Dixon Council taps teen for post

Miranda Penrose wrote:

<quoted text>
As I recall that the hall was unusually full of students, so many that they had to wait outside. They were not prepared for speaking, not realizing that there would be campaigning that night. They were there to show there support and to see how local politics operates. Young people are often not as suave and gracefull in thier speak, but I think Tori Coppes herself did an awesome job keeping her own.
You also imply she is not a resident, I think you are mistaken. What are your motives? I can assure you that hers are pure of heart.

Usually more kids in the audiance than adults. Maybe they care more and maybe not. But it takes more effort to come down to chambers.

Dixonite wrote:

Let's see what Tori does. Will she arrive at the council meetings with an indepth understanding of the issues? Ask intelligent questions from both sides of an issue? Does she have the capability of understanding the complex issues associated with the waste water issues and be able to explain the scientific aspects of the issue to a lay person?
Someone mentioned she is on the General Plan Committee. What has she added to the discussion? Does she understand city budgeting and make thoughtful suggestions?
It is great to have a young person on the council, hopefully she will prove to be a thoughtful insightful representative of the people.
It was curious though when asked what her mailing address was, she said that she used her uncle's address, but did not say that she lived at his address. She said she spent a lot of times with her parents who live in the country.

My guess is better than A/K/A Mikie

The Great Libertarian wrote:

<quoted text>
I agree that we need to give the kid a chance. Besides, the intelligence exhibited by the current members of the council demonstrate that she will be competitive.
We have had all of 3 meetings of the General Plan committee. It has not come to the point of expressing opinions although some positioning has occurred.
The council only proved how hypocritical they are. When Ferrero was appointed to replace Hughes, the reason given was experience. When McCluskey was picked for Supriano, experience. Now all of a sudden we want a fresh perspective. Why? Because all of the experienced people were part of the opposition?
<quoted text>
Chris Manson didn't argue about everything. He had an agenda and accomplished it in six months. He opposed the status quo and voted against them when they made ignorant biased decisions.
I would rather have a "child" on the council, than those who continue to act badly as children.
Heaven help us if Ceremello ever gets on the council. He might say something that might actually make you think about what you never question but just accept as right.
Ourania Riddle never had a chance because of her association with Ceremello. Guess Ceremello never heard of the kiss of death. Maybe he knows the Italian Mafia Cosa Nostra term for that. He should be investigated to see if he is one of them.

Mike,
There is no question you are intelligent, and you pose some good questions, but when you get off on personal attacks and talking in the 3rd person, you totally lose credibility.

Debbie Bounds wrote:

I am glad I don't live in Dixon!
What does an 18 year old know about anything, please tell me? There are some pretty complex issues that Council address - how in the world can an 18 year old comprehend such issues?
Just a thought, but the residents of Dixon should be concerned about this appointment - the well being both fiscally and economically rest in the hands of the Council - an 18 year old? If this weren't so serious, it would be laughable.
This just reaffirms that the world is going to hell in a handbasket and Dixon appears to be at the head of the line.

We're glad you don't live here, too. Besides, Fairfield is nothing to brag about!

Give the kid a chance!! Give me a break!!!

They let her use her uncles address inside city limits to be eligible to run.
Why not give me a chance.
I have more college education than this girl has spent in her entire life in public school system.

1) When I applied to for the position, I asked the city clerk in the presence of newspaper editor
Dave Scholl to check the voter's registration to make sure that it was legal for me to run.
2) The clerk verified that I am indeed registered to vote in the city limits as required by law.
3) I asked her to double check by calling the county clerk since I know that my physical address is on the city/county line.
4) The city voted to annex the rental property that I live in which would put me in the city limits, however,the county has not signed the documents yet.
5) The county voter's registrar had to look up the platte numbers, the city attorney physcially drove to my address with the clerk, to determine if I am in the city limits or 3 blocks over the line.
By the way, I want to know how much he billed the city for that.
6) Even though my property owner has 2 other properties inside the limt line, I did not claim either address, therefore it was my honesty, integrity and character, that prevented me from being able to speak before the council.

7) It is an outrage and a disgrace that the Mayor called her at home to personally verify that she had not used her parents address across the county line but had indeed given her uncles address in the city limits in order to be eligble.

8) And what makes it the most blatant political outrage of all is that when Councilman Alexender who was the only dissenting vote, went outside the little gir's father told him "You just lost yourself the next election."

9) This is the very same little girl who argued with me in class last year while I was substitute teaching . I was discussing a new Presidential Act that had been signed in to law titled
"The Military Commissions Act of 2006".
After making a long speech about how teachers were not suppose to give their opinions in class and where did I get my sources from. I told her to "look it up on www.whitehouse.gov .

10) I have spent the last 12 years earning a BA in Govt, 3 minors and a Masters Degree in Govt.
CA State Politics and Urban Policy. Not only do I hold Emergency Teaching Credentials but I have worked for Dixon Unified Schools for 7 years and my own son Levi Silveira was a 2003 graduate.
So to be told that we need someone who understands the youth perspective is a slap in the face and an insult to my education, integrity and sense of honesty .

11) It must be a miniature verson of Sarah Palin.
I am only grateful that these children have had the opportunity to read the Constitution .

12) I have spent months working with the Redevelopment Advisory committee, attending the
General Plan meetings, city council meetings and
speaking publically at every one. I was absolutely shocked at the last meeting when a parent sitting behind me asked me where to get an application for her daughter to sign up for city council.

13) It must be nice to have a mommy who will get your papers for you and a daddy who will threaten to sway the next election against councilmen who didn't vote for her.

14) I think that we should put up a chain link fence on the city/ county line in Dixon to keep all the fruits and nuts from the city from coming out here and claiming to almond trees. As for me,
I will stay three blocks over the city limits,
in my almond orchard and make no false claims about being a city resident.

Ms Winegar...or Vinegar of Out of City Limits Dixon

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
Winston Churchill

Hope wrote:

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
Winston Churchill

HOPE, you are absolutely right. If I were sitting on the council, I would have to play nice and go along with the Good Ole' Boys and Girls and their little daughter. But since I am not in public office,
I can exercise my freedom of speech and freedom of the press to let Solono Co. know that politics are alive and dirty in Dixon..

Congratulations Tori!

Hey, don't be mad at the kid. She only asked for to be considered for the opportunity to serve. It was the council's action that made it happen. Give the kid a chance. Maybe she isn't as prepared nor the most experienced of the lot. So what makes everyone think that all these elected officials we put in office have any more experience, know-how, knowledge, etc.? Us old people have done a pretty good job screwing things up over the years. I for one am ready to give the young people an opportunity to make things better. They certainly can't do a worse job than some of the people that have been previously elected. Like all other elected officials, if she can't do the job, then you can replace her. I for one am very happy to see young people interested in politics.

Hope wrote:

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
Winston Churchill

This is a "difficulty" that was deliberately created by the idiot mayor of Dixon and the other council morons.
"Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things." Or how about...
"It is a good thing for an uneducated man (or woman, in your case) to read books of quotations." - Winston Churchill
Shall we use more quotes from other people, or are we not smart enough to have an intelligent thought yourself ?

Winegar everyone in Dixon knows your a crack pot. If they didn't before they do now.
Are even capable of rational thought. By the way Steve Alexander and Mr Coppes are friends and have been for years.
You have misrepresented yourself and others before and had to make a public apology for it.

Winegar everyone in Dixon knows your a crack pot. If they didn't before they do now.
Are you even capable of rational thought. By the way Steve Alexander and Mr Coppes are friends and have been for years.
You have misrepresented yourself and others before and had to make a public apology for it.

Deborah Winegar wrote:

Give the kid a chance!! Give me a break!!!
They let her use her uncles address inside city limits to be eligible to run.
Why not give me a chance.
I have more college education than this girl has spent in her entire life in public school system.
1) When I applied to for the position, I asked the city clerk in the presence of newspaper editor
Dave Scholl to check the voter's registration to make sure that it was legal for me to run.
2) The clerk verified that I am indeed registered to vote in the city limits as required by law.
3) I asked her to double check by calling the county clerk since I know that my physical address is on the city/county line.
4) The city voted to annex the rental property that I live in which would put me in the city limits, however,the county has not signed the documents yet.
5) The county voter's registrar had to look up the platte numbers, the city attorney physcially drove to my address with the clerk, to determine if I am in the city limits or 3 blocks over the line.
By the way, I want to know how much he billed the city for that.
6) Even though my property owner has 2 other properties inside the limt line, I did not claim either address, therefore it was my honesty, integrity and character, that prevented me from being able to speak before the council.
7) It is an outrage and a disgrace that the Mayor called her at home to personally verify that she had not used her parents address across the county line but had indeed given her uncles address in the city limits in order to be eligble.
8) And what makes it the most blatant political outrage of all is that when Councilman Alexender who was the only dissenting vote, went outside the little gir's father told him "You just lost yourself the next election."
9) This is the very same little girl who argued with me in class last year while I was substitute teaching . I was discussing a new Presidential Act that had been signed in to law titled
"The Military Commissions Act of 2006".
After making a long speech about how teachers were not suppose to give their opinions in class and where did I get my sources from. I told her to "look it up on www.whitehouse.gov .
10) I have spent the last 12 years earning a BA in Govt, 3 minors and a Masters Degree in Govt.
CA State Politics and Urban Policy. Not only do I hold Emergency Teaching Credentials but I have worked for Dixon Unified Schools for 7 years and my own son Levi Silveira was a 2003 graduate.
So to be told that we need someone who understands the youth perspective is a slap in the face and an insult to my education, integrity and sense of honesty .
11) It must be a miniature verson of Sarah Palin.
I am only grateful that these children have had the opportunity to read the Constitution .
12) I have spent months working with the Redevelopment Advisory committee, attending the
General Plan meetings, city council meetings and
speaking publically at every one. I was absolutely shocked at the last meeting when a parent sitting behind me asked me where to get an application for her daughter to sign up for city council.
13) It must be nice to have a mommy who will get your papers for you and a daddy who will threaten to sway the next election against councilmen who didn't vote for her.
14) I think that we should put up a chain link fence on the city/ county line in Dixon to keep all the fruits and nuts from the city from coming out here and claiming to almond trees. As for me,
I will stay three blocks over the city limits,
in my almond orchard and make no false claims about being a city resident.
Ms Winegar...or Vinegar of Out of City Limits Dixon

Wow. You just explained why you should not be on the Council. I can't believe anyone could read this and think you could effectively serve on a Council. In fact, if my kids were in Dixon schools I would be talking to the school board about not wanting you in the classroom with my kids. Scary.

That so called 'misrepresentation' and apology you refer to were the result of an appointment by the mayor and the Dixon seniors. I did not have to apologize to anyone, I chose to go public because someone called 'the city' went behind my back rather that have the city clerk call be to question the difference between association and club.
As for everybody in Dixon knowing that I am a crackpot, how many of the 17,500 people does that include? Are we specifically refering to the one class that I subbed for that the disagreement occurred in????
How nice that everybody in Dixon knows that Mr. Alexander and Mr. Coppes are good friends. What kind of statement is that to make outside city hall?

Geesh and people wonder why we don't get involved. Don't you need to be a Dixon resident to serve on those to committees. Perhaps you should resign before you are removed. I'm sure there are some folks that are better suited for public service than you. They may even be under 21 :)

Grew up in Dixon wrote:

<quoted text>
Wow. You just explained why you should not be on the Council. I can't believe anyone could read this and think you could effectively serve on a Council. In fact, if my kids were in Dixon schools I would be talking to the school board about not wanting you in the classroom with my kids. Scary.

The great A/K/A Mikie wrote this.

How many posts have there been complaining about old politics and change, too many old farts, blah blah blah. Well, here you go. Give the girl a chance. After all, the law allows them to vote at 18, if they can vote, they can run a city...the election code says so!

under 21 wrote:

Geesh and people wonder why we don't get involved. Don't you need to be a Dixon resident to serve on those to committees. Perhaps you should resign before you are removed. I'm sure there are some folks that are better suited for public service than you. They may even be under 21 :)

As a matter of fact, I called both the city and county clerk today to ask them about the legality of serving on committees. And I talked to my landlord who told me that I was welcome to use his other property address on the other side of the line.

I sure as hell did not try to get away with using an address that is other than where I sleep 7 nights per week . That would have very likely caused me to get a letter from the Mayors husband instead of the city clerk about the legallity of my residency since he felt compelled to write to Mr. Gomez and every newspaper AND Mr. Gomez's employer about the possibility of illegal address.

Thank God, I don't need a husband to write letters to the papers for me like the Mayor. You children really should grow up and get a college education.

And DAN DOANE in Bend Oregon, at least I have the GUTS to use my own name when I write. I have been
YOUR MOTHERS NEIGBOR FOR 12 YEARS. If you want to burn me at the stake, like the teenage friends of
Ms Coppes,then at least have the guts to use your own name.

Hmm ... I sense a lot of anger here. Yes this is the real GL and not some close imitation.

I have a problem with Ms. Vinegar not knowing that she doesn't live inside the city limits. It is also a problem not knowing that nothing is before LAFCO at this point in time. I know as I checked with the community development director. Unless Dan Figueroa has submitted certain documents to start the process, nothing is going on in that respect. To say or hint that this is an imminent annexation is a lie.

However, I don't disagree with Ms. Vinegar that this appears to be another of the mayor's famous "setups" in that she called Coppes to "educate" her as to what to say. The obvious clue was when Courville said, "I will let her tell you in her own words." Yeah right, words you put in her mouth.

Despite any and all of the concern over her actual address or residence, nothing will be done. First, you have a lying District Attorney who rented a room in Solano County to get elected while he actually lived or had his main residence in Napa County. Second, you have a city attorney who told Mike Gomez how to get around the residency requirement in order to continue on the council. As long as we have people that violate the spirit of well intentioned laws, why should any of us respect any of their laws especially ones designed to be used as methods of harassment against their opponents.

If there are individuals, say former school mates of Victoria, who want to offer proof of her actual residence, let them come forward. I do not have the time or desire to set up spy networks to view both residences and come to a conclusion.

While I think the council is comprised of self serving nitwits bent on bankrupting Dixon, I don't think any of the four candidates would have been a choice that couldn't be tolerated for four months. Sure there are some big issues coming up but Coppes is only one voice and one vote. After the election, there will be at least two morons who won't be able to influence her. Hopefully the "lame duck" council won't push to approve contracts with the fire and police now that Gomez, the one who was holding it up due to budget constraints, is gone.

I agree with all of you who are saying to give Coppes a chance. You can either work to help her succeed or you can just criticize hoping to see her fail. She is not some arrogant jerk who has sat at the dais for 4 or 8 years, believing he knows better than all of the rest of us. She is not an egotistical power freak of a city manager rejecting all ideas but his own.

Despite the outright lies and innuendoes to the contrary, I do believe in making good people successful. Unfortunately many of them change once they are able to sit on the dais.

I also want to say that there is an obvious reason that Mike Smith and Steve Alexander have never supported me despite my backing them for office. It is the same reason that Courville and Batchelor fear my election. They know that I will show the citizens of Dixon exactly how their government should run and give valid factual reasons for my decisions instead of just feel good emotions.

I am Michael Ceremello and I approved of this ad.

I would give her a chance if she was appointed to the Parks and Rec Commission!! But to the city council? Give me a break!

Really, what are the youth issues facing Dixon today? Do we have gangs? Do we have drugs, alcohol, what? The Police say we do not have any problems, we are a great, safe community.

Fairfield has gang and drug problems. Matt Garcia campaigned with the promise to battle these problems. I bet if Matt Garcia applied for an appointment to the council he would not had be selected. THE VOTERS CHOOSE HIM not the City Council.

This girl has no experience other than some "high school fund raising," but she will be voting on the mid-year budget when it comes up for discussion supposedly in December. She will be voting to raise your sewer fees even though she has no clue of the issue.

We have a deficit budget, we have a waste water issue and we have those greedy police and fire personnel that want a pay raise. Tell me how an 18 year old will deal with these issues?

It was pretty obvious after her appointment that she was really concerned. While the city council was discussing if they were going to spend $115,000 or $76,000 for the special election, where these monies were coming from and who would be the interim fire chief, "Tori" the newly appointed council member was outside with her friends. They were text messaging newspapers and Television stations telling them that Dixon just appointed an 18 year old on the council. That’s says a lot about her commitment and the Dixon City Council mentality. Doesn’t it?

Besides Jack Batchelor, she could be the most experienced member on the council in December if Alexander and Ceremello, the only two that know the issues facing the city, are not elected. That’s a scary thought. God help Dixon.

An 18-year-old as a council member?
I couldn't balance my checking account when I was 18. Actually, I don't recall having one.
And the local laundromat monitor had to show me how much soap to put in my machine. And I resented her.
Desperate measures to keep certain folks of the dais.
Shame on you, Mary Ann.
Blah blah blah blah blah