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| Not at all entitled |
I'm not going to say that the early portions of last night's meeting were dull. Believe it or not even before this one got to the City Council Reorganization part it did have some moments of interest. None of that is going to stand up in comparison with what went down later on, of course. That being a truly historic meltdown, even by Sierra Madre standards.
If there is one thing that did typify the Mayor Josh Moran administration, it was his constant pressure to raise every tax, rate and fee available. It seemed like the only solution to our City's problems that Josh was capable of comprehending was to ask for more money. And last evening was no different. The rate/tax discussion du jour was raising the cost of water, and barely two years after the previous rate increase the City had cooked up.
One of the odder moments of the water rate increase discussion came about when the City Council was discussing how it would be a good thing for the residents. A kind of tough medicine dispensed out of love by a Council that cares. Higher rates would translate to both greater water conservation and civic virtue, something that people would then take pride in.
During the City Council's celebration of itself by calling for this virtuous ratepayer sacrifice, it was pointed out that over the course of a couple decades water consumption in Sierra Madre has increased by 70%. But, and as we all know, water rates have been raised from time to time during the period discussed as well. Most recently two years ago. So if increasing water rates is a surefire cure for the overuse of our limited water supplies, then how do you account for that 70% increase in usage?
It was all nonsense, of course. The truth is this City is carrying a huge amount of water bond debt from the Bart Doyle era. Millions upon millions of dollars are owed, and the interest payments alone are killing the Water Department. We pay $995,345 in combined interest every year to cover 1998 and 2003 water bond covenants. And that is where the real problem lies.
Our water equipment is old, pipes are leaking, yet nothing much can be done about it because all the available money goes to servicing this obscenely large mountain of debt. Much of it incurred during a time when the City was surreptitiously planning to enable the kinds of downtown development nobody ever wanted here. Several hundred new DSP condos and accompanying knickknack shops required certain preparations in this City's water infrastructure.
But don't expect to hear much of that kind of talk from the majority faction on the City Council. The past insane use of water bonds just so happens to be the responsibility of people that they know and love. And you know how these folks hate ever having to admit that they were wrong.
I still have my Prop 218 clipboard. Keep telling me fairy tales like the ones we heard last night and I will happily start using it again. The City Council really should change tactics and see if the truth works. It is the one thing that the water rate increase enthusiasts on our last few City Councils never cared to try.
I guess we should now get to Johnny Harabedian's famous Pro Tem meltdown. This was the money moment of the meeting. It was also a classic and thoroughly unnecessary event, and I suspect it will soon join Nancy Walsh's "We can take you out" speech as a prime example of the so-called Civility Party at its most uncivil and boorish worst.
It all began with two members of the audience stepping up to the podium to endorse Chris Koerber for Mayor Pro Tem, followed by Councilmember Josh Moran reading the following resident letter:
Dear City Council Members,
Tonight at the City Council reorganization meeting you will be electing our new Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem. I strongly urge everyone to follow the “unwritten tradition” when making these appointments. If you follow this tradition Mayor Pro Tem Walsh will become our mayor and Councilmember Koerber will become the Mayor Pro Tem because he received the most votes in the 2012 election.
What the writer of this simple yet eloquent plea to the City Council also discussed was the refusal of a previous council to appoint Joe Mosca Mayor despite claims that Sierra Madre tradition made him the legitimate choice. The consequences being a lot of unnecessary animosity and noise.
Personally I believe that Mosca's later dismal performance as Mayor of this City more than justified the sound judgement shown by that particular City Council. Our water rate problems of today being just one example of Mosca's ineptitude. And would Joe Mosca have handled the massive wildfires of that year as well as Kurt Zimmerman did? I rather doubt it. Fortunately the right decision was made.
But whatever the case may be, it is with this in mind that the legitimacy of John Harabedian becoming Mayor Pro Tem can be called into doubt. The same traditions that Joe Mosca's supporters wailed about a few years back also apply here. Chris Koerber received 1,535 votes, whereas Harabedian's record setting $20,000 campaign spend garnered him only 1,482. By Sierra Madre tradition the job obviously belongs to Koerber.
It was at this point that John Harabedian launched into a bizarre and oddly paranoid rant, accusing John Capoccia and Chris Koerber of orchestrating some sort of conspiracy to make him look bad. Perhaps it is my age showing here, but the sight of so jejune a fellow scolding two far more accomplished men nearly twice his age over something such as this was both awkward and embarrassing. After all, Harabedian already had the necessary three votes to win. All he needed to do was quietly sit there and play with his tie. But he chose to go off the chain instead.
To me this appeared to be the actions of an extremely entitled and spoiled young man. Someone who, at the late age of 32, has only just moved out from under his wealthy parents' care. An individual that has always received what he wants, when he wants it, and just can't handle the thought that there could be something he cannot have. Or that it might not be delivered to him with an appropriate deference. Couple that with his obvious burning ambition to achieve some sort of career in a larger political field, and all the ingredients were in place for what became a first class tantrum.
I wonder how John Harabedian would feel in 2014 if a new Council majority decides to break with tradition on the question of him becoming Mayor? Certainly that precedent has now been set.
We are now going into what will be a very difficult year for Sierra Madre. And at the helm we will have two of the most underqualified leaders this City has ever placed in office. If last night's unfortunate display by the new Mayor Pro Tem is any indication, it is not going to be pretty.
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