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Council Majority Melts Down During the Apr. 1 Mission Viejo council meeting, Councilman Frank Ury said he “talked with several council members throughout the course of the day” about an item on the agenda. He made the statement at 2 hours and 48 minutes into the meeting. What did he mean? The item being discussed was No. 21, "A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Mission Viejo Making Determination of the City Council of the City of Mission Viejo Regarding San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station Restarting Units 2 and 3.” A video of the meeting is available online at http://missionviejo.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=12&clip_id=941 The Brown Act is a California law prohibiting elected officials from conducting secret meetings. It requires city councils, county boards and other local government bodies to keep deliberations in front of the public. If local elected officials communicate with each other outside of public view, the discussion may not involve a majority of the council or board. With Mission Viejo’s council of five members, only two of them could discuss an item. Asleep at the wheel during the discussion was City Attorney Bill Curley. His reaction in response to Ury’s statement he had talked to several council members: “Z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z.” Residents who voted for clowncil majority members Frank Ury, Dave Leckness and/or Trish Kelley should watch the April 1 video, particularly where Ury tells a resident to “pound sand.” His statement occurs at 3 hours and 23 minutes into the meeting. Councilman Dave Leckness taunted residents who spoke at the public microphone. He indicated having only three public speakers in favor of the resolution amounted to nothing. However, zero residents spoke in opposition. Compare the April 1 showing of genuine support for the council resolution to the Feb. 13 Nuclear Regulatory Commission hearing in Dana Point when busloads of union members arrived to cheer on Southern California Edison. The union members received Costco gas cards in return for their support of SCE – now that’s the kind of support Leckness understands. http://www.kpbs.org/news/2013/feb/15/san-diego-trade-union-members-attend-public-meetin/ The meltdown on April 1 had nothing to do with nuclear energy. At 3 hours and 47 minutes into the meeting, Leckness interrupts, insults and talks over everyone else. He tells Mission Viejo resident Joe Holtzman that the mayor is “generously” allowing him to speak for one minute. By contrast, SCE’s representative went to the microphone numerous times and spoke for as long as he wanted. Council members favoring the resolution in support of safety at San Onofre were Council Members Cathy Schlicht and Rhonda Reardon, who have not taken campaign donations from SCE. Those opposing the resolution were Council Members Ury, Leckness and Kelley, who have taken campaign donations from SCE. Leckness is up for reelection in November 2014. Kelley terms out in 2014, and Ury terms out in 2016. |
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OCR Launches Paywall Mission Viejo watchdog Joe Holtzman sent a comment last week: “The OC Register has just established a ‘going out of business’ policy. See the following.” From the Register’s website, “OC Register Digital Access. From now on, all of the Register’s original content will be available exclusively to our subscribers or to those who pay for it on an a la carte basis. We are dedicated to ensuring the satisfaction of our loyal customers, and we understand how frustrating it can be to know that others are getting for free the same value you are paying for. Please link your account below.” No more freebies. No free Saddleback Valley News thrown in driveways, and now a paywall. How much value do readers place on something they’ve been getting for free? A competitor offered an evaluation. Gustavo Arellano of OC Weekly wrote about OCR owner Aaron Kushner under a headline “OC Register Death Watch.” UPDATE, MARCH 30, 13:00 P.M. I've previously called Kushner the Stuart Smalley of journalism, and that label will always apply. But let me apply another label to his paper's coverage of itself: Pravda, as in the legendarily bad newspaper of Russia's Communist Party and not the fashion line. |
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Non-government Events Following is a sampling of events and activities that are not funded by taxpayers or promoted by the Nanny State. Please support private enterprise and non-profit groups. Laguna Playhouse presents “Little Women,” Apr. 11-14, (10:00 a.m. on Thurs.; 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Fri.; 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Sat. and Sun.), Youth Theatre, 606 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach, (949) 497-2787, ext. 1, http://www.lagunaplayhouse.com Soka University events: music concert, Stephanie Bettman and Luke Halpin on Thurs., Apr. 11, 8:00 p.m., Performing Arts Center; 12th Annual International Festival on Sat., May 4, 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Fun With Chalk on Sat.-Sun., May 4-5, 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo, (949) 480-4278, http://www.performingarts.soka.edu Music Concert at Concordia University, Fri., Apr. 12, 7:30 p.m., Women’s Ensemble, Men’s Chorus and Sinfonietta will perform Baroque and other selections. On Sat.-Sun, Apr. 20-21, 3:00 p.m., the Concordia Choir & Master Chorale will perform Mendelssohn’s “Elijah.” 1530 Concordia West, Irvine, (949) 854-8002, http://www.cui.edu/?gclid=CMyjsdWOt7YCFQ3qnAod9CoA4w Mariachis at the Mission, Sat., Apr. 13, 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., music by the Capistrano Community Mariachi Program, Mission San Juan Capistrano, 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, (949) 234-1300, http://www.missionsjc.com Bubblefest at Discovery Science Center, through Sun., Apr. 14. Play zone, interactive science activities and a laser show, 2500 N. Main St., Santa Ana, (714) 542-2823, http://www.discoverycube.org/ Crossline Church will offer classes on finance, beginning Tues., Apr. 16, 7:00 p.m., “Super Saving Common Sense for Your Dollars and Cents.” Other topics in a series of nine classes will include how to beat debt and save money. Location is 23331 Moulton Pkwy., Laguna Hills, (949) 916-0251, http://www.crosslinechurch.com Big Bucks Bingo, Wednesdays, 6:15 p.m. early bird and 6:45 p.m. regular games, Mission Viejo Elks Lodge, Marguerite and La Paz, Mission Viejo, (949) 830-3557. Recycling Drive at St. Kilian’s Church, Sat., Apr. 20, 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, held on the third Saturday of each month. Organized by Knights of Columbus; acceptable items include aluminum, paper and plastic. No glass or cardboard. Lower parking lot, 26872 Estanciero Drive, Mission Viejo, (949) 472-1249, http://www.stkilianchurch.org |
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Political and Government Events Calendar Mission Viejo Chapter of ACT! for America will hold a General Meeting on Mon., Apr. 8. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. The meeting starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. and ends at 9:30 p.m., Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo. OC Veterans Advisory Council Meeting, Wed., April 10, 6:00 p.m. The council meets on the second Wednesday of each month. Veterans Service Office, Conference Room A/B, 1300 S. Grand Ave., Building B, Santa Ana, https://cms.ocgov.com/gov/occr/occs/veterans/advisory/default.asp “The Conservative Resurrection,” panel discussion with Hugh Hewitt, Michael Medved, Ben Shapiro and moderator Brian Whitman, Wed., Apr. 10, 7:00 p.m., Nixon Library, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, (714) 364-1120, http://nixonfoundation.org The Rush Limbaugh Club, Orange County Chapter, will host guest speaker Councilman Bill Brough, Dana Point, on Sat., April 13, 8 a.m. breakfast. Meeting starts at 8:30 a.m., Casta del Sol Golf Clubhouse, 27601 Casta del Sol, Mission Viejo. Santa Margarita Water District meetings: Engineering Committee on Fri., Apr. 15, 7:30 a.m.; Finance Committee on Fri., Apr. 22, 7:30 a.m., and Board of Directors on Wed., Apr. 24, at 7:00 p.m., 26111 Antonio Parkway, Rancho Santa Margarita, (949) 459-6420, http://www.smwd.com Orange County Board of Supervisors will meet on Tues., Apr. 16, 9:30 a.m., Board Hearing Room, First Floor, 333 W. Santa Ana Blvd., Santa Ana, (714) 834-3100. http://ocgov.com/cals/?ViewBy=7&CalDate=1/15/2013&EventDateID=89649 Saddleback Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees will meet on Tues., April 16 (third Tuesday due to spring recess), 6:30 p.m., and on Tues., Apr. 30 “if necessary,” 25631 Peter Hartman Way, Mission Viejo, (949) 586-1234, http://www.svusd.k12.ca.us/ Capistrano Valley Republican Women Federated, Wed., Apr. 17, 9:00 a.m. CVRWF meets on third Wednesdays. Call (949) 496-2525 for reservations, http://cvrwf.org Saddleback Republican Assembly, Thurs., Apr. 18, 7:00 p.m. SRA meets on third Thursdays (except in December, July and August) at the Norman P. Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Jacaranda Room-B, Mission Viejo. For information call (949) 360-1717. Political Memorabilia Collectors’ Fair, Sat., Apr. 20, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Richard Nixon Presidential Library, buy, sell, swap or browse. Expert collectors will buy, sell and appraise campaign materials and political memorabilia, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, (714) 364-1120, http://nixonfoundation.org Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees will meet on Wed., Apr. 24, 7:00 p.m., district office, 33122 Valle Road, San Juan Capistrano. Agenda and supporting documentation are published on the website 72 hours prior to a meeting, (949) 234-9200, http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/ California Republican Assembly Convention, Fri.-Sun., April 26-28, Doubletree San Francisco Airport, Burlingame. For information call (650) 697-1964. Orange County Parks Commission will meet on Thurs., May 2, 7:00 p.m. The commission meets on the first Thursday of every month. Irvine Ranch Historic Park, 13042 Old Myford Rd., Irvine, (949) 923-3741, http://ocgov.com/cals/ |
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The Buzz An organization that consistently offers excellent programs at its monthly meetings is ACT for America. The Mission Viejo chapter will hold a General Meeting on Mon., Apr. 8, at the Norm Murray Community Center. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. and the meeting starts promptly at 7:30 p.m. Featured speaker will be Jeff Ferguson, Senior Deputy District Attorney for Orange County. His topic will be “How Judges Can Stop Sharia in America.” The address of the Community Center is 24932 Veterans Way in Mission Viejo. *** Two candidates for the73rd Assembly seat when Diane Harkey terms out in 2014 are Rancho Santa Margarita Councilman Jesse Pertrilla and Dana Point Councilman Bill Brough. Both are conservative candidates and frequent speakers at political meetings. Jesse was featured in March at the meeting of Capo Valley Republican Federated Women, and Bill is speaking on April 13 at the Rush Limbaugh Club of OC, which meets in Mission Viejo. Two other candidates for the same seat are getting zero grassroots support – Anna Bryson and Paul Glaab. Bryson is the Capo school district trustee who ran as a conservative Republican, but she aids and abets the teachers’ union at every opportunity. Glaab is a bomb-throwing “consultant” who creates hit pieces against conservatives when he’s not feeding at the public trough. As an example of Glabb’s politicking, he was one of the trolls pushing toll lanes on the 405 http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2012/10/405-toll-lanes-killed-for-this-year-at-any-rate/ *** New bosses at the Orange County Register gave Saddleback Valley News a facelift a couple months ago. It has a better look and larger format, but the paper’s employees have no connection with the community. After a brief try at improvement, SVN is back to non-news feature stories and thinly disguised government press releases. The paper’s owners indicate they want only good news, which would explain SVN’s lack of city hall coverage. The writers have no grasp of what’s happening in Mission Viejo and, being strangers in a strange land, they apparently cannot distinguish one South County city from another. *** Question from a Buzz reader last week, A.S. asked, “What’s happening with Mission Viejo’s $4.8 million that was traded back and forth with the developer of apartments on Oso near the Mission Viejo Country Club? I was trying to follow how taxpayers were being told the city didn’t lose $4.8 million.” Stay tuned. *** Except for Mission Viejo’s privately owned blogs, real city news is either misreported or hard to find. Aside from this blog, Brad Morton’s Mission Viejo Dispatch was active during the city election last year, and he is occasionally posting articles. A current one airs the controversy involving Southern California Edison’s San Onofre power plant http://missionviejodispatch.com/ *** The SCE employee who spoke against a resolution at the 4-1-13 council meeting (article on this week’s blog) referred to Councilman Frank Ury as a “highly respected engineer.” According to whom? Ury says he has an undergraduate degree in engineering, but what job did he have that involved engineering? He also claims to have an MBA, but he only completed a certificate program. He’s worked in sales and computer departments, and he had a “consulting business” between jobs, which didn’t appear to attract any customers. *** OC Treasurer-Tax Collector Shari Freidenrich announced the Top Ten Property Taxpayers, secured and unsecured categories, for 2012: Secured: Unsecured: |
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