Follow the Money – Again
Staff editorial

A mailer hitting Mission Viejo mailboxes on Oct. 10 appears to be the work of a lobbyist from Orange. The brochure promoting council candidates Diane Greenwood, Bill Barker and Justin McCusker has a San Juan Capistrano return address. The mailer was apparently paid for by South County Leadership PAC (political action committee), not the candidates.

Residents who meet Greenwood, Barker or McCusker in person should ask who paid for their brochure. One resident did just that, confronting Barker. According to the resident, Barker gave a false impression by saying, essentially, that the three candidates had to do a joint mailer because they couldn’t afford to pay separately for individual mailers. Thus far, Barker has admitting to receiving $10,000 from “a businessman” in Santa Ana, and he appears to be misleading residents about who is funding his other campaign activities, including the Oct. 10 mailer.

Aside from the problem of Barker’s implication he chipped in for the mailer, the real financier should take offense for not getting credit. The financier is likely the same lobbyist from Orange – John Lewis – who arranged financing for such mailers in the 2002 and 2004 Mission Viejo council campaigns.

As a further indication of the financial tangle, campaign finance reports indicate Lewis’ buddy, Councilman Frank Ury, recently donated from his “campaign treasury” approximately $1,500 each to Greenwood, Barker and McCusker’s campaigns. Did the money come from John Lewis’ business connections in San Diego County? A steady stream of cash has been flowing from San Diego County into Mission Viejo council campaigns since 2002.

Why would John Lewis raise money to get “his” candidates elected? This year’s election isn’t about new ideas from his candidates. It’s about a takeover by the county lobbyist power club. As the Orange County Register reported, including a quote by retired Assemblyman Gil Ferguson, the lobbyists intend to enrich themselves. Some loyal Republicans in Mission Viejo might be duped into voting for the “Grand Old Party” candidates funded by the county lobbyists. For example, Justin McCusker (a resident of three years who seems not to know anyone in Mission Viejo) has a long list of endorsements, including state assembly members.

A political consultant who resides in Laguna Hills also commented recently about the takeover of the Republican Central Committee of Orange County. He said, “The lobbyists are few in number, but they have control of the county party. Beyond the three main players – John Lewis, Scott Baugh and Curt Pringle – there are only a dozen people who are in their camp. The rest of the Central Committee members dutifully attend meetings while the money men decide who will be elected and which businesses will benefit. The lobbyists buy influence and intimidate others to go along. The only way to overcome it is for voters to elect real leaders to the Central Committee who won’t cave in to the lobbyists.”

Mission Viejo has become vulnerable because its city council is dysfunctional and incompetent. As a consequence, other cities – and lobbyists – have the opportunity to take advantage. After years of having shallow council members who focus on personality conflicts and social engineering, Mission Viejo residents shouldn’t be surprised they’re in danger of losing even the pretense of representation.

In 2002, voters arose to dump Sherri Butterfield and Susan Withrow as unbearable buffoons who only wanted to spend money and name city facilities after themselves. The lobbyist who now wants to grab the city’s cash by putting his puppets into office makes the old girls look pretty good.