The Buzz

A resident of Bell, California, was pictured in a CNN photo when hundreds of residents came out to protest overpaid city officials. He wore his message on a T-shirt: “My city is more corrupt than your city.”

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Here’s a video a Mission Viejo resident put on YouTube about the poor condition of city streets. It’s an eye-opener about the deteriorating infrastructure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFox-rDNoJM

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Ex-councilman Lance MacLean’s candidacy in the November election apparently didn’t change when he was recalled on February 2. He had already shaken down vendors and other outsiders to fund his reelection campaign. With more than $100,000 from the deputies union against the recall, he didn’t spend his own campaign cash in that election.

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What’s the reaction to MacLean’s attempt to get back on the council? Some residents say he’s scary, and others talk about his addiction to power and payoffs. Either four or five potential candidates are running on the same “side” now: Trish Kelley, Dave Leckness, Rick Sandzimier, Lance MacLean and Dan Avery. If Geoffrey Willis enters the race, that would be another one who champion the status quo of city hall.

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A letter in the July 25 OC Register reviewed the city’s affordable housing situation and other land-use issues. MV resident Bonnie Benton alerts readers to the misguided effort of public agencies and legislation to relocate commuting residents of San Bernardino and Riverside counties for the sake of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. When the state “forced” the MV city council to rezone commercial and open space to residential, it had another reason for doing so. Add to the information that two councilmen – Frank Ury and Lance MacLean – enabled this rezoning travesty with their deliberate and defiant action of throwing away the city’s affordable housing plan. The state doesn’t mandate cities to build affordable housing, but it does mandate that cities have a plan. Given that Ury and MacLean are advocates for more housing, their irresponsibility appeared to be a strategic move to have rezoning “forced” on Mission Viejo by the state.

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For candidates running for school board, how important is it to have a background in education (teacher training)? Nearly every candidate has at least 12 years of “classroom experience.” Parents can get another 12 years of experience dealing with teachers, principals and programs. Districts have entire administrative departments that provide direction in how to teach and challenge students. School finance, real estate transactions and balancing the budget are areas where school board members need to excel.