MacLean’s Dark Side Prevails

For many Mission Viejo residents, the recall election of Councilman Lance MacLean has been an eye-opener about their wayward city government. MacLean isn’t the only problem, but he’s the city’s worst example of an elected official who is unfit to serve.

Community watchdogs were among the first to catch on to MacLean’s deceptive nature after working to get him elected in 2002. Immediately after being seated on the council, MacLean said “wait a minute” to implementing promises he’d made. Among other campaign claims, he said he would crack down on overspending and call for an audit of city hall. In every speech prior to election night, he’d said he would sell the city manager’s $6,000 desk on eBay. The remark had become a symbol of MacLean’s alleged outrage at city hall’s insensitivity toward taxpayers. After being installed on the council, MacLean said he was joking about the desk. Apparently, he was also joking about being a fiscal conservative and representing voters.

By the time MacLean ran for reelection in 2006, every city watchdog had turned against him. He barely survived the election, beating challenger Diane Greenwood by 94 votes. In addition to revealing his big-spending, big-government ways, MacLean had also revealed his dark and menacing side. The more he’s been challenged by residents demanding representation, the more he’s shown his nature as a bully. After he assaulted a co-worker at UCI, his attorney claimed he was a first-time offender. His neighbors know better, and they offered specifics as they signed the petition to recall him. MacLean also had a public run-in with Greenwood over a campaign sign, and she reported to police that she thought he was going to hit her. MacLean’s verbal assaults during closed-session council meetings against a council member and from the dais against residents are well documented.

MacLean is keeping one of his promises: he’s said that his anti-recall campaign “is going to get ugly.” As any resident whose mailbox has been stuffed with his nasty hit pieces can attest, it’s ugly. Increasingly, residents are fed up with MacLean’s negative campaign, including his TV ads funded by a union and his $100,000 campaign funded by outsiders. Thus far, those orchestrating his financial support have stayed out of view, and no one has “fessed up” to paying for the surveys “from Central Research of New York.”

MacLean had a chance to resign nearly a year ago when presented with notice he would be recalled. From the beginning, he predicted he would be removed from office. As the Feb. 2 Special Election grows closer, MacLean’s attempt to stay in office has turned increasingly to vicious attacks against residents. It began with his smear campaign against more than 50 residents who initiated the recall process and grew to an attack against approximately 14,000 who signed the recall petition. On Feb. 2, election results will show just how many residents are on MacLean’s “enemies list” for daring to disagree with him.