The Buzz column, July 13

This week’s Pants-on-Fire Award goes to Councilman Frank Ury, who has his bio on the Orange County Republican Website. Does anyone remember Ury in 2002 giving his “bullies” speech against Susan Withrow and Sherri Butterfield? Back then, he told his little story about his Hungarian roots as if he had been a Freedom Fighter at the age of two. Those who heard him speak don’t entirely agree on whether or not he was born in Hungary. They do agree “old Frank” moved to California after growing up in the Midwest. “New Frank” now claims in the Website bio he’s a California native. Perhaps the immigrant story from 2002 no longer cuts it with so many other immigrants entering the U.S. from all directions.

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New Frank’s bio can be found by accessing the list of cities in the Republican Website. New Frank was anointed by the Republican good-ol’-boys club as Mission Viejo’s Republican go-to person. Is that a joke? Ury proclaimed during the 2006 county Republican endorsing meeting that GOP County Chair Scott Baugh directed him to bring a Republican – Justin McCusker – into the 2006 Mission Viejo council race. It was a stunning announcement, considering nine Republicans were already running (including Diane Greenwood, a lifelong Democrat who changed her registration prior to entering the race). By Election Day, Ury had thrown McCusker under the bus and stood on a street corner holding only Greenwood’s sign. As the Republican’s “go-to person,” Ury ended up supporting only the lifelong Democrat from the 10 city council candidates.

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Many cities on the Republican Website list a council member as the go-to person, and that’s a problem. Ury became Mission Viejo’s “city chair” during his 2004 campaign for city council. Does anyone think Ury split his time between his own campaign and organizing a network of workers for the Republican Party? He did nothing for the party, which is likely the reason Mission Viejo has no Republican get-out-the-vote effort. Ury served as city chair in the 2006 election as well, and the results were disastrous. With good ol’ boys running the county and weakening as many city efforts as possible, Democrats should have a field day. Ury in 2006 tried to organize a precinct walk, and only one person showed up – Bill Barker. Barker later said Ury was enraged at the lack of response. Barker didn’t even get a hot dog from Ury after being promised a barbeque dinner.

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Email from a Buzz reader: “What’s taking so long with the D.A.’s investigation of CUSD? After the indictments of James Fleming and Susan McGill, the news stories implied others would be charged.” Considering the first indictments (on May 24) came approximately nine months after the D.A. seized computers at CUSD’s offices, this investigation is unfolding slowly. The D.A. has made no official announcement since May 24.

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Information in The Buzz more often comes from CUSD parents than any official source. Insiders are offering mixed predictions on whether old-guard trustees will be indicted for Brown Act violations. Acting superintendent Suzette Lovely allegedly participated in forming the lists of enemies – a public relations nightmare if not a serious legal problem for her. If she steps down, she could be the fourth superintendent to leave CUSD within a year. Fleming resigned in August 2006. With the pressure of another recall effort on the remaining four old-guard trustees, they could throw in the towel as well.