This is good news – our two central-county Senators have decided to back Jose Solorio’s AB 1590 to Derail the Sale of our Fairgrounds, leaving only five more fence-straddling OC lawmakers for us to pester!
Lou Correa went a step beyond by becoming the fifth “co-author” of the bill, along with Solorio, Tran, Silva, and De La Torre (De La Torre is from LA but our good friend; the other two OC derailers Harkey and Harman have not yet signed on as co-authors but have promised to vote yes.)
Lou tells me that the input he got from all of us – he reads this blog faithfully, and has heeded all your calls and faxes – helped convince him that this sale “is not a good deal for the Orange County taxpayers.”
He still likes the idea of a sale to the County as a second-best option, and points out how much better it would be 
to have a locally elected Fair Board instead of a Governor-appointed board like we have now. And that is something we should definitely make happen in any case. Just think – a Fair Board answerable to us citizens & fairgoers, in contrast to the one we have now, who not only worked behind the scenes to get us in this situation for their own inscrutable motives, but have been steadily chipping away at the Equestrian Center and talking (in public!) about getting rid of the Marketplace.
But it’s hard to answer “how would having to take out a bond to buy our own Fair be a ‘good deal for OC taxpayers?” or even “how could we outbid an investor-developer like Rick Julian, and whoever else is bidding in secret?” So we’re glad Lou and Tom are throwing their weight behind DERAILMENT FIRST.
Harman’s folks told me that after studying last summer’s AB 22 authorizing the sale, they discovered there was nothing in it that would ensure the Fair remains a Fair. Well, that is exactly true, and what we’ve been telling them all along, so welcome to the Derailment, Lou and Tom!
This leaves five lawmakers on the fence, and a Governator who needs to sign the bill. Here’s a better, shorter, updated contact list; these e-mails will work even if you’re not in the districts; and I’m hearing we have a week now. So re-do your checklists, e-mail, call and fax!
ASSEMBLYMEN:
JEFF MILLER – jeff.miller@asm.ca.gov phone: 916-319-2071, FAX 916-319-2171
TONY MENDOZA – tony.mendoza@asm.ca.gov phone: 916-319-2056, FAX 916-319-2156
CURT HAGMAN – curt.hagman@asm.ca.gov phone: 916-319-2060, FAX 916-319-2160
SENATORS:
MARK WYLAND – senator.wyland@sen.ca.gov phone: 916-651-4038, FAX 916-446-7382
BOB HUFF – senator.huff@sen.ca.gov phone: 916-651-4029, FAX 916-324-0922
AND:
GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER (click) – Phone 916-445-2841, Fax 916-558-3160
(to send free faxes: https://faxzero.com/ and GotFreeFax.com)
Who can trust Correa any longer? How about that last tax vote? He PROMISED not to raise taxes. Just another lying liar who lies.
Tambourine,
You said it all.
Well guys, you might not like some things Harkey or Harman or Van Tran have done at times either, but still you gotta give credit when they do the right thing, and they’re all on our side on this.
Yes they are Vern. Yey!