By Michael Feinstein, Green Party of California
Orange County has traditionally been a major Republican stronghold on the state and national level, in terms of both votes and fundraising. It is one of the last places one would expect to see a Green elected. But on March 6th, the residents of the planned south Orange County community of Aliso Viejo elected Green Karl Warkomski, 33, to their newly formed City Council. On the same day, they voted by 93.3% to become Orange County's 34th city.
Warkomski's margin was not as great as the vote for cityhood - he finished fifth out of 12 candidates for five seats, and won by only 11 votes in a recount when his margin on election day had been 23 votes. But he nevertheless becomes the first Green elected "behind the Orange Curtain," as liberal Los Angelenos like to call life in their neighboring, more conservative county.
Why did a Green win in Orange County? Partly for the same reason many other California Greens have been winning, who are elected outside of traditional liberal strongholds - to deal with the negative consequences of growth upon quality of life. Once a pastoral and sometimes even rustic setting at the edge of the urban environment, today south Orange County is being overrun by traffic, congestion and a lack of community character that often accompanies cities going up almost overnight. Aliso Viejo's population alone has jumped an astonishing 428% in the past decade, from 7,612 residents in 1990 to 40,166 in 2000, topping all cities in Orange County.
What can a Green do in the face of such run-away growth? There are clearly limits to how sweeping and transformational change can be, in a planned community like Aliso Viejo that is less than 20 years old. But that didn't stop Warkomski from trying.
Recognizing that the local watershed is in need of repair, Warkomski called for restoration of the highly contaminated Aliso and Wood Canyon Creeks. With scarce open space being taken for new development, he opposed conversion of the nearby El Toro military airport into a commercial one, advocating creation of a massive regional park in its place. Understanding the value for people and wildlife of corridors between nature reserves to the North and the ocean and beaches to the South, he promised full participation in Regional Trail Connectivity Plans. He also committed to protect those same beaches by reducing Aliso Viejo's urban runoff.
To promote more sense of community, Warkomski promised to deliver on a community center within the local park system, a full-service post office and more affordable housing and public transit.
During the campaign, the pro-development establishment raised significant money for several of the other candidates - some amassing close to $30,000. By comparison, Warkomski's $3,000 budget was not going to buy him glossy mailers or TV ads. With nothing more than a flyer on recycled paper and volunteers from local and regional non-profit groups that he's worked with, Warkomski went door-to-door reaching about 80% of the residents before election day.
Warkomski also took advantage of the free exposure offered by candidate forums sponsored by the local media, as well as "meet the candidate" coffees sponsored by PTA and local neighborhood associations. Strategic placement of his lawn signs was not possible however, since the pre-cityhood community association strictly regulated areas where signs could be placed, promptly removing those in violation of their ordinance. Despite these limitations, Warkomski did provide signs for all permitted spots.
A home-grown talent, Warkomski graduated from nearby University of California Irvine in 1990 with a Bachelors of Science in Biology, then completed his Master's in Public Administration in 1995 at the University of Southern California. Today he operates his own small business in Aliso Viejo. Warkomski has been active in a range of advocacy groups, from the South Orange County Chamber of Commerce, to the Sierra Club and Surfrider Foundation.
Having Warkomski on the new council adds a level of diversity not seen in surrounding communities, even in activist-centric Laguna Beach. With two progressives, a moderate, and a conservative joining Warkomski on the council, it means a Green tips the balance of power in favor of the progressive majority, a rarity in Orange County.
