By Richard Riehl / The Riehl World
There’s a sign that “times they are a-changin” in North County’s little Village by the Sea after Cori Schumacher was elected to the Carlsbad City Council in November. A leading activist in the successful campaign to stop a billionaire LA developer from despoiling the natural beauty of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon, Schumacher has already established a new model for a council member’s responsibilities.
In the absence of a job description, Schumacher has written her own. Her newsletter to constituents within days of each meeting describes the issues that were up for a vote, gives background from her research on each, and explains her support or opposition. She hosts town hall meetings to invite feedback on the issues, as well as her decisions. You can subscribe here.
It’s not too early for voters to begin thinking about the three open positions for the 2018 election. In January Mayor Matt Hall and councilmember Michael Schumacher (no relation to Cori) filed forms with the city clerk, announcing their 2018 campaign fund. The mayor has $50,000 left over from his 2014 campaign. Schumacher has a balance of $13,000. Mark Packard has not yet filed but has $8,000 left unspent.
Since we only get brief comments on their positions on the issues at council meetings, it often appears they either didn’t do their homework, are going along to get along, or are simply reflecting the wishes of their most generous campaign supporters.
Take Mayor Hall, for example. He assured Carlsbad residents that he had carefully considered Rick Caruso’s plan for developing the Agua Hedionda Lagoon property before giving it his full support, accusing opponents of being outside agitators. After voters stopped the project he admitted he had not read the plan carefully enough.
And here’s what we learned from a newspaper article a year earlier, (“Carlsbad begins analysis of strawberry fields,” Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, May 31, 2015). “Carlsbad Mayor Matt Hall said last week he hadn’t seen enough information yet to take a position for or against the project, but he likes the way the developer has worked to gain residents’ support.”
Developer Rick Caruso’s representative, Janette Littler, boasted, “We also continue to meet with Carlsbad residents to listen to their wishes and input several times a week through community meetings, bus tours to The Grove, at-home coffee discussions, and various other ways.”
It came as no surprise to Mayor Hall that Caruso’s representative was so good at her job. Hall had paid her, the President and CEO of Callidus Consulting Group of San Diego, a total of $13,000 in consulting fees, $4,000 of which was a “Victory Bonus,” for his successful 2014 election campaign.
So much for the mayor’s claim of an unbiased consideration of a plan being put forward by his campaign consultant’s employer.
A review of the mayor’s 2014 election campaign contributions raises more questions about the transparency of his decision making.
Hall received a total of $78,000 in contributions, including a non-monetary donation of $20,000 from Russell Grosse, a real estate developer who funded a “Celebrate Carlsbad Party and Fundraiser” for the candidate.
Six members of the Feuerstein family, their occupations each listed as “Principal: Mesa Centers,” in Newport Beach, LaJolla, and San Diego, contributed $200 each to Hall’s campaign. That’s not a lot of money, but curiosity about the mayor’s connection with this organization, located in three cities outside of Carlsbad, prompted an Internet search.
My first hits on “Mesa Centers” led me to private schools and a senior center. Were the Feuerstein’s a family of school principals? Looking further I discovered the “Mira Mesa Shopping Centers.” Was the mayor working with another out-of-town developer on a bid to add another Carlsbad shopping center?
Then I found the “Mira Mesa Shopping Center LLC,” a real estate and development firm in Newport Beach that listed four Feuerstein’s as “members.”
Finally, I came across a July 2, 1993, LA Times story with the headline, “Developer Fined for Illegal Campaign Funding,” by Eric Bailey.
The development company was owned by one of Hall’s campaign donors, Arnold D. Feuerstein. The California Fair Political Practices Commission fined him $10,000 for laundering campaign contributions to a variety of candidates in city, county, and statewide races. Feuerstein denied the charges, claiming, “some temporary help misapplied a reimbursement.”
Maybe the Feuerstein’s are simply family friends of the mayor’s but the mysterious way they are listed in his campaign funding statement raises questions about the extent of their influence on this elected official.
Half of Mayor Hall’s total of $78,000 in monetary and in-kind support for his 2014 campaign came from just seven individuals.
Corporate executives of Grand Pacific Resorts: Tim Stripe, David Brown and Tim Schinkel kicked in a total of $3,400. James Ukegawa, owner of the Strawberry Fields, listed by Hall only as a “farmer,” was good for $5,000. Chuck Smith, founder and CEO of PayPros, and his wife Maryanne, each contributed $5,000. Russell Grosse, the Real Estate Developer who hosted the $20,000 fundraiser,” brought Hall’s total financial support from the Deep Pocket Seven to $38,400.
In her most recent newsletter, Cori Schumacher raised the question of cronyism in city Council appointments to commissions. This followed concerns expressed by her constituents about Mayor Hall’s appointment of Lisa Rodman, an outspoken supporter of the Agua Hedionda Lagoon property development plan (featured in TV commercials for the mall project), and a High-Noon Rotarian, to the Carlsbad Planning Commission.
Schumacher points to the city municipal code requiring planning commission members to be appointed by a majority of the city Council, unlike appointments to other commissions, which only require a mayoral appointment to be made with the concurrence of the Council. She goes on to say, “Carlsbad’s High-Noon Rotary is largely acknowledged as the central, local institution for Carlsbad’s power elite, Carlsbad’s “in-crowd.”
Schumacher points out there were 10 applicants for the Planning Commission appointment, but none, other than Rodman, the mayor’s choice, were seriously considered. “I have requested Council examine our lack of a nomination process in an upcoming agenda. This should be done before we fill the next position on the Historic Preservation Commission.”
Cori Schumacher is working hard to eliminate cronyism by bringing more transparency to Carlsbad’s elected leadership. But for that to happen voters will need to make the right decisions in the 2018 election.
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I experienced the “cronyism” first hand when I was passed over for City Treasurer a couple years ago despite having run with big support and 1/3 of the vote. That said, the “cronyism” is what has made Carlsbad a great place to live. Clearly at our near the top place to live in SD County. California is very unusual in how the culture celebrates “resistance to authority” (like we’re sick in the 60’s, power to the people, right on!) even when it is 100% not in their best interests. That’s what happened in the last election. Let’s hope that reasonable and clear-thinking residents stop the council from further deterioration.
Yes Carlsbad is a great place to live despite the unwelcome over development and cronyism that is trying to destroy that status. I am not surprised that some people’s opinion of positive change would be considered “deterioration”. After all that mindset has dominated our “village” for forty plus years.
There is still hope for the future but as long as the current Council majority continues on it’s path Carlsbad will become a soul-less shell of it’s former vibrant self. Over built, over crowded, and essentially over.
Let’s hope that clear-thinking residents stop the current council from their further destruction of our great community.
I’ve found Cori’s newsletters to be informative and factual, unlike typical political rhetoric. That she would take the time and effort to let the citizens see the process demonstrates the spirit of a true civil servant. I hope for the sake of our city that more like her run in 2018. Our Measure A proved one thing; over half the voters did not trust the judgment of the sitting city council. The recent rash of store closings as people shift their shopping online has validated that lack of trust. FYI, almost all of Cori’s campaign donations came in small amounts from residents of Carlsbad.
Cori is a breathe of fresh air, as compared to the three politicians noted in your text above. The latest action of the Hall/Packard/M. Schumacher ruling junta, was to appoint Lisa Rodman to the Planning Commission. Her only apparent qualification was as a TV spokesperson for the late and unlamented Measure A. Though it occurs in the bucolic backdrop of Carlsbad, the way that things are done by the aforementioned would make the PRI party of our Southern neighbor blush in comparison. As far as the Carlsbad “Hi Noon” Rotary is concerned, Its rather unfortunate that a chapter of an organization seeking to unite folks behind common good, has been turned into a quasi political organization.
Thanks Richard as usual for pointing out the obvious AND backing it up with pertinent FACTS. Follow the money! Those of us who have taken the time and effort to investigate for ourselves already know who is REALLY running Carlsbad. Many do not have the time or inclination to stay informed and the current Mayor and City Council (save Cori) have ZERO interest in letting anyone know what is happening behind closed doors. Why would they since it would only expose their corruption? Hall and his pals get reelected because of the financial support of the developers, real estate and hotel people and their core group of local power-players. The average citizen needs to wake up before it’s too late. The damage they have already done is irreversible but we can and must stop it from going any further. 2018 is the year to vote out ALL incumbents.
Out with the old (Hall and company) in with the new (Cori and company).
We might not be able to stop the raging dumpster fire in Washington, D.C. , but we need to take back that Village of Carlsbad from the current old boys network whose only concern is their own pocketbooks. 2018 can’t come soon enough.
Looking at Cori Schumacher’s recent votes, she is the most conservative councilmember when it comes to spending.
Thank you, Richard Riehl, for shining the spotlight on the dark side of local Carlsbad politics. And kudos to Cori Schumacher for the diligence and transparency she brings to our local government. She truly puts Carlsbad and the interests of its constituents first.
Yes, we need to drain the swamp in Carlsbad. Unfortunately since our wonderful Mayor Bud Lewis stepped down our city council has been disappointing at best and and dishonest and self-serving at worst.