We have all grown weary of the hit pieces from the Anderson/Lindsey City Council campaign. I personally have chosen not to engage in any negative campaigning. Many of my friends and supporters have offered me large sums of money to counteract the negative “hit pieces”, telephone calls and now radio ads. YLRRR, NOCCC and the Anderson/ Lindsey campaign have taken us to a new level of negative campaigning that should not be tolerated at any level of politics, much less for a Yorba Linda City Council race.

To clarify some of the erroneous information being disseminated by these groups, I have written about a few of the recent highlights:

* I am not a registered Democrat. I am a declined to state candidate in a non-partisan race. Most importantly, if you look at my voting record, I am a more fiscal conservative candidate than my stated- republican counterparts on the current Council. This is not an attempt to hide my political affiliation. I, like many Americans, are frustrated with our political party system and cannot align with either side.

* I have not voted to raise taxes 6 times since 2007.

* I believe in securing our borders and giving jobs to Americans first.

* I have voted for the e-verify system for all City contractors and employees.

* I can vote on projects in the Town Center outside 500 feet from my home, essentially west of Lakeview. Because I live within 500 feet of the redevelopment agency, I will abstain from voting on the EIR and the Specific plan.

* I support ethical behavior. I believe Measure Y is a flawed law and needs to be brought back to Council prior to its ratification by the Citizens of Yorba Linda. The ethics ordinance is already a law in the City of Yorba Linda. We can currently revise this ordinance without additional costs to taxpayers. If Measure Y passes, you will need to vote on changes to this law resulting in additional taxpayer costs.

* I have a Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Illinois Medical Center in Occupational Therapy. I was certified as a Hand therapist 16 years ago. I have been in management for much of my career supervising up to 17 employees. Currently, I am the Senior Clinician of the Industrial & Hand program at St Jude’s Center for Rehab and Wellness. I also monitor the departments Quality Assurance program and perform ergonomic evaluations and testing.

For further information about other allegations, I would invite you to view the fact and fiction page of my website: www.janhorton.com

Dear Councilwoman Horton,

I do not usually write a letter endorsing the candidacy of a single candidate for the Yorba Linda City Council, however, this year I feel compelled to do so and this letter is written for that purpose.

I have observed you “in action” over the last 4 years and have been encouraged by your growth as the people’s advocate and representative on the Council. You, far more than any of your opponents on the Council, try to do things with an attitude of “What is the best I can do for the City and its residents,” and you consistently have made unbiased, objective and informed decisions. The council majority could learn much by following your example. The present majority seems to have adopted an attitude of taking care of their own political needs first ahead of the City’s and resident’s needs.

I, like many voters, received a political ”hit piece” last week as the absentee ballots appeared in our mail boxes. The timing was obviously deliberate since it allowed you no time to respond to any of the spurious charges, untruths, distortions, exagerations, etc. In my view, this negative “hit piece” was clearly worse than anything used in any prior City Council Elections.

So where is the present Council majority taking us?

We all wonder at the succession of City managers driven out of Yorba Linda by their actions, by the loss of all of our Senior Department Heads during their tenure, the continual wasting of money on pointless studies so as to avoid making a decision and then filing it on the shelf and doing nothing.

For all of the above reasons, you are the one candidate that I have the pleasure to endorse for re-election to the Yorba Linda City Council on November 2, 2010.

Respectfully,

Hank Wedaa

I have proudly served this community for the past 4 years. During this time I have kept my promise:

• to improve community communication
• protect our open space and trail system,
• plan for responsible, community- directed development,
• protected our community from increased crime
• support our business community and
• maintain a fiscally responsible City government.
  
  The equestrian community is facing considerable challenges that need to be addressed.

• People are buying equestrian properties and converting them to non-equestrian uses

• As the community has grown up around the trail system, there are areas that are no longer safe to cross

• As portions of the city were developed, trails were included but not always successful in making them equestrian friendly- steep inclines, crossings on blind curves, crossings where there are metal grates, such as casino ridge

• There are portions of the trail system that are not interconnected or do not align as you cross a street

• The equestrian community is threatened as the economy shrinks and household dollars and “new riders” become scarce.

• We do not have an adequate emergency system to handle our larger animals. Many of your members performed heroic feats during our fire emergency to save horses that were in danger. Although their actions are applauded, they placed themselves and the animals they were saving in danger.

I believe we can do something to encourage the equestrian lifestyle in our community and hopefully stem the tide of homeowners purchasing your properties for non-equestrian uses and improve the participation of the community in equestrian activities.

• I support and feel we can together do a better job of marketing the equestrian lifestyle and encourage others to participate:
  • an equestrian day in the City on Bernardo Yorbas Birthday or some other notable individual
  • along with a community outreach program

• I cannot change the heavy traffic challenges (for example in the town center) that create a huge risk to your animals and you the rider, but together we can strengthen the trail system by evaluating the entire trail system and continue to correct the crossing challenges.

• I have and will continue to work with the developers for the Murdock and Sage properties so their trails are connected appropriately and at a grade level that is safe for the rider and horse

• I do support the concept of a community stable or equestrian center. If the City has a parcel of land that is viable, I support privately funded facilities with a low cost land lease.

• Our current codes allow for private homeowners to house horses in greater numbers on their properties with a CUP. We can make that process easier to allow for the additional stalls, if the need presents itself.

• I support coordinating efforts with the Equestrian Coalition of Orange County  to formalize a large animal evacuation plan. I do not support the City performing this function because I know you are all sensitive to having the horses counted and the possibility of licensing. I believe this goal can be accomplished- equestrian to equestrian without government intervention.

I understand you are disappointed in the Equestrian Study that spent 70K of your dollars without a positive result. I did not support that study because it focused on one site only and one type of facility only.  I feel the outcome could have been different had multiple sites and sizes of facilities been reviewed.

I have and will continue to advocate on your behalf to improve safety on the trails, prevent encroachment and support the equestrian lifestyle in the City of Yorba Linda.
I hope to have your support in the upcoming council election.

This summer I will be hosting a monthly neighborhood meeting in the park to hear your concerns and discuss Council actions to gain your input. Bring your dinner and I will bring the dessert! Join me for the first meeting June 18 at 6 pm at Box Canyon Park located off La Palma Ave. Turn up Via Lomas De Yorba West to the top of the hill to access this park. Bring a chair as the park is in the process of being rebuilt since the fires. Look forward to seeing you there!