Even if the incumbents (and I count Fimbres in that number) get re-elected, there’s no way that they’ll be able to continue with the Pushme-Pullyou, scattershot approach to revitalization. They’re going to have to scale back, set priorities, stick to them and, most of all, stop trying to be everything to everybody. It’s human nature to want to be generous (and to be liked for being generous), but the days of free spending and pet projects are long gone.

It’s probably not a lot of fun to be elected to office, only to find that you only have three major obligations: maintaining healthy police and fire departments, fixing the streets and figuring out ways to pay for the two aforementioned items. Even if Prop 200 didn’t pass, the budget shortfall will force the council to severely narrow its focus.