www.montereycountynow.com october 10-16, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 17 By now, if you’re registered to vote, you have probably received your ballot in the mail. Many candidates choose to include a very short, two- to three-word ballot designation. They may use their occupation or current elected office or a title that conveys an important part of their identity, perhaps calling themselves “teacher,” “business owner,” “City Council member” or “father.” Candidates also have the option to file a statement of qualifications, a longer narrative (with a longer title). There’s a lot of leeway in what they can say in that statement, with notable exceptions that they may not trash-talk an opponent or include false information. (Members of the public may challenge the statements within a 10-day window after the candidate filing period closes. Monterey City Clerk Clementine Bonner Klein says it’s unusual but it has happened that she’s asked candidates to make revisions to a statement of qualifications, specifically for disparaging an opponent.) Monique Kaldy, a real estate agent running against incumbent Monterey Mayor Tyller Williamson, is identified on the ballot as “businesswoman,” and in her longer statement in the voter guide a “businesswoman and housing advocate.” Given Kaldy’s opposition to a recently adopted rental registry, I asked her about her intent in using that term. “I assist new homebuyers, first-time homebuyers, people who are looking to upsize or downsize—I don’t know how that’s not a housing advocate,” Kaldy says. “We like to put people in houses.” The word choice, she says, was made deliberately: “I advocate for my clients. As a mom, I advocate for my kids. ‘Advocate’ just means to represent. But I am not an activist. If it said housing activist, then I would say you are 100-percent right to take issue. I am not a housing activist, but I am a housing advocate in the general sense.” While I do find it misleading, especially given that Williamson’s first term and his campaign for reelection have been focused largely on housing affordability and protections for renters, Kaldy is probably right about the definition—even if someone had filed a legal challenge, I doubt a judge would have required a change. Words matter, and they can also be harmful. That is again proving true in Pacific Grove, where mayoral candidate Dan Miller urged voters at a candidate forum in September to listen to his weekly podcast, What’s the Plan? They did give a listen, and many were horrified by what they heard in his conversations with local businessman Paul Weyant and local radio personality Mark Carbonaro. Miller can present as measured in some of his public remarks, but the podcast reveals his tendency toward hate-fueled rants. (“Rant” is his word, to quote the podcast, and it’s not wrong.) He denies that systemic racism exists in Pacific Grove. In a September episode he summarized his endorsement interview with the Weekly editorial board (which he left early, because he didn’t like our process—or as he says in the podcast, “I hung up on their ass”). In that episode, he repeated a claim he’s previously made, that his personal experience—as a white person— reveals racism to be overblown. “I’ve lived here 69 years…It’s really strange that I’ve never experienced or seen this…my nephew has three children that are half, what are they, Islander, Cambodian, something?” In an episode in May about sex education in Pacific Grove Unified schools, Miller questioned the curriculum as “promotional material for Planned Parenthood” and dismissed an LGBTQ+ club because it met at the same time as the Pokémon club. In a June episode, he questioned the City Council’s choice to raise the Pride flag. (Weyant calls it an “act of evil,” meant to sow division.) Diversity and equity are recurrent issues in the podcast, always a subject of scorn. In another episode, Miller shares his derisive view of “newcomers” who are advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion principles in P.G.: “You people have no concept, that are criticizing what exists today, of what existed before, what we’ve grown into, and now the squalor that you brought with you.” If ideas of inclusivity constitute “squalor,” I hope nobody tries to clean up Pacific Grove. Sara Rubin is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@montereycountynow.com. Fighting Words Election season means voters are reading and listening closely. By Sara Rubin Keys to Victory…Surprises are nothing new in the month before an election—the term “October Surprise” has been around for ages—and besides, crazy stuff happens 12 months a year. But even still, a citizen’s arrest has never been on Squid’s bingo card. But that’s what happened at the Monterey County Democratic Central Committee headquarters in Seaside on Oct. 2, in what is the latest chapter of the leadership dispute between former board chair Karen Araujo and current board chair Ian Oglesby, who is also the mayor of Seaside, that culminated with Oglesby making a citizen’s arrest of Araujo for trespassing. Oglesby had the locks changed to the headquarters that morning, and when Araujo showed up in the afternoon and found herself locked out, she called a different locksmith to change them again. As that was happening, Oglesby showed up at the scene—Seaside police arrived thereafter—and asked her to leave. He says she refused, so he made a citizen’s arrest to force her out of the building. Then Oglesby had the locks changed again, for the third time that day. It’s surprising to Squid that matters devolved to such a level—the term “Dems in disarray” is one many are eager to retire—because after all, they’re supposed to be playing for the same team. But at least they’re locking up the locksmith vote. Kitchen Table Politics…Squid has heard of political allies who band together to form voting blocs on councils or boards, but in the race for the Soledad Community Health Care District Board of Directors, one director is keeping it in the family. Director Max Schell recruited his wife, Maria Schell, to run for an open four-year position, while he has two years left in his term. If Squid had eyebrows they’d be raised. It sounds like it should be a conflict of interest but in fact there is nothing in state law that prohibits spouses from serving on the same elected board. Squid’s colleague checked with the California Fair Political Practices Commission and was told it’s a local matter. SCHCD has no prohibition in its bylaws. It gets a little more complicated, as Maria Schell works as a nurse practitioner for the district. Max says the couple is aware that if elected, she would have to immediately resign from her job. Schell has a reason to recruit like-minded candidates. He’s been at odds with the other four board members—including Graig Stephens and Rosemary Guidotti, both up for reelection—as well as CEO Ida Lopez Chan. He recruited another like-minded candidate to run, Daniel Vargas. Should both Maria Schell and Vargas win, it could bring sweeping changes to SCHCD. If they don’t, expect more bickering among board members. Squid wishes nothing but peace for the Schells’ household. the local spin SQUID FRY THE MISSION OF MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY IS TO INSPIRE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND CONSCIOUS ACTION, ETC. He reveals his tendency toward hate-fueled rants. Send Squid a tip: squid@montereycountynow.com
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==