The Buzz

A blog reader reacted to last week’s speculation that Councilwoman Trish Kelley directed Commissioner Leslie Sykes to interfere with the recall at a storefront. The reader emailed: “I believe Kelley used Sykes for her political purposes. I’d like to know who wrote the speech that Sykes read at a recent council meeting. It was a scathing attack against Councilwoman Cathy Schlicht. It was clear to me that Sykes was reading what someone else had written, and it all fits together.”

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The signature drive to recall Councilman Lance MacLean has been an enlightening experience for those who are talking with thousands of residents. MacLean isn’t the only politician who is unpopular. When voters sign the recall petition, they frequently tell volunteers about other council members they’d like to remove. After MacLean, Frank Ury is the most unpopular. At the county level, Sheriff Sandra Hutchens gets the most negative comments. If volunteers had petitions to recall state and national officials, people would be standing in line to sign.

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Which OCSD Command Staff members will Hutchens dismiss as a cost-cutting measure? Some residents are concerned that she might dismiss Jack Anderson, a Mission Viejo resident who served as interim sheriff before the county supervisors awarded Hutchens the job. If Anderson didn’t work for Hutchens, he might run against her in 2010. Whether or not Anderson would enter the race, Hutchens would lose votes in Mission Viejo by dismissing him.

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A blog reader reported seeing graffiti on the killer pillars along Crown Valley Porkway last week, saying she noticed the addition of blue spray paint on the graphics as well. Crown Valley has long been the site of tagging and cross-tagging by rival gang members. They probably appreciate having a new “canvas” for their messages to each other. The reader said some of the graphics were removed after they were spray painted.

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Mission Viejo library patrons say they’re already noticing cutbacks. Some of them mention the council majority’s decision to spend $400,000 on a Rose Parade float, which was followed by cuts to library programs and materials. Residents are just beginning to see the impact of the council majority’s overspending as revenues diminish.