Attempting to divert attention from Mission Viejo Councilmember Lance MacLean’s physical and verbal altercations, which are the core issues in his upcoming recall vote, a few MacLean supporters tried to attack Mission Viejo grassroots activists who gathered 13,000 recall signatures.
Their fear tactic is to falsely claim activists want to seize control of city government to shut down the library and other facilities, and cut public services. A review of the last dozen years of city hall activists shows the opposite is true. For example:
Mission Viejo financial reserves are being depleted but should instead be increased to meet escalating infrastructure demands as the city ages. It takes a lot more money to maintain a 30-year-old house than a new dwelling. The city should serve the large body of taxpayers and resident users, rather than narrow special interests and nonresident users the city council majority has served.
An opportunity to outline the pragmatic activist position arose when fellow activist Neil Lonsinger and myself met with City Manager Dennis Wilberg and Public Works Director Keith Rattay, as suggested by Wilberg. These city officials vowed to follow up on several of our suggestions and concerns for city betterment regarding street repairs, signs to direct drivers stopped at intersections to institutions and shopping centers, and safe ingress from parkways into shopping centers [Re: Activists Make Positive Recommendations].
Activists often have supported neighborhoods that would be adversely affected by special interest projects, like homeowners surrounding Oso Viejo Creek Park opposing a dog park addition. Activists also spoke out for the neighborhood looking down on the La Paz Marguerite Shopping Center where noise and music would have drifted upwards had bars and nightclubs been added as part of a city-driven reconstruction. Local merchants who would have been driven out also benefited from activist support. The city council majority so far has backed down on the latter scheme and hopefully change the location for the dog park.
As for open government, the dog park was rammed through by the city council majority on Oct. 5 in an apparent attempt essentially to buy votes for embattled Councilmember Lance MacLean’s recall fight. The specter of a neighbor’s alleged Brown Act Open Meeting Law violation likely will be avoided if the dog park action is reversed. The prior city council majority was found guilty of Brown Act Violations following a complaint filed by city activists in the early 2000s.
Activists oppose diverting funds from fundamental services to pay for narrow special interest spending like millions to renovate the Marguerite Tennis center, with around 250 club members, including nonresidents. The bulk of the money would pay for hauling in tons of dirt to expand the parking lot to accommodate tennis tournaments primarily to accommodate nonresident contestants and spectators. Meanwhile slope renovation, which benefits the entire community, has been knocked out of this year’s budget.
Activists consistently support facilities that serve a wide variety of residents. They saved the long-neglected Montanoso and La Sierra Recreation centers which the previous city council majority vowed to demolish. The now-renovated centers are bustling with thousands of members. Most users are residents because nonresidents pay double.
Lonsinger and I differed with Wilberg and Rattay on what we consider overdevelopment and overplanting of the medians on Crown Valley Parkway. This is a staff-driven project, compared to council-driven projects discussed earlier. Oversized alabasters with medical-imagery artwork are surrounded by specimen palm trees and heavy vegetation, including vines going up the tree trunks. One of the artists won an award at the county fair, but everyone I’ve talked to thinks it is hideous. We think any artwork in the median is viewable mostly by cars moving in the left lane and thus a distraction, but the city plans to put up new artwork mid-November.
The Crown Valley project is financed through the federal Transportation Enhancement Act, meaning a federal government, already trillions of dollars in debt, intentionally crafts pork barrel projects to encourage overspending, overplanting and out-of-place brick and mortar. Similar kiosks are planned for Oso Creek Trail, an ‘earmark’ obtained for the city by Republican Congressman Gary Miller. Citizens can email their opinions to Congressman Miller at gary.miller@mail.house.gov.
Allan Pilger
