Community Common Sense

Published last week, the March edition of Community Common Sense is being delivered to 20,000 homes, http://www.ccsense.com/ . The following four articles in this month’s edition are about Mission Viejo.

Banner Blight?
by Steve Magdziak

The Mission Viejo (MV) city council voted 5-0 to approve the concept of getting 60-plus new 8'x30" banner signs installed on light poles. The banners were moving forward until I raised more questions during a Community Services Commission meeting. I was told I couldn't disagree with what the council wanted; that I had to go with the majority, that answering my questions was just belaboring a point that had already been decided. I asked, “What is the point of a commission if your only option is to agree with what is passed? Why would the public come and offer their opinion? Why not just start a club? Why not just get up, put a sign on my chair with a YES vote and leave?” Read more at http://www.ccsense.com/2014/03/mission-viejo_210.html#more

It’s Not the Event; It’s the Lack of Accountability
by Ed Sachs

In a long line of Mission Viejo’s missteps of overspending public funds comes year two of the International Tennis Federation (“ITF”) Wheelchair event. I reported on last year’s event in the February issue of CCS. Council members approved year two of this event during the Feb. 3, 2014, council meeting. We can only hope that the accounting and budgeting are tighter than the first event. Residents should not have to continually fund event and capital improvement cost overruns. Read more at http://www.ccsense.com/2014/03/mission-viejo_9300.html#more

Improve, Don’t Move!
by Larry Gilbert

In Part One of the Trust But Verify series, the focus was on Mission Viejo's "Improve, Don't Move" (IDM) permit fee waiver program that was in effect for six months in early 2012. The title of the program implies that homeowners were going to leave our city yet decided to stay and renovate because we were waiving their permit fees. Really. You don’t just pick up and move unless you already have plans to do so. You surely don't make a decision based on, of all things, a discount from the city. Read more at http://www.ccsense.com/2014/03/mission-viejo.html#more

Letter to the Editor – Follow the Money
by Joe Holtzman

When Wendy Bucknum lost her race for Mission Viejo City Council in 2012, many voters didn’t know her. The focus was her controversial support for jumbotron-type electronic billboards in the south part of Mission Viejo.

On the November 2012 ballot, Bucknum identified herself as a “commissioner/businesswoman.” If she fully disclosed her occupation, would voters want a housing lobbyist on the council?

During her 2012 campaign, all references touting Bucknum’s “award-winning” lobbyist skills disappeared from her employer’s website. The following is from a site that hasn’t been scrubbed. Read a “guest post from Wendy Bucknum” on the California Legislative Action Committee of the Community Associations Institute website. Bucknum describes her lobbyist expertise:

“Wendy Bucknum rounded out the day along with special guest Shawna Rimke, District Director with U.S. Congressman Ken Calvert’s office sharing expertise on how to ‘Lobby Your Legislator.’ Which provided tips and tools for everyone as they headed out to visit their respective legislator offices. Chapter members visited the offices of Assemblymembers Solario, Miller, Norby, Wagner and Harkey.

Martin Paine, District Director for Senator Mimi Walters‘ office came to the Chapter office to visit with everyone from CAI-OCRC. Day in the District 2011 wrapped up with a successful debriefing session on the visits. This was done in an effort to educate our attendees about the importance of advocating on behalf of our industry at the local, state and federal levels!” http://caiclac.wordpress.com/2011/07/21/cai-orange-county-day-in-the-district/

Bucknum’s description is an eye-opener for the public on lobbyists and elected officials teaching each other how to lobby. It’s no coincidence this “commissioner/businesswoman” knows all the elected officials and got their endorsements.

Bucknum is running again for a Mission Viejo council seat in November 2014.