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Where’s the Beef?
Staff editorial
Are Saddleback Valley News subscribers puzzled at the absence of letters to the editor, particularly with a city election at hand? Some letter writers are asking what happened to the letters they submitted. Instead of printing them, SVN rejected those that were critical of the city council or staff members.
Following SVN’s airing of Easelgate in May, City Manager Dennis Wilberg and staff member Keith Rattay had a talk with the SVN reporter. The “news” since then has largely consisted of bland feature stories, city-generated puff pieces and articles favoring the current regime of Lance MacLean, Frank Ury, Trish Kelley and top city administrators. If it weren’t for investigative reporting by city blogs, Mission Viejo coverage would come primarily from city hall’s fluff writers.
As an example of city hall’s influence, OCR published an article about Councilwoman Trish Kelley’s endorsement of council candidates Frank Ury and Richard Atkinson. A number of residents complained to OCR that the article wasn’t news but a campaign press release. The article wasn’t as much about her endorsement as it was a free ad for Kelley’s Oct. 16 campaign party for her candidates at the Elk’s lodge.
Why didn’t the reporter follow up by covering the so-called newsworthy event? This blog received detailed reports about the party. According to one observer, approximately 25 residents attended the widely publicized gathering. Others in attendance included political hack Paul Glaab, city vendors who had been shaken down by Kelley and two elected officials from other cities. Most of the residents attending were Kelley’s inner circle, and those meeting Atkinson for the first time have since said they won’t vote for him. That’s the news – Kelley is unable to garner support for her hand-picked candidate who relies on note cards she writes for him about the city.
On Nov. 4, residents will have an opportunity to dump Ury, reject Atkinson and beat back the old regime. By removing Ury from the council, the city will lose its primary proponent of high-density growth, overspending and the threat to carve up the Casta golf course. Two council challengers, Cathy Schlicht and Neil Lonsinger, have already said they’ll make a motion to rescind the raise the current majority gave itself last week if they’re elected. It would be a good start.
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City Election Update
Editorial staff
The swearing in of new council members will be held after the election. The swearing, however, is a whole other story. Cheryl Atkinson, wife of council candidate Richard Atkinson, swears that people have been swearing at her.
During the Oct. 20 council meeting, Ms. Atkinson made rather odd public comments about her involvement in a campaign fracas. She announced she’d been the victim of cursing when she was at the Oct. 18 Drug Walk, but how it all started was unclear from her remarks.
In her Oct. 20 comments, Ms. Atkinson spoke softly and demurely, saying at one point, “I’m a lady.” As a problem for her account of verbal abuse, witnesses at the event said she accosted at least three people, and no council candidate cussed at her as she claimed. To watch this amusing performance at the meeting, check out [Video clip removed from the City of Mission Viejo website]
Residents are receiving daily slate mailers that include Frank Ury and Richard Atkinson’s names. The two paid for the privilege of being “endorsed” by various mystery groups. When candidates pay for such endorsement, voters can be fooled into thinking that some group is formally supporting them. Another matter of deceit is Ury’s ballot statement, claiming the Crown Valley Pkwy widening project is “finished” when it clearly isn’t. He also says he’ll save the Casta golf course – a statement that defies his position from the dais for the past year. The golf course is still for sale, and if Sunrise doesn’t return, another housing developer could buy it. Ury has consistently indicated he’d vote in favor of rezoning the golf course, and he’s taken a campaign donation from the housing developer’s lobbyist.
Atkinson’s community involvement seems similar to that of Justin McCusker, a two-year resident who ran for city council in 2006 and finished near the bottom. Atkinson says he’s lived in Mission Viejo for nine years … or seven years … or is it five? In Cheryl Atkinson’s Oct. 20 public comments, she said she’s lived here for four years. Should they compare notes?
Storefront polling this week indicates that most of those who have already mailed in their absentee ballots aren’t voting for Ury. The exception is uninformed voters who might be fooled by Ury’s claims about wanting to preserve the Casta del Sol Golf Course. Last week, he mailed a glossy, color brochure touting himself as Mission Viejo’s promise keeper. Residents might try to remember any promise he’s kept – N.O.P.E., can’t think of any.
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Mission Viejo City Council Elections
by Harry Lenczyk
This correspondence is an appeal to all Mission Viejo residents who need to know which city council candidates are best for its citizens.
About a year ago Sunrise Senior Living started an attempt to purchase Casta Del Sol Golf Course and convert it into a senior living facility and convert the remaining acreage into a park. That immediately got the attention of the adjacent homeowners and the many people using that facility, because it was a potential start of degrading our excellent quality of life, as we citizens have been enjoying for all our lives in Mission Viejo.
During the ensuing period since that time, we citizens have recognized that we need to have city council members who recognize what we have worked for and want to be part of retaining it without jeopardizing our future by unnecessary spending. We have observed that our representatives didn’t seem to be strong in telling Sunrise to go away because the city council would never rezone the golf course for anything but a golf course. We citizens put up a big fight against the Sunrise proposal and eventually got them to back off. We think this is temporary because the golf course is still for sale. The potential of having a city council soft on rezoning and needing to make money could result in creating changes in the city that are untenable to the citizens.
During this time when we were fighting the potential zoning change, we observed that our city was spending money on unnecessary projects and/or improvements. For instance, the funding of a Rose parade float, paying to have a new city image, easel-gate, $15-million upgrade to the Norman P Murray senior center, and additional tennis courts. Some of these things wind up requiring maintenance costs forever. It’s one thing to pay for something once, but to have follow-on costs is not something we should fund. At the same time the city is looking for ways to build up money reserves; that, if they did their job correctly, they wouldn’t be in this situation. This is just an example of what is developing in our community.
Therefore, it is apparent that our city government is ready for reform.
I have personally attended two meetings that were organized to have the candidates meet and state their case to the city residents.
One meeting was organized by City Council Member Gail Reavis. The other one by Mayor Trish Kelly.
Gail Reavis presented Cathy Schlicht and Neil Lonsinger. They fit our need for reform. Cathy Schlicht has demonstrated that she has identified the shortcomings of the city council at many of the city council meetings and is strong enough to carry through any changes in city operations required to satisfy us citizens. Neil is strong in money management and, teamed with Cathy, will strengthen the government of our city.
Mayor Kelly presented Frank Ury and Rich Atkinson. Incumbent Frank Ury seems to lean towards spending money and be too easily willing to go for projects that we don’t really need. Rich Atkinson appears that way also. He thinks the city paid for Rose Parade floats in the past, but that is not true. The Mission Viejo Company funded those floats when they were trying to get potential sales for homes in our area. Both these candidates are very politically astute, and listening to them talking the spin around our problems makes me insecure. They tend to lure the citizens into a state of artificial complacency.
The present city council members’ approval of doubling their monthly pay is an example of the majority of them not noticing what is happening around them. Have they noticed that our state and country are experiencing economic problems? Would an observant city council vote for this in the middle of widespread economic problems? No! I rest my case.
I, therefore, endorse Cathy Schlicht and Neil Lonsinger.
I’m Harry Lenczyk and I approve of this message!
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November 4 Ballot Recommendations
Readers have asked that recommendations be posted again with the list matching the order of the ballot. Recommendations are based on conservative Republican beliefs, support for family values and love of country and freedom.
President and Vice President – John McCain / Sarah Palin
United States Representative, 42nd District – Gary G. Miller
State Senator, 33rd District – Mimi Walters
State Assembly, 71st District – Jeff Miller
Judge of Superior Court, Office No. 12 – Kermit Marsh
So. Orange Co. Com. College Dist. Trustee Area 1 – David B. Lang
So. Orange Co. Com. College Dist. Trustee Area 3 – Arlene Greer
So. Orange Co. Com. College Dist. Trustee Area 6 – Thomas A. “Tom” Fuentes
So. Orange Co. Com. College Dist. Trustee Area 7 – John S. Williams
Capistrano School District will not appear on all ballots.
Capistrano Unified School Dist. Trustee Area 1 – Jack Brick
Capistrano Unified School Dist. Trustee Area 2 – Sue Palazzo
Capistrano Unified School Dist. Trustee Area 3 – Mike Winsten
Capistrano Unified School Dist. Trustee Area 5 – Ken Maddox
Mission Viejo City Council (vote for 2): Cathy Schlicht & Neil Lonsinger – save Casta golf course!
Santa Margarita Water District (vote for three): no recommendations
Municipal Water District of Orange Co., Director, Division 6 – no recommendation
Propositions – Recommendations are stated with the most concise summary possible
Proposition 1(A) – NO. This $9.95-billion bond toward a $50-billion rail system is flatly unaffordable.
Proposition 2 – NO. Primarily adds cage requirements for egg-laying chickens.
Proposition 3 – NO. This is a $980-million bond for children’s hospitals when $350-million remains from the last similar bond we passed in 2004.
Proposition 4 – YES. With some exceptions, requires a physician to notify parents or guardians of an unemancipated minor 48 hours before an abortion; permission is not required.
Proposition 5 – NO. Replaces current drug programs with more costly ones with loopholes for offenders.
Proposition 6 – NO. Creates mandatory spending for criminal justice – very costly and can’t be undone.
Proposition 7 – NO. Sets higher targets for renewable energy sources – our rates will jump to pay for it.
Proposition 8 – YES. Amends California constitution – marriage is between a man and a woman.
Proposition 9 – NO – a tough call. Expands the rights of victims to participate in each step of legal proceedings; contains some good provisions but may conflict with federal court decisions.
Proposition 10 – NO. Allows state to sell $5 billion in bonds for alternative fuels and renewable energy. T. Boone Pickens’ measure – a nearly bankrupt state gives the use of billions to investors.
Proposition 11 – YES. Creates new lines for Assembly, State Senate and Board of Equalization districts. The current lines (defining geographic areas) are ridiculous.
Proposition 12 – YES. Extends the veteran’s bond program for money to veterans to purchase farms, homes or mobile homes. Bonds are to be repaid from payments by veterans.
J – County of Orange – YES. Gives voters authority to increase retirement benefits for county workers.
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Reader Responses
I was reading your article of 2006 regarding your City Hall and [former city attorney] Peter Thorson problems, and realized they were the same issues we are now having in Temecula, CA. He is our city attorney and we have, not a $20-million City Hall monster but a $70-million to $100-million one being built under Mr. Thorson’s watch. The City is handling this project with a Mitigated Negative Declaration instead of the proper EIR. Other problems with the City are far-ranging and complex, all under his legal scope. Mom and pop businesses are being starved out in our Old Town section, and because of unbridled development, traffic problems and the City’s plans to develop a Gas Lamp District in a place not appropriate, etc. Our City seems to parallel Mission Viejo in so many ways. We would like to have as much insight on your problems and tribulations with your "40 Thieves" serving on your City Council in order for us to compare notes.
D.L.
Temecula
The MVC Master Plan put Mission Viejo on the map as the "California Promise.” Continuing to vote consentient to those historical goals is the sound, prudent and wise path....from a 38-year proud resident!
D.S.
Mission Viejo
Thanks so very much for taking your time to create this very useful and informative site. I have learned a lot from your site. Thanks!!
Mission Viejo resident
I enjoy reading the MV Watchdogs and find much of the content very interesting. In defense of no one, there is much to do, to maintain a city as beautiful as ours and I sense no one here is aware of prevailing wage in Orange County?! Basically, it ranges from approximately $45 to $65 per hour (straight time), depending on the skill level of the trade. Now, this is not the amount the employer (contractor) pays his employee per hour, rather the entire hourly package (hourly rate + benefits). Then, the employer/contractor must cover their cost/overhead to do business. Pick up a Pennysaver or call a Plumber sometime; most hourly rates are approximately $100 per hour or more. I wouldn't hire an Electrical Contractor (for example), who charges less than $100 an hour (w/state licensed electricians) to do any work for me. Anything less and I'll probably get an inferior product that will end up costing me more in the long run. You get what you pay for... always!
J.F.
Mission Viejo
Please tell me why Lance MacLean would still be pushing for a new gymnasium in Mission Viejo. Both Los Alisos and La Paz Intermediate Schools have built new gymnasiums on their campuses. Between the community college, high schools and intermediate schools, I'm sure we have enough gyms to go around!
E.Y.
Mission Viejo
I just checked out the poll results at ocregister.com regarding the float. 88 total votes: 53% against, 47% for. That's approximately 46 people vs. 42 people. Those kind of numbers don't align with your idea that everybody is against it. Oh, and I know 10 people (myself included) who have expressed interest in helping with the float.
Hugh Lander
Editor’s response: While this blog has indicated the float is widely criticized, that’s not the same as “everyone” is against it. The OCR poll ended with 133 participants [in a city of nearly 100,000]: 62 percent opposed to the float and 38 percent in favor. Here’s the link: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/float-city-community-2144429-parade-council
I hope my last comment of current Californian Prevailing Wage shined some light of reality, after all, we almost hit $5 per gal of gas and we are in the last quarter of 2008, people. If you think Jamey Clark's $45 per hr rate is expensive... normally you'd be wrong, but talk to one of his employees for two minutes and you'll understand why they're half the price of an educated, certified, and highly skilled tradesman! As far as $300K of our tax dollars being thrown away on a float... why should that surprise you, when we spend more than that every year on Christmas lighting & decorations throughout the city (primarily on Marguerite / La Paz)?!! This city is filled with some of the biggest egos known to mankind and as far as spending money... there is no one city employee knowledgeable enough in all the building trades to okay the spending of one dollar! Someone should be asking why we spent $400K on the tiny bathroom building at Melinda Park, as opposed to these stupid easels... come on, every city official lies, that's how they get things done... focus people! Focus on the lies that matter, or the truths that matter... point being, focus on the issues that are truly important, without chasing the proverbial bone(s)! The Easel Blunder pales in comparison to how we got taken on the civic & community centers and the above mentioned restroom facility! That's it for now, have a son leaving for his second deployment to Iraq! Keep up the good work.
J.F.
Mission Viejo
Editor’s note: Good points, especially to focus on the lies that matter and truths that matter. Just to recap, this blog was critical of the $400,000 bathroom (a council decision), and the rant about Jamey Clark’s rate developed when a city staff member claimed that volunteers built easels (and implied the cost was zero).
Mr. Atkinson is not "lying," a word used rather loosely in this blog. He was endorsed by the Lincoln Club of Orange County last week, an enviable endorsement by a highly respected conservative Republican organization.
D.V.
Mission Viejo
Editor’s response: The blog article said Atkinson lied about having the endorsement of the California Republican Assembly, and no mention was made about the “enviable endorsement of the Lincoln Club.” The Lincoln Club includes the owner of the Unisys property, who wrote a letter to the city saying he wants his parcel rezoned to affordable apartments. Thank you for the information about the enviable Lincoln Club’s endorsement.
Crown Valley construction has failed because city management, including our elected officials, did not do their job. As a contractor, I have watched with dismay how poorly this project has been managed. Every elected official who has been in office during this construction project should be thrown out of office, period, no excuse, no finger-pointing, just don't elect these bums again. As for the public employees responsible for management of the project, they should be fired or demoted, period, no excuse.
Robert Bruchmann
I am a supporter of the Right-to-Vote Initiative, and I signed the petition as soon as the volunteers showed up in front of Trader Joe's. I would like to suggest that instead of focusing solely on the idea of "saving Casta del Sol golf course," which may not be of interest to all residents, the committee clearly explain (on their signs) that the initiative would affect all zoning decisions, and give us the right to vote on these decisions. That makes it a broader issue than just one golf course. Thank you.
D.C.
I read your E-mail every week. Never has a Democrat been mentioned favorably. Why ?
H.R.W.
Editor’s note: Democrats regularly contribute to this blog, but their focus is city issues, not party politics. Democrats have been mentioned favorably many times but without giving their affiliation. To achieve balance, the blog staff has invited Democrats to offer their voting recommendations and other input, but no one has responded.
Thanks for the info posted on your site. My vote is with yours.
S.L.
Mission Viejo
Joyce Saltzgiver wrote in to say:
- I would like to set the record straight. I didn't say anything about residents posting signs for political candidates. The subject of sings didn't even come up.
- The rule that was broken in Casta was our rule that there will be no soliciting door to door.
- The resident that summoned me was my husband from the back yard. I went out the front door and there she was - breaking our rule. We do not have security we can call - they are manning the gates. I could have called the police since she was trespassing.
- I also understand that the "city activist" doesn't live in Mission Viejo.
- Not only was the "activist" trespassing on Saturday, she was trespassing again on Sunday going door to door again. I thought she understood that she was not welcome here. Maybe she doesn't understand English.
- It would be very nice if you would check your "facts" before printing them. All anyone had to do was call our general manager to find out our rules.
- For your information, I received a very nice phone call from Neil Lonsinger stating was sorry this happened and it won't happen again. I heard NOTHING from Cathy Schlicht.
- I'm sure you won't print this because it tells the truth and you seem to have a problem with that. As far as I'm concerned a liar is a liar. She (the activist)lied to get into our community by either posing as a real estate agent or coming in with one. The other candidates for the City Council have NOT broken our rules and they won't because they know they could call me and get the true facts.
- I just clicked submit and found that my comments will not be printed. I guess that's the way you silence the truth
Editor's Comment:: Thanks for letting us of your concerns with our coverage. The paragraph I think you are concerned about is the fourth item in the October 11, 2009, Buzz. I don't see any significant factual errors to correct. We printed that an activist had entered the gated HOA and that you confronted that person. The only possible factual error was that that HOA has security guard who can be summoned if there is a problem and if there are no such personnel, then I regret the error. I have seen guards at your gates and assumed they had other duties as well. After hearing more details on the incident, I wondered if you would have reacted as harshly if the person giving out fliers was supporting your favored candidate(s).
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The Buzz
A resident’s public comments during the Oct. 20 council meeting may have curtailed the theft of campaign signs in his neighborhood. He said yard signs had been taken from several properties. His remedy was to go door-to-door in his neighborhood, talking about the missing signs. The speaker said he went to 50 homes – that’s a lot of votes for his candidates – with a revealing message about the opposition’s supporters.
At least one of Councilman Frank Ury’s false claims in his ballot statement is coming back to bite him. He stated the Crown Valley Parkway project is finished, but the city staff says the completion date is at least six months away. Ury tried to cover his lie during a council meeting by saying he “thought” it might be finished by Election Day. Councilman Lance MacLean then asked the city staff how the project could be accelerated. A city employee said the contractors could work day and night, with the cost rising accordingly. Those driving CVP are now seeing nighttime roadwork after two years of non-progress.
The city staff and council members continue blaming a utility company for the CVP widening fiasco. As reported in a previous Buzz column, a representative of SDG&E was summoned to the public microphone during a council meeting when MacLean asked why the CVP project is taking so long. The SDG&E spokesman said that his company had no direct contact from anyone from the city until recently. Apparently, those responsible for managing the project – not the utility company – failed miserably in planning the project. How did a road-widening project get so far out of whack? That’s what happens when everyone in city hall is moving easels around, coloring character posters and immersed in a yearlong 20th anniversary party.
Despite a great deal of hoopla and added expense, the $300,000 Rose Parade float (now costing more than $360,000) is very unpopular with residents. City hall is working overtime to send out press releases and other positive publicity. As usual, residents are paying for it but not buying it.
Yet another city hall scandal is emerging about lies and hiding expenses. This time, the subject is all the plants, trees and other costs associated with Tierra Nativa and its replacement event, Artes de Vida. For years, city staff members have claimed the costs are minimal because of donations from city contractors and vendors. Were the real expenses merely hidden among other invoices over a period of time? All it takes is one contractor (or ex-contractor) to blow the whistle.
What was the impact of Easelgate? Activists compiled overwhelming evidence that city staff members lied about pictures for the photo display, the level of community participation, who built easels, cost of easels, cost of the entire project, disposal of easels, costs of large signboards and, well, almost everything else. Although newspapers neglected to report much of anything except for easels trashed on a hillside, the word leaked out. As a result, city hall officials lost credibility and council members demonstrated they don’t care. Activists also learned that some city employees maintain two separate accounting systems – one that can be accessed as public records and another to hide costs. It will likely take an insider to bring about a criminal investigation, someone like CUSD ex-employee David Smollar, who went to the OC Register with proof of the “Enemies Lists.”
A report about council candidates’ campaign finances can be found on Brad Morton’s blog, http://missionviejodispatch.com under the heading “Council candidates list contributions and expenses.” As no surprise, Frank Ury and Richard Atkinson are able to stuff mailboxes with pricey brochures and mailers because of donations from special interest and city vendors. All three blogs that investigate city issues (MissionViejoCa.org, missionviejodispatch.com and OrangeJuiceBlog.com) are strongly recommending Cathy Schlicht and Neil Lonsinger for Mission Viejo City Council.
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