Foothills Sentry March 2024

Page 5 Foothills Sentry MARCH 2024 JOHNSON MOTORCARS 34 Years of Specializing in the Service and Repair of Mercedes-Benz Gary Johnson 714-997-2567 982 N. Batavia # B13, Orange, CA 92867 gary@johnsonmotorcars.com @ ramblingroseoc ground, (legally required disclo- sure, I’m a real estate broker Lic. #00963833), I understand the possible consequences of what a long-term license or lease can do to the value of the Peralta site. A long-term encumbrance, with possibly below market rent, can devalue the entire Peralta site for many other potential users. A good example of this is what hap- pened across the street to the fam- ily that owned the former Sears site. Their realtor contacted me about a year ago to discuss the site; he told me that the value of the property was between $50 and $60 million. He stated that the long-term leaseholder on the 6HDUV VLWH R൵ HUHG WKHP PLO lion, and basically told them to take it or leave it. The family ulti- mately sold the property last June IRU PLOOLRQ GROODUV WR $45 million below their broker’s stated market value. The License Agreement with OCCAmay have WKH YHU\ VDPH H൵ HFW RQ WKH YDOXH of the former Peralta site for the next 25 years. This is not political for me, it's just about good business. I was at that board meeting, and was told that speaking opportunities had been given away via a lot- tery when the board room doors ¿ UVW RSHQHG , GLG QRW DUULYH ODWH These are the questions that I would have asked, had there been a fair opportunity for the voting public to speak. Doug Hamilton Orange 6RXQG R൵ Dear Editor: I recently read an editorial about the Recall. The following is my take: Last January, a newly elected ERDUG ¿ UHG 6XSHULQWHQGHQW *XQQ Marie Hansen. Hansen had a contract with OUSD that did not require any explanation upon ter- mination. Simply, she served at the pleasure of the elected board. While some have made note that the respected superintendent was an award-winning employee of the district, this would not, nor should not, make any employee immune from decisions the board would make. As with any contract, Hansen was paid for her contract’s du- ration. Not unexpectedly for an award-winning superintendent, she secured gainful employment shortly after at another district. Hansen is not really the issue here; the initial Recall impetus came from Recall proponents accusing the board and certain members of violating the Brown Act. Recall proponents sought the assistance of OC DA Todd 6SLW]HU¶V 2൶ FH WR LQYHVWLJDWH WKLV violation of the Brown Act. After the requested investigation, the 2& R൶ FH FRQFOXGHG WKDW 7UXVWHHV Ledesma, Miner, and the board had not violated the Brown Act, and exonerated them. Spitzer’s R൶ FH GLG ¿ QG WKDW 7UXVWHH (ULFN son violated the Brown Act; the '$¶V R൶ FH UHTXLUHG (ULFNVRQ WR review the Brown Act rather than pursue legal action. This brings me to the Recall’s mission statement: Choose Com- petence, not Chaos. Seems like the chaos was in the genesis of the Recall. This Recall is actually born from the votes and voices of voters that elected new trustees that the old guard refused to ac- knowledge. Parents, relatives and concerned citizens wanted paren- tal rights. They chose a priority of basic education over liberal ideol- ogy, they rejected control from a union and these voters accepted the failure of education in Cali- fornia and wanted a new path. Chaos? Really? Schools opened on time, bus drivers safely deliv- ered children to school and home, cafeteria employees provided food and love, maintenance sup- port did their jobs. There were no walkouts by teachers, no refusal to work and teach, no protests and no disruption of the school year. Vote No on the Recall. Patrick Trujillo Anaheim Dear Editor: You would assume that sup- porters of the OUSD Recall have limits as to whom or how they criticize—wrong. The vitriol that they display towards the stake- holders of this community is dis- tasteful at best and disgusting at worst. Having the opportunity to sit on the dais, I see this constant- ly, with some of them cussing out supporters of the board majority and even President Rick Ledesma himself. Their acrimony extends well beyond the board meeting room, as Trustee Madison Miner was followed home and her kid’s soccer practice encroached upon. For Trustee John Ortega, it was their supporters that also attempt- ed to encroach on his familial life, solely based on a political narra- tive concerning a broken down pool. During my several month ten- ure as a student board member, attempts have been made to si- lence and even oust me, simply for disagreeing with their po- OLWLFDO YLHZV :LWKLQ WKH ¿ UVW WZR PHHWLQJV , DWWHQGHG WKH former California Teacher of the Year called on Villa Park students to initiate a recall against me. (YHQ ZRUVH ZDV WKH 28($ YLFH president calling Ledesma and Miner profane terms in a private social media group. At our board meetings, the Recall supporters laud these individuals, applaud- LQJ WKHP IRU ³¿ JKWLQJ WKH JRRG ¿ JKW ´ 7KH\ FRPH DQG FODPRU WR the board majority that “we are OUSD'' and “you are not." And to be frank, the Recall supporters are right—they are everything wrong with it. As an OUSD student, I will say this: their overzealous- ness and acrimony are disdain- ful to this district, themselves, and whatever they believe in (if they do). I condemn their hate; I condemn their divisiveness; and I condemn this Recall. Alexander Tran OUSD Student Board Member Orange Honest brokers Dear Editor: The Central OC Democratic Club has been receiving emails and texts from club and com- munity members over the latest shocking mailer from Joe Kerr’s campaign for CA40 House of Representatives. Because the mailer aims to mislead voters, our Board of Directors feels com- pelled to address it. After all, the accusations against Allyson Mu- ñiz Damikolas, his opponent, are applicable to most of us. It is an over-the-top political hit piece that would be laughable if it were not so appalling. Joe’s mailer brands Allyson as ³7KH +\SRFULWH ´ FODLPLQJ VKH funds big pharma, big oil and Republican candidates and orga- nizations. How does Joe justify this outrageous smear? He cherry picks from a long list of mutual IXQGV LQ $OO\VRQ¶V ,5$ . DF FRXQWV WR ¿ QG WKRVH ZKLFK KDYH invested in fossil fuel or pharma companies or companies like Fi- delity that have made donations to Republicans. This ludicrously argues that by owning shares in a mutual fund, usually in relatively small amounts, Allyson person- ally funds fossil fuel, big pharma and Republicans and questions whether Allyson is really a Dem- ocrat. (YHU\ YRWHU ZKR KDV DQ ,5$ RU . DFFRXQW LQYHVWHG LQ ODUJH PXWXDO IXQGV RU (7)V PDQDJHG by companies like Vanguard, Fi- delity or BlackRock would be subject to the same ridiculous smear that Joe has made about Allyson. Neither Allyson nor any of us who have retirement ac- counts have any control over the individual investments made in these funds or the political con- tributions (to both parties) made by these fund managers. Are we ³K\SRFULWHV´ RU RQO\ ³FODLPLQJ´ to be Democrats because we have retirement accounts? Obviously not, and Joe undoubtedly knows better. Joe portrays himself heroically LQ WKH ¿ FWLWLRXV PDLOHU DV KDYLQJ "passed over 200 bills" signed LQWR ODZ E\ ¿ YH JRYHUQRUV DQG two presidents. His claim is mis- leading. Despite running twice, he has never been elected. He has never had the opportunity to vote "yea" or "nay." He may have sup- ported bills, but he never passed any. And how does Joe get the in- formation to be able to mail this ridiculous caricature of Allyson? 8QOLNH -RH $OO\VRQ LV DQ R൶ FH KROGHU VR KHU ¿ QDQFLDO KROGLQJV are a public record. If Joe had EHHQ DQ R൶ FHKROGHU ZKHQ VXS posedly passing those 200 bills, he would have had to disclose his own investments. We wonder how many of the sponsors of his mutual funds could be scoured to see whether they had ever donat- ed to Republicans. $V RI WKH PRVW UHFHQW )(& ¿ O ings, Joe Kerr, despite being a longtime politician, had only UDLVHG IURP LWHPL]HG donors, despite being endorsed by “hundreds of unions across the country." Allyson, on the other hand, has raised over $350,000 from hundreds of itemized do- nors. So where does Joe get all the money to run TV ads and send outrageously false mailers? It WXUQV RXW KH ORDQHG RYHU of less than $880,000 his cam- paign has raised. How has Joe been able to gar- ner the endorsements listed on the mailer? After all, he has the sup- SRUW RI IHZHU WKDQ ORFDO HOHFWHG R൶ FLDOV ZKLOH $OO\VRQ KDV EHHQ endorsed by over 40 local elected R൶ FLDOV PRUH WKDQ SURJUHV sive PACs, and has the support of all the Democratic clubs in CA40 who have voted to support a can- didate. Don’t be fooled. Joe used to be president of a labor union. (OHFWHG R൶ FLDOV RIWHQ VWDQG ZLWK unions who support their cam- paigns. We condemn the campaign smear tactics employed by candi- date Joe Kerr against fellow Dem- ocrat Allyson Muñiz Damikolas. The clearly false claims are an embarrassment and fall far below the standards we should, as Dem- ocrats, hold ourselves to. These smear tactics create a diversion WKDW PDNHV LW PRUH GL൶ FXOW DV D ORFDO 'HPRFUDWLF FOXE WR IXO¿ OO our mission of electing Demo- crats up and down the ballot. )UDQN *RPH] &KDLU Central Orange County Demo- cratic Club See "Agreement" continued from page 1 ¯ƇnjƲ٪ƇǾƫ٪ȷƇǾƲ٪˚٪ȯƲɦȉȯǯȷ٪ǼƇɬ٪ return to Orange The City of Orange may allow VDIH DQG VDQH ¿ UHZRUNV WR EH VROG and used within its boundaries GHSHQGLQJ RQ WKH UHVXOWV RI D VWD൵ study and public preference. City Manager Tom Kisela UDLVHG WKH LVVXH DW WKH )HE FLW\ council meeting, noting some res- idents want to bring them back, and asked the council if it had any interest in the topic. Councilman Denis Bilodeau recollected that he had tried to EULQJ WKHP EDFN DERXW \HDUV ago, but couldn’t muster any in- WHUHVW (YHU\ FLW\ DURXQG 2UDQJH VHOOV ¿ UHZRUNV KH VDLG VR UHVL dents just buy them there. Orange QRQSUR¿ WV DUH ORVLQJ RXW RQ VDOHV revenue and “its kind of silly that WKH\ DUH SURKLELWHG KHUH ´ He also noted that making safe DQG VDQH ¿ UHZRUNV OHJDO ZDV D ballot question sometime in the V DQG 2UDQJH YRWHUV UHMHFWHG the idea. “If we want to bring them back, do we have to go back WR WKH YRWHUV"´ %LORGHDX LQTXLUHG That’s something, Kisela advised, WKDW VWD൵ FRXOG ORRN LQWR City Fire Chief Sean de- Metropolis said that his depart- ment would agree to legalizing VDIH ¿ UHZRUNV DV ORQJ DV LW GLGQ¶W extend too far east. Hewes Street might be a suitable boundary. Arianna Barrios reported that ¿ UHZRUNV LV WKH QXPEHU RQH PHV sage she gets from residents. “Il- OHJDO ¿ UHZRUNV DUH ZKDW¶V FDXVLQJ WKH SUREOHPV ´ VKH VDLG ³,¶G OLNH to see data on the use of legal ver- VXV LOOHJDO ¿ UHZRUNV ´ Jon Dumitru advised that he would support a repeal of the safe DQG VDQH ¿ UHZRUNV EDQ DGGLQJ that it criminalizes people who are obeying the law. He acknowl- edged that he “buys them in Villa 3DUN DQG VKRRWV WKHP R൵ LQ 6DQWD Ana." Mayor Dan Slater agreed that what the city does now regarding ¿ UHZRUNV ³LVQ¶W ZRUNLQJ ´ 3D\ ing for enforcement comes out of the general fund and safe and sane sales in the city could bring some of that money back, he sug- JHVWHG (YHQ WKRXJK WKH FLW\ SXW up a lot of signs advising people ¿ UHZRUNV ZHUH LOOHJDO ³LW ZDV OLNH D ZDU ]RQH ´ KH FRQFHGHG “I’m convinced it’s not practical to enforce the use of safe and sane ¿ UHZRUNV ,W¶V OLNH SURKLELWLRQ And, you have to catch someone lighting them before you can ar- rest them." 7KH FRXQFLO GLUHFWHG FLW\ VWD൵ to look into it, collect data and determine if it has to go back to the voters. diction and nothing can be done there until the agency releases it. Wait and see 8QGHU WKH )HE DJUHHPHQW Milan will evaluate non-residen- WLDO XVHV IRU WKH ³%UDQGPDQ VLWH´ DQG WKH ³&UHHNVLGH 9LOODJH VLWH ´ including, “recreational and sport uses, educational institution uses, acquisition by the city or a third party, that may be acceptable to ERWK SDUWLHV ´ Negotiations will be conduct- ed by a city ad hoc committee composed of Mayor Dan Slater, &RXQFLOPHPEHUV $QD *XWLHUUH] DQG -RKQ *\OOHQKDPPHU 7KH committee meetings be open to the public. 7KH FRXQFLO YRWHG WR DF FHSW WKH DJUHHPHQW *XWLHUUH] was absent and Councilmem- ber Arianna Barrios voted no. “We’ve discussed this situation DG QDXVHXP ´ VKH VDLG ³,¶P UH ally uncomfortable with this. The city has been put through a great deal of turmoil over these proper- WLHV DQG WKLV LV LQVXOWLQJ ´ Save the date for tortoises The California Turtle and Tor- toise Club of Orange County will host a Tortoise Show on Saturday, 0D\ IURP D P WR S P DW the First Christian Church of Or- DQJH (DVW :DOQXW LQ 2U ange. There will be live animals, vendors, microchipping, and all things turtle and tortoise. The group, which strives to educate, raise awareness and pro- mote the preservation and con- servation of turtles and tortoises holds monthly meetings on the ¿ UVW )ULGD\ RI HDFK PRQWK ZLWK guest speakers sharing informa- tion, workshops, food and fun. For further information, in- cluding adoption applications, see tortoise.org/orangecounty.