2007: Jim Desmond’s Nomination Of Rebecca Jones To Fill His Vacancy On The San Marcos City Council Drew Criticism For Possible Cronyism

2007: Desmond Nominated Rebecca Jones To Fill The Vacancy He Left On San Marcos City Council

January 2007: The San Marcos City Council Appointed Rebecca Jones To Fill The Vacancy Left By Desmond In A 2-1 Vote. “The council’s newest member, Rebecca Jones, says she’s ready to move past the controversy surrounding her appointment and get on with improving the city. Questions were raised after Jones was picked 2-1 by the council on Jan. 9 from a pool of applicants that included many who have spent years on city boards and commissions and others who ran for office in November. The seat filled by Jones became vacant last month when Jim Desmond was installed as mayor. It has two years remaining on its term.” [San Diego Union-Tribune, 1/17/07]

Desmond Nominated Jones To Fill The Vacancy. “Jones, 39, was nominated by Desmond from eight candidates that applied to the five-member council. Councilman Hal Martin seconded the nomination, and Councilman Mike Preston voted against it. Councilman Chris Orlando recused himself because he said her husband, Paul Jones, donated $150 to his campaign.” [San Diego Union-Tribune, 1/17/07]

Desmond Said Jones Did Not Have The Experience Others Had But Expressed Concerns About “One Demographic 100 Percent Monopolizing A Representative Council,” Which Was All White Men

Before Jones’ Appointment, Desmond Said He Would Base His Nomination On The Applicants’ Presentations, But After The Presentations He Read From What Appeared To Be A Prepared Speech About Diversity. “Before Jones’ appointment, Desmond pledged that his nomination would be based on the applicants’

presentations at the council meeting, saying ‘everyone gets a chance.’ After the presentations, however, he began reading from what appeared to be a prepared speech about diversity. ‘I don’t know if you were aware of this, but he had a typewritten speech that he was reading from,’ Preston said after the vote. ‘I’m sitting next to him, and he’s looking down at a typewritten document. I didn’t see a typewriter at his desk, so I guess he forgot about that.’” [San Diego Union-Tribune, 1/17/07]

Desmond Said Jones Did Not Have The Experience Others Had But He “Did Not Want To Have One Demographic 100 Percent Monopolizing A Representative Council.” “Desmond said later that he had in fact decided on Jones the Sunday night before the meeting. ‘She didn’t have the experience that other people had,’ Desmond said. ‘But I did not want to have one demographic 100 percent monopolizing a representative council.’” [San Diego Union-Tribune, 1/17/07]

• The Four Existing Members Of The Council Were White Men. “‘He had talked about not wanting to see the five white guys on the dais,’ said Kildoo, who applied for the open seat at the request of an unnamed council member. ‘He obviously felt diversity was more important. I disagreed with him on any number of occasions where it came up, and I still disagree with him.’” [San Diego Union-Tribune, 1/17/07]

Desmond’s Speech About Diversity Drew Criticism From Residents

San Diego Union-Tribune: “Desmond’s Speech About Diversity Ran Hollow To Some Audience Members.” “Jones’ quick appointment and Desmond’s speech about diversity rang hollow to some audience members at the Jan. 9 meeting, a large group of which left the chambers before she took her oath. ‘It didn’t look normal,’ said Neill Kovrig, a traffic commissioner for four years and fellow applicant. ‘It looked bizarre. It sounded bizarre. It didn’t quite ring true. ‘This question of diversity, I can play the Puerto Rican card, or the Hawaiian card — to say it has to be a woman I think is insulting to women in general. It seems to me kind of patting her on the head and saying you’ll do fine.’” [San Diego Union-Tribune, 1/17/07]

• Logan Jenkins Column: “Desmond Delivered A Short Speech That Exhibited The Rhetorical Flexibility Of Gumby.” “To counter the catcalls, Desmond delivered a short speech that exhibited the rhetorical flexibility of Gumby. While skeptical of strict quotas based on gender or ethnicity, he supported Jones because, in his view, San Marcos would be ill-served with an undiverse [sic] council composed of five middle-aged white men.” [San Diego Union-Tribune, Logan Jenkins Column, 1/20/07]

In Discussing Desmond’s Speech, Traffic Commissioner Neill Kovrig Said, “It Looked Bizarre. It Sounded Bizarre. It Didn’t Quite Ring True.” “Jones’ quick appointment and Desmond’s speech about diversity rang hollow to some audience members at the Jan. 9 meeting, a large group of which left the chambers before she took her oath. ‘It didn’t look normal,’ said Neill Kovrig, a traffic commissioner for four years and fellow applicant. ‘It looked bizarre. It sounded bizarre. It didn’t quite ring true. ‘This question of diversity, I can play the Puerto Rican card, or the Hawaiian card — to say it has to be a woman I think is insulting to women in general. It seems to me kind of patting her on the head and saying you’ll do fine.’” [San Diego Union-Tribune, 1/17/07]

Critics Of Jones’ Appointment Said It Looked Like Cronyism And Noted Jones’ Relationships With Mayor Desmond And Other Council Members

Logan Jenkins Column: Critics Said Jones’ Appointment Was A Result Of Cronyism. “Not completely, but the appointment of Rebecca Jones is better than the unnecessary alternative. The obvious choice, of course, was Dean Nelson, chairman of the Planning Commission and the first runner-up in the November election. No one would have said boo if Nelson had received the nod. As it is, critics are saying much worse than boo. In fact, they're say [sic] cronyism.” [San Diego Union-Tribune, Logan Jenkins Column, 1/20/07]

Logan Jenkins Column: “Jones’ Strongest Qualification For The Position Is Her Relationships With Mayor Jim Desmond” And Other Council Members. “In the jaundiced view, Jones' strongest qualification for the position is her relationships with Mayor Jim Desmond, Councilman Hal Martin and newly elected Councilman Chris Orlando (who recused himself because Jones' husband contributed to his campaign).” [San Diego Union-Tribune, Logan Jenkins Column, 1/20/07]