their campaigns.
Having the support of nearly every law enforcement and emergency management professional in the County of Riverside only serves to confirm Mann’s commitment to public safety in the Proposed City of Menifee.
Mann said in a statement, “My goal for our new city is to prevent crime before it happens. When we do that throughout the ommunity, it makes the bad guys say ‘Don’t go to Menifee’!”
For additional information on his campaign visit www.MannforMenifee.com or www.smartvoter.org. If you wish to discuss a community issue, Scott Mann can be contacted at MannforMenifee@mchsi.com.