2010 MUNICIPAL ELECTION: Letters to the Editor on Mayoral Candidate Adam Moniz (Challenger)

ABSTRACT: Highlights, specifically excerpts from Letters to the Editor, on and by Mayoral Candidate Adam Moniz (Challenger) are presented. Links to complete Letters to the Editor are provided.

• “Two young men with excellent credentials have thrown their hats in the ring for consideration as city councilman and as mayor. These young men bring fresh ideas and excitement to the public forum. I am speaking of Jason Burnett and Adam Moniz. They are campaigning vigorously and are willing to share their ideas and vision for Carmel’s future with you; please give them the courtesy of listening. They welcome ideas and support from the community at large. It is comforting to know that the next generation is standing ready to accept the challenges of the future.”

• “If it’s taking over one full month for our current city hall to produce responses to public inquiries along the lines of “go look it up for yourself in the library,” and if our current city hall is indeed brought to a standstill, as Mayor McCloud suggests, when it receives public inquiries such as these, then perhaps city hall needs some fresh eyes to look over its operations and efficiency.”

• “Adam Moniz’ ad in last week’s Pine Cone says he wants to, “...create superior incentives to encourage the occupancy of current vacant storefronts.” This is a noble aim. However, I would not want to see my tax dollars spent on any scheme to benefit the many landlords here who have been unwilling to adjust their rents to today’s market realities...Those landlords still charging yesterday’s rents should take notice. Moniz should look to these laggard landlords for “superior incentives,” not the taxpayers.”

• “My husband and I are going to vote for Adam Moniz for mayor of Carmel because he is intelligent, ethical and understands local issues. Our village needs a new mayor who will provide an open and transparent government...Adam Moniz will ensure that city employees have a non-threatening, nontoxic work environment. They deserve this. And Adam deserves the vote of every Carmelite who cares about the future of our village.”

• “My family and I are going to vote for Adam Moniz for mayor of Carmel because he is intelligent, ethical and understands local issues. Our village needs a new mayor who will provide an open and transparent government...Lastly, Moniz will ensure that city employees have a non-threatening, nontoxic work environment.”

• “I urge Carmel voters to support integrity in government, fair employment practices and a professional workplace for Carmel employees. Vote for Adam Moniz and Jason Burnett in the April 13 election.”

• “The truth is that Mayor McCloud has worked very hard at staying in office term after term. There have been personal vendettas against individual workers, and the mayor has worked hand in glove with the city administrator whose inappropriate and unprofessional relationships have created a city workplace imbued with an atmosphere of stress, hostility and fear. On behalf of city workers and integrity in Carmel government, I urge Carmel voters to vote for Adam Moniz for mayor.”

• “The candidates who have thrown their hats in the ring provide voters with superb resumes for public office, including national government experience, even if they have not been selected by the mayor for a board or commission. Adam Moniz is an energy consultant who was formerly with the prestigious national firm of Patton Boggs, which serves municipal governments across the country. Jason Burnett has served in the EPA, and owns and operates his own clean energy business. Carmel can benefit greatly from their intelligence, experience, enthusiasm and energy. It’s time for a change.”

• “From my standpoint, it appears to be presumptuous that two inexperienced candidates without substantial background in our community want to be at its political helm steering a course for all of us. I would suggest they “earn their stripes” by becoming actively engaged, for example, as commissioners or even officers in the Carmel Residents Association,...In other words, give all of us an opportunity to know them and to better determine for ourselves the timber of their qualifications.”

• “It’s time for a change. We CAN do better.” (“Carmel Sea Change,’’ Feb. 11-17). I support Adam Moniz for Mayor and Jason Burnett for council. They WILL do better. --

• “It’s Time For A Change. We CAN Do Better.” Vote Adam Moniz for mayor and Jason Burnett for 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.”

• “Adam Moniz, running for mayor, and Jason Burnett, running for council, have the talents to take on the unanswered problems that lurk in city hall and that loom in our future, problems that the incumbents are not fully facing and are trying to disguise behind a façade of partial success. Solutions to these problems require a serious, fresh, inventive approach, which the challengers possess without any question. This is our chance, voters, to make a positive change into the direction of a government that respects and listens to us, the people, a government that returns to Carmel’s historic values and traditions as a completely special place.”

• “Can Adam Moniz be trusted?...Fact check the information coming from Adam.”

• “Jason Burnett and Adam Moniz, your platforms seem to primarily consist of unrelenting criticism and denigration of the current Carmel City Council...I see two loose canons, both with a deleterious lack of experience. Jason and Adam could potentially take Carmel-by-the-Sea into Lawsuit Hell.”

• "It's Time For A Change. We CAN Do Better." Vote Adam Moniz for mayor and Jason Burnett for council.

• “Seldom has our village enjoyed a candidate for mayor with Adam's intelligence, vision, grasp of the issues, experience and forward-thinking vigor. I urge the voters in Carmel to seize this opportunity for change and vote for Adam Moniz for mayor as well as Jason Burnett for City Council.”

• “Adam Moniz, running for mayor, and Jason Burnett, running for a vacant council seat, have the talents to take on the unanswered problems that lurk in city hall and that loom in our future, problems that the incumbents are not fully facing and are trying to disguise behind a façade of partial success. Solutions to these problems require a serious, fresh, inventive approach, which the challengers possess without any question.”

• “Both (Adam Moniz and Jason Burnett) are young, bright, well-educated and eager to be public servants (in the truest sense of the word). They each have an impressive background in government experience and have shown that they understand Carmel, its history, its traditions and its character. Both pledge a more open, participatory government in our city. For much too long, matters of serious community concern have been handled behind the scenes without adequate citizen discussion and input.”

• “The present City Council has been mostly reactive to events and situations, seemingly incapable of supplying new ideas and thinking. These two young men have shown the potential to inject much needed inventive, incisive ideas into what lurks as a mess in City Hall and what looms in our future as a series of serious challenges to the well-being of our community. Most importantly, they present an opportunity to restore dialogue between our citizens and the council – open government.”

• “As I (Adam Moniz) have stated since day one of my campaign, and as I stated at the recent Carmel candidates' forum, if given the honor of serving as the next mayor of Carmel, the first thing I will do will be to take a piece of City Hall stationary and hand-write a letter of apology to Hanson and his wife, Annette, apologizing for the way they were treated...I believe the way the Hanson family was treated by the current administration in City Hall was wrong.”

• “The other night at the candidates' forum in Carmel, it was obvious to all in attendance that Adam Moniz is very qualified to be the next mayor of Carmel...he clearly communicated his knowledge of the issues and his ideas for dealing with the challenges facing Carmel.”

• Adam Moniz "showed his willingness to work with the business community to create new incentives that will fill the vacant storefronts that permeate our village. He stated that he will have zero tolerance for costly lawsuits and employee dispute settlements that have been the legacy of the present administration.”

• “He understands the value and talent of our residents and will draw on those talents and expertise to solve the contentious issues that have been unresolved for too long.”

• “Probably the most striking contrast between Adam and the incumbent in the forum was the enthusiasm and new ideas he will bring to Carmel.”

• We “are very impressed with the two young men, Adam Moniz and Jason Burnett, running for city council and mayor. They seem well educated, intelligent and personable. How wonderful that two younger people are willing to step forward and take on the responsibility of helping their community.”

REFERENCES:
Good luck to the new generation, Megan Terry, Carmel, The Carmel Pine Cone April 9, 2010, 36A

‘Operations and efficiency,’ Adam A. Moniz, Carmel, The Carmel Pine Cone, April 9, 2010, 38A & 39A

Look to the landlords, Michael T. Lynch, Carmel, The Carmel Pine Cone, April 9, 2010, 39A

Two votes for Moniz for mayor of Carmel, Linda Anderson, Carmel, The Monterey County Herald, 04/03/2010

GO, ADAM, Linda Anderson | Carmel, MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY, April 01, 2010

BLOWING THE WHISTLE, Stephanie Pearce | Carmel Valley, MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY, April 01, 2010

Vote Adam Moniz for mayor of Carmel, Stephanie Pearce, Carmel Valley, The Monterey County Herald, 03/19/2010

Challengers offer ‘intelligence and energy,’ Suzanne Paboojian, Carmel, The Carmel Pine Cone March 19, 2010, 28 A

Challengers should ‘earn their stripes,’ John Wm. Schiffeler, Carmel, The Carmel Pine Cone March 19, 2010, 31A

Barbara Livingston | Carmel, MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY, March 11, 2010

Livingston’s endorsements, Barbara Livingston, Carmel, The Carmel Pine Cone, March 12, 2010, 28 A

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

‘Optimistic direction,’ Olof Dahlstrand, Carmel, The Carmel Pine Cone, March 12, 2010, 15A

Fact check needed? Robert Ballard, Carmel, The Carmel Pine Cone, March 12, 2010, 15A

Amber Archangel, Carmel, The Carmel Pine Cone, March 12, 2010, 15A

Vote for Moniz, Burnett in Carmel election, Barbara Livingston, Carmel, The Monterey County Herald, 03/10/2010

She backs Moniz for mayor, Francyne Laney, Carmel, The Monterey County Herald, 03/08/2010

‘Fresh, innovative approach,’ Olof Dahlstrand, Carmel, The Carmel Pine Cone, March 5, 2010, 24A

CARMEL CHANGES, Olof Dahlstrand | Carmel, MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY, March 04, 2010

Hanson, wife deserve an apology from Carmel, Adam A. Moniz, Carmel, The Monterey County Herald, 03/04/2010

Moniz well qualified for Carmel mayor, Michael LePage, Carmel, The Monterey County Herald, 02/24/2010

‘Impressed,’ Barbara and Don Burnett, The Carmel Pine Cone, February 19, 2010, 20 A

REGISTERED VOTER PETITION SIGNERS (partial list):
Mike Brown, Campaign Treasurer
Barbara and Steve Brooks
Olaf and Lucia Dahlstrand
Betty and Dick Dalsemer
James Emery
Shirley Humann
Michael LePage
Barbara Livingston and Bob Kohn
Roberta and Monte Miller
Charlotte Townsend
Ken and Jean White
(Source: April 13 ballot set: three incumbents, two challengers, MARY BROWNFIELD, The Carmel Pine Cone, January 22, 2010)