Larry Agran has Mis-Managed Irvine Parks
Posted by: tylerh | 10/09/2008 9:06 AM
Larry Agran was elected Mayor of Irvine in 2000 and his faction has controlled city hall ever since. He also chairs the Great Park Corporation. So why isn't Larry running on his record? He is spending over a half-million dollars on shiny mailers, a faux weekly newspaper, and the gimmick of tree seedlings delivered to front doors to distract from his record.
Under Agran's direction, the Great Park Corporation has spent sixty million dollars and doubled the estimated final cost of the Great Park. What does Larry have to show for it? A balloon that has been grounded twice for safety reasons. An iShuttle that no-one ever rides. A School Board antagonized over threats to future school financing.
These are the key issues of the race, that OC Blog will be exploring in the coming weeks.
The impatient reader or voter, however, need not await these future posts. The impact of Larry Agran's "vision" can be seen at Irvine's first great city park, Heritage Park.
Heritage Park, city of Irvine's first great park,
enjoyed heavy use when the Agran faction gained a council majority in 2000. Children especially loved its giant "water tower" slide. However, if you take your children there today they will be disappointed, as the slide is fenced off and the play yard is surrounded by "Danger" warnings.
The Agran-controlled council has neglected our parks in a time of city budget surpluses. These same Agran allies have overseen sixty million dollars of Great Park expenditures, including no-bid contracts, with little to show for it.
The lesson of Heritage Park is clear: Larry Agran is good at spending taxpayer's money to tout his "vision," but he is a poor steward of actual parks.
Why should we entrust the billion dollar Great Park budget to Agran's leadship?
Under Agran's direction, the Great Park Corporation has spent sixty million dollars and doubled the estimated final cost of the Great Park. What does Larry have to show for it? A balloon that has been grounded twice for safety reasons. An iShuttle that no-one ever rides. A School Board antagonized over threats to future school financing.
These are the key issues of the race, that OC Blog will be exploring in the coming weeks.
The impatient reader or voter, however, need not await these future posts. The impact of Larry Agran's "vision" can be seen at Irvine's first great city park, Heritage Park.
Heritage Park, city of Irvine's first great park, enjoyed heavy use when the Agran faction gained a council majority in 2000. Children especially loved its giant "water tower" slide. However, if you take your children there today they will be disappointed, as the slide is fenced off and the play yard is surrounded by "Danger" warnings.
The Agran-controlled council has neglected our parks in a time of city budget surpluses. These same Agran allies have overseen sixty million dollars of Great Park expenditures, including no-bid contracts, with little to show for it.
The lesson of Heritage Park is clear: Larry Agran is good at spending taxpayer's money to tout his "vision," but he is a poor steward of actual parks.
Why should we entrust the billion dollar Great Park budget to Agran's leadship?
Anonymous, you have an excellent point. Sometimes people become annoyed by a person or event, to the extent...
Steve -
Considering you're one of the guys standing near the fire with a book of matches, you're not really in a position to judge the seriousness of the death threat, are you. And as far as pathetic calls for attention are concerned, the Times story pointed out Pat Rodgers email to reporters suggested they investigate Todd..for being a Muslim? Nice that this election cycle has exposed the bigots in our community. Let's see who's right and who's wrong on election day.
Breaking news ... Todd Gallinger, Agran's carpetbagger candidate imported from Aliso Viejo to run for City Council, has filed a police report claiming he received a death threat. Then he started calling local reporters to tell them he'd filed the report.
The tool is truly desperate for attention, isn't he?
Those of us in politics get threats all the time. I got one in e-mail last night from one of Agran's few remaining supporters. We just see it for what it is and shrug it off.
Stephen
IrvineTattler.com
Larry Agran and his political machine are a joke. They have betrayed the public trust, made decisions in secret, handed out contracts to cronies and are in the process of bankrupting Irvine and running it right into the ground.
They are now tapping emergency reserves to appear to be balancing a bloated budget...
They must all be thrown out before Irvine is ruined.
The corrupt Agran dark years are about to end.