OC Great Park Corporation…Sim IS right

I did as OCBlog reader Len suggested the other day and took a look at the OC Great Park Corporation’s budget for FY 2005-06 posted on the El Toro Info Site.

Net...Yes, Len…From my read of the budget, I DO believe park money is being misspent.

Just a couple of things in the budget that jumped out at me…

• A contract with Forde & Mollrich for “public information & outreach” (the no-bid PR contract) that totals $564,000 and includes specifically $339,000 for three Quarterly Outreach Reports (especially since the Annual Outreach Report, which one can only assume is more extensive than mere quarterly reports, is only $90K) and $50,000 for a “Groundbreaking Event.” For what I assume, is having some balloons, a couple of shovels, maybe a high school band, and a photographer or two, fifty grand seems more than a little out of line for a bunch of politicians to have their pics taken holding shovels wearing hard hats and silly grins.

• Another line items that raised a question in my mind is the $800,000 for “offices and office supplies for staff & directors” Don’t tell me that each of the five Irvine City Council members that are Directors of the GPC and who have offices in their Taj on Alton also need to have GPC offices somewhere else? And $800K??? Those are some damn nice digs for a construction office!

• What in the world is $243,250 in “Site visits, seminars and workshops for Board and staff” all about? Remember, this is just for this next year! Where are Agran & Co. planning to go?

I’m asking other readers to take a look through the document and comment here on their take on the issue or write-in to the Register, Times, Business Journal or Weekly. Even better would be to take their feelings directly to the next meeting of the Irvine City Council or GPC.

Finally, to Len…Do I think Dick Sim was right?   Damn right I do!

Comments

[Lurk]

I especially liked the helicopter leases and the $12k for tours.

Then I suggest you get to one of the meetings of either the Irvine City Council or GPC and state your concerns.

Greenhut and his ilk always piss and moan about what is wrong, but never do anything of substance to correct the malfeasance they claim exists.

[Steve]

The last comment takes issue with "Greenhut and his ilk" never taking action.

Seems to me that, at least in the case of Greenhut, he's doing a great deal "of substance" in bringing to light in the OC Register the issues we're discussing in this thread.

Kahuna also suggested in his original post that OC Blog readers take direct action by attending the GPC and Irvine City Council meetings.

When elected officials and/or those appointed to positions of public trust (i.e. the GPC) do things that are questionable, one of the most effective ways of doing "anything of substance" is to shine light on their actions through the media or forums such as this one.

[PFinIRV]

>>Seems to me that, at least in the case of Greenhut, he's doing a great deal "of substance" in bringing to light in the OC Register the issues we're discussing in this thread.<<

Ooooohhhhh. Aaaaaahhhh. And after the cursory read, his comments end up in the can or whisked off into cyberspace.

If that's your (and his) idea of action, those committing the malfeasance he claims exist are very safe indeed.

[Steve]

I'm curious, PF, what's your idea of action?

[PFinIRV]

>>I'm curious, PF, what's your idea of action?<<

Were you around to see the involvement that stopped the airport? If you were, then you will understand the difference between action and the mumblings of Greenhut. He is all too willing to shed sunlight upon this subject because it involves Larry Agran. Yet he was conspicuously mum about the planning process coming from the Board of Supes when he had the chance.

Like I said in another thread. Put your faith in a person whose idea of conviction is spreading opinions that rarely have any factual basis.

And let me know how it works out for you.