On the City of Malibu Campaign Trail:
Issues Still Vie for Attention
• Even Candidates Rap Forums
There were some notable moments on the
campaign trail during the past week when council hopefuls met
during the last two forums before the April 8 election.
Candidate Kathy Wisnicki skipped both
sessions indicating she had the flu on one day and told the
Malibu Surfside News she ran a 102.5-degree fever the next.
The candidates have been campaigning long
enough they have their talking points mastered and the lack of
debate and rigorous rules of the forums kept most of the
discussion on track with little chance of a misstep.
Incumbent Pamela Conley Ulich, who
pronounced the socalled debate on Saturday
“boring,” enlivened the session somewhat when she
called for Malibu city officials “to take back”
Zuma Beach, owned and operated by the county, at the Malibu
Park Homeowners Association forum on Saturday afternoon.
Her response arose when candidates were
asked if the city gets 10 percent of the parking fees from the
beaches.
“We could take back Zuma Beach and
get 100 percent. We are entitled under the law to do
that,” added Conley Ulich, who has been spearheading
efforts for the city to leave the county library system.
Council hopeful John Sibert agreed.
“I kind of like taking back Zuma. I think we can do
better battling with the county. We could do a much better
job,” he said.
At the same forum, council hopeful Susan
Tellem accused Sibert of being too closely aligned with the
current council.
“The only real way to change the
balance of the council is to vote for Jefferson [Wagner] and
me. John and Kathy will be Sharon’s and Andy’s
echo,” said Tellem, when candidates were discussing their
position on eliminating parking on Morningview Drive.
“I take umbrage at Susan’s
remarks that I am a pawn of Sharon. I am not a pawn of Sharon
Barovsky or anybody else,” answered Sibert.
Tellem shot back, “I never said
pawn.” Later at the meeting, Tellem insisted Conley Ulich
will win a seat on the council. “She is a
shoo-in,” Tellem said.
Wagner, who lived in the county and moved
to the city to run for a council seat, said at an earlier forum
sponsored by Corral Canyon homeowners on Thursday night
that he did not see any difference between the city and the
county.
The meeting was attended by about 20
individuals many who are not in the city and cannot vote but
wanted to know the position of the candidates on how they will
treat nearby neighbors and help fire victims.
“I have a vacation home in the
canyon. I first moved to a home in Corral Canyon,” said
Wagner, when council hopefuls were answering a question about
what relationship council hopefuls would have with the county,
if elected.
At the Thursday night forum a good deal of
the discussion focused on fire and public safety. Sibert issued
a white paper detailing his position on fire prevention
and public safety.
Candidates were asked what they would do
since the fire department changed its strategy in sending
strike teams up to the houses. Candidates were told that is no
longer done and the former policy offered better protection.
Wagner, who has a background in fire
safety, acknowledged the strategy had changed. “Fuel
loads have changed. That changes the strategy. The fuel
determines where they go,” he said.
Tellem talked about her use of goats to
clear property around her house and would be an advocate of
such a solution city-wide. “Use more goats and have more
volunteer firefighting,” she added.
Conley Ulich, who also supports a volunteer
patrol, said it was air support that protected Malibu and more
air support is needed. Conley Ulich, who said it is important
to work with the governor’s office, also discussed about
how the example of Matt Haynes could lead other folks to stay
and protect their homes and cause problems. She said it is
important for homeowners to have a town hall meeting.
Sibert said he did not think city officials
were in a position to tell the fire department what is the best
strategy. “I am afraid people will try to emulate what
was done and will die,” he added.
Wagner said that Corral Canyon gets its
water from the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District and
the reservoir serving Corral was full. “The supply was
there. But there was no assessment. We need to have those
resources identified from the air,” he said.
Sibert mentioned how the city could equip
outside firefighters with GPS equipment instead of the small
maps firefighters used.
The topic changed to traffic and council
hopefuls were asked about traffic safety on Pacific Coast
Highway.
To laughter, Conley Ulich said, “Go
out of town,” but then acknowledged there should be some
creative ways to curb motorists, such as requiring some kind of
carbon footprint.
Wagner said he intends to call the radio
station KNX and identify congestion on PCH. “Maybe the
traffic will go the other way,” he said. “If you
say PCH is blocked, they may turn around.”
Sibert talked about how Caltrans was
supposed to have synchronized the lights, but did not get that
done. “There are five jurisdictions along PCH. The
sheriff does not understand traffic. We need to contact
other cities to have a bigger voice,” he added.
Tellem said complaining to the sheriff
about speeding could get results. “The traffic is getting
progressively worse,” she said.
Tellem said more development in the Civic
Center will add more parking which will bring more traffic.
“We will have to walk to Santa Monica,” she
quipped.
Candidates were given the opportunity
to submit questions that were answered by all of the council
hopefuls at the Malibu Park HOA forum. Three questions were
selected and the candidates were given two minutes each to
answer.
Council hopefuls asked each other about
their views on Legacy Park. Wagner said he wanted to know if
candidates are members of the Malibu Trails Association. Only
Wagner is a member, yes, they all support trails. The
third question was what four good things the city council had
accomplished.
During the candidates’ introductions
and concluding remarks it became clear the council hopefuls
have developed their campaign speech and since they have been
asked some of the same questions over and over again have stock
answers to many of the questions.
What campaign observers have noted is that
for the most part none of those talking points or stock answers
have been challenged by the other candidates.
The candidates, apparently for better or
worse, have decided to not conduct their campaigns in any kind
of adversarial posture.
While the electorate, candidates and their
handlers always talk publicly about how they want campaigning
conducted on a positive note, the lack of debate and real
challenge for the candidates’ positions may have left
voters with a real dearth of information.
