Our view: Experience counts in city desperately in need of wise leadership

Escondido voters have an important choice before them Nov. 7. We are blessed with an array of interesting, qualified candidates seeking election to the City Council. The best of a good bunch are Dick Daniels and Darol Caster.

Two seats on the Escondido City Council are up for election Nov. 7; only one is being defended by an incumbent. We wish it was Marie Waldron, and not Ron Newman, who elected not to run again. Waldron's bid for re-election comes on the heels of a distressing turn toward divisive politics and, perhaps not coincidentally, a failed bid for the Republican nomination for the state Assembly's 74th District.

Waldron sided with Ed Gallo and Sam Abed to almost scare Palomar Medical Center right out of town and into San Marcos with their brinksmanship over the hospital's current downtown location. Last summer, Waldron voted with Abed against a Habitat for Humanity project on Ash and Lincoln in a misguided effort to raise the city's median income by chasing out smart affordable housing projects. In February 2005, Waldron helped kick a harmless group of nudists out of the Iceoplex by asking police to investigate their monthly outings at the Escondido pool.

Finally, Waldron proposed and championed a city foray into federal immigration law with her impractical, expensive and likely discriminatory rental ban for illegal immigrants. In a city crying out for leadership, Waldron has allowed her attention to wander into a federal jurisdiction.

Thankfully, Escondido has better options on the ballot.

Dick Daniels, who runs his own public relations business, has a long and distinguished history of service to Escondido. He's been president of the Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club. He's a sure pick to continue Escondido's steady progress toward revitalizing its downtown and technology park.

Darol Caster has served on the city's Planning Commission since 1997 and has also served admirably on the Chamber of Commerce board. Caster is inside enough to know how the city works but outside enough to offer a sensible fresh perspective to the City Council. He's a strong advocate of infill growth, which in Escondido means revitalizing the downtown and industrial sectors of the city. Caster recognizes that the hard work that went into improving Escondido's image was made more difficult by Waldron's grandstanding.

Escondido can boast several other intriguing candidates on the ballot this year. But for continued growth and progress, Caster and Daniels are the cream of this year's crop.