Why I Voted for Laurie Ender and Other Uninteresting Information

By Timothy Myers SR. — Tim Myers

A poster posed the question as to why I voted for Laurie Ender to retain her seat on City Council. Some background: I am that most stoic and unemotional of individuals, an Iowan and a Lutheran. Some say the job of Lutheran Pastor is the most dangerous because Lutherans so value stoicism that when a Lutheran finally reach out for pastoral care they are ready to get the shotgun.

So due to this lack of emotion it genuinely bemuses me to see folks get so riled up about this council race and the candidates. Frankly, I think all the candidates (this time) would do a fine and credible job, and the race always seems to attract (barely) enough attention to keep a real nut bar off the dais.

So, bereft of emotion, I have to base my decision on other things, and this time it all comes back to the IHOP and Dave Bossert. The IHOP crowd and Dave Bossert have gone completely off the rails in their efforts to unset Ender, such that I honestly think they might have a breakdown if she wins, so I decided to vote for her just to do the opposite.

Ironically, nothing would thrill me more than an Ender defeat. (Back to the stoicism and lack of emotion.) It would be a “black swan” event in SC politics and I could not wait to tear through the numbers to find out why it happened. And of course report it here and elsewhere.

Comments (65)

LarMccMarch 16, 2012 at 7:06 am

So allow me to summarize. You voted for her because all candidates would do an equally fine job, and all things being the same, you gave her a vote because Dave Bossert and the IHOP crowd are passionate about seeing her defeated. But you would be thrilled if she loses. I guess I got my paragraph, I think, so thanks. And you start off reminding me of Garrison Keillor with your talk about Lutheranism, not that it’s a bad thing. And just for the record, I have never met Dave Bossert and I do not hang with the IHOP crowd, in fact I last visited that IHOP about 8 years ago (so many better places to eat), not that you claimed otherwise.

Fed Up N SCVMarch 16, 2012 at 9:33 am

LarMcc you summed it up nicely except you left out Tim is shill for McKeon.

mikeMarch 16, 2012 at 9:51 am

If you got Tim’s long answer on McKeon, I suspect it would sound very much the same. I think Tim would be delighted if Lee Rogers won.

PetzMarch 16, 2012 at 7:13 am

Together with your Hatami “he does not have a chance in %$#@” selection we are all left to scratch our heads.

NateMarch 16, 2012 at 8:10 am

Is “hell” a bad word?

Phil EllisMarch 16, 2012 at 9:19 am

Only if you are there.

NateMarch 16, 2012 at 9:53 am

I think bad words are the least of your worries.

PetzMarch 16, 2012 at 7:22 am

Since The Signal will not print my latest Magnus Opus…..Petz will allow it to be used a counter punch to the dribble put forth by Tim this morning. Rational , thinking , logical, and concerned citizens of this city will follow my lead,selecting Bob Kellar and TimBen Boydston. This reader is perplexed by a recent comment made by city council member Laurie Ender. In the article “mayor rotation debated” published on Tuesday, Ms. Ender indicated that she opposed automatic rotation for mayor since the position requires leadership and should be subject to council election. Certainly this could not be the same Laurie Ender who voted with her ” Gang of Four” to deny Bob Kellar his turn to be mayor pro tem in response to Frank Ferry’s narcissistic self nomination .Your readers will recall that in December, Frank Ferry “cut in line” by nominating himself for this position title. Ferry proceeded to provide an awkward explanation about his actions being based upon his own selfish desire to hold the title at this time, ostensibly to impress his fiancee, and two boys. Nothing against Bob Kellar of course, except that several weeks later Ferry endorsed Ed Colley in the upcoming council election. The conscious of Santa Clarita/Colorado Bill Kennedy referred to Ferry’s action as “shameless” in a recent opinion piece. My question to Ms. Ender…Is this the “leadership” you are looking for in a mayor ? Many concerned citizens were left to question your judgment and motives in the days following your vote. After this recent statement we are left to question your truthfulness and sincerity. Bob Kellar has been a distinguished leader throughout his long career in the military, the LAPD, as a business owner, and a city council member. His words and actions have defined him as a major community leader in the Santa Clarita Valley for many years. On April 10 I will join thousands of my fellow Santa Claritans in voting for Bob Kellar and TimBen Boydston for city council. Both of these men epitomize the leadership quality that this fine community deserves in the years ahead. I urge my fellow citizens to join me in the effort to restore refined judgment, decorum, and a sense of civility to the council chambers. Petz

LarMccMarch 16, 2012 at 7:35 am

Excellent letter! Has Petz contacted Julian Williamson about this, and what was his reply? LarMcc has a letter pending @ The Signal reminding our fair citizens about the unethical allegations surrounding Laurie Ender, Citizens for Integrity, Ed Colley and G&L Realty.

NateMarch 16, 2012 at 8:17 am

Is this written from a 2nd graders perspective? Teacher… Frankie took cuts in the milk line. The Mayor title is just that, a title.

Fed Up N SCVMarch 16, 2012 at 9:31 am

Great letter Petz!

David GaunyMarch 16, 2012 at 12:55 pm

You nailed it, Petz. There has been precious little that is praiseworthy in many of Ender’s actions, especially with so many of her decisions being made in haste or retribution rather than the wise analysis due our citizens. Regardless of how one votes, these are the types of issues that responsible people should look at when casting their ballot. While I too appreciate your explanation, Tim, my views from yesterday are unchanged. I know you don’t really care but using your public voice to be part of the problem instead of the solution is just plain cowardly. Such a shame when you know full well there are better candidates putting blood, sweat and tears in for better representation for all of us.

RemStarMarch 16, 2012 at 2:40 pm

What this election is lacking is a candidate who is undereducated and whose past is marked by a string of business failures. It’s such a shame someone like that didn’t have the sack to take on Laurie Ender directly, because it would have been fun to watch them get their ass kicked by a girl.

JerryMarch 16, 2012 at 4:35 pm

RemyS – U’r right. It’s a shame U didn’t run. Then we could have watched a real cat fight.

AlpinerMarch 16, 2012 at 4:09 pm

Petz, you are right on.

AlpinerMarch 16, 2012 at 8:02 am

Tim, statistics and math have boggled your mind. Your reasoning makes about as much sense as the voter who does no homework on the election and simply votes for the name that sounds best when he or she enters the voting booth.

NateMarch 16, 2012 at 8:12 am

Quite a charge coming from a religious man.

AlpinerMarch 16, 2012 at 12:53 pm

Why?

NateMarch 16, 2012 at 1:53 pm

http://bit.ly/FOutHX

AlpinerMarch 16, 2012 at 3:56 pm

Ahhh, the humor of an atheist. God bless it!

Phil EllisMarch 16, 2012 at 9:20 am

That’s not a valid selection method?

ScottEMarch 16, 2012 at 8:08 am

Black Swan event .. heh heh .. leave it to an insurance man ..

LindaMarch 16, 2012 at 9:02 am

I think you’ve veered over that fine line between stoicism and passive aggressive behavior, Tim.

Angelo CandelabraMarch 16, 2012 at 9:30 am

On this blog I’ve yet to see anyone indicate that they voted for Bob Kellar or Laurie Ender in 2008 and were not voting for them in 2012. Also, the other three candidates who ran in 2008 (Maria Gutzeit, Bob Spierer and Diane Trautman) were all far more formidable and impressive than the challengers running today. For these reasons I believe the incumbents will easily out pace the challengers. Tim, may I ask why you did not vote for Bob Kellar?

Need for Involved CitizenryMarch 16, 2012 at 9:51 am

I voted for Diane Trautman and Bob Keller 4 years ago. Those were the best candidates then. Bob and TimBen are the best candidates now. It was apparent early on to me that Ender was a shill for Ferry and therefore would never get my vote. Gutziet lost my vote when she was the only speaker (and she wasn’t served by them) who recommended to the CLWA board that they should raise water rates at Santa Clarita Water. I liked Trautman because she was smart, did her homework, asked the right questions and truly cared about the community. I didn’t get the sense that Spier was at quite the same level. I liked Kellar (even though he is a bit too motherhood and apple pie for my taste) because he was approachable, asked good questions and was the swing vote when it came time to bid the trash contract. You would think that Tim would have used an argument like that to justify who he voted for.

NateMarch 16, 2012 at 9:55 am

Yes Tim why Juking Jon over Kellar?

Timothy Myers SRMarch 17, 2012 at 5:29 am

AC Upon reflection I don’t think I have ever voted for Bob K. In 2000 I bullet voted for Cameron Smyth to make sure he would win and in 2004 I think I bullet voted for him again so he would have a wide margin of victory in first place and impress the Repub “powers” for his Assembly run. In 2008 I voted for Laurie Ender and Maria Gutzeit. I voted for Jon Hatami because he threw down in a race that it looked like would have no opposition, thus defending democracy.

mikeMarch 16, 2012 at 9:49 am

I’m interested and I care, so I don’t share Tim’s view. If I didn’t care, but I was still interested, my reasoning would sound much the same. I can’t vote, because I’m a stone’s throw outside of city limits. But if I couldn’t, I wouldn’t want to, because I wouldn’t feel good voting for any of them, all in their own special way. But since I always vote and only abstain when I’m ignorant (e.g judicial races), I would vote, dispassionately, for some combination of Bob, Laurie and/or TBB.

mikeMarch 16, 2012 at 10:22 am

“I’m still really, really white — which is to say, I’m a white Iowan, than which there is nothing whiter. Everything Garrison Keillor says about Minnesotans goes double for Iowans.” -Charles Murray http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/10/black-and-white-charles-murray-and-baratunde-thurston-quiz-each-other/

Eric HeilbrunMarch 16, 2012 at 11:15 am

My guess as to why Tim voted for Ender….PTAMILTVF PTA Moms I Love to Vote For

SCV Republican SupporterMarch 16, 2012 at 1:00 pm

Laurie deserves your vote based on who she really is. A former higher up employee in the entertainment industry who decided to raise her kids and be active in our community. She is a giver not a taker. She is also not one of the angry people like TimBen and Colley. TimBen is just wrapping himself around Bob Kellar and asks to be the second vote. Even though if you know Bob you know he can’t stand TimBen and regrets his vote to ever appoint him to the Council. What would TimBen do if elected? Let’s look at his brouchure. Return our librarys to the debt laden we need to close down County system with no books for the new Newhall Library. Resolve Cemex. How? What could he do that has not already been done and continues to be done by the City, including Kellar and Edner? Listen with respect. Does that include the threatening letters he sent to property owners in Newhall that were going to remove parking from his private business, the Canyon Theatre guild? Expand the Senior Center. How? What is the plan? City alread contributes hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Center. Bring back the TCU. Who will pay for it TimBen? Attract higher paying jobs. The City, Chamber and Economic Development Corp. doing that already. Build more roads. Specifically which are your first two roads you will build and how will you pay for them? Provide more resources for the Sheriff. How much more? We already pay more than any other contract City. Promises are great. Action and results is what counts. TimBen is pandering. Laurie and Bob have performed. Pretty clear.

IHeartSCVMarch 16, 2012 at 1:57 pm

SCVRS, perhaps your math skills need a refresher. Even if LSSI didn’t have a multi-year contract, TimBen would have 1 vote on the City Council. There would likely be 4 other votes against his plan to “undo” the library situation. When it’s 4-1, the 1 loses. As for the “how” of accomplishing his proposed actions, you’re holding TimBen to an absurd standard. Most City Council members ask staff to research a topic and do all the legwork–do you think Laurene made every last arrangement to install her community gardens or Laurie crunched all the numbers for libraries or Frank built the website for his Mayor Dude campaign? I never support candidates for elections, so I’m no TimBen operative. I just think that actual arguments against him would be more convincing than flimsy scare tactics that are rendered ridiculous if one does even a little critical thinking.

SCV Republican SupporterMarch 16, 2012 at 2:10 pm

I don’t know why you think it is scare tactics. I simply looked at the general sounds good promises in his brochure and asked for specifics. I agree that the current Council depends on staff, as they should. TimBen however acts like he know more and will accomplish more. I know he writes on this blog and would love to see how he responds.

LarMccMarch 16, 2012 at 2:08 pm

My wife resigned from a position as an executive to raise our kids as well and has been active in the community. You think this qualifies someone to be in government? When judging Laurie, we have the benefit of seeing her performance over the past four years. She is one of the ‘Gang of Four,’ one of Ferry’s puppets. The city staff sure knows how to work this gang and ensure a quick look and approval for their projects. What specifically has Laurie done? She cites the library. Really? There was so much disregard for citizens with this project that our state took action to put laws into place to prevent this from happening again. They should rename AB438 the Ender Law. Now, I do not agree with the state taking this action and meddling in local government. But the fact that what was done had this ripple effect is indicative of how flawed the process was. Many have the opinion that Ender does her own thing and does not listen to the people, whether it be with her attitude or the snickering, chatting, eye rolling or other displays of indifference during council meetings. I could go further and go into the dirty G&L money or the Jake’s Way debacle, but let’s leave it at that. As for TimBen, he has my vote. You do raise some valid points and I do have some concerns about his goals. But, he has shown that he is open to listening to the people and I trust he would do this when these issues are being considered. TimBen has shown he asks a lot of questions when issues are being considered, and this is great. I doubt that Ken and Company like this very much but that is what a council should be doing. Most of all, TimBen would be a good balance on the council.

David GaunyMarch 16, 2012 at 2:27 pm

Perfectly stated, LarMcc!

AlpinerMarch 17, 2012 at 11:13 am

Yes, LarMcc, perfectly stated.

Phil EllisMarch 16, 2012 at 3:38 pm

Larry, remember who pushed that law. It was not a law that the state needed to pass.

LarMccMarch 16, 2012 at 9:40 pm

Agreed, and I know who was behind it and what their agenda was. The disregard 4 of our council members had for our citizens was the least of their concerns, but they did use it as ammo to get this passed. Ultimately, we voted for our 5 council people and they represent us. We are reaping what we sowed and the state needs to stay out of our business and worry about their own problems.

RemStarMarch 16, 2012 at 4:00 pm

My day is not complete without reading a comment in which you pussywhine about Frank Ferry and Laurie Ender. Thank you for sharing.

Capt. GeneMarch 16, 2012 at 4:24 pm

“you pussywhine about Frank Ferry and Laurie Ender” Witness the caliber of the typical Ferry/Ender supporter.

LarMccMarch 16, 2012 at 9:45 pm

I just want one of them, just once, to come in here with something, anything, to defend Ender or Ferry. But since they don’t have that they have to attack the poster or attack Keller, TimBen or whoever dared to challenge the city and King Ferry. It’s actually pretty sad.

BertaMarch 16, 2012 at 10:51 pm

RemStar your poor choice of words does not aid your cause.

AnnetteMarch 16, 2012 at 6:30 pm

Gosh, you can pass for a robo Laurie:/ This all sounds just like her rhetoric at the forums.

kkorenthalMarch 16, 2012 at 4:11 pm

I was originally inclined to vote to re-elect Laurie Ender but now feel my vote will best be served as a BULLET against the (very slight) possibility that Ed Colley might surge. This says less about Laurie and more about my deep respect for Bob and desire to see him finish far ahead of 2nd place.

BrianBMarch 16, 2012 at 4:38 pm

I am curious as to why the tea party folks are so hung up on Boydston. Is it because Kellar is teamed up with him? What if he was not running with Kellar?

AnnetteMarch 16, 2012 at 7:00 pm

Brian, FYI~ Bob and TimBen are not running together, they just have a lot of the same supporters.

Jim FarleyMarch 16, 2012 at 7:12 pm

Brian B. Your questions are good and I want to take an opportunity to answer them now. First of all let me make clear that I am an active volunteer in the TimBen Boydston for council campaign. While not affiliated with any “Tea-Party” organization I would also consider myself a “Tea-Party Republican”. That in has nothing to do with why I am supporting TimBen. This is a non-partisan race. Here are some other facts: TimBen is not “teamed up” with Bob Kellar, TimBen is supported by prominent Democrat and Republican leaders in the city. I respect both men and know they don’t see eye to eye on all issues but also know our city will be better off if both of them are sitting on the council. No Brian B. this is not a Tea Party issue in this campaign. It is local politics and deciding on who will serve best on the council by listening to the people. Anyone who has looked into this issue knows that we need TimBen Boydston and Bob Kellar sitting on our council.

BrianBMarch 16, 2012 at 9:02 pm

Jim- Thank you for your reply. But are you telling me Timben has not stated they are together several times during the race at public forums? Why would Timben support someone openly whom he is running against if they were not running together? I understood David Gauny and Timben running together in 2010, but it seems odd these two appear paired up this election yet you say it’s not true. I’m still curious as to the tea party support for Timben. That is, being from other local tea party members other than yourself.

Jim FarleyMarch 17, 2012 at 7:59 am

You have to get past this “run together” idea Brian. While TimBen is for Kellar’s election they are not running as a ticket. TimBen and those who support him would not want to see him win and Kellar lose. The goal is to unseat Ender and have both Bob and TimBen on the council. In 2010 Boydston and Gauny did not run together as a ticket. A lot of people supported both, as they do both Boydston and Kellar this time, because they share the common attribute of listening to the people.

Cheryl PhillipsMarch 16, 2012 at 9:30 pm

Still waiting for Ender to explain why she backed an indicted Los Angeles City Councilman in Sylmar – Richard Alarcon? LOS ANGELES CITY ETHICS COMMITTEE MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS Laurie H. Ender (Community Advocate, None) Valencia, CA 91354 Richard Alarcon Council Member - District 7 1292758 – FRIENDS OF RICHARD ALARCON FOR CITY COUNCIL A – Monetary Contribution Received (IND – Individual) [Period: 02/18/07 to 02/28/07] $100.00 [Election: 03/06/07] _____________________________________________ Frank Ferry Committee Santa Clarita, CA 91355 Richard Alarcon Council Member - District 7 1292758 – FRIENDS OF RICHARD ALARCON FOR CITY COUNCIL A – Monetary Contribution Received (COM – Committee) [Period: 02/18/07 to 02/28/07] $500.00 [Election: 03/06/07] _____________________________________________ http://bit.ly/wKNBgd – Link to Los Angeles City Ethics Commission Not too long after this Alarcon voted to stop the expansion of Providence Holy Cross Hospital and a few years later was indicted on perjury and voter fraud charges. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/08/richard-alarcon-indicted-perjury-voter-fraud.html And it goes on and on and on – tales of landfills, open space and an Alarcon employee (cousin) who managed the Lopez Canyon dump.. ‘The answer to why can be summed up in one man Richard Alarcon. The “how” however, is a complex tale of decades of Mafia-esque behavior, illegal activity, and environmental injustice.” Read more here: http://griffithparkwayist.blogspot.com/2010/06/lopez-canyon-open-space-battleground.html She must be so proud of her connection to a guy like this.

LarMccMarch 16, 2012 at 9:47 pm

What’s that I hear from the Ender and city people? Crickets! Crickets, I tell you.

SCV Republican SupporterMarch 17, 2012 at 9:44 am

Again attack my inuendo. Go and look at everyone who supported that event. Even Bob Kellar was there and may have donated, but you support Bob so that is okay? This event was to support Alarcon to because he was going to be on the LA City Council and local community leaders wanted to urge him to oppose Las Lomas. Those are the facts. Stop the personal attacks!

LarMccMarch 17, 2012 at 9:26 pm

I am joking a bit. But seriously, I did download a spreadsheet of all donations and there is no record of Kellar donating one dime. The donation in itself if harmless, but when you consider Alarcon’s fight against Holy Cross, and the Ender/Ferry/Colley/G&L Realty fight to get a commercial development at Henry Mayo, it is possible that there were some shared interests here beyond Las Lomas. Certainly no smoking gun, just something to raise the eyebrows.

Cheryl PhillipsMarch 17, 2012 at 9:33 pm

Not sure what you mean by “supported that event.” This is a list of those who gave political contributions to Alarcon in the 2 weeks before his election. The link shows all the donations during that time period and Bob Kellar is not on the list. The candidates have to legally list their monetary contributions and who they came from. There are no personal attacks here just facts backed up by data – just information for our voters in the SCV.

Eric HeilbrunMarch 18, 2012 at 9:32 am

Jeff Lambert and Hacker/Braly were also on the list…paid lobbyists/consultants for G&L Realty. And if you had to pick an LA City Councilperson most sympathetic to Las Lomas…it turned out to be Alarcon. No personal attacks, just facts.

SCV Republican SupporterMarch 18, 2012 at 12:36 pm

The point was that Kellar was at the event along with varied leaders and interests in Santa Clarita. The charge is made that the donation was wrong because years later Alarcon has been indicted. That is the truest form of character assasination. And both Laurie and Bob have lead the fight and been consistent against Las Lomas. Lots of city issues without this attempt at a smear.

SCV Republican SupporterMarch 18, 2012 at 12:37 pm

So what is the entire list of Santa Clarita donors for this event?

Eric HeilbrunMarch 18, 2012 at 1:39 pm

On the report covering the period from 2/18/07 to 2/28/07, campaign contributors from SCV were: Laurie Ender, Frank Ferry Committee; Hackerbraley LLP; Liaison Communications; Parkway Cadillac GMC; & Jeff Labmbert hailing from Sherman Oaks, but we all know the connection to SCV. With the exception of Parkway Cadillac, all other contributors mentioned have a direct connection to G&L Realty. Coincidence? Maybe. But then Alarcon runs interference regarding the Holy Cross expansion. If politics were a clean sport, it would be one thing…but it’s not, so forgive me for being cynical. Alarcon? Come on!

SCV Republican SupporterMarch 18, 2012 at 1:59 pm

What a stretch still. I will still focus on th 2012 real City issues, not this inuendo and rehash of the Hospital which has nothing to do with Alarcon.

Eric HeilbrunMarch 18, 2012 at 2:39 pm

I don’t know who you are, but being honest, is this your objective unbiased assessment, or blind faith?

LarMccMarch 18, 2012 at 5:19 pm

SCVRS – You’re wrong. It’s no innuendo. I for one am tired of having government that does not represent ME or the peoples interests. It certainly would appear that Ender *may* have been so concerned with getting the G&L support that she needed that she teamed up with King Ferry in a show of support for Alarcon. It was all about getting $upport and not about what is best for our valley and it’s people. Why should Ferry, Ender and G&L care that Holy Cross expand? Perhaps because Hold the Mayo is a third rate hospital and people in the know in this valley drive to the SFV for medical care, as Ferry did when the **** hit the fan with him. We need to keep pretending that all is OK and Hold the Mayo can hang their banners proclaiming some US News “Best Hospital” report when many of us have had family members in there and we know otherwise. This IS a city issue. We need a real hospital. We need something centrally located. Henry Mayo has been questionable since at least the late 80′s when I came to this valley. Nothing has changed in almost 30 years. Ender claims she supported “expanding the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital.” Well, where the hell is the expansion??? Such a coincidence that G&L consultants, Ferry and Ender are all on the side of one LA City politician. Gimmie a break.

BertaMarch 16, 2012 at 10:49 pm

Brian B. David Gauny endorsed TimBen Boydston this election, but they did not run “together” in 2010.

PetzMarch 18, 2012 at 5:01 am

Petz acknowledges that The Signal did print his Magnus Opus in the paper this morning. Sunday March 16, 2012 in the year of our Lord.

TimBen BoydstonMarch 18, 2012 at 10:45 am

Thank you Petz. I am honored.

SCV Republican SupporterMarch 18, 2012 at 12:38 pm

Tim Ben, Haven’t seen a response to my earlier email regarding you long list of promises in your mailer and requesting more details. When can we hear from you?