The Buzz

Following a year of city propaganda, readers of Saddleback Valley News are lately enjoying a local paper covering Mission Viejo’s community-generated news. For the third consecutive week, SVN included none of city hall’s self-promotional drivel. Kudos to SVN reporter Niyaz Pirani and his editors for resisting Kool-Aid infusions.

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Look who’s signing Councilman Lance MacLean’s recall. On July 4, Mission Viejo voters associated with various city commissions and committees either signed the petition or expressed their support for the recall election. An exception at the Street Faire’s gates was Councilwoman Trish Kelley’s appointee to the Community Services Commission. He approached the volunteers’ tables as if on a reconnaissance mission but didn’t sign anything. This is the same person who was defending MacLean to a recall volunteer at a storefront, and he said MacLean had done “a lot of good for the city.” When asked for an example, the commissioner couldn’t think of anything. A volunteer said, “He identified himself as a commissioner, but he was extremely confused about city history.”

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First Amendment rights and the California Constitution provide for signature gathering in public places. Storefronts are a logical place to find voters, and solicitors are legally permitted to work at storefronts. Store proprietors may not disallow such activity as long as solicitors are not breaking any law. Stores that provide public access must give access to everyone, including signature gatherers. Target pressed the issue several years ago by disallowing the Salvation Army a presence at Christmastime. In Mission Viejo, the Target store on Alicia may not prevent solicitation because Target’s area is shared by other businesses. Target personnel acknowledged last week that they will allow signature gathering for MacLean’s recall.

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As residents are learning about the grotesque graphics to be installed on Crown Valley’s pillars, the outrage is growing. A blog reader emailed: “I know why this project is on Crown Valley. When drivers O.D. on bad art, they’ll be close to the hospital.”

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Is a city official obsessed with “frames”? In the city’s April 2008 fiasco with 500 custom-built easels, city administrator Keith Rattay referred to the easels as “frames.” More than a year ago, he indicated to news reporters and in city memos that the easels would be used for years to come in various city events. The easels are nowhere to be seen. A few were left on the ground to deteriorate near the city yard, but where are they today? Rattay now refers to the pillars along Crown Valley as “frames.” Unlike deposed council members who merely wanted their names on city facilities, Rattay is making his mark in stone.