What are "Endorsements" and What Should They Mean to Voters?

By Valer V. "Val" Secarea, Jr.

Five candidates running together. They have been "endorsed" by many political officeholders. Indeed, I assert that a closer look at this situation reveals that these five are "government's candidates." How did this state of affairs come about and what might it mean to the well-being of the community of Rancho Santa Margarita?

(You'll find it, eventually, at: http://users.deltanet.com/~vsecarea)

This subject will be much more than an "article" and will probably continue even after the election -- whether I'm on City Council or not. I feel strongly that Rancho Santa Margarita and the Trabuco Canyon communities were betrayed by those who made the cityhood effort a vehicle to elevate themselves to political office. Not suprisingly, all of the individuals who participated in this betrayal are now running for city council.

If it wasn't for apparent closed-door dealings with County officials by these five opportunists and at least one Trabuco Highlands resident, Dove Canyon wouldn't be part of the proposed city and I wouldn't be running for City Council. As you know, my community and others only became part of the cityhood movement after closed-door meetings produced a "new" definition of a "City of Rancho Santa Margarita."

Evidently, the opportunists worked with County officials to impose the will of the few and thwart the will of the many. I believe it was these actions that earned the "endorsements" proudly advertised by the opportunists.The hopes and dreams of those who worked to incorporate the community of RSM alone and those who wanted no part of cityhood at all, paid for this newfound distinction.

I feel strongly that all communities which might have been involved in the cityhood question should have been given the chance to make a separate determination as to whether they wanted to be a part of the new city. Thanks to the opportunists, things didn't work out that way. Apparently, they were more interested in their own political futures than they were in you or me.

I'm outraged by the secret decision-making which made it necessary to express this view. All of "us", the residents of Rancho Santa Margarita and the Trabuco Canyon Communities are victims of government run in secret.

Indeed these five are "government's candidates." They are the candidates of government who's only purpose is to perpetuate itself and its power over people.

Although we can't change the past, but we don't have to relive it. That's why I've focused my campaign on emphasizing "open government", and offered myself as the candidate for City Council who would be the "friend and government-watchdog" for the entire community. I believe somebody's got to do that job. Otherwise, we'll never really be a "community" in any worthwhile sense of that word.

For now, I'll close by paraphrasing an old Vulcan saying -- "the interests of the many should outweigh the interests of the few, or the one." To me, the interests of the "many" are the interests of the entire community.

To find out more, point your browser at: http://users.deltanet.com/~vsecarea