The subtle art of the peace-loving Left.
The Anaheim City Council chamber is packed, as is the overflow room. There’s been a parade of speakers during the public comment period inveighing against the proposed development agreement with the city and Disney. Judging by the comments of the left-wingers and community organizer-types who have spoken thus far, it’s clear they either don’t understand the issue or have been misinformed by their organizers. Speaker after speaker has complained “It’s not fair for Disney not to pay any taxes” – as if that were a) remotely true and/or b) anyone is proposing to exempt Disneyland from taxation. Disney pays tens of millions of dollars in taxes every year, and will continue to pay tens of millions.
Several refer to revenue the city will “lose” by extending the gate tax moratorium, as if there is an extant gate tax generating tax monies for the city. It’s also inconsistent with one of the opposition’s primary talking points, which is that “no one is calling for gate tax.” In fact, a speaker just called for the city to slap a gate tax on Disneyland visitors, provoking whoops and applause from the lefties in the overflow room.
One individual whom I recognized as an OCCORD organizer complained about poverty in Anaheim neighborhoods – as if taxing visitors to Disneyland will somehow make the poor less so.
There are some familiar faces in the crowd, including this fellow in the cap yelling at the Anaheim police in 2012:
Anaheim Chamber of Commerce President Todd Ament just spoke, and received the loudest, most sustained applause of the evening so far.
Greg Diamond, the Brea lawyer who lawyers for CATER, concurred in my opinion that many of the speakers are confused about this issue. Then he expressed his own confused opinion that Councilwoman Kris Murray should recuse herself because Arianna Barrios (who is an independent comtractor) is a public affairs consultant – saying that since City Attorney Mike Houston “makes” Mayor Tom Tait recuse himself from voting on matter with only tenuous connection to his business, then Murray should as well. Diamond must be unaware that Houston doesn’t “make” Tait do that; the mayor has always done that, even on matters where he has no legal conflict.
Jose F. Moreno engaged in three-minutes of leftist fire-breathing, talking about local childhood poverty rates and the Disney CEO’s compensation – as if taxing visitors to Disneyland will reduce either childhood poverty or the compensation package of Disney’s CEO. Economic illiteracy and misapprehension of the facts are common threads running through much of the speechifying by left-wing activists. For example, a young speaker asked the council to not “give away” money to Disney but to “give it to the community instead;” it’s not her fault for not understanding that gate tax moratorium doesn’t involve giving anyone’s money away; perhaps the adult who scripted her remarks was also unaware of that reality.
CATER’S other known member, gate tax proponent Brian Chuchua, came over and sat one seat over from me. Five minutes later, he got up and went to sit with some compadres. Maybe he wanted to see what I was typing on my laptop.
10:00 p.m.: the council meeting continues to drag on; there is a veritable army of speakers here for the public comments on the actual agenda item, most of them in support of extending the gate tax ban.
11:34 p.m.: The long parade of public comments (72 speaker cards and more on top of that who did not submit cards) has ended.
Mayor Tom Tait note it is late and suggested continuing the item until the next council meeting, which strikes me as semi-futile since both sides of the issue will mobilize speakers again. In any case, Tait made the motion to continue, Councilman James Vanderbilt seconded the motion, which failed on a 3-2 vote.
1:04 a.m.: After 90, numbing minutes of redundant editorializing from the dais, the council voted 3-2 to approve the agreement with Disney. Kring, Murray and Brandman voting “yes,” and Tait and Vanderbilt voting “no.”
City Attorney Mike Houston also made the closed session report that Interim City Manager Paul Emery had won the permanent job on a 4-1 vote, with Mayor Tait voting “no.”
Are you going to speak?
Thank You for the update. I had a “Pre-High School” event and could not attend (ie.SERVICE HOURS!!!)
I have to agree and support the contention that these “desperate children” craft their own remarks being deplorable and questionable. For a group that wants to help the poor, they certainly are willing to exploit children to get their point across.
As for Diamond, he is a train wreck. This guy is BEGGING for attention. Dangerously so. Maybe the Kardashian’s need a workers rights turned political activist turned journalist turned political scientist……
No, Matthre, I said that many speakers were confused about when they were allowed to talk about the issue — having spoken during the general public comments rather than the comments for the public hearing. They understood the issue itself quite well, although the meaning of “tax-exempt” did become garbled. (It refers to the exemption from sales taxes.)
Barrios is, thanks to Murray, City Staff. That’s why she fills out a 700 Form. She just gets paid extra staff rather than benefits. If you look at her 700 form, you’ll see her relationship to at least one entity that is covered by this contract. We’ll see what the FPPC has to say.
Houston has advised the Mayor that he should recuse himself even in circumstances where the logic of it becomes laughable. (The Homeless Shelter in the Canyon? Really?) Yes, Tait could have gone against Houston’s advice, but that’s a legally treacherous path the follow. Hence “makes.” Whereas he bends over backwards to keep the members of the Council Majority voting.
If there’s anything else you’d like to be wrong about here, please let me know.
As for your assiduously anonymous commenter, congratulations on entering Pre-High School! I might accept your diagnosis if I knew anything about you other than that you’re a liar and a coward. (But, to be honest, probably not even then. You don’t make much sense.)
The expected outcome and subsequent stammering and muttering by the secretive TAIT-BACKED PAC is in full swing. “WERE GONNA SUE” Enough already. Haven’t you guys learned yet, you are gonna get burned and eventually somebody’s going to have to pay.
Hey speaking of money, I just calculated at my “PRE-HIGH SCHOOL MEETING” last evening, that I pay more for my Son’s private education PER DAY, than Greg’s client has in her “defense fund”. If he is all about doing good, he should cut out all his blathering and BS.
I anticipate Diamond’s sophomoric response having to do with our school choice, Bring it on.
When will someone sue CATER?
When they want to lose an Anti-SLAPP motion.
You don’t seem to understand the circumstances when a lawsuit is appropriate. We sue when the City breaks the law. That’s it.
My theory is that Greg is filing increasingly pointless suits until someone finally does come after him. Then he will claim it’s a SLAPP suit and cry to Voice of OC. It’s a weak way to chase a pay check but I’m guessing this tip came in from his friend Cory Briggs
Good idea to use a pseudonym there.
Matt — take down or take responsibility.
Take down what?
Greg Diamond, cyber-bully!
What exactly is the normal person supposed think Greg?
You are admittedly underemployed, you have filed several lawsuits that have lost, many people consider them frivolous. You spend countless hours droning on about nothing (seriously hundreds of thousands of words), when it came time for your side to put up or shut up, you backed right down.
It is not unreasonable to assume you are in this for the payday. Because if you REALLY who intent on changing the world, you would be much more tactful.
How does Greg save for retirement?
Oh, believe me, O fearful of public identification one — Anaheim did something that was both of national interest and eye-popping illegality last night. Yes, this act of overreach will lead to a juicy lawsuit. Too bad I had to file a complaint today so I haven’t been able to focus on it.
Of course I’m not going to make fun of your choice of school, presuming that your kid is not fictitious. (No way of knowing — just like you don’t know how much is in Yesenia’s defense fund, although that doesn’t stop you from talking smack about it.
My kids have been able to do well here with public education. Some kids may need a little extra help — and if that’s your situation and you have the money then I applaud your putting your cash into broadening your son’s mind. (Unless your sending your child somewhere that will IMPEDE his intelligence, as with those Texas schools now refusing to cover our history of segregation, in which case I would consider what you’re doing akin to child abuse.)
But surely you’re not doing THAT, right?
The city, with support from business and labor, agreed to not tax Disney guests for ticket purchases. In exchange the city will see billions of dollars in economic investment. To call that eye-popping or illegal says a lot about what you are doing. You do realize SLAPP suits aren’t automatically won, right?
To be correct, “the city” sees nothing.
Disneyland, which is physically located inside the city, will see a billion dollars of investment– which is a good thing.
The City of Anaheim won’t own or operate anything associated with Disney’s investment, as I understand it. I recall something about Harbor, but I wouldn’t want anyone to think that Disney is building a billion worth of park and infrastructure improvements.
That’s a dumb comment. Does anyone with a reputation to lose want to adopt it? If so, I’ll answer.
Sorry, Greg. Arianna Barrios is not a city employee. She’s a contractor. You can click your heels together three times and wish very, very hard – and she still won’t be a city employee.
And considering CATER’s track record in court, you’re not in a strong position to ask anyone if there’s “anything else you want to be wrong about.”
And I realize you’re a relative newcomer to OC politics, but Houston has only been City Attorney a short while. Tom’s practice of uber-caution in recusing himself on votes long pre-dates Houston, so don’t try to shovel blame off on him.
Tait is now recusing himself even in situations where he seems to think it’s absurd, due to Houston’s advice. I’m aware of the history, but his past practice doesn’t mean that left to his own judgment he would take it this ludicrously far.
As tovthe rest: We were right in court. The judge disagreed — and we neither had the money nor the need to appeal because the parallel San Diego case was being appealed.
Meanwhile, we forced the City to admit to a near-psychotic and tyrannical conception of the law. Not only did that help the San Diego case — those court transcripts are golden — but they also caught the interest of the Grand Jury, which released a blistering report on Joint Power Agreements that surely would not have come into being without the CC bonds case.
So the bonds case was disappointing in the sense that I did not get paid for my work — but I can live with that sometimes. In most other ways it was clearing a path to the coming rollback of “vertical” JPAs and the rapacious and voter-phobic types that you represent.
As for the Angels case, we stopped a rotten deal in its tracks. We’ll see what happens tbis month, but it’s already done a lot of good.
So I’ll double down on your being wrong about last night. Anaheim’s reformers are playing a long game — one of the highlights of which we suspect may be your turning state’s evidence. Take good notes!
Wow. I don’t know which is more acute: your delusions or your grandiosity.
Resorting to name-calling probably was your best move there, wordsmith.
Was that supposed to be a comeback?
A tip Greg. Never complain about name calling when you call people names
“I’m aware of the history, but his past practice doesn’t mean that left to his own judgment he would take it this ludicrously far.”
You don’t know, Greg. Tait has been doing this for years, going back to his first go-round on city council when Jack White was City Attorney. He’d decide recuse himself on votes where there wasn’t even a reasonable PERCEPTION of conflict, and he’d make those calls himself, not on the advice of the City Attorney. And now you want us to believe Houston is making him do it? Ridiculous.
Anyone notice the closer to the middle of the night it gets Diamonds comments get CRAZIER? Maybe the medicine wears of and it’s too soon for another dose.
Nice spin Greg, the reality is, Cynthia was about to have to pay for this folly (put her money where mouth is) and got scared. Since there are NO known members of you PAC other than her and Brian, she was gonna get hosed.
You keep on dreaming up your DRIVEL. You should just get a job and do this in your spare time.
Anyone notice that this shy boy’s comments are crazy any time of day?
By the way, Matt — one can be considered an employee for some purposes but not others. Oh, and I arrived in Orange County in 1970, attending Ernest Gisler Intermediate School before going to Edison, and stayed until moving to Long Beach in 1981 — so go condescend to a REAL newbie like Kris Murray.
First you said she was a city employee. Now, you backtrack with some maybe-sometimes-could-be ambiguity. Sorry, Greg. I’m not buying it. Your track record as CATER counsel doesn’t inspire confidence, your “we’re playing the long game” excuse notwithstanding.
And I didn’t say you were new to Orange County; I said you’re a newbie to OC politics, although you like to act as though you’re some kind of knowledgeable, expert veteran
That’s really interesting, Matt.
Who does Ms. Barrios work for?
She takes absolutely no direction from Ms. Murray?
Are you being deliberately obtuse, Ryan? For whom do independent contractors usually work?
I am forming the above community group. We already have dozens of members but our member list os secret. Our lawyer works out of a Public Storage unit in nearby La Palma.
Our first order of business will be to Sue the United States Of America on behalf of Japan regarding the Womans world cup loss. Because thats what we do when lose: SUE.
We sue when the City does something illegal, as it did in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Smart of you to hide your identity. It improves your argument that people don’t know who you are — though they know that you’re not funny.
Tait voted no on Paul Emery? Really? Why?
Because he’s a Death Eater, Rita Skeeter.
emery is a death-eater? Let’s see if Tait treats him as he did other city managers
Ask one of your kids to explain the reference.
I’ve read Harry Potter. I know what it means. But it makes no sense. Perhaps your thought process is more like Minnions speaking gibberish.
Don’t worry Greg, there is always the utopian village of VENUS.