ANTHONY SKOTNICKI INTERVIEW
Narrator: Anthony Skotnicki
Interviewers: Unknown 1, Unknown 2 (Carlsbad Journal staff)
Interview date: circa January 1976
Transcriber: Nicole Conti
Location: Unknown

UNKNOWN 1: I guess we’ll get going. What—you mentioned platform, what do you think is the
major issue? What are you basing your platform on—key issues?
SKOTNICKI: I’m going to retain the issues that I had in the past two elections. Managing the
city growth, the revitalization of the Village of Carlsbad, and the third one, the—
what I call now and use, a new term, that I just recently seen, “short democracy.”
That is the responsiveness of elected officials to the people after an election
rather than just before the election. Those three issues were established—the
foundation of my previous campaigns, and I think they’re still relevant today.
And that’s where I intend to allay most of my interest on.
UNKNOWN 1: Okay, let’s start with number one then, management of growth.
SKOTNICKI: Right.
UNKNOWN 1: What—what is your philosophy on that?
SKOTNICKI: Well, let me say that—I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, that growth is
inevitable. Let’s face that. We can’t stop it. We can’t legislate against it. But we
can plan it. And by planning it, I mean that the people can decide what kind of
city they want and then they will arrange a plan of growth that’s reasonable,
orderly and in an attractive manner, rather than a disorderly, unrestricted,
unattractive manner. And I think that the courts in the recent past have supported
this concept. The people can decide what kind of city they want, and they can

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SKOTNICKI: restrict uncontrolled growth. Now, as to the exact techniques and plans we decide
on or determine, you can’t just adopt a plan that’s been used before and make it
fit Carlsbad. It may fit Ramapo, New York, it may fit Petaluma, but it may not
necessarily fit here. I’m concerned about first, conserving the largest number of
acres, of prime agricultural and horticultural land. This is why I have been
insisting that those and that particular conservation be included in our General
Plan books. And then I think that we should be careful of allowing the leap frog
growth, so that it expands in a fashion that would strain our resources, increase
our taxes. And so, an example of this is my continual negative vote to largescale
development in the southern extremities of the—of our sphere of influence that
took you along the Batiquitos Lagoon.
UNKNOWN 1: This is not including La Costa, right?
SKOTNICKI: Not including La Costa. La Costa is—is the fact that we accepted when we
incorporated in 1972. But I’m talking about developments that were all land, east
and west of I-5 down south. At this time—simply because as we develop the
extremities, stretches our resources, and our police protection, fire protection. All
the other facilities. While that area is going to grow eventually, I think it ought to
grow—and not on the basis of—but the marketplace that have developed [an
interest desire?], but on what we think is the proper way for it to grow—proper
time. So, what I’m saying is that we should try to plan our growth as to where it
occurs, when it occurs and the climate that we’re in. This in the general sense is
my philosophy as far as growth is concerned. I can discuss that subject at—well,
a long length if we want to get involved in that [laughs], and I’m sure we don’t
have that much time.
UNKNOWN 1: I—I looked down at the clock here, I—. [laughs] Okay, your second point, in
responsiveness of elected officials to the public.
SKOTNICKI: That was my third one, but I can discuss it.

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UNKNOWN 1: I’m sorry. Okay, I’m sorry.
SKOTNICKI: The second one was the revitalization of the Village of Carlsbad.
UNKNOWN 1: Okay, I’m sorry.
SKOTNICKI: And that term, “Carlsbad Village,” or “Village of Carlsbad”—I think that’s
something that the Chamber of Commerce coined and I like it because of what it
connotes—or denotes. While there’s been a considerable amount of talk, we still
haven’t made a great deal of progress toward improvement of the downtown
area. We’ve got at least a step, however, in the right direction. I think that we
need to ensure that mission isn’t aborted or delayed. The—I guess I can reiterate
what I said in a speech during the course of my mayoral campaign, where I first
broached the idea of a rejuvenation of the downtown area. The principal direction
of our revitalization there should go to attracting people to it—that’s what they
need before they’ll make it a viable—viable area. We probably need first,
parking, and secondly, pedestrian walkways. Our plan for the downtown area
should include the small artsy-craftsy type shop with sufficient other kinds of
outlets that the permanent downtown residents need to maintain their essential
everyday needs.
Now, we need not—and I feel strongly—that we need not use a great deal of the
taxpayer’s money to do this. Although I think that we should use whatever funds
we need to assist the rejuvenation of that area. ‘Cause I’m afraid that probably,
you know, time passed, we’ve spent a lot of money elsewhere and little or none
downtown. And it’s a good example of that of course is that drainage problem we
have downtown. However, I think it’s essential that, insofar as possible, that
downtown merchants and business centers continue their share, not only of their
ideas and their time but their money as well, because they will be the ones that
will benefit directly. The general public will of course benefit indirectly from
increased taxation. The Redevelopment Agency may be our prime tool for
implementing any plan there, but I think it should be backed up by the various
other tools we have available—parking abilities, improvement districts. There are

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SKOTNICKI: a number of books on the laws that can be used to assist us in doing what needs
to be done downtown. [pause] Now my third issue—
UNKNOWN 1: Right—responsiveness.
SKOTNICKI: Responsiveness of local government. I think the trend has been pretty well
established that the people are no longer satisfied with the—with being consulted
just before—before [laughs] an election. I think—and that’s what they call “long
democracy.” Talk to the people election time, after that the elected officials know
all and see all and do all. I believe that—that people should have, and I think that
they are, people are turning in that direction that they need and demand a voice in
the immediate day to day problems—significant problems. I certainly don’t
advocate that we must seek voter approval for every single issue that comes
before the Council. No such thing. I’m talking about the important issues. Issues
like the building of a refinery, the development of thousands of acres all at one—
thousands of acres all at one particular time. I’m talking about the
implementation of the General Plan.
Now, we have had a significant citizen participation in the development of the
General Plan, and I think that’s great. Now, we’ve got to make certain that
people have a hand in the specific implementation of the various elements of that
plan. That’s where I think that the real citizen input is needed. This is of course
what I’m going to insist on. And this is—of course this very—this short
democracy is why I feel strongly about things like the refinery poll. Why I kept
insisting that the Council allow the citizens to have a say and the candidates for
important—point of positions on boards and commissions. Those three issues,
and my recent experience in the Council of course, and recent events, will allow
me to provide new dimensions to these older issues I have raised before. And I
intend to do that. I—we’ve made progress in all three areas, I think, in the past
couple of years. And I intend to report on that progress as well during the course
of the campaign and the part I played in it.
UNKNOWN 1: There has been some mention the fact that you, right now, are the only council
member who had—whose job takes you out of town. That your accessibility to the
public during the daytime—just because of your occupation, your job down in

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UNKNOWN 1: San Diego—limited that. Have you found this to be a problem or this just
criticism that you don’t feel is—valid?
SKOTNICKI: Certainly, it places an additional strain on me to make myself available at some
other odd times. And it’s one of the reasons why I switched jobs recently, so that
I wouldn’t be saddled with an 8 to 5 job. My present job allows me—as a
salesman—provides me a great deal more flexibility in my time. And if that
doesn’t suffice, then I’ll have to think—make some other arrangements, new
decisions. But certainly I—I will agree that the job of a councilman is becoming
more and more complex. It takes up more and more time. A recent survey by
the—League of Nation Cities indicated that mayors were spending anywhere up
to 50 hours a week and councilmen up to 40 hours a week in supposedly what
amounts to a spare time job. In the recent past, I’ve had to take time off from my
job. In fact, I had to take three days off—without pay—to attend a seminar on
one of the major functions of city government. And that kind of expense you eat
yourself, you don’t charge that to the city obviously. But it’s an essential part of a
councilman’s education. You just can’t get away from it.
UNKNOWN 2: What are your feelings on the refinery issue?
SKOTNICKI: Well, I’m sure you’ve noted that I haven’t made the refinery one of my basic
issues—one of my basic planks of my platform. But, I’m sure that the people of
Carlsbad are not going to let the refinery issue sink quietly into oblivion during
the coming election campaign. And I’ll be prepared to respond to whatever the
voters demand during the course of the campaign. My opposition to the refinery
is pretty well established, and I see no reason to change that position unless the
voters find it in their hearts to support that kind of industry in Carlsbad. At that
point, I’ll rethink my position.
UNKNOWN 1: In other words, then, your position on the refinery isn’t so grounded that if the
majority of the population determine that a refinery should be or could be built in
Carlsbad then you would change your mind?

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SKOTNICKI: Absolutely. And this is what I have been saying for some time. That while I
personally oppose the refinery—not for personal reason, but personally opposed
it—that that personal opposition had only a slight bearing on my official position.
And that will be determined to a large measure—not entirely, but to a large
measure—by the amount of public support, or non-support, for the refinery.
UNKNOWN 1: Okay, what do we tell the voter then on March 2nd? They want to let’s—they want
to vote for a candidate who might either be for or against the refinery. Now you
say you personally—you personally oppose it though, but you would vote for it.
What does this tell the voter? That you might vote for it although you’re opposing
it now? Or is your sentiment firm on it?
SKOTNICKI: Well, at this—it tells the voter this, that if they elect me, they’re getting a vote in
opposition of the refinery. If they don’t want that, then they just obviously would
not vote me into office. That’s an indicator. This is exactly why I’ve been trying
to get a poll on the refinery. And, of course that’s been denied. August or
September last year when I proposed it, and more recently. However, I know that
Community Cause has acquired some 4,000 signatures on a petition opposing the
refinery. Therefore, I feel my personal opposition and the opposition of the
majority of the voters, are the same. You see?
UNKNOWN 1: Have you remained active in Community Cause?
SKOTNICKI: I attend their meetings occasionally, but I haven’t taken an active part in their
activities.
UNKNOWN 1: We’d like to—now we’re getting toward the halfway mark, we’d like to just
mention some other issues that have come up before the City Council recently
and probably will come up in the next four years, that we could get some brief
responses from you. We’ve got—we’ve done this the same way with the others as
well. I’ll go ahead and kick it off with charter city.
SKOTNICKI: As you know, I support it. Glenn McComas in his efforts to get the charter city
form of government thoroughly studied and a decision made as to whether we

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SKOTNICKI: desire a charter city form of government or not. My efforts in that regard have
not been successful entirely—or my support of Mr. McComas not entirely
successful. He and I weren’t able to achieve more than just a promise to study it
further. And at the moment the Council is waiting for the League of Women
Voters to present their findings. And while I’m not entirely convinced that the
charter city form of government is the way we should go now, I feel that it’s
important enough for the city that it—the matter be thoroughly investigated and
the citizens given an opportunity in some way to indicate whether they support
that form of government. And hopefully the study by the League of Women
Voters will give us a—enough facts to be able to present [it to the voters?].
UNKNOWN 1: Batiquitos Lagoon?
SKOTNICKI: I of course indicated my support in writing to the Chamber of Commerce to make
the Batiquitos Lagoon a regional park. And I would hope that some efforts—that
the efforts along those lines will continue. I’ll support that kind of effort,
however as you know, the core of engineers will have some significant amount of
influence as to whether that body of water can be disturbed in any way so as to
disturb the ecological balance there. So, perhaps a regional park may not be
within the cards, but I certainly would like that thoroughly investigated. I would
certainly not support any sort of Disney-like type of amusement park imposed on
any of the surrounding area around Batiquitos Lagoon. I would prefer that we
turned it into some form of passive recreation. And if we do find a way of
economically [draining?] that lagoon, perhaps a body of water for sailing
purposes, but no motor boats, no skiing, things of this nature.
UNKNOWN 2: How do you feel about improving or creating more park facilities in the city area
itself?
SKOTNICKI: I think that we’ve got a fairly definitive idea of the park space we need now and
in the future. Our Parks & Rec—our Recreation element—Parks & Recreation
element in the General Plan, I believe. And the plans that the recreation director
has to back up the General Plan I think lays out a really definitive plan based on
population and where the parks should be throughout the city. And I of course

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SKOTNICKI: supported that element of the General Plan wholeheartedly. And I think that if as
the city grows, if we implement that plan, that we should have adequate park
space. At the moment, I believe that based on the formula that’s being used by
the county, we may still be a bit short. However, our parks budget I think is a
significant one. In excess—for 1975-1976, the parks budget is in excess of a
quarter of a million dollars. That doesn’t count the recreation part of it which is
in excess of $100,000, not counting the $100,000 we’re putting away for the
swimming pool. So, I think we’re devoting a significant portion of our budget to
that—that need. Holiday Park, Cannon Park, and now that we’re starting to
develop the Laguna Riviera Park, I think are adequate for our present population
and distribution.
UNKNOWN 1: Along the same lines, a swimming pool.
SKOTNICKI: There—I, of course supported the swimming pool in the past, and I still do. And I
hope that we can get something—some definite progress on that soon. As you
know, we’ve been plagued by difficulties in obtaining a suitable site. And I—
while I have reluctantly gone along with the Chestnut and Monroe site, I would
have preferred the site at Magnolia and Valley. I just didn’t want to put the public
swimming pool right across the streets from the church for the one thing. But it
does have the advantage of course of being near the high school, and therefore a
good bit of use would be almost automatic. So, while I support the idea of getting
it as much use as possible, I think perhaps there’s also the need to make certain
that community—that pool is in fact viewed as a community pool. But I hope
that they can resolve the matter of the site very soon.
UNKNOWN 1: Plaza Camino Real has been an item of late, the expansion of which you have
opposed or voted against, different aspects of it. Could you briefly say why, is
it—is it being because you oppose the expansion itself? Is it the environmental
reasons? Is it the whole project?
SKOTNICKI: Let me see if I can give you my views in the shortest possible [interviewer
laughs] number of words. First, I think—and I’ve always thought—that if Sears
and the Broadway stores desired an ideal location, the readymade location was at

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SKOTNICKI: the El Camino Real Plaza. It’s there. Therefore, I think that would be the place to
put it from an economic standpoint. Consequently, I didn’t feel that it was
necessary for us to offer them the inducement of what amounts to a million and a
half dollars in taxes—tax money. Money that will come to us and we will return
it to them in the form of a parking lot. I recognize any kind of growth such as
that, is growth and boosting any way you slice it. That kind of significant growth
will have a harmful impact on our air pollution, there’s no doubt of it. If you
visited the Camino Real Plaza during Christmastime you know what I’m talking
about. Consequently, if we are to trade off the environmental damages for
[unclear] development, we should get all the possible advantages for the—for
other aspects of life, in this case the economic. Therefore, I think that if that’s
a—if that’s the way we wanted to go, then we should have gotten the maximum
possible return for the citizens of Carlsbad. And that meant that the Sears and
Broadway would put in their own parking lot. Okay? That’s the basis of it.
Because I’m convinced that the lot will have not only a detrimental effect on the
air pollution here, but I think it may well have a deteriorating effect when they’re
gone. It’s difficult for me to believe that you can avoid that damage. I think it’s
unfair for the smaller businesses that come to town, because what we’re saying in
this instance is that if you’re big and you produce a lot of sales tax, we’ll offer
you some financial inducements. If you’re small, too bad, put in your own
parking lot.
UNKNOWN 1: Doesn’t redevelopment though of the downtown—might that include though, city
aiding in parking districts, things like this, where smaller businesses are in
Carlsbad except for a couple or three notable exceptions, your smaller business
are down in the Village. Wouldn’t redevelopment allow that and therefore tend to
be an equalizer to plaza—city participation in the plaza parking lot? Or do you
think that’s enough of an equalizer?
SKOTNICKI: Equalizer in what way?
UNKNOWN 1: Well, the fact that the city participates let’s say in a parking district or two down
in the Village—a city might put it in. I’ve covered other cities where that’s been
the case. You’re saying that if you’re a big business you get come-ons by the city,

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UNKNOWN 1: if you’re a small business you don’t. Well, now under redevelopment isn’t that
possible and therefore wouldn’t that tend to be an equalizer between big and
small?
SKOTNICKI: Well in this case of course, now if we did redevelop the downtown and use a
significant amount of tax funds—might tend to equalize the big and the small.
Possibly. We don’t know how we’re going to do it in the downtown area. Let’s
say—hopefully we don’t need to use a great deal of tax money. But it might tend
to equalize as you say. Now I might add, that since you compare the downtown
with Camino Real Plaza, that I’m not at all convinced that the plaza won’t take
away—and the expanded plaza will even take away more of the possible revenue
for the downtown area. I don’t think it’s gonna help the downtown area at all.
And the downtown area is something that’s here. Something that I think has a
historical and a beneficial possible—potential beneficial effect for the people in
Carlsbad. Carlsbad—
[END OF CASSETTE TAPE 1, SIDE 1]
SKOTNICKI: People of the entire region actually use the plaza whereas the downtown area, I
think it’s part of the history of Carlsbad and slightly different meaning, for me
anyway.
UNKNOWN 2: Perhaps we can sort of look ahead to the next four years, which is how long the
council term is for, and that puts us at 1980. Sort of scary I think, but wonder
what kind of place do you envision Carlsbad as being in 1980? What kind of
place would you like it to see, what kind of problems might be or—?
SKOTNICKI: In another five years?
UNKNOWN 1: No, four years. The duration of the next term of office.
SKOTNICKI: Four years. Yeah, four years. It’s difficult to predict because I think that the
availability of energy is going to have a lot to do with the direction and the speed
of growth, I think. Barring any unforeseen economic recessions, I think that not

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SKOTNICKI: only will the population [unclear] that’s obvious, but I think that we’ll have fairly
well built up the southern part of Carlsbad around the Batiquitos. As you know,
there have been developments that have already been approved in that area. La
Costa I think will be fully developed by that time. To the full 6,000 acres, I
believe. The Camino of course, will have been expanded by then. Our budget
will probably be twice as large.
UNKNOWN 1: What from do you envision? Anything specifically?
SKOTNICKI: A great deal of it of course probably due to inflation. With more people, more
services required. Hopefully we’ll be in as good a financial condition as we are
now. And we are, I think, financially well off at the moment. I don’t see that the
downtown area and its improvement would have been completed by then, but I
hope that it would be essentially done, mostly done. I’m sure that the expansion
of [Encina Tree?] will have been completed by then. At least the first phase or
two.
Of course, how much of our prime agricultural land will remain in 1980? It will
depend on where we stand on the outcome of coastal planning, no doubt about it.
If the Coastal Plan is in its essential features, unless it is approved, I think that in
five years, most of the open space along the coast will be gone—developed into
some kind of residential or commercial use. I think will be gone in five years. At
least along the coast line.
UNKNOWN 1: Do you support the Coastal Plan?
SKOTNICKI: I do.
UNKNOWN 2: Do you support the Coastal Commission and the work it’s done for San Diego
coastal [unclear]?
SKOTNICKI: In general, I will say that the regent commission has done as much as could be
expected. I support a state coastal commission, now and in the future. I hope—
and that—there will be no need for a regional commission and that the local

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SKOTNICKI: government guided by a stringent, demanding Coastal Plan, can be held
accountable for its own development.
UNKNOWN 1: One final question here—get down to a personal basis. Why is Anthony Skotnicki
running for re-election?
SKOTNICKI: I’m running for re-election because I want to complete the tasks for which I was
elected for in 1974. And I think I’ve probably emphasized [unclear] that’s
sufficient to know that that I consider that to be my major task. And while we
have not yet embarked on a new sort of a group management plan here, I at least
think I have brought the need for such management to the attention of my
colleagues in the Council and to the people of the city. While there has been
some progress made, I think there’s a lot of work that I still can do and I hope
that I’ll be allowed to do it. I could add too that while the job has had certainly
many frustrations, I’ve also enjoyed doing something constructive. I think that’s
important for me at my age, and I would like to be able to devote a good bit of
my time to what I consider to be civic responsibilities. I’m learning also, because
I think the Council must have—must have the ordinary people represented,
someone who doesn’t have any direct economic interest and so many of the
issues, so many of the problems that come before the Council—I’m not a large
land owner here. I’m not a contractor. I don’t have any significant stock in any
local bank, savings and loan institution. I think I can be a great deal more
objective. And I think that every city council needs to be representative of the
citizenry as a whole, rather than of one particular element of our society. The
economic, farm, or what have you. That’s why I wanna be re-elected.
UNKNOWN 1: Okay, that’s a good stopping point.
END OF INTERVIEW