SQUIDFRY 05.17.18: Name Games…

NAME GAMES… Squid has spent lots of time brainstorming for the perfect title on Squid’s business card: “Award-winning popcorn eater,” “Yes, I’m watching you” and “Truth teller” are a few options. Squid has watched closely to see how candidates in the 27-way (twenty-seven!) race for governor identify themselves on the ballot, given that they’re not allowed to confuse or mislead voters, per state law. That means former L.A. mayor Antonio Villaraigosa can’t use “former mayor,” and instead is a “public policy advisor,” while Delaine Eastin, a former California state superintendent, is an “educator/youth advocate.” (Squid is curious about Green Party candidate Christopher N. Carlson, a “puppeteer/musician” – pulling puppet strings can be a useful skill in politics, after all.)

Monterey County Supervisor John Phillips is just that on the ballot, “Monterey County supervisor.” That hasn’t stopped him from putting his former title, “Judge,” all over his campaign materials, even though he retired from the bench 14 years ago. While that’s not expressly prohibited, the California Judges Association’s Judicial Ethics Code OKs the use of “retired judge.” Squid can’t help but find that one confusing, but Squid’s no judge.

RANK AND FILE… Against Squid’s better judgment, Squid can’t resist oozing down to the Fort Ord Reuse Authority board meetings each month to watch the sausage get made in slow motion.

The latest installment was the May 11 meeting, where the board was considering approval of FORA’s capital improvement program budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year. As is often the case, things got interesting when the subject of road projects came up, and FORA staff presented a table ranking the priority of various projects based on “evidence.” Those rankings were based on input from a subcommittee of planners and traffic experts from local cities, the county and CSU Monterey Bay, and notably, they put the controversial road project formerly known asEastside Parkway – a proposed road that would cut through Fort Ord’s open space, and which has been FORA’s highest priority road project for eight years – as ranked sixth on a list of 19 projects.

FORA board member Alan Haffa asked the obvious question: If the experts consider five other projects as a higher priority to get done, why is the former Eastside Parkway ranked first? FORA Executive Officer Michael Houlemard said past board decisions had made it so, but it wasn’t as if the board had made a “foolish decision” – they had a “good reason.” Haffa later responded, “To me, we put that cart way in front for political reasons.”

The board then voted 8-5 to keep the priorities as they were, because objective, expert analysis should never get in the way of FORA politics.