Chamber of Commerce Candidate Event
Editorial staff

The South County Chambers of Commerce hosted a council candidate forum on Tuesday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Saddleback Room at City Hall. The format was a mock council meeting with theoretical motions on the floor. Candidates first indicated how they would vote and then spent one minute each elaborating on their decision. Several of the votes were unanimous, but the process gave audience members a glimpse of each candidate.

Approximately 60 people attended – two-thirds of them dedicated followers of one candidate or another. The event wasn’t well publicized, which likely accounted for the low turnout.

Opening and closing remarks by each candidate were more revealing than the votes. For example, incumbent Lance MacLean wanted to talk about how the campaigns of others were annoying him. He complained about a promo piece featuring Diane Greenwood, Bill Barker and Justin McCusker – a mailer likely funded by a lobbyist from Orange. MacLean indicated the brochure was paid for by out-of-town interests “with a Sacramento connection.”

There were no clear winners during the event, although those making negative remarks about other candidates gained no points. Two candidates – Neil Lonsinger and Bill Barker – recited their r‚sum‚s at every opportunity, as if trying to relive the past instead of talking about city issues.

Following the meeting, supporters gravitated to the candidate they favored going into the event. The lobbyist-funded brochure mentioned by MacLean was a topic of discussion. One person said, “The picture on the cover looks like a tombstone with the city seal on it – how appropriate. We can kiss our assets goobye.”

Another topic of conversation was candidate Justin McCusker, whose arrogance seems to rub almost everyone the wrong way. One audience member seeing him for the first time gave him a nickname, “Spike is either infatuated with himself or he’s delusional. I liked the candidates who talked about the city instead of talking about themselves.”