Left-wing lawyer Cory Briggs of San Diego is CATER’s partner in crime in litigating against economic development projects like the recently-approved expansion of the Anaheim Convention Center. [CATER stands for “Coalition of Anaheim Taxpayers for Economic Responsibility. It has two known members and one attorney of dubious effectiveness].
Briggs is also the attorney for OCCORD’s ridiculous lawsuit against the economic assistance agreement between the city and the GardenWalk Hotels developer. Although marked as a loser from the get-go, it has delayed the hotel project, most likely in hopes of wearing the developers down into capitulation. The CATER cadre has cheered this legal harassment by Briggs and OCCORD along all the way.
Briggs’ volume-volume-volume approach to litigation has made him a wealthy man, much of it from taxpayers, as the San Diego Union-Tribune notes in an editorial from yesterday:
Briggs is big on suing local governments. He has sued San Diego many times. Sometimes he wins, as when he challenged the financing scheme for the expansion of the downtown convention center. Sometimes he accepts financial settlements. Often, he loses.
But even when he loses it can cost taxpayers big time.
Briggs sued San Diego last year, twice, seeking to block a $120 million bond issue the city planned for street repair and other infrastructure. He lost the first suit and the second suit never got to trial. The city finally sold the bonds last week, attracting significant investor interest and raising all the cash the city wanted. But because Briggs appealed the ruling in his first suit, and even though he will likely lose that too, the city had to pay a higher interest rate to the investors, 4.04 percent compared to the 3.8 percent that had been estimated.
The difference in interest rates will mean an estimated $200,000 a year in additional debt service. For 30 years. Total, some $6 million.
Thanks, Cory Briggs.
You can read the entire editorial here. This is the friend and ally of CATER, the self-identified members of which are fond of playing guilt-by-association game (and the associations are more imagined than real). They are joined at the hip to Briggs, and are proud of it – although they don ‘t go out of their way to advertise their alliance with the left-wing litigator.
He’ll likely win that appeal. The San Diego Union-Tribune editorialists have no more idea of what’s at stake than you do. In case you’d like to challenge that characterization of your ignorance, Matt, here’s a civic-minded sporting proposition.
Cynthia and I would be happy to meet you and Kris Murray or whichever of your hooded colleagues you’d like, in public and on video, to review (1) the facts of the case, (2) the legal and factual arguments made by the City of Anaheim, and (3) the same categories of arguments made from the dais or in communications from other City representatives, and test your understanding of the implications of the City’s position.
Should be lots of fun (for us, anyway.)
You take yourself waaaaay too seriously.
Seriously, one look at Jim Ruth’s comments in Monday’s VOC story should make clear that CATER is raising legitimate issues that should save, rather than cost, Anaheim many millions of dollars.
As for these bonds cases, here’s a three-question quiz:
1) If the Council majority of Murray, Brandman, and Kring decided this week that on April 21 they will obligate Anaheim’s General Fund to pay for building a billion-dollar polo facility in Anaheim Hills, over the objection of Tait and Vanderbilt and everyone with an ounce of reason remaining in OC, then — using the same logic and method they did with the Convention Center bonds — could the three of them do it?
(2) Why or why not?
(3) If so — is that OK?
THAT is what I take really seriously, sir.
“… sporting proposition”
“Cynthia and I would be happy…”
“Should be lots of fun (for us, anyway).”
And so herein lies the problem… this corruptive and disturbing occupation of thieving the Anaheim tax payer under the guise of altruism is merely sport for this wicked brood. Such empty and meaningless lives.
It seems to me that fighting for government accountability and honesty is neither empty or meaningless. Just the opposite. Burying your head in the sand is what is really empty and meaningless.
All that is true in and of itself. But so what? it’s like saying “exercise is good for you.”
“And so herein lies the problem… this corruptive and disturbing occupation of thieving the Anaheim tax payer under the guise of altruism is merely sport for this wicked brood. Such empty and meaningless lives.”
Oh Sandy, you are so right, but we are working hard to stand up against the thieving committed by the Council majority, as you have correctly identified they are a very “wicked brood.” I always knew sooner or later you would wake up to see what they have been up to all this time. (There is a great need for a sarcasm font, is there not?) Call anytime when you want to see the boxes and boxes of documents that outline their misdeeds and lies, one need not take my word for it, as I know you won’t, I can prove with fully documented proof everything CATER has been saying, from the ripoff of the Convention Center to the flat out defrauding of the public in the Stadium deal. So yes, Greg and I would be happy to debate anyone who wants to engage these subjects, but YOU get to bring proof of what you claim just as we have been doing. When and where would you like to meet, and do you mind if we videotape and publish the discussion?
oh boy, another finger puppet show!
Another sleepless night Greg………..