Palm Springs City Council Race - Incumbents and Challengers
The current Palm Springs city council race is the fourth
I've experienced since permanently relocating here in 2002. The 2003
race was a heated affair that pitted Councilmember Ron Odin against incumbent Will Kleindeinst for mayor. Kleindeinst was seen as anti-gay, such views produced a big turnout at the polls, and Odin
won handily. Major illness had me sitting out the 2005 race (is
"bedding out" correct?), though I did manage a token bit of support for
my choice of candidates that year. The 2007 race started early and
lasted slightly more than a year. No incumbents were up for reelection
and a handful of newcomers really wanted those two council seats.
That's the year enough money was spent by candidates that it's fair to
say the winners bought and paid for their seats. Two candidates' vote
totals were quite close and it's probable the local newspaper
endorsement played a decisive role on the winner's behalf.
Here we are, it's 2009, and another city council race is underway. The political atmosphere difference between this year and 2007 is like night and day. If it weren't for all the candidate street signs, it's doubtful many would remember this is election season. There's little excitement and voter's attentions are on other things. One problem is the imbalance between the two incumbents running for reelection, and their ten challengers. The incumbents have name recognition, mailing lists of supporters, a cadre of workers from past elections for help, fundraising expertise, money in the bank, the perks of incumbency, and the endorsement of the local newspaper. The challengers are lacking practically everything in the list. Their only asset is an offer of "fresh blood" as an alternative to the "experience" promise from incumbents. It's just not enough to overcome the incumbents' advantages.
Incumbent politicians generally assert a claim of "experience" as a major reelection asset, but that's also promising "more of the same". The Palm Springs City Council doesn't need "more of the same". Incumbents have grown smug, stale, indifferent, overly self-confidant - even arrogant, and overly proud of their record while in office. It's unrealistic to expect any will adopt a different stance and hopes for betterment rest with the prospect of new faces on the council. There probably aren't going to be any council newcomers after next month's election, but there's genuine talent among the challengers, and perhaps some will stick around and try again. There's no reason why serious candidates shouldn't use 2010 to reach out, attract supporters, develop mailing lists, recruit fundraising support, write Valley Voice pieces for publication in the local paper, join clubs and charities, become city commissioners and do everything possible to establish name recognition and public awareness of their capabilities. I hope they do and that some become council members in 2011.
Bond Shands
Palm Springs
October 25, 2009
Here we are, it's 2009, and another city council race is underway. The political atmosphere difference between this year and 2007 is like night and day. If it weren't for all the candidate street signs, it's doubtful many would remember this is election season. There's little excitement and voter's attentions are on other things. One problem is the imbalance between the two incumbents running for reelection, and their ten challengers. The incumbents have name recognition, mailing lists of supporters, a cadre of workers from past elections for help, fundraising expertise, money in the bank, the perks of incumbency, and the endorsement of the local newspaper. The challengers are lacking practically everything in the list. Their only asset is an offer of "fresh blood" as an alternative to the "experience" promise from incumbents. It's just not enough to overcome the incumbents' advantages.
Incumbent politicians generally assert a claim of "experience" as a major reelection asset, but that's also promising "more of the same". The Palm Springs City Council doesn't need "more of the same". Incumbents have grown smug, stale, indifferent, overly self-confidant - even arrogant, and overly proud of their record while in office. It's unrealistic to expect any will adopt a different stance and hopes for betterment rest with the prospect of new faces on the council. There probably aren't going to be any council newcomers after next month's election, but there's genuine talent among the challengers, and perhaps some will stick around and try again. There's no reason why serious candidates shouldn't use 2010 to reach out, attract supporters, develop mailing lists, recruit fundraising support, write Valley Voice pieces for publication in the local paper, join clubs and charities, become city commissioners and do everything possible to establish name recognition and public awareness of their capabilities. I hope they do and that some become council members in 2011.
Bond Shands
Palm Springs
October 25, 2009
Posted by Administrator at 10/25/2009 4:53 PM 
Categories: Opinion, City Council
Tags: Palm Springs City Council
Categories: Opinion, City Council
Tags: Palm Springs City Council
First off "Odin" is spelled "Oden". Now in regards to the Mayors race in 2003, Will was hardly anti-gay, just the opposite, for he had quite a bit of the support from the gay community. What transpired was pretty easy.
When discussing the Bike Weekend event and its law enforcement needs, etc... he commented that he wanted to know what police and medical calls for service occurred at the White Party. People felt it was an attack on the WP when it was not, but rather a fair comparison of the two biggest events held in the city.
Opponents tried to go after him for his church membership, etc...subsequently, he was on the defense trying to defend things he should not have had to and he was required to prove he was a supporter of the gay community, which he was.
The disappointing thing about all the negativity is he has been overlooked for his good. He was and continues to be the best mayor PS has had since Bono. He turned a part time job into a full time service and represented the city well.
U mention u've been here since 2002. The gay community has grown quite a bit here and has been a very positive and productive community in cleaning up PS, providing jobs and pride, etc...but what I've seen is a community with its own division, which is expected when it grows and becomes more involved. U have the more establish gay community who had blended in and then u had a newer more activist oriented sector.
What I saw in relation with Will was the long term gay community support him and the newer gay community oppose him, not knowing what he had done for the city. When Oden decided to run, he became the face of the new gay community, hence why the energy behind him and why Oden won.
Palm Springs itself has always had this division of some sort with some wanting more of an economy and others to keep it a small town, others want more retirement and some more activities and so this type of struggle is truly PS and what its been like here for many years. Not really a bad thing cause it keeps things in check, but when it occurs, I would hope the newbies or those on one side or the other would look at the good before formulating an opinion on rumors and 3rd hand info. This balance is what makes PS that much more special then the rest of the valley.
Reply to this