R. Scott Moxley’s latest article is a must-read for Great Park Scandal aficionados.
The star of today’s story is Mike Ellzey, the Great Park CEO Larry Agran hired in 2008 after a secret interview at the Irvine Denny’s. [*] Mike has been carrying water for Larry every since.
For example, Mike vigorously defended Great Park management just this January against the initial findings of the Forensic Audit. As I posted elsewhere:
According to the accounting documents, there were sixteen level 1 feasibility studies commissioned *after* the Master Plan had been approved. The forensic accountant freely admitted that he was not an expert in planning, but to him it seemed like the feasibility study contracts should come *before* the master plan contract, so the forensic accountant recommended that these contracts merited additional review.
Michael Ellzey, Great Park CEO, had an interesting defense. First he claimed this is the standard process: first approve a master plan, and then commission feasibility studies to see what can actually be built. Next, he claimed that actually those were Level 2 feasibility studies. Who defends themselves against a Forensic accountant’s charge of poor management by saying “I mis-labeled the contracts”?
As proof that these were actually Level 2 feasibility studies despite being recorded in the General Ledger as Level 1, Mr. Ellzey pointed out that he spent much more on these contracts then is typical for a Level 1 feasibility study. An odd defense against the charge of overspending.
The process of letting small fish jump out of the frying pan if they help fry bigger fish has begun — with the guy who has been approving contracts since 2008.
Bring Popcorn Tuesday night!
[*] Yes, Irvine has a Denny’s.
Raise your hand if you have know where it is.
Extra credit if you’ve eaten there.
HA HA! Fooled you! This Denny’s is closed. The Deposition makes clear that meeting took place at the OTHER Denny’s, pictured above.
If you build stationary bikes, they will come and power the carousel.
Man, you can’t make this stuff up.
Actually, the “people powered carousel” thing has been done at Burning Man. It’s helluva lot of work to push the carousel – people tire quickly. it’s a fun idea, but not a very workable one in a society with a distaste for human slavery.
Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but all I can envisage is Fred Flintstone starting his “car.”
tyler is back!
You told me to invite him!
Heh. The first time in four years anybody has followed my advice!
Seems that Denny’s at Culver/I-5 is closed. I had lunch at another restaurant in that strip-mall last week, and noticed that the sign on the building has been taken down.
Never lived down the rep of that Ellzey meeting. Sad, sad story…
I do sort of wonder why this is coming up right now, on the eve of the Veterans Cemetery vote. I’m not talking about Tyler’s writing about it; that’s easily explained because it’s in the news. I’m talking about the release of Ellzey’s deposition, which put it into the news.
CURIOUS, THAT.