I'm proud to know I live in a city where enough people are concerned to do something; unlike me who was just concerned what time I was going to squeeze my surf session in today. Thank you, Steve Meiche, et. al. ....

Like most of us, I don't know Mr Muir. It may even turn out that he's an excellent representative for us. However, the way that this has been handled appears totally arrogant, and disrespectful to the wishes of Maggie Houlihan, and those who had elected her.
Maggie Houlihan's opinion should at least have been considered simply because we, the residents, had formally nominated her to represent US as she felt best. By admittedly ignoring her opinion, all but Teresa Barth effectively gave us residents the middle finger.

Most residents don't follow council activities much, but i think this action will jump out to even the most ambivalent as dishonest and disrespectful. Ironically, I can see this power-grab being the beginning of the end for the perpetrators.

If Mark Muir had any class he would refuse the appointment and run in the election in 2012. This is just not a council position, it is fulfilling Maggie's oath of office for the remainder of her term and she picked the person she felt could be do that. Shaffer should have the seat.

8 minutes ago
This is perfect news. Maybe me sitting at Starbucks on PCH with me little OCCUPY City Council sign did help.

TIME TO OCCUPY NORTH COUNTY AND START WITH ENCINITAS CITY HALL.

Perfect town to set up tents forks.

INVESTIGATE THE FIRE BOYS GROTESQUE SALARIES and PENSIONS.

INVESTIGATE THE ENTIRE CITY HALL.

Investigate the death of the elderly man who died after he complained to city hall about one of the fire boys building an addition on top of the sewage line.

TIME TO PITCH TENTS AT ENCINITAS CITY HALL.

LOST YOUR JOB? GOT SCREWED BY POLITICIANS?

FIND AN OCCUPATION AT ENCINITAS CITY HALL.

COME WITH YOUR TENTS!!!!

Raise hell against the 3 stooges and the corrupt firefighter. Love it!

yes he went to city hall to complain about the addition by a fire employee [some sort of chief]. Addition to home on top of an old sewage line. He went back to complaint about a TV poll on his property in which the city of Encinitas was getting $$$ for the use by TV company.

He died right after that......

His death was not investigated....

By the way I saw him the afternoon before he died, He looked mighty healthy to me...

Well, Jerome, James and Kristin, you brought this on yourselves with your arrogance. The people are finding their voice these days, if you haven't noticed, and will make the truth known.

thanks for caring Steve Meiche. I hope the DA presses charges against the council

Wow. I really can't believe the hatred in these posts. Encinitas is a wonderful place to live, is fiscally solid, and caters to a wide range of residents. I've always really enjoyed the diversity of people and their positions, but these comments are shocking. What I read here is NOT the Encinitas I know. The council, ALL of them, have done a great job for all of us. Press charges against them? For what? Accusations of killing an old man? Really? Honestly, I'm shocked.

As far as the appointment of Mr. Muir, the council followed the appropriate process. Did the majority pick someone they felt they could get along with and work with, that was not as closely aligned to Maggie's way of thinking as some of the other candidates? Of course! It's the same thing that would have been done if the roles were reversed.

Come on people! Encinitas is a great place, and we can work for our causes through the voting process. The next election is only a year away, and given the majority of the council is more right leaning than left it appears that is what the MAJORITY of Encinitas wants. I for one, who moved from San Diego to Encinitas BECAUSE of the way our city is run looks forward to a continuation of what we have.

Jeff,
The MAJORITY of voters voted for values that Maggie stood for. She received the most votes in all three elections that she ran.
This action did not, in any way, acknowledge the wishes of the Majority of voters. It was a political power grab by the council Majority.
The problem is that the philosophies of the council Majority is not the philosophy of the Majority of citizens.
Those who are aware of the events of the last 10 years, from both camps, know this.

The Council had not one, but TWO options that would have been "the right thing" to do regarding the appointment: 1) Honoring Maggies wish, or 2) Appointing the NEXT highest vote-getter last election; Kranz. They did NEITHER, and flipped us off in the process. Thank you Steve Meiche, and the group opposing this, AND I will be there Weds. to protest this travesty.

Couldn't agree with you all more... except Jeff Jones' take on the appointment. Every year I become more displeased that cityhood ever passed (I voted against it).

I have a question. With a 4-1 super majority, could the council now reverse the decision of the voters on Proposition A concerning the Ecke property? Also, could they vote to change the city charter so that we had an elected mayor?

I'll be there. The city council has become a miasma of corruption. It's hard to believe that such a thing can happen in this particular community. Chicago, yes. Anaheim, yes. San Diego, perhaps. But Encinitas??? The attitudes of Stocks, Bond, and Gaspar, on most other issues too, conflict with the very spirit of this place. If only there were some sort of impeachment option. Alas.

As the rally was happening, I couldn't not help but notice Jerome Stocks walking among us, basking in the sun of his arrogance. He seemed to be enjoying the moment, thrilled to be the center of the controversy. The man has no scruples and no soul. He must really feel untouchable. He is indeed a world class politician in the worst sense of the term.

Also in the chamber, when James Bond introduced Mark Muir he made an interesting slip of the tongue: Instead of presenting the appointment of Mark Muir, he said the "promotion" of Mark Muir. That tells it all.