| On June 5th, our citizen-led “NO on B” campaign culminated in a resounding 63% voter mandate. Irvine voters rejected the City Council’s landswap-and-development scheme and, instead, made it clear that they wanted the Mayor and City Council to immediately begin building the Veterans Cemetery in the Great Park … as originally promised, planned and approved.
Shamefully, at the July 10th City Council meeting, Mayor Donald Wagner and Councilmembers Christina Shea and Melissa Fox ignored the voters’ mandate, and refused to start construction on the original Veterans Cemetery site.
Since that meeting, I’ve received hundreds of messages from Irvine residents who are outraged that Wagner, Shea and Fox continue to ignore the will of the people.
As a retired high school teacher, I’ll tell you what I used to tell my social studies students: Elected officials who arrogantly ignore their constituents don’t belong in public office!
We need to clean house at City Hall. Here is how we can do it — in two steps:
- Fox and Shea, who are in the middle of their 4-year terms, should be recalled and removed from office. It will take us months to gather the thousands of signatures required to schedule a special recall election. However, I believe we can and should do this, and that we should start organizing right now.
- Wagner is up for re-election on November 6th, which means we have the chance to replace him with an Irvine Mayor who is on our side.
I want to be upfront about what it will take to succeed with our two-step strategy. We will need hundreds of volunteers who are willing to support our proven “NO on B” Mayoral candidate this November, and who will also help gather the thousands of signatures necessary to move forward with a Shea-Fox recall.
Realistically, we also need to raise at least $75,000 right now to cover the initial legal fees, expected court challenges, and to pay for voter education materials, including mail, and the preparation and distribution of recall petitions.
It’s not easy for me to ask others for help. But I must be honest — with you and with myself: I can’t do this alone. It will take a determined community effort to change this City Council and move our Great Park Veterans Cemetery forward. I am counting on your help!
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Ed Pope
Chair of the Campaign to Build the Great Park Veterans Cemetery, U.S. Army veteran, retired high school teacher, and 46-year Irvine resident |
I didn’t see any mandate to immediately build in the “No” side of the measure. I see the word “allow.”
Perhaps Anaheim will be more welcoming and produce less drama.
That’s right, Irvine has forfeited its right to anything “Great.” Gypsum Canyon Veterans Cemetery, here we come!
(Note to Dan – I am keeping the same handle since the shifting IPs of a peripatetic commenter make you nervous.)
Knock yourself out. It doesn’t make me nervous. I’d just prefer you stick with one. Mobile phone entries make it easier to track your MAC address you know