Some Council Members Slam Blogs
Staff editorial

The June 27 issue of Saddleback Valley News gave Mission Viejo council members a chance to vent about city blogs. All five were interviewed by reporter Lindsey Baguio.

Dale Tyler’s blog is in its third year of weekly publication. His team members have stayed the course since his blog’s 2005 inception. Brad Morton in November 2007 revived his Dispatch blog, which he wrote for a while in 2006. Morton is the primary writer on his blog.

Morton requires a name from readers posting comments; Tyler accepts anonymous posts if they pass an editorial review. Tyler began accepting anonymous editorials co-authored by multiple writers and from an insider whose name is well known. Ironically, the person who either wrote or forwarded anonymous material now criticizes the practice. Tyler’s blog rejects pseudonyms, and it verifies identities of contributors. Other blogs, including a county blog, require names but get smoked by publishing comments over phony names.

Did council members tell the truth in SVN interviews published on June 27? For the most part, they did not. Councilman Lance MacLean said he’d never been contacted by a blog. Not true; he’s been contacted numerous times. MacLean in the June 27 article first complains that an activist should have called city hall to ask about easels dumped on a hillside. When Baguio confronts him with a blogger’s account of calling city hall about the easels, MacLean changes the subject to potholes and streetlights. MacLean states that not everything written in a blog “is necessarily true or accurate.” When city officials and council members withhold information or refuse to respond to questions, they shouldn’t expect someone else to write their side of the story.

Gail Reavis says she hopes the community doesn’t take blogs seriously, and she contrasts blogs with newspapers. She should note that letters to this blog almost always appear later in SVN. She asks if blogs check sources. Yes, absolutely. She asks if blogs verify that comments are true and accurate. This blog does. Furthermore, Tyler promises he will retract information if someone challenges it and verifies it is untrue. In nearly three years of publication, no one has even presented facts to the contrary of what’s been published.

John Paul Ledesma’s June 27 SVN statements are accurate. He states he’d been contacted by this blog. He adds he’s glad Mission Viejo has “a very active citizenry.”

Trish Kelley complains that one of the blogs publishes “blatant misinformation.” Perhaps revisiting a representative post would explain why she really doesn’t like this blog. Here’s an example: Kelley was campaigning in 2004 at Capo Valley High School against her archrival Gale Reavis. Kelley saw a family approaching the school for a Back To School event. Kelley greeted the family (parents and a child), thinking they had come to help her campaign against Reavis. When Kelley learned they were instead going to help Reavis, she marched into the school and tried to get them kicked off campus. School administrators were summoned to chase the family around, threatening them with arrest. Meanwhile, Kelley and her king of character Bill Klimek continued to distribute flyers opposing Reavis, and such politicking is prohibited on school property. Kelley has never challenged any statement on this blog.

Frank Ury has his own blog, which wasn’t mentioned in the SVN interview. This blog hasn’t contacted him, nor has he contacted this blog. Ury mischaracterizes bloggers as being impossible to satisfy, and he gives a strange example that the city could renovate two parks, leaving bloggers dissatisfied because they wanted three renovated. This blog criticizes Ury for representing special interest (lobbyists and his political friends in other cities) instead of Mission Viejo residents. To his credit, Ury doesn’t claim the blogs have misrepresented what he does.

The story that hasn’t yet been covered in SVN is the attempt by City Manager Dennis Wilberg to control what the newspaper publishes. Wilberg sent a list of his 30 hand-picked shills for Baguio to interview. Instead of relying on people who have the gumption to write a letter to the editor on their own or state an opinion without prompting, Baguio has been directed to go fishing in a vat of Kool-Aid.

The city controls a glut of taxpayer-funded brochures and newsletters but, thanks to the blogs, the truth is still slipping out. What’s next? Some people say the city is in the process of creating its own blog.

Easelgate Update
Editorial staff

On June 27, Councilman Lance MacLean was quoted in the Saddleback Valley News, saying an activist should have called city hall to ask questions after seeing easels from the city’s photo exhibit trashed on a hillside on April 22. Contrary to the implication by MacLean, a blogger immediately called city hall upon seeing photos of the pile of easels. A city staffer incorrectly claimed the easels weren’t part of the city’s photo display. That’s not the only misstatement from city hall, and the city has now delayed a request for public information about the easels and photo display for 38 days.

On May 23, activist Lisa De Paul-Snyder requested records about costs of the city’s 20th anniversary photos that were displayed on 500 custom-built easels from March 22 to April 6. City officials have delayed releasing records, saying they aren’t able to compile the information before June 30.

In the matter dubbed “Easelgate,” city workers trashed approximately 200 easels on public property after the 20th anniversary photo display ended in April. A high number of broken easels were later discovered in a county dump off El Toro Road.

As another problem for city hall, city administrator Keith Rattay was quoted in the May 23 SVN saying the easels cost approximately $15 each. Residents have estimated each easel cost at least $50. Given Rattay’s involvement where city projects can run three times over budget, each easel could end up costing approximately $150. If that sounds like a joke, read on.

To date, payment isn’t evident to those looking through the city’s check register for some of the costs. A review of the check register six weeks ago revealed only the cost of 500 disposable cameras ($1,185.30). In the past month, a high number of checks have been cut to businesses, individuals and city contractors that reference “20th anniversary.” In most cases, the description of costs is two or three words. Examples include $13, 998.60 and $1,473 to Mission Viejo Rentals for such things as table and linen rental; $2,662.69 and $5,972.87 to Home Depot for “miscellaneous” supplies including two separate charges for paint sprayers; $2,318.27 and $402.00 to Techniform for announcements and 750 balloons; and $8,019.63 and $605.29 to ZCater for a “free” dinner enjoyed by the city staff and (how many?) residents. These are a few of many charges specifically tagged “20th anniversary” or they appear to be related.

Among costs for the city employees’ anniversary spend-a-thon, a longtime city contractor’s invoices warrant attention. Jamey Clark’s contract apparently includes odd jobs around Mission Viejo, and he’s had the contract for years. Clark appears to be the likely person who provided the easels, and his billing practices are a whole lot odder than the jobs he performs. For activists looking through anniversary billings, one invoice from Clark for a whopping $58,724 stands out like a hot-orange tube top in church.

As a curious characteristic of Clark’s invoices, the dates of charges within a billing period – if it can be called that – overlap considerably. For example, jobs he does in one month are billed over a period of several months. The date of the charge can be unrelated to the date he provided the service. It would take a forensics accountant to sort out his invoices, and maybe that’s the point. Clark often bills the city for $20,000 to $30,000 a month, and his work descriptions in the check register are vague. A frequent description is “misc. maint/repair various locations,” which could cover – or cover up – almost anything.

One of Clark’s recent invoices includes a March 4 charge of $1,517 to “assemble frames.” On March 18, he charged $1,035 to “paint frames.” On March 27, he charged $508.94 to “repair/maint frames,” and on April 3, he charged $5,205 to paint frames. Are “frames” easels? On 4-11, he billed $20,116.46. From 4-23 to 5-06 he billed $14,869.09. On 4-25, he billed $5,042, and from 5-02 to 5-09 he billed $6,650.92.

A follow-up request for public information will be needed to review Clark’s total amounts and work orders. His accounting methods appear unconventional – that may be an understatement. Somehow, a handyman is making more than the superintendent of the Capistrano school district, and no one on the council is asking questions. By the way, a blog contributor who seems to know a lot about Easelgate said the easels cost the city approximately $150.00 each – no kidding, $75,000 for 500 easels.

Regarding the city’s delay of 38 days to provide records, are the costs of the photo display so obscure that city staffers can’t find them? The council isn’t paying attention to what city employees spend, so the employees shouldn’t go to any trouble hiding things from those who won’t even look. However, hiding things from the public and then lying about it would be another story.

Several years ago, activist Bo Klein discovered that the city created a make-work grading project for one of its contractors, Granich Construction. The contractor charged more than $200,000 to grade Lower Curtis Park as a stealth capital improvement project before activists raised Cain to shut it down. One of the activists took the matter to the Grand Jury. The Grand Jury declined to prosecute anyone because the city council had approved payment. According to Grand Jury’s finding, council members had given the stealth project their blessing by approving all of Granich’s charges as part of the consent calendar. Recently, the sleeping circus on the council likewise approved a payment of $58,724 to Jamey Clark, no questions asked.

Keep the Promise
Letter to the editor

I’m thankful we have community members who are willing to take a stand for Mission Viejo residents. Community activist Dale Tyler has earned my gratitude with his leadership in the Mission Viejo Right-To-Vote Initiative.

The time has come for Mission Viejo residents to control their own destiny with a popular vote on important zone changes. When we have such valuable community assets as the Casta del Sol Golf Course at stake, let’s have our citizens make the final decision regarding change.

Let’s protect our assets, which include our reputation as American’s premier Master Planned community. The initiative is not only a good idea, it’s the best way to keep the California Promise.

Dee Strubb
Mission Viejo

CUSD Update
Editorial staff

Reform-minded parents in the Capistrano school district celebrated the successful recall of two old-guard trustees on June 24. Approximately 69 percent of those voting in the special election supported the recall. Trustees Marlene Draper and Sheila Benecke didn’t have much of a campaign to resist being recalled. Even with the low voter turnout of 11.98 percent, the results were overwhelmingly in support of change.

The Registrar of Voters has certified the election results, and Draper and Benecke are off the board. Winners of Tuesday’s election, Sue Palazzo and Ken Maddox, will be sworn in at a special CUSD meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Tues., July 1, at the administration center. The Capistrano Dispatch reported that remaining old-guard Trustees Mike Darnold and Duane Stiff and Supt. Woodrow Carter will be on vacation July 1.

What motivated more than 21,500 voters to support the recall? Many parents with children in CUSD schools are aware of the turmoil. For others, a few of the issues include the Taj Mahal administration center, two former administrators facing felony charges, repeated Brown Act violations by old-guard board members, “enemies lists,” deteriorating classrooms and overcrowded schools.

Supporters of the old regime should now stop calling reform-minded constituents a “vocal minority.” Margins of victory in Tuesday’s special election and the November 2006 election were impressive, and the balance on the board gives reform trustees a 5-2 majority. Some parents are predicting the two old-guard trustees will quietly serve out the remaining four months of their terms.

The board will elect a new president, vice president and clerk during the July 1 meeting. Some constituents are hopeful Trustee Ellen Addonizio (Mission Viejo resident) will become the new president, as she received the highest number of votes in the 2006 election. Addonizio has led most of the attempts at reform for the past 19 months, but her ideas were voted down by the old majority.

Of the 214,231 registered voters in CUSD, 25,670 participated in the recall election. Data below were copied from the Registrar of Voters Website:

To the question of recalling Trustee Marlene Draper as the trustee for Area Two, 69.3 percent (17,610 voters) said yes; 30.7 percent (7,812 voters) said no. Sue Palazzo as the lone candidate needed only one vote to replace Draper.

SUE PALAZZO (winner)
Vote Count: 17413
Percentage: 100.0%

To the question of recalling Trustee Sheila Benecke as the trustee for Area Five, 69.4 percent (17,564 voters) said yes; 30.6 percent (7,730 voters) said no. Ken Maddox won by a margin of 19.3 percent.

KEN MADDOX (winner)
Vote Count: 10571
Percentage: 56.4%

GARY V MILLER
Vote Count: 6941
Percentage: 37.1%

MAKAM SUBBARAO
Vote Count: 1218
Percentage: 6.5%

The Buzz

An editorial in this issue discusses the early days of city blogging, but it doesn’t mention Mission Viejo blogfather Carl Schulthess as founder of the Mission Viejo news blog. Carl conceived of a city news blog and talked with community activists to get it started in 2005. He took the first steps by pulling articles together and designing a format. Carl continues to serve as the blog’s editor-in-chief.

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Carl became a well-known community activist in Mission Viejo by serving as city chair in one of the initiatives to stop the El Toro commercial airport. Several longtime city activists met each other while fighting the airport, and they continue working together on community issues. The anti-airport group was a ragtag army of citizens fighting a well-organized, well-funded campaign by developers, contractors and government officials who stood to gain if the airport were built. The fight went on for more than 10 years, and four citizen’s initiatives were launched during the process of stopping the airport.

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The OC Register has tried quite a few things to save money. A June 19 article in OC Weekly addresses rumors the Register will cut costs by outsourcing to the Indian subcontinent its copy editing of the San Clemente Sun-Post. OC Weekly’s Nick Schou zings the Register in his Naval Gazing column, “Gunga Din, Bring Copy!” Schou wonders if those speaking English as a second language would do the best job of editing. He concludes, “Blogging customers of the Navel Gazings, please to be keeping your eyelids fixed on our websites for future updates of this matter of highmost importancy.”

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The U.S. Commerce Dept. has scheduled the hearing for the proposal to complete a 16-mile extension of the Foothill South toll road. Those opposing the extension celebrated the California Coastal Commission’s rejection of the proposal in February. The Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency appealed the decision, and a hearing has been scheduled for July25 at the Bren Events Center at UC Irvine.

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Forwarded by a blog reader: R obin Everett of the Sierra Club is organizing volunteers for the Foothill South toll road hearing. “A meeting will be held Mon., June 30, at the San Clemente Senior Center, 242 Avenida Del Mar, San Clemente, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and pizza will be provided. The purpose of the meeting is to mobilize volunteers. Guest speaker Michael Fitts, a staff attorney for Endangered Habitats League, will present smarter transportation solutions for south Orange County than the Foothill-South toll road. Those wanting to attend the meeting should RSVP to robin.everett@sierraclub.org or 949-361-7534.”

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Blog readers and other community members supporting the Mission Viejo Right-To-Vote Initiative are fired up to get signatures. The signature drive has been held up with finalizing the petition. A blog staffer said, “I was hopeful we’d have it by mid-June. I learned last week that its author, Dale Tyler, had to revise the petition to allow for the possibility of triggering a special election, depending on how quickly the signature drive can be completed.” The revision could take another week or two because the city attorney must review the new text.

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Only two Fleming-era trustees remain on the CUSD board following the June 24 recall of old-guard Trustees Marlene Draper and Sheila Benecke. The Registrar of Voters certified the results on Friday, and the two candidates running on a reform platform, Sue Palazzo and Ken Maddox, will be sworn in at a special meeting on July 1. A parent posted a humorous thought on an Internet discussion board following the successful recall of the old trustees: paper shredders are running full blast at the administration center.

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A constituent of the Saddleback Valley school district recently emailed about the lack of coverage on this blog, saying Capo USD received nearly all the attention. It’s true, bad news in Capo has overshadowed news of any kind in SVUSD. The reader pointed out that Capo isn’t the only district with a foundation. From SVUSD’s Website: “The Saddleback Valley Educational Foundation (SVEF) is a non-political, non-profit, community-based volunteer organization established to help maintain and improve the quality of public education in the Saddleback Valley and to ensure continued academic growth.” The site gives contact information, phillipsellen28@cox.net.

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Councilwoman Trish Kelley commented about city blogs in the June 27 Saddleback paper, calling one of them “vicious.” Perhaps Kelley wishes to confuse readers. Blogs report Kelley’s behavior, particularly behind the scenes, which would correctly be described as vicious. Her ongoing battle with Councilwoman Gail Reavis is approaching its sixth anniversary. If anyone thinks Kelley displayed ruthless behavior trying to dethrone Reavis in her 2004 reelection bid, that was nothing compared to bloodbath in store for the November 2008 campaign.