The Buzz column, Feb. 2

Mission Viejo residents watching recent council meetings have noticed a change at the beginning of the open session. Gone are former Mayor Lance MacClown’s happy hour performances. One observer said, “After a few months, they ran out of voluntary participants. The same performers were returning to sing 10 and 20 verses of the national anthem.” The Buzz suggests as the entertainment feature council members bringing “Deal, No Deal” attach‚ cases of campaign cash to open at the beginning of the meetings.

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The council’s televised January 29 budget workshop showed a lot of empty seats in council chambers. When blog staffers asked various activists about the disinterest in attending, the primary response was laughter. Councilman Frank Ury made a statement following the meeting, saying the November 2006 election indicated voters want these five council members to work together. The Buzz disagrees. Election results posted by the Registrar of Voters clearly show voters tried to remove the three incumbents, with the majority of votes being split among challengers. However, several newcomers couldn’t get traction, and three widely known challengers were rejected by voters.

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Did a council member actually suggest a team-building workshop at the budget meeting on Jan. 29? After trashing each other and refusing to work together, council members should come up with another way to burn the city’s money. Here’s a concept for them: team is not spelled “I-I-I.”

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Residents continue to ask how the approved addition to the community center could have reached such an astronomical cost during its unending design phase. As one of the laughable topics during the Jan. 29 meeting, the proposed design of the addition has a different color roof than the original building. Councilwoman Trish Kelley emphasized repeatedly that she wants credit for noticing. Residents should be amused that the council geniuses agreed the current building should be re-roofed to match the new color instead of matching the new to the existing roof.

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As disappointing news, former Assistant Sheriff George Jaramillo won’t get to spill the beans about Mike Carona and other political officials in a long, drawn-out trial. Even Register columnist Frank Mickadeit lamented the missed opportunity for a countywide circus performance after Jaramillo plea bargained to avoid a possible prison sentence.

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How will Frank Ury’s parting of ways with his corporate employer affect his council obligations? Ury is now a “consultant.” Who are his clients, and will he recuse himself from voting when he has a conflict of interest?

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Disclosed in campaign finance (Form 460) reports on file at City Hall, council challenger Neil Lonsinger didn’t give cumulative numbers, but he appears to have spent more than $50,000 of his own cash, including payment of $5,000 for political advice during his failed 2006 council campaign. By contrast, Justin McCusker relied almost entirely on money from out of town. Residents who think any member of the council is above selling votes should take a look at the list of donors.