Follow the Money
Staff editorial

Last week’s expos‚ about Orange County’s lobbyists prompted readers to ask for more information.

One blog reader responded, “I didn’t know about this. The blog needs to explain the connection between county lobbyists and Mission Viejo city politics.”

Voters remember the city election of 2002 when Sherri Butterfield and Susan Withrow lost their reelection bids by a wide margin. One of the players was John Lewis, a lobbyist from Orange, who wanted his longtime buddy Frank Ury to replace one of the gals. As a surprise to almost everyone, Ury abruptly moved to Northern California during the summer, and he didn’t return to Mission Viejo until after the November 2002 election. When Ury left town, an activist in the Sierra neighborhood recruited Trish Kelley.

Lewis lined up donors in 2002, mostly from San Diego County, who paid for attack mailers against Butterfield and Withrow. Lewis also paid for mailers supporting Trish Kelley, John Paul Ledesma and Lance MacLean. While Lewis’ mailers had little impact in the landslide victory for Kelley, Ledesma and MacLean, he took credit countywide, claiming his political genius caused the upset victory. Residents might not remember Lewis, but his mailers came from “Friends of Mission Viejo.” The donors were actually Friends of John Lewis.

After the election, Kelley, Ledesma and MacLean appeared to ignore Lewis’ requests for special favors. When Lewis’ favorite ambulance company failed to get the city contract, he sat in the audience – his face beet-red – and glared at council members who voted against his client.

In the 2004 city campaign, Lewis was back and so was Frank Ury. Lewis again lined up donors, and Ury ran on a phony promise he would “get all the power lines buried” in Mission Viejo. Voters received another deluge of mailers funded by out-of-town donors, “Friends of Mission Viejo.” Ury won a spot on the council, but he was Lewis’ lone vote. Ury gradually became unpopular or untrustworthy among the other four council members, and no one would second his motions.

In the election this November, Lewis is backing Justin McCusker, a Mission Viejo resident of three years who is virtually unknown in the city. Lewis is also helping Diane Greenwood, as he needs three votes on the council to enrich his clients. Lewis’ agenda includes much more than an ambulance contract. He also represents an independent power provider and, thus, Greenwood has played a role in trashing Southern California Edison. Lewis’ vision is to “make Mission Viejo the next Irvine” – a sprawling city that takes in the development of the ranch as well as fledgling communities of Ladera Ranch and Las Flores.

Lewis is among three powerful lobbyists in Orange County who have gained an astounding level of control in the Orange County Republican Party. As an example, Lewis’ pup Justin McCusker got the unanimous vote of the county party’s endorsing committee. With 10 Republicans running for Mission Viejo City Council, most residents would likely place McCusker at or near the bottom – if they even knew him. The other two lobbyists at the county level are Scott Baugh (chairman of the Orange County Republican Party) and Curt Pringle (Anaheim mayor). As another example of the lobbyist influence in Mission Viejo, Pringle sat in the council chambers in support of his public relations client, UDR/Pacific, while the council voted 4-1 (Reavis dissenting) to pass his client’s high-density housing/affordable housing project on east Los Alisos (former Kmart site). The project had no benefit to the community, no community support, and a group of residents worked against it, gathering approximately 3,000 signatures on a petition to stop it.

While the 2002 rejection of Butterfield and Withrow may have brought voters the satisfaction of dumping the old queens, their replacements – Kelley and MacLean – are just as bad. Voters must rally again it they want to preserve their city, including its Master Plan, as both the incumbents and the lobbyists are set to change it dramatically. While Kelley and MacLean have misrepresented the residents on nearly every major issue, it could get worse. The lobbyist’s choice – Diane Greenwood and Justin McCusker – are likely to benefit from out-of-town money. Without the lobbyist’s influence, Greenwood lacks support, and McCusker isn’t in the ball game.

Voters should be on high alert for another mailing from John Lewis. While “Friends of Mission Viejo” may not be the name this year, the hit pieces in 2002 and 2004 were signed by the same resident, who is now campaigning for Diane Greenwood.