Let’s congratulate former Costa Mesa Mayor Sandy Genis, who blogs brilliantly as “La Femme Wonkita” both here on the Juice and on her own site, for her latest honor – she’s been named “Best Political Protester of the Year” by the OC Weekly! I would have preferred “Activist of the Year,” since she actually accomplishes a lot, but we’re still very proud of the award. And this comes right on the heels of our sister blog, the Fullerton Fringers, getting the coveted “Best Political Blog of the Year” award (which we got in aught-7.)
Here’s the Weekly’s blurb on Sandy, although many of us could add a lot to it:
While political insiders negotiated in relative secrecy about the proposed forced sale of the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, Sandy Genis—the city’s former mayor—has been a one-woman show, delving into the finer points of the deal and revealing the anti-public terms. At City Council meetings and in quotes to inquiring reporters, Genis has claimed the deal allows a future real-estate developer incredibly wide latitude to alter the existing property with almost zero public oversight. What about putting a giant Wal-Mart or Mercedes-Benz dealership on the site? The questions raised by Genis helped inspire 50,000 residents to sign a petition asking Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to rescind his order calling for the sale of the fairgrounds as a misguided attempt to reduce the state’s massive budget shortfall. A resolution isn’t clear at the moment, but what is certain is that Genis made an impact.
And Sandy does a lot more than that; she’s been fighting the Fairgrounds Swindle on about a half-dozen different fronts, and spends the other half of her time fighting the Poseidon Desalination Boondoggle. But you know what she’d say if she were here right now? She’d say, “Thanks, but don’t waste your time congratulating me – CALL Governor Schwarzenegger NOW and tell him to stop the sale of the Fairgrounds!” His phone number is 916-445-2841, Arnold’s Fax = 916-558-3160, and if you don’t have a Fax machine (or even if you do, this is so simple) use THIS free service: https://faxzero.com/
Yes, that sounds like a broken record, but we have come around to that point again. We’ve managed to derail the rotten deal Costa Mesa cut with profiteers Facilities Management West, but now Arnold is considering selling it outright to one of four private developers. He doesn’t have to though, and maybe he won’t, now that the budget has been passed without the measly $96 million he expects to get for it. The California budget doesn’t need it, it seems to just be possibly a political favor he owes to certain insiders. He will be deciding this week. And doesn’t he want this huge county to remember his governorship fondly?
Anyway. This post is about Sandy, so let me wrap up with the latest e-mail from the group she chairs, the Orange County Fairgrounds Preservation Society:
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Sandy Genis is the best protester because she speaks from a place of sound intelligence. She knows her stuff!! and has a lot of compassion for the community and its residence. She is missed on the city council for it is electeds like her that make a positive difference. Sandy is not the type of person who can be bought. She speaks the truth with facts to support whatever she is fighting for. I can’t think of a better person to receive this award. Like Vern said she is more of an activist and not just someone out protesting for the sake of doing so. There is heart and meaning in everything she says and does. She’s a role model! Congratulations Sandy for taking on the issues and the electeds, and carrying the sword for those who choose not to fight but benefit from your great work.
Hate to say this,,,,,,she’s not your “own’……she just occasionally graces this sphere…
gericault,
Hate to say this but she used to blog for us, apparently long before you read this blog. She was cross posting to her own blog.
Serio, Gericault?
Sandy has been engulfed and embraced into the Orange Juice brother-and-sisterhood. Recently and also long ago. She is one of us.
What, she’s not mad at us about something is she? Tell her to call me.
No…..I just think Sandy isn’t “owned” by anyone.
She does have an obsession with the lttle details and small facts……maybe she’s “owned”a little bit.
Sandy doesn’t get mad……she gets even.
you guys are good!!!!
i recognize this geezer. she came to our city council meeting and was an “expert” on our desal plant. I t seems she is an expert on too much to be a credible expert on it all. Unless she is retired and obsessed or unless she works on her employers dime during the day (making more per hour than the planning commission she though bells were ringing for”)it is too hard to believe all her expertise. A good activist but not always correct. The fairgrounds thing is too complicated for me so maybe she is right on that but wrong on our desal plant.
Didn’t mention, some of her activism is paid for – IS HER JOB. And that includes her work against Poseidon. Which she also totally believes in.
I dare you to argue with this woman, you won’t find anyone smarter.