Juice readers. Have you heard the expression that the camera never lies? Mission Viejo councilman Frank Ury, who is up for reelection on Nov 4th, submitted his candidate statement to our city clerk on Aug 6th. It is important to keep that date in mind as we proceed to expose the lie from that document that every voter in our city will be exposed to.
Shame on all of us, including local media, for not challenging it before his submission was accepted by our City Clerk.
Before giving readers “the bottom line” to this post let’s use a sports story to show the difference between fact and fiction.
After the January 22, 2006 game between the Lakers and Toronto at the Staples Center, Brian Cook decides to have some fun and tells the press that he and Kobe “combined to score 83.” If you were not familiar with that game you might assume that they led the team with each scoring in double digits. Kobe Bryant scored 81 points, Smush Parker scored 13 and Brian Cook scored 2.
I would call this clowning around Vs fudging a resume. While the headline is somewhat misleading, it is a truthful statement.
Back to the story. Please get your hands on a copy of the OC Register’s Wednesday, September 17th, 2008 Local Section page 4, or click here.
You can’t miss the story. It was published exactly six weeks after Frank turned in his candidate statement. It takes a full half page and is located above the fold along with two photo’s relating to my bottom line. I also have the Sept 2nd staff report prepared by Senior Project Manager Mark Chagnon that refutes Frank’s bogus statement.
While elected officials and challengers will exaggerate their accomplishments we need to take a few minutes to “trust, but verify.” Without returning to the AIG bailout story floating around the net, where Mr. Ury commented “Larry, my congratulations to you in once again printing an article with absolutely NO research, NO fact checking and NO accuracy” this post hits the city where I live. Many of our 50,000 voters, living in the northern part of town, may not spend the time to question it. It relates to a simple word called “truth.”
An illustration of how one elected official protects his council buddy is indicated by this example In this year’s election two challenger’s candidate statements were contested by Lance MacLean, yet he failed to challenge that of his side kick, Frank Ury
What helps expose this “I’ve got your back” fraud is that during the August 18th city council meeting, less than two weeks after the Candidate Statements were submitted, Mike Michaelson questioned the council as to the completion date for the delayed expansion of Crown Valley parkway which has resulted in major traffic gridlock.
This is a vital cross town arterial with residents of both Mission Viejo and Ladera Ranch in bumper to bumper traffic as they crawl like snails to reach Interstate 5 to get to work every morning. This delay has resulted in hundreds or perhaps thousands of lost hours for these drivers. We do not know what impact this delay had to emergency vehicle response time getting to Mission Hospital in life and death circumstances? That’s under the category of “health and safety.” Being a major entrance to our mall it surely has impacted potential sales at the Shops of Mission Viejo.
After Mr. Michaelson spoke (under Public Comments), the mayor started to request and update from staff while Lance was anxiously requesting recognition. He immediately said “I want to get a date certain when this project is going to be completed.” He acknowledges that this project began on his watch. You can view Mike’s concerns and Lance’s reply in the video archives of our August 18th council meeting around the one and a half hour location.
Every candidate lists their key issues and/or accomplishments. Without a doubt, up near the top of their list is traffic improvement. However for Frank Ury to state in his candidate statement of Aug 6th that “WE COMPLETED THE CROWN VALLEY TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENTS” is an OUTRIGHT LIE.
The September 17th Register story and Sept 2nd staff update states the following:
October 31, 2008. Complete widening westbound direction. Shift three westbound and three eastbound lanes to the outside to commence median improvements.
January 9, 2009, Complete medial modifications and stripe fourth lane in each direction.
February 13, 2009. Complete planting and landscape enhancements and commence final pavement overlay.
March 31, 2009. Complete project. All of these remaining tasks and remaining target dates were published in the Sept 17th Register story based on that staff response to Lance’s request.
In fact this candidate statement lie appeared on Frank’s web site when I printed a copy on Sept 26th. You can probably still find it there today.
While it is too late to challenge it, four of the six council candidates appeared on a COX cable forum yesterday afternoon where I am told this candidate statement of Mr. Ury was challenged.
Councilman MacLean will get a copy of this post as will member Ury.
While you, Lance, challenged two candidate statements, with your concern for consistency and accuracy, why didn’t you challenge Frank Ury’s text?
And if not, why not?
It is not the responsibility of the City Clerk to verify internal statements of this nature. As you (both) know this post is also emailed around the County and beyond, perhaps you might respond directly or send me an email and I will post it for you.
If you fail to reply in the next 72 hours, I will make that point on your behalf.
Thank you for the revelation of Ury’s big fat lie. How interesting that Mr. Lance “assault & battery” MacLean challenged other candidates — pushing for lawsuits against them — but he didn’t challenge Ury’s ballot statement.
Ury’s lie has now been published and distributed to voters, too late for him to retract it, and voters can see him for what he is. He’s made statements in support of more homebuilding, including dismantling of the Casta golf course, yet his ballot statment says “Keep the Casta Del Sol golf course.” Voters, awaken!
Departing from your post, I have an unrelated question. I’ve learned that Ury and his sidekick Atkinson were referring to their notes during the Cox forum’s taping on Oct. 1, and they gave “polished, prepared statements” while other candidates spoke extemporaneously. Just how did Ury and Atkinson get the questions beforehand? Atkinson is otherwise painfully inarticulate, so how does anyone explain his sudden oratory skills?
Larry –
This is the most poorly written story I have read on this blog or others. It was difficult to read. It is obvious you are passionate, but I didn’t even know what the post was about until I was nearly complete reading it. I suggest you lay out the point of your post within the first paragraph then detail it within the remaining post.
Good luck and thank you for supporting OCJuice.
~L