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.

Union Support Becomes the $64,000 Question

Soon after residents’ signs began popping up to generate support for the recall of Councilman Lance MacLean, the police deputies’ union began posting signs that read “NO on Recall.” Residents are asking why any organization connected with law enforcement would support a politician with a history of violence. The union is also funding TV commercials and mailers indicating that Mission Viejo will be “less safe” if MacLean is removed from office.

The deputies union isn’t the OCSD, and a union’s endorsement can be made by one person. Did one union boss make the decision to spend $63,423 to oppose MacLean’s recall? If so, what stake does the union boss have in MacLean’s position on the council?

To have a union supporting a political thug isn’t surprising, but a police organization of any kind shouldn’t be supporting MacLean, whose background includes assault and battery on a co-worker, a history of verbal abuse and a problem controlling his anger.

As a further example of MacLean’s anti-law enforcement views, take a look at his council vote against resource officers in schools: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9F97qCSM1o

On Jan. 21, Mission Viejo blogger Larry Gilbert posted an article on OrangeJuiceBlog.com, pointing to another vote by MacLean against OCSD. Gilbert reminded readers of MacLean’s 2005 vote against renaming the city’s Camino Largo Park to Sergeant Matt Davis Park. Davis died after his motorcycle crashed into a car while he was on duty. Gilbert asks why anyone associated with law enforcement or OCSD would support MacLean, referring to the union’s donation as “The $64,000 Question.”

Gilbert’s posts can be found at http://orangejuiceblog.com/

Recall Update

Embattled Councilman Lance MacLean was treated to an anti-recall event last week by a Casta del Sol resident. Some Casta homeowners expressed surprise that anyone would have the nerve to host a get-together for MacLean in Casta del Sol after he demonstrated his support for housing on the Casta golf course. The outcome of the event, however, wasn’t a surprise.

A resident who learned about the event emailed this blog: “Very few people attended the meeting, which was set up by one of the board members who is a MacLean fan. Any hope MacLean had to get support went south very quickly when he got caught in a lie. The person who organized the event got mad and flustered. She was trying to gloss it over by saying, “Let’s move on, let’s move on.” MacLean was angry, and the whole thing backfired.”

Street-corner challenges between MacLean’s four-member fan club and the recall proponents continue to erupt each week. The same four people stage demonstrations, harass recall supporters and yell angry remarks. On the morning of Jan. 22, a group of recall supporters were holding signs and banners at La Paz and Chrisanta to greet rush-hour traffic. One of MacLean’s supporters walked up to the corner and began yelling at those holding “YES on Recall” signs. A woman holding a sign said, “If you don’t get away from me, I’m going to call the police.” The MacLean fan moved closer to her and yelled, “You’re standing on a corner, what do you expect?” As she grabbed her cell phone and dialed 9-1-1, the man literally ran away.

During the Jan. 18 council meeting, MacLean announced from the dais that he was about to release “new information” against the recall, which residents should expect to receive in the mail. His hit piece arrived in mail boxes on Jan. 23 – a series of claims about candidate Dale Tyler’s views. None of the claims was documented, nor was any reference or context provided. The return address on the mailer was Lance MacLean’s campaign.

In the city’s only prior recall effort, Councilman Bob Curtis survived a campaign to remove him in 1990. Some residents might remember that the campaign mailers became so negative against Curtis that voters reacted by supporting him. MacLean’s Jan. 23 mailer may have had a similar effect, sinking MacLean’s own ship with a final stink bomb.

The Buzz

OC Register columnist Gary Robbins dubs last week’s storm system “the Yukon Express.” In his Jan. 24 column, he says KABC/7 meteorologist Dallas Raines was wrong to blame El Nino. Robbins says storms are following the jet stream out of the Gulf of Alaska, not coming from warm, subtropical waters.

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Mission Viejo streets are deteriorating, and many weren’t in good condition before the rains hit. Estimates to bring all streets up to good condition are running as high as $85 million. It has taken a long time and a lot of neglect to allow streets to fall into such disrepair. For residents who think it’s only their street or their neighborhood, the problem is widespread throughout the city.

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The “other” candidate running to replace recall target Lance MacLean commented on another blog last week. Read Leckness’ remarks on http://missionviejodispatch.com/?p=14156/ Leckness earlier revealed his lack of competency in an interview with Larry Gilbert (link to OrangeJuiceBlog.com article provided on the Dispatch). Leckness indicates his council run is more about having fun than taking care of city business. Mr. Fun Leckness lashes out in his post on the Dispatch: “You must be an idiot, I never said anything about diverting money from streets and slopes. I stepped up to run for city council as a positive alternative … Having fun? you-better-believe-it. As for you Mr Smokey, next time you write a scathing article have the b—- to put your real name.” Mr. Fun gets a little testy when teased, and he seems baffled by the spoof written by Allan Pilger. Smokey is Pilger’s dog.

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From an update from the Orange County Registrar of Voters: As of Jan. 24, nine days remain before Mission Viejo’s Special Election on Feb. 2 to recall Councilman Lance MacLean. The RoV has hired 142 poll workers and recruited seven county employees to work as poll workers. Thirty-six poll sites will be open for the election. The city has 61,928 registered voters: 50 percent Republican, 27 percent Democratic and 19 percent Decline to State. The RoV anticipates it will take less than 24 hours to certify results of the Feb. 2 election.

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As of last week, the RoV had received 7,304 ballots from vote-by-mail voters. Recall proponents who are estimating turnout for the election are guessing it could be between 20 percent and 25 percent.

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City Manager Dennis Wilberg’s insider newsletter (“The Week That Was”) for Jan. 22 contained two items as his summary of city hall’s happenings for the week. He announced that The Fish House restaurant will open in April at La Paz Gateway, the new building at La Paz Road and Muirlands Drive. Wilberg’s other topic was his announcement that the library received a $15,000 grant for the implementation of the Family Place Library Program.