The Republicans in Garden Grove are up to their old tricks – and their usual ally, Democrat Council Member Mark Rosen, is helping them. The O.C. Register reported today that developer and GOP moneybags Steve Sheldon allegedly purchased a parking lot that serves the Main Street area with the intention of turning it into a 100 unit condominium complex.
Sheldon is of course the son of right-wing nut the Rev. Lou Sheldon (pictured). And he is allied with most of the members of the OC GOP Central Committee.
The president of the Garden Grove Downtown Business Owners Association, Scott Weimer, says that the complex will doom area businesses by getting rid of valuable parking spaces that are owned currently by the City of Garden Grove.
According to the Register, “Association members allege that the city violated state and municipal code by proceeding without a recommendation from the Parking and Main Street Commission. Weimer said city officials did not act as good custodians of the parking lots. Deeds for the lots were transferred from the county to the city in 1975.”
I am not surprised by any of this. Politics in Garden Grove are dominated by greedy Republicans, who are generally allies of Assemblyman Van Tran, and by their equally greedy Democrat allies, such as Rosen. The needs of the people are often overlooked in the mad rush to make money.
Someone ought to look up the financial reports of the current Garden Grove Council Members and check how much money Sheldon has donated to them.
UPDATE:
The OC Weekly’s Nick Schou tackled this very subject in his latest column. Thanks Gustavo for letting me know about that – I had not yet read the latest edition of your fine publication.
Here are a few of the juicier bits from Schou’s article:
“In 2000, Sheldon the elder helped lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his Las Vegas casino clients kill federal gambling legislation. Crucial to that effort was his son Steve, a Newport Beach-based public relations consultant who in the previous decade had already taken more than $100,000 from Sin City to fight Indian gaming in California.”
“But along Garden Grove
Someone already checked Garden Grove’s campaign finance reports–read Nick Schou’s piece in the OC Weekly this week.
You better watch out Art, Jubal might challenge you on your claim that Steve Sheldon is a GOP insider and accuse you of taking a “cheap shot” at the OC GOP.
I didn’t realize that Steve has done so well for himself. I guess gay bashing and hate mongering is a lucrative business.
I actually like Steve, just not his politics. He and I were debate team partners and campus hellions during our days at Santa Ana College.
Needless to say, I am not shocked that local Republican pols would do something shady to aid their buddies. That is how things operate behind the Orange Curtain.
It should be noted that Steve and Lou Sheldon are not on good terms.
Steve was one of the few people at Janet Nguyen’s victory party election night held at a bar, you guessed it, on Main st. in Garden Grove!!! I bet he has given a few bucks to Janet too. Can someone check that out and report back to the blog! thanks!
Steve was also APPOINTED to the Orange County Water District Board of Directors this year. Keep your eye on the ball over there too!!!
Steve is a lot smoother than his pop but just as dangerous!
Art you are such a jack ass…you know as well as anyone else involved in politics that Steve is NOTHING like his father and they do not speak.
The ONLY thing on Main Street in Garden Grove worth keeping is Zlaket’s. The rest of the “stores” are nothing but low class dives like the Rainbow Room and Aztecca.
Besides, if the businesses there were SMART they would realize that the condo dwellers would shop at their stores.
Flowerszzz,
Well, first you say that the stores on Main St. are low class dives, then you say that the Condo dwellers will patronize them.
Which is it? If they are dives, why would the Condo yuppies shop there?
The truth is that crooked GOP machine got caught with their pants down again and you don’t like it.
Why don’t you do the right thing and call on the City Council to reverse its crooked decision?
The lot ought to be sold to the merchant’s association, with the stipulation that it remain a parking lot as long as the Main St. shops are in busines.
Or sell it to the highest bidder, but make sure that the proper studies are done so as to not build something that will be a problem for the local residents.
Art I could care less which GOP gets caught with their pants down LOL. I am not beholden to anyone…..There are a few that I would fight for (on both sides of the aisle as I see the person rather then party) but that is about it…and none are involved in this scenario.
As for your other question….I expect that the Dives will get business because there will be lots of people living there and sometimes it is just easier to walk down the street for a bite…even if it is a dive.
I don’t believe all condo dwellers are Yuppies, as you put it. Usually they are people who can not afford to purchase houses and this is their step into the market.
And as for me calling GG, nope….that area needs all the help it can get to make it nice. It is the hub of GG and it looks like an armpit.
This is a good deal for Garden Grove. That parking lot is always empty anyway.
From what I hear, there is going to be substantial underground parking that would be available for main street patrons (if there are any).
I disagree with a previous commenter about Zackets being only thing worth keeping. Zackets is worthless but the garlic tacos at Azteca are the best.
Yes the garlic tacos are good but the place could use an overhaul as could most of the shops there.
Poster 3,
Yes, Steve told me that a few years ago. However, perhaps they ought to reconcile. The apple did not fall far from the tree. They are both misusing their political connections to advance their own selfish interests…
Flowerrrzzz,
I agree with you that Azteca is dilapidated.
While their food is good, I haven’t been there since I learned that after Dina had already mailed invitations Azteca backed out of allowing Dina Nguyen, a paying customer, to have an even there because Janet got all pissy.
My favorite main street story comes from Garden Grove Journal article from a few months ago (before the Farmer’s Market was started).
Some Main Street Merchant Assoc schmuck was quoted as saying the Farmers Market was a “good opportunity to show off our street.”
I live in Garden Grove, but laughed out loud. Main Street is a dump and it’s pathetic that the best GG has to offer is “its street.”
The best thing the city could do with Main Street is bulldoze it and build a casino.
Is steve sheldon the consultant who floated the Casino idea a few years ago, then the entertainment center that would bulldoze 100 homes, then the amusement park at harbor and the 22freeway, now wants a water park at Willowick golf course in Santa Nita gang turf.
Great ideas! What has this consultants done for Garden grove but make money so that he can purchase a parking lot and make a few million.
Before anybody makes a million here, I think we GG residents should get all those consultings fee back. What has he done!