ADIOS, RIGHEIMER...

SAYING ADIOS TO RIGHEIMER IN A PACKED HOUSE
In the first segment of what was supposed to be a short City Council meeting on Tuesday, December 4th, the council  recognized departing councilman Jim Righeimer.   The temporary meeting room at the Senior Center was packed.  There were so many people in attendance that you actually couldn't hear the bingo numbers being called next door.  There was seating for about 150 people and there were at least another 100 in the room.  Fire Chief Dan Stefano had to make some adjustments so there was sufficient lane space in case of an emergency.

I DON'T LIKE HIM...
Let me say right up front that I don't like Jim Righeimer.  I don't like the way he's steamrolled his way though the governance of our city. I don't like the way he lies about important issues.  I don't like the way he arrogantly ignored the views of the people and chided folks from the dais.  Nothing has changed my opinion since then.  In fact, circumstances only reinforced my opinion.  I've posted more than 800 entries that included references to him over the years.  In fact, in May of 2017 - the same day I posted what was supposed to be my final entry here - I posted specifically about Righeimer, in which I referred to him as the worst thing that ever happened to our city.  You can read that entry HERE

HERE'S A SUMMARY OF WHY I FEEL THAT WAY
Since arriving in town as a shill for his friend (at that time) Dana Rohrabacher he's been a lightning rod for controversy.  Here are just a few things that come to mind that happened on his watch:

• In a clear bit of political payback for his role as Dana Rohrabacher's Campaign Manager which offered support in his re-election campaign, Allan Mansoor appointed him to the Planning Commission six months after his arrival in Costa Mesa from Fountain Valley where he had been a failed politician.
• As a Planning Commissioner (with no authority to do so) he braced officers during a DUI checkpoint, demanding they cease the operation and a meeting the next day to "talk about it".
• He orchestrated stifling public comments by bifurcating them, with only the lucky first 10 being able to speak at the beginning of the meeting.  The remainder would have to wait to the end - sometimes after midnight.
• Early on he unleashed his pit bull attorney friend, Mark Bucher, to try to keep me from writing about him.  When I told Bucher that I understood SLAPP lawsuits he crawled back under his rock.  Bullying is a way of life for Righeimer and his pals.
• He and his cronies on the dais created a developer-friendly environment to the detriment of the residents.
• Sober Living businesses flourished in residential neighborhoods.
• Legal fees skyrocketed as his philosophy was to litigate rather than negotiate.
• The Fire Association had to wait five years for a new contract.
• Fairview Park was placed in jeopardy by the creation of the Fairview Park Citizens Advisory Committee, stacked with pro-sports fields cronies.  Citizen participation quashed their attempts to pave over parts of that park and the group was eventually disbanded.
• Twice he tried to change the form of government from a General Law City to a Charter City.  He refused to listen to the residents in both failed elections.
• He placed issues on the ballot to oppose Measure Y, the Slow Growth Initiative and Measure AA, designed to protect Fairview Park.  The voters passed Y and AA overwhelmingly.
• His hand-picked pal, Steve Mensinger, joined in the management chaos and, after several years of ham-handed governance, was clearly rejected by the voters when he ran for re-election in 2016.
• He attempted to layoff more than 200 employees in what turned out to be a costly illegal move.  Young Huy Pham jumped to his death from the roof of City Hall when he learned he was to receive a layoff notice.
• He tried to run the city like a business, changing the title of the City Manager to Chief Executive Officer and hamstrung Tom Hatch in the process.
• He sued the Costa Mesa Police Association for alleged false accusations of DUI, a case that was settled years later with no culpability of the Association found.
• He sponsored the Small Lot Ordinance which changed the character of residential neighborhoods.
• He sponsored the Residential Overlays on both Harbor and Newport Boulevards, which are now being unraveled.
• His pal, Scott Baugh, reaped huge profits as the sole provider of food booths at the bogus 60th Anniversary celebration.
• His management philosophy of fear and intimidation chased more than 50 police officers away, to other jurisdictions or into early retirement.
• Refused to let then-Chief Tom Gazsi recruit to fill vacancies for 8 months.
• He folded-up the ABLE Helicopter program, the model for all municipal helicopter programs throughout the country.
• He chided, intimidated and vilified residents who dared to speak in opposition to him during public meetings.
• He and Baugh viciously attempted to dethrone their "friend", 30-year incumbent congressman  Dana Rohrabacher, in the 2018 Primary Election.  That failed and Rohrabacher eventually was soundly defeated by newcomer Harley Rouda, a Democrat.
• There's no doubt in my mind that he orchestrated the ouster of Katrina Foley as mayor late in 2017, most likely to reduce her profile for her announced run for directly-elected mayor this year.  Genis was elected as mayor and Mansoor was chosen as Mayor Pro Team.  Foley's ouster fractured many personal and political relationships throughout the city.  That gets laid right at Righeimer's feet.  I'm sure he thought it would work in his favor.... another failure!
• He hijacked the district voting issue a couple years ago and ramrodded the current Directly-Elected Mayor/Six Districts scheme, presuming that unpopular iteration would allow him and his mob to maintain control.  Again, another epic failure.  Instead, the results of the election produced an overwhelming sweep for candidates that supported Foley, who won the mayor's slot over Genis by a huge margin.  Districts 3, 4 and 5 all were won by really bright political newcomers and, astoundingly, all of Latino heritage.  The Righeimer mob - including two former mayors - were soundly thumped in each race.
• Still lingering is question about the role he may have played in the recent curious departure of City Manager, Tom Hatch.  Contractually,  if Hatch was fired he was entitled to a severance allowance of 9 months pay, plus one month notice - 10 months pay total.  That's more than $200,000!  But, he was not fired.  Hatch departed quietly, like a thief in the night, the Friday BEFORE the council had a chance to consider his employment - an item on the council meeting agenda for the following Tuesday.  So, it certainly looks like he quit, and was not entitled to severance.  The question remains... was his "quitting" orchestrated by Righeimer and his majority on the council - Genis and Mansoor - and relayed to him the week before the meeting?  If so, it would certainly seem to look like a Brown Act violation took place.  I hold no animus toward Hatch, but I'm very disappointed in him for skulking out like that.
• Through their arrogant disregard of what "the people" actually want, Righeimer and his OC GOP cronies have basically destroyed the party.  Orange County, formerly a bastion of conservative thinking, now has NO representation in the Congress and none in the State Assembly.  The State of California is now a "one party" state, which means fiscal hard times are ahead as tax-and-spend Democrats will have no check on their behavior.

SPEAKERS WERE MOSTLY RESPECTFUL - BUT NOT ALL

There was an interesting mix of speakers addressing Righeimer's departure.  Several of the usual suspects - minions like Tom Pollitt, Chuck Perry and Jim Kerins - spoke in glowing terms.  Others, like Teresa Drain and Terry Koken were less kind.  Righeimer's daughter spoke of her father - a nice touch.  His wife, Ilene, also spoke in loving terms of him.

HERKY-JERKY PRESENTATION
The "recognition" part of the meeting was a little herky-jerky.  At first then-Mayor Sandra Genis was going to give him a plaque on the dais, but then chose to step down closer to the audience.  This is my best photo of this segment of the meeting.

ADIOS... DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU IN THE BUTT
So, it is with absolutely no sadness that I bid Jim Righeimer "adios".  For a dozen years he systematically tried to ruin my town by making it a haven for his developer-buddies. He leaves behind a record of failure.  Every major initiative he tried failed.   He created chaos and negativity in my city and left the stench of his partisan policies lingering in the air.  I hope I never have to mention his name here again, unless it's to announce that he's put his $3 million country club mansion (that's what he said it was worth) on the market and is moving to Colorado to continue his prairie dog hugging.
AND NOW, RAY, IF YOU PLEASE...

Charter Committee Nears Completion Of Task

NEARING THE END
The Costa Mesa Charter Committee, facilitated by Dr. Kirk Bauermeister and Dr. Mike Decker, met again Wednesday evening - this time in the cozy confines of Conference Room 1A -  to continue their task of creating a document that will change the way Costa Mesa is governed if approved by the voters in November.  The number of visitors was much smaller than usual and the venue doesn't lend itself to hearing what the participants are saying - especially with no microphones.

THE FINISH LINE IS IN SIGHT
The schedule now provides for two more meetings at which the members will hammer out some sticking points on a few issues, then begin to fine-tune the language of the document that will be presented to the City Council early in March.  We were told that there is tentatively a "little reception" planned for the members before the City Council meeting on March 18th to honor them for their hard work.

FINISHING THE HARD WORK...
Wednesday night they discussed whether or not to include a reference to Steve Mensinger's COIN program regarding labor negotiations, Conflict of Interest language, the Form of Government, and the probable Pension Timeline if the Charter were to require voter approval.

PARTISANSHIP IS EVIDENT
This group continues to work harmoniously, but the strong political orientation of certain members always eventually shows through.  Having observed most of these meetings I can state with some degree of authority that partisanship on both sides is frequently very evident - and it detracts from the work.

IT'S BAAACK!
At the next meeting they will discuss Paycheck Protection - that's the scheme Righeimer and his pal and lawyer, Mark Bucher, tried unsuccessfully to foist off on voters in the past, including in Righeimer's Proposition V - that soundly-defeated attempt to hijack the process the last time around.
They will also discuss Eminent Domain, review the Preamble and the entire document.

RESURRECTING MEASURE "V"

I was not surprised when member Gene Hutchins suggested they bring back the language of Measure V before they finalize the document.  He's been spouting that mantra since the very beginning, apparently oblivious to the fact that the electorate soundly rejected it.  It will be very interesting to see what part of Measure V gets folded into this document, and whether the City Council will include it as they review the work product from the committee for possible placement on the November ballot.

NEXT MEETING IN TWO WEEKS
So, the next meeting of this group will be at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 26th in Conference Room 1A.

What's Wrong With My Republican Party?

THAT QUESTION IS ANSWERED
Chris Emami, over at the OC Political Blog, has presented us with a fascinating window into the minds of two very influential Orange County Republican politicians - Newport Beach Mayor Keith Curry and OC GOP Treasurer Mark Bucher.

RIGHEIMER'S PAL
Bucher, as some know, is - or was- related to Costa Mesa Mayor Jim Righeimer by marriage and has been his running buddy on anti-union political issues for decades.  They hatched the failed "Paycheck Protection" scheme together.

INSIGHT INTO THE DIVISIONS IN THE PARTY
I think you'll find the audio Q&A between Bucher and Curry quite illuminating and worth the time it takes to listen - just under 30 minutes.  You'll get a real feel for what's wrong with my Republican Party these days.  You'll hear Curry use the terms "Stupid Politics", "Holier than thou", etc.  You'll hear Bucher praise Righeimer as a "principled person" - please try to keep a straight face.

CLICK AND ENJOY

Go to the OC Political site, HERE, and click on the audio file.  Have fun.

The Pit Bull's Back!

THE REASON WE CELEBRATE
Here's a little something for you to consider as we approach the long, long Independence Day holiday. Most of you will probably be too busy with family fun, fireworks and frivolity to actually think about the reason we celebrate this weekend. One of the things that our founding fathers fought for and won for us was the freedom of speech. Contemplate the following.

REMEMBER THE PIT BULL?
Do you remember back about 10 months ago, when, during the heated City Council campaign being waged by Jim Righeimer, I reported receiving a little "love note" from his lawyer and brother-in-law, Mark Bucher? I characterized it at the time, HERE, as Righeimer unleashing his pit bull. He sent a similar letter to the Costa Mesa Police Association.

THE ORIGINAL THREAT
In that letter Bucher, who in addition to being related to Righeimer by marriage was and is his political sidekick and is a major mover and shaker within the leadership of the Orange County Republican Party, made not-very-veiled threats to me if I published anything having to do with his client on three issues. Because he forbade me from discussing those issues I didn't identify them in that original post. Subsequently, Righeimer discussed at least one of them in a public forum, so I figured all bets were off and I told my readers that those issues were bankruptcy, drunk in public and foreclosure.

CAMPAIGN TACTIC
I had mentioned Righeimer and bankruptcy many months before, had a subsequent conversation with him and was satisfied that there was no such issue in his past and never wrote about it again. I had no reason to even think about writing about the other two issues - and have not. I've heard not another word from either Bucher or his client/brother-in-law on that subject since. I concluded that Bucher's letter was simply a campaign tactic - an attempt to violate my right of free speech as guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution - in order to quiet a critic during the campaign.

BUCHER'S BACK - FOR MENSINGER
However, Tuesday I received yet another little tome from Bucher, this time in his role as attorney for Righeimer's buddy, non-elected Costa Mesa City Councilman, Steve Mensinger. Apparently Mensinger thinks I've inaccurately characterized him and Bucher wants me to correct the record and stop whatever he thinks it is I'm doing.

HE SAYS...
He states in his letter to me, "Recently we became aware that you have written on your blog, "A Bubbling Cauldron" that Mr Mensinger's "...division of SunCal ended up in bankruptcy!" He went on to say, "This statement is demonstrably false and defamatory. No company Mr. Mensinger has been an employee of, including the division of SunCal that he managed, has ever gone bankrupt."

OOPS, VERIFIED
Although I already knew that his accusations were specious, I spent a little time browsing the internet and in a very short time I found more than 20 articles that verified the facts.

SUNCAL COMPANIES - BANKRUPT
Regarding the first statement - a sentence fragment, taken out of context - SunCal companies has been mired in bankruptcy proceedings for several years, and those proceedings include the Multifamily Division of which Mensinger had been President.

THE BETHANY GROUP - BANKRUPT
In addition, Mensinger was also a Division President with The Bethany Group before he went to SunCal, and that company also filed for bankruptcy.

SHOW ME WHERE I'M WRONG..
I wrote back to Bucher informing him of those facts and invited him to either provide me with more information to support his allegation that I've inaccurately characterized his client or to stop harassing me. Clearly, this is just one more attempt to silence a critic and, as I've said many, many times before, neither Mensinger nor Righeimer likes criticism.

POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON YOUTH SPORTS
I have written many times about the positive influence Mensinger has had on youth sports in our city. For that he is certainly to be commended. I've also been critical of actions he's taken both as an appointed Planning Commissioner and a non-elected City Councilman when I felt it was warranted. I will continue to do so.

HIS WORK HISTORY IS CLEAR
I don't have personal knowledge about Mensinger's management style or capabilities. The record shows, as chronicled in a recent Daily Pilot article, HERE, that he worked for former Ambassador George L. Argryos at Arnel Development twice for total of nearly two decades, that he left to start a business called "Smart Cart Services" then returned to Arnel as President of a division before moving on to The Bethany Group as a President of a division. From that assignment he moved to SunCal as President of its Multifamily Division and, when he left SunCal, he apparently established some kind of real estate consulting firm using the names of his sons in the title.

WAS HE A GOOD MANAGER, OR NOT?
The record does demonstrate that two companies in which he served as President subsequently filed for bankruptcy. I don't know how much his presence at either of them contributed to those situations, but I imagine there are folks around who worked with him in those companies who could offer opinions. In my business experience, the President of an organization typically sets the course for the company and, in many cases, takes the helm and steers the organization on that course, making whatever corrections are necessary. I don't know if he set the course to take them over the bankruptcy falls or not. Nor do I know if his hands were still at the wheel when they went over the brink.

IMPATIENT AND VINDICTIVE
What I DO know, from watching him operate as a planning commissioner and council member, is that he's an impatient man who appears to have his opinion locked down before public comments are presented. He's demonstrated a short fuse in both those assignments and has shown us a vindictive side that does not lend itself to good governance. On the Planning Commission he would attempt to micromanage projects before him, berating project managers in the process.

AN AUTHORITARIAN STYLE
During his brief tenure on the City Council - much too long for me - we've seen Mensinger criticize speakers from the dais, demonstrate an impatience with speakers and staff members and, at times seemed so bored with the proceedings that he'd spend much of the time texting. His management style that's on display for the public to see is that of an impatient authoritarian and, sometimes, a bully. And, of course, there was that difficulty adding 2+5=7 at the last council meeting.

BUCHER'S THREAT
In his threat letter to me, Mr. Bucher, regarding the statement he captioned above - a false statement on his part, by the way - said, "The above statement is enormously damaging to Mr. Mensinger professionally because he makes a living as a manager in the real estate industry. In addition, such a statement is also damaging to Mr. Mensinger's reputation and standing in the community." I can't do anything about that. Mensinger is who he is, with a history all of his own making. I, and other observers, can only report what we know and see. Sometimes the truth does hurt. I don't like people to observe that I'm fat, but it's the truth. If he doesn't like criticism he should stay the heck out of politics, where you're almost guaranteed to make at least half the people mad at you all the time.

A PATTERN OF BEHAVIOR THAT HURTS OUR CITY
Sadly, this pattern of behavior with both Mensinger and Righeimer, only further demonstrates their willingness to intimidate and threaten those who disagree with them. Heck, this might be a systemic genetic flaw within the leadership of the Orange County Republican Party. Costa Mesa City Hall is stark evidence of their heavy-handedness and threatening style, as several of the senior staff members who have disagreed with them have now departed. This new city council, with its heavy-handedness and irrational preconceived "solutions" to municipal problems, has created a hostile work environment that has chased many outstanding employees out and has many of those who remain looking for a new position elsewhere. If they continue on this path, by the end of the year they will have succeeded in destroying an award-winning, efficient, exemplary city government and will have replaced it with uncaring hired guns in the form of consultants and "outsourcing firms" who have no real concern for the city and its residents. As one speaker before them recently said, this is very much like a hostile takeover of a business.

WHOSE RIGHTS ARE NEXT?
The residents of this city should be very concerned about this kind of behavior by members of the city council. That they would unleash a lawyer with threatening behavior does not bode well for anyone expressing dissent in our city. It's only a matter of time until they attempt to trample your rights, too.

The News - Righeimer, Bad - The City, Good

DOUBLE WHAMMY FOR RIGHEIMER TODAY
It's been an interesting day in the news for Costa Mesa Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer and his minions. Our friends at the Daily Pilot had a couple articles that will obviously rankle Righeimer and his pals.




PRIVATIZING EMS
In no particular order, first we address the article by Joseph Serna titled, "Costa Mesa ambulance plan flatlines", HERE. In this article Serna explains that the scheme proposed by Righeimer and the other three members of the city council to change the way paramedics operate in our city is all but a dead issue now. He quotes Righeimer as saying, "We don't need one more request for proposals right now. It's not a pressing issue."

OOPS - RIGHEIMER GUESSED WRONG
It appeared to some observers when this item was proposed that perhaps our current ambulance provider, CARE Ambulance, might have an inside track to take over the paramedic function - a perception only enhanced by the presentation of the CARE representative that evening. Later, though, the president of CARE, Rick Richardson, rejected the idea and confirmed in a letter to the city that the explanation by Costa Mesa Fire EMS Coordinator Larry Grihalva that night was exactly right - that we had the best possible system now and shouldn't change it.

CONFUSE ME WITH FACTS AND I'LL REPLACE YOU!
Righeimer, in the last sentence in Serna's story, tells us all we need to know about him and his plans. He is quoted as saying, "It just tells me we need to get a new ambulance company that's willing to give the services we need." That's it, folks - yet another example of the facts interfering with his plans! I sure hope the public wakes up to what he and his cronies are trying to do to this city pretty darn soon!

***

AS EXPECTED - COPS DID NO WRONG IN "STINKEYE"
Then, in a separate article by Serna titled, "No wrongdoing found in 'stinkeye' case" HERE, we are told that the independent outside investigators, Norman A Traub Associates, looking into the bogus accusations of improper actions by members of the Costa Mesa Police Department last fall when they cruised past a location on the Westside of town where occasional councilman Eric Bever and his pal, Christian Eric, were posting Righeimer signs on a chain link fence, have been cleared of any wrongdoing.

PURE POLITICAL POSTURING
Most of us paying attention to that situation at the time realized that this was just another fabricated "encounter" with the Costa Mesa Police Department by the Righeimer campaign to whip up animosity among the potential voters of this city. At a press conference at the site shortly after the event Righeimer and most of his posse, including his pit bull lawyer/brother-in-law, Mark Bucher, Supervisor John Moorlach, Mensinger hanger-on Jim Fitzpatrick and Colin McCarthy (pretending he was a concerned citizen as he postured for the press), showed up to offer support for the poor, abused Bever and Eric. It was laughable at the time and is pathetic now. This is yet another example of how Righeimer and his cronies attempt to manipulate a gullible public.

***

MORE TRANSPARENCY...
Today the City of Costa Mesa fired off a couple press releases, apparently in the interest of more transparency.




CHAT WITH THE CHIEF
The first advises us the interim Police Chief Steve Staveley, shown in this photo with former Acting Chief Captain Les Gogerty on March 17, 2001, is going to initiate "Chief's Office Hours" each week. Yep, from 4-6 p.m. every Tuesday residents can come to the Police Department and spend some quality time with our chief. According to the press release, Staveley - performing his second tour as interim Police Chief in Costa Mesa - is quoted as stating, "This effort should give us a chance to provide even better service to the community by getting to an understanding of their issue more quickly. We will, of course, forward issues we uncover to the appropriate agency or department when they arrive at our doorstep."

GREAT IDEA
Personally, having had some interaction with Chief Staveley, I think this is a terrific idea. I suspect residents will find him an approachable guy, eager to hear from them and get things done. This is a glaring contrast to former Chief Chris Shawkey's days in Costa Mesa, when he could seldom be found available, even during normal working hours. Congrats to the Chief for this approach. Residents are advised to call 714-754-5280 to be sure the Chief will be available and not on assignment in the field.

***
VACANCIES ON CITY COMMITTEES
Second, I received a press release late this afternoon announcing the need for volunteers to serve on city committees, with a deadline of Monday. Applicants for any of the following committees have until 5:00 p.m. Monday to apply.

Access, Building, Fire & Housing Board of Appeal - 5 regular member and 2 alternate member vacancies. Must live or work in Costa Mesa and have experience and/or training in building construction. Two members shall be physically handicapped persons; two shall be experienced in construction and one member from the general public. The Board meets as needed and the term of service is four years. Call Khanh Nguyen at 714-754-5322.

Cultural Arts Committee - 4 regular member vacancies. Works to promote the City slogan "Costa Mesa City of the Arts." Call Lisa McPherson at 714-754-5322

Historical Preservation Committee - 4 regular member and 1 alternate member vacancies. Serves to maintain, preserve, educate and promote the City's historical resources. Call Lisa McPherson at 714-754-5322.

Redevelopment and Residential Rehabilitation (3R) Committee - 3 alternate member vacancies. Promotes understanding of, and involvement in, the redevelopment of both housing throughout the City and commercial properties within the redevelopment area. Call Alma Penalosa at 714-754-5692

Application Process - Individuals interested in serving on any of the above committees are encouraged to request and complete a “Committee Interest Form” from the CEO’s Office or from the City’s website at http://www.ci.costa-mesa.ca.us/docs/commform.pdf. The completed form may be mailed to: Costa Mesa City Council, Post Office Box 1200, Costa Mesa, California, 92628-1200; faxed to (714) 754-5330; or hand-delivered to the CEO’s Office at City Hall, 77 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa. The deadline for submission is 5:00 p.m., Monday, April 11, 2011. The City Council will make selections from applications filed in a timely manner.

Final Vote Counts, Del Mar Fairgrounds & The Mouth

ALL VOTES COUNTED
According to the Orange County Registrar of Voters web site, all the votes have now been counted, but not yet certified. Assuming that the final numbers - there are "0" left to be counted - will be certified, here's how the races of local interest ended up.






As you can see, nothing has changed since the last numbers I gave you. Jim Fisler holds a 66 vote lead over Dan Worthington in one of the Mesa Consolidated Water District races and Mike Scheafer defeated Arlene Schafer by over 400 votes for the final seat on the Costa Mesa Sanitary District.

None of the percentages changed in the Costa Mesa City Council race. Jim Righeimer and Wendy Leece won the two available seats and Chris McEvoy tallied 10,846 votes (26.4%) to finish 3rd. There are more than a few people in the community that think his strong showing should qualify him to replace Katrina Foley if, and when, she resigns next month.

Costa Mesa Measure L, the 2% increase in the Transient Occupancy Tax was passed with 52% of the votes.

Newport Beach Measure V, the controversial charter amendment issue, won handily, with 61.5% of the voters voting Yes.

The races should be certified before the end of the month. I know from conversations with folks in the Registrar's office that their goal is to have them certified before Thanksgiving.

DEL MAR FAIRGROUNDS ALSO UP FOR GRABS
As the sale of the Orange County Fairgrounds continues to be filled with high drama I thought you'd like to know that we are not alone. The Del Mar Fairgrounds is in play - the City of Del Mar is trying to buy it from the State for $120,000 and every bit as much turmoil surrounds this deal as has been the case with the Orange County Fairgrounds. You can read all about it in an article from the North County Times, HERE.

"THE MOUTH" SPOUTS OFF AGAIN
Finally, at the risk of giving you an upset stomach just before Thanksgiving, I must address some misinformation being presented by our municipal horses fanny and racist laureate, The Mouth From Mesa North. In his pathetic blog today he addresses a letter of mine that appeared in the Daily Pilot in print today (online yesterday), making light of the fact that Jim Righeimer's brother-in-law, Mark Bucher, threatened me and members of the Costa Mesa Police Association with legal action if we mentioned three items in connection with his client/brother-in-law. You can read my letter HERE - fortunately, it's the very first one in a long string of letters in the paper so you don't have to go wading very far to read it. The Mouth, who tells us from time to time that he's a lawyer and a whole bunch of other things, pretends to understand this issue, even though he admits to not having seen the letter in question. Of course, ignorance of an issue has never stopped him from blathering on and on about it in the past, so we shouldn't be surprised when he does so now.

BUCHER'S THREAT
The fact is, Bucher threatened me in writing with legal action if I discussed bankruptcy, being drunk in public and foreclosure when writing about his client. I had written about the rumors of Righeimer's bankruptcy a couple years ago, following a long conversation with him. The upshot of that conversation was that I heard Righeimer out, believed what he said and had not written about it since. I had no intention of writing about him or anyone else being drunk in public, nor had I plans to write about any foreclosure that may or may not have occurred.

RIGHEIMER SPOKE ABOUT BANKRUPTCY
However, Righeimer, within a couple days of that letter being delivered, openly spoke about the bankruptcy issue himself. So, I figure all bets are off. If I knew anything factual about that or the other issues I felt completely comfortable about writing about them.

THE MOUTH SPREAD LIES ABOUT MCEVOY
The Mouth, and other Righeimer boosters, then proceeded to spread lies and innuendo about Chris McEvoy involving his driving record in which they consistently lied about the facts. The Mouth never lets truth be an impediment to his goals.