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Dear Honorable Members of the Anaheim City Council:
I find the short memories of Anaheim’s public servants disturbing. I hope that you do as well.
Recently, the City of Anaheim made some alarming and derogatory claims concerning a lawsuit related to the GardenWalk Hotel Economic Assistance Agreement. Among them was a statement from Anaheim’s City Attorney, Michael Houston:
“The public should realize that the disruptive litigation practices of OCCORD, and those like them, have consequences: Lawsuits such as this cost the City economically and, for those doing business in the City, creates uncertainty and delay.”
This council needs no reminder that this Assistance Agreement was, and is, controversial. In fact, the current iteration of the agreement is actually the city’s second attempt to pass an assistance package concerning these specific hotels.
The first was voided by Judge Steven Perk.
It was voided because the City of Anaheim broke the law.
It was voided because a group of concerned citizens filed suit. That group was OCCORD.
The consequence of that lawsuit wasn’t uncertainty and delay. The consequence included doing the right thing by Anaheim’s citizens. In fact, the consequence included Anaheim securing a better deal to the tune of several million dollars.
I find it reprehensible that Anaheim’s City Attorney would take the unprecedented and chilling step to openly demean a community group, and those like them, that have proven track record of advocating for the rights of the public, particularly the right to an open and transparent government. Apparently, it’s the policy of the City of Anaheim to value economics and those doing business in the city over the rights of its residents. Perhaps Judge Perk’s lesson didn’t land as it should have.
As Anaheim’s elected officials, it falls to each of you to ensure that local government abides by certain principles. Allowing your city attorney to pontificate on the validity of a local interest groups isn’t among them. I trust you’ll take swift and strong action to ensure this is corrected.
Your public employees, particularly those in leadership positions, should be getting paid to represent the needs of the public. The public doesn’t need poorly written politically laden press releases. It needs an attorney who insists the residents he serves have every tool, including lawsuits, available to secure their rights.
Sincerely,
Ryan Cantor,
OrangeJuice Blog.
Damn I love you, kid.
Now thats telling him! Joke.
what, no emoticons?
If yer gonna troll, be a modern hipster troll. Ain’t nobody got time for your antiquated cowardice circa 1999.
Damn straight! The cost of the giveaway dwarfs any legal fees. Great letter.
The more I think about it the angrier I get, this is a complete overstep of authority on the part of the City Attorney, and beyond inappropriate. He did the same thing when CATER lost the Convention Center action, after the City represented a completely different case than had been made to the Council in justification for the action. So I looked at the City Charter, and it gives Houston no such authority.
http://interactivepdf.uniflip.com/2/40900/296049/pub/
The Mayor is to be the primary (but not sole) spokesperson for the City of Anaheim. The City Attorney is to advise the City Council and represent the City in legal actions, approve contracts, etc. Becoming his own little political entity with his own press corps is not part of the job, and I somehow doubt he checked with the mayor regarding that statement. Who authorized Houston to do this? Oh yeah, the same City Manager’s office that authorized use of public resources to chase off a power plant, despite NO OFFICIAL ACTION taken by the City Council. Public resources, including staff time and use of the City website were expended based on the opinion of two Council members without authority to do anything absent a majority vote as a body. These people are running amuck with their own agendas and it needs to stop. Maybe if we had a City Attorney with more experience as a City Attorney he would know better.
Perhaps someone could request communications between the City Attorney and Ruiz (among others) regarding the composition and publication of this press release.
I’d love to see him claim that they’d be privileged.
I have just the obnoxious pain in the ass to do that very chore.
Thank you Ryan Cantor!