The Buzz column, April 20

Mission Viejo residents have remarked over the years about the wisdom and foresight of the Mission Viejo Company in developing the city's master plan. Resulting problems have grown primarily from deviations pushed by shortsighted council members and city staffers who either lack an understanding of the plan or the will to preserve it. Deviations result in declining neighborhoods, slow-moving traffic, slope failures, increased crime rates near apartment projects and a dwindling sales tax base when business parks are rezoned to future high-density slums.

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Short version of a wake-up call forwarded by blog manager Kathy Miramontes: “Dear God, Why didn’t you save the schoolchildren at Virginia Tech (VA 04/16/07), Columbine High School (CO 4/20/99), Amish Country (PA 10/2/06), Moses Lake (WA 2/2/96), Bethel (AK 2/19/97), Pearl (MS 10/1/97), West Paducah (KY 12/1/97), Stamp (AR 12/15/97), Santee (CA 3/22/01), El Cajon (CA 3/22/01) and so on? Sincerely, Concerned Student.” Reply: “Dear Concerned Student, I am not allowed in schools. Sincerely, God.”

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An email exchange receiving wide distribution began when a resident responded favorably to City Hall following the April 16 3-2 council decision disallowing a home addition that could have turned a small, two-bedroom home into a six-bedroom boardinghouse. Councilman Frank Ury, who supported the potential business venture in a quiet neighborhood, fired back a condescending email at both the email originator and another resident (a Ury fan club member) who had chimed in. Ury defended his own views, using an unrelated anecdote of how a family might need more space. The overruled house addition would have created motel-like units and an office for conducting business, no yard and potential landslide liabilities from destabilizing a slope.

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Have Ury’s groupies finally awakened? The Buzz asked a City Hall insider how Ury will fare if he runs for reelection in 2008 after spitting in the face of those who carried him around during his 2004 campaign. The insider said, “Ury no longer needs the little people. He has the power of incumbency, name recognition, big money from special interest and county G.O.P. gasbags backing him. He doesn’t need lowly volunteers holding his signs or a misled group of residents carrying him around.” Ury left the building before the April 16 council meeting ended, saying something about catching a plane. Ury parted with his former employer months ago, and some residents hope he finds a nice job far, far away.

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A parking problem in Laguna Hills might be worth following to see how its city council addresses an overflow of parked cars from a condo association onto adjacent streets. A council member first responded that the condo association should work harder to enforce its own CC&R’s. The condo association members disagreed and asked for a permit parking zone on a nearby street. The city staff proposed the permit parking as requested, with restrictions limiting parking to residents (and not endless numbers of people who might be there illegally), and to add no-parking zones to prevent safety issues where needed. The council approved the permit parking and no-parking zones, and it is investigating boardinghouse restrictions as well in response to the complaint of numerous families living under one roof.

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When some Mission Viejo council members disagree with public speakers, they frequently reinforce their argument by citing examples of how other cities conduct business. Here’s the rub. Councils in some other cities are responsible to residents and let voters decide on major issues. Some other cities have intelligent elected officials who have integrity and want to solve problems. Some council members in other cities aren’t constantly shaking down city vendors for campaign cash, making backroom deals and insulting residents who take time to participate in meetings.

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Great idea forwarded by a Buzz reader: residents of the United States shouldn’t have to press “1” for English.