.
I didn’t write this. I had to swear on a stack of mothers’ graves I wouldn’t say who gave me it. But it does come from knowledgeable insiders.
I think it’s an essential resource for understanding Anaheim’s power structure right now, and for understanding how important it is to elect a more independent Council this November.
We have nothing against Disney – let them continue to rake in billions bringing joy to simpletons, bless their hearts. But they do not need to run the government of Orange County’s biggest city.
– Vern
INCESTUOUS DISNEY-PRINGLE-ANAHEIM CITY HALL RELATIONSHIPS
Clockwise: Pringle, Kalogridis, Ament, Priest
Curt Pringle is former mayor of Anaheim and former California State Speaker of the House.
Curt has a business and friendship relationship with Disney President George Kalogridis and his partner Andy.
Disney’s main consultant is Curt Pringle and Associates.
Vice President of Curt Pringle Associates is Todd Priest. George, Andy, Curt and Todd vacation together.
Kris Murray, Anaheim Councilmember, is Curt Pringle’s protégé and close confidant.
Pringle swears in his protégé Kris Murray
Carrie Nocella is Disney’s “government relations executive.”
Carrie Nocella is Anaheim councilwoman Kris Murray’s best friend.
Carrie Nocella is close friends with Curt Pringle and his family and they also vacation together.
Curt Pringle advises George Kalogridis on all Anaheim governmental matters, especially transportation issues, such as ARC (Anaheim Resort Connection) and ARTIC (Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodel Center), both projects worth in the billions of dollars.
Curt Pringle is the consultant for ARC and for contractors for ARTIC.
Curt Pringle is the consultant for Bike Nation, a project of OCTA and city of Anaheim.
Disney lobbyist Nocella, Murray, and council candidate Jordan Brandman.
Curt Pringle, Carrie Nocella and Kris Murray are in constant contact with each other by cell phone during all council meetings and closed session meetings.
Kris Murray and Councilmember Gail Eastman travel together on Anaheim business trips, such as to Washington DC and Sacramento.
Curt Pringle and Councilmember Harry Sidhu go on fishing trips on Harry’s boat.
Harry Sidhu and Curt Pringle have private meetings and conversations regarding city business.
Curt Pringle is the consultant for Yellow Cab of Orange County, who is vying for most of the city’s cab franchises.
Councilwoman Eastman, developer O’Connell.
Curt Pringle is the consultant for Bill O’Connell, a private hotel developer, who, with the votes of Murray, Eastman and Sidhu, just received $158 million of taxpayer TOT for his hotel development.
Curt Pringle advised Disney to write the letter to endorse district elections; HOWEVER he then added the clause about a citizens’ advisory commission which is a stall tactic, a stall tactic that was ADOPTED by the Murray, Eastman and Sidhu majority
Disney does not REALLY want Districts. Their business is surrounded by some of the poorest neighborhoods in the city and they would have trouble controlling their constituents.
Carrie Nocella does Disney’s bidding by telling people of their “power of the control of three votes” (on the Anaheim council.)
Nocella, Murray, and OC Business Council director Lucy Dunn
Carrie Nocella threatens that if any recall is made against Kris Murray, Disney will fight with everything they have.
Todd Ament (above) is Anaheim Chamber President, hired by former mayor Curt Pringle.
Todd Ament’s salary is paid with Anaheim taxpayer dollars.
Nocella and Ament met with OCEA president, Nick Berardino. They made an agreement not to hit each other’s council candidates. OCEA will leave Jordan Brandman alone and Disney will leave John Leos alone.
Kalogridis, Brandman
If Jordan Brandman wins, he will continue to protect Disney’s interest. If John Leos wins, he will protect OCEA’s interest. [The latter doesn’t seem like as big of a problem right now though – Vern]
George Kalogridis was warned of Nocella’s rogue actions. He said he is in support of Nocella. He says his only job is protecting Disney’s interest.
Pringle servants Lucy Dunn and Reed Royalty, gatekeepers to the OC’s economy.
Curt Pringle convinced his friend, Lucy Dunn, to be the director of the OC Business Council several years ago. The OCBC advocates for ARC, ARTIC, and the hotel TOT incentives to private developers.
Curt Pringle convinced Reed Royalty to be the director of OC Taxpayer Association. Reed Royalty will soon step down and Orange Mayor Carolyn Cavecche, another Pringle close friend and ally, will take his place. The Taxpayer Association speaks in favor of any and every Pringle & Associates project.
Curt Pringle created SOAR (Save Our Anaheim Resorts) originally in 2007, to fight against one residential development in the fringes of the resort area because HE was not their consultant. SOAR advocates for anything that involves Curt Pringle and Associates.
.
This is why they call themselves the Masters of the Universe.
Dunn, Brandman, Murray, Sidhu: “Masters of the Universe”
Scrapbook: The inseparable Nocella and Murray. This and most photos thanks to SaveAnaheim.com.
All of them, Arrested Development-style: Ament, Nocella, Royalty, Murray, Sidhu, Pringle, Kanszler (of SOAR), Brandman, Lodge. Again, from SaveAnaheim.com.
Vern this is like a written family tree of corruption in Anaheim. Every voter in Anaheim needs to read this.
Not very surprising at all. Definitely needs to be seen by all.
You amaze me with your detective, organizing, skills. Vern Dog.
I have made a little diagram from this info to post above the work station.
Are these the same people that have placed security cameras in every street intersection in that part of Anaheim? they sure like their security apparatus in that city.
In the future there will be the;
1) corporate elite 1%.
2) Their lobbyists (mercenaries)1%
3) cops 3%
e financially impoverished serfs 90%
4) opposition rebels 5%
and foreign Magical Kingdom tourists
I’d like to know from Kalogridis what exactly Disney’s interests are with respect to the poorer areas around and west of the park (and east of the Colony)?
Disney not wanting districts (if true) is just their contribution to the ACLU, which will get fees for what will be its successful lawsuit. The underlying problem remains — are we satisfied with much of Anaheim being poor and beleaguered by local (and not so local) police? That’s not a stable situation; it’s not good for Disney’s interests. I hope that Disney recognizes that before it is point out to them.
As for a recall — even an unsuccessful recall means that many more Latino voters register — and they’ll be able to vote against Eastman and Murray in 2014. Latino voter registration is the key here. Disney, please don’t get onto the wrong side of that.
They have no plans Greg for the poorer areas, Except for containment.
The have a whole different notion of evil than we do.
They think that evil exists when the poor folks want to rise up and challenge the capitalistic order.
I think that the “evil” exists when the poor folks passively participate in that order and enable that conception.
Let the poor people Rise Up! (on occasion (ha ha.)
As Vern pointed out. The Anaheim Capitalistas are not only economically corrupt but sexually corrupt! I thought I would say that just to make you choke on your morning coffee Greg and then have to deal with your own liberal ideological distractions. I mean your political distractions.
Really? Are we the “family” now???? Come one this is SOOO lame…no wonder why OC mostly elects Republicans & Conservatives… this sad sad sad I dont know what attempt at showing what government is…. guess what its the nice Republicans that brought us this government to OC… So go wipe your arse with the paper we dont need to hear your dribble… next up… Gang member shot while shooting at police. Public uproar and riots… Oh wait we ALREADY had that…guess the police cant do their job anymore if they dont give a “FastPass” out of jail where the CRIMINALS belong!!!!!!!!!!
Good job Vern.
Hopefully this information will help mobilize the community against those people and groups who continual to support the puppet government, ruled by Pringle.
It is very disturbing to read that a sort of deal was worked out between Ament and Bernardino, willing to concede the Anaheim residents needs for their own. Shameful and selfish. I was considering supporting Leos but this just breaks my heart.
I read the Voice of OC story on the union/election deal made that coincided with the end of the funding in the Take back Anaheim campaign and this just confirms it. OCEA is in it for themselves.
I would never consider Brandman. Another tool who fooled Latinos in getting appointed to the AUHSD, only to be a Pringle’s tool there.
As I see it, we need to identify a candidate(s) that wont be swayed or even consider being a part of the puppet master.
We need to pressure Disney corporate to be indirectly less involved with groups or people who have little regard for the flatland residents of Anaheim. That means we need rally at their front gates.
If we are successful here with getting people to protest Disney weekly, a set of good demands could simply be to remove the Disney President George and PR person Nocella for a more community friendlier group. We can only achieve any change if we strike the heart of Anaheim and that is Disney.
Then we could do the recalls against the pringle puppets.
Lastly, where is Senator Lou Correa and Assemblymember Jose Solorio.
I’m still supporting Leos. Of the candidates who have a chance of beating Jordan Brandman, he’s the one who opposes the corporate welfare and backs the districting reform that Disney opposes. It’s to be expected that unions will make deals and look after their own, but that doesn’t mean that candidate disappears for us as the best alternative.
Of course we need two candidates to beat the Disney/Pringle puppets Brandman and Lodge. Duane Roberts and Brian Chuchua are the strongest on the issues, but they don’t have the money, name recognition or institutional support to win in November.
I think we should support the two candidates who have the best chance of winning AND promise to immediately settle the ACLU suit. That will open up the door to reform in a way that will be hard to shut. And I’ll be asking Ms Kring about that this week – that would be our best chance at a majority independent of Disney and Pringle. (It seems to me)
Also, the reason for my paranthetical comment in the article that I don’t see Leos’ OCEA connections as a problem – aside from the fact that working people have been getting screwed over in general lately to the benefit of corporations – is that…
In this particular case, it’s hard to see what else OCEA could ask for in the coming years when John would be serving … after the incredibly sweetheart deal they reached with the council majority a few months ago in (apparently) return for withdrawing active support from Take Back Anaheim.
And John himself has NOT backed away from Take Back Anaheim. He’ll be at our sit-in tomorrow.
Vern Nelson wrote:
> Of course we need two candidates to beat the Disney/Pringle puppets
> Brandman and Lodge. Duane Roberts and Brian Chuchua are the
> strongest on the issues, but they don’t have the money, name
> recognition or institutional support to win in November.
You don’t seem to understand that I’m already viewed as a major threat in the race for Anaheim City Council because of my ability to use social media. There is already some chatter about this on the blogs. The internet puts me on a level playing field with all the candidates running, including those with lots of money.
I’m already in direct communication with people all over the city and am meeting them in person. In the era of Facebook, email, text messaging, and blogs, you don’t need large chunks of money to win an election. You don’t need to waste money sending out mailers or cluttering up the neighborhoods with ugly signs.
The only reason why candidates with money continue to win elections is because people are still brainwashed to *THINK* they have to vote for them. The fact is, they don’t need to vote for them. Nobody is holding a gun to their head and telling them that they have to. They need to liberate themselves from this mindset. And you need to do so as well.
Chuchua doesn’t have the money? That’s news to me!
Also, how does Kring get awarded this anti-Resort cabal indie Republican swag when she used to have a wine bar business…at the Anaheim GardenWalk!
An interesting question is whether or not Leos has the money. Look at the most recent 460s and compare Leos’ $3400 cash on hand to Chuchua’s $20K loan to himself.
Everyone seems to assume that the OCEA will back Leos to the tune of the hundreds of thousands in IEs that they spent last time, but I wonder. For a long while they were keeping his name afloat for 2012 by regularly stuffing local mailboxes with their “Heart of Anaheim” postcards — but then the postcards started leaving off Leos’ name and picture, and then they dried up entirely around the time of the rumored Ament-Berardino deal.
I think Leos will be getting more support than just the OCEA, which is a healthy thing … his endorsement by the Mayor is just the beginning of that.
I stuffed a lot into that sentence. Chuchua has money sure but not the other two things I mentioned. And yeah, Lucille tells me about her wine bar every time I talk to her. She is not sure how she would have voted on that TOT thing, she’s not sure if she woulda had to recuse herself, she says the giveaway sounded excessive and should in any case have included concessions on local jobs and investment. But really how does having a wine bar make her not independent?
Vern —
Remember when Take Back Anaheim was angered by the Lake Development extension by the 3-2 fuck you vote?
Well, guess who voted for that particular subsidy back in the day? Lucille ‘Pop the Cork’ Kring!
She tells you she’s not sure how she would have voted on the GardenWalk Hotel TOT. That’s not really a good thing…
This is what I see, as the most likely steps to progress:
Kring and Leos get on (assuming Kring agrees beforehand to this) and immediately vote to settle with the ACLU (saving Anaheim millions in legal fees)
The court decides on the details of how many districts etc, how the maps would be drawn
Since this requires a charter amendment, a special election early next year will need to be called.
It will be up to Take Back Anaheim activists, and paid signature gatherers (paid from the deep pockets of Tait & LoGal & friends) to get “Let the People Vote” on that same ballot;
Once those two issues are on the ballot, game on – it’s the people against Disney/Pringle, and I think the people can win.
(And then it won’t matter if a certain councilperson isn’t sure how they might vote on certain TOT’s.)
None of that will happen though, if two pro-districting candidates don’t get more votes than Jordan Brandman.
Hm… I’d LIKE to think you’re right. But the cost of you not being right would be another frustrating, destructive, and wasteful two years under a Brandman-Murray-Eastman majority.
I do wish you the best of luck.
” In the era of Facebook, email, text messaging, and blogs, you don’t need large chunks of money to win an election. You don’t need to waste money sending out mailers or cluttering up the neighborhoods with ugly signs.”
MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY! So explain again why we should carve up the city because a few folks who haven’t got the news, feel left out, and stay spectators instead of getting on the field???? http://www.handsoffourvotingrights.com-
So Anaheim doesn’t have four councilpersons from Anaheim Hills and one from the Colony with hardly a clue about what real life is like in most parts of the city. That’s why.
Good luck in getting a rally together in front of Disneyland. The last time they rallied the union troops, they were relegated to West Street, between the hotels and Downtown Disney. When protesters recently started walking toward the main entrance to Disneyland on Harbor Boulevard, they were outflanked and diverted by the Anaheim Gestapo.
As for Leos, he is the best bet the “regular” voter has in town of having a voice on the city council. He wasn’t afraid to get out and see first hand what the unrest was about. He is a hands-on guy. He has the work ethic it will take to handle the complex issues that surround Anaheim government and the moral ethics to stay above the corruption.
Brandman? Didn’t he get an endorsement, or at least some money from OCEA for his school board run? So, now he is anti-union? Well, I guess it is supposed to be non-partisan politics.
*As they might say: “It’s a small world after all….It’s a small world after all….it’s a small, small world!”
Interesting article Chairman Vern….but we still like Curt…
*What did they used to say: “The roads can get crooked on Saturday night!”
This template is used by the Irvine company as well. Consultant fees but a lot of influence. Tony Petros, for example, is running unopposed for city council in west Newport beach. He was the consultant paid by costa mesa to study alternatives to the Newport beach freeway (sr55). The only outcome of that study was the payment of tony Petros.
Petros … Petros … Yeah, Quimby did a story about him here earlier this year:
http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2012/02/petros-bails-at-fair-board-meeting-before-lsa-vote/
*Newport Beach….our home sweet home….guess what?….all three open seats only
have one person running in each district. America…..land of the free and home of
the brave! What do they say: Just phone it in folks! Your vote that is.
So what? We, the people aren’t going to do anything about this just like we never do anything of other situations that involve corruption in our government.
Let’s not forget that former Anaheim mayor Tom Daly also gift wrapped an executive assistant position for Jordan Bradman costing taxpayers an EXACT amount of $109,595.28!
America the beautiful…
George, Andy, Curt and Todd “vacation together.”
If you know what I mean — and I think you do! Wink-wink, nudge-nudge, eh?
You can take that at face value. It means that they vacation together.
Can I? If our author wanted that sentence taken at face value, then why the quotation marks around “vacation together”? (Was he quoting something? This piece could sure use some footnotes …)
The irony quotes, coupled with the non-germane observation that George/Andy/Todd are all gay, sure makes it read like the author was insinuating something else — starting off the piece with casual homophobia didn’t make me inclined to treat the rest of it charitably.
OK, I was afraid it might come off like that. I actually put some thought into how to present that stuff, I even almost took out all the gay references – except they are true, and show a possible connection.
I’ve removed those quotation marks to make it less “winky.”
For the record, gayness is the best thing about Disney.
He was quoting the author of the piece, which wasn’t him. I can see why you’d think it better without the scare quotes, though.
But let’s say that you’re right about there being an insinuation — are you sure that it’s homophobic to raise the point that Pringle vacations with three gay men — one of them his close associate, the other two a couple? It could suggest that he’s gay — and it’s possible that it could just as easily suggest that he’s a straight guy who is so tolerant of diversity and comfortable with himself that he doesn’t care who knows that he vacations with three gay men. Why presume that it’s not something admirable?
Okay, just maybe the author was trying to illustrate that Pringle is a tolerant guy who is down with diversity and 100% comfortably in touch with his sexuality — but this is an attack piece, and people writing attack pieces usually don’t make digressions for no reason other than to illustrate that their targets are great people who are full of the milk of human kindness.
It’s a piece that identifies ties between various prominent actors in Anaheim. That K, A, and P are all gay isn’t so interesting; that they also vacation together (with Pringle) might be, in that it suggests a closer social (and no, not necessarily more than that) bond.
Anyway, a straight man going on vacation with three gay men isn’t “kindness.” That’s a strange inference.
Okay. Call me the co-author/editor. One thing Kevin is missing is this is not exactly an “attack” piece. Each little short paragraph is meant to draw another strand of a web of connections. Not every short paragraph is damning or meant to be. For example, these two are perfectly innocuous:
“Kris Murray and Councilmember Gail Eastman travel together on Anaheim business trips, such as to Washington DC and Sacramento.
“Curt Pringle and Councilmember Harry Sidhu go on fishing trips on Harry’s boat.”
It is just the sheer weight of improper connections between these government and business people, and the deals they make (which we know of) that makes the whole case.
The story of Pringle “vacationing” with three gay men is also innocuous, although it’s also intriguing in a way. It does get you thinking, wondering if that means he’s also gay, or one of those big exuberant Jack-Cassidy-type fellows that swings both ways, or just doesn’t mind being the odd one out. I knew it would get people thinking that, and I worried that it might come across homophobic. (Although it’s not like Curt’s running for office any time soon.)
Enough people I trust encouraged me to keep that part. And you should know that included a couple of gay people. I bet you’re a straight liberal like me, the two people that worried about this the most.
does this mean that i am going to lose my preferred parking space and priority access to club 33, not to mention my ability to cut to the front of all lines. now you guys really have me worried
Willie, when the People take over Disney you will always have a preferred spot. As long as you perform…
I forget. What hits DID Willie DeVille have? He DID inspire me to pierce both my ears in 1981.
saw him in ’83 at the montreaux jazz festival (the one in switzerland not northern california) he did a version of “stand by me” that, to this day, continues to knock my socks off
I did not know why Pringle was being referred as the culprit of the city council problems.
This article explains it. Great job again! I hope that the mainstream media expand on this information. The statement of “another gay man” though was not necessary, unless you wanted to stir the “family values” of some conservative republicans readers.
I take it as being roughly as significant as if they were three friends in the same Kiwanis Lodge or volleyball league or corporate board or specific church. It could be nothing; it could be the basis for affiliation worth knowing about. Before anyone freaks out, it no more has to imply sexual engagement than would be the case between any opposite-sex heterosexual pair among those named. It can mean, though, that there’s an extra affiliative bond there, much as that with the female “best friends” listed. Once we get to a certain level of evolution, we can talk about people sharing the category of “gay” as matter-of-factly as we can talk about them sharing the category of “Navy veteran” or “Lithuanian.” The point (and the delight of Kalogridis being out) is that this doesn’t have to be hidden anymore.
Chairman Vern: “For the record, gayness is the best thing about Disney.”….please don’t wear a burka when you go to Disneyland….please!
Vern, you should headline this post with a picture of your mug on Lorri Galloway’s body, because you are just a cut-out for her. This post is so obviously the handiwork of Galloway or one of her minions. It’s totally her M.O. She’s a piece of work, smiling her cutesy-pie smile and batting her eyes at you while sticking a knife in your belly. From the looks of your shill-post for her, Vern, she’s going out in low-blow style.
Oh yeah, isn’t this the same Vern Nelson who had a cow over posts about Julio Perez being gay? Who cares if Todd Priest is gay? Or who George Kaligridis vacations with? What business is that of yours or anyone else’s? What bearing does it have on anything? You’re like a peeping tom. Aren’t liberals supposed to be tolerant defenders of privacy and letting people live their lives the way they want, in peace?
You should be ashamed of yourself, Vern, sinking to this low to do Galloway’s biddng.
Thank you, Open Container, I stand by my fine work!
By the way, these men are not secret about their sexuality. They are not ashamed of it. They are not in the closet. Why do YOU find it so shameful?
Suck on THAT a while, dillwad.
There’s nothing shameful about their orientation. What is shameful is a bottom-feeder like you dragging people’s private lives into public for no good relevant reason.
Hold on, cowboy. Todd Priest is, so far as I understand, openly gay. To the best of my knowledge, Julio Perez is neither openly gay nor covertly gay. Do you see the difference? If Todd Priest is not openly gay, then I regret that part of the posting and I’m sure that Vern does as well. But if he is, then why should a “tolerant defender of privacy” treat it like its a disease? It’s normal, not shameful. Why exactly is it beyond the pale to recognize it? (In Kalogridis’s case, I agree with Vern that it’s a real positive — a small but significant civil rights triumph.)
As for your apparent target Lorri Galloway — neither she nor her husband is running for office. How does this benefit her? Or are you just fishing for a denial from Vern as to his source, planning to rule out people, using different pseudonyms for each guess, one by one?
The close-knit (or, as Vern would have it, “incestuous”) relationships between the Council majority, Disney, and the Pringle Machine have a great deal of bearing on Anaheim’s governance — affecting everyone in Orange County. I have been only vaguely aware of the Pringle Web before this, but if it’s as wide and sticky and Vern’s source suggests, get used to it being a topic for discussion here. It damn well should be!
You two chowderheads have no cllue what goes on in Anaheim other than the conspiracies the Galloway clique feeds you.
And we’re supposed to take the word of your “source” that all this is gospel? How gullible can you two be? or do you like being used?
Galloway will run for council in 2014 (or she’ll run for Mayor if she thinks Tait is weakened). She loves power and wants it back. She wants to tear down those she knows will stand in her way. Remember, Disney and SOAR almost took her out in 2008.
I know about the excessive use of force. You should read about it.
Your work? You swear in the beginning of the post that you didn’t write this. So when did it become your work? Try to keep your stories straight.
Your silence condemns you and validates my criticism. How an someone like you, who endangered people’s lives by boozing and then driving, and did time in jail for his 4th DUI, presume to judge anyone else or decide whose private life to drag into public discussion? To just pass along mean-spirited gossip from the Galloway gang simply to hurt people you politically oppose? Slimy, slimy, slimy.
Oh. See the updated version of my comment above. (Was offline for a minute)
And no, Lorri did not write it. And I do take responsibility for it, I edited and illustrated it.
Also, learn to use the reply button if you want to hang out with the cool commenters here.
Vern, there is a difference between openly gay, and having some alcoholic dilwad like you broadcast it to the world, especially when it as nothing to do with anything. Desiring privacy is way different than eing closeted. It must be news to you that most people like to keep their private lives private, no matter their sexual orientation. But you’re either too obtuse or too blind to see that.
That goes for you too, Mr. Diamond. Who appointed you two arbiters of whose private lives get plopped into the public square? What is the relevance? And if you can manage to answer in a straight-forward fashion, instead of your usual turgid, unreadable prose, it would be appreciated.
Maybe Lorri didn’t literally write this herself, but there’s no doubt it came from her through one of her people. This is so her M.O., and Vern is her little shill.
Just a second — we’re supposed to hide the fact that people are gay as if it’s something shameful? Their homosexuality is no more something private to hide than my heterosexuality, unless they make it so. If Priest objects, then I agree that it should be taken down. Kalogridis and his partner Andy made their sexual oreintation public by getting married — and I say good for them.
As for your question, I was appointed by Vern and Vern was appointed by Pedroza. Do you want to know who appointed Pedroza?
Yes, you are responsible for it, because you made the decison to post it.
“Your silence condemns you”? Are you for real?
Look, clearly the ability for people to stay in the closet — I’m not referring to Pringle, about whose sexual orienation I am ignorance — is for whatever reason clearly important to you. Rest assured that so far as I know under Vern’s leadership this blog has not engaged in outings (except under strict “Larry Craig rules” pertaining to hypocritical politicians) and is not about to start. If you have a secret, whoever you are — as Kalogridis, Ament, and Priest do not — it’s safe from us (so long as you’re not a LGBT-bashing LGBT, and probably even then. We can make no promises about the Weekly, though.)
Vern reformed his ways after his stint in jail. When will you reform yours?
You seem to be missing the point. Both of you. Vern, acting on someone else’s behalf, is exposing individual’s private lives to public scrutiny. He’s doing so for no compelling reason. Kalogridis’ or Priest’s sexuality is irrelevant to the controversies facing Anaheim city government. In the case of Priest, his only connection is he works for Curt Pringle’s firm (and if either of you were actually informed about OC politics, you’d know his work has little-to-nothing to do with these Anaheim controversies).
That leaves gossip and titillation and harassment as the only remaining motives for Vern and/or his source.
For his part, Vern has furnished no tie-in between the orientation of these individuals and the issues the Juice has been blogging about. He can’t even come up wth a lame reason, let alone a good one.
As for you, Greg, it is irrelevant that Kaologridis and Priest are open about their sexuality. They may well want to also keep it private, or at least separate from the political sphere. Did either of you bother to ask them? I doubt it.
Would you feel the same way about our discussing someone’s heterosexuality? Why do you consider this different?
Apart from whatever good points these naysayers make, I keep coming back to the question: Why do all these commenters who are so grievously offended by our mention of (out) public figures’ gayness have to post anonymously?
People don’t generally feel the need to protect their identity if all they’re expressing is righteous outrage. Whose job or reputation would be threatened by having it be known that they’re extra solicitous of the privacy of the powerful?
Unless somehow knowing who they were would subvert their message.
Fake dudgeon is the loudest dudgeon.
Greg, I think we can both agree that despite how much more open and live-and-let-live American society has become in the last few decades, homosexuality is not viewed in the same way as heterosexuality, especially morally, by a good many people. Perhaps you can understand for that reason, among others, why many people don’t want to have some blog slap a giant post-it note on theiir backs labeling them “gay man” or “gay woman” instead of simply as a man or woman.
Liberals’ emphasis on the importance of LGBT rights presupposes that being labeled “gay” can have negative repercussions. And there’s the reality that many people like to keep their private lives private, and don’t owe you or Vern or anyone else an explanation for why they want it that way.
This is in reply to Vern’s 8/23 at 5:50 p.m. comment (there was no reply button on it):
Vern, you still haven’t provided any nexus between the sexual orientation of the Priest or Kaligridis and the Anahem issues OJ blogs about, or even to this supposed anatomy of Anaheim “power structure.” (Like all conspiracy theories, it assigns far more coordination, power and infuence to the members of the “power structure” than exists in reality). You haven’t even come up with a half-way decent reason to mentioning it. It’s hard to come to any other conclusion than you’re trying to either embarass them, or gin up blog traffic with sensationalistic gossip, or both.
You also have no standing to question why me or anyone else are objecting anonymously, when you are facilitating your source posting this crap anonymously, and justifying your focus on their sexuality by citing a couple of anonymous gay people. Be careful in that glass house, Vern.
I am going to take off all the gay stuff (I know, I know, after hundreds of people have already read it.) WITHOUT admitting it was offensive, irrelevant, or malicious. I can just see that it’s taking too much attention away from all the other important facts (or contentions) in the rest of the story.
How else does “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” get away with saying we “assign far more coordination, power and influence .. than exist in reality”? Except by focusing on the controversial first few paragraphs and ignoring the dozen damning revelations in the rest of the piece? The entire piece paints an, I think, very accurate picture of WAY too much coordination, power and influence by the Pringle/Disney cabal.
I just talked to one of the gays who had said I should keep that stuff, and he said “Well sure it might not be relevant, but it’s INTERESTING!” Well, interesting doesn’t balance off distracting.
Finally, your false equivalence between your anonymity and that of my sources: It’s easy to see how my sources’ livelihood could be compromised by their revelations; with you and “Open Container” what’s to jeopardize you? Except that knowing who you are might put your high dudgeon into better context.
I understand as respect this choice, but it does seem like a small victory for (pardon the academic expression) “compulsory heterosexuality” to shy away from discussing the status as gay of people who are “out and proud.” As with atheists, anarchists, and Second Amendment absolutists who are “out and proud,” the people who are willing to take the abuse and face the repercussions deserve special respect. I don’t belong to any of the above groups, but if I did I hope that I would have the strength to be “out and proud” about it.
Anyway, you’re right that it was a distraction, so I glumly say “good call.”
Final word: interesting how all the talk about who is gay is only on the left-wing blogs in OC.
That’s false. Art Pedroza engages in speculation about who might be gay.
Bye now. Keep sucking loser!
You know, I keep looking at the title of this one and misreading it as “Disney’s Insect Problem.”
Oh, crap, now I put that phrase into the Google!
Hey Mr Magoo,
They also have intermingling of the species, not to mention the mouse infestation.
Please trust me that I am close enough to know that what you have written is all true.
This should be sent to the LA Times or the weekly.
Thanks, Alej, but ha! The powers that be at those other fine outlets would never allow half of this to be printed.
The Chavez Lodge controversy made it to Huffington Post…is the media, including OCW, afraid of exposing Disney’s negative role in local politics?
Bowing to the censurers Vern?
VERN NELSON BOWS TO NO MAN!!!
Hmmmm. Actually, I didn’t have anywhere else to go with that routine, so I’ll stop there.
Bottom line: it was distracting, it was unnecessary, and we’d already argued it out enough. And it’s “censors.”