To B or Not To B? Yes On B Is a White Lie

While finding it sardonic that the former Obama headquarters in town is now selling drug paraphernalia, I was thinking:

There are many things you learn about the interrelations of government and special interest after you are elected to City Council. While I always felt I understood these relations in a conceptual sense, you really do not fully appreciate them until you experience them from the inside. One such special interest is developers and they are first and foremost salesmen.

Let me begin by saying developers are not inherently evil.They are corporations, LLC’s, LLP’s or other business entities. But what does that really mean? A business entity is just people standing behind a piece of paper in order to limit their liability and maximize their profits. In fact developers can provide needed homes and services to a community. They also earn profits which despite what some in Washington might think, is a good thing worthy of respect. But to do all this they must first still be salesmen.

Back in January I met with representatives of Advanced Real Estate Services. I was sympathetic to their situation. They spent three years following a misguided City Council only now to face a . I told them my principled belief that they have a right to develop their land, but in my opinion the new plan did not conform with San Juan Capistrano.  I knew my four colleagues would support either plan ARES wanted. Consequently, I asked what plan they wanted. An ARES representative said that despite making more money with the former plan, the new plan is just a better plan. I was stunned. They either were willing to violate their fiduciary duty to their investors or he was lying in hopes of selling me. They overplayed their hand. Why spend over $100,000 of investor money on a campaign to earn less money for their investors? I know I’m only a local politician, but even I’m not that stupid.

When looking at arguments and Measure B, keep in mind actual facts. This election is a question about a zoning change and an amendment to the General Plan. Change it (YES) or leave it as-is (NO).

No on B provides entitlement for 275 single family houses and 165 age-controlled senior citizen apartments (far fewer car trips) with an affordable component, as well as a hotel and an institutional facility such as a school or a church. 

Yes on B provides for 94 single-family homes, 10 three-story hilltop buildings with 90 condos and 50 low-income apartments built ontop of 68,000 square feet of retail and 14,000 square feet of commercial office space with a four-story parking structure on a hillside, plus a 500-horse stable and equestrian center with night lighting 

Despite an initial cap of 500 horses, with one vote of the council, that could increase to 1,500 horses. I believe we need to at least maintain our current number of horse stables, but 1,500 is the total number we have in the entire city right now.

Yes on B will create 2,200 more car/truck trips per on our roads than No on B, and unlike at schools where the traffic only increases twice a day—this would be a continuous increase in traffic.

Even the Yes on B slogan is a white lie. Yes is not less, Yes is more. This is .

After already being convicted of acting “with oppression, malice or fraud” against our own residents, ARES is now trying to buy this election. It our community’s own election rules everyone agrees to abide by. My initial sympathy has evaporated. Has yours?

Song of the Blog: White Liar By: Miranda Lambert

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoR2Oax82kY