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[The original, more-than-three minutes version of my Council presentation Nov. 20.]
Good evening council, meeting junkies, TV land, I’m Vern Nelson, from Anna Drive, Los Amigos, and Anaheim Voters Against Kleptocracy, and I come not to bury Mayor Tom Tait, nor to flatter him, but to speak the truth about his eight years as Mayor, and in the third person as though he weren’t here. And I want you all to look at what you’ve done to him over these years … It’s a transformation reminiscent of our last three presidents, presidents who led us through wars and recessions!

Photo of my sign by Mark Daniels.
The bitter hatred against Tom over these years (much of it anonymous) was dwarfed only by the great affection most of Anaheim has for him… and this hatred was based on a feeling of BETRAYAL, betrayal felt by the special interests who are used to running this town. Elected Mayor in 2010 as a loyal supporter of Disney and Curt Pringle, Tom quickly saw that Pringle’s policies of corporate welfare and crony capitalism were driving us to bankruptcy – if he didn’t change courses quickly we would have been out of cash by June 2011!
Yet it was less than a year after that that the klepto crowd started pushing the $158 million Gardenwalk Giveaway, which Tom steadfastly opposed. His former friends became his bitter enemies as he began to protect his city’s treasury from the “smash and grab” crowd who used to support him. For the next six years he fought unnecessary hotel subsidies, the taxpayer-funded Disney Streetcar, and much more that was wasteful and corrupt. Some Republicans began to call him “the conscience of the Party” – distinguishing himself from many fellow Republicans by his honest fiscal conservatism rather than shoveling public resources toward favored corporations.
Another crucial change of heart was when Tom decided to support district elections, to give the regular people half a chance against the special interests. Fellow Republicans wailed – this will get more Democrats onto council! Tom said that’s fine, if that happens we Republicans just need to try harder, have a better message, better candidates. And his support helped get district elections the 70% they won by, while his council colleagues wasted $3 million of our taxpayer dollars fighting AGAINST district elections in court, unsuccessfully.
Tom became known worldwide for being the Mayor of the “City of Kindness.” That phrase is easy to make fun of, but it is obviously an IDEAL that Anaheim strives for – and we all need an ideal. I hope we keep striving to be the City of Kindness no matter who our future Mayors may be.
Another of Tom’s conservative hallmarks was the streamlining of regulations which led to literally thousands of small businesses starting and thriving during his tenure, a huge drop in unemployment, twelve new hotels approved WITHOUT SUBSIDIES… but I want to get to one of his most heroic acts, which was SAVING ANGELS STADIUM, SINGLE-HANDEDLY.
Five years ago EVERY OTHER MEMBER OF COUNCIL was hell-bent (for some mysterious reason) on renting Arte Moreno the stadium and its lot for $1 a year for 66 years, to profit off as he saw fit. Mayor Tait, only one vote out of five, managed to embarrass them out of that scam just by speaking out – Jordan Brandman even tried to silence him by stripping his agendizing powers in an “emergency” early-morning meeting. Now with the changing of the guard, Arte is playing games with us again, and Mayor Sidhu (?) threatens to give him whatever he desires. We need to do as Wally Courtney urged last week – if Arte doesn’t want to stay in our fine town, we need to appraise and make the best use of our invaluable resource, the Anaheim Stadium.
Mayor Tait, in conclusion, I speak for myself, Anna Drive, Los Amigos, and the VAST MAJORITY of Anaheim, when I say we love you and wish you the best in whatever you do next!
Well said — and it could easily have been thirty minutes’ worth while just hitting the high points.
I’m kicking myself for having thought that his last meeting was next Tuesday, not yesterday.
Don’t give Sidhu the Mayorship quite yet, though — Ashleigh still has a fighting chance!
I’m saving my Goodbye Kris Murray song for the first half of the Dec. 4 meeting.
Is there a normal business meeting on 12/4 prior to the ceremonial handoff? Great news, if so. I’ll plan to be there.
I didn’t realize neither that it was his last meeting, As any politician he wasn’t perfect, but he was a courageous and visionary man. I wish I could’ve thanked him at the dais for fighting for a more inclusive city, and for standing up against immigrants’ family separation.
See Vern’s reply to me — he says that there’s still a chance.
Nice Photo!!
PHOTO BY MARK “DARK MANIELS” DANIELS!
Nice tribute, Vern. I hope his days of public service are not yet over.
I know, huh? Old as he looks, he’s only our age.
That “2010” picture of Tait must be 25 years old.
No he really looked like that – we even have pics of him on Anna Drive in 2012 where he looked startlingly youthful.
Tom Tait…..hmmm. Legacy…eh? The good news is that Disneyland didn’t move out of Anaheim City Limits. The next good news is that Arte Moreno did not move the Angels
out of Angel Stadium to Las Vegas….which still might happen. The very next good news is that the Ducks are still located right next to the Phoenix Club.
Yep, Tom is a nice guy, a real politician and destined for future Public Service. We will be surprised if he doesn’t run for Supervisor or Assembly or State Senate in the near future.
He doesn’t like us much…..but we won’t hold that against him. However, Tait is a little too much of a pragmatist for our liking. We love those naive idealogues that have more of the touch of human kindness. But then, we have always been idealistic dreamers!..Always hoping for the best….
Clueless ’til the end?
“Clueless”….yeah that was great movie! Hope you got the DVD! A very
healthy reminder….
*AS IF
*Chairman Vern, speaking of that….where are all our old and newly electeds with their take on the current Tijuana Debacle? We keep waiting for The Trumpster to come out with his all out Air Attacks with Naplam…for those awful Latino folks with kids trying to get into the U S of A….without Credit Cards! As our First Sgt. used to say: “Him…Him!”
Great Job Vern, I too am saddened by Mayor Tait leaving our Council. I guess the best thing I can say about Mayor Tait is that I have grown to trust him.
We have all mocked the City of Kindness thing, but I truly believe that Mayor tried to make Anaheim a City of Kindness. For most of time as Mayor he was in the minority with the Disney puppets holding the majority. At times he was treated very disrespectfully.
He saved Anaheim’s largest asset, Anaheim stadium by shaming by the Disney Puppets into going back into their hole, Thank you for for your leadership Mayor Tait.
from Dr. Patricia Adelekan,
Founder, CEO Youth-on-the-Move, Inc. and
The Internationa lEducators’ Hall of Fame
Thank you Vern, Well said. And I am sure you could have gone on and on about all the good he has done. What a courageous statesman and human being.
Hail to Mayor Tom Tait.