Street Sweeping, Power Washing and Lawsuit Threats at the Parking Commission

At the last La Mesa Community Parking Commission meeting held February 21st, the commissioners voted 4-1 to recommend to City Council allocating no more than $32,000 toward cleaning La Mesa Village for our Centennial. 

The plan presented would add one extra downtown street sweeping every week and would have our sidewalks and planters professionally power washed every quarter until the end of our Centennial.

These improvements, if passed by the City Council, coupled with the La Mesa Village Merchants Association renewed commitment to hire a gardener to plant and maintain flowers in our dozens of planters, promises a fresh, clean and charming La Mesa Village for Centennial events and crowds.

At this same meeting, Commissioner James Wieboldt, the one opposing vote, stepped down from the dais and demanded a public apology and full retraction for a La Mesa Patch blog I wrote last November or I would face legal action (his third threat of legal action against me).

He was followed by David Woodson, husband of Commissioner Lynn McRea, who also asked for an apology and retraction for his wife from the same article. 

Last November I wrote a blog in the La Mesa Patch objecting to what I saw as a conflict of interest: Wieboldt and McRea heading two organizations that offer alternative money-raising mechanisms to improve La Mesa Village. 

It is my understanding that Wieboldt and McRea have spoken to the city attorney and possibly other attorneys who, I hear, have advised Wieboldt and McRea they have done nothing legally wrong.

My blog did not accuse Wieboldt or McRea of doing anything unlawful, my opinion of conflict of interest was philosophically based, not criminally based, and should be interpreted as such. 

I wrote the blog to bring attention to the fact that in a city of 57,000 residents, why are multiple committees run by the same small handful of people? Is this good for La Mesa? I don’t think so. 

Wieboldt is on at least five committees: the Centennial Committee, the Parking Commission, the PBID, the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and the Mayor’s “Kitchen Cabinet.” McRea is on the PBID, the Parking Commission and the Mayor’s “Kitchen Cabinet.” 

I believe Wieboldt likes the control and influence that comes with these numerous posts. And because Wieboldt and McRea appear to be good friends and have voted the same on many issues, I presumed McRea might like the control and influence from her multiple posts as well, making me paint them with the same brush.

On February 21st, my opinion of Lynn McRea changed. David Woodson's defense of his wife’s principles was eloquent and sincere and her yes vote to my motion that we use parking meter money to improve the Village for our Centennial was as surprising as it was greatly appreciated. 

Breaking ranks with Wieboldt and supporting me had to have been a difficult decision for her but one she must have considered to be in the best interest of La Mesa.

Those two incidents plus several conversations I’ve had with Lynn and her husband recently have made me regret my past negative comments about her and has compelled me to retract those comments and apologize for any distress I may have caused her.

I now see her deeds as community activism and any disagreements I have with her in the future, I will interpret as simply a difference of opinion.

No matter who or what the topic is, I urge Patch readers/bloggers to be civil. I write Patch blogs to bring attention to issues I feel are important to the betterment of La Mesa, not to provoke insults or hurtful comments.