[Editor’s Note: I remember when some of us had doubts about how good of a Councilmember Dan Kalmick would be in Huntington Beach. It turns out that he has been absolutely splendid. Here’s his latest. — GAD]
 I want to thank all of you who have been participating in this flawed Charter Amendment process. After our final special meeting last week, three charter amendments are being proposed for a nearly half million dollar special election in March of 2024. Most of these amendments would go into effect in 2026, so why are we rushing for a primary ballot at massive cost. If they’re that important, put them on in November at 10% of the cost. The final vote on these charter amendments will be at our meeting this Tuesday (10/17) at 6pm. This will include: likely illegal VoterID (suppression) and voter intimidation – which will likely cause HB to run its own municipal elections (at what cost – who knows?), a restrictive flag policy, and some language clean up and appointment of vacant council positions (effectively Measure L from 2022 that this Council majority ran against.) The next meeting will also see the return of Book Banning. At our study session, staff will be presenting research and some modest recommendations based on Gracey Van Der Mark’s unneeded policy to get involved in library policy. You can see staff’s powerpoint here. But then later on the agenda, MPT Van Der Mark and the “city attorney” have apparently jumped the gun (shark?) and brought forward a resolution that effectively creates a process to ban books. Read the revised resolution here (the title has been updated from what originally posted with the agenda.) The request is to have all books that have any sexual content moved to the adult section. A twenty-one (you read that right, 21) person panel will “…review all proposed or new children’s books and other materials procured by the City Libraries or City Librarians that may contain sexual content before the books or materials are placed in the City Libraries…” and “If recommended books or materials do not meet the City’s community standards of acceptance, they may be rejected by vote of the community parent/guardian review board.” It’s poorly drafted and unclear if this committee will have the ability to “reject” all books or just “children’s” books. Is there an appeal process? (unknown) Rejecting a book from our library shelves is a ban. Let’s be clear, this isn’t about protecting children; this is big government overreach. What will this “committee of parent/guardians” find objectionable? The list is likely very long. Mayor Pro Tempore Van Der Mark and the Council Majority lied. They said this wasn’t about banning books. Well in my opinion, rejecting books from entering the library collection is, by definition, banning them. As always you can send emails to city.council@surfcity-hb.org and supplementalcomm@surfcity-hb.org and let the City Council know how you feel about these policies and charter amendments. If you’d like to come in person, the meeting is October 17th. Arrive early (maybe 3:30pm or 4:00pm) for the study session on library policy. There will be a public comment period on staff’s recommended changes, and there will be a public comment period during the 6pm meeting. This will be a long meeting, but it is critical that you make your voices heard. Come prepared for a late night, or late morning as it may turn out – get coffee, bring food, cancel your Wednesday morning (I have). Thank you all for your support and for coming out to meetings and sending emails. Your voices may fall on deaf ears of the new Council Majority, but your in-person turn out is being watched by hundreds of people online and at home. Dan Kalmick,Huntington Beach City Council Our mailing address is: Re-Elect Dan Kalmick to HB City Council – FPPC ID#1458520249 E. Ocean Blvd, #670Long Beach, Ca 90802 [Add us to your address book] |
People serving on other City Councils and Schools Boards with megalomaniacal imbeciles — my (Greg’s) words, not his — THIS is how it’s done!
This is your Open Thread. That said: aggressively offensive comments, and anything about a certain person that my autocorrect apparently believes is surnamed “Mail,” are subject to summary throttling and even discombobulation. Signed, The Throttler!
Who was it that had doubts about Kalmick? Wasn’t me.
Some HB progressives thought that he wasn’t progressive enough.
Oh brother.
And now look where HB Democrats are.
That wasn’t really the problem, though. Kalmick and his two good colleagues did get elected, after all. The people in what is, after all, our faction did wise up in time and vote for him — but expectations remained low because of his history as a corporate litigator.
HB Democrats are in up Shit Creek trouble because of Commandante Michael Gates and the bribing shitbag who owns the Air Show. Not because of suspecting Kalmick.
As we’d already learned, Melahat’s sentencing was postponed from last Friday to May 10. Here is the order:
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cacd.873197/gov.uscourts.cacd.873197.39.0.pdf
My pajarito adds:
“What this suggests is that Melahat is still talking and that the FBI is still investigating. Anaheim? Irvine? Elsewhere and more?
“The federal court also just denied her request to travel to Toronto for a family reunion.”
Helplessly baffled by Chmielewski’s sentence, “And no one is sure if California’s newest senator Laphonza Butler hasn’t indicated whether she will or won’t run for a full term,” the placeholder threw up her hands today and said no. No. No, she won’t.
https://www.ocregister.com/2023/10/19/newly-appointed-california-sen-laphonza-butler-will-not-seek-election-to-a-full-term-in-2024-2/
Just found out old Howie Knohl, wealthy Anaheim Hills art collector, died Sunday at age 86. I see nothing in the press, so I think I’ll put something together on the blog. The dream of Howard and his wife Linda, for many years, had been to create an Anaheim Performing Arts Center, around the area where the Grove is now. Funding fell through partly because of the Covid crisis, but he also blamed the Sidhu majority for voting to make it impossible with their 2020-21 Stadium deal with Arte Moreno. Thus he came to support some of my friends politically. Here we are at an Ashleigh fundraiser at Mama Cozza’s. More to come on the blog…. RIP Howie!
He seemed like a good man. I’m sorry that he and his plans did not get the respect they were due. Condolences to Linda and other friends and relations.