Mon 1 Feb 2010
Commentary: The City Council Election started last week!
Posted by admin under City of Santa Clarita , Dave Bossert , Opinion , elections [16] Comments
With the recent brouhaha over Santa Clarita City Councilman Bob Kellar’s remarks on illegal immigration several weeks ago at a local rally, the City Council election is off to a fast and nasty start. The candidates and their supporters, for the most part, let their intentions be known as to who they will or will not support and how downright dirty this election cycle will be.
In some sense Bob Kellar’s remarks, regardless of the choice of words, was the flash point for the upcoming election. It showcased again, at least to me, that the current Santa Clarita City Council is ready for some change. The City Council is stale and many of the incumbents have their heads in the sand.
It was laughable to see some of the reactions from Kellar’s fellow Council members. Laurie Ender was “shocked” by the comments; Laurene Weste gave a “no comment”; Marsha McLean did her best to distance herself from the whole thing; and of course Frank Ferry gave a dissertation on his Republican credentials and invoked God to justify illegal immigrants.
Ferry is one of the three incumbents; Marsha McLean and Laurene Weste are the other two that are up for re-election to another 4 year term. All three have been in office for the better part of the last ten years and all three have shown that they lack a real vision for the City of Santa Clarita and the entire Santa Clarita Valley.
What none of them were willing to do or had the guts to do was to support their fellow Council member and state the obvious that Kellar’s remarks were facetious; taken out of context. Nor were any of the Council members willing to have a discussion about the illegal alien issue that is prevalent in the Santa Clarita Valley.
Instead, it was time to kick off the April election with jockeying around a subject and important issue that no one seems to want to deal with either nationally or locally; illegal immigration. A hot topic that many are afraid to take a position on because they will be branded a ‘racist’ or ‘bigot’ by those that think it is okay to allow some people to break the law.
But the real action came at the end of the City Council meeting when Councilman Frank Ferry told City Council Candidate Gauny that he would “bury” him in the upcoming election. Frank didn’t stop there; he also said he was coming after Gauny’s campaign manager as well while shouting out threats.
(Remember, Ferry came to a west side Town Council meeting a decade ago and told residents that if they didn’t annex then the City would “bury” the unincorporated residents. Please note that all the communities west of I-5 are still in the unincorporated are of the Santa Clarita Valley.)
Yep, Frank Ferry made it clear that he was going to get down in the mud and do whatever it takes to win. He’ll lie, smear, and make up anything and everything to win. Oh don’t worry; he’ll make sure that some of the real hit pieces are not from him directly so he can claim ignorance with smirk and wink.
Frank’s outburst last week was in direct response to Gauny’s public comments requesting that the City Council take a position on illegal immigration.
And that is the real story here folks; Ferry didn’t take kindly to being put on the spot about illegal immigrates. That’s because Councilman Frank Ferry is okay with illegal immigration and does not want the City do anything about it. He has that position because he is the Principle of Alemany High School which is a Catholic school that is part of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles headed by Cardinal Roger Mahony; Frank’s boss!
In 2006, the Washington Post reported that Cardinal Mahony; …”attacked a House bill that would turn most people and institutions that aid illegal immigrants into felons. Calling it “blameful, vicious” legislation, Mahony vowed a campaign of civil disobedience in the archdiocese’s 288 parishes if it becomes law.”
Councilman Frank Ferry isn’t going to go against the boss! No way, he would much rather let his employer dictate his City Council positions on important issues. Forget about representing his constituents, the residents of the City of Santa Clarita.
I guess with Frank Ferry there is no separation of Church and State!
Just take a moment to watch the video, on the lower left side of this site, of Frank in action. Honestly, is this the type of person that you want representing your City?
At the next Santa Clarita City Council meeting ask the question again during the public comment section; ask each Council member what their position is on illegal immigration.
Dave Bossert- Commentary
Dave Bossert is a community volunteer who serves on a number of boards and councils. His commentaries represent his own opinions and not necessarily the views of any organization he may be affiliated with or those of the West Ranch Beacon
February 1st, 2010 at 9:24 am
[...] Dave Bossert asserts that illegal immigration is now the big CC campaign issue, saying “Frank Ferry is okay with illegal immigration and does not want the City do anything about it.” Why? Because Cardinal Mahoney is his boss. WRB [...]
February 1st, 2010 at 11:04 am
[...] Mr. Moore’s statement with that of Mr. Bossert’s, who flails about the subject with the animosity toward Ferry obviously still fresh from the decade-old-but-still-relevant [...]
February 1st, 2010 at 3:54 pm
Dave:
So you are anti-Catholic now? That seems very strange to hear coming from a member of a religious minortiy.
February 1st, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Oh Tim, you’re not part of a group that paints people “anti” anytime they offer up an opinion or critique of a position or issue are you? And what minority religion would you be referring?
-Dave
February 1st, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Dave:
We will see what the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights thinks about this. They might have an opinion.
February 1st, 2010 at 6:06 pm
Tim,
Like I said; “you’re not part of a group that paints people “anti” anytime they offer up an opinion or critique of a position or issue are you? And what minority religion would you be referring?”
You made a comment about my religious affiliation now you seem to not want to answer the question. How about Tim, what minority religion are you inferring I am a member of?
-Dave
February 1st, 2010 at 6:21 pm
Dave:
The religion of my Jewish neighbors who were not real happy that the Birchers showed up to defend St. Bob last Tuesday. Luckily, those folks have some really militant Lutheran and Roman Catholic neighbors who won’t tolerate that kind of bigotry and are ready to crack some heads if your newfound “buds” from the Birchers don’t crawl back under their rock!
February 1st, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Ah, you see Tim I am not of the Jewish faith. Nor do I have any newfound “buds” in the Birchers. By inferring both you are showcasing your own ignorance by making such unfounded (not backed up by fact) assumptions.
February 2nd, 2010 at 7:31 am
I am really interested in Frank Ferry’s repeated desire to buty people. Can’t we resolve this by casting Mr. Ferry as the gravedigger the next time city council candidate TimBen Boydston produces “Hamlet” at the CTG?
February 2nd, 2010 at 7:50 am
Fair enough. Cards on the table. Since you are Catholic bashing its fair to ask what religion you follow, if any.
February 2nd, 2010 at 8:09 am
Question 2: Since you are not Jewish does that mean you have no empathy for the feelings of our Jewish brothers and sisters when they see John Birch Society members parading in front of our City Hall?
February 2nd, 2010 at 8:13 am
Full disclosure, I was born a Catholic and have no problem disagreeing with positions that the Church takes on various issues. That is not Catholic bashing by any means, that is free thinking!!
February 2nd, 2010 at 9:59 am
So you are a lapsed Catholic?
February 2nd, 2010 at 7:42 pm
Tim,
I was born a Catholic; my wife and children are Jewish; my mother-in-law is Jewish. We practice and observe all the holidays throughout the year for both religions. But that is all irrelevant to the discussion.
Unfortunately you would rather focus in on anything other than the real topic discussed in my commentary; illegal immigration. It appears that you would rather brand anyone that speaks out about a group that is blatantly breaking the law as “racists” and/or “bigots”. It is truly sad that you are incapable of having a real engaging discussion about illegal immigration.
The facts are very clear:
1. There are people that are coming to this Country illegally. They are breaking existing laws that were passed over the years that lays out a process for citizenship. Laws and processes were made to be followed not ignored or only followed by some and not others.
2. Meanwhile there are plenty of good, hard working individuals that do come to this Country legally and follow the rules and laws and became productive members of our society.
3. Last year Los Angeles County spent well over $1 Billion dollars of our tax dollars supplying medical, social and educational services to people that are here illegally! Multiple that Billion dollar number by many Counties across California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Florida and a myriad of other states and it quickly adds up to real money!
4. Personally, I would much rather see my tax dollars be used for people that here legally that need help. I would much rather see my tax dollars used to enforce the current laws so that we are not viewed as some gullible rubes that can be taken advantage of by anyone that wants to enter this Country illegally.
None of that makes me insensitive, a racist or a bigot. What that says is that I am the product of immigrates that came to this Country legally a century ago through Ellis Island; who learned the language and made their children learn the language; who worked hard and endured hardships early on to save for a better life; and who ultimately made successes out of themselves not from handouts or charity but from lift-yourself-up-by-the-boot-straps hard work. America is the land of opportunity and there are countless success stories to prove that fact. Many of those stories start out with some arriving in this Country as an immigrant with little money or material possessions to their name. The one thing that they all have in common is a dream, a burning desire to succeed and the sweat equity to invest in themselves which includes becoming a citizen legally.
Focus on the real issues and stop trying to deflect from the facts by labeling or pigeon-holing people as something they’re not. Your smugness is only exceeded by the sheer ignorance you have displayed in your comments.
Thank you for reading The Beacon!
-Dave
February 7th, 2010 at 9:58 pm
[...] town, Mr. Bossert goes so far as to implore attendees of the next CC meeting to “ask the question again during the public [...]
February 8th, 2010 at 8:02 am
[...] week in my commentary I wrote about illegal immigration and the fact that many of the City of Santa Clarita Council [...]