SPEAK TO THE PEOPLE, COUNCILPERSONS! 

At the last Council meeting I attended, I arrived 15 minutes early, as I usually do. By 6pm, the room was filled with citizen spectators. By 6:05pm a nervous Mayor Grimes glanced at the wall clock and got up from his seat to go to the front door to see why we was alone at the table. As he passed me I said, "how can you have a meeting with no quorum?" He replied, "I don't know." Five minutes later two more Council members slowly sashayed into the room. One was Marianna Teel who smilingly stopped to chat with some spectators as she made her way to her seat. The meeting finally got under way and during the session some Council members would make inaudible comments to each other. Nobody in the back of the room could hear their mumblings. I had previously asked them all to speak up during these PUBLIC meetings. They can save their private whispers to each other in their own closed door sessions. I further commented that both Grimes and Caudle have stentorian voices and can easily be heard throughout the room whether they used their microphones or not. The same is not true of all the others. Mrs. Teel not only "mumbles" but oftentimes even covers her mouth with her hand as if she is afraid that someone who can read lips might be able to "see" what she is saying. This is neither professional nor public service. If these people want to serve US, the Electorate, then act like it!!

Jim Richards

anonymous - I wish you could vote for me too!  But just pass the word to your friends that can and we'll call it even.  How about that?

Thanks for the kinds words,

Stan

I wish I lived in the city and could vote for you - what you say is 'right on' and what so many people in the greater Tehachapi area- who can't vote for you - believe to be true.  The present administration needs to be put our to pasture before they do any more harm and we need to find the qualified administrators who are willing to work for the people of Tehachapi and not their own egos.

doesnotgetit, I don't get it either, but you can darned well bet there'll be strict citizen oversight of this police chief if he's reporting to Jason Caudle.  I'm not what anyone would call "soft on crime", but I won't tolerate a goon squad either.  The code enforcement officer might want to take notice to this too.

Look at the following and remember who is supposed to be in charge http://stanstanding4u.com/o...

Have a good one,

Stan

So, thmazing thinks these blogs aren't edited?  We can tell him differently, can't we?  But, honestly, we haven't been scolded or booted off for quite awhile.  Please take a look at the following and remember that YOU are the ELECTORATE at the top of this organizational chart.  http://stanstanding4u.com/o...

Best,

Stan

The new police chief is Jeff Kermode. He was the area commander for the City of Irvine.

I was told today about a bond that Cal City residents will be voting on this Tuesday. This bond is to pay for fire protection. Cal City has a bond issue or some other special tax every two years to pay for fire and police protection. If the people of Cal City vote this bond down, 3 firefighters will lose their jobs. With the building in Tehachapi getting a little cool, how is the City going to pay for these services? Will we see bond and special taxes in two years? I dont know why I ask these questions, none of the questions we have asked have ever been answered.

I have not been told that about Caudle back tracking on the need for a fire department. I find that hard to believe with this study coming up. That would be very foolish. The Cal. City Fire Chief  that was picked by Tehachapi's Fire Chief and asst City Manager took the job and lasted a week. I guess he was not told about the Cal. City firemens law suit to come over to the county fire department, or that all of there firemen are testing else where. ( Just like Tehachapi's firemen) The guy picked to do the fire department study is Ron Coleman he is an ex-fire chief and writes stories for Fire Chief Magazine. You can goggle his name and come up with some info on him. Just add the word fire with his name or you get some crazy rock star guy also named Ron Coleman. Hope thats not the guy they hired lol!  Oh and the County Fire Chief's plan was to add 18 firemen to Golden Hills with a ladder truck and firetruck! Not 3 per day as posted above but 6 per day.  Oh this station in Golden Hills will be on the city limit boundary and responding into the city all the time.

Stan,
No problem. As you know no one inthe city as yet to say who the new police chief is or where he came from. The fact of the matter the information I got could be wrong, but I did get it from a pretty good source from within the city hall.

Good question Chris.  Ask your City Manager and Council  Members.  I would suggest going to the meeting Monday evening at 6:00 p.m. at the Veteran's Hall at 125 E Street and asking in a public forum.  I know it's difficult for working people to go down to City Hall but the current municipal codes are supposed to be available to the public there, and I also I realize the difficulty in attending the meetings, but if you want to see your City Council in action, that's the only way to do it.

The City Manager is supposed to announce the new police chief at that time.

The City Council is also supposed to discuss building moratoreum that the council members are possibly not going to extend.  Please pick up a copy of the Mountain Signal, November 2006 for the article on that.

Thanks for the input,
Stan Beckham

Stan, the "city municipal codes" hasn't been updated for one year.  Why not? 
Chris Anderson

'justcurious ' - I am reposting this answer to Shane and in hopes that this will clarify your questions.

Shane – I’m quoting you because you have stated clearly what you want, “There are also OTHER options on the table that would improve fire protection for Tehachapi City as well as the entire Tehachapi area. The guys that work for Tehachapi are very good guys. Some are very good firefighters. Most I would love to work with again.”   With the diminishing revenues to the City of Tehachapi as the housing boom is slowly grinding to a halt; I too, would like us to be able to go back in time to the on call situation with TFD that worked well in the past. As I recall, these guys did well and worked with the KCFD well.   What I DO NOT like about our new TFD, with Chief McLaughlin, are the issues you state so well, “What we didn't like was the promotions, the very limited testing, the lack of training, the red helmets, the "Company One" call sign, the cost, and how the County guys were treated.” Some of these issues, undeserved promotions, limited testing, lack of training…these issues can cost peoples’ lives, including and most probably those very firefighters benefiting from this.   Now there will be some ‘sensitive soul’ out there who will call me “alarmist”, but most level-headed people realize the need for proper training as a safety concern, not only for the public, but also for the personnel involved. As I have said before this IS NOT PLAYTIME!   The cost of the newly created TFD is prohibitive. We are at $3,000,000 and counting, plus the $1,500,000 per year price tag and that is if we don’t have something major happen. And, now there is “the study” to see if we actually need this new service. Well, here I go “bashing” again, this whole nightmare could have, and should have, been handled better.   The Plan – To make the changes that need to be made in the least disruptive manner and the shortest amount of time possible!   Shane, you said it; there are ALWAYS other options. I am running for City Council because with my business experience I have become good at negotiating contracts and finding a way to say “WE CAN” instead of “WE CAN’T.” This is the way successful companies are run, this is the way successful governments are run.    THE GOAL is to have the BEST POSSIBLE services for the citizens of Tehachapi.   I will look at the Fire Department Plan, I will look at the Police Department Plan, I will look at our “decades old General Plan” and the MANY other issues before this council. I will first ask for the changes that we need to make and if that doesn’t work I will fight for the changes that we need to make in order to be fiscally responsible and responsive to the community.

In addition, I would encourage our small businesses to make use of the heritage and unique attractions that the City of Tehachapi has to offer, I would encourage more community involvement, including our high school, I would insist on putting our city council meeting agendas out early enough that the community can be involved and broadcasting our meetings on the local government channel, I will also insist that 'commonly known addresses' are used instead of just APN numbers in communications regarding changes to property around you, AND I will follow Sue Benham's (City Council Member, Bakersfield) excellent lead and enact legislation to make the developers post a 4' x 8' sign with contact information as to their proposed plan for the property, so that all citizens can be heard before the process has gone too far.  And, just as importantly, I will not tolerate any individual citizen or business getting the 'run-around' from city hall, and I will not tolerate the rudeness and arrogance that I have witnessed coming from city hall and its' employees.

I've stated a lot of plans so far about what changes I want to make, but believe me when I run across a problem or have a complaint from a citizen, or citizens, I will listen fully, investigate thoroughly and do my very best to resolve the complaint to everyone's satisfaction.

Transparency in government.  What is happening in your city should NOT be difficult for you to find out.

I've promised a lot and may sound Pollyanna(ish), because realistically not everyone is going to agree all of the time.  But, I have found that most of the time, a suitable compromise can be reached among reasonable people.

I have promised a lot because I will deliver a lot of value to you as your next City Council Member.
  BUT, I need YOUR help on November 7^th. I need your support, and the support of all the citizens of Tehachapi that you can contact, to get out to polls and VOTE for STAN BECKHAM for City Council, and also, write-in HENRY SCHAEFFER. Oust Teel and Smith and you can take back your city council.   Thank you for your support,   Stan Beckham  

Of course 'beenthere', I would post a rebuttal against Smith and Teel to their newspaper claims.  You are not the subject here.  And...you are awfully defensive.  Sorry if I mistakenly tweaked your nose.  

I find it interesting that 'beenthere' has only 'beenhere' blogging since October 31st.  He/she seems to be taking everything a bit personally so I would bet this person has a vested interest at city hall.  He/she is trying to divert attention away from the issues.    I’ve really been trying to keep this candidacy to the issues and not mudslinging, which would be calling into question the other candidates' personal lives, activities, and so forth that have nothing to do with the issues.

The reference to 'legal action' for my highly exaggerated claims against Nunes’ Ranch is interesting, if not downright funny. If this person wants the ‘whole story told’ about Mariana Teel’s unethical involvement with this issue I can certainly provide it. I have plenty of paper documentation to back up my claims about Nunes’ Ranch, with lots of pretty little photos to go along with that. And, I do have paper proof that Mariana Teel was in this deal from the get-go. Along with another ‘civic minded’ business owner in town.  By the way, this is not a "whisper campaign" because I do have the proof to back up any statements and an awful lot of people on Anita Drive and Snyder are already aware of this situation.   Also, I didn’t make any FALSE claims about working for Nunes’ Ranch. I told the reporter that I had worked on the Nunes’ Ranch property, because that is how the property is now known. In fact, had you researched further you would have found the clarification of this. I told the reporter that I worked for Jacobsen Ranch. This is now the Nunes’ Ranch property. So…again, if you want to debate me on the FACTS, you’d better do your homework.   And, if anyone from Nunes’ Ranch feels they have a lawsuit, come right ahead and let’s go for it. I’ve researched the water issue thoroughly, and perhaps they can explain why the Snyder Street well has been shut down, with one of the reasons being “fuel oil” when there are no gas or service stations ‘uphill’ from that well. That’s right folks, gravity actually has something to do with this, but perhaps ‘beenthere’ missed that class.   By the way, jer72, the police chief reference was a misguided attempt at humor, and if any were offended, I do apologize.  

Stan Beckham

I have read both Stan's and BeenThere's statement and out of the two I know and can verify Stan's statements. I have lived in Tehachapi almost my entire life excluding my Navy service time. I went to school with Candle and know him. The fact of the matter is I know many in the city government personally and feel many of them as friends, but I also know that what Stan wrote is true with the possible exception about the police cheif. If the rumour I have is correct the new police cheif is from outside of the town, but I don't know if there is any connection between him or anyone in the city.

Isn't funny that 'beenthere' bashes Stan for bashing. justcurious read what he has written, he has stated many times what he is going to do... he going to cut cost by eliminating unneeded programs. He is going to stop all this 'start something first then pay for a study later' stuff. He is going to stop letting people hire there friends and family  He is going to kick TEEL out! Teel is in it for her family. She does not lessen to US. She has been quoted in this paper that she stands for developers rights. Then she back tracks the next week. It's time for change. It's time to get someone in there that is not related!!!!!!