Happy New Year and Thank You from the Juice family to all of our readers who have collectively encouraged us to raise the bar of our news coverage.
We are unique. Simply read the many varied blogger posts and you will quickly discover that we have total freedom from Founder/Editor Art Pedroza to express our opinion on topics of our own choosing.
Based on your interest we closed 2009 with over one million page views based on 491,271 visits to our site.
Those are amazing numbers. Thank you!
To begin the New Year I am providing my critique of our local OC Register where I am being generous by giving them a D- as per the following assessment of today’s edition.
For those not living in the city of Mission Viejo who do not receive the Register’s Saddleback Valley News you may be able to verify their coverage by going on line.
Let’s begin with a major oversight. According to our Administrator recap of the top Juice posts this past year, coming in seventh with 2,982 page views, was my coverage of the city’s $400,000 Rose Parade Float project that was rather controversial. Not a word can be found regarding that event which began the year 2009.
Spin? The edition cover reads “Mission Viejo sees a boom in business openings, with the opening of a Microsoft Store, and Return of Farrells.” I would not call two store openings a business boom when we have a vacant anchor store called Mervyns‘ on Alicia Parkway and the 5 freeway but that’s my opinion. Let me not overlook two vacant big box stores in our Freeway Center where Linens & Things and Comp USA are history while Borders Books is currently in trouble.
I don’t think “burgers and fries” will offset the sales tax losses of any one of these big box stores.
Another overlooked story is the Mission Viejo activist Tea Parties that were held on April 15th and July 4th [during our annual Street Faire]. On April 15th we had over 500 people spend hours at the intersection of La Paz and Marguerite Parkways holding hundreds of signs. I covered both the April 15th County turnout and the Mission Viejo event. We have all heard cable TV pundits state that Tea Parties are more popular today than the Republican Party yet not a word of these two city events were listed in today’s Saddleback Valley News.
To ignore both the Rose Parade and the Tea Parties was irresponsible “2009 year in review” reporting.
My April 15th coverage of Tea Parties had almost 3,000 page views.
Let’s now look at biased coverage. The Page three “2009 Year-In-Review” sub title Reads: “Recapping an up-and-down year in Mission Viejo followed by “Below is our list of 2009’s top stories” of which they include a few examples.
The lead headline on page 3 reads: “Mission Viejo residents gather signatures in hopes of holding special election to oust Councilman Lance MacLean.” While the reporter includes the recall election cost and an allegation of a petition gathering violation along with a statement that “The Orange County District Attorney’s Office launched an investigation of the allegations,” there is not a single word of the multiple verifiable charges against councilman MacLean as spelled out in the recall petition. Without debating final numbers there were over 10,000 registered Mission Viejo voters who signed the recall petitions. Some of those charges, as found in our Sample Ballots, include:
VIOLENCE when you were arrested by police for assault and battery on a co-worker.
ANGER and INCIVILITY when you ordered a Mission Viejo councilwoman to SHUT UP in a closed session.
HATRED and DISRESPECT when you called residents racists and elitists in a LA Times interview
SELF DEALING when you voted to double your council salary during our current economic crisis
GREED and CORRUPT PRIORITIES when you voted to give yourself lifetime medical benefits after only 12 years of part-time council service.
A TAX INCREASE when you authored and promoted Measure K, which was rejected by Mission Viejo voters.
These are but six of the eight charges, any one or two of which the reporter could easily have included if the reporter’s true objective was to provide balanced coverage.
Furthermore, the reporter’s headline is also wrong. There WILL BE a recall election on Feb 2nd. That is not what I would label “hopes of holding a special election” as it appeared today.
Another blown headline is found on page five where the Register story reads: “Mission Viejo Council Gives Residents a Dog Park, But Some Neighbors Voice Concerns And It Was Taken Away.” Not true! Don’t yell fire in the movie theater.
The grade for this Register edition is a D- only because the follow up text has the correct information. While a proposed site was opposed by local neighbors, the city is currently seeking a more suitable location. Story headlines should be factual.
The fact that we opened a Sonic Drive-In, TK Burger and a Farrell Ice Cream Parlour are not what I would label a “boom in business openings.”
While they included “O’Neill and La Tierra Elementary Schools Close Their Doors” the reporter fails to include the city council filing a lawsuit against the Saddleback Valley Unified School District regarding their decision to close the O’Neill school.
n July 20th, based on the school closure, Mayor Ury promoted formation of our own school district which led to a $15,000 survey of our residents. My Oct 26th post of that survey had 33 comments yet the Register failed to mention our city reaction to the O’Neill closure.
Today’s Saddleback Valley News cover page has half of the stories flipped with UP & DOWN categories so that you need to rotate the paper 180 degrees to read both sub titles.
Under DOWN they include “A challenge to MacLean.” I guess the newspaper is taking a position opposing the recall. If not perhaps they can explain what is DOWN about this citizen effort. Is this their not so subtle idea of an endorsement?
To say that I was disappointed in opening today’s newspaper would be an understatement.
Email from outside Mission Viejo:
Sure glad you weren’t PO’ed at the Register. Otherwise you could have really criticised them. …………
Yawn. All in all, Mission Viejo is still a very nice place to live. There are those in the community who choose to piss and moan and quibble over symantecs. Thankfully, the malcontents are few in number and most have at least one foot in the grave already so we won’t have to be subjected to their bile very much longer.
Get a life, Larry. Your ego is incredible. The Register article was fine. Your self-imposed label of “reporter” is a laugh.
If Larry is so convinced that Mission Viejo is a terrible place, why doesn’t he move? This guy has some kind of a problem. He can only see his side of any issue. Does he know that most of us Mission Viejo residents think this is a great place to live and raise our families? It is not the Register at fault–it is Larry Gilbert and his cronies who put out the slanted, biased stuff.
Well this is gonna make Larry hit the delete button once he see my name, but this article shows just how small your mind is, Larry. Mission Viejo is a very small part of Orange County. And it IS the Orange County Register after all. I actually do agree with your grade of a D-, but for far more analytical reasons. The writing is sub par by and large in the Register. The paper’s bias comes through very clearly. But mostly, the writers would have serious problems getting out of my freshman composition class with a passing grade. They are slightly less pathetic than the first comment on this post. What I see here is your attempt to revive the failed Tyler/Lee recall. Sad sad sad.
hey by the way, those residents Lance called Racist…THEY ARE. There is no other interpretation, and that is what I did for a living, interpret, for the signs they carried. One asks, why does Larry defend racists? Perhaps Larry has a few problems with color?
Email response from outside MV:
Larry
As I looked at your critique of the OCR I conclude that their chapter 11 bankruptcy may be the end and not a new beginning.
XXXX
The Insufferable Dan Avery
Welcome home and Happy New Year.
Where to begin. Problem with color? What color? White?
Our first neighbors by Flo Jo park was a black family from Chicago. I took the husband, a former boxer, to the ’84 Olympic Games in LA. He was a super neighbor and moved to Santa Monica.
Hey. I grew up in Newark, NJ where I attended grade and high school with many blacks including former SF Warriors basketball coach Alvin Atles whom I visited when they came to town to play the Lakers.
You are correct Dan.My problem with color is a man who is white who needs to be removed from office.
Coach. A few questions relating to the post.
Using ficticious names I do not know if this is your first visit to our site.
Kindly stay on topic. Question.
Did the city of Mission Viejo enter a float in the 2009 Tournament of Roses parade? Didn’t the city promote that project in the City Outlook magazine and city web site where the reporter should have seen that extensive promotion?
Readers. Is that a fair question to ask?
Coach. Did you see the paper today? If so, please let our other readers know if the reporter said a single word about that event, the first entry in our 20 years of cityhood.
Point #2. Are you familiar with Tea Parties? No, not Boston, MASS. That was too long ago.
Do you read newspapers or the Internet? The 2009 Tea Parties have surely been in the news and when we have over 500 activists from all over south OC congregate on all four corners of a major intersection, in front of city hall and our library, it is a bigger story than the opening of a burger joint named TK.
PS: Any future personal attacks on me will put you in the penalty box.
Leroy. Nice handle.
I gave the Register reporter a gift with a D- grade. The story was fine?
Its a waste of time to debate anyone with blinders.
Self imposed label as a reporter? While I did not give myself that title the White House press office, under president Bush 43 and president Obama have each given me press credentials to cover their events as confirmed by our Cutting edge a talk show and Orange Juice blog coverage.
Dan. Hate to disappoint you but I will not delete your comment.
Thank you for your unbiased opinion of today’s Saddleback Valley News featured story where we agree that “The paper’s bias comes through very clearly.”
PS: As anyone reading my posts will agree, English was/is surely not my best subject in school.
Larry, if you were ANY type of real reporter, you would have posted at least SOMETHING on the DA’s investigation of illegal signature gathering in the attempt to recall MacLean. Your bias is so blatant, no one can seriously refer to you as a reporter. And yes, this is on topic since your post in on reporting.
Connie Lee, Dale Tyler, you and your buddies are so blinded to get that seat, you cannot be taken seriously. If you moved anywhere in the OC, you will rail on the city government.
The problem is not Mission Viejo, Larry, the problem is YOU!
Larry, nice job of summarizing the years events and what reality was/is all about when transparency in government is permitted to cloud over. When the free press is oppressed we get folks, like Frank Ury, Trish Kelley, and Lance MacLain who are serial purloiner(s) of city resources that are not theirs.
So nice to see that Dan Avery acknowledges that he indeed is insufferable, and I might add an old WIND BAG. He has no realization of what is going on around him. I guess he stays tied up in the Ivory Tower as a ward of the state all the time. Dan, touch down and find out about what is really going on in the community. And by the way, take The Boss Lady on that trip also.
See you at the polls Dan–you can’t stop that !!
Larry,
I didn’t realize that you considered yourself a “reporter”.
Here’s a tip; honest reporters ALWAYS cite and credit, quotes and sources.
Just repeat; I will not plagiarize. I will not plagiarize. I will not plagiarize.
Anonster.
Anyone reading my posts will acknowledge that I almost always credit the source right in my opening text and add the story link at the end.
There may be times when in the body of a post I will add “xxx” to indicate that it is not my own writing.
In this example you are correct. I did not mention the Daily Kos where it was one of their reader comments and not a web site editor or writer.
Picky, picky, picky. This is not the Harvard Review. We are a blog. Dan Avery can correctly fault my abuse of the English language and I will be the first one to agree with him.
You are going off the thread where the message, in this post, is about a biased recap of our “2009 year in review.”
Somehow I do not think you have addressed any of the direct points which I made.
As you are one of our more active Juice contributors, I will not permit you to continue adding comments to my posts that are not germane to the topic.
Happy New Year
Q. For weeks there have been people discussing the recall petitions and phone calls to just about anyone in government who would listen yet the silence is deafening.
Early on I said that if and when the DA, governor Arnold or the OC Grand Jury invites the RECALL petition advocates to have a cup of coffee in Santa Ana there is nothing to report.
Almost daily there have been others beating that drum both here and at the paid consultant blog across town. I will not be joining that band as there is no fire to cover.
The Orange Juice is not the Chicago Tribune nor am I one of their famous reporters who reported “on November 3, 1948, the day after incumbent United States President Harry S. Truman beat Republican challenger and Governor of New York Thomas E. Dewey in the 1948 presidential election in an upset victory”
declaring Dewey the winner in their haste to be first with the news.
Anonster and others.
While Anonster wants to be sure I credit source documents let me add that I send email copies of my posts that mention others to them if I have an address. That includes the governor and whomever is living in that big White House on Pennsylvania Ave.
Every member of the Juice family also receives a copy.
My point is that I sent copies of this post to three members of the local Register office staff in Lake Forest as well as my copying Senior VP Ken Brusic and President/Publisher Terry Horne in Santa Ana.
If they respond I will add their comments to this post.
Larry,
It seems to me that if you are going to judge others on their performance and abilities, then YOU should be willing to be judged on YOUR performance and abilities.
Threats of censorship and obvious hypersensitivity don’t mesh with the role of critic.
In other words, it seems like you can dish it out, but can’t take it.
Be Devil
Each of us who write for this blog do it as a free public service to our readers. While my use of the English language is far from perfect I devote many hours providing current events for you to either agree with or oppose. As to writing style or abuse of the English language no one gives out grades at the end of the month for my performance.
The simple fact that there are many who read my posts without complaints such as yours confirms that you are in a very small minority.
Some of us have become spoiled by the Internet. Try submitting letters to the OC Register and see if they get published. For starters you must identify yourself. Note. This is a key difference that is not a requirement for contributing your thoughts to this blog. Beyond that a very small percentage of “letters to the editor” on their stories or commentary are accepted for their print edition.
For some of our regular readers 2009 was the year of personal attacks against myself rather than the content of my posts. All while hiding behind a curtain of secrecy as you do not given me the opportunity to face my accusers.
Therefore, as we enter a New Year let me share some guidelines.
For starters if you do not like my posts simply ignore them.
If you have germain input in opposition bring it on as I will keep an open mind on your inputs.
Don’t use any language that my grandkids should not see.
Refrain from personal attacks.
Is that short list too difficult to understand?
Earlier today I spoke to Art about some of the anonymous individuals who have devoted all or most of their inputs spewing venum against me rather than addressing the topic of my posts. While I have a thick skin there comes a time when I will no longer put up with that abuse. As such I will exercise my rights to simply delete those comments.
#19 Larry,
“We are unique. Simply read the many varied blogger posts and you will quickly discover that we have total freedom from Founder/Editor Art Pedroza to express our opinion on topics of our own choosing.”
Too bad that “freedom” DOESN’T extend to your readers.
Censorship is a slippery slope, one I think you and Art will regret going down.
Anonster. Sorry that Art beat me to a response. I was busy watching Mission Viejo High School’s Mark Sanchez and the NY Jets final game victory at the Meadowlands.
Censorship is a slippery slope. So too is your continuous personal attacks while you refuse to identify yourself but engage in attacking my writing style which has zero to do with the post topics. I have recently had issues with Dan Avery yet I continue to debate him in a civil manner as he stayed on the thread, something you refuse to do.
If you disagree with the story let’s hear from you. The fact that I overlooked adding a quotation mark on a reference was not the end of the world but you made a federal case of it forcing others to read your dribble.
The citizens of Gardner, KS are currently working to recall two members of their City Council. The recall is tied up in the courts at the moment, but it should go to a vote in March of 2010.
Gardner recall.
I understand that there is a web site that contains a listing of recall activities around the country which includes the one you have mentioned.
As this post is about the OC Regster let me stay focused and report that I will be calling the publisher tomorrow to make sure he has received and read this post to see what reaction, if any, to expect.
As newspapers across the land are forced to mitigate financial setbacks they have resorted to lowering the bar of their product. This has resulted in early retirement of experienced reporters with hiring of less qualified replacements at a lower pay scale. These new hires are given titles but lack the knowledge and sourcing skills to adequately cover the cities that are assigned as their beats.
Anonster,
I agree that censorship is something we need to be cautious about.
I am suspending the editing rights of most of my bloggers until I can craft a sound policy regarding deletion of comments.
I ask my team in the interim to contact me if they have a problem with a comment.
And if any of my readers have a problem with this they may email me at apedroza@earthlink.net.
Thanks for reading the Orange Juice.
larry……….you take up just about all the space.Watch that red face now, especially when you were asked by a nice sheriff[and escorted] out of the Monday City hall meeting .Yes you were warned not to interfere with the speakers and you cooperated.
Well done!
Colin. I was not asked out. Let me also point out that I will be speaking to Lt. Gavin tomorrow about his deputy with whom I have a cordial relationship as I see him at every council meeting when I turn in my speaker cards. The fact that the mayor sits in the center chair does not trump council policy Rules of Order #0400-3 which Rick S. violated last night.
Just curious. Not knowing who you are were you there last night?
Larry no, you went out after a discussion with the officer under your own steam.Cool down………..please, or your heading for all the problems that blood pressure can bring you.Is it all worth it? You will soon be remembered for a day or two.stay calm……….please.
colin.
Without repeating everything said between the local Register reporter and myself in a recent phone exchange, he confirms that I was NOT one of the three whom the deputy escorted out of the council chambers Monday evening.
While the Register story mentions three citizens without providing names Trish Kelley says that Larry Gilbert disrupted the meeting when in fact the third person was Susan Sellers who started the discussion with Joe Holtzman after her public comments.
In addition the reporter saw Rick Sandzimier sit down next to me after he spoke and Niyaz admits hearing me suggestion to Rick that we take this topic discussion out in the hall.
“I was warned.” You are a perfect illustration that the set-up almost worked. Paint those of us who have a different opinion on the current leadership are all out to lunch instead of placing the focus on the recall and the charges against Lance, most of which he refuses to answer in the ballot.
Larry.I was sat at the meeting and watched the deputy ask you to come outside .You walked with him right past me!You were mumbling too loud and asked by members of the Council to be quiet but you went on , then a request by them asked that you be removed.Oh, your knowledge of lt.Gavin means nothing . You were out of order and you know it. The deputy was within his rights to ask you to come outside. It was a business meeting after all.
Larry .excuse me…………LT.Gavin……..
Colin. Were you in Lt Gavin’s office on Wed when I asked the Deputy if he asked me to leave the council chambers?
Nice try. Did you speak to the Register reporter who was sitting in front of me and confirmed that it was not me he referenced in the Register story but three others including Susan Sellers along with Mark and Joe escourted out.
Get your facts correct. You bet. I did yell out when Lance violated city policy by permitting Rick Sandzimier to discuss a Public Comment at a specific agendized item and Rick for violating that published policy which, as our planning commission chairman, he surely has knowledge of. Those rules of decorum and time to address the council are printed on every Agenda and/or the City Policy.
Glad you attended our council meeting
Larry, you need to have more on your mind……….Lt. Gavin is probably humoring you? That red face will be trouble if you don’t calm down!By the way, I find the Register only print letters that suit them so I don’t send any in anymore.How is your camel?Glad it wasn’t at the meeting!
Colin. With my spending hours every day researching, writing and answering comments, like those challenging remarks from people like yourself, I no longer have time to submit Letters to the Editor of the Register.
Sorry. If you wish to read my material you will be forced to endure the pain of reading my words on this blog. Please! You are free to go away. That will save you the discomfort of suffering while reading my opinions that you constantly find fault with.
While we appreciate the hits, I seem to think that it is against the law to discharge a weapon in Mission Viejo. Be careful. There is a huge NRA presence in our town.
Larry………..you shouldn’t make comments like that? The N.R.A. supposed to be a peace loving group. However , since you are using them as a threat I will forward the e. mail you sent to the Mission Viejo police .Just in case . they will know who to come to in the event of any mishap.OK?
Colin. You left the house this morning and forget your meds. Drive carefully.
Good thing you have your M.D.iTS YOU NEED THE MEDS, NOT I! Cool down
or you will be cold! Blood pressure is a terrible thing.Control it before it controls you.!
Larry, therefore , I will take that as a threat from you.Must make an appointment with Lt.Gavin. Maybe you should be frisked before every meeting?By the way………I am not going away. Go for a ride on your camel……one hump or two! The very fact that you did not get voted in when you ran still bothers you doesn’t it?
Colin. One more shot at me and you will disappear.
Lary, is that a threat??????????I will seek Advice now. You will have to give up your camel you are aware of that? The fact that Lance was sat in the mayors chair really got to you right?
Larry, you lack the ability to accept critiscism. Maybe thats why [one of the many reasons] you are not on the Council……
However, you lack leadership where as Lance seems to have it.
I will pass these posts onto the right people for review. Try again to get on the Council , you know you will never make it !
LARRY, YOU ARE A CONTRIBUTOR YOU DO NOT OWN IT. IF YOU MEAN ANYTHING ELSE YOU ARE IN TROUBLE ALREADY.THIS IS UNDER INVESTIGATION RIGHT NOW..
Colin. I am happy today as another old timer named Brett Favre just beat Dallas. For that reason I am not sending this latest comment from you to the trash bucket.
Own what? This blog. Never said I did. We are family. Don’t like it than why do you continue to return with threats? Got to leave. Mission Viejo HS’s Mark Sanchez is starting to warm up for the Jets game against San Diego.
Larry,
This maybe old but you cannot go around threatening people. You will recieve a letter shortly.
Larry,Sorry, but you wil be recieving a letter.Its you issue out the threats so I hope you leave me your Camel from your African safari?As if we all did’nt know you went on one!By the way, your whole head is red now ……..not just your face?That Mayor’s seat really bugs you don’t it!
Enjoy the game!
Colin. Yes I did enjoy the game and watched as MVHS grad Mark Sanchez led the NY Jets to an upset victory over the SD Chargers.Good night Colin. Once again you are not addressing the topic.
Now that we have surpassed 60,000 comments, I am hopeful that the next milestone will not include your type of non issue remarks and personal attacks which are not permitted on this blog. This is your last warning! Larry
Colin, this is how Lance shows leadership – through vioLance:
MacLean: My responsibility as a director at UCI was to insure the safety of students while on campus.
Reacting out of fear for others safety, I made a snap decision and grabbed my co-worker’s shoulders to gain his attention. I reacted inappropriately and for this isolated incident I have paid a dear price for the mistake.
The fact is, I was never arrested and the District Attorney (Tony Rackauckas)dismissed the case as the accusations were unfounded.
The above is Lance’s statement of the event that lead to his leaving UCI.
But we get a differant story from the UC Irvine Police Department crime report as reported in the March 5, 2009 edition of the OC Weekly. Here is an account of what happened between MacLean and a co-worker:
“After a short verbal altercation (about 30 seconds) between the two men, Maclean [sic] took a step forward and bumped [Jack] McManus against the chest. Maclean then extended both his arms out and placed his hands around McManus’s neck. Maclean then shoved McManus against the wall and started to lift McManus up while his hands were still around McManus’ neck.”
The police report then says it took four cops to break MacLean’s grip, wrestle him to the floor and handcuff him over snarls of “Get the fxxx off of me; get th fxxx off of me.”
BTW, Kay Rackauckas was Lance’s attorney.
FBI Director Hoover.
What readers do not understand is this was not an isolated case.
On Feb 2nd we will know if the voters are willing to forgive and forget this issue.
Lance’s UCI episode, his confrontation with candidate Diane Greenwood and former mayor Gail Reavis collectively, have received widespread news coverage. Keeping him in office places the city in a very vulnerable position and some massive legal exposure should Mr VioLance loose his temper again.
larry,you are knit picking…………anything to get him out.! come on………! so, he lost it for a multiple of reasons so what.?Now you have more to work on?
At least he acted in the interest of the people there.The incident behind closed doors with the other member is pathetic to say “I am scared to be with him in the same room”.
If so, how come he lost by only 17 votes?.Must be a lot of people like him! or, that was taken with a pinch of salt even though he did say it.That happens at meetings all the time.
Colin. Why are you now adding comments to a story that was published nine months ago on Jan 1st?
For those readers who have no idea where Colin Brake, or whatever his true name is coming from let me turn on the lights and provide the background of this post.
On Jan 1st the local edition of the Register provided a year in review that was slanted. I wrote this post and gave us a grade of D- in my post.
What the reporter failed to address leading up to the successful recall of mayor MacLean was “the multiple verifiable charges against councilman MacLean as spelled out in the recall petition. Without debating final numbers there were over 10,000 registered Mission Viejo voters who signed the recall petitions. Some of those charges, as found in our Sample Ballots, include:
VIOLENCE when you were arrested by police for assault and battery on a co-worker.
ANGER and INCIVILITY when you ordered a Mission Viejo councilwoman to SHUT UP in a closed session.
HATRED and DISRESPECT when you called residents racists and elitists in a LA Times interview
SELF DEALING when you voted to double your council salary during our current economic crisis
GREED and CORRUPT PRIORITIES when you voted to give yourself lifetime medical benefits after only 12 years of part-time council service.
A TAX INCREASE when you authored and promoted Measure K, which was rejected by Mission Viejo voters.
These are but six of the eight charges” in the recall petition.
The irony is that in 2002 we helped Lance get elected while trouncing the sitting mayor and mayor pro tem.
Fast forward to Feb 2nd of this year when we recalled Lance based on the charges listed above. THe OCSD union blew over $100,000 trying to keep him in office yet we still prevailed regardless of whether or not it was 19 votes or 1900 votes. He is gone.
Trivia. The Register reporter will be leaving our city next week.
Lance MacLean is back on the ballot
Lance’s former supporters have all abandoned him by throwing him under a bus as they are supporting his very own planning commissioner. None of his peers signed his nominating papers. Only one activist is on that listing.
It is ironic when the council that included Lance sued CUSD over reduction in proposed bussing of our kids. Perhaps the bus he was thrown under was reinstated to transport our kids to CUSD schools.
Larry, are you saying you are “perfect” for the job?”You have no
tolerance or patience.