Council member elect Rhonda Reardon
Whenever you have a field of more than 10 candidates for city council the chances for incumbents to be reelected increases dramatically. In this year’s Mission Viejo city council race we had the mayor and mayor pro-tem, along with the chairman of the planning commission running as a slate against a large field of challengers as we had three seats up for grabs. Councilman John Paul Ledesma is termed out. In fact he did not participate in supporting any of the candidates in this election.
As incumbents they had a huge advantage of financial support from multiple city vendors while the challengers relied on self funding and small donations from families and friends. To offset that financial disadvantage challengers relied on friends and family to help them reach the voters. Over the past few weeks we saw teams covering the major intersections in Mission Viejo waving signs and holding banners supporting these underdogs as our residents left for work or when they returned in the evening. Although the incumbents did show up on a few dates they had limited number of supporters.
For total transparency I need to report that I supported two of the challengers in this election who were mentioned in Larry’s Picks. They were Rhonda Reardon and Brian Skalsky.
Rhonda appeared at two parties of supporters in Mission Viejo tonight. Prior to departing to a second party we checked the ROV Internet report that only listed the absentee count. It revealed that Trish Kelley was first with 5026 votes followed by Dave Leckness with 3722 and Rhonda third with 3327.
Trailing Rhonda were Planning Commission Chairman Sandzimier, Community Services Commissioner Brian Skalsky, former Planning Commission Chairman Neil Lonsinger and former Community Services Commissioner Bill Barker [who passed away at 4 a.m. on election day.]
It was midnight before the ROV reported the next cycle which covered 45 of our 71 precincts. As it tuned out, in the three published reports, none of the candidates changed positions as the results were posted. The third report, covering 67 of 71 precincts, had Trish Kelley at 11,257, Dave Leckness at 8111 and Rhonda Reardon right behind him at 8109. With Rhonda having a commanding lead of 2272 there is no way that Rick Sandzimier will catch Rhonda to capture one of the three brass rings.
Unlike Trish Kelley and Dave Leckness Rhonda did not utilize a paid campaign consultant. She led a group of energized newcomers along with some seasoned veterans who worked together to pull off this sweet victory.
The irony is that a group of diehard supporters watched COX Communications as moderator Terry Wedel interviewed candidates in several south county races. In listening to Mission Viejo candidates Dave Leckness and Rick Sandzimier talk, you would think that Rich was elected. I am glad to report that it didn’t happen.
Sadly a former Republican colleague undermined Brian Skalsky distributing negative correspondence that has become the norm in recent elections. All this while knowing that Brian was endorsed by the Republican Party of Orange County. That conduct will not be overlooked in the future.
I am back from the grave to congratulate Rhonda !! Help US Rhonda –Help US !!
Maybe–just maybe; she can bring civility to the Mission Viejo Council.
Congratulations to Mayor Trish Kelly who stayed out of the political muckraking of her car thumping opponents!
Geoff. Being with Rhonda last night I know she didn’t get a call of congratulations from you.
But then again the voters have spoken.
In fact with the exception of Cathy Schlicht who was part of our party till the wee hours of this morning, no incumbent called to express their congratulations either.
Wait Larry. There are still thousands of votes to be counted.
She just might pass Dave when all is said and done.
Larry, I believe in the election process and hope that Rhonda does a good job and stays on board with conservative priniciples – if she does, I will be very happy.
Geoff. And so will I.
*”Mission Impossible” is so amazing. It always seems there is a constant
“Return to Peyton Place” atmosphere! Where is Lance…we miss him too!
Come on now…..don’t you guys have any “Affordable Housing” during these
Obama years. When are you going to get the Government to provide some
“Senior Centers” for your over-zealous homeless folks?
OK, here in Newport Beach…it isn’t much better. We have to keep overturning
melldew rocks to keep our city going. Heck, we don’t even have to run anyone
against our “chosen folks”. When we bring a Charter Amendment forward it also
contains the “Dead Sea Scrolls” Well, Congrats to all. Good job as usual Papa
Lorenzo! By the way, any Republicans get elected down there?
rw
I don’t care at this point whether you like the candidates that have won office or not. LET’S GET BACK TO BEING A CITY OF PEOPLE THAT GET ALONG — STOP ALL THE BAD-MOUTHING, HOSTILITY, BACK STABBING AND GENERAL AGRESSION AND WORK TOGETHER TO BENEFIT THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN OUR CITY?? You’re all wasting a lot of energy better spent on more positive pursuits in Mission Viejo!
Debbie. As several of us live in the Mission Viejo political arena I take issue with your comments.
There are candidates we have supported who become incumbents and change their spots.
As to working together. If you ask Dave Leckness while we were both on the same street corner during the final days of the election I suggested to some Reardon and Skalsky supporters to patronize Dave’s MV print shop where he offers great quality at competitive prices.
The fact that we may disagree politically does not mean that he and I do not get along. Simply ask him.
Back stabbing?
Campaigning for office is a contact sport, both nationally as well as the local city council races. If the truth hurts get out of the game.
Chill out. Read what you just posted. You, Debbie, are creating a new fire within hours after the polls close.
Deb, when might that have been? Ten years ago in my first election, Roger Faubel sued the firefighters. The then city manager said to me on my first day, “I only have to count to three, and you’re not it”. Two years of S&S not talking to me and avoiding me, it became impossible to get a third vote on anything I or JP proposed.
In 2002, when WE RAN TRISH AND LANCE (yes, its true, LG and RR ran her campaign, and we got the three of them to work together during the campaign. They both went off the promises they made right after the election. In 2004, her way of saying thank you was to run Frank Ury and a negative campaign against me. It Frank not only loves to play the blame game, but when he first got elected, he said his favorite book was “THE ART OF WAR’, BY SUN TSU. Read it if you want to know who he truly is. I did.
Frank’s first official agenda item was to bring back the budget for Sierra and remove any semblance of a budget cap. Remember, that the rec centers barely survived until we got rid of S&S. They wanted to tear them down and building housing or apartments. JP and I held them off until we could get a third vote.
2006 was really brutal, after she ran Frank, he turned on Lance Trish and JP and ran Greenwood, Barker and McCusker against all three of them. That year after the election, three of us including Trish voted not to promote Frank from Mayor pro tem to Mayor. He went back to being a bookend.
But he was smart and with a little behind the scenes politicing, Trish got to be mayor again, and all of the sudden she was sitting on a lot of paying boards. I had asked Frank for his support since I was on the OCFA, and he said then “that HE BELIEVED IN ROTATION”, and since I had been there for 2 years, he was supporting Kelley. Five years later, she is still there, and she also has a conflict of interest, But, Frank is not so ‘fair’ now.
In 2008, I decided not to run for a number of reasons. Beginning with the fact that early in the spring, Frank already was playing his hand to make sure I was drowning in his accusations about being the only council member eligible for lifetime healthcare. Of course that is not true, sincer MacLean and Kelley signed a piece of paper that is supposed to ensure that they will not get free lifetime health care. Frank would not sign the document or refuse the insurance.
When the recall came around, They never mentioned that Lance HAD yelled and swore at me, and I sent them and the CA and CM a registered letter requesting assurance of my safety. NO response, and they all supported Lance, until the election that is, then they dropped him cold.
Two years after quitting, Frank was still agendizing the healthcare issue and accusing me of ‘making him vote for it’. Of course, I was gone and not eligible, and had not done any of the things he accused me of. Then there was Cathy, whom I supported then and still do. She was a staunch critic of all of us, but she has never waivered in her truthfulness and fairness. She also does not take or use all of the perks of her office like the others. She was self funded in 2008, and still is. No unions, no vendors. No one else on the council can claim that.
They control the microphone and timing idevices, and have let their supporters drone on way past the three minutes. Cathy has had a nearly impossible time getting so much as a second. She rather reminds me of JP his first two years.
There is only peace on that council when you approve unlimited spending and pork projects. When you vote with and for them whether or not it is good for the city. There is peace with the staff, as long as you keep the raises, perks, and freetime coming. Is a four day work week around the corner?
You may not like the activists in this city, but Obama does not like Fox News or the tea partiers. It doesn’t take a piano teacher to figure that out.
Folks.
As the mayor is sharing some inside baseball, that most of you are not familiar with, let me add a few comments.
Roger Faubel was appointed to our city council upon the death of Tom Potocki. When Roger really competed for the seat that initially was handed to him he was defeated in the 2000 election by the mayor in spite of Roger spending around $80,000 in his 392 vote loss.
S & S refers to Susan Withrow and Sherri Butterfield who served as mayor and mayor pro-tem in 2002 where we trounced both of them while carrying Trish Kelley, Lance MacLean and John Paul Ledesma across the finish line.
To define a trouncing, in case you were interested in my definition of that term usage, let me simply say that in 1998 Susan won her re-election with 13,479 votes yet was blown out in 2002 getting only 4781 votes.
Sherri had 13,591 votes in her 1998 re-election victory and, after we took her to the woodshed, lost with only 5487 votes in the 2002 “Revolution in Mission Viejo,” the title given to that election by Steven Greenhut formerly of the OC Register.
In the 1998 election we had 50,225 registered voters and in 2002 that number increased to 54,703. In the 1998 race there were 7candidates for 3 seats. In the 2002 election with 3 contested seats the number of candidates grew to 10.
Not engaging in spin these facts need to be part of the overall election assessment.
Geoff:
Do you ever have anything of value to contribute ?
So Geoff, why didn’t you run this time ??
You are typically off base with your comments.
So stick to the points and stop the mud slinging !!
You might note the prior comments about Trish Kelley’s two faced actions as outlined by madame Mayor.
But then again for a short timer you keep exposing your lack of historical knowledge of Mission Viejo politics.
Maybe some day Geoff, you will do your homework !!
George. You are wrong. Geoff did his homework.
Although Geoff is a new player in our city, I have an article from Voice of OC where he was telling the reporter that he would be a candidate in this just concluded election.
In fact he actually met with our city clerk on August 5th and pulled papers for this race.
I guess he realized that being a candidate in Mission Viejo the temperature of the political water is more like the fountain I saw at Hot Springs Village, Ark. Some residents of Mission Viejo are more comfortable being critical of those who enter the arena yet choose to sit on the 50 yard line where its safer and you can leave whenever you choose.
In fact each of us who take our time to research and write for the Juice have customized hard hats and Kevlar vests provided by Art who is a safety consultant.
So Larry–you are saying Geoff did not have the fortitude to run ???
I guess Geoff should not be so critical then, if Geoff can not “man up”.
George, I don’t know you and have never met you to my knowledge. I will meet you anytime, anywhere and talk Mission Viejo Politics as long as you want. In fact, I would prefer an audience. I did not run this time because of family reasons – I am a very busy partner in a major international law firm and have five teenage children. After working on the Measure D campaign, I saw the time commitment necessary to do a good job for the City and decided that the timing was not right for me.
In terms of your rhetoric about me not running your timing is strange and your words hostile and acerbic. I have lots of positive things to say about Mission Viejo which is one of the finest places in the world to live. I have repeatedly said those things in public presentations and in writing. Sorry your find only the negative.
Insecure folks like you that have to resort to pufferfy and bombastic language generally find that a fast sport car or a younger woman can help with their male insecurities – you could try those since you clearly don’t have the chops to attack with words.
George. The record speaks for itself.
Simply go to the MV website where that data [once] appeared. If you can’t find it and want to verify my statement call our City Clerk Karen Hamman and she will confirm it.
Personally, I would have liked Lance back up there on the podium.See what happens when they start digging into your past?As far as I am concerned he proved himself ‘NORMAL” reacting the way he did both at the ball game and behind closed doors at the City Council.
Colin.
Lance conducted himself to be normal in Closed Session. Were you there? Are you referring to his comments to Gail that were made public?
Speaking of Lance. I truly considered writing a piece about him just before the election. Having seen that he had no money in the game it would have increased his vote count and, at the same time, taken votes away from the incumbent side as he became a spoiler. His 4,000 votes made a difference in the outcome, as did the same number for Mark D who withdrew from the race. As such they cancelled out both sides advantage.
Colin. Perhaps you can explain what happened.
During the Feb 2nd recall election Lance had 7,351 votes opposing his recall yet half of these voters walked away from him including virtually every former elected official.
Not being one of his best friends I am not one of his supporters who threw him under the bus on election day.
With a dozen candidates for 3 seats it is virtually impossible to knock out an incumbent