2010 MUNICIPAL ELECTION: Letters to the Editor on City Council Candidate Paula Hazdovac (Incumbent)

ABSTRACT: Highlights, specifically excerpts from Letters to the Editor, on City Council Candidate Paula Hazdovac (Incumbent)) are presented. Links to complete Letters to the Editor are provided.

• “In my opinion, McCloud, Rose and Hazdovac are the choices that show intelligent and thoughtful concern for the future of our Carmel-by the-Sea.”

• "The incumbents—Mayor Sue McCloud and council members Paula Hazdovac and Gerard Rose—are the intelligent choice for the long-term future of Carmel. They know the history. They know our needs. They know Carmel. They know what we want to be for the present and for the future: a financially stable and viable community."

• “I wholeheartedly concur with the Herald’s endorsement of March 7. As the paper stated, “McCloud and her allies on the council have done a fine job keeping the city afloat during difficult financial times. They have a clear and sophisticated understanding of the issues and challenges in their city."

• “Don’t rock the boat Carmel voters...not now. With rough times still ahead, the city needs well balanced, educated and knowledgeable leadership, and Sue McCloud, Gerard Rose and Paula Hazdovac have proved they can do the job.”

• “With continued financial uncertainty on the horizon, now more than ever, we need to keep in power people who have demonstrated fiscal experience and responsibility as we face challenges to our economy, public safety and water supply.”

• “There are three very well qualified people running for reelection on April 13: Sue McCloud for mayor, and Paula Hazdovac and Gerard Rose for council. They have served us well and will continue to do so.”

• “..., if you want to preserve the old traditions of Carmel, if you want to maintain our village character, if you want to stop outsiders from coming in, supported by outside money and outside political influence, then it is simple...vote for the incumbents!”

• “...back here in Carmel, what we need is the steady, experienced and thrifty hands of Hazdovac and the rest of the current City Council.”

• “Neither of the challengers has served on any board or commission in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Mayor Sue McCloud and council members Paula Hazdovac and Gerard Rose have experience, knowledge, understanding and deserve to be reelected.”

• “The primary responsibilities entrusted to an elected official are to ensure financial solvency and health and safety for the public. Each of the individuals now serving as mayor and as city council members understands that, and they have direct and exceptionally successful experience in budgeting, programs and policy for our city. I have not seen any evidence that the newcomers in this election have any proven, practical experience in each of these critical areas for our city, nor experience serving on any city boards, commissions or committees. Ideas are always welcome, but I think that experience is critically important. I find it difficult to imagine voting for anyone that has not yet demonstrated what they can do for the city.”

• “Carmel is the defendant in an ongoing sexual harassment and employee favoritism lawsuit. How has this affected employee morale? As the alleged perpetrator, why has the city administrator not been placed on administrative leave? What are the total estimated legal costs to the city for this lawsuit?”

• “To keep Carmel-by-the-Sea on a positive course, we need our experienced, trusted and dedicated mayor and council members, Sue McCloud, Paula Hazdovac and Gerard Rose. Each incumbent is running independently and each needs your vote. Vote for the three people who have lived here for many years, who know, care for and understand Carmel-by-the-Sea. Your vote for Sue, Paula and Gerard is important to the future of our beautiful city.”

• “The primary responsibilities entrusted to an elected official are to ensure financial solvency and health and safety for the public. Each of the individuals now serving as mayor and as city council members understand that and they have direct and exceptionally successful experience in budgeting, programs and policy for our city...I think that experience is critically important. I find it difficult to imagine voting for anyone that has not yet demonstrated what they can do for the city.”

• “At the November Carmel City Council meeting, I was one of several resident-veterans who were objecting to the city's treatment of city employee John Hanson, now serving his second tour of duty in the Middle East. After agreeing to continue his salary and health benefit difference, as the city did during his first tour, they sent his wife a letter saying they were dropping his benefits and pay with no explanation...At that meeting, I asked the mayor and council to tell the public why this serious failure in judgment occurred and who was responsible...Could it have had anything to do with the fact that Mr. Hanson had provided a deposition in the pending sexual harassment lawsuit involving the city administrator? Five months later, there still has been no answer to these troubling questions. This illustrates the lack of transparency in the current city administration.”

• Regarding the question of the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) unfunded obligations, “Paula Hazdovac’s solution is to wait for the state to bring forward some ballot initiative that will make the problem go away.” “Paula says her approach makes sense because putting money aside would be rushing into something we may regret later..Paula talks about scary times. What scares me is her “common sense” reactionary approach to serious economic challenges.”

• “...the City of Carmel is in a solid financial position. This is because of prudent and focused financial management including the building of a rainy day fund (reserves) now at $10 million and reduction of expenditures for fiscal 2008/2009...Standard and Poors, which raised Carmel’s bond rating from AA to its current rating of AA+...from Carmel’s auditor who reported to the city council that Carmel had earned an unqualified opinion, the highest highest type of opinion for an audit...All of this happened because the mayor, city council and city administrator, functioning as a team, took care of business. Carmel needs this capability to cope with a continuing economic recession. Keep this team intact by re-electing Mayor Sue McCloud and council members Paula Hazdovac and Gerard Rose.”

• “...city government in Carmel is badly broken.”

• “During the time I worked in the administration department, I observed a pattern of avoiding and ignoring resident and staff concerns on the part of upper management.”

• “I observed the mayor pursue pet projects and ignore the compromising circumstances being reported about the city administrator.”

• “A majority of department managers were forced out, leaving a leaderless skeleton staff to provide non-safety services to residents. Remaining management staff often had difficulty scheduling time with the city administrator while long meetings and long lunch hours with employee A or employee B occurred frequently."
Note: Employee A, Christie Miller; employee B, Heidi Burch

• “...the quality of the city government was demonstrated by its callous treatment of Building Official John Hanson and the recent departure of the exceptionally capable administrative service director.”

REFERENCES:
‘Intelligent and thoughtful concern,’ Don McBride, Monterey, The Carmel Pine Cone, March 26, 2010, 24A

Incumbents know Carmel, Francine Kissler, Carmel, The Monterey County Herald, 03/24/2010

Incumbents are ‘fine and excellent leaders,’ Dennis A. LeVett, Carmel, The Carmel Pine Cone March 19, 2010, 28 A

‘Don’t rock the boat,’ Tim Meroney, Carmel, The Carmel Pine Cone March 19, 2010, 29A

Herald right to back McCloud, Dennis A. LeVett, Carmel, The Monterey County Herald, 03/17/2010

Newcomers should ‘get a little experience,’ Pat Sippel, Carmel, The Carmel Pine Cone, March 12, 2010, 28 A

‘Vote for incumbents,’ Chris Tescher, Carmel, The Carmel Pine Cone, 29A, 30A & 15A

Thrifty Hazdovac is right, Erik Davidson, Carmel, The Carmel Pine Cone, March 12, 2010, 15A

What’s right, Corky Duke, Carmel, The Carmel Pine Cone, March 12, 2010, 15A

‘Experience is critically important,’ Herschel Peak, Carmel, The Carmel Pine Cone March 12, 2010, 15A

Questions unasked, Robert Jenkins, Carmel, The Carmel Pine Cone, March 12, 2010, 15A

Keep town ‘on positive course,’ David Sharp, Carmel, The Carmel Pine Cone, March 12, 2010, 15A

‘Not demonstrated what they can do,’ Herschel Peak, Carmel, The Carmel Pine Cone, March 5, 2010, 24A

Denial of Hanson's benefits a mystery, Clayton Anderson, Carmel, The Monterey County Herald, 02/27/2010

‘Scary’ proposal, Cavan Hardy, Carmel, The Carmel Pine Cone, February 26, 2010, 22 A

Sound financial footing, Dale Hekhuis, Carmel, The Carmel Pine Cone February 5, 2010, 24 A

Carmel lacks integrity, Stephanie Pierce [sic], Carmel Valley, The Monterey County Herald, 01/07/2010 Note: Stephanie Pearce, corrrect spelling of surname.

REGISTERED VOTER PETITION SIGNERS (partial list):
Sue McCloud (Mayor)
Gerard Rose (City Council Member)
Karen Sharp (City Council Member)
Ken Talmage (City Council Member)
Amber Archangel
Julie Culver
Helen and Mark D’Oliveira
Bill Doolittle
Lillian Hazdovac
Carl Iverson
Jim and Jane Price
Graeme Robertson
Jill Sheffield
Merv Sutton
Perry Walker
(Source: April 13 ballot set: three incumbents, two challengers, MARY BROWNFIELD, The Carmel Pine Cone, January 22, 2010)