Residents Oppose Re-Branding
Letter to the editor

Residents’ reaction to the council’s re-branding of Mission Viejo is practically unanimous. The city is paying an image consultant more than $52,000 for poor suggestions and a clip-art-style logo. On. Dec. 3, the council bought bad ideas with a 4-1 vote, and the lone “no” was with regard to future costs, not the rejection of bad ideas.

Anyone who caught a glimpse of the image consultant’s presentation could see she was in the dark about the city. The kind of information she “discovered” can be read on the city’s Website or learned with a brief drive around town. As an example, she said the new logo of a tree is the epitome of Mission Viejo because the city has many trees. She said she could relate to Mission Viejo because she was born (elsewhere) in the same year the community of Mission Viejo began, and her dad bought a house (elsewhere) at the same time. Instead of laughing out loud, council members approved the “next steps” to implement her plan.

In sharp contrast, the city’s real image-maker – the Mission Viejo Co. – lived and breathed the creation of Mission Viejo’s unique Master Plan, image and design. The Mission Viejo Co. had expertise, wisdom and sensitivity. The buffoons who have come along later to destroy the integrity of the Master Plan are undermining the reasons people want to live here.

I would be happy if the council did nothing but oversee essential city services and pay the bills. I would be even happier if council members would keep their campaign promises and represent the residents.

Connie Lee
Mission Viejo

Esteemed Council Members Graciously Duke it Out
Staff editorial

The council’s selection of the 2008 mayor and mayor pro tem was last on the Dec. 3 agenda. Almost no one stayed to the end of the meeting, which lasted more than five hours. The meltdown at the end was an ironic twist to the council’s earlier 4-1 vote to change Mission Viejo’s image to “gracious, esteemed and harmonious.”

If Mission Viejo residents are aware Councilman John Paul Ledesma is the current mayor pro tem, they might expect he would become the next mayor. Councilwoman Gail Reavis apparently thought so, and she nominated him at the first opportunity. A silent moment followed, and Ledesma seconded the motion. Rather than discussing Ledesma’s nomination, Councilman Lance MacLean next nominated Frank Ury as mayor. In the interest of harmony, MacLean should have instead set off a stink bomb.

In the discussion, MacLean spoke first, expounding on the “time-honored tradition of rotating the mayor.” Not true. The tradition is to prevent minority or disliked council members from becoming mayor. MacLean said, “We’ve always tried to rotate the mayor.” Also not true. Ury was next in line to become mayor a year ago, and MacLean was fully engaged in denying Ury the title.

Reavis spoke next, saying rotation isn’t the tradition. She mentioned Ury’s comments during the meeting when he implied his fellow council members were incompetent. Reavis also discussed Ury’s effort to unseat Kelley, Ledesma and MacLean in their 2006 reelection bids.

When Ledesma spoke, he bluntly said he didn’t trust Ury, who makes false accusations and uses innuendo when talking with out-of-town politicians. Ledesma said, “A mayor gives the impression of speaking for the city.”

Ury took the opportunity to speak, but he failed to persuade others he should be mayor. He instead renewed his attack against Reavis saying, “We’ve got a 10,000-pound moose on the table,” referring to her $10-million claim against the city. About his being mayor, he said, “There are people outside and inside the community who have a different perspective.”

Readers should stop and ask: who are these “people” living outside the community, and why do they care who serves as Mission Viejo’s mayor? Skip ahead to a comment made by Reavis after the vote. She said, “The Republican who called all of us (telling Mission Viejo Council Members to select Frank Ury as mayor) made some serious points.” The “Republican” friend of Ury who called council members is Scott Baugh, the Orange County Republican Party chair. Baugh also interfered in the 2006 city election, trying to unseat the incumbents and get his prot‚g‚ Justin “Justintime” McCusker on the council.

Reavis called for the vote. First, the council on Ledesma – Reavis and Ledesma for; Ury, MacLean and Kelley against. The motion failed. Next, the council voted on Ury – MacLean and Ury for; Reavis, Ledesma and Kelley against. The motion failed.

The lights may have gone on for Reavis: Kelley wanted to become the next mayor. Reavis nominated Kelley, and MacLean seconded. After throwing both Ledesma and Ury under the bus, Kelley demurely said, “I accept the nomination.” The motion passed: (Kelley, Reavis and MacLean for; Ury and Ledesma against). Kelley was no one’s first choice, but three council members jumped at the chance to prevent anyone else’s first choice from getting the title.

With hindsight, Kelley’s earlier silence makes sense. Rotation wasn’t her concern. She intended to elbow her way to the front of the line, this time pushing Ledesma out of her way.

MacLean nominated Ury for mayor pro tem, and no other nomination followed. The motion was approved 3-2 (MacLean, Ury, Kelley in favor; Reavis and Ledesma opposed).

Instead of a gracious, esteemed and harmonious exit, council members wiped the mud off their faces and avoided stepping in the moose droppings as they made their way out the door.

CUSD Update
Editorial staff

Those who attended the Dec. 3 Capo school district subcommittee meeting on finance have reason to question the district’s financial health. An outline of the presentation from the meeting can be viewed at

http://www.capousd.org/subcommittee/finance/docs/CapitalFundingSourcesandUses.pdf.

Whether or not the presentation revealed anything new, CUSD’s financial woes are obvious. Earlier this year, the district put unused real estate parcels on the market to cover operating expenses. Despite all the spin and years of denial from district officials, former superintendent James Fleming’s financial mismanagement is undeniable. An immediate concern is the district’s cash-flow problems with interest payments coming due later this month.

CUSD’s financial future was wagered in part on an unending housing boom with everlasting price increases. The district might have made ends meet if its “creative” financing and revenue streams from such sources as redevelopment agencies hadn’t gone south.

Building the $52-million administration center was (as reform-minded parents claimed in the 2005 recall attempt) a huge mistake. Children attend class in crowded, deteriorating facilities while administrators push papers in the partially empty Taj Mahal. Constituents asked how CUSD could afford such lavish offices when funds are so scarce for everything else. The district spent money it didn’t have by borrowing from the future.

One person who attended the Dec. 3 meeting responded on the OC Register discussion board, saying a lot of figures were presented. The numbers, when viewed in the context of boondoggles (particularly financing of the new administration center), reveal liabilities. The district’s plan was to retire a portion of its debt with pre-payment of some of the Certificates of Participation used to finance the administration center. Lacking funds to do that, the district will need to formulate a new financial plan.

According to the post forwarded to this blog, the district might have to return $8 million (that it doesn’t have) of the state’s money. The district went after state funds to pay for proposed portables at the new high school, providing data of 27 students per classroom. The person writing the post said the state’s $8 million was granted on the basis of misinformation presented by CUSD. In addition to the district having only 24 students per classroom, the cost of the portables is now estimated at $5 million. If the district doesn’t add the portables (and spend $8 million), CUSD staff members say the state will want the money returned.

The district has no financial analyst, and its CFO lacks relevant credentials. While experience might compensate for formal education, what’s the value of experience equivalent to shell games and kiting checks? According to grand jury testimony of CUSD’s top brass, those involved with building facilities claimed they didn’t know what was going on. Several top officials in Fleming’s old regime – who alternately claimed to be in charge and in the dark – have slipped away into early retirement.

In addition to employees who are unable to dig the district out, inept holdover trustees continue to make irresponsible decisions on the board. In the next round of replacing trustees – in a recall election next spring or the November General Election – voters must look at professional qualifications and legitimate business experience of the candidates. Holdover trustees were appointed by Fleming as a reward for their loyalty, and they’re incompetent. If new trustees are no better qualified to manage a $500-million annual budget, no one should expect improvement.

Plea From CUSD Parents
Meeting announcement

All Capistrano school district parents and concerned residents are asked to attend the Capo board meeting on Mon., Dec. 10, 7 p.m. It will be held at the Education Center Board Room, 33122 Valle Road, San Juan Capistrano. Students are also urged to attend.

Following is a message from CUSD parents:

It is imperative that we speak up and demand that Capo Valley High School is no longer overlooked. We must make sure our children have their basic health and safety concerns realized at their school, and we are long overdue for a theater. At the last meeting, some Capo parents addressed the board and were successful in getting board members to stop and reevaluate the needs of the district before spending funds in question. A $3-million football stadium for the new San Juan Hills High School will again be up for discussion, regardless of the fact that Capo High School has basic needs (not enough toilets, aged buildings – some beyond repair) and a theater that has been “talked about” since 1978. Capo High had to wait more than 25 years for our “parent initiated” pool.

Please go to the meeting. You can simply attend (please wear black and gold), or you can use this opportunity to speak for up to 3 minutes to call for responsible spending from our district. Go to the boardroom, fill out a card, turn it in to the secretary, and your name will be called. Taking this opportunity DOES make a difference. Students can speak, too! Parents from other schools are attending, but for some reason many Capo High School parents seem to have given up. Well, we are now in a position where we need to step up and demand what needs to be done. Many parents have worked so hard to get us to this point. We must not drop the ball! And please tell a friend.

Below are some great resources regarding what has taken place:

http://www.missionviejoca.org/News/2007_Q3/2007_09_29/article4/article4.html

http://www.cusdrecall.com/

This Website will get you up to date and ready to attend the meeting!

The Buzz Column, Dec. 6

A Buzz reader reacted to the council’s plan to create a new image for the city: “We don’t need to attract more people to Mission Viejo. One can field every type of service, retail store and restaurant in each of the surrounding cities. Our inept city government and clueless city council are the real negative aspects of the Mission Viejo image. No matter how you spin it, dumb is dumb.”

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The consulting firm that was contracted to re-brand Mission Viejo (fix it until it’s broken) is brandStrata of Seal Beach. Regarding the consultant’s plan for a downtown, several years ago, the city contracted with a different consultant who concluded Mission Viejo’s layout isn’t suitable for having a downtown. The consultant back then said the Master Plan’s intent is to decentralize the city, and it’s something that can’t be changed by calling an area “downtown.” To interfere with the rights of private owners at Marguerite and La Paz – forcing remodels in one way or another – would be a remodeled strip mall, not a downtown.

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The only person quoted in the Dec. 7 Saddleback paper about the city’s new image is someone who doesn’t live here. Keith Rattay, a city employee who lives in Irvine, seems to be the one pushing re-branding and re-imaging of Mission Viejo. It might explain why former council members – Susan Withrow and Sherri Butterfield – were afflicted with the same thinking as the current council. Do Mission Viejo residents find it strange that a consultant crafted a new image for the city without input from those who live here?

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Rattay said during the Dec. 3 council meeting that there’s no place in the entire city for a dog park. According to those involved in the ongoing discussion, Rattay doesn’t want a dog park in the logical place next to the animal shelter. Focus has been diverted all over town, with neighbors having to fight off having a dog park in city parks near their homes. Residents successfully prevented a dog park in Alicia Park, and Oso Park is the next target.

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On Dec. 6, Capistrano school district officials held a meeting to discuss changing school boundaries. Public comments lasted more than three hours with many parents objecting to some of the ideas. Sorting things out won’t be easy, but the proposals are at least coming from parents instead of school administrators who have caused turmoil over boundary lines. As the next step toward redrawing boundary lines, proposals will be presented to the board of trustees on Jan. 14, and a public hearing will be held Jan. 23.

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Or. Co. GOP Party Chairman Scott Baugh might be busy trying to keep his name out of embarrassments at the county level, but he still had time to meddle in Mission Viejo’s city business on Dec. 3. According to a comment from the dais, council members received phone calls telling them to select Frank Ury as mayor for 2008. As a pipe dream hatched by Ury’s lobbyist financier, Mission Viejo should have an elected mayor just like Anaheim and become an overpopulated, overdeveloped mess just like Irvine. Can anyone guess who the power club wants as Mission Viejo’s elected mayor? How much cash are they willing to funnel into Ury’s campaign to get him reelected in November 2008?