the BUZZ

the FACTS

Information is crucial in making an informed decision. Here are some important issues to be considered in this election:

Muir's campaign "despicable"

The 300,000-member International Association of Fire Fighters slammed current city councilman and candidate Mark Muir's use of a Political Action Committee called the Golden State Firefighters of which he was the only member to endorse Jerome Stocks in the last election. Stocks won, Muir became fire chief, then retired on a $170,000 city pension.
Muir claims to lead firefighter association

The publication that led the International Association of Fire Fighters to call Muir's tactics "despicable." Muir backs his friends' political ambition under the banner of "Golden State Firefighters," an organization which had no other known members besides Muir.
Muir engages in campaign activities on city time

These documents show Mark Muir clearly campaigning on city time.
Publisher slams Stocks and Muir in print

The Coast News publisher Jim Kydd publicly pleads for his fellow Encinitas residents to stand up and oust Jerome Stocks and Mark Muir.
Jim Kydd endorses Roberts

The Coast News publisher Jim Kydd backs Dave Roberts as the best County Supervisor choice for Encinitas.
Houlihan's deathbed endorsement

Shortly before her death, popular City Councilwoman Maggie Houlihan took the time to endorse as her replacement candidate Lisa Shaffer as her replacement. (The Council instead appointed Mark Muir, but Shaffer is running in this election to make good on Maggie's wish.)
Residents turn backs to council

Encinitas residents at the City Council meeting where Mark Muir was appointed to the Council instead of many other qualified interim candidates made their disapproval clear by getting up and turning their backs when the announcement was made.
Stocks threatened to sue paper

Angered by Coast News columnist Andrew Audet, Jerome Stocks threatened publisher Jim Kydd if the paper did not retract. When a retraction was offered to any substantive problems, Stocks went silent.
Maggie Houlihan's image banned

Banners paying tribute to the beloved late councilwoman were banned with Jerome Stocks' approval for being too political
Stocks used Schwarzenegger

A mailer supporting Stocks campaign proudly boasted a photo of the mayor flanked by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, even though Schwarzenegger was not a supporter of Stocks and the photo was from an event at which Stocks was honoring the governor.
Stocks' "true colors"

Beloved councilwoman Maggie Houlihan's conclusion: "Stocks … agenda … is on a collision course with what Encinitas citizens want"
Stocks wouldn't ban cigs

The Union-Tribune lamented Stocks' concern for the environment, saying, "it is a civics lesson, one that youths understand but some adult policy-makers, sadly, still are having trouble grasping"
A raspberry to the city of Encinitas

“A rotten raspberry to the city of Encinitas for its ham-fisted — and possibly illegal — move to ban art banners honoring the late Maggie Houlihan. Ian Thompson, Houlihan's widower, is rightly outraged that the councilwoman's image is prohibited from being displayed as a "political likeness." What political message?”
Mayor: Your input is … irrelevant

“… our input to the City is unwelcome, unimportant, has no relevance to what Council should consider or not consider, and is best forgotten.”
Jerome Stocks gullibility

“Think OPEC just might be funding the environmentalists?” — Stocks

other RESOURCES

the CANDIDATES

Read about the candidates and vote for the ones you like best!

(No, this won't actually help them win the election, but it will help people see which candidates have support and which need more.)

Lisa Shaffer is a first-time candidate in the City Council race. She decided to run for a seat after meeting Teresa Barth and being struck by the difference one person can make. Shaffer's ideals earned her a deathbed endorsement from late councilwoman Maggie Houlihan, one of Encinitas' most popular council members. She is an ethics professor and certainly Encinitas politics could use some "ethics."

Tony Kranz is a former Army National Guardsman. Kranz is an open government advocate who previously ran and came in third. His his efforts were marred by accusations from a Tea Party protester who said Kranz "attacked" him, when in fact he was only defending his elderly father against the protester's potentially violent actions. This was an obvious "set up" to anyone present at the "attack."

Mark Muir is the former Fire Chief. He was very active in supporting Stocks' last two Council campaigns. Let's see — Muir supports Stocks, city appoints Muir Fire Chief, Muir retires on $170,000 a year city pension, Stocks gets Muir interim council appointment. Any connections here? Muir was appointed to the City Council by then-mayor James Bond who, without prompting, added after his "second," that "no violation of the Brown Act was involved." Yeah, right.

Jerome Stocks is the self-appointed Mayor of Encinitas and Chair of the San Diego Association of Governments Board of Directors. He is the owner of J Stocks Insurance Services, a local health insurance provider associated with PacifiCare, Blue Shield, Blue Cross, Aetna and HSABank.com.