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[Report from OJ reader and Fairgrounds activist “Gericault.” Illustration by Gericault, Nov. 2009]
The State of af-FAIRs, Jan. 2011
Last years Orange County Fair broke all attendance records for previous years. Over 1.5 million county residents , friends, families, and visitors, came and spent.
We loaded up on over $28 million dollars of BBQ corn, Flintstone-sized turkey legs, and finished off with whipped cream topped fried butter sticks or chocolate covered bacon. If that didn’t make you feel queasy enough?…..
…..the first Fair Board Meeting of the year, surely would have.
This wasn’t the first scheduled meeting of the year. That meeting was actually scheduled for New Years Day, during the 4:30 afternoon football games and on the auspicious date of 1/1/11. The meeting agenda was to transfer the title of the property over to the state, by the Fair Board signing a “quit claim” deed to a “new” entity the 32ndA AG District.
Many of you might have missed this little tidbit. The public announcement came on Dec. 23rd when most of us were hurriedly scrambling around looking for that last parking space over at South Coast Plaza.
This nears repeating: Our OC Fair Board, on a state holiday , was going to sign over the Fairgrounds, to Governor Schwarzeneggar,… three days before Gov. elect Jerry Browns inauguration, and after stacking the board with three New members, willing to do the dirty deed.
Only the temporary restraining order filed by the OC Fairgrounds Preservation Society , Tel-Phil, and others, stopped this grand public land theft.
Whew! that was a close one……
The actions and underhanded dealings from the past Governor’s office and this current Fair Board came as no surprise to many, who have been actively fighting the sale of our beloved Fairgrounds.
The subsequent cancellation, by the Governor, of that meeting, felt like a present found under the tree, belatedly discovered while you are dragging it out to the curb……but it did have a bow on it.
Fast forward to, Thursday Jan 27, first Fair Board meeting of the year.
Right out of the gate………Public comments get FORGOTTEN…..ooops!
As newly re-appointed member, and now soon to be-elected Chair of the Board, Dave Ellis, inaugurates his FIRST meeting, he fails to acknowledge the public comments section of the agenda.
I know, I know…I’m being a real stickler here. After all it was his first meeting, and Dave Ellis was rearing to get out of the gate. (Excuse the horse reference when speaking of Ellis, but it appeared that way).
Unfortunately, OC taxpayers recently funded a OC DA’s, ten month long, 46 page investigation, into the dealings of this Fair Board. Which ended with this admonishing caveat:
Quoted directly from the DA’s investigation:
“The investigation, however, illustrates the importance of public boards avoiding the appearance of impropriety. Openly and publicly discussing issues of public import promotes public confidence in government. Secrecy breeds suspicion and the appearance of wrongdoing.”
To revisit recent history, the County’s BOS attorney requested an investigation when the State Attorney General’s office dropped the Fair Board as a client.
This unprecedented event, for a state agency client, occurred when the Fair Board chose to pass a July 29th 2009 resolution authorizing the Governor to sell the fairgrounds. They had previously formed a private organization to buy it themselves…..with two Fair Board members writing personal checks to the Foundation that same day, they passed the resolution…and the “fit hit the shan”. Resulting in the State Attorney Generals Office, under then AG Jerry Brown, dropping this Fair board as a client.
Back……?……Forward ……whatever …….back to Jan 27th, 2011….
…. the Fair Board, through a “no-bid contract” government agency loop hole, uses Manett, Phelps, and Philips LLC, as their legal counsel, at the taxpayer expense of about $600,000 a year.
Since, at this meeting, three senior partners were on hand, to the taxpayer tune of about $500 an hour each, we should be grateful that a brave one spoke up and mentioned that,vice chair Dave Ellis, was violating the Baegley-Keene act, again, by not proceeding with public comments. Somehow that very expensive public oversight, seemed too little, too late.
On this Boards Agenda were little items like:
- Sale of the Fairgrounds update.
- Privatizing the Pacific Ampitheater
- Paying the lawyers and ad agencies for research and services almost $2 million dollars.
- Profit-sharing plan with the new Governor to save our sorry asses,….etc. etc.
A Profit sharing plan by the Fair Board with the new Governors administration ….seriously? ( and this was subsequently approved in a closed session hearing after the public meeting) ….with an immediate wire release issued on PR Newswire following the meeting. Which leads inquiring observers to wonder…..How were they able to release a news release on a public issue, with newly appointed members, without having an action item, and with no public comments?
This one looks like a double whammy. Violation of both the Brown and Baegley-Keene acts on one issue……That’s hard to do.
Seating new members and voting the new Chairman…….
Ellis won, against unanimous public dissent. Even though his statements and conclusions as a sub-committee member studying the Sale of the Fairgrounds led to his proclamation that;
“At this point all we’re trying to do is send a signal to the governor and to the legislature, as they negotiate the budget deal, that there is interest on our part to have the property sold.”
Fair Board Chairman Dave Ellis
That’s right!…….That’s our newest Fair Board Chairman. The man appointed to steward this citizen-owned priceless asset given to us by our fathers to pass onto our sons. This from a Fair Board that didn’t even know who owned the title to the property, until Sept 2010. Almost two years after this mess began
As you can see , this two-year saga to preserve this birthright of ours isn’t over. Not by a long shot.
To recap: I can tell you this………
Dr. Steven Beazley, CEO of the Fair & Events Center and Board Member, stated that…….
The Fairgound revenues were a little over $28 million.
Attendance levels broke all previous records and, in a down economy, were over 1.5 million.
They are an island unto themselves in that they receive, nor share, any monies with the state.
They made a profit of $883,000 dollars….that’s less than 5%.
…..on $28 million…….and they pay NO RENT…….and NO TAXES.
Where did the other $27.2 million go? What profits are they planning to share?
If this Fairgrounds Swindle has shown us anything, it’s that grass-roots efforts are effective.
Our voice does matter.
The Fairgrounds are OURS.
WE DEMAND NEW MANAGEMENT……………and a GOOD auditor!
UPDATE:
Hours ago, while writing this post, I was informed that the loyal vendors of the Fairgrounds just received notice that their rents were being increased by 800%. That is not a TYPO. 800%. If you paid $6000 for your space last year……this year the cost would be $40,000.
I guess we now know……..whose profits this years Fair Board is proposing to share.
Stay informed……..Thanks for reading
Gericault
ALSO BREAKING:
Check out this brand-new blockbuster article from Norberto – we’ve uncovered new records detailing the culpability of illegal lobbyist Dick Ackerman and the Fair Board that hired him; and showing what a typical WHITEWASH T-Rack’s “investigation” really was! – Ed.
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