SCVNews.com | Opinion/Commentary: What a Night | Commentary by Darryl Manzer

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What a Night | Commentary by Darryl Manzer

Now and Then in the SCV

Darryl Manzer | Wednesday, Nov 5, 2014

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I know those of us who supported Measure S will be gracious in defeat as I hope those who worked for its failure will be in victory … Nope, didn’t happen. Already got the first sarcastic post asking, “Can you hear us now?”

So now we have the billboards for at least another year. What is another year in waiting for something the city has been after since the city started? We can wait some more. I just hope Metro and Allvision can wait, too.

Those who helped defeat Measure S never grasped the idea that the city cannot negotiate directly with the billboard companies. It is in the state billboard law. The billboard owners AND the property owner, in this case Metro, are entitled to be compensated if billboards are to be removed. The city cannot negotiate actions on land it does not own without the property owner’s consent. Did TimBen tell you otherwise?

But that doesn’t matter now, and I suppose the new negotiations will be open and not “in the back rooms of City Hall” next time. I guess all such negotiations should happen in the council chambers. I’m sure Metro and Allvision will like that. Not. I hope they will show up again.

But the law also dictates that we wait a year before a “substantially similar” ordinance is offered. That gives the electronic billboard companies plenty of time to get signs installed outside of the Santa Clarita city limits. Stand by, all you folks on the west side – and how about along the 14 before you get to the city? We were going to have three. Now I’ll bet there will be a lot more. Not in the city but in other areas of private, unincorporated parts of the SCV.

They may have been coming anyway in time, but I believe this will speed up the installation of lots of electronic boards.

So I congratulate the winners. You convinced the voters that what you wanted was right. That is what you wanted. Now that you got it, what are you going to do? Where is your better deal? Remember, to comply with state law, if you want to remove billboards along the train tracks, you have to negotiate with Metro and by extension the company that Metro contracts with for billboard maintenance – Allvision. You have a year to figure it out.

How about five electronic billboards for 20 years, or maybe 10 for 10 years? The possibilities are endless. Maybe a bunch of them arranged like the old Burma-Shave signs.

There were some winners besides the obvious in this matter, and those are all of the folks who got paid to gather signatures. That is water under the bridge now. Go home, folks. There is nothing to see here. The city had to spend more than $200,000 on an election and it gets nothing in return. The old signs stand. No money comes to the city from the new signs that ARE coming. Well, less than nothing.

First it was the Dodgers not making it to the World Series, and now this. When will the misery end? I’m sure we will hear hours of talk about it at the next City Council meeting – from TimBen Boydston. He really has to learn not to gloat after such accomplishments. We shall see.

There were a couple of good results in this election. First and foremost: Sen. Steve Knight is going to be our next congressman. We will be represented by someone who actually lives in the district and has a great record of service in the state Legislature. Congratulations, Steve. I know you’ll do us proud.

We also decided that Scott Wilk will be returning to Sacramento as our rep in the Assembly, and up in the Antelope Valley, Tom Lackey will join him. Tom should thank Lancaster Mayor Rex Parris for endorsing his opponent. That may have been the reason he beat Steve Fox.

We are also getting a new sheriff here in the wonderful land of Laconia, aka L.A. county. Finally someone to replace the Dread Sherbacca and at the same time not someone with 21 indictments against him like his opponent. Congratulations, Mr. – er, Sheriff McDonnell.

Another little matter to discuss. If you didn’t vote, please don’t gripe about the election results. You gave up that right when you decided you were too busy to vote or didn’t send in your ballot. Well done. Not.

Now I’m tired. Very tired. Let’s shake hands and move on to the next election. It looks like it will be a real humdinger. What with the elephants running all of Congress, it means maybe the gridlock is over. Well, I’m afraid it might just move to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. The guy who lives there said the election results don’t prove the people don’t like his policies. Really, Mr. President? How else can you explain the results? I’m baffled about what he has said.

So there you have it, folks. Billboards remain standing for at least a year. Howard “Take the Buck” McKeon’s clone is NOT going to be our representative. Scott Wilk remains our Assemblyman, and Chief McDonnell becomes Sheriff McDonnell.

We’re also going to do something about our water supply and set aside funds for a rainy day. (What is a rainy day? I slept through most of the last little rain storm.) There won’t be sobriety checkpoints for doctors, and Saugus school district voters approved new bonds. All of our major elected state officials remain in the Democratic Party, and my least favorite Governor Moonbeam gave a neat victory speech in which for once, I understood what he was saying. Does that mean he did?

Oh, my. What a day … night … and now morning. Sleep well, my friends.

Darryl Manzer grew up in the Pico Canyon oil town of Mentryville in the 1960s and attended Hart High School. After a career in the U.S. Navy he returned to live in the Santa Clarita Valley. He can be reached at dmanzer@scvhistory.com. His older commentaries are archived at DManzer.com; his newer commentaries can be accessed [here]. Watch his walking tour of Mentryville [here].

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20 Comments

Michael Lee Rhodes says:

Wednesday, Nov 5, 2014 at

Gracious in defeat? I don’t think that means what you think it means. lol
Dogs and cats, living together .. MASS HYSTERIA!

Reply
Scott Ervin says:

Wednesday, Nov 5, 2014 at

Gracious in defeat! lol
Umm. No.

Reply
- Debbie Ortiz says:
  
  Wednesday, Nov 5, 2014 at
  
  don’t you mean “NOT” (irritating)
  
  Reply
Linda Perera says:

Wednesday, Nov 5, 2014 at

Better than a 50 year contract… WHO SIGNS A 50 YEAR CONTRACT

Reply
Kai Ellis says:

Wednesday, Nov 5, 2014 at

A lot of the billboards are going down anyway. that deal was already made!

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John Fortman says:

Wednesday, Nov 5, 2014 at

A twelve point margin of victory is not just convincing the voters. It is being on the right side of the issue.

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Mike Anderson says:

Wednesday, Nov 5, 2014 at

Honestly would you have voted no if a billboard was in your front yard!

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Michael Smith says:

Wednesday, Nov 5, 2014 at

So a huge commentary still trying to convince everyone that they did the wrong thing is “being gracious in defeat”? Sir, you ignored our posts and questions, and are obviously so out of touch with the majority of people in the SCV. A statement such as “do you hear us now?” is a very legitimate response to someone like you who states a position and completely ignores those who question it…as if you aren’t “hearing” them. So…be gracious yourself and accept defeat and drop it.

Reply
Donald Hicks says:

Wednesday, Nov 5, 2014 at

Digital billboards are a bad idea. And the people who live in the scv just told ya so. Maybe our city council will listen up now…they are supposed to “represent” the voice of the city..no?

Reply
Michael Smith says:

Wednesday, Nov 5, 2014 at

Stacy Fortner

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Lee says:

Wednesday, Nov 5, 2014 at

The will of the people, Darryl…the will of the people.

If this teaches us anything, it is that sometimes the people read the fineprint and decide they don’t like the deal, even if those in authority tell them they will.

If there is a good deal to be had…and it has to be with Metro and Allvision…they will come back with something a bit more palatable for the good people of Santa Clarita. Let’s start with something that doesn’t last 50 years and something that doesn’t involve the middleman getting their money from gross while the city gets its money from net.

Our leaders can do better on our behalf…and the people just told them that.

It’s the will of the people, Darryl…

Reply
J. Boyd says:

Wednesday, Nov 5, 2014 at

if the author thinks the comment “Can you hear us now?” is ungracious and sarcastic, then he is way too sensitive to be involved in politics. He conveniently ignores the larger issue, which is that the billboard deal was negotiated in secret without an open bidding process. For this reason alone, Measure S deserved defeat. The Santa Clarita Valley should be no one’s private playground.

Reply
- SCVNews.com says:
  
  Wednesday, Nov 5, 2014 at
  
  Just for the record, it was a Metro deal involving Metro property, and there was an open bidding process when Metro selected Allvision as its sole-source billboard service provider. Any agreement involving Metro property still has to be a “Metro deal” because state law entitles Metro to compensation if billboards are to be removed from its property.
  
  Reply
Daniel Konz says:

Wednesday, Nov 5, 2014 at

Everyone is complaining about billboards, and I’m just sitting here cleaning up all the many election signs people posted on my property without asking for approval..!

Beautify our cities corridors my butt..!

Hypocrites..!

Reply
Kim Sloan says:

Wednesday, Nov 5, 2014 at

I want to see a Cheesecake Factory in Santa Clarita, and I could care less about Billboards! I want to have more places for entertainment, and no graffiti in Canyon Country, can you do that? I would like to see happier drivers, who aren’t rude, and pushy, and better stores at the mall. Hey it’s only a few weeks until Christmas/Hannukah, a girl can dream right? haha

Reply
Silvie Faust says:

Wednesday, Nov 5, 2014 at

Lol hahah baaaa baaaa baaa….

Reply
Timothy Myers says:

Wednesday, Nov 5, 2014 at

Measure S was a loser and anyone who supported it is a super loser!

Reply
Jayne Ann Saporito says:

Thursday, Nov 6, 2014 at

You are so rude.

Reply
Steve Petzold says:

Thursday, Nov 6, 2014 at

I have a request for several people to accompany me to the Metro Executive Committee meeting today downtown at 11:30 am. I plan to report on the Allvision connection to Yes S, IG report denial , and try to get the letter or determine the form of communication that Metro’s Board told Allvision to stand down during the referendum.
With the Edwards deal finalized , the revenue stream will be reduced to Metro. I believe that the revenue from Metro billboard leases is so small that after administration is considered, Metro may actually lose money. Any private company would have just “closed the billboard division” and taken down the billboards to focus on their core mission.
Yes or NO on S this is an important meeting to attend. In all likelihood I will ride Metro downtown.
Darryl Manzer and Leon Worden…this is your opportunity to test the wild statements you spew over at SCVNEWS with big boys downtown….let’s get together and ride the rails to Metro. I’m willing, are you?
Steve Petzold

Reply
Steve Petzold says:

Thursday, Nov 6, 2014 at

I have a request for several people to accompany me to the Metro Executive Committee meeting today downtown at 11:30 am. I plan to report on the Allvision connection to Yes S, IG report, and try to get the letter or determine the form of communication that Metro’s Board told Allvision to stand down during the referendum.
With the Edwards deal finalized , the revenue stream will be reduced to Metro. I believe that the revenue from Metro billboard leases is so small that after administration is considered, Metro may actually lose money. Any private company would have just “closed the billboard division” to focus on their core mission.
Yes or NO on S this is an important meeting to attend. In all likelihood I will ride Metro downtown.
Darryl Manzer and Leon Worden…this is your opportunity to test the wild statements you spew over at SCVNEWS with big boys downtown….let’s get together and ride the rails to Metro. I’m willing, are you?
Steve Petzold

Reply

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