What’s happening in Laguna Niguel? Two city council people leave, one right after the other, and the new boy carpetbagger Ray Gennawey gets his buddies in!
The City of Laguna Niguel is the epitome of “White Entitlement Nepotism” and they will fight to the death to maintain their Dynastic Politics. In some towns, political offices are treated as family heirlooms, passed down from one generation to the next, perpetuating a concentration of power and limited opportunities for others.
And nowhere is that more evident and apparent than in Laguna Niguel. Leading the way are the Jennings and Gennawey families. Led by Ray (Carpetbagger) Gennawey these new elitist councilmembers are strengthening their hold on the residents of Laguna Niguel by establishing a privileged network of trusted individuals within political circles, providing support and influence to their leader.
Ever since Gennawey entered the Laguna Niguel political arena in 2022, he has done nothing but erode public trust in the Laguna Niguel city council by disparaging potential city council candidates and engaging in backdoor fighting with former current city council members, of which two of them have now resigned. Ray has reportedly even sent texts to at least one other councilmember stating they need to figure out to get rid of a councilmember who doesn’t always agree with him. The guy really is a disgusting, obnoxious, entitled scumbag.
This is the ultimate benefit of Nepotism. It allows Mr. Gennawey to fulfill his personal agenda at the residents of Laguna Niguel’s expense. He is not in Laguna Niguel for the benefit of the residents. He is in Laguna Niguel to create and build his political career and profile. Mr. Gennawey needed a win after being humiliated in his attempted run for Katie Porter’s seat. He quit that race almost as soon as he entered it. Using a city council seat to further his hidden personal political ambitions, at the expense of the city’s voters, creates a perception of unfairness, lack of transparency, and unequal opportunities. It can lead to public disillusionment and skepticism regarding the integrity and legitimacy of political leaders.
Mr. Gennawey has strategically created so much chaos that he was able to maneuver the “appointment” of 2 new council members to replace the 2 councilmembers who recently resigned because of his “chaos.” One of those council members who resigned was the target of his text stating they needed to find a way to get rid of her.
And so who does Ray appoint to the council in her place? NOT a local community business owner who may have paid taxes and raised his family in Laguna Niguel for years, unlike carpetbagger Ray, not a representative of a minority from a different community neighborhood that has NEVER had representation in the city council and not a regular working middle-income earner. He “appoints” another attorney and a career law enforcement professional of “like mind” whose wife has Washington DC national political contacts to further his personal political career. Foster “Gene” Johns has lived in Laguna Niguel for just seven years, and his background as an LA County Sheriff, as well as 24 years as a detective for the DEA, certainly provides him connections to make sure only the people they like are on the council.
Mr. Gennawey has also appointed a new City Manager whose law firm loves litigating issues for higher fees. This is the same Law firm that was at the ground level of the City of Bell Gardens’ financial disaster. This law firm will litigate anything and everything and will cost the City of Laguna Niguel money for sure.
Mr. Gennaway does all this to keep the Continuation of Power. By appointing these cohorts within the political sphere, Ray can maintain his influence and ensure the continuity of his personal policies and agendas even after he leaves office. This can help Gennawey’s “Nepo” clique to consolidate and protect their political legacies. This kind of Nepotism leads to a lack of accountability and transparency in political decision-making. Family members appointed through nepotistic political spheres of power feel less accountable to the public, as they owe their position to family, political cohorts, and their own personal political agenda.
Remember, the Gennaweys and Jennings, along with their fellow cohorts on the council, all live right next to each other. And they represent their own interests and desires for personal power, and not that of the community.
Someone ought to call Kevin Shenkman about that geographical concentration of power issue.
Welcome, Payne. Sorry about the avatar, but I’ve seen worse.
FUCK YOU.
Thank you, but no.
A Rancho Santa Margarita Republican (another reformist, anti-establishment blogger) comments on Facebook:
“I just saw on the Rsm site last night that they are going to adopt a resolution for district voting. I’m wondering if it will be Tony, Brad or Anne that falls on the sword since they would all likely would be in the same district.”
No wonder this story got so many readers – it was timely AF. The day after we published it here (although the author had first published it on substack a few weeks ago) Laguna Niguel gave in to legal threats and is moving to districts.
The aforementioned Councilman Gennawey announced this development PETULANTLY today:
“Along with my Council colleagues, I am disappointed Laguna Niguel is being forced to switch from at-large elections to district elections by a bad state law being exploited by a bad actor. We’re not the only city. The wife of an ex-assemblyman is threatening lawsuits in every at-large city that did not re-elect her husband. For more information on this backwards law and petty political gamesmanship, watch my presentation at the most recent council meeting (link in comments).”
The lawyer representing the groups that want district elections is the wife of Bill Brough, a decent Republican – one of the few politicians to stand up to the Toll Road Authority – who was smeared and defeated a couple cycles ago by the loathsome Laurie Davies (who has been going around the region preaching against district elections.)
So in the paranoid petty minds of Ray Gennawey and his crowd, the reform is somehow the “revenge” of Brough’s wife against all the cities that didn’t vote her husband. STOOPID and laughable theory. Ten years ago, we used to always hear “It’s Time, Anaheim!” This year it’s “It’s Time, Laguna Hills and Niguel, RSM & San Clemente!” There are good stories to tell from all of those burghs, which you will find soon here.
And here is the pissy press release from Gennawey’s crony and neighbor, LN Mayor Kelly Jennings. (Look again at the map above.)
Damn — did I ever publish the story about Dwight Manley giving the city a check for either $10K or $100K, to cover legal expenses, during a council meeting in order to get them not to give into Shenkman’s demand for districts?
This is despite Brea already having perfectly functional districts for its school board.
I may have to go dig up my notes….
I am writing right now about the FOUR HOLDOUT CITIES OF SOUTH COUNTY – Laguna Hills & Niguel, RSM & San Clemente – being forced against their will to district. And that Manley story reminds me of a BOMBSHELL I am unhappily sitting on for now… I won’t say anything but it’s very similar.
A lot of the use of the word nepotism, but not a single example. Does the writer know what it means?
Well, here’s what Stephanie Oddo said to me in a comment correcting an incorrect assumption I had made in 2022:
A further search said that Ray Gennawey (presumably the son) ran for a RPOC delegate slot for the 68th district rather than for the 73rd.
So, yeah: so far as I can tell, this would be both carpetbagging and nepotism.
As a resident of Laguna Niguel I feel comfortable with the leadership of our City Council especially Ray Gennawey , Gene Johns, Stephanie Winstead. Your criticisms are unfounded and malicious in nature and ignorant of facts.
Extreme left wing Democratic politics in action trying to create negativity and trying to destroy what we have worked so hard for, for such a long time. Go back to New York or Chicago, it seems that they have lost their village idiot.
To each his own, but you’re barking up the wrong tree, at a Republican who’s lived in the area his whole life.
This issue is not left and right.