Special Feature

January 22nd, 2009

Observations and Reflections on Life in General in These Here Parts

Oh, what tangled webs we weave!

Mayor Lori Holt Pfeiler announces her retirement from politics, that she will not run again for Escondido’s mayoral seat . . . but that she does endorse Dick Daniels for mayor. Meanwhile, City Councilman Sam Abed, who intimates say definitely will run for the mayor’s seat, is fuming. He thinks Lori has intentionally tried to steal his thunder. Meanwhile, Ed Gallo, an eight year veteran as an Escondido city councilmemer, has his eyes on the vacated Dick Daniels seat who acknowledges he will, indeed, run for mayor. Councilwoman Marie Waldron has also expressed interest in running for the mayor’s seat. And the election is two years away!

Meanwhile, across the freeway, San Marcos Mayor Jim Desmond is being accused by Councilman Mike Preston’s wife, Luanne Hulsizer, who is also the Poway Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, of contacting her employer and seeking sanctions against her for her involvement with her husband, Mike Preston, in an anti Rebecca Jones campaign. She claims this is a mayoral abuse of power. Not so, says Hizzoner. He was merely tracking down rumors that Hulsizer had used her Poway Chamber of Commerce email address to send out political campaign literature for a San Marcos city election. And, he says, he was able to confirm that Hulsizer did, indeed, use the Poway Chamber of Commerce email address on the anti Rebecca Jones literature.

Meanwhile, Tri-City Hospital board members, staff, and patients continue to scratch their heads and wonder what is happening to their little world. The president and CEO, Art Gonzalez, and a number of his senior administrators, remain on paid leave. Information continues to be demanded as to what exactly happened to cause such a major upheaval. The thinking in many quarters is that (a) the power structure was fed up with Dr. Art Gonzalez and his underlings as the administrators, and (b) they wanted to get rid of him and the rest of the crew, but (c) they went about it the wrong way and may well have violated a number of laws in the process, not the least of which is the Brown Act. High priced attorneys on both sides are hashing that out right now while the taxpayers foot the bill and wring their paws, helplessly.

And meanwhile, over at Palomar Pomerado Health District, president and CEO Mike Covert, the $676,000 a year man, is grinning like a Chessy-Cat. He has the board in place that he wanted and sees no immediate threat to him losing his high priced and cushy job. While a great many of the medical staff are less than thrilled with him in the cat bird seat, his board shows no signs of unseating him.

The Reichstag seems secure. For the moment.

By the time this column appears in print we will have inaugurated a new president of the United States and by sundown tomorrow (Friday) all of the world’s problems will have been solved by President Barack Obama.

We wish him the best of luck with a generous dose of Divine Providence thrown in. We trust that life in your little capsule on this planet is a bit less burdensome and chaotic than those cited above.

Remember, things can only get better.