GEORGE WEISS
Laguna Beach City Council
RE-ELECT
My Take on the Candidates for City Council 2022
Peter Blake: In His Own Words / Comments To And From Residents
From Councilman George Weiss
Dear Residents,
I have served almost two years as your City Councilman. During that time I have witnessed a decline in civility on the Council that is alarming. I’m not sure it was any better before I was elected in 2020.
Rather than provide my comments on CC Blake’s behavior, here are a sample of his statements made during his tenure and about him by residents. Read them and decide what they might indicate about his character and fitness for public office.
There are also many videos Illustrating CC Blake’s disregard for the “Rules of Decorum” governing City Council Meetings. In these videos you will see CC Blake insulting residents, (the majority are women), civic organizations, and fellow Councilmembers. Included are also some comments from residents about emails he sent to them and other information.
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Samples: Short Excerpts from Recordings of Peter Blake at City Council Meeting, and Social Media Posts:
Council Meeting, Mr. Blake says:
“When I referred to Tony as a sycophantic slag. I referred to her as a bootlicking. Compromised politician. I never intended for it to be said that I was calling her a slut.”
“I’m a bully. I got elected as a bully.”
“The rules apply to you – they don’t apply to me”
“You can censure me a hundred times between now and the day we meet back at the ballot box. It means nothing to me.”
“I’d just like to say for starters, I own every single word I’ve said to anyone. I will apologize for absolutely nothing I’ve ever said.”
“It’s not like I played the statesman and then became a monster – I was Mr. Monster from the day this started”
To Billy Fried in the online Indy :
"Nobody gives a shit what you think."
To all emailers: "You're an idiot."
Excerpt from Voice of OC Article: Now Laguna Beach Councilman Peter Blake, who told Voice of OC he doesn’t “take shit from anybody,” might face this very same fate next. …“I’m a badass and I don’t put up with shit from anybody,” he said in a Friday phone interview.
Transcript of phone message left by Mr. Blake on Lorene Laguna’s answering machine:
“You fxxxing bitch, you know dammed well those were fxxxing lies. Bring it on bitch, you’ll see what happens.”
Indy Post - 2/4/22: "[Informed voters] are not swayed by trash like you.
August 24th, 2021, City Council Zoom meeting. Johanna Felder: “I’m very upset. Peter speaks to people in such a way that is intimidating, and I am really upset”
Interrupting, Councilman Peter Blake says, “Maybe if you don’t lie when you testify, I won’t speak to you that way”.
Johanna Felder “Peter, stop that. I do not lie.”
Mayor Bob Whalen: “Peter, do not call speakers liars, they get to offer the testimony that they want to offer.”
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Selected Emails From Mr. Blake to Residents and Councilmembers:
Email to woman resident: "I used to respond to all of you idiots. Get a life."
Email to resident: "Spare me your self-righteous bullshit."
Email to Liza Stewart, 2022 (Liza grew up in Laguna Beach):
"Your dad objectified women in a porn magazine. (GW: Mr. Blake is referring to Playboy back in the day) You might not want to let the truth out. I’m happy to leave him out of this but if you continue, I’ll reveal even more. He made a joke out of women. It’s not something that’s gonna fly in today’s times. I was a waiter in my 20’s. I became a noted art dealer and then a City Council member voted in with the most votes. You're fat white trash. Btw why’s your son in AZ?"
GW: The Stewarts have a severely autistic son who they are unable to provide care for at home.)
Email to Councilwoman Toni Iseman, 2021: Toni,
the "next step" is for you to resign. If your'e not willing to, then provide a recent and comprehensive medical report detailing your medical condition and the nature of your tremors. Include all medication as well. I know that you’re not legally bound to do so but let's face it, your cognitive impairment has progressed, and you are no longer fit to serve. Watch the video from last night. You appear to be in a state of confusion just like you are at many City Council meetings. You forget votes key votes that you’ve participated in and appear completely unaware of major issues that are affecting our community. It’s all documented on video. Why continue to embarrass yourself, the residents and your supporters while putting the future of Laguna at risk? I have reached the end of the line with you and your inability to function in the interests of the City of Laguna Beach. As an elected official, it is my fiduciary responsibility to request your resignation from office effective immediately.
A far as my “behavior” is concerned, I will continue to govern as I see fit. I will strengthen my resolve to defend myself against Village Laguna and your attempts at suppressing my Constitutional rights to express my views, and the views of my constituents, both in public, and on the dais. Your attempts to keep me from voting in what I believe to be in the interests of Laguna will be challenged legally and in the court of public opinion. You will see my resolve intensify beyond anything you’ve seen so far in the last year and half since being elected. Please do not confuse this email as political rhetoric. I am ready to initiate a recall immediately if I need to.
Peter Blake. Laguna Beach City Councilman
Email from Peter Blake , Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2021 4:22 PM,To: Gene Felder Subject: The GENEie is out of the bottle:
Well, well, well! Looks like Johanna let her little GENEie out of the bottle lol!!!
BTW, I’ve said it many times and I’ll say it one more time. The Censure, Code of Conduct and Roberts Rules dont mean a damn thing to me. I’ll adhere when all of you adhere. Until then, I’ll govern as I see fit and meet all of you at your level. We both know how low that is. Don't we Gene? Peter
Email to Resident and Business Owner, Ann Krizman, May 14th, 2020, From: "Blake, Peter" Subject: Re: Forest Ave Closure, Date: May 14, 2020 at 3:00:11 PM PDT
To: Anne Krizman , Anne, you’ve got to rein your lapdogs in. They’re embarrassing Village Laguna. Stick to the usual oppression and suppression via your Nanny State agenda. I have to say it was entertaining in a cringe-worthy way. Maybe Johanna can step up and make a fool out of herself in the future? How about Gene lol (CC Blake is referring to long-time residents the Felders)
Thanks!! Peter
Email, 3.15.2021, from CC Blake to Councilman Weiss:
You're so full of shit! Spare me the BS George! I know what you’re all about.
Email from Peter Blake, On Dec 21, 2021, at 9:45 AM, Peter Blake wrote:
Greg, please spare me your self-righteous BS! Keep making disparaging comments about me and I’ll get even sweeter and humbler. Even on the shortest day of the year you should have enough time to think about if it’s really in your interests to continue.
(George Weiss Note: Greg is President of the South Laguna Civic Association)
Peter Blake February 27, 2021 At 7:32 pm [Response in LB Indy to MJ Abramson LTE]
Maybe I’m the voice of the residents who’ve moved here in the last couple of decades and want representation? After all, they play the bulk of the property tax that fuels our 100 million dollar budget. You and the rest of you Luddites pay next to nothing and want total control. Maybe property rights, Law and Order and a better dining and retail experience are important to them? Maybe they don’t want a polyester Betty like yourself dictating their future? Maybe they can read your LTE’s and see who the true bully is? Sorry, but I’m not putting up with any of your BS and I will get 100 times worse than ever over the next half of my term.
Excerpt from social media post: Peter Blake August 7, 2022 At 7:49 pm:
This November send lying Gene, his wife, Phoney Toni, and their fellow busy-bodies packing. Let’s put an end once and for all to Village Laguna, Laguna Residents First, South Laguna Civic Association, CANDO, Friends of the Canyon, TOWNA, and ALL of their oppressive proxy groups that form the basis of their nanny state.
Excerpt from Indy Article by Mike Morris: Now, council meetings are raucous and uncivil. Speakers must expect disrespect from the dais if they dare comment on one of Mr. Blake’s many hot-button issues. If you are a member of Village Laguna, you have come to expect bullying, and diminishment as a member of a non-representative, stuck-in-the-past, overly powerful & busybody organization that is holding Laguna Beach back. I honestly admire the many VL folks (typically mature people) who never-the-less are compelled to speak their truth to power in the face of such behavior.
Excerpt from LA Coastline-Pilot Article on Approval of the Longi/Dornin 28 Unit Work-Live Project: Blake added that Laguna Canyon “is not going to remain the way it has been. It is going to change the way everything else has in the community.”
George Weiss Note: Laguna Canyon has a Specific Plan that requires that development be compatible with the “rustic and rural” character of the Canyon. The project does not meet this guideline.
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Comments from Residents:
From: Brian Daniels, To: City Council, Tue 3/9/2021 10:31 PM,
I have lived in Laguna for 40 years. Peter Blake is discouraging public input and is a bully. Please censure.
From: Barbara Manalis bmanalis@icloud.com, To: City Council. Tue 3/9/2021 3:52 PM: As a 40 plus year resident, I have seen and worked with many different council members whose positions I have sometimes supported and sometimes not.
Regrettably, Mr. Blake’s abhorrent behavior is in a league of his own. In his consistently derisive and abusive comments to many, he has effectively inhibited participation by some who just can’t stomach his disrespectful displays. And, especially so for people who have early histories of emotional abuse. In addition, this retraumatization has been exacerbated when the Mayor and/or other council members have sat passively by and failed to step in. Allowing Mr. Blake the City's governmental forum to publicly intimidate and humiliate people he does not agree with is a shameful display of the misuse of the power the City Council Members have been given and reflects on everyone who participates in their silence. Barbara Manalis, MSW, LCSW
Email: Ken Roberts ken@kenrobpro.com , To: City Council, Sat 3/13/2021 4:29 PM
Dear Council Members, As a 30 yr. Laguna homeowner, I fully support your vote to enforce the city’s decorum and civility policy and censure Peter Blake. Council meetings shouldn’t be a wrestling match with Peter Blake. Thank You, Ken Roberts
Email to City Council, John Gilmore, March 2021:
I note that the council has published a "rules of decorum" document. In my over 50 years in Laguna Beach I have never seen anything close to the behavior of Mr. Blake last night. His questioning of citizens during the public comment time was both aggressive and hostile, making a mockery of these "rules of decorum". I am angry and saddened after witnessing an elected official in Laguna Beach bully citizens who respectfully share their opinions. Thank you, John Gilmore, Laguna Beach, CA
March 29th, 2021: Email to City Council,
P.Labahn: In decades of attendance at, and participation in, public meetings at the local, county and state level, I have seen all manner of objectionable and alarming behavior and verbiage, but I have never seen an ELECTED OFFICIAL engage in such abuse of constituents. Absolutely incredible. I was flabbergasted, disgusted and profoundly disappointed. That said, I wish to convey to Mayor Kempf, Mayor Pro Tem Whalen, and Councilmembers Iseman and Weiss my appreciation for your service to our community, and for your poise under what must be difficult circumstances. Thank you. P. Labahn, Laguna Beach
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Links to Peter Blake’s City Council Videos:
George Weiss: These videos show Mr. Blake at his worst.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciBAiJBugcg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRv8S-GpOcA&t=11s
http://lagunabeachchat.com/censure-peter-blake/
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Who is Responsible?
City Council follows Roberts Rules of Order so what could have been done is one or more of the following:
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A motion that the member must apologize
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A motion that the member must leave the hall during the remainder of the meeting
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A motion to censure the member
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A motion to suspend the member's rights for a designated period
Certainly, any one of these four options, if executed, (CC Blake was censured by City Council in 2021) should have helped put CC Blake on the road to good behavior, but it’s about acting quickly to stop the insults, interruptions, and other rude behaviors that have been absent over the last 3 years and 7 months.
If neither the Mayors nor Mayors ProTem (Bob Whalen and Sue Kempf) could rein in CC Blake from 2018-now, then either the City Attorney or the City Manager, who are both officers of the Council, could have intervened. Certainly, intervening as a group would have had a great deal of impact but this was never done (perhaps by prior arrangement).
If you feel that these behaviors make CC Blake unfit for public office, this election is your opportunity to get a change in representation. You can choose not to vote for Mr. Blake in the upcoming election. If you feel that Mayor Sue Kempf abrogated her responsibility to residents and fellow council members to keep CC Blake in check, you can consider whether a vote for her in the upcoming election is the right decision.
Thanks for reading this.
Councilman George Weiss
Coming Soon:
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Ruben Flores
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Mark Orgill
Why I Endorse
Jerome Pudwill
For City Council
​Dear Residents,
I have known Jerome for three years now. I know him well despite this short timeframe. Without his capable assistance, I would not have been elected. He's the real deal. He cares about this town – a resident for 36 years – he's principled, smart and will serve residents well on the City Council.
You may have read Jerome’s many social media posts. He does not mince words, he tells it like it is. Like me, he sees that Laguna’s city government has been willingly taken over by special interests. Look no further than the library, which was slated by a majority of the City Council to be sold to developers for use as a parking structure.
Special interests, large and small have undue influence and deny residents’ their voice in city government.
Jerome is the only candidate running on a residents first platform. He supports Measure Q, which lets residents vote on projects that would negatively impact the quality-of-life they moved here to enjoy.
He also stands for civility, transparency and fiscal responsibly –putting an end to the public being blindsided and ignored by projects residents do not want – such as the Ti Amo purchase and the attempt to sell the library out from under residents.
Character counts: Jerome will not be bought, will not be influenced by special interests, will not be swayed by anyone. He will stand with me and make the right decisions for the sake of our town. We need him.
Please join me in supporting Jerome’s campaign by donating and volunteering to help Jerome win. By doing so you will help protect and preserve the Laguna we all love.
Thank You,
​
George Weiss
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Donate Here – Every Dollar Helps:: http://www.efundraisingconnections.com/c/JeromePudwill/
Who Is Candidate Kempf?
Strengths and Accomplishments: Candidate Kempf has been serving Laguna for longer than her recent 2018 stint on City Council. She first served on the EDPC Committee (Emergency Preparedness Committee), and then served for four years on the Planning Commission, where she got to know most of the commercial developers and established strong relations with them. Some of these large developers formed a PAC--Liberate Laguna, now Laguna Forward--before the 2018 election to promote Kempf’s (and, Blake’s) run for City Council, and both were elected after the PAC spent $152,000 [See lagunabeachindy.com/laguna-forward-is-the-new-name-of-pac-largely-funded-by-local-developers]. Candidate Kempf worked closely with then Mayor Whalen and Candidate Blake and became Mayor Pro Tem in 2021 under re-elected Mayor Whalen, and then became the Mayor in 2022 with Whalen becoming Mayor Pro Tem.
She has been a strong advocate for the current City Manager (CM), Shohreh Dupuis, and very loyal to her. She and CM Dupuis worked together on the Downtown Specific Plan. She has also established more pickleball courts and with Whalen has promoted the use of refillable water bottle fountains and banning plastics.
In addition to her loyalty to the City Manager, Candidate Kempf has been loyal to downtown businesses, particularly realtors and restaurants, as well as large commercial developers. In addition to these, let us explore her accomplishments under the three principal responsibilities of a City Council member:
Principle #1: Providing a Safe Place for Residents to Express their Views: Residents and business owners are the eyes and ears of our community, so it is important for City Council (CC) to be a safe and inclusive space for hearing public comment.
Since Candidate Kempf joined the CC in 2018, one CC member, Peter Blake, has verbally abused residents at every CC meeting and between meetings via private emails social media and phone messages. To discourage these kinds of attack, the Council passed a Rules of Decorum in September of 2020 (before I joined CC in December of that year).
Unfortunately, neither Robert’s Rules of Order nor the CC’s Rules of Decorum mitigated Blake’s behavior. Residents became anxious about writing in, appearing, or calling into CC meetings for fear of verbal or written personal insults from Candidate Blake, thus depriving CC of important resident input. Blake was censured for his toxic behavior in 2021, but neither then Mayor Whalen nor then Mayor Pro Tem Kempf curbed these attacks on residents and on a fellow, long term City Council member, Toni Iseman.
Over the last year as Mayor, Candidate Kempf has not used her power as the Mayor and Officer of City Council to protect residents from Blake’s verbal attacks, such as insisting on time outs or removal from Chambers. She has often muted his mic, which helps those viewing on Zoom, but not those in Chambers. This on-going lack of control has created a toxic environment during CC meetings. Some have queried whether this permissiveness suggests that Kempf as Mayor sanction these comments. It is something one might consider when voting.
Principle #2: Transparency About City Issues and Decisions:
Maintaining a high level of transparency gives residents the opportunity to understand how local government is working for them. It provides insight on decision making, spending priorities, staffing, and much more. Full transparency means that every piece of information is easily accessible and understandable to all members of our community.
The Story of the Library: Let us look at some troubling events that Candidate Kempf was involved in with the Library. First some background: The Library site was owned by the County, and in the operating agreement the City had an option to buy the site and building after 50 years. In April 2020, City Council decided they would exercise their purchase option for $3.5 million, but execution of the purchase was delayed due to COVID until 2022, the 50th Anniversary of the Library.
Timing: Fast forward to April 12th, where discussion of the purchase (now for $4.29 million) was placed on the City Council Meeting’s Consent calendar by Mayor Kempf and the City Manager. The Consent calendar is an odd placement of an item of this importance to the community since a Consent item does not require discussion if no one (Council or Community Member) pulls it. If pulled, a full City Council discussion with public input is required. Second, the library consent item was scheduled during Spring break when many community members with children go away for vacation. Both the Spring break timing and consent item placement looked like an intentional strategy to avoid community input on any decision about the library.
Muddy Staff Report Sans Pertinent Terms: The City’s actual contract with the County of Orange contained some surprising terms that were omitted from the Staff’s Report/description of the contract terms, plus these omitted terms had never been previously discussed by City Council. These terms were as follows:
The County would operate the library for only 3 years. (The previous lease agreement with the County was for 50 years).
The renewal clause with the County was purposely omitted: The County would NOT be required to do any capital improvements to the library for 12 months while the City looked for an alternative library location (Clause #14).
The City was investigating the possibility of relocating the library to a different location (Clause #9).
Why would the Staff leave out a recap of these important clauses, and why would Kempf as Mayor, allow it? The omission of these clauses from the recap run counter to the core principle of transparency.
These omissions were particularly troubling since conceptual drawings for the library site as a parking structure were created by the City some years ago. In addition, Candidate Blake was recorded at a CC strategic meeting saying the site should be sold to a developer for commercial use, a parking structure or both, and the Library moved to the Canyon.
Luckily, residents sent letters, called in, and appeared at the April 12th meeting to keep the Library at its current location. Candidate Kempf, along with three other Council Members, voted in favor of my motion to sign a 25-year lease with the County to operate the Library at its current location, and use the $4.29 million purchase price to renovate and upgrade it.
The Story of the Promenade: While the Forest Promenade has wide support, Candidate Kempf and the City Manager initiated the project during the start of Covid with Limited (if any) resident input. The input on the structure and use was limited to stakeholders identified as City Staff, business owners and members of the Chamber of Commerce. Residents were recently provided the opportunity to provide input, but only on light fixtures, path materials, and other minor details without any “big picture” discussion of other cities’ promenades and what has worked and not worked for them.
Why would Candidate Kempf as both the Mayor Pro Tem and as the Mayor choose to limit community input on the Forest Promenade? It runs counter to the Principle of Transparency about City Issues and Decisions.
Principle #3: Fiscal Responsibility:
The Purchase of the Ti Amo site for a Fire Station: On August 24, 2021, the City Council voted to purchase the Ti Amo site for $2.7 million dollars on a 3-2 vote without any appraisal of the property’s value or price. The City Manager touted the site as being suitable even though it did not meet the Fire Department standards due to lack of ingress and egress, particularly since it was only accessible from Pacific Coast Highway.
In addition, it turned out that the Fire Department had been considering taking the ambulance service in house for over a year. The Ti Amo site did not have the additional room for an ambulance. Candidate Kempf, as the Mayor and with close ties to the Fire Department and Emergency Preparedness Committee due to her previous service, would have known about the ambulance plans. Despite this, Candidate Kempf voted to purchase the site. Given the lack of an appraisal of the property, the space limitations, lack of proper access and egress, it seemed less than fiscally responsible to make this purchase.
This year we learned that the Ti Amo site was not suitable, and another site would be needed for a South Laguna fire station
.
Raise for Deputy City Manager: A month after Shohreh Dupuis took office as the Deputy City Manager, Candidate Kempf voted to raise her salary by $25,000. The justification for this action was that Ms. Dupuis had interviewed for the City Manager position in Huntington Beach. She did not receive a job offer. On that basis, Candidate Kempf, and others, voted to approve this substantial increase.
Look over these principles and compare them against Candidate Kempf’s actions as well as her accomplishments. Has she been accessible and responsive to your inquiries? It will help you decide whether you want her to represent you with a second term on City Council.
Thank You,
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George Weiss
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All representations made in this email reflect the views of the author and are not official statements of the City of Laguna Beach or City Council.
Any mistakes or omissions are the sole responsibility of the author, George Weiss. No public funds were expended on this website..
Who is Louis Weil?
Background: While I have met with Candidate Weil a couple times over the last year, I don’t really know much about him. The basic facts I’ve been able to glean is that he worked in the grocery business for some years; is married to the daughter of our city’s gifted nature and environmental film-makers, Greg and Barbara MacGillivray; was able to be a stay-at-home dad for his two boys, while remodeling his home; has been a realtor for the past five years, and had a commercial sale in Anaheim, and a home sale locally in 2021; has been a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and has served on the Affordable Housing Task Force. More recently, he has served for the past three years on Laguna’s Design Review Board, which reviews residential building plans, and has been its Chair for the last two.
Given my limited knowledge of Candidate Weil, it seems more appropriate to share some of his postings about his experiences and views. I have copied and pasted Candidate Weil’s statements as they have appeared and retained any spelling or grammatical errors for the sake of authenticity.
Work Experience: “In my real estate career, I am only Licensed in CA. I have worked to understand both residential, and commercial transactions. For both have different components, but the basic role of the realtor is the same, to facilitate the transaction. Outside of closing the transaction, I have no further interest in the property.”
About Himself: “Originally, I am from Denver and graduated High School. I have I lived in California 3 times, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. I graduated from Arizona State University. I have lived in Laguna Beach approx. 12+ years now. I am committed to being approachable to ensure I promote a balanced approach and support “right-fit” solutions across our community
I have done remodeling of homes I have owned but aside from working for the principles to develop the hotel laguna site, I have no ties or experience with large scale development.”
On Running for City Council: “In my campaign I look to help foster the discussion around right-fit infrastructure improvements that can provide the balances our community needs.” “(Bring) a forward-thinking mindset to some issues and bridge some of the gaps within some of our current sitting leaders.”
“No, I have not made reputable contributions to PAC’s”.
“For more information, and reasons why I believe I’m the right-fit for the 2022 City Council, visit louisweil4citycouncil2022.com.”
On Laguna Beach: “There are great elements that have been established and cherished throughout the years, along with mistakes. I strongly believe our town did amazing things in our past, like planning for what we wanted, even creating a 2020 vision at one point. My goals are focused as now we are here in 2022, what do those plans evolve to for 2030-2040-2050. For those I don't get a clear answer.”
“But – in that timeframe – we’ve stretched across decades to create our documents and our working elements and they’re kind of fragmented,” Weil said. “We need to come back to the drawing board and go through and scrub them for alignment…(to make them) simpler processes for businesses and for the community.”
On the Proposed Presbyterian Church Parking Structure: “I share the view of the residents of Laguna Beach and the Presbyterian Church that parking is a major issue, and we need the City Staff to evaluate opportunities to find “right-fit” solutions for parking. This MOU or LOI is a good starting point for that public process and further analysis.”
“I am encouraged to see this approach, and I look forward to working on this along with other “right-fit” community projects that make for a better, more resident-friendly Laguna Beach. Working together is important in order to improve Laguna Beach overall and I want to represent that,” Weil said.
On Measure Q: “Now that the June elections are over, I want to focus on the risk that I strongly believe the Laguna Residents First ballot initiative presents to our community this November. I am dedicated to “right-fit” solutions to our challenges, and this is not a right-fit for our town.”
“My strong feelings about this initiative may not please some voters, but I have made a promise that as a candidate for city council I will always take a strong stand for right-fit solutions for our town and against those that aren’t.”
On Trees: Here is a video of Candidate Weil’s testimony at a City Council meeting regarding trees. It’s Item 20. Mr. Weil’s comments start at the 4hr. 51minute mark.
https://lagunabeachcity.granicus.com/player/clip/891?view_id=3&meta_id=70843&redirect=true&h=1c5dd996fd3ef7c629e2804ab2132dfe
Other’s Tales About Candidate Weil: Social Media Posts
Anthony Fisch • 2 Oct Lawlessness has gotten much worse while Sue Kempf has been mayor and as Blake calls people names, threatens them and does nothing, but praise himself. Vote all new people onto the Council, and don't vote for Weil, I personally had him come unhinged on a phone call to me with my wife listening. Yelling like a crazy man blaming everyone because he had Covid. He ok'd illegal projects on the DRB. We need to change members, or Laguna will turn into an over built cess pool like LA.”
Barbara R., The Village: I talked with Louis as well, he became unhinged on the phone conversation, raging and yelling, I calmly told him, Louis you are becoming unhinged" and said I wish you luck on your campaign and got off the phone., We must get rid of the incumbents and get newly elected people that will not do the CM's bidding...please people speak out. My neighborhood currently is a total mess because of the DRY. Louis has no education on these matters and was not in gov administration, he was appointed by Peter Blake. Thank you for speaking up!
A Report from the Chamber of Commerce Candidate Forum: It seems that in addition to Peter, that another candidate, Louis Weil, went on the attack of an audience member who raised their hand when the host asked for a show of hands from the audience. Weil then later attacked another candidate, Mark Orgill, during the parking discussion. Judging by behavior, there were two candidates at last night's Chamber Forum who think insulting council members, candidates and residents is part of the job requirements for being members of City Council.
Candidate Weil was in favor of moving the Library to a different location—a confusing position for someone interested in children and families-- I do believe that he’s a caring family man and have heard reports that he’s been helpful in the elementary school and with Little League. However, has his experience and personal characteristics prepared him for over-seeing the large budget of a City like Laguna? And, will his loyalties be to supporting residents or more commercial interests? You be the judge.
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Disclaimer: All representations made in this email reflect the views of the author and are not official statements of the City of Laguna Beach or City Council. Any mistakes or omissions are the sole responsibility of the author, George Weiss