by Milt Jacobson

Eighty-three percent of Mission Viejo voters established term limits of three consecutive terms for council members. Although the measure could not be made retroactive, wouldn't you think a reasonable person would understand voters' intent? - No More Than Three Consecutive Terms! Well, Bill Craycraft is seeking a fourth term, once again disregarding the broad voice of the voters.

I say "once again" because recently Mr. Craycraft was found guilty by an Orange County Superior Judge of also disregarding the public trust by violating several provisions of the Open Meeting Law, a law designed to protect the public against government activity hidden from public view. And in a further insult to voters' wishes, the troika of Council Members Craycraft, Butterfield and Withrow is taking aim at appealing the judge's guilty ruling.

But this time there is a new tailgunner, Council Member Faubel, who voted with his comrades to file a letter of intent with the court to appeal the case. Why, in closed session, did Faubel abandon his previous press statement that a costly appeal seemed inappropriate? Could it be because Mr. Faubel is the co-owner and a beneficiary of a business contract exceeding half a million dollars with ETRPA, the group chaired by Susan Withrow? Does a half million dollar deal create an unhealthy alliance between Faubel & Withrow, and thereby also with her cronies, Butterfield and Craycraft?

In their bombing of voters' wishes, these four council members join in their "lost man formation", attempting to invoke the memory of the late Tom Potocki as a martyr to defray criticism. And Mayor Butterfield gags the freedom of speech from anyone disagreeing, as she did at the last council meeting.

Constructive political history requires honest disagreement about deceased officials, whether it is presidents like Nixon and Kennedy, or about local government officials. And after Mr. Craycraft tried to evoke sympathy at a public council meeting by dedicating his re-election campaign to Mr. Potocki, it remains the public right of others to state their opinions.

The Mayor may remember Mr. Potocki as a saintly follower of her agenda while many residents may remember him as an anti-voter puppet for her unwise policies. But the Mayor has no authority to ban anyone's First Amendment freedom to criticize either him or Mr. Craycraft's actions or statements regarding him.

Isn't it time for the Tzarina of Mission Viejo to resign?