I am Michael Mayne, What Can I Do for YOU????

whitebread · Bulldogs' QB Joined: 16 May 2007 Posts: 60

Hello,

My name is Michael Mayne, I will be running for City Council in the June Election. My intentions are nothing more than to keep Calexico in a positive direction. I have been reading Calecia.com for about over a year now, and have participated in a few discussions. Now I have received my calling. I'm requesting that my fellow members of Calecia.com ask me questions so I can answer them and more than likely get your support. I would also like to know the complaint that you have, but have not presented to the current city council. I need to put on a really good campaign as the field of candidates is large. I have yet to set up a schedule for my events, yet when I do, I will post it on here.

FIRE AWAY, I will be anxiously awaiting.

Thanks,
Michael C. Mayne

elchrist · Posted: 17 Mar 2008 11:13 AM Post subject:

Are you from Calexico? If so, how long have you been here?

What's your history in the City of Calexico?

whitebread · Bulldogs' QB Joined: 16 May 2007 Posts: 60

el christ,

I'm from here in Calexico, lived here my entire life. Wouldn't leave Calexico for anywhere else. I had the opportunity to leave to pursue higher education, but decided to stay in my HOME. I was active in sports/recreation my entire life. Attended Dool School, De Anza Jr. High, and then CHS. Played basketball for Calexico from 7th through 12th grade. Understand the postives of sports and recreation.
After High school entered the Real Estate Market, got my Sales License from the Department of Real Estate, received my Notary Commission from the Secretary of State. Familiar with Calexico's areas of needs, as I needed to "sell" Calexico on a daily basis. Involved with residential and commercial development here within the city.
I started to attend planning commission and city council meetings on a regular basis. Realized the City needs a new and different point of view to acheive its goal of moving in a positive direction. As a Real Estate agent I understand growth within the community. Very dis-satisfied with the way parks and recreation has been handled by the city(always playing catch-up instead of using foresight).
I have no other intentions that making the City of Calexico better.

Michael C. Mayne

egb · Posted: 17 Mar 2008 02:14 PM Post subject:

Mr. Mayne;

Lately in Calexico and in the entire country for that matter, the economy has not been doing very well. If you were to be elected to the Council, what would you different to attractive new business or keep the current businesses open in Calexico? Just remember that my keep point here is "differently" as many have tried many different things and they don't seem to work.

Also, in Calexico we have always had the famous saying "only in Calexico" and of course we all know that many times has to do with the people in City government saying "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" mentality. what would you do to change that at City Hall and other departments within the city?

whitebread · Bulldogs' QB Joined: 16 May 2007 Posts: 60

To answer your question it will take some detail.

Within the City of Calexico, and most of the Valley, the majority of business is supported by our neighbors from the south. Yes, there are some sucessful farmers and people of that sort, but commercial business, such as malls and business is face to face, it is fueled by the amount of traffic we receive from Mexicali. Let's face this fact, this city of 36,000 residents, is a suburb to Mexicali. There just happens to be a border between us. We need to be able to sustain the amount of business that comes across the border, and attract new business. The gateway plan for the new border recognized this, but failed in executing it properly. The goods from Mexico always need to stop at a brokerage in order to keep on moving through the rest of the US. Growth at the new border is deterred violently by the amount of Impact Fee's the County of Imperial has imposed. There is a fixed fee per acre that must be paid in addtion to price for the property. This is true within the city as well. Impact fee's are a part of development, they will always be present. Yet when you are talking in the amount of $50,000+ per acre fees, that really deters new development from happening. Here within Calexico there is enough land in the Northwest corner of town, (cole Rd, kloke) to establish some sort of a new enterprise zone to allow new businesses to come and establish themselves, without paying the hefty price the Gateway is charging. These goods that will come across and stay at these warehouses, can then be sold here through other smaller businesses here within town. We just need to get as much product across the border to fuel sales of these products here. MORE GROWTH is what is going to fuel new business, Super Wal-mart was supposed to kill all local markets, and have not seen one close down. Competition is good, contrary to popular belief.

This mentality in Calexico has always been present, old favors get paid back with new ones, and the circle just continues to go around. I have no associations with any one group that would need me to ask a favor of, and vice versa. This mentality in Calexico needs to stop, as to how. It's simply going to have to be the people doing the favors, to stop doing so. Lately I feel that the city has done well, ex. the lady from the planning department who got relieved of her duty after finding all those old favors that she did on permits. It's just going to take time to weed out the people who still have these qualities. Harsh punishment is not the road to take, as we have all had favors done for us at one point in time.
Michael C. Mayne

egb · Posted: 17 Mar 2008 03:10 PM Post subject:

While your answers seemed pretty good, I would like to remind you that not to long ago, Garcia Foods closed their doors in Calexico after many, many years of service to the people of Calexico. If you were to go ask Mr. Garcia, what one of the reasons that he closed, you might hear "Super Wal-Mart" as part of the answer. Or you might go to someone like Mr. Moreno (whose son is also running for the Council) about his own experience with the good old "Super Shopping" (aka Apple Market). Needless to say, not sure you argument or thoughts on the economy are that great. Again, we need to look at how bad the U.S. dollar is doing and how bad the Wall Street has been hit in the last couple of days, that in order for Calexico to keep on moving, we really need something else. Just a thought....

whitebread · Bulldogs' QB Joined: 16 May 2007 Posts: 60

The reason why Garcia foods closed down, isnt one due to the fact that Wal-mart ran him out of Business. Mr. Garcia, had both of his shopping centers up for sale, the one here in Calexico, and the one in El Centro. Thus meaning that Wal-mart wasn't the cause of his closure. His thought was to avoid family problems after he was gone, not because of competition. Super Shopping I believe was on the bubble of closure for a while. When the name changed from super shopping to Apple market, this was a sign of trouble for me. Just like the gas stations that are now closed, all turned into texaco's before there evident demise. They were bought out to avoid having to close, which eventually happened anyway. Super Shopping will always be in my mind as a locally owned market as I frequented that store myself quite often. The economy is doing bad at the the nation's level, these were my idea's to boost the economy in Calexico, not to solve the dollar's weakness in this market. Real Estate tanking is a major part of this recession. We all just have to ride the storm and wait for better days for the dollar. Business in Calexico is always going to be fueled from Mexico, my idea is to bring the business over here and have that dollar earned here, spent here, in Calexico. What would your idea be for better the economy here in Calexico "egb"? I really want to see what idea's I can get from my fellow calexicans, and besides thats the point of a councilman, to listen to his people.
Michael C. Mayne

chuco boy · Boot Camp Joined: 05 Mar 2005 Posts: 340 Votes: 4

Vato,

I admire your guts to enter the council race. You seem to have a handle on what's going on. Simple question: What have you done personally to improve Calexico? I tend to judge people on what they have accomplished and track record.

Bloodstar1 · Posted: 18 Mar 2008 09:51 AM Post subject:

Mr. Mayne, allow me to congradulate you on your courage to run for council. Some of your opponents are considered the "old guard", or old school Calexico. No names mentioned. I am very cynical that this old guard has the City's best interest at heart.

Here's my questions: What is your vision of Calexico as you would like to see it and how do you expect to get from A to Z? (Z, of course being your vision goal being met.)

whitebread · Bulldogs' QB Joined: 16 May 2007 Posts: 60

Chuco,

I have been actively involved with athletics my entire life. I have devoted countless hours and days out at the parks with other kids playing basketball. I am currently part of the Men's Basketball league that is ran by the Recreation department, The company I work for has been sponsors of the Mariachi Festival and Calexico Run-A-Thon every year. The project's that my company has here within the city, has had more than ample space left open for the future use of Parks. We are aiming towards developing more affordable housing here in Calexico. But Recreation is Key, One of our developments, would consist of 5 baseball Diamonds, a soccer/football field, and a large indoor complex for other sports, like basketball and volleyball. I feel there is a lot more I can do for Calexico, I just can't do it alone, I need support from my fellow calexican's.

Bloodstar,

My vision of Calexico is something like this. The streets would actually be nice and smooth, the retention basins wouldnt look like vacant pieces of land, more like parks that we can actually use. Like the Daniel Guiterrez Park across the street from the school district on Andrade Ave. That all these new taggers stop defacing our city with Graffti, like their nickname "spot" is something we all want to see spray painted on a brick wall. Landscaping would be key for all new developments and redevelopments. Some architectural design put into effect, not cracker boxes that are easy and cheap to build. If I could fix the school district's woe's I would want to accomplish that as well, too bad the council doesnt have any say in the school board's action. Talk to the city, to find out exactly why we were over spending and had to adjust the budget. To get from point A to point Z we just really need to step it up a notch and put some elbow grease into the cause. I can scream bloody murder all day to the rest of the council members, but if my vision is the same as theirs and I have no support from calexican's. My Idea's will fade away, and be forgotten. All these problems can be fixed easily, but will I get the support I need? That is entirely up to the people of Calexico.

Michael C. Mayne