Almost a month ago, I talked to James Bond about the Encinitas City Council race.
For several months, the four-term councilman had been humming bars from his swan song.
I called Bond not as a possible candidate – he wasn't in the mix, he assured me – but as a sage observer.
As we handicapped what promised to be a spirited race – two polar-opposite incumbents (Jerome Stocks and Maggie Houlihan) and a fertile field of challengers competing for three seats – Bond explained why it was the right time for him to retire.
After too many years in office, Bond said, politicians develop a grandiose self-view. “We think we know more than we do,” he said, knowingly.
After 16 years on the Encinitas council, Bond had no desire to fall prey to that sort of narcissism.
By most accounts, Bond is well-regarded in Encinitas. Unlike Stocks and Houlihan, he's skilled at sanding the edge off sharp policy debates. Critics can disagree with Bond's generally conservative, pro-business positions without disliking him on a personal level.
I confess, I found his analysis moving. None of the usual factors – fatigue, illness, family demands, disillusion, ambition for higher office – prompted Bond to bail.
No, he was calling it quits because he wanted to be a better man.
As it turned out, I bought into a bunch of junk bonds.
Bond announced this week that he's running for re-election, sending shivers through Encinitas' political junkies.
In his defense, Bond, a retired telephone executive, was quick to point out that he'd hedged, never saying never.
As I listened to his squirmy explanation, it was clear what was motivating him to hold on to his seat.
Water.
For many years, Bond has served as the San Dieguito Water District representative on the County Water Authority. He's currently the CWA's man at the Metropolitan Water District, Southern California's main water supplier. In short, he's a big water wheel.
As the filing deadline approached, Bond realized that the plush water gig likely would be stripped from him if he wasn't on the council.
Water politics, you should know, is a world unto itself. You can count on a steady stream of meetings with lush per diems and free trips to interesting destinations.
Bond argues that his superior, if not omniscient, knowledge of water issues, based on years of experience, will keep “things from going south.”
You remember that mental affliction – the Grandiose Pol Syndrome – that Bond was talking about?
It sounds as if he's got a case of it.
The question for Encinitas is whether this about-face mars the Bond brand.
At least three candidates – Stocks, Doug Long and Judge Tony Brandenburg – have reason to feel betrayed by Bond. In a zero-sum game, his pro-business votes are their votes, they figure.
“They're disappointed, to say the least,” Bond said.
Houlihan, the progressive incumbent, is a virtual lock for her seat. If Bond nails his down, then Stocks, Long and Brandenburg will be splitting votes for the third seat. Houlihan's apparent ally, Rachelle Collier, a Leucadia activist, could then finish third, changing the current balance of power on the council.
The richest irony for Bond would be that he wins his seat back – and then Houlihan replaces him on the water boards.
“That's a real fine observation,” Bond conceded.
In past elections, Bond has resisted formally running on the clever “Stocks and Bond” slate, preferring to make his own case.
This time around, Bond's best play may be to ensure that Stocks gets re-elected.
Otherwise, 007 may be left high and dry.
Logan Jenkins: (760) 737-7555; logan.jenkins@uniontrib.com.
