The Buzz column, August 10

A Buzz reader suggested the council should pass an ordinance to stop city contractors from making campaign donations to elected city officials. The suggestion is a good one, particularly when millions of dollars are involved in city contracts and such donations cause questions about payback. Council members won’t stop it, as it would level the playing field for challengers. In the 2006 election, Lance MacLean and Trish Kelley without vendor donations would have been outspent by some of the challengers.

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The 2008 city race could be another stampede of candidates. Rumors are already surfacing about two 2006 challengers running again. Additionally, a political newcomer with name recognition (developed by his association with a city-sponsored event) is talking about running.

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Several Mission Viejo residents attended the Aug. 10 court appearance of two former CUSD officials charged with felonies. One of the residents emailed the Buzz: “This was the third court appearance for James Fleming and Susan McGill. Even if I hadn’t known who they were, they stood out in the crowd of criminal defendants. They were the only ones dressed up – Fleming in a suit and McGill in a white jacket. While waiting for their case to be called, Fleming sat with his wife on the back row. McGill sat with a man who might have been her husband. Several rows separated the two defendants. When the judge finally called their case 90 minutes after the stated time, the proceedings were over in a matter of minutes, merely rescheduling the pre-trial hearing to August 17. Other people following the case told me Fleming and McGill are dragging this out as long as possible.”

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What if CUSD trustees on Mon., Aug. 13, decide not to pay the legal fees of this pair? With Fleming paying his attorney $400 an hour, would he not want the trial scheduled, over and done with in record time?

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After CUSD trustees and administrators required employees to attend a rousing send-off for Fleming at his final board meeting in 2006, perhaps they will arrange another standing ovation at the courthouse when he finally arrives for his trial. By the way, the old-guard trustees denied that employees were asked to attend the 2006 send-off, claiming it was a spontaneous show of support. A CUSD constituent made a public records request and captured the memo telling employees to attend.

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A Buzz reader reported seeing minor slope failure of the hillside at Los Alisos and Jeronimo, which was quickly repaired. The steep slope near the corner has been dubbed “the Matterhorn” by nearby residents. After spindly trees and shrubs were planted by the developer, a neighbor remarked, “There is no way they can hide the ugliness of the corner by shrubbing it up.” As part of Steadfast’s initial proposal, they described how great the corner would look. It’s been an eyesore from the time Steadfast bought the property years ago – overgrown with weeds and lately strewn with roadblocks and cones.

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He’s baaaaaack? The rumor mill indicates Charles McCully might become
CUSD’s interim superintendent – again. Maybe McCully’s name is surfacing because he did such a bang-up job of finding Dennis Smith, who last spring threw in the towel as superintendent before he officially began.

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Parents mentioned on an OR Register message board that Dennis Smith signed diplomas for this year’s high school grads. That’s interesting, considering he was never officially hired. Given the possibility other top administrators could be indicted, perhaps Smith was the only safe bet whether he worked in CUSD or not.