Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

This is one of those posts that’s been on a back burner, but next Monday’s Democratic Party of Orange County (DPOC) e-board member will review a resolution I helped draft which made it out of the Resolutions Committee without a single “no” vote — a call for elected Democrats on City Councils, School Boards and other Government agencies to offer a second (or a third if necessary) to place an item on a meeting agenda for discussion.

Now the resolution admittedly has no teeth. There’s no provision for punishment by the party if its not followed.  And it was drafted with the acknowledgement the item agendized may not pass.  But its simply undemocratic not to place it on an agenda for discussion if an elected Democrat wants to discuss it publicly.

This stems from two distinct places: the Anaheim City Council and the Irvine City Council.  In Anaheim, there are three Democrats.  Council member Dr. Jose Moreno often cannot can even a second to agendize an item for discussion.  The Democrats there are in the minority.

In Irvine, the Democrats have a 3-2 majority but in reality its a 4-1 majority against anything Council member Larry Agran wishes to place on the agenda.  There have been four issues of concern to Irvine residents: the Asphalt Plant North Irvine, the Great Park Veterans Cemetery, concerns from residents in Great Park neighborhoods and Expanding the City Council/Districting elections in Irvine.

Not once has another council member given Agran a second.

Irvine Vice Mayor Tammy Kim is quoted in this story in the Voice of OC, saying Agran has never approach him for a second.  From the story:

She (Kim) also took aim at Agran, saying if he wanted more council members to discuss the issues important to him he needed to communicate better. 

“He has never once reached out to me. I thought we were on the same team here, but I don’t know.”

This is demonstrably false.  Agran has communicated with his council colleagues several times via memos sent to the city manager and each council member highlighting an item for discussion and asking for a second.  Agran recently provided copies of these memos on his personal website.  There’s even a convenient tab for memos asking for a second:  https://www.theofficeofcouncilmemberlarryagran.org/meetings-memos 

Here’s a May 18 memo asking for a second:  https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60108ddc3e98e712a8b8f944/t/60a7d225e780cb5f5e713d76/1621611045513/LA++Memo+-+May+18.pdf   

Here’s a May 13 memo asking for a second:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60108ddc3e98e712a8b8f944/t/609dd4943bddd90e6331ee2a/1620956308206/LA+-+District+Elections+05.25.21.pdf  

Here’s an April 13 memo asking for an item to be placed on the agenda:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60108ddc3e98e712a8b8f944/t/60ad6fcd6c360613a6abedce/1621979085795/GPRA+Memo+2021_04_13_17_38_16.pdf 

Here’s a January 20 memo asking for a council study (which would require a second to place on the agenda)

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60108ddc3e98e712a8b8f944/t/60ad72be4ee0d21e5b66749b/1621979838576/AAA+LA-Request+for+Study+Session+1-20-21.pdf 

Here’s another January memo asking for council support for a resolution on the Great Park Veteran’s Cemetery:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60108ddc3e98e712a8b8f944/t/60ad6f3220131431185d1ebf/1621978930358/LA-Cemetery+Reso+1-19-21.pdf

Agran has also used his time on council meetings for his personal reports or comments to ask for a second on matters residents want answers; Mayor Farrah Khan said back in December, this was an appropriate place for a council member to place that request for a second. Vice Mayor Kim has said this time wasn’t the appropriate place.

So let’s back up to Vice Mayor Kim’s pithy quote to the Voice of OC. That Agran needs to communicate better.  That he hasn’t once reached out to her.  None of this is true.  Perhaps Vice mayor Kim could clarify exactly how Council member Agran is supposed to communicate with her.  A text message?  A phone call.  A Card and Flowers?  On bended knee?  Kissing a ring? Kissing something else?

So much for Kim saying Agran has never once reached out to her.  Does she read the memos sent to her council office?  Does she automatically ignore them? Did she give the Voice of OC a truthful quote?  The evidence is clear.  She did not.

Agran has communicated with his council “allies” time and again a request for a second.  And its anti-democratic not to discuss items he wishes to agendize.  Agran has more years on the Irvine City Council that the four other members combined.

My question to Vice Mayor Kim, as a longtime Irvine Democrat, “Which team are you on?” Because I thought we were on the same team….. but I don’t know.

I encourage the DPOC E-Board to move my resolution on to a vote to the entire Central Committee for their June meeting.