Weasels in the Easels
Staff editorial

A community activist discovered an amusing pile of rubble on April 22, which is officially designated as Earth Day. The heap of trash wasn’t dumped by vandals. The in-your-face message to residents was created by Mission Viejo’s city staff. Hundreds of expensive, custom-built easels purchased with city tax dollars ended up in a heap near the city’s corporate yard off La Paz Road. The rubble could be seen from the driveway behind Stein Mart and Michaels. After word of the discovery spread, city workers moved the easels from view.

Did everyone see the original display of easels, including those along La Paz Road, during the city staff’s promotion of Mission Viejo’s 20th anniversary? A city employee was apparently the “mastermind,” trying to create a photography display of record-breaking length. Taxpayers are correct to question why the city should fund one employee’s ambition of breaking a world record, which has nothing to do with city services or the function of government.

In December 2007, the city offered to give away 500 taxpayer-purchased disposable cameras for residents to capture “what exemplifies Mission Viejo.” Allegedly, citizens could pick up a free camera, take pictures and return the camera to city hall. Photos were to be displayed as part of the city’s 20th anniversary. Cameras were due back by Jan. 11, but the city was still sending out pleas for their return just prior to putting up the display last month. No information was released about how many residents picked up a free camera, and no one knew if the snag was in distributing free cameras or the unrealistic belief the city would get them back.

Obviously, something went wrong. Numerous blog readers reacted about oversize, laminated photos that ended up on expensive easels in a row along La Paz, circling the community center and along Oso Trail. Many of the photos were generic, as opposed to “exemplifying Mission Viejo.” Few pictures of residents (except council members) appeared in the collection. One person with knowledge of photography asserted that most of the pictures were taken by the same person. Many of the photos were attempted “artsy” shots of leaves, sky, rocks, etc., rather than relating to the community.

“Disposable” is evidently the word of the month in city hall: disposable cameras, disposable easels, disposable laminated photos, disposable “green machine” posters and disposable tax dollars.

City council members should keep in mind that voters revolted several years ago and disposed of two incumbent councilwomen, Sherri Butterfield and Susan Withrow.

For a view of the trashed easels, check out the cartoon feature on this week’s blog.