Council as Image-Maker
Staff editorial

In 2002, city council majority members that included Sherri Butterfield and Susan Withrow had a vision. They intended to create a “town center” near their masterpiece, city hall. La Paz had been widened from the freeway to Marguerite Parkway to create a grand entrance.

Butterfield and Withrow’s vision was viewed as a hallucination by some and a nightmare by others. The roadwork at La Paz and Marguerite was such a mess, and it took so long to complete that some small businesses closed forever. When the former councilwomen were bounced out of office in 2002, residents may have believed the siege of rezoning, destroying the city’s Master Plan and running roughshod over residents was over. In fact, it only slowed momentarily, with the current council rezoning six parcels for more housing development and adding a new twist of cell towers in parks.

On May 21, 2007, the council quietly approved as part of the consent calendar a $52,125 payment to an image company, brandStrata, to brand and re-image Mission Viejo. According to brandStrata, the city’s proposed new image would center on three words: gracious, esteemed and harmonious. The council on Dec. 2 will consider buying the first steps of brandStrata’s plan, which includes a downtown and neighborhood redevelopment. The item appears as follows on the Dec. 2 agenda:

23.  Initial Report on the Branding and Re-Imaging of Mission Viejo
Recommended Action:  (1) Adopt the image as proposed by brandStrata LLC, as a first step in the re-imaging (branding) of Mission Viejo and; (2) receive and file the Brand Audit and Position Summary and; (3) direct staff to implement the “First Step’ recommendations as identified in the report.

The idea of the city council discussing the city’s image is causing some residents to laugh out loud. The composite image of the five current council members doesn’t conjure up anything positive -- certainly not gracious, esteemed or harmonious. Residents who have commented to the blog are asking which city staff member is pushing to upend Mission Viejo’s image as a Master Planned community.

A resident who spoke during public comments at a recent council meeting suggested that new council members should be elected in 2008 to get rid of those who are obviously out of step with residents. With the council’s plans in the works for more high-density housing and overdevelopment, the need for a voter initiative to halt rezoning by the council is also increasing rapidly.

The Ark, 2007 Version
Forwarded by Editor-in-Chief Carl Schulthess

In the year 2007, the Lord came unto Noah, who was now living in the United States, and said, “Once again, the earth has become wicked, and I see the end of all flesh before me. Build another Ark and save two of every living thing, along with a few good humans.”

He gave Noah the blueprints, saying, “You have six months to build the Ark before I will start the constant rain for 40 days and 40 nights.” Six months later, the Lord looked down and saw Noah weeping in his yard, but no Ark. “Noah!” He called, “I'm about to start the rain! Where is the Ark?”

”Forgive me, Lord,” begged Noah, “but things have changed. I needed a building permit. I've been arguing with an inspector about a sprinkler system. My neighbors claim that I've violated the CC&R’s by building the Ark in my yard and exceeding the height limitations, and I had to appeal a Planning Commission decision. Then the Department of Transportation demanded a bond be posted for the future costs of moving power lines and other overhead obstructions to clear the passage for the Ark's move to the sea. I told them that the sea would be coming to us, but they would hear nothing of it. Getting the wood was another problem. There's a ban on cutting local trees in order to save the spotted owl. I tried to convince the environmentalists that I needed the wood to save the owls, but no go.

“When I started gathering the animals, an animal rights group sued me. They insisted that I was confining wild animals against their will. They argued the accommodation was too restrictive, and it was cruel and inhumane to put so many animals in a confined space. Then the EPA ruled that I couldn't build the Ark until they had an Environmental Impact Report on your proposed flood. I'm still trying to resolve a complaint with the Human Rights Commission on how many minorities I'm supposed to hire for my building crew. Immigration and Naturalization are checking the green-card status of most of the people who want to work. The trade unions say I can't use my sons. They insist I have to hire only union workers with Ark-building experience. To make matters worse, the IRS seized all my assets, claiming I'm trying to leave the country illegally with endangered species. So, forgive me, Lord, but it will take at least 10 years to finish this Ark.”

Suddenly, the skies cleared, the sun began to shine and a rainbow stretched across the sky. Noah looked up in wonder and asked, “You mean you're not going to destroy the world?”

“No,” said the Lord. “The government beat me to it.”

CUSD Update
Editorial staff

Elaine Hart, a principal at Arroyo Vista (K-8 school in Rancho Santa Margarita), resigned abruptly last week. She had worked closely with former administrators James Fleming, David Doomey and others (Casabianca, Henness, Kochendorfer, Crawford, Buffum) associated with the old-guard regime. Some of the parents favoring reform described Hart’s resignation as a further sign of decline for Fleming’s cronies.

Mission Viejo parents in CUSD received a letter last week about redrawing boundaries to alleviate overcrowding at Newhart Middle School. Attendance boundary options were to be posted on the CUSD Website by Nov. 30. Those working on the project include Mission Viejo parents who are well known for their support of reform. One person forwarded the list of recommendations to reduce enrollment at Newhart and provide appropriate facilities:

• Develop and implement the facilities plan, which provides Newhart Middle School with appropriate middle school facilities. Also refer to the Report by Newhart PTA Modernization Oversight Committee. Conduct an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for Newhart Middle School.
• Reassign study areas 0270 and 0271 (Village San Juan) from Newhart Middle School to Ladera Ranch Middle School. Reassign study areas 0270 and 0271 (Village San Juan) from Capistrano Valley High School to San Juan Hills High School.
• Reconfigure either Barcelona Hills or Castille Elementary Schools to a K-8 School,without diverting funds from Newhart Middle School.

According to other reports, district administrators are having to address what parents describe as massive mistakes regarding boundaries. In some cases, lines were drawn on the basis of demographic projections. Some schools are severely overcrowded while others are underutilized. One parent reacted by saying the problems have been obvious for years to everyone involved, and those responsible for the mistakes are incompetent.

A CUSD resident who attended the Curricula Subcommittee meeting said that little has changed in the district’s administration. Dr. Ron Lackey (a challenger who lost his bid for a school board seat in 2006) was supposed to have 10 minutes to make his presentation, but his time was reduced to 3 minutes. The ongoing assessment of the subcommittee meetings is that their real purpose is a P.R. effort. New ideas are presented but not acted upon, and nothing changes. As another observation, a parent said the administrators chosen by former superintendent Fleming are still in charge, and they’re directing Interim Superintendent Woodrow Carter. She added, “In the power struggle for control, Carter is not in control.”

Try, Try Again in 2008
Staff editorial

In the city election of November 2006, Councilman Lance MacLean was the weakest link. Several challengers specifically targeted him, with only Diane Greenwood coming close enough to shake him up. Greenwood appears to have her campaign motor running again. However, if she couldn’t knock out MacLean, some observers are saying she won’t be able to beat incumbents Frank Ury or Gail Reavis.

The city election of 2006 was a disappointment to a wide range of residents when all three incumbents (Trish Kelley, John Paul Ledesma and MacLean) were reelected. If strategies of challengers don’t change from 2006, incumbents will win again in 2008.

One of the obvious ingredients for a successful challenger in 2008 will be money – at least $50,000 of a challenger’s own funds. Residents remember when Trish Kelley was a challenger in 2002, running on a shoestring budget. The mitigating factor back then was an army of campaign workers who signed on to help Kelley without knowing who she was. With the battle cry of “anyone but Butterfield,” voters were more concerned with what they were throwing out than what they were throwing in.

Another likely ingredient of success in 2008 will be a challenger running alone. The last time a slate won was in 2002, a year that should have been viewed as an anomaly rather a model for future campaigns. In 2002, the slate of Ledesma, Kelley and MacLean consisted of three candidates who worked like maniacs to get elected. One reason the slate won was the strength of the three individual campaigns.

Regarding yard signs, they still work despite residents’ complaints about visual blight on every corner. In 2006, Kelley had by far the most signs, and she was the top vote-getter. Negative signs posted late in the campaign by MacLean and Ledesma against challengers may also have done the trick. The election results indicated that challengers Greenwood and Bill Barker did better with early absentees than with Election Day voters. Between the negative street signs and mailers (and possibly Greenwood’s own street-corner antics), Greenwood lost enough ground to be edged out by MacLean.

One thing in favor of a challenger winning in 2008 is the growing unpopularity of those on the dais – all five of them. They won elections by claiming they would change the direction and style of the old queens – Sherri Butterfield and Susan Withrow – who were voted out in 2002. Residents who follow city politics believe this is the worst council in the city’s 20-year history, and that’s saying something.

Butterfield and Withrow were widely known, and they had endorsements from almost everyone in office, but it didn’t matter. Voters were fed up. The coming controversies – more rezoning (e.g., Casta del Sol golf course) further destruction of the Master Plan and trying to change the city’s image – might put voters over the edge in 2008. It takes a lot of annoyance to wake up Mission Viejo’s sleepy electorate, but it’s getting there.

The Buzz Column, Dec. 1

A couple of politicians appear to be involved in the formation of phony organizations to endorse themselves. The California Republican Assembly has experienced a surge of new units, with several springing up in south Orange County. The pseudo-clubs have “presidents,” but they don’t hold meetings. Part of the strategy of forming such clubs is stuffing the ballot box to manipulate state and county CRA endorsements. Phony units get the same number of voting delegates as real clubs. The endorsements didn’t carry much weight in the first place, and they can backfire when people find out the truth.

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Shoppers at Mission Viejo’s mall might have a dim view of “The Safest City” if their SUVs were stolen. The recent thefts of four vehicles at The Shops quickly hit the news, compared with a six-month period in 2006 when the theft of nearly 30 vehicles at the same location was kept quiet. Activists in 2006 said the cover-up coincided with a city election on the horizon, in which incumbents touted the city’s low crime rate. As another angle, the Or. Co. Sheriff probably isn’t eager to tell the media about a rash of thefts in a city that’s paying more than $1 million per month for law enforcement.

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Innocent until proven broke? Sheriff Mike Carona’s backers continue trying to circle the wagons in the county GOP. Carona’s bigwig supporters occasionally lob a grenade at the OC Register’s opinion writers who have the audacity to criticize Caronyism. Carona’s PR machine appears to have dwindled to his legal adviser, Mike Schroeder, lobbyist John Lewis and writers at the county’s “Red” blog – political advertising disguised as news. Another supporter says Carona has no money, despite his political ties and the appearance of financial backers.

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The most frequent questions to this blog lately have been about the voter initiative being proposed by the blog’s publisher, Dale Tyler. It’s in progress. With no appearance of support from any council member (the council could put the initiative on the ballot and eliminate the need to gather signatures), it will be up to residents to move it forward.

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Those posturing for the next council election include the two incumbents, Frank Ury and Gail Reavis. Other possible candidates include Ury’s appointee to the Planning Commission, Mynette Beauchamp, who works in the developer industry. With Ury’s recent career change to the building industry, Beauchamp and Ury would give developers two potential representatives on the Mission Viejo City Council. That’s two more representatives than residents have.

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The winter issue of the City Outlook newsletter arrived in Mission Viejo mailboxes in November. Despite barbs from The Buzz, city staff writers apparently couldn’t find room in the Outlook to enlighten the public about the city’s alleged emergency plan. Instead, two full pages (plus part of a third page) were devoted to senior taxicab rides. Senior citizens who have commented to The Buzz say they have no use for the city’s taxi program because it doesn’t cover where they want to go. A quick call to a competitor of the city’s taxicab partner revealed it has a senior discount of 10 percent, and no one needs the help of the government to receive it.

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As an alternative to the city’s subsidized taxi program, The Buzz suggests that taxpayers would have been well ahead if the city had written 200 checks of $1,000 each to the most deserving seniors in need of a ride. Seniors could have taken a cab where they needed to go, received a discount just by asking for it and eliminated the municipal middleman. It would have served every purpose except for providing Councilwoman Trish Kelley with a campaign claim she was doing something.

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For those wanting to thank the troops, Walter Reed is no longer participating in giving cards, packages or gifts to soldiers. However, the Walter Reed Website (http://www.wramc.amedd.army.mil/Lists/WRNews/DispForm.aspx?Id=25&) lists numerous other organizations, including the USO and Red Cross, which will help citizens express their gratitude to servicemen and women. Here’s another similar link for those who would like to thank the troops:

http://www.give2thetroops.org/WarmATroopsHeart.htm.