Will The Gay Stay

With early voting starting next week, the fate of some Democrats in the Valley may very well rest in the hands of the LGBT community. Now one would think that it would be a cinch that Democrats would get their vote. Groups like Equality California and Stonewall Democrats will try but their efforts seem disjointed and confused at times.

Palm Springs, that bastion of gay, liberal progressive Democrats is on the verge of being represented by Chad Mayes, a graduate of Liberty University in the Assembly and either Jeff Stone or Bonnie Garcia in the State Senate. In fact Palm Springs gay political groups seem more concerned about James Williamson and his Palm Springs Unified School Board candidacy then that of Kara Lee Hargove, the Democratic candidate for Assembly.

Locally gay Democratic leaders are also sending mixed messages to the LGBT community with some hard to explain endorsements in local non-partisan elections. Palm Springs Council woman Ginny Foat has endorsed the pride of the East Valley Republican Club, Linda Evans for mayor of La Quinta!! A few years back, Evans said the biggest problem facing the Coachella Valley was President Obama and the Affordable Care Act!! Greg Pettis, Cathedral City Councilman, has endorsed perennial right wing candidate Steve Grasha for a Water Board slot.

Despite some backbiting and petty jealousy, local gay leaders have joined behind Congressman Raul Ruiz in his bid for re-election. But it remains to be seen if they will actively campaign to see him re-elected. They did hold a fundraiser for him,

Many members of the local gay community are recent arrivals and while they tend to be strongly Democratic, it remains to be seen if local Coachella Valley Democrats will be able to attract enough of their vote in an off election season to make an impact. 

Rancid In Riverside County

I have lived here in Riverside County for almost a quarter century. It stil amazes me when the conservative power structure gets challenged and how they react.

5 years ago, I went to Tea Party rallies in Palm Desert. The crowd about a thousand people was met with 4 police officers who were very polite as they displayed Obama monkey plus Joker and Hitler signs. There were no helicopters or riot squads at the anti-government demonstration.

Fast forward a few months and the Koch brothers come to Rancho Mirage. Progressive demonstrators are met with riot squads and also helicopter surveillance. A phony excuse is later made up that they were protecting federal judges who no one knew were there.

In early July, intellectual descendants of the Know Nothing Party and George Wallaceites protested against young kids and minors seeking asylum being sent to Murrietta. After embarrassing themselves and Riverside County, the following days they were met with counter protesters.

Of course the counter protesters made the crime of standing up for dignity and freedom. 4 of them were arrested and get this, 3 were charged with violating anti-lynching statutes!!! The statutes were put in place in the 30's to keep people from raiding jails and hanging African-Americans,

In a stretch that defies all logical sense, Riverside County Sheriffs Department and the DA said 3 of the protesters tried to free a woman held in custody. Absurd. Video evidence seems to contradict this.

The fact that in 2014, this nonsense can still go on is just mind numbing. What a disgrace,

Mayor's Race In La Quinta

The race for the mayor's job in La Quinta seems to be shaping up as an interesting one. Council member Linda Evans is taking on long time mayor Don Adolph for the 2 year term. Adolph got off the line of the year so far in local politics. When asked by the Desert Sun why he was running again, Adolph said he was waiting for a “credible” candidate to emerge and none had.

This could be a tough race for the incumbent. Don Adolph will have to rely heavily on PGA West which has been a power base for him in previous elections. Meanwhile, Linda Evan brings a touch of youthful ambition plus the support of the East Valley Republican Club.

The city was hard hit by the loss of 41 million dollars in redevelopment monies and most elected officials can't stop carping about that. Of course the fact they had 41 million dollars in such a fund may have been one of the reasons the state needed to step in.

La Quinta will face quite a few challenges in the upcoming years. Expansion, redevelopment and what to do to finally complete the Silver Rock Golf Course loom large. Many decisions upcoming in the next few years will have a major impact on the city.

The smart crowd says Evans wlll win but I think in the end experience trumps ambition and despite not being endorsed by the Desert Sun, Don Adolph wins with a small margin.

Cat Have Their Tongues In Cathedral City

As we get closer and closer to the election time in Cathedral City, an interesting wrinkle is in the works. It is certain the council will have 3 new people on it in the next few months How that 3^rd one will be selected appears to be so sensitive, some people do not want to address it. In fact for just raising the question, I was apparently kicked out of the Cathedral City Neighborhoods Group on Facebook. Oh well, I have been thrown out of better places than that.

Right now, the council has 3 people on it. Enough for a quorum, but not much else. In a few months 2 of the open seats will be filled. Also, councilman Stan Henry will be elevated to mayor. That will leave his two year term vacant. The city council will then have the opportunity to either schedule a new election in the spring or appoint someone to fill the vacancy.

What I propose is that all agree the 3^rd place finisher in the upcoming election, (If former councilman Chuck Vasquez wins it would be the 4^th.) be appointed to the council. That is how it is done in Palm Springs and how Ginny Foat got her seat originally.

Now Cathedral City has no such statue and I believe that neither Mr. Pettis nor Mr. Henry really want to limit their power to appoint a new member. Some have cited a few earlier council appointments as precedent but since the city is only 33 years old, that argument is supercilious. In any case, I will donate a $100 bucks to St. Louis Church if the new council does schedule an election. I am so sure that Messers Henry and Petttis do not want to allow the 3rd place finisher on the ballot.

Even if this time the council, appoints a member, an initiative should be put on the ballot next year in Cat City to allow for 3^rd place finishers to be appointed.

By the way if you are member of the Cathedral City Neighborhoods Group feel free to post.

Cooking With Gas

Tonight the Palm Springs City Council will debate whether or not food trucks will be allowed in Palm Springs and where they will be placed. Local rumblings in the press seem to indicate that they will be allowed to operate on Palm Canyon Drive up till 9pm.

A one who is a food truck kind of guy, I am wondering how food trucks will be handled by a town that loves to boast how hip and cool it is. I have a tendency to believe that the food trucks that I am used to from the East Coast may not be the same as out here. I can't see Joe's Hot Dogs or Mike's Tacos being allowed. This is Palm Springs.

Taking in mind that equation, I bet the city council passes the following restrictions on food trucks:

1. Only trendy meals from the Food Network be served.
2. All truck names must be chic. Example Le Dog de Hot.
3. A red carpet and VIP standing room is mandatory.
4. Like never visiting PS Walmart, no elected officials will lower themselves by eating at a truck.
5. The local paper must have a headline “Not Your Dad's Food Truck.” At least twice a year.
6. All cooks must be referred as Chef de Mobile, have tattoos and like the Arctic Monkeys.

I think that will do for starters. What really brings me indigestion is the fact a vast majority of people in Palm Springs would actually find my tongue-in-cheek points actually attractive.

I need a Rolaids.