Beth Krom, a role model for bipartisanship.
We all know that Irvine City Councilwoman Beth Krom is attempting to make the jump to Congress. What you don’t know is that her campaign is raking in thousands of dollars from persons with business in front of the Great Park Board. Krom’s campaign is not unique however. According to a recent Register article, Larry Agran’s maze of slate mailer organizations and shell committees have raked in “tens of thousands of dollars worth of contributions from consultants with ties to the Great Park”. Make your own judgement, but here is a smattering of the back-room power relationships for your consideration.
James “Walkie” Ray
Krom and Ray both serve on the Discovery Science Center Board of Directors and the Great Park Board, so I was not suprised to hear the Discovery Science Center is currently trying to expand into the Great Park. Ray and his wife are both generous donors and active fundraisers for Krom’s campaign.
Yehudi Gaffen
Yehudi Gaffen is the CEO of Gafcon, Inc., the most recent recipient of a line of no-bid contracts from the Great Park. So far they have received 3.5 million of the 10.5 million alotted for the park’s design work . Maybe if Gafcon, Inc. had stellar performance, they might have earned their second no-bid contract, but an external audit conducted Diehl, Evans, and Company begs to differ. The audit characterizes the fiscal oversight as “not as tight as one would expect”. Fellow boardmember and sworn Krom hater Christina Shea puts it more bluntly, “They completely failed in their responsibilities. The firm of Gafcon has proven over and over to me that they are just inept,”. Nevertheless, the fact that Gafcon is being rewarded for not addressing audit recommendations is uncomforting.
It gets steamier when you take into account the fact that Gaffen and his wife are major donors and fundraisers for Beth Krom’s political campaign.
Do we really want our representatives in the pockets of special interests?
Disclaimer: the author is an independent candidate for Irvine City Council.
Beth is a nice, smart, honest leader. Leave her alone.
Quelle Suprise! Irvine “Reporter” has leveled another one-sided slam against Beth Krom.
Hey, Genius: What about the present seat holder of that congressional district, John Campbell? Where’s the beef for HIS campaign? Anyone who has been paying attention knows that he represents exactly ONE person in his district: John Campbell. He’s got huge PAC and Lobby funds at his disposal. None of this couple of thousands apiece from individual donors who make up the majority of the contributions, like Beth Krom’s fund base.
And in the interest of honesty, Irvine Reporter, I think you need to disclose that YOU are running in the Irvine council race and that’s one of your biggest motivations to try and attack Beth Krom’s reputation, ANONYMOUSLY. You should have that disclaimer on any future posts where you attack other council members with your dubious “FACTS”. Just a cautionary suggestion.
Agran, Krom, and the Irvine Democrat machine are crooks, like the vast majority of politicians of both parties. Embrace that idea and then join me in reducing government power.
Red,
I personally invited Irvine Reporter to blog here. Please accord him the respect we extend to all our bloggers.
If you disagree with him, you are welcome to post a pro-Krom story at your leisure.
There is ample evidence that Krom and Larry Agran are corrupt. The OC Weekly has nailed them repeatedly. Even the OC Register has piled on them.
Irvine Reporter already acknowledged that he is running for the Irvine City Council. So what? He would still be reporting all of this if he wasn’t running.
I thank Irvine Reporter for his contributions to this blog. Again, if you disagree, then put up a post and tell us why Krom is not corrupt despite the mountain of evidence to the contrary.
You know, Art: I keep hearing about this “mountain of evidence” and it has yet to bear any fruit. List it.
Anyone who has spent more that 10 minutes on OJ knows that posters and bloggers here have thick skins. Pointing out that there is a whisp of smoke coming out of the Krom campaign, all the while ignoring the raging fire blazing from the special-interest lobbyist-laden Campbell outpost is bluster.
Oh and I love your humor: I am supposed to DISPROVE your baseless accusations? Good one!
Red,
You know I am not a fan of Campbell either, but he has NOT been in all the local media this year. He is a typical do-nothing Congressman. If he is corrupt, it is news to me. He is just generally lame.
That said, I would rather see him reelected than see the likes of Krom sent to D.C. Remember that Democrat in Louisiana who got caught with money in his freezer? Definitely a Kromsicle…
Oh, OKAY. Campbell gets to continue to misrepresent his district because he’s QUIET about it?
And now there is some kind of leap in reasoning that Beth Krom is somehow responsible for money in some guy’s freezer?
I’m not sure if you’ve given it any thought at all, but IRVINE runs well. Your city, SANTA ANA, is stuck on incompetent. Maybe you keep seeing corruption and incompetence thru your filter of constant SA mismanagment. You’re probably even more jaded on the subject today because there is that pesky pic of Beth Krom and YOUR MAYOR OF 20+ YEARS IN SANTA ANA, Miguel Pulido posing it up for the camera.
Campbell needs to go. If Krom gets the seat and is as big of a NO SHOW as Campbell is, then she can get voted out in the next round.
Your buds over at OC Weekly have a little story on John Campbell and his FAMOUS TACTICS TO NOT REPRESENT HIS DISTRICT: http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/a-clockwork-orange/private-security-stops-healthc/index.php
But, sure, listen to Art and give Campbell ANOTHER TWO YEARS of arrogance and cowardly non-representation, because, after all, Campbell is sooooooooooooo QUIET about what he does/doesn’t do.
Stay tuned, I expect things to get more interesting now that the Crew over at OCWeekly got a wiff of this coward’s blood 😉
Is anyone else running? Because between the three of us, we just established that both candidates suck.
Because between the three of us, we just established that both candidates suck
How did you reach THAT conclusion? I support Beth Krom. She was an outstanding mayor in Irvine. She is the underdog, tho.
And along that line, why in the world do you support the Irvine Council Minority? Shea and Choi are two of the more silly people to ever represent Irvine, imo.
Ever see that little video of Shea trying to get donations from ING during a council meeting? pathetic… but SO HER!
Red,
I have already agreed with you that Campbell is lame. I just don’t think it is worth replacing a lame guy with a corrupt woman. They both suck.
As for Santa Ana, you do realize that our Mayor, Miguel Pulido, is responsible in great part for our malaise? Your Democratic Council Members, Agran and Krom, put Pulido on the Great Park Board. You go ahead and connect the dots…
Corrupt? How so? What particulars do you have on the woman? That you keep insisting on it, does NOT prove a thing. List them, please.
YOUR mayor has been in office for decades. SA voters continue to put him into office. That Irvine leaders would include leaders from other cities in projects is a given, I would think. PULIDO is YOUR GUY. Irvine’s not about to elect your leaders for you… but Irvine leaders do have an obligation to forge partnerships with neighboring cities. Maybe Pulido will pick up a few ideas on how to actually manage your city better… schools, safety, planning, budgets… You know, the stuff that IRVINE is
good at, nay, GREAT AT.Red- Ya but your GREAT leaders sure as hell can’t build a park. It’s been now 11 years. Just saying…..
Yeah, come on Red.
The Great Park has been nothing but a sink hole, a money pit where the PR scammers and the no-bid contractors who contribute to the political machinery skim the cream right off the top. Nothing has been accomplished. Zilch. Krom has been there every single death march step of the way.
Please don’t wander down that path, Red…
It’s been now 11 years. Just saying
I believe we voted on it in 2002. How are you calculating 11 years? This is a large park roll out and the planners have a 20 year time frame, btw.
Until I see different, I support the Great Park concept. David, remember things may have been hampered because we ARE IN A RECESSION that has deeply affected the economy and revenues. I think things will pick up as the economy recovers. The Irvine Company has a fairly robust housing roll out that is taking back up offers in Northwood right now. I think that bodes well for Irvine and the economy, coming up.
Oh, and there is a general idea that the council majority is made up of “Democrats” and the council minority is made up of “Republicans”. I saw a comment recently over at the OC Weekly in which someone asserted that it is actually a divide of effective people (majority) vs. fools (minority). I agree. Choi and Shea are goofballs. I always appreciate robust counter arguments, but Choi and Shea are just obstructionists. They vote against the majority on principle much of the time it would seem. Their own “principles” of nonsense, but the votes ARE NO.
David, I am going to extend the same invitation to you as I have to Art: LIST the supposed corruption, if that is what you are alleging. And IF you are claiming that absolutely NOTHING has been done at the GP, then tell me: When was the last time you visited there?
Red,
Why should we waste our time listing corruption that has already been outed over at the OC Weekly and the OC Register? Just google it.
The latest scandal involved the payment of six figures EVERY MONTH to a PR firm that is touting the Great Park.
Isn’t that quite a huge load of public money to be forking over for publicity, for a park that has a balloon and that’s about it?
Art,
I’ve looked at the OC Weekly articles that suspect that something corrupt is going on, at the very most. ~Yawn~ Where’s the BEEF? There is none. LIST THEM, if you can.
Just how much money would YOU allot for PR, Planning or other aspects of a GREAT PARK project, Art? All this Phony outrage over nada, really cheapens the discussion.
YOUR city sucks, so you have to go over to Irvine to beat up issues that you have only a shallow understanding of.
I know you have not bothered to go over to the GP and visit the visitor’s center to see where they are on their timeline and projects, but it doesn’t cost a thing to do so. If you brushed up on the facts, it would help.
Red,
Can you please tell me why you are ignoring my point about Miguel Pulido and Krom? You keep ripping Santa Ana, but he is the one who has ruined my city. And Krom and Agran put him on the Great Park Board. Doesn’t that concern you at all, even just a bit?
And seriously, you think it is appropriate to spend $100K a month to promote this park, that has one attraction?
Why should I go to the Great Park? I don’t want to go in the balloon, so really, why bother? It is a farce!
You can call my understanding shallow, but as Irvine Reporter pointed out, Krom and Agran are doling out no bid contracts to contractors who suck. Doesn’t that worry you at all?
Put down the Agranista Kool Aid Red. It is blinding you to the truth…the facts have already been reported by the OC Weekly and the OC Register. And you are still acting like you don’t know what is going on. Very disappointing.
Red, any time a government agency hands out contracts without bid, sans emrgency, I will happily call it corruption. If those people have contributed to Larry, Larry’s allies, or any of Larry’s political projects, ah well…
Are you saying this hasn’t happened, or that there’s nothing wrong with it? BTW, I really do believe the Weekly on occaission.
Now, if as you suggest, the RECESSION is to blame for lack of any substantive accomplishment, then one would have thought that it would have also crimped the GP PR budget. But no! Over a million a year? Oy vey! That’s pretty shocking considering that beside the balloon there’s hardly anything to promote. And that’s an excellent topic for discussion all by itself.
BTW, neither Shea nor Choi is the issue here, so why keep dragging them in? They are indeed most likely total zeroes, but that’s not the issue. Also irrelevant to the discussion is how crappy Santa Ana is. Irrelevant, too, though debatable in different context, is whether the Great Park concept is worthy.
And now that I come to think of it, the “Irvine is so well run” argument in another floater. Even if it were germane, Agran and Co. are sort of like the conductors on a train. Someone else bought the right-of-way, laid down the tracks, and built the engine and the cars. Somebody else works out the schedule and makes sure all the stops are met.
Red Vixen has asked for Irvine Reporter to disclose that he is running for city council. Well, fair is fair, and you should disclose who you are and if you have any interest in Beth Krom’s race. So do you?
Ok Red- so it has been almost 8 years then. Pretty close to a decade. What is there exactly? An Orange balloon that goes up 100 feet so we can all see what has not been done in 8 years. They have not even started environment cleanups, torn out runways….NOTHING. How long does it take to build a park anyway? How many millions of dollars need to be spent? How much money does it cost to get some grass seed thrown down? Chalk out some lines for a baseball or soccer field? How much money has been WASTED on VERY expensive huge mailers, that always come out a season late to tell us what “is” (nt) happening out there? The whole park is corrupt…period.
Okay, so the Great Park is taking forever, according to opinion. It’s a waste of money, according to opinion.
There have been no-bid contracts (not good! But have not been prosecuted as crimes) and it is unclear if that practice is still in place after an AUDIT exposed that problem.
Irvine politicians are well-connected and depend upon donors and supporters to keep getting elected.
The mayors from Irvine have nothing to do with the success of that city, yet the Mayor of Santa Ana is responsible, solely, for the mismanagement of his city.
Anything else? That IS some exhausting and comprehensive list of “corruption” there….. < eye. roll >
Of course I support Beth Krom over John Campbell. I generally support progressives over GOP birthers, any day.
Irvine Reporter is free to do what he/she wants. Clearly being aligned with the council minority will curry favor with some people.
“There have been no-bid contracts (not good! But have not been prosecuted as crimes)”
Red,
Is that how low you have to set the bar for the Agranista’s? Krom is just another one of stooges in the Agran cabal. Campbell is whack but is replacing him with an Agranista the best thing?
I opposed the airport and was in favor of the park but it is clear that this debacle is the “Great Pork” and not the Great Park. Flowerszzz is right, all it consists of is a stupid balloon and buckets of cash being handed out to consultants and contractors alligned with the Agranista’s.
No criminal charges yet, but definately some shadowy and questionable dealings. If Agran were a Reep you would be slamming him and his minions too.
Only a pollyanna would be shocked that politicians would try and get away with back scratching their friends and associates. That’s what AUDITS are for. To stop shenanigans that might be afoot.
If Agran were a Reep you would be slamming him and his minions too.
Oh, not to worry on that one. The party of NO! would NEVER set aside open space for a community park project. That group is much more likely to try and shove an airport down the throats of citizens… oh, wait….
😉
Red,
I think that you made a correct assessment of what the “Great Pork” really is when you described it as “a community park project”. The longer it remains just a “project” the more money Agran, Krom and company can funnel to their friends, which in turn makes its way back to them in one form or another.
Once the park is actually built there won’t be as much money floating around so they need to drag the “project” out as long as possible in order to keep the cash cow alive and well.
The longer it remains just a “project” the more money Agran, Krom and company can funnel to their friends, which in turn makes its way back to them in one form or another.
Once the park is actually built there won’t be as much money floating around so they need to drag the “project” out as long as possible in order to keep the cash cow alive and well.
Larry and Gang need to send a big old Xmas card to Christina Shea for much of those delays. She has campaigned for that airport and once it was defeated, she has obstructed every major decision that needed to be made to push the GP along. There is currently $$65 million in fed grant/stimulus money poised to fund construction projects. But the stalling tactics continue. At some point, it will get rolling. Shea and Choi out of the way would be helpful boost to our local job market and economy.
Red,
Agran has a majority on the council and the “Great Pork” board. Shea and Choi are in the minority and have been pretty much shut out of the entire process. Seeing as how Agran has the numbers on his side, how exactly can you blame Shea and Choi?
Before anyone starts saying I am shilling for the Irvine Reeps let me state I don’t care much for them either.
Sean H. Mill says:
December 22, 2009 at 8:48 am
“Red,
I think that you made a correct assessment of what the “Great Pork” really is when you described it as “a community park project”. The longer it remains just a “project” the more money Agran, Krom and company can funnel to their friends, which in turn makes its way back to them in one form or another.
Once the park is actually built there won’t be as much money floating around so they need to drag the “project” out as long as possible in order to keep the cash cow alive and well.”
reminds me of
the Bristol widening project in Santa Ana, and the tons of contracts put through by the city manager
Vince Sarmiento stated that he would volunteer to go in and review contracts since he is an attorney at one of the council mtgs a few months ago.
This made my admiration for Mr. Sarmiento grow—I wonder if he got a chance to do that.
thanks for this post—
Just in Time,
Isn’t it ironic that Agran chose Mayor Miguel Pulido to serve on the “Great Pork” board? Considering his involvement in the Bristol project he was a natural for the position.
Great analogy by you.
didn’t mean to —don’t know too much about the Bristol project– but it is being dragged.
maybe you can tell us a lil more about it since you were on the planning commission.
Red-that’s what Audits are for??? Really??? How about just plain ‘ol honesty and common sense? (I know too much to ask for!) As for your argument that Shea has blocked all progress I call BS on that one. Shea and Choi seem to be the only members of the Board that are asking for things to be public and calling attention to the underhanded dealings going on. Kudos to them.
You are right in one aspect though. The Irvine Voters are quite complacent in their City. They really don’t care at all.