Over ten thousand Mission Viejo voters signed recall petitions citing “violence” and self-dealing against a sitting council member. The OC Weekly Newspaper quoted a police report documenting the violence:
“After a short verbal altercation (about 30 seconds) between the two men, Maclean [sic] took a step forward and bumped [Jack] McManus against the chest. Maclean then extended both his arms out and placed his hands around McManus’s neck. Maclean then shoved McManus against the wall and started to lift McManus up while his hands were still around McManus’ neck.”
The police report then says it took four cops to break MacLean’s grip, wrestle him to the floor and handcuff him over snarls of “Get the f___ off of me; get the f___ off of me.”
So many will view it as an insult and embarrassment that Trish Kelley and Frank Ury, with MacLean’s vote, elected him mayor, 3-2. It seems especially strange for Kelley, who has wrapped herself in a ‘cloak of character’, announcing each month the new Mission Viejo Character Word.
After the dark regime of Sherri Butterfield and Susan Withrow was deposed by voters, the Committee for Integrity In Government convinced the council to adopt a special Character Word, “Share,” by rotating the mayorship, a largely ceremonial position. The shared system helps minimize political infighting, power cliches, and vote trading.
Kelley and the council majority regressed, however, and the rotation was abandoned. John Paul Ledesma is the senior and most experienced council member, but has refused to play ball with the MUKsters. It is long past his turn, but he was again passed over, even though this will be his last year on the council due to term limits.
The old dark council regime seems to be merging with the new regime. Butterfield and Withrow, former Brown Act convictees, have resurfaced trying to help Kelley and Ury save MacLean from the recall. At the same time Butterfield and Withrow have a surrogate candidate, Dave Leckness, in case MacLean is tossed. Leckness has already resorted to dirty politics, including lies and fear-mongering, targeting long-time city watchdog Dale Tyler. The common interest among the MacLean players appears to be their coziness with special interests and their interest in taxpayer dollars.
Butterfield recently wrote a blog letter suggesting the recall be cancelled because of an alleged irregularity in the recall signature gathering. It appears the MacLean camp found a disgruntled paid signature gatherer who claims one of the resident petition circulators was not present at all times when signatures were obtained. There is no claim of fraudulent voter signatures, and the registrar certified all required signatures one-by-one.
There have been complaints from the other side that City Hall is complicit in helping MacLean. Outgoing Mayor Ury has been allowing campaigning by MacLean from the dais during official televised meetings. City Manager Dennis Wilberg hung out ominously next to signature gatherers. Now the City Attorney has become involved investigating the recall. These actions can’t defend the recall allegations against MacLean, so seem designed to distract voters by attacking others. There seems to be a sense of desperation by MacLean, as noted in a previous Dispatch article announcing he intended to give back the medical benefits he previously bestowed upon himself.
It is right and legitimate to investigate political violations when done in a fair manner on both sides. The resources of City Hall are not employed in the same manner against incumbents, however. The City Attorney wouldn’t investigate alleged Brown Act violations against former council members Butterfield and Withrow. Nor would the City Attorney invite the District Attorney to investigate. So three citizens had to become plaintiffs to protect open government, successfully achieving a guilty verdicts in Superior Court.
MV law enforcement has been used in the past to prosecute those who removed or defaced campaign signs of incumbents. It was different, however, when police were called by challenger Diane Greenwood reporting that then-mayor Lance MacLean removed her campaign sign and then screamed in her face, causing her to cry, “Don’t hit me, don’t hit me! Despite at least one other witness, Police didn’t even write a report, much less make charges.
And now MacLean is again mayor of California’s safest city for a year, unless recalled.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
MacLean’s thug tactics continue on. I arrived within minutes of his threatening action of Diane Greenwood. Diane was terrified and clearly frightened for her personal safety. This is the same act he pulled in closed session with Gail Reavis. These are all documented facts/events.
Now we have Sherri Butterfield and Susan Withrow (both Brown Act violators) reemerging from their banishment and attempting to re-secure their power. On top of that Sharon Cody, using foul and abusive language in the public comments portion of the last city council meeting, is defending MacLean and his abusive behavior.
Safest city?? Only if you keep an eagle on MacLean when he is anywhere around! My mother would have had quick action for Sharon Cody – Cody’s mouth washed out with soap !!
One has to wonder about Kelley’s moral compass also on this issue. Ury has proven his compass is defective!!
It is a shame that John Paul Ledesma was passed over for Lance Maclean as Mayor. He was the next in line and it should have gone to him.
It is also a shame that Connie is being made to look like she didn’t know what she was doing. She has lead such a strong fight for the recall that I’d hate for anything to happen now. I’m sure that she and Dale and Larry were doing what they thought was right. Why haven’t they spoken up for her?
Upon reading of this latest high handed maneuver … the mayoral “election” … I thought “oh my word!” However,
after reflecting for only a short moment my thought was “why am I surprised?” It’s only more of the “good old boy club,” the “who cares what the public wants” and/or “who cares what may be the right thing to do” thinking that seems to exist among our city council majority.
We have a chance with the next election to make a change. I fervently hope that there are enough independent thinkers among the Mission Viejo electorate to make this happen!
Attention citizens – think for yourselves, don’t be fooled by the “no new taxes” claim on McLean posters or his claim of intending to give back the health benefits. Ury said that too and then look what happened the day after the election!
Most importantly get out and vote on election day. If we let the special interests win we have only ourselves to blame!
In the past 7 elections (2004 to 2010) there have been 14 Positions of Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem filled. By my calculation only 3 of those slots were filled by NON-MUKsters, I guess when FU says “I have always supported a part time council, rotating Mayor position and term limits” he means the Mayor position rotates from one MUKster to another. So much for the people being represented.
A correction to Rich Rodriguez: It is inappropriate to credit me for work performed under the leadership of Connie Lee.
Another point. John Paul was passed over last year when the council majority rewarded Fank Ury for changing his position and reinstating lifetime health care access immediately after the Nov 2008 election.
The council should have censured Lance after he gave our city a black eye with his run-in with a fellow UCI Director so that four police had to take him down to handcuff him.
As a writer for the Orange Juice blog I have given Connie positive support and am awaiting the outcome of the 3-month delayed allegations.
As you may all recall, Lance MacLean put out 500 signs the weekend before the 2006 election that I was in. Those signs said “Reject Greenwood and Barker. They will raise your taxes and lower your property value”. It was an absurd claim, but he was running scared.
It was that same weekend that he verbally assaulted me on the corner of La Paz and Marguerite, a few inches from my face. He was angry that he might lose, and was willing to win at any cost. He did, by 94 votes, and now is running scared again and is now putting out signs making citizens fear that their taxes could raise and property values decline if they do not keep him in office.
If Lance MacLean has another anger outburst and attempts to strangle another person while presiding as mayor, that is when the city can be wiped out financially. It will affect every citizen in Mission Viejo. We cannot afford to keep Lance MacLean in office…he is a liability.
I doubt that the Mission Viejo Police Department will protect him again. He now has a record and too many people have been on the other side of his anger. I have heard from many such people since my episode with him, and believe that they are now ready to come forward. There is safety in numbers.
UCI did the right thing and now it is time for the citizens of Mission Viejo to do the same.
I urge everyone to vote in favor of the recall and remove a man who is a liability to our city and all of its citizens. This is how you truly protect your taxes, property values, and your family.
[Re: Mr. Violence] Regardless of how you feel about the recall, to put a guy who could be bounced out of office in 3 months as Mayor is stupidity on the highest level and is just an embarrassment to the city. It makes you wonder if these 3 “leaders” are actually striving to make MV look like a Banana Republic. Its clear this was done for no reason other than out of spite as zero good can come of the future headline, “MV Mayor Removed from Office.”
Two glaring logical faults in all of this. If Mr. MacLean only won by 94 votes and has since gotten nothing but bad press then it’s logical he’d lose in November. So why spend $270,000 of our money to get rid of him nine months early? Someone who is “disgruntled” doesn’t sit around for ten months stewing about it and then write a very calm, controlled email to a city council. Rather, they pick up their Uzi and head for the nearest McDonalds.
When I first read that MacLean was going to be mayor, right in the midst of a recall election, I couldn’t figure out if this was a huge “in your face” to those promoting the recall, or if it was just his turn because he was Mayor Pro Tem. After reading further it looks like the “in your face” idea has prevailed.
The City Council is not a fiefdom to be controlled by just a few, but must be responsive to the citizens of Mission Viejo. That responsiveness appears to have been lacking in recent years.
This country is about to go through another big political revolution in 2010 (unless a lot of things in Washington stop or are changed for the better), and if it takes something similar on a local level to return the government to the people, so be it.