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We Can’t Afford To Do Nothing In the city’s Feb. 2 Special Election, we’ll get a chance to voice our resolve to protect property values and security in the neighborhoods near Casta del Sol Golf Course. Sunrise Development tried to build housing on the golf course and appeared to have three council votes lined up before the housing market and economy declined. Councilman Lance MacLean favors housing on the golf course, and he is facing a recall on Feb. 2. A few naive people said Sunrise could have its housing project and keep the golf course as well, and that was definitely false. Sunrise was buying the entire 73-acre parcel. Does anyone think the assisted-living caregivers would double as greens keepers and marshals? The golf course would have closed with the sale! Instead of protecting the golf course, the council passed a temporary moratorium with a loophole benefiting the developer. I want to make sure EVERYONE is voting to recall MacLean. He not only supports housing on the golf course, he voted to double his council salary and bestow lifetime medical benefits on council members for three terms of part-time service ($270,000 per council member). While a special election could cost as much as $275,000, rescinding the lifetime medical benefits would save $810,000 (three council members could qualify). While it took three council votes to make these bad decisions, MacLean is by far the worst. Get MacLean out of office, roll back the council’s salary and rescind their lifetime medical benefits. For the replacement candidate, I’m voting for Dale Tyler. He was the author of the Mission Viejo Right-To-Vote Initiative, and we know he will preserve the golf course. To say we can’t afford an election is ludicrous. We can’t afford not to have one! Elizabeth Mimm |
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