Council Meeting Reveals False Claims

On April 20, MUK majority council members (MacLean, Ury, Kelley) got caught in their own web. The topic was the retail center across the street from city hall. In 2007, the strip mall (Big Lots, CVS, Trader Joe’s, etc.) became the target of city officials who favor razing the center and rebuilding it with stores on the lower level and apartments on top. The privately owned retail center is outside the purview of city officials.

In 2007, Councilman Frank Ury initiated the process of having the Urban Land Institute conduct a study of the retail center for $30,000. Council minutes document that MUK majority members supported the ULI’s recommendations of housing on top of stores at Marguerite and La Paz.

Many residents first heard about the retail/housing plan during the recent signature drive for the Right-To-Vote land-use initiative. The initiative, which qualified for the 2010 General Election, would prevent such rezoning without a popular vote. Many residents signed the initiative either to save the Casta golf course or prevent the city’s meddling in other areas.

Not only did residents sign the land-use petition drive that successfully ended in January, they’re now signing MacLean’s recall papers for one of the same reasons – council nuttiness about the retail center. When residents privately complained to Councilwoman Kelley about the plan, her response was to deny from the dais that the council supported it. She publicly denied it during the Feb. 24 meeting, falsely claiming the council’s response was “thanks but no thanks” to putting apartments on top of stores.

At last Monday’s meeting, Kelley introduced an agenda item to reject ULI’s 2007 report two years after the fact. Perhaps she thought she could dissuade residents from signing MacLean’s recall petition, but she was wrong. As soon as she stated on April 20 that the council had rejected the plan in 2007, Councilwoman Cathy Schlicht read minutes from the 2007 meeting. All three MUK majority members had enthusiastically endorsed the idea. Additional details of last week’s meeting as well as the 2007 minutes can be found on two other blogs, http://missionviejodispatch.com/2009/04/23/councils-urban-denial-amnesia-delusion-or-lies and http://orangejuiceblog.com/2009/04/amnesia-delusion-or-lies-mission-viejo-councilwoman-kelleys-urban-revisionism

Kelley and Ury supported apartments on top of stores, and MacLean’s supportive comments demonstrated his usual in-your-face attitude toward residents. As just one example, he said, “I don’t have a lot of heartburn over the concept of housing in that location, understanding of course from where I sit, for the residents that do, if you don’t like it, don’t live there.”

The incentive to sign MacLean’s recall petition following last week’s council meeting now includes the new revelation that the council majority supported the wacky idea and then lied about it. Residents who are signing the petition to recall MacLean can read documents that demonstrate the MUKsters like to do things behind the backs of residents and lie when caught. With regard to the MUKsters’ support for apartments on top of stores, Kelley should have stopped when residents merely thought council majority members were off their rockers.

Strange Encounters in the Recall
Letter to the Editor

Occasionally, signature-gatherers in the MacLean recall have an interesting experience, and it was my turn on Sat., April 25. As I was ready to depart from a storefront, I was making a phone call. A mom and her teenage son came to the table where people had been signing petitions. They waited for me to finish the call.

I turned to them and said, "Hi, how are you?"
The son said, "What's going on here?"
I said, "Have you not heard about the recall?"
The son said, "We just want to know what this is about.”

I handed them a business card and quarter-page flyer. I said: "A councilman was charged with assault and battery. He should have resigned but he didn't. He ran as a fiscal conservative but doubled his council salary and voted for lifetime healthcare benefits after three terms of part-time service. He wants more housing, and we fought him to prevent housing on the Casta golf course. We had to get signatures on the Right-To-Vote Initiative to stop all the overbuilding.”

Either the mom or the son then said, "We're his family, and these are all lies." If these two are defenders of truth, shouldn’t they have presented themselves truthfully instead of acting as if they were passersby who didn’t know about the recall?

Mrs. MacLean said Lance wasn’t charged with assault and battery, and he was “only holding the person against the wall.” Regarding the golf course, she said it's private property and the owner can do whatever he likes – it’s not up to the council. Mrs. MacLean said Councilman Ledesma will get lifetime healthcare benefits. I said he'll term out before he's old enough to qualify. She said he could run again for three consecutive terms [12 more years] when he's old enough to qualify.

Their comments were factually incorrect and made no sense. The thrust of their remarks wasn’t a defense of Lance except their belief the assault and battery never happened. They primarily made personal attacks against other council members and residents as well, and they named names.

If Lance wasn’t charged with assault and battery, one should ask why he hired an attorney, went to court and faced a Superior Court Judge who sentenced him to anger management counseling.

I took down the table while they continued their harangue against all the people they were mad at, and I wondered if they knew even one of them

In America’s safest city, why is so much hostility coming from one councilman and his supporters? Intimidation, harassment and badgering of signature gatherers will not stop the recall.

Connie Lee
Mission Viejo

Reader Feedback: Queen of Character

A series of blog articles about Councilwoman Trish Kelley’s abuse of power jogged the memory of a reader. This blog broke the story of Councilwoman Trish Kelley’s attempt to thwart the effort to recall Councilman Lance MacLean. The following paragraph was first published several weeks ago and reiterated last week:

Councilwoman Trish Kelley has been working behind the scenes to thwart the recall of Councilman Lance MacLean. On March 27, recall supporters learned that Kelley had called a store manager near the area where residents were signing the recall petition. Kelley identified herself to the manager as the former mayor of Mission Viejo and directed him to tell signature gatherers to leave.

Last week’s blog cited another incident documenting Kelley’s true nature:

This isn’t the first time Ms. Kelley has used her clout as a councilwoman against residents. As another example, she was campaigning several years ago on a school campus (which the district prohibits) when she spotted two parents with a child handing out flyers for Kelley’s archrival, then-councilwoman Gail Reavis. Kelley went into the school building and, within minutes, school officials came out riding a golf cart and chased the family down. They threatened the parents with arrest and frightened their daughter. Meanwhile, Kelley and her king of character, Bill Klimek, continued distributing political flyers for Kelley’s candidates on school property.

Following are excerpts from an April 23 reader response about Kelley:

“I can remember numerous times when the Queen of Character was vindictive toward residents who disagreed with her. Homeowners who make improvements to their property without proper permits can either have the book thrown at them (if Kelley is a friend of the person making the complaint) or they can get a pass for doing things that are far worse. When a supporter of Kelley complained about unauthorized work on a home, Kelley led the way in demanding an immediate remedy. By contrast, look at the example in Mission Ridge of a homeowner doing a remodel that has taken years.

“I had a direct experience with Kelley’s wrath two years ago during her council campaign. I was working in a Street Faire booth on July 4th that had names of its sponsors inside the booth, council challengers Michael Ferrall and Jim Woodin. The Street Faire committee had approved the posting of the names of candidates well before the event. On July 4th, Kelley was promoting herself at the Faire, going to every booth with her relentless campaigning. She walked by the booth with names of those running against her, and soon thereafter a committee person came over and said the signs had to come down. Those who paid for the booth opted to get a refund from the committee for breach of contract. Has everyone not had enough of this council queen?”

PALs Update
by Julie Collier

I received an email from a PALs member from Vista Del Mar Elementary (San Clemente). She explained one of the teachers at her school was told by a board member that only parents from VDM care that Class Size Reduction (CSR) is gone. I have heard from many people all over CUSD that they are very concerned about larger class sizes in all grades, especially for K-3, for a multitude of reasons.

CSR is a vital part of ensuring young children get the basic learning foundation that they will use throughout their academic and professional careers. Our children are our future. We need to support them in their efforts to become productive citizens.

Our district is in a difficult financial predicament due to immense budget cuts at the state level. Our district can make choices in an effort to continue the support of CSR that many other districts are choosing to do.

If you support CSR, please email our trustees about your concerns. Politely explain why you feel CSR is important for our district and the children they must educate. It can be just a few sentences. Make sure to tell them which community you live in. Below is a sample letter created by a VDM parent to assist you. If you have time, however, feel free to write your own personal note.

Sample letter: My name is _________ and I have a child in ____ grade, at __________
elementary school. I am writing to voice my concerns about the budget cuts and how they will affect children. My biggest concern is cutting Class Size Reduction (CSR). It is imperative to keep the class sizes the way they are. Our children are our first priority here in Capistrano Unified School District, and CSR is next. To see our children benefit the most throughout their education, from Kindergarten through high school, we must think of their education as a whole, not in separate segments. Our state government is not taking away the funds for CSR; it is still two-thirds funded and flexibility has been given for student numbers 21 through 24 in the classroom. CSR funding cannot be applied elsewhere. It has to be used to create smaller class size. You, all seven members, ran your election campaign in support of providing smaller class sizes in CUSD. We expect CSR to be your No. 1 priority program to save, as it is the only funded program from the state.

Email addresses for trustees:
eaddonizio@capousd.org (Ellen Addonizio)
mwinsten@capousd.org (Michael Winsten)
ljchristensen@capousd.org (Larry Christensen)
jbrick@capousd.org (Jack Brick)
abryson@capousd.org (Anna Bryson)
kmaddox@capousd.org (Ken Maddox)
spalazzo@capousd.org (Susan Palazzo)

The Buzz

During the April 15 TEA Party in Mission Viejo, many participants said they’d rally again for a good cause. Watch for information about a rally in Mission Viejo on May 18, the eve of the statewide Special Election, as a reminder to voters: just say no to more taxes. On May 19, California voters will have the opportunity to avoid supersizing their tax bill. This blog has already recommended rejecting all propositions in the Special Election.

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Casta del Sol Republican Club will host Sir Eldon Griffiths on Wed., May 20, when he’ll speak on “How the United States should handle Iran.” Saddleback Republican Assembly members will attend as a joint meeting. The program begins at 7 p.m. in Casta’s Vista Room. Those who live outside Casta’s gates are invited. Call Beverly Cruse, (949) 770-3368, to get on the guest list at the gate. The club will sell inscribed copies of Griffiths’ latest book, “Turbulent Iran,” at the meeting. Admission is free.

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A resident emailed this blog about the city’s April 25 event, Artes de Vida. He described his experience: “I was directed to put a shrub into a hole. When I asked about planter mix, I was told it wasn’t needed. When I asked about watering the plant, I was told it wasn’t necessary. Do not try this at home, as the plant will die. I learned that Public Works Director Keith Rattay wants Artes de Vida to focus more on art than plants. In that case, I think ART stands for Another Rattay Travesty, after last year’s Easelgate. Many of those attending came because their children were performing in a dance recital. I think the planting thing has run out of gas.”

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Proponents of the Lance MacLean recall anticipate they’ll reach the halfway mark in the signature drive during the first week of May. The deadline to collect approximately 9,300 valid signatures is August 25. Proponents expect to complete the job well before the deadline.

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As an update to the number of palm trees added along Crown Valley PORKway, a blog reader reported counting 70 new palm trees along Crown Valley plus 10 new ones near Crown Valley on Marguerite. The resident reported, “For $10,000 each, some of the trees look as if they are in poor condition. They are tree stumps mixed in with the cow-patty pillars.”