You’ve probably already read about Governor Schwarzenegger’s rebuff of the 
Costa Mesa contingent who went up to Sacramento yesterday to get him to stop the sale of the Fairgrounds. Of course Arnold’s position of wanting to “keep the fair a fair” while still selling the property to the highest bidders, with inducements to develop it commercially, just to cover a tiny fraction of Sacramento’s black hole of debt, is pure politician’s hogwash. It was sheer optimism to expect more of him actually, as the sale was his idea to begin with, and was railroaded through by his friends and appointees on the Fair Board. But it’s still worth letting him know what you think, Phone 916-445-2841, Fax 916-558-3160 – it’s still not over! Our message is: There is NO SAFE SALE, and SIGN AB 1590 when it passes!
And that brings us to
our real line of defense, José Solorio’s AB 1590, which will be voted on next week. We have four days left to convince these seven OC holdouts to support José’s bill; their support will be enough to force this sale to a halt and save the Fairgrounds. All you Orange County readers who want to stop this swindle have FOUR DAYS to e-mail, fax, and phone each of these seven lawmakers (all of whom are on the fence or even tending to support us, but just need a little more pressure.) Print out this post as a checklist for the next four days (so they get an even, steady flow of input) – Seven decent but uncommitted lawmakers, three means of communicating with them, twenty-one tiny little tasks. Click on their names to send them e-mails now, then print out their phone numbers to call at your leisure this week, and also fax them (which you can do for free at both https://faxzero.com/ and GotFreeFax.com) Back AB 1590, Derail the Tainted Sale!
Senator Lou Correa 916-651-4034, FAX 714-558-4111
Sen. Tom Harman 916-651-4035, FAX 916-445-9263
Senator Mark Wyland 916-651-4038, FAX 916-446-7382
Senator Bob Huff 916-651-4029, FAX 916-324-0922
Assemblyman Jeff Miller 916-319-2071, FAX 916-319-2171
Assemblyman Tony Mendoza 916-319-2056, FAX 916-319-2156
Assemblyman Curt Hagman 916-319-2060, FAX 916-319-2160
I can’t wait until this scum is out of office and Californians have their state back.
Looks like the local electeds took a trip to Sacramento looking for a State bailout of sorts to give Orange County a fair site in perpetuity and for free. In the past OC politico’s have prided themselves in not seeking and/or refusing any state or federal bailout. Has the current crop of local electeds no pride?
#2, this is NOT a bail out, it’s a “butt out”. We want Arnold and the rest of those do-nothing Sacramento electeds to manage the state better. We don’t want them sticking their grimey paws into local cookie jars to do it! They’ve already “borrowed” a big chunk of our tax revenue this year and there’s no reason to think they won’t do the same next year.
Yes, the Fairgrounds is state property and, yes, it’s run by an appointed board. Sadly, that board saw a chance to cash out and orchestrated the sale by hiring (illegally?) Dick Ackerman to head north again and facilitate a bill to sell the Fairgrounds. This whole thing just reeks.
However, the bids will be accepted until Friday and opened on the 14th, at which time the bidding war begins. Buyers beware, though. Once this property no longer belongs to the state it falls under the control of the City of Costa Mesa, which has already locked it in as a Fairgrounds and will have an item on the June, 2010 ballot to make voter approval necessary to change that designation. No developer in his right mind will want to deal with that!
Hear hear, The Pot Stirrer. If #2 has “Been Around” so long, why do they seem unaware:
– that Orange County is already a “Donor County”, spending much more in taxes going to Sacramento than we get back in services;
– or that even if it’s “state property,” the Fairgrounds belongs to us already as California citizens and taxpayers, and was bought by our grandparents’ tax dollars;
– or that no other county is being asked to part with, or buy back, their own Fairgrounds and similar properties. We just happen to have unique corruption here, and it took a while for the OC citizens to wake up and realize what was happening.
The Costa Mesa contingent – on their own dime – went up north not just for what they thought was right, but also representing the overwhelming wishes of their constituents, and for that they should be applauded! Councilwoman Foley, Mayor Mansoor, Mayor Pro-Tem Leece, and City Manager Roeder, take a bow.
I tried to call my guy, but he resigned in a sex scandal months ago.
Way to go OC GOP!
And you know what, kenlaysnotdead? Drippy Duvall was one of only two who voted against selling the Fairgrounds originally!
You can still call all the others, it’s an OC thing. And maybe Jeff Miller will take over his old pal’s good judgment on the issue – it’s Jeff that Mike was boasting to about the eyepatch underwear!
Arnold just wants to live out the rest of his term in peace……
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/06/schwarzenegger-let-me-live-in-denial_n_412835.html?show_comment_id=37558153#comment_37558153
We still need to try to stop the sale. Not just because there isn’t a safe sale, but it also doesn’t make any kind of financial sense. The OC Fairgrounds doesn’t cost taxpayers any money at all to run. It actually makes a profit every year. This is more about a few individuals doing some very corrupt and unethical things. It is nice to know Costa Mesa and it’s citizens will not budge on the zoning. Developers have been warned. However, no sale still makes the most sense.