Rochelle Swanson - Davis Wiki

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Rochelle Swanson was elected to the Davis City Council on 2010-06-08, with 6,428 votes (27.9%).

She announced her candidacy in March of 2010. Rochelle is a graduate of UC Davis and McGeorge School of Law. She is the owner of RHS Consulting, which provides "a range of contracting & consulting for land use entitlements". Her husband, Charlie, owns The Graduate restaurant.

Rochelle moved to Davis two decades ago to complete her undergraduate degree in Political Science at UCD. She was an independent student and parent while putting herself through school and, like many Aggies, fell in love with Davis and knew this was where she wanted to raise her children. She lives in West Davis with her husband and their three younger kids. Their oldest is in his sophomore year at UC Merced.

Rochelle attended law school at McGeorge, where she began working as a land use consultant to supplement student loans, and turned it into her own sole proprietorship. She provides a variety of services relating to statue interpretation of local and county ordinances, guidance through the permitting process from inception of ideas to building permit, and all the hearings in between. Although she is a licensed attorney, she has continued to be a contractor and consultant to remain flexible to the needs of family. She also works in various roles at the Graduate restaurant with her husband, Charlie.

The past few years, Rochelle has focused much of her energy on community service. Her most visible role is on the Blue and White Foundation, for which she currently serves as President. The foundation in the final stages of building a new stadium at Davis High School and, over the last two years, Rochelle has significantly scaled back her business to focus on fundraising for the project.

"I truly enjoy public service," says Rochelle, "and look forward to the next level by serving the whole of our community."

Rochelle's "top 5 goals if elected to office" as submitted to the Davis Vanguard in response to its candidate questionnaire:

1-Bring the City finances in balance by pursuing the development of multi-year budgets and maximizing the opportunities presented by the proximity of the University.
2-Improve the business climate by enhancing the downtown community and promoting Davis as a destination for unique dining, shopping and services.
3-Support the continued excellence of our public schools, both k-12 and the University, by pursuing policies that support steady enrollment and shared resources as appropriate.
4-Strengthen the partnership with the County to be regional leaders in providing services and promoting responsible stewardship of the individual and shared natural resources.
5-Sustain and enhance public safety by strengthening the police and fire services, while also pursuing policies that protect those citizens that may not be able to take care of themselves.

Rochelle supports the renewal of Measure J (via Measure R) in the 2010 election, because "it is important for the people to have the ultimate say on the issue most discussed in our community." She also supports Measure Q, the extension of the half-cent sales tax as "a necessary bridge to our current gap in funding," with the caveat that she "will not support a further extension because as a City Council member I will work to reduce the city’s annual operating deficit within the period of the current proposed extension."

Civic Engagement

Youth & Education Commission, City of Davis General Plan 2001 update
Yolo County Grand Jury
Rotaract – Past President
Current member of Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Committee (SPAC)
Current member of Rotary Club of Davis - Child Abuse Prevention Program committee member
Davis Senior High School Blue and White Foundation - Current President
Current member of the California State Bar
Current member of the Cal Aggie Alumni Association

Endorsements

A full list of Rochelle's endorsers can be found via her website.

Endorsers with articles on this wiki include Yolo County Supervisors Jim Provenza and Matt Rexroad, Mayor Ruth Asmundson, City Council Members Don Saylor, Sue Greenwald and Lamar Heystek, School Board Trustees Tim Taylor, Gina Daleiden, Richard Harris and Sheila Allen, Former Mayors Jerry Adler, Bill Kopper, Ann Evans, Maynard Skinner, Ken Wagstaff and Ted Puntillo, Former Council Member Mike Harrington, ASUCD Senator Adam Thongsavat and Davis Citizens of the Year Nancy Roe and Doug Arnold.

Rochelle was also endorsed by the Davis Enterprise, Sacramento Bee and California Aggie newspapers.

Endorsement Letters

Lamar Heystek is a Democrat and has endorsed independent candidate Rochelle Swanson in the non-partisan Davis City Council 2010 Election.

"After much consideration, I have decided to endorse the candidacy of Rochelle Swanson for Davis City Council.

I believe that Rochelle’s election brings great hope that the city will begin more seriously addressing the most critical issue we currently face: the state of our finances. In my opinion, our inability to exercise better fiscal discipline has placed at greater risk the safety of our neighborhoods and roads, our constituents’ ability to continue paying for vital services and the public trust we as stewards of taxpayer dollars seek to engender in general. I predict that Rochelle will advance positive, substantive structural change for the long-term fiscal health of the city and will take advantage of the next round of labor negotiations to do so.

Furthermore, my belief is that Rochelle will contribute to a balanced view on the Council of land use matters. In endorsing Rochelle, I echo Rochelle’s desire to rein in unsustainable growth by upholding the principles of our current General Plan. Very importantly, I predict she will view with a critical eye any proposals for future residential development on our periphery. I especially appreciate her sensitivity to the public’s expressed desire for a small, compact city.

In general, I expect that Rochelle will not be afraid to vote “no” when necessary, while working earnestly and diligently with her Council colleagues toward consensus on common-sense alternatives.

I readily acknowledge that under other circumstances, Rochelle may not have been a natural choice for me, based on aspects of her political and professional background. However, my observation is that one’s voting history on national or state issues may not necessarily be a predictor of his or her voting record in local nonpartisan elected office. Rochelle and I certainly do not agree on all issues, and as such I do not expect that she will vote precisely how I might have voted on future issues before the Council. However, I have confidence in the fundamental philosophy and independent thinking she seeks to bring to the Council dais. I also believe that Rochelle’s unique relationships within the community can translate into positive change – some of which we have already seen during her candidacy – in several aspects of community life.

I encourage my fellow Davisites to support Rochelle Swanson."- signed, Lamar Heystek

Media

Campaign Signage and Literature

The Rochelle for Davis lawn sign Flyer page 1 Flyer page 2 Davis Enterprise sticker Davis Enterprise ad

Comments:

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2010-03-12 11:24:47 I am hoping that we eventually hear more specific ideas from Ms. Swanson. I can't imagine anyone who would disagree with her stated platform. —CovertProfessor

The following comment was left by an
anonymous coward.

2010-05-20 00:26:50 Not too long ago, Rochelle was seen driving around town in a car with a Sarah Palin 2012 bumper sticker. She was also a fan of Palin 2012 on Facebook. Strikingly, since the beginning of the city council election both of the Palin mentions have disappeared. At the UCD Young Democrats city council forum, she admitted to being previously registered as a republican, but recently switched to "independent."
Personally, I could never cast my vote for a woman who is so irresponsible for her own. —De

2010-05-20 15:53:48 The first two assertions made by the anonymous poster above are absolute, made-up lies. Rochelle never had such a bumper sticker on her car, nor was a fan of any such Facebook page. They are the convenient sort of lies that are completely unprovable and made by an anonymous coward.

The third assertion is a half-truth because, in the UCD Young Democrats forum, Rochelle stated that she had been registered as both a Democrat and a Republican at different times in her life, but she found herself unsatisfied with both major parties and switched to independent.

As for the phrase, "Personally, I could never cast my vote for a woman who is so irresponsible for her own." I am unclear as to what this statement means but infer that "her own" is a reference to Rochelle's family. Any attack on any candidate's family is completely beyond the pale and has no place in our civic discourse.

Finally, it is indicative of an inability to criticize Rochelle on relevant issues that someone from another campaign would stoop to anonymous fabrication.

For the record, I am a volunteer for Rochelle Swanson for City Council. I am a registered Democrat and a longtime editor of this wiki. I believe Rochelle is the best candidate in the race. I am posting with my real name, and invite anyone who has a actual criticism of Rochelle's ideas, and who values the wiki, to do the same. —WillArnold

"for her own" isn't referring to her family at all - it comes right after mentioning she's been both main political parties. It's referring to the word 'vote', as in "I would never vote for a woman who is so irresponsible with her own [vote]."

For the record, and speaking as one who has endorsed Rochelle: it is true that she had a Palin link on her Linked-In page (not Facebook). I saw it, as did another person who posts at the Davis Vanguard. It was removed shortly after she announced. I personally consider it irrelevant to her candidacy for Davis City Council, but other might disagree. —DonShor

Don - I found the post you referenced on the Vanguard. The Linked-In link was for McCain 2008, not Palin 2012.

From the Vanguard:
Greg Kuperberg
03/02/10 - 03:44 PM
...
Now here is something new for Davis politics. Rochelle Harry Swanson. On her LinkedIn page, she supports McCain-Palin.

Davis Enophile
03/02/10 - 05:03 PM
...
Greg Kuperberg: I think you mean supported McCain-Palin, or is she like those people I see driving around with expired campaign bumper stickers worn like badges of honor. Thank goodness people discard the lawn signs after an election. Alas, it takes a whole lot more courage to paste your bumper sticker to your car compared to taping it to the rear window.

Full Vanguard Article

—WillArnold

2010-05-25 09:14:18 Excellent, thanks Will. —DonShor

2010-05-25 19:38:42 WHO CARES IF SHE SUPPORTED MCCAIN/PALIN? What is she going to do if elected to CC, outlaw abortion? bomb Iran? Give me a break!

Bill Ritter is a big "LIBERAL DEMOCRAT" and has an Obama sticker on his car, but he was hired by Palin Development to run the campaign for Wildhorse Ranch (Measure P); I would rather vote for a Republican who opposes local peripheral development over a Democrat who works for developers ANY DAY!!!! —GregSokolov
I'm reasonably sure you meant Parlin Development.... —DonShor