The Mountain Chronicle
38.2 Latitude
Post Office Box 32
Arnold, California 95223
(209) 795-2222
Seaton & Tryon Go Toe to Toe!
By Ross Alford
The District 4 Supervisor Debate Wednesday night felt like a very good amateur boxing match. Tom Tryon has more ring management skills than Lee Seaton and demonstrated his craftsmanship at the start with a very good introduction- touching on issues such as consolidating growth in the existing community areas, curtailing urban sprawl and building infrastructure. He closed with a brief history of his long ties to the community. At the same time he offered a glimpse at his vulnerabilities. His 24 years in office have culminated, not necessarily as his fault, but in a consensuses that the bureaucracy in San Andreas is failing – and he’ll have a tough time being construed as the “agent of change” while the recent county mayhem has occurred on his watch.
Seaton on the other hand had a completely lack luster opening yet managed to inform the crowd that he’s been a city councilman for 7 years; that he and his wife love their church and the community. It did not look like Seaton was able to throw leather; in fact his tendency to ramble made him look vulnerable. It did appear clear that Seaton is in the race because he wants to contribute to the county’s future. Round to Tryon
Tryon 1
Seaton 0
Buzz Eggleston was moderating – what can be said about Buzz? He wore a cool sports coat.
In round two Seaton got better quick with his answer of the first question, “What lessons have been learned in the past few quixotic months at government center?” There was a little pop to his punch when he said it was clear that the supervisors do not understand that the General Plan is a mandatory document and they should be working on specific policy directives for staff.
Tryon was defensive suggesting that he and Seaton must not have been attending the same meetings and that the public should review the public television tapes, but offered no real rebuttal to the specific policy assertions. As such Seaton won the second round.
Tryon 1
Seaton 1
The third round was a muddled mess, which probably favored Tryon’s ring craftsmanship, he was slipping some punches and making vague assertions about why it’s important to elect other supervisors with whom he can work. He got in some real vague generalizations about the Grand Jury’s investigation of his Brown Act complaint of Supervisors Wilensky, Thomas, and Claudino which also included a sexual misconduct allegation against Claudino. And he made the assertion that he and Merita Callaway were a voting block, and that other supervisors were conspiring in the race against him. That started a backfire though as Buzz asked him about campaign donations he received from PG&E, a donation of $250; which, in retrospect does seem odd. Why would PG&E donate money to Tryon? Anyway, in the same volley Tryon said he raises more money than Seaton because he has more support. Tryon said that Seaton had written a check to his own campaign for $15,000 and raised the question as to whom or how Lee was going to be reimbursed, forcing Seaton to defensively respond that he and is wife are in the position to spend money on the campaign - when they need cash for things like printing costs. Although muddled, it felt like a Tryon round.
Tryon 2
Seaton 1
The debate closed out the first half with a question on economic development. This is an area where Seaton could talk for ever, but he needs to be more specific. He uses terms like “economic vitality,” and “preserve the quality of life,” but what does that mean? Tryon, on the other hand, was more specific, discussing the protection of the Hwy4 corridor, that infrastructure is why our part of the county is better than the other communities like Valley Springs. Tryon said the two major communities, Murphys and Angels Camp, have disparate personalities that need to be endorsed and that Angels Camp is the economic and financial center of the county and should be preparing for a more dynamic role in the years to come. Round to Tryon
Tryon 3
Seaton 1
Then Buzz called for a 5 minute recess which was dangerous as a few people did leave. But for the most part the crowd was actively engaged.
Seaton opened the second half with a block buster round that put Tryon up against the ropes. Scoring consistently and at will on the issue of the comparison between the way the city of Angels Camp is run as opposed to the way the county is run. Seaton said when you go into the city office to do business you will know the expectations the city has and the process for completing a project. At the county there is a wide consensus that doing business with the county is at best confused and subject to policy whims of the Supervisors. Round to Seaton.
Tryon 3
Seaton 2
Then the “Big Box” question was dropped – this was a tough round – both were adamant. Seaton is against Big Boxes in that they hurt the economics of the independent merchants, but willing to explore alternatives. Tryon is for Big Boxes if managed properly. Tryon hates to see shoppers go to Sonora. (I’m sort of torn myself – I won’t buy a flashlight in Arnold for $10 more than the same flashlight costs at Wal-Mart. And I would love to see independents figure out how to be competitive. I’m afraid the answer is something like a big, but cool-looking, Cost-co-like business that has very-cool wrap around mom-and-pop businesses, lots of big oaks and parks and green belts and breakfast places and sports bars and Tai food restaurants and real sushi, not those specimens in the plastic boxes, and a free trolley that takes you to-and-fro downtown Angels Camp; but I digress.) The round was a tie.
Tryon 4 - Seaton 3
The Mountain Chronicle question about SPI’s Clearcutting was finally asked. Should the county adopt independent logging rules like six or seven other counties in the state have - forcing local review of SPI’s Timber Harvest Plans and their propensity to clearcut the forest. Seaton was way in favor, citing specific examples and wanting to take local responsibility for our forests. Tryon was against saying we don’t have the expertise or the science, while demonstrating a clear failure to understand the process, saying the California Board of Forestry reviews the THPs, when it is actually CALFIRE and that the Board of Forestry is more informed on the science of forests than locals, and it is clear the Board of Forestry is packed with paid-for industry-hacks. Tryon is so far out to lunch on this issue he not only lost the round, I should have deducted a point. A big round went to Seaton.
Seaton 4
Tryon 4
There were a couple of good Murphys questions by MTChron reporters:
Jim Stearns asked how a self proclaimed Libertarian can vote against a business man putting up a sign on his business, referring to the infamous neon sign debate. Tryon had a great response saying the sign was in the county property and not on an individual’s property; as such, Tryon said he had the obligation to protect the county’s property, and he felt that allowing a neon sign on public property would create a precedent. No real points awarded as it didn’t effect the debate.
John Martin asked when the county plans to complete Jack Kautz’s Bridge to Nowhere? Both candidates had informed competent answers. Maybe an edge should go to Tryon, he seemed a bit more informed and engaged with locals like Jimmy Heryford - the toughest man I know for reasons I cannot disclose.
Tryon 6
Seaton 5
Then public transportation came up. This is a “big-box-store” like issue. You either like public transportation or you don’t. At heart Seaton does like it; Tryon doesn’t. Both camouflage their true beliefs. Seaton wants to underwrite it like a bleeding-heart progressive liberal and Tryon wants to abolish it like a mean-spirited neo-con. Tryon went first.
Tryon knows more about how few people ride the bus. And I like Tryon’s point about not spending needless money. He made the point that the Wilseyville run costs the county $75 pre rider. It does seem like the Wilseyville run could be traded for a run to Stockton or Modesto, but when Tryon said he wanted to abolish the low-ridership late-night Columbia College run he lost me, and worse he finished off by slandering environmentalists for not using left over bus funds to build parks, which was completely out of context, and part of an apparent pattern of his to randomly slam environmentalists.
When Seaton got his turn, he went off. He started by admonishing Tryon for accusing those working on the bus system for not having done their home work. In this Seaton is a policy wonk and made it clear he knows more about the regulatory facts like how transportation is funded by the state than Tryon- he’s done his homework. And, he made a good point that Tryon is wrong when he calls the bus system a welfare system. Seaton said the bus system provides a means for those who are “transportationally challenged” to obtain education, medical and county services. Seaton was really banging the body of Tryon’s campaign platform on this issue. Interestingly when Tryon tried to respond – he was denied by Eggleston after what looked like the crowd might revolt on parliamentary matters of fairness. I gave the round to Seaton.
Seaton 6
Tryon 6
The final question that mattered to me, that I have notes on, came from me: How can we be competitive economically when Calaveras County has the slowest internet speeds in the industrialized world? Supervisors are getting used to me asking this question, Tryon even said this question must be from Ross Alford. Seaton went first and said he is working with a privately funded commission to address the issue of increasing internet speed in the rural counties. Tryon didn’t add much but said he supports all efforts to increase internet speed. I take a point away from both of them! This is clearly one of the most important issues we face in the future. Japan and France have internet speeds twice as fast as America. Rural Mexico has faster internet speed than Calaveras County, and we live next to the Silicon Valley. We could have wealthy telecommuters contributing vast tax dollars to our local economy if we could provide them adequate technology –and we are doing nothing. Points deducted!
Seaton 5
Tryon 5
In the closing remarks Tryon tried to even the score on the transportation matter using his allotted time to readdress an argument that was 15 minutes old. It was strange time management and a contextual error for a guy who has strong ring mastery. Seaton on the other hand made a nice speech about how he wants to serve the community and a plea for voters to give him the chance to help the county move into the future. Round to Seaton.
Final Score: Seaton 6 - Tryon 5
Final note: Both these guys are seriously competent debaters. They’ve met before and they’ll meet again at the Murphys Community Club meeting on Monday September 15th at 7pm.