Vern here: When I wrote “True and Amazing Tales of Aliso Viejo,” that town – the OC’s youngest – had a 3-2 Democrat Council majority. And, pushed largely by great progressive Tiffany Ackley, the town embraced district elections, term limits, $1000 campaign contribution limits, a pride flag, on and on.
A 3-2 majority is a tightrope though, and Aliso Viejo fell off that tightrope that November when the crazed Mike Munzing (who embodies every extreme Republicans are guilty of) beat the easy-going Democrat Ross Chun. In the two years since, Munzing and new MAGA alpha-dog Max Duncan have remade the Council in their image:
- raising contribution limits back up to $5900 so they can win with landlord money,
- replacing black Democrat Richard Hurt (who had to move) with their MAGA buddy Garrett Dwyer, with no public input,
- wasting nearly a million in public money on projects specifically for their kids with no public input,
- hired a new City Manager, 3rd-highest paid in the OC, making as much as the CM’s of Anaheim or Irvine whose cities and workloads are 10 times bigger, but at least he’s a white MAGA guy,
- tried to remove the Pride Flag till public uproar stopped them,
- and tried to remove all speed limits due to some “Vision Zero” conspiracy that speed limits are a Communist European plot to make us stop using cars.
But there are signs of the Aliso Viejo pendulum swinging back, swinging back harder and maybe correcting for good! Earlier this month AV activist Sebastian Young wrote:
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Last month, Aliso Viejo flexed some major muscle.
First, dozens of letters and public speakers forced our City Council to drop their MAGA talking points against Vision Zero and approve our traffic study-backed city speed limits. You can see the shift in behavior in the city council before and after public comments in these meeting recordings:
- May 20th (before comments – council comments start at 34:56)
- May 27th (after comments – council comments start at 18:00)
Then, in the June 3 primary, voters in Aliso Viejo sent a loud and clear message: they want Chris Kluwe in the State Assembly:
The results so far are immense. Kluwe has so far led the primary in a district that has consistently gone to Republicans in past elections and every new drop of election data gets better and better. The latest election data (Page 849) proves we have genuine momentum heading into November.
But the fight is far from over.
To sustain this wave, we need to mobilize immediately to turn out voters in Aliso Viejo City Council District 2.
Save the Date: June 27th Volunteer Mobilization Gathering
- When: Saturday, June 27th | 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
- Where: RSVP here for the address to be sent out later
We’ll outline exactly how we plan to:
- Wipe the MAGA majority out of city council
- Get money out of Aliso Viejo politics
- Restore traffic safety to our streets
- Protect our neighbors’ right to afford to live here
We are recruiting for a variety of critical grassroots roles including knocking on doors, making phone calls, and hosting events so that you can find a volunteer path that suits your talents and schedule.
So come meet your neighbors and support our fighters to make an Aliso Viejo that represents its people:
- Steven Von Der Porten for District 2
- Marie Tsaasan for District 3
- Tiffany Ackley for District 4
- Chris Kluwe for State Assembly
JOIN TOMORROW’S EVENT HERE
Saturday, June 27, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM, Register to See Address
This is where the local resistance meets up to plot the next big win. If you’re tired of money in our elections, persistent traffic safety issues, or the circus of the MAGA Aliso Viejo city council trying to ban the pride flag this is the event for you. This is an action-packed meetup to celebrate our recent wins and lock in the grassroots strategy to flip City Council. Come hang out with the fighters leading the charge, connect with your neighbors, and find a fun, high-impact way to help us win in November. Sign up now to stay up to date and get the event location.
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