Editors’ Note: We don’t hear much news out of Irvine in the local blogosphere lately, and we idly wonder why that might be. But we’ve just been made aware that the Democratic Party of Orange County is planning, at their annual awards ceremony October 23, to give their “Truth Award” to Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan. An interesting choice, even counterintuitive. Some local Irvine Democrats (DGI, Democrats of Greater Irvine) are none too happy about this either, and in general their complaints about not being listened to by the larger County Party remind us of how other local Democrats Clubs often feel. Anyway, we came into possession of this letter from an indignant DGI member:
Dear leaders of the DPOC,
My name is Luette Forrest and I am a retired scientist at UCI. In addition, I have been a delegate from AD 74 in 2009-2010 for CADEM. I am still an active member of Democrats of Greater Irvine. I have spent many hours of my life working for the party and some monies of course. I attended a Truman dinner and met Adam Schiff.
It is with a VERY heavy heart that I write this letter.
It is unclear and troubling to many Irvine Democrats how the DPOC could give a “Truth award” to Farrah. It is my understanding that our local club had no input into this choice. It seems like this is very top down and tone deaf at best. To enumerate…………
1. There is the issue of the asphalt plant and the refusal to put the issue on the agenda in spite of campaign promises which are on video:
https://voiceofoc.org/2021/09/irvine-city-council-considers-new-approach-to-address-asphalt-plant-after-years-of-homeowner-complaints/
https://voiceofoc.org/2021/08/irvine-residents-demand-city-council-action-on-asphalt-factory-near-homes/
For months, the city council majority has resisted any discussion on the issue, saying while the air quality district’s response is failing, it’s not within the council’s jurisdiction to do anything more about the problem.
2. There is backtracking on the Veteran’s cemetery, another untruth:
https://voiceofoc.org/2021/06/irvine-takes-no-action-on-veterans-cemetery-opening-door-for-possible-anaheim-site/
https://voiceofoc.org/2021/06/a-state-study-for-an-irvine-veterans-cemetery-is-almost-here-setting-up-political-battle/
From this article:
Last year, council members approved a voter initiative championed by Councilman Larry Agran declaring the cemetery would be zoned at the hangar site. But a year later, many of the same council members who supported that vote are unwilling to commit to the site, saying they want to see the results of the state study before they commit.
3. Here is yet more:
https://voiceofoc.org/2021/05/irvine-faces-questions-from-public-over-lack-of-transparency-in-public-meetings/
“Mayor Farrah Khan and Councilman Mike Carroll did not return requests for comment.”
https://voiceofoc.org/2020/12/irvine-city-council-reaffirms-controversial-agenda-setting-policy-over-public-concerns/
“Mayor Farrah Khan, who proposed the extension along with Councilman Anthony Kuo, said the item had actually helped her get to know fellow council members better.”
4. District elections are not moving forward. Irvine is the ONLY city with this population in our state to NOT have district elections:
https://voiceofoc.org/2021/04/irvine-council-discussed-district-voting-behind-closed-doors-could-lead-to-lawsuit-or-new-elections/
5. There is the matter of the Orange County Power Authority……
https://voiceofoc.org/2021/08/oc-power-authority-to-rewrite-conflict-of-interest-code-without-fixing-transparency-concerns/
“Power authority board members Susan Sonne, Mike Posey, Mike Carroll and Farrah Khan did not return requests for comment.”
6. Great Park Neighborhood taxation
https://voiceofoc.org/2021/06/idea-for-irvine-great-park-residents-committee-stalls-despite-council-campaign-promises/
“Several months ago it looked like homeowners would get heard on the issues when three of the four council members elected last November pledged during the campaign to support an advisory committee of Great Park residents to weigh in on future projects.”
7. Appointing a Republican instead of holding an election for a vacancy on city council. It is my understanding that the DPOC censured Farrah.
https://voiceofoc.org/2019/05/irvine-appoints-planning-commissioner-to-fill-council-vacancy/
I can probably add a few more problems, but trusting Farrah Khan is out of the question. It is too late for me.
While this award is likely set in stone, I would like to make a suggestion to the DPOC for future awards. In my experiences with my veterinary school and the UCI community of faculty, nominations for these type of awards are from the people within that group. Please consider asking each local club to nominate OC people for each award. Then ask the clubs themselves to vote. It would be more inclusive of local clubs, engage members to learn more about local leaders and be less top down. When people feel ignored and disrespected, I think it will impact the incentive to volunteer and donate.
Sincerely,
Luette Forrest D.V.M.
“I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell.” – Harry S Truman
To which the Democratic Party of OC responded:
Dear Luette,
Thank you for expressing your concerns. I know that I speak for the entire leadership of the DPOC when I say that we are truly grateful for your support and the important work of DGI. I regret that we have offended you with one of our awardee selections.
As a small group with a great deal of work to do, we have done our best in making our selections. We appreciate all the help we can get! I hope you will consider serving on next year’s awards gala committee, or any of the DPOC committees in which you have an interest.
Again, thank you for all that you do for the Democratic Party. I look forward to working together to grow stronger every day.
Sincerely,
Lara Horgan, Vice Chair, South Democratic Party of Orange County
Thank you Luette, for expressing what I and probably many other former voters and supporters of Farrah think about what seems a travesty — an honesty award for someone who seems to have betrayed so many of us with nothing but dishonesty! If they did not look so different from each other, I might think I was hearing Mitch McConnell and his vow to make President Obama’s (and now President Biden’s) term in office a failure as his only goal with Farrah’s evident vow to make sure that Larry Agran’s return to the City Council would be a failure! I struggle to think what other purpose she finds in her tenure!
We all were so happy to find three Democrats once again on the Council, sure that the two young women, somewhat new to the political arena, would be happy to work together with Larry and learn from his long years of expertise and his ability to put groundbreaking projects into motion. Larry is used to working with strong women. After all, he’s been married to Phyllis all these years in a successful partnership of public service. He worked hand in hand with Beth Krom and Mary Ann Gaido many times. So I think he would have been happy to see them take the lead roles as officers of the Council. But certainly they should have recognized that Irvine’s history as a very well run city was due in great part to Larry’s leadership over the years, and they should have been happy to have him on their team, not try to turn him into a pariah! All Farrah’s promises appear to be nothing in light of her determination to strip Larry of any ability to do good in the community. It is a dishonesty that is hurting all of us in the city who looked forward to a new beginning. I long ago left the Central Committee to work through Indivisible instead because of issues but this takes the cake!
I spoke Tuesday night, September 14th at the city council meeting regarding this matter. It is now part of the City of Irvine’s official record.
Queue video to “Public Comments” at 4:22:36
Within less than 2 hours of my remarks, the OC Register reported the city ‘officially’ announced Officer Hamel’s retirement. Please feel free to pass it along.
https://irvine.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=68&clip_id=5492
SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA – CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING – Sep 14th, 2021
Live and Recorded Public meetings of SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA – CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING for City of Irvine
irvine.granicus.com
https://www.ocregister.com/2021/09/14/irvines-police-chief-to-retire-next-month/
Irvine’s police chief to retire next month – Orange County Register
Irvine Police Chief Mike Hamel will retire next month after 27 years with the department, the last six as chief, officials announced Tuesday. The department’s assistant chief, Michael Kent, has …
http://www.ocregister.com
I liked Barry Aninag. Whatever happened to him?
Please watch these and if they concern you pass it around.
https://m.facebook.com/azconsulatela/videos/320737536291609/
https://www.cityofirvine.org/we-are-irvine
https://mobile.twitter.com/farrahnk/status/1207565906160709633?lang=en
https://www.azconsulatela.org/News-and-Media/News-Archive/itemid/1555/Azerbaijan-Pakistan-Turkey-Brotherhood-celebrated-in-Los-Angeles
https://voiceofoc.org/2020/10/state-campaign-finance-regulators-announce-investigation-into-irvine-mayoral-candidate-for-overseas-trip-paid-for-by-foreign-government/
If you’re trying to smear Farrah based on her ethnic or religious ties, it is neither needed nor wanted here.
Farrah was quite good until her losing in a race for lack of Democratic unity drove her halfway mad, after which she was bent on revenge. After she got elected, she imposed her own attack on democratic unity upon Lauren Johnson-Norris. That was when she went loopy.
I’m guessing from your surname that you’re of Armenian descent; as such, you have good reason for a grudge against Turkey. But smearing someone for engaging with Turkey is unfair — they are a regional power and that usually makes engagement appropriate. To the extent that this comes from general anti-Muslim animus, it’s just that much worse.
By the way, the Epoch Times is conspiricist trash, and you sully yourself by relying on them at all.
https://voiceofoc.org/2020/10/state-campaign-finance-regulators-announce-investigation-into-irvine-mayoral-candidate-for-overseas-trip-paid-for-by-foreign-government/
https://www.newuniversity.org/2020/11/15/mayor-elect-farrah-khan-under-investigation-by-the-fppc/
In the Matter of Abraham Ghorbanian; FPPC No. 18/1266. Staff: Christopher Burton, Senior Commission Counsel and Jeffrey Kamigaki, Supervising Special Investigator. Abraham Ghorbanian qualified as an independent expenditure committee supporting Ed Pope, candidate for Mayor of Irvine, and Farrah Khan, candidate for Irvine City Council, in the November 6, 2018 General Election. Ghorbanian failed to timely file two 24-Hour Reports, in violation of Government Code Section 84204 (1 count) and failed to include the required disclosures on a print advertisement distributed prior to the election, in violation of Government Code Sections 84502 and 84506.5 (1 count). Fine: $3,500.
https://www.fppc.ca.gov/media/press-releases/2019-news-releases/enf-decisions-nov-2019.html (Flashback)
https://irvinewatchdog.org/2021/09/10/anonymous-political-mailers-in-support-of-the-irvine-four-violate-campaign-finance-laws/(Flash forward)
https://www.salon.com/2020/09/05/the-turkey-hustle-how-a-pro-trump-black-group-became-unofficial-lobbyists-for-erdogan/
https://www.ft.com/content/7bbb0020-b48b-11e9-8cb2-799a3a8cf37b
https://www.uscannenbergmedia.com/2021/07/21/usc-trustee-resigns-in-light-of-seven-count-federal-indictment/
Most of those don’t seem to address what we’re discussing here. I’m happy to see an investigated — and if she broke the law, she should face appropriate consequences — but I’d simply be surprised. There’s a difference between being investigated and being accused (let alone convicted!) of wrongdoing.
I’m no fan of Erdogan, but his trying to gain influence on U.S. policy is extremely unsurprising. Right now, as a global violator of human rights, I’m sure that he isn’t top 5 and probably not even top 10. I think that he’s been bad to Armenians, but that’s not a basis for smearing Muslims generally.
Hm…
“The PACs also contributed to three US senators, 61 candidates for the US House of Representatives, and 10 candidates for state or local races. The percentage of wins was 100-percent for the Senate, 98-percent for the House, and 50-percent for state and local offices. Further, the PACs were instrumental in rallying support for the 11 Turkish Americans running for public office in 2020, the largest number ever, and the three spouses of Turkish Americans for a total of 14 candidates.
“Notable successes by the PACs in the 2019-2020 election cycle were the following:
“(1) The comeback of Cong. Pete Sessions, the former Turkey Caucus Co-Chair, in winning Texas’s 17th congressional district after his loss in 2018 when he represented the 32nd district;
“(2) The election of Farrah Khan, a popular friend of Turkish Americans in southern California, as the mayor of Irvine, California;
https://armenianweekly.com/2021/09/22/turkish-american-groups-contributed-2-2m-to-politicians-since-2007-turkish-american-groups-contributed-2-2m-to-politicians-since-2007/
Find Farrah Khan.
https://armenianweekly.com/2021/09/22/turkish-american-groups-contributed-2-2m-to-politicians-since-2007-turkish-american-groups-contributed-2-2m-to-politicians-since-2007/
State run Turkish news agency contends Khan faced islamophobia in run up to winning mayor’s office.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-city-s-first-muslim-mayor-faced-ballot-islamophobia/2210865
Didn’t she face Islamophobia, though?
In 50 years, Irvine went from a burgeoning business hub to a political cesspool and Turkish outpost. So sad.
Define “Turkish Outpost” in a way that doesn’t make you sound insane.
Irvine is presumably suffering due to Covid wiping out commercial leasing. You can lay a lot at the feet of Recep Erdogan — but not that.
You are kidding right?
Have you seen the We Are Irvine propaganda?
Turkish prominent. No Greek (Greek mayor, Greek church), no Arabic, no Yiddish/Hebrew (we got synagogues), no Armenian.
Are you familiar with pan Turkism, Ottoman Turkish history (Arabs, Greeks, Jews as subjects) or the Pakistan-Turkish-Azerbaijan alliance – Three states, one nation.
Wake up and smell the shish kabob! And don’t be a donkey!
https://www.cityofirvine.org/we-are-irvine (Biz Irvine iz?? Wtf?? Really)
Wake up!!!
Never mind the Interim City Attorney is a native of Kazakhstan. Her appointment was rather controversial.
Grey wolves, much??
Face it Azerbaijan and Turkey have infiltrated Irvine City Council.
Here’s what the beginning of the “We Are Irvine” page says:
I simply don’t find that objectionable. I find that allegation that someone is suspect because they were born in Muslim Central Asia objectionable and the notion that outreach to Muslims means that “Azeris have infiltrated the City Council” objectionable.
Please encourage someone who has some established basis as reasonable, like Kev Abazajian, post here (or contact me) to weigh in on this. If there’s real evidence of discrimination against Armenians — who in my experience of Irvine are all fluent in English — then of course you should pursue it on that basis. But attacking people based simply on their nation of birth is just wrong. Come up with something better and pursue it if you can get others to agree.
Greg, I succeeded in defining Turkish Outpost without making myself seem insane. Right??
Farrah Khan appeared in Baku in her capacity as a council member not a private citizen.
See item #486
https://bakuprocess.az/wp-content/uploads/Baku-Forum-2019-LIST-OF-PARTICIPANTS-Copy-3.pdf
She lied.
“She said she attended the forum as a private citizen, not in an official capacity, because it ‘was an extraordinary opportunity to be part of a conference highlighting the importance of intercultural and interfaith dialogue and creating a more just world—interests I am proud to support.’”
https://m.theepochtimes.com/irvine-mayoral-candidate-farrah-khan-under-investigation-for-accepting-foreign-gifts_3551070.html
Have you ever seen the phrase “Association presented for identification purposes only” in sponsorship lists? It happens all the time — and on foreign junkets as well. She didn’t print up the program. Was it a foreign gift? Maybe, maybe not — but if it were there would simply be no foreign junkets.
You do not know what you are talking about. Face it! Just blowing a lot of hot air!!!
@gregdiamond
You appear to have a reading comprehension problem. Myopic boob alert.
“You appear to have a reading comprehension problem. Myopic boob alert.”
OK, alerted myopic boob, I don’t know what you’re referencing. But I can tell you that you’re not helping your cause here.
I rarely use Twitter and never use Instagram, so it you want to tell us about something put it up on the site’s FB page.
Farrah resigned, as I recall, because the party censured her for not calling for an election instead of allowing Mike Carroll to be appointed over (most likely) Lauren Johnson-Norris. That has nothing to do with the Turks/Azeris vs. Armenian issues you raise here.
The CDP, to the extent it is influenced by politicians representing Little Armenia, does seem to take the side of Armenia over the Muslims around it. (Schiff and Padilla can take care of themselves.) I hold no fundamental ill will towards either side, though I am critical towards Turkey on several of its policies, and I’m sorry to see the CDP held captive by it. But you seem intent on making it a larger anti-Muslin crusade, and frankly I do have ill will against that. And yes, you’re right that I’m no Herzl — but so what? I’m unhappy about Israeli policy as well; by the way it has largely been allied with Turkey.
Again, can you get someone writing here whom I know is not a jerk? I’d happily give someone mature and civil Kev Abazajian a chance to write a post here about Farrah and Turkey, but I’m not going to invite you to do it because you’re acting like an immature (and seemingly racist) dope. Do I need to contact him myself?
Whatever Kahan’s demerits (and for all I know they may be many) Agran is a vindictive, megalomaniac whose level of incompetence is on full display when one reads a history of his Great Park fiasco.
*Since we have no Open Thread today, here is your Thought Balloon for the Day:
“Trump is now officially as popular as a Fart in a Hazmat Suit!”
Come on OCRCC……..get a new Icon!
Argh! My clever plan to omit an Open Thread for this weekend has been foiled!
Here’s the Truth. Farrah is in bed with Five Point LLC, Irvine Company and in bed with Republican operatives to enrich their cronies via OCPA, appointing Republican operative Brian Probolsky to a $238K with sole power to sign million dollar contracts…smh…
You’re going to get a misogyny ticket from DPOC for saying that a women is “in bed with someone.” (I discourage that usage as well, but I don’t do it for political gain.)
You are right.
Getting a “Truth” award from DPOC is like getting a “Best Dressed” award from Steve Bannon. (Or, before anyone writes in, from me.)
I will remind readers that I saw the appointment of Mike Carroll to the board, to fend of Lauren Johnson-Norris, coming a long way away. I predicted exactly what Farrah was going to do and explained why she was lying about aspects of it. She went to Facebook and told her flock that I was a liar. I doubled down after her and Carroll’s “accidental” lunch with apparent Five Point paid advisor Melahat Rafiei and Five Point’s top lobbyist. She lied about as well. From the now-benighted DPOC’s perspective, lies in a good (which is to say, self-serving) cause look like Truth.
Yay!!! [That means I agree!]
So, is the DPOC now on the “right side” regarding the State Memorial Park & Cemetery on the ARDA site, or is the DPOC still under the control of FivePoint lobbyist Nick Berardino, whose VALOR organization received $800,000 from FivePoint in 2018 to (unsuccessfully, fortunately) pass Measure B, which would have rezoned the Veterans Cemetery off the ARDA site and moved it to a site next to the I-5/I-405 freeway interchange. And in a dependent contract, would have given to the City a piece of property worth comparatively bupkis (sp?) in exchange for the ARDA site.
All too convoluted for me. I’m glad the Cemetery will be in Anaheim.
Oh — you like seeing Harry taking credit for it?
That’s life. Some politicians will take credit for the sun rising.
Except the Vet Cemetery will NEVER be in Anaheim. To quote former Mayor Shea it only a “diversion”. Why do I say that? NO infrastructure (water, power, sewer) NO environment impact report. NO study from Cal Vet and most importantly the site has landscape, earthquake, liquefaction and fire issues.
While the ARDA site (that 5PT wants to build on) in Irvine is IMMEDIATELY ready to to build. If Mayor Kahn wasn’t 5PT puppet the Vet Cemetery would already be a reality.
It’s “Khan.” Like Kubla, not Madeline.
I don’t think that Christine Shea is the best judge of what’s possible — she does have her own alternative proposal, after all — and I don’t think that the OC Cemetery District has seen these as obstacles.
Too bad that we didn’t take Five Point’s “Strawberry Fields offer while it existed, huh? Ah, but spite is a powerful thing.
I wouldn’t hold my breath on that. Not unless the Legislature passes a bill to waive CEQA review. Even then…
The ARDA site is a bad place for the cemetery — remediation has never been worked out with the Navy — and does not meet federal requirements because of the road crossing it and the “fact on the ground” of the nearby school. You and Agran did a great job of manipulating the public to reject the only really good site that was offered — the Strawberry Fields site —
I’m truly sorry that not having it in ARDA redounds to the benefit of FivePoints, but the Irvine Company is no better — and as I recall Agran has treated it with great deference in the past on property issues. (Go ahead and challenge me on that; I’m sure that I’ll find plenty of people with long memories to help me do research.)
The politics of revenge (because Five Point toppled Larry’s empire) may be persuasive to you, but Larry need to take a look in the mirror to find the real culprit. He was hubristic in his proposal, made a bad deal with the architect, and was pitifully stupid when he made such a stupid deal with two Republican PR professionals who in exchange for big consulting bucks brought in THE SOLAR DECATHLON — championed by Irvine’s DINO blogger-cum-PR professional — which was SO attractive an event that as soon as Irvine gave it up it folded for lack of anyone bidding to host it.
If Agran could own up to his actual mistakes, rather than blaming the treachery of people using the tricks (like “independent” newspapers) that HE introduced to Irvine, I perhaps could once again have someone on the City Council worth rooting for. Nudging him towards that would be a real contribution to the city — but that’s not your role on Agran’s team, is it? In fact, it’s no one’s role.
I’m glad that you’re with us on this post on Farrah. I’ll bet that that lying fraud would be on our side with the above paragraphs of this comment.
Unfortunately, having to provide evidence in this sort of forum is difficult, so I’ll just state some facts without the supporting evidence.
1) The ARDA site requires no Navy remediation. The only identified contamination was the “Original Landfill,” one-third of the one-acre landfill which lies within the boundary of the ARDA site that can just be ignored for the next 75 years. It was capped, with several soil-gas sensors around it to detect any out-filtration. I have all the supporting documents. I also attended all the RAB (Restoration Advisory Board) meetings of the era and am now the resident co-chair of that Navy Dep’t board.
2) The issue of the road crossing through it has been addressed. The CalVet Concept Plan, issued in June 2016, states that the road through the ARDA site is not ideal; however, it will be mitigated by building an additional equipment building on the north side of Cadence for storage of landscaping equipment so they don’t have to cross Cadence. And it was approved for listing on the federal Veterans Cemetery grant priorities list for $10 million. The non-issue with Cadence crossing it was also discussed (not by me) with the fellow from the VA in charge of that grant priority listing. I’ve forgotten his name and don’t want to dig through my stuff for that reference.
But notice that the freeway site (called “strawberry fields” by FivePoint’s supporters) has 2 roads cutting across it, so it’s actually 3 parcels. Are you blind to those roads?
I have a long memory, too, having lived in Irvine and involved in its politics since 1976.
3) The Solar Decathlon would have brought in $50 million to Irvine businesses had the completed marketing plan for which Irvine had already paid several $ millions to the brilliant firm of Forde and Mollrich (whose proposal won the Solar Decathlon for Irvine and whose work also killed the commercial airport on MCAS El Toro) had not been cancelled by the City Council majority, presumably under the sway of FivePoint, but I don’t know for sure. I can only guess that FivePoint didn’t want the Solar Decathlon because the houses the kids built were 100 times (I don’t know the exact number) more energy efficient, more useful, more thoughtful and more fun than the houses being build on the 5Pt properties. But that’s just a wild guess. In the end, who knows? It was killed for whatever nefarious reasons since it was a fabulous event for the City, for the attendees and for the student teams who designed and built those incredible, zero net-energy houses.
And, in a bizarre clause in the Forde & Mollrich contract for the Solar Decathlon marketing program, if the contract were to be cancelled, work already done and paid for could not be used by the City. That’s why attendance was half what it was projected to be. The then City Council majority wanted to kill the Solar Decathlon and did a good job at that. But the City’s businesses losing a likely $25 million benefit from Decathlon attendees was of no interest to the then-City Council, and I’m sure would be of no interest to the current City Council majority that has only self-interest as their prioity.
The rest of your anti-Agran claims are from the developer-supported propaganda mill that’s been going on since the 1980s and 90s and 2000s. You will not be able to provide supporting evidence for those claims. And it’s obviously impossible for me to provide evidence supporting my claim, because you just need to provide one piece of supporting evidence for yours. Then I would provide a piece of evidence that counters it, etc.
And you can believe whatever you want about someone else’s motives.
BTW, I was a quantitative judge for the Solar Decathlon for both years, and spoke at length with the Dep’t of Energy fellow (whose name now escapes me) who was in charge of it. So I have an insider’s view of what happened.
And that’s all I have time to refute.
So the certain success of the Solar Decathlon was untested because of the Council actions and a very stupid contract provision Agran allowed his Republican bandit friends to insert, much like the certain success of the Great Park was untested because of the end of redevelopment money and the economic recession, and like the return of Agran to power on the City Council power was untested because of Farrah’s playing footsie with Mike Carroll.
To be fair, the ability of Agran to win elections without stretching the ethical boundaries of the law with his freely distributed political advertising in newspaper form was never tested either, but he lost anyway. Is there some pattern here?
I’m coming around finally to Mr. Diamond. I was naive and gave Farrah a benefit of a doubt. WOW IS THE SHIT EGG ON MY FACE.
-Luis Huang
Mayoral candidate 2022
Luis, welcome to the REAL TRUTH club! 🙂
Well, shit egg face happens….
In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure dome decree:
Where Alph the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.
I recently came across the FFFF version of that stanza, rewritten about the ARTIC & Pringle. It was pretty good…
Found it!
In Anaheim did a ‘puglican
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Santa Ana, the part-time river, ran
Through suburbs measureless to man
Down to a closed-beach sea…
(The closed beach was quite prophetic.)
I’d change it slightly, mostly for scansion:
In Anaheim did lobbyists
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Ana’s dry gulch river ran
Through suburbs measureless to man
But rarely to the sea…
Link, please!
The only thing Irvine’s mayor and council majority work to protect are the developers’ interests and not their constituents’ public health and safety!
This lack of government accountability from Mayor Khan and the council majority concerning this public health crisis is being compared to how the government failed to protect residents from lead in their water in Flint, MI.
Both Dean Baker, MD, MPH, Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Public Health at UC Irvine, and Dr. Jun Wu, Professor of Public Health, shared their concerns in a detailed review of the City of Irvine’s consultant’s limited scope of work. Concerns the City of Irvine and Mayor Khan(before any samples were collected) choose to ignore. Why? Why would the mayor choose to spend over $90,000 on air samples that Khan was told were not comprehensive and that would fail to capture how and what we are exposed to?
Stop squandering and exploiting the City of Irvine resources to undermine and discredit our UCI “volunteer” advisers, and the residents whom you, SCAQMD, and others have failed to protect!
Through the California Public Records Act, Orchard Hills(KILLS) residents discovered the City of Irvine, under your leadership initiated an ignoble and reprehensible campaign to discredit, vilify and disparage our volunteer UCI advisory panel whose only objective is the preservation of the public’s health. It is shocking to witness a city government engage in a deplorable effort to denigrate expert advisors, whose integrity, professionalism, and reputation are exemplary. Why would you allow this to happen?
Stop the intimidation. Stop the blame game during this public health crisis! This needs to be resolved immediately and an apology statement to our advisors needs to happen at the next city council meeting! Please stop using trucks as a red herring.
The City of Irvine’s inexcusably despicable machinations will not discourage academic freedom to pursue and disseminate knowledge to students, colleagues, and society. Research done by faculty has always been initiated, derived, and executed by the ingenuity and perspicacity of individuals, not an institution per se. Their integrity, transparency, experience, insight, and expertise are independent of the UCI moniker and are beyond reproach. In fact, these attributes belong solely to each individual professor and researcher.
“Mayor Khan, I have to say that I was disheartened that the city wrote to UCI about the volunteer scientists. It is unfortunate that this city is not aware of academic integrity and the way we can operate as researchers.
This letter was insulting to me as an academic and voter.
“Please work harder to treat voters and scientists with more respect and allow our voices to be fully heard.” – Dr. Luette Forrest
https://vimeo.com/592919092
For those of us not in the know, can you explain — in prose — what it is you’re talking about?
Mr. Diamond. Emily Wu appears to be referencing issue years in the making Irvine has All American Asphalt polluting for years upon years. As Developers keep building and building (see Five Points LLC and their stranglehold at City Hall), residents are complaining of air quality problems, reporting headaches etc, thus UCI and AQMD were activated to test the air quality for safety levels.
City Council (current and past) didn’t want to address it and swept it all under the rug. Larry Agran has been a proponent and leader on this specific topic, addressing it in his personal newspaper Irvine Community News.
Luis
Hi, I’m an anonymous poster who doesn’t understand that this site does not allow anonymous attacks from people who can’t be held accountable for what they say. That’s why Greg removed my ninja warrior comment.
Josh Abner and I talk about this blog post as so much more like TCA and other allegations levied against Farrah and the Five Point 4…
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10108602720081824&id=3306545
@gregdiamond
Irvine has Turkish prominently displayed on their Twitter account via its We Are Irvine Campaign.
You are no Theodore Herzl.
The DPOC is out of touch with the rest of the party in CA and DC. Schiff and Padilla are gonna have a hard time explaining their presence at this event.
http://theliberaloc.com/2019/07/23/irvine-council-member-farrah-khan-resigns-from-dpoc-the-party-should-be-ashamed-of-itself/
https://mobile.twitter.com/City_of_Irvine?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
The City of Irvine: Innovation, Integrity, Professionalism, Flexibility and Responsiveness.
@gregdiamond
You and Farrah Khan do not know how to read the terrain.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUtJHCJP8-A/?hl=en
The locals are less worried about the Big Picture – protecting Turkey. It’s fairly humorous that in the 21st Century a nation is STILL obsessed with denying history, even if it took place under a different political dispensation.
Oh well, Turkey is no different than any other sad, little 3rd World country, defending its ethnic past when it could easily foist the holocaust on the previous regime (105 years ago) and move on.
It’s not just a Third World thing; Japan doesn’t teach about its war crimes (Manchurian, “comfort women”) in its schools and of course Trump (and others like Bush 41) would have the U.S. sanitize our own history as well.
After watching Farah Khan systematically undermine Melissa Fox, Lauren Johnson-Norris, Larry Agra, the LGBTQ+ community as well as Veterans seeking a honored eternal resting place, I find the use of truth and Farah Khan in the same sentence to be laughable at best and a HUGE injustice to all the OC Democrats who work tirelessly each day without thrusting a wet finger to the air to guide their moral compass! At some point, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! FOLLOW THE MONEY!!!!!!!!!
Hi, I’m another idiot who doesn’t understand that this site doesn’t allow anonymous attacks on people unless the editors are willing to sponsor them — which in this case they aren’t.
This anonymous commenter is violating the rules of this blog that do not allow attacks on other people from anonymous commenters unless one of the editors decide to “sponsor” the comment.
This anonymous commenter is now banned from posting anything on this site until further notice. As they are using fake email addresses and anonymized IDs in addition to fake names, we’ll have to turn off comments on this post to get him to stop.
That does leave us with the possibility of legal action if and when we discover their identity — which, frankly, usually happens sooner or later, because assholes tend to turn on one another given time.
1. Belying rumors to the contrary, Farrah did show up Saturday night and received the DPOC Truthiness Award.
2. The newly minted FivePoint loyal Chmielewski dutifully printed her acceptance speech which had nothing to do with “truth” or any relevant controversies, but was instead a call for “Democratic unity.” https://theliberaloc.com/2021/10/25/khans-dpoc-acceptance-speech-serves-as-reminder-for-unity/
3. Democratic unity, aka “shut up and don’t argue or criticize.” It reminds me of when me and Donna caught Jordan Brandman moving out of his District 3 place at literally the last hour possible (late at night on the last day of February 2018) to carpetbag into District 2 so he could run against James Vanderbilt, and how he told us “We Democrats all have to support each other now, BECAUSE TRUMP.”
4. Dan has some fucking “testicular fortitude” calling for Democratic unity right after his most popular post in months gratuitously blasting Democrat Gina Clayton-Tarvin for an alleged exaggeration in 2018.
5. Speaking of which I listened to that Gina video again, and she did not say there was an “active shooter” when she taught in Hawaiian Gardens in the 90’s, she said “a gunman on campus.”. She was not lying or exaggerating, anyone who was paying attention back then knows that the place was a war zone between blacks and Latinos, and she is not gonna try to prove anything to Dan Chemical Lewinsky because she is NOT HIS MONKEY. (Dan however IS the monkey of both Five point and HB’s alt-right.)
Active shooter and gunman on campus is the same thing you drunk piece of shit. Have another drink
Nope. Jackass.
Well, now, wait a minute. A gunman on campus could be a cop. It could also be a vato loco. It could be anybody carrying a roscoe.
An active shooter is presumably somebody who has discharged a weapon (I guess). So what was it? Your friend isn’t ChemLew’s monkey, or mine. But I’d like to know the story. I’m Sick n’ Tired® of electeds making banking on the ignorance of the populace and making up shit about themselves.
Fair enough. But Gina claimed there was a “gunman on campus” (and more than once.)
And the thing is, Dan and his anonymous alt-right jackal friends repeatedly claim that she said “active shooter.” Dan even sarcastically says Wow, a COLUMBINE in LA in the 90s and we never heard of it.
I hate when assholes change your words, and repeat it so many times it becomes an accepted fact that you said that. The Goebbels thing.
Too bad she didn’t say “a kid with a gun” or something like that. Anyway, my immediate reaction is that if a cretin like ChemLew says something, it’s probably an outright lie.
Not sure that I can trust Farah anymore, As president of the chamber of another city 3 years and chairman local Hotel association and residing in Irvine district, she had been uniting all ethnical groups. recent requests to just improve Irvine and get feedback has been ignored.
Usually I write 10,000 letters to all key voters in the city to assure ethical dealings and open communications, At this time not sure about making that move but know that her chances in 2022 will decrease significantly if that is done, but its obvious that there is a lack of honest communications. Watching very closely
Farrah Khan has some serious issues! She should be awarded the most Hated Mayor in Orange County! That’s all I am going to say about her. She says it all herself at every council meeting since she was elected.