Haferman top spender in race

Campaign expenditures by Monterey mayoral and council candidates showed modest fundraising and expenditures.

[Monterey Voter]

In addition to spending much more on his campaign than the other candidates, it is my opinion that Haferman has also COST THE MONTEREY TAXPAYERS much more than any of the other councilpersons currently seated. In fighting his stop sign ticket, many thousands of city funds and many hours of city employee time were spent because he "filed motions demanding engineering reports, officer’s notes, personnel records and other city and state records." For a traffic ticket! It has always been SO obvious that one has to stop at the restraining line of that exit - "STOP" WRITTEN ON THE ROAD as well as stop sign(s). A council person should be willing to accept responsibility for breaking the law - other citizens do and don't cost the city huge amounts of money!
What kind of integrity and credibility do Haferman's actions show?
We need a council that can work from the bases of trust and communication. It seems to me that Haferman ruined both relating to his seat on the council with his actions in the McMahon affair. If he had had any qualms about the closed session for personnel matters, he should have stated them to his fellow councilpersons IN THAT CLOSED SESSION to discuss with all what he felt might be a problem. We all know what road he took instead and how we now will be paying MUCH more in extended lawsuits, they way I understand the outcome of this.
Let's get back to a city council that can function from trust, communication, and cooperation - a council that would not include Haferman, in my opinion.

[artie]

Haferman will be re-elected. He SAVED the taxpayers $20 MILLION on that boon-doggle city hall project a few years ago.... get over it. You whiners should be happy to have a representative with a backbone...

[russo]

Monterey Voter wrote:

In addition to spending much more on his campaign than the other candidates, it is my opinion that Haferman has also COST THE MONTEREY TAXPAYERS much more than any of the other councilpersons currently seated.

Actually, that's an incorrect assertion... as a longtime peninsula resident, I know that a lot of the local politicians do a lot of travel at taxpayer expense... the mayor has gone on several oversea trips (mayor albert went to Japan on taxpayer expense many times), the city manager goes on a lot of trips paid for by the taxpayers, most of the "retired" councilpeople from all of the local jurisdictions go on trips. I'm pretty sure Libby Downer went on at least 1 international trip (Croatia?) at taxpayer expense and a few local trips. As far as I know, Haferman hasn't gone on any trips.

[Monterey Voter]

Sorry, russo, but my statement was about the "councilpersons currently seated" if you would recheck what I said. That excludes former Mayor Albert, the city manager, and "retired" councilpeople.
I am very troubled by what I consider to be needless costs in time and taxpayer funds for litigation resulting from Haferman's actions. The total(s) for the ticket-fighting alone were very high and McMahon part 2 or 3 promises to be even higher, as I see it. Much higher than an international trip that one sitting council member may or may not have taken.

artie - I seem to remember that it was taxpayers and petition signers who forced the resolution for the public center to be rescinded - by no means was it any one person!