There’s been a few stories and social media posts of late n the dysfunction between Democrats in Irvine. Voters here finally have the Democratic Majority many of us worked so hard for but there’s a distinction — it’s often noted there’s a FivePoint Four consisting of both Republicans Anthony Kuo and Mike Carroll and Mayor Farrah Khan and Council member Tammy Kim. And Council member Larry Agran, who has more time on the city council than all four of them combined, is often left out of the conversation.
The Irvine City Council removed Agran’s wife, Dr. Phyllis Agran, from a volunteer city committee on Children, Youth and Families, citing revisions to a nepotism policy even though the committee position is strictly not compensated and Dr. Agran is more than qualified. After my post from April 18 went up, several readers alerted me to Council member Tammy Kim’s Reddit account; Reddit is an Internet forum, what used to be called an online Bulletin Board. And Ms. Kim responded to a reader’s complaint about the record of mayor Khan to chime in her opinion of Council member Agran.
During the campaign of 2020, I often told Ms. Kim her greatest liability as a candidate was her lack of institutional knowledge of the city and how its politics worked. In reading her thread here, I’m convinced her lack of understanding is worse than I thought.
I’ll post her message paragraph by paragraph with my commentary afterwards.
Here’s what started the thread:
23 points·15 days ago
I’ll be the first to say i am not a Larry Agran fan but it’s alarming how much this city council has effectively limited Larry from doing his job.
At first I thought “it shouldn’t be that hard to get a second on things worth talking about”. But it’s slowly become apparent that who proposes an agenda item gets taken into consideration.
He should get a voice like the others, even if I don’t agree with yet another “build the cemetery!!!” agenda item.
Farrah Khan has been disappointing as mayor. I think she’s done some things right and has been slightly better than Christina Shea. But she’s not getting my vote anymore.
16 points·15 days ago
Agree wholeheartedly. It’s really alarming how Khan and Kim have iced Agran out. They could have been a formidable force for good in Irvine, and if Khan and Kim checked their egos they might have learned something from Agran (who has more experience than both of them combined). I voted for both Khan and Kim, and can honestly say I’ve never been so disappointed in my votes before.
-1 points·3 days ago·edited 3 days ago
Hi u/HardenTraded – sorry to jump in so late. Because I respect your opinions and your level-headed approach, I wanted to take a moment to respond to your comment.
I explained back in Dec 2020 why I voted to support what is now known as “Rule of Two”
I can’t speak for anyone else, but I hope this provides some context as to at least my reason for supporting it. As of now, I’m not married to it. I’m always open to calibration.
With that being said, Larry is a master of political theater, I will give him that. He has created a scenario where he is the “victim” against the “council majority.” This could not be further from the truth.
Here are the facts: (editor’s note — her opinion, not her facts)
1) Larry has never once reached out to me to ask me to second an item.
What he has done is post an item publicly on his Facebook page or on the dais and then ask for a second. Sorry, but I’m not going to going to play a supporting role in his political theater. If he REALLY wanted to get something done, he would pick up the phone and call. But he won’t. He loves playing the victim. He loves the theatrics of it all.
This is untrue. Council member Agran sent memos to the city manager, city clerk and the rest of the council highlighting an issue he would like to discuss and asks for a second so the item can be placed on the agenda. He rarely gets one. I believe Mayor Khan allowed an item on a Veteran’s Memorial Park (not cemetery) at ARDA which the rest of the council declined to act upon when he asked for a vote. Agran got another second regarding drag racing on the Great Park site from Anthony Kuo. And that’s about it. As far as political theater go, Kim would rather be a scene stealer. She and Council member Carroll refused to second three items Agran brought forth (and later crafted their own proposals on a City Health Agency, a Veteran’s Memorial at ARDA, and the Great Park CFD). The memos Agran crafts creates a public record with significant detail. Should Agran just call her and ask, and she declines, he can’t shop the item around to other council members. She, not he, is creating political theater where she often casts herself as a victim; her staff is very good at working the press for stories of her sacrifice and victimhood. Is it still ok to call someone a Drama Queen?
2) I have extended an olive branch and asked if he is interested in joining me on an item.
He had the audacity to summon me and to do “horse trading” with me on the back end. Sorry, but I don’t play that way. Again, it’s all theatrics rather than actually doing the heavy lifting to solve actual problems.
What olive branch? What item? She offers no specifics. “Audacity to summon” her? She was just complaining she never once reached out to her. So he did call her? And yes, horse trading is useful when you are seeking to shape policy especially when you are in the minority as Agran is here. For Tammy Kim to say she does heavy lifting is laughable; her staff does everything. She has idea, even if it is original and not stolen from Agran or inspired by a VoC article, and staff has to do all the heavy lifting. She does not. But look at Agran’s memos asking for a second on starting a city health agency. He lays out in detail the federal funds the city gets, where and how it should be spent. On theatrics, simply go to Tammy Kim’s Instagram page. It’s all about the selfies baby. And letting everyone she poses with know that she got the most votes ever for Irvine City Council (which a number of Democrats make fun of her for saying).
3) He has had items seconded.
I believe Farrah seconded a couple of his items including a discussion on the cemetery and All American Asphalt. Also Kuo seconded an item about car racing. Again, if he ever calls me directly to ask for a second, I will most likely give it to him (provided he has no other strings attached, which he probably will).
As noted earlier, yes he has. But in not giving him a second ever, Kim is in violation of a DPOC Resolution that requires a fellow Democrat offer a second to a Democratic asking for one so an item can be debated at a city council, school board or other government agency when there’s a rule of two or a rule of three as there is in Anaheim. Kim is a DPOC Central Committee member who once presented data in opposition to an effort to expand the city council in Irvine and move to district elections as required by the California state Democratic Party. And how childish is her last sentence.
4) We have a Democratic majority – He IS part of the majority!
We have 3 Democrats and 2 Republicans. He has on occasion been the sole Democrat who has voted with the Republicans. At other times, he’s been the sole no vote on something. But the vast majority of the time, our votes are 5-0.
Agran’s part of the majority? Tell yourself that. It’s not true at all.
5) He hasn’t been able to adjust to a new paradigm.
I have the utmost respect for his years of service. But he is so used to being the puppet master here in Irvine that he doesn’t know what to do with himself now that he’s not. I had absolutely zero interaction with him prior to running – he didn’t make me nor does he have any control or influence over me. I think he is bitter that I didn’t have to come to him to kiss the ring as every other democrat before me has had to do throughout the city’s 50-year history. He doesn’t understand that the city has grown and the demographics have changed. He’s not used to a younger, fresher, more progressive, and more diverse Irvine. He’s trying desperately to keep his lock on Irvine politics. The only thing he can do is get his supporters energized (which they are) and run his fake newspaper. He has the same 10 people speaking over and over and over again. Kudos to him that he has a base of loyal followers who will walk over broken glass for him. I can’t fault him for that.
I hope this provides you with additional context.
Where to begin? Puppet Master? What a complete insult to Beth Krom, who opened her home to gather signatures for Kim’s candidacy and Sukhee Kang who paved your way to donors in the city’s Korean-American community. Kim is calling both Agran puppets who kissed his ring to run and serve? It’s true that Agran has no control or influence over Kim; you know who does — Mike Carroll, who urged Kim on to interrupt a public speaker and demonstrate outrage towards him for his criticism of her for breaking a campaign promise to get a Veteran’s cemetery at El Toro. Agran doesn’t understand that the city has grown and the demographics have changed? What a load of crap. Agran shaped this city’s growth and passed city policy to encourage demographic change.
“Agran’s not used to a younger, fresher, more progressive Irvine.” Kim is talking out of a different orifice. Agran passed progressive policies while Kim was still in South Korea. Remember what I said about a lack of institutional knowledge? Kim ought to go back and read about the gay-friendly city employee policies he got passed in Irvine in the late 1980s where Orange County was deep red and Kim was a school girl. “He’s trying desperately to keep his lock on Irvine politics?” No, he is trying to bring items to the table by those who voted for him because Kim and Khan won’t. His newspaper isn’t fake. It has ads, a community calendar and actual news stories – but sorry those editorial pierce Kim’s think skin. Read up on the history of newspapers please.
But let’s read between the lines here. Ms. Kim is fast to use her Korean heritage as an political issue and has called for no racism in Irvine. And on that, we agree racism has no place in our diverse city. However, she exposes herself as something just as bad — ageist. Ageism is as bad as racism and as a bad as bigotry. Agran is 76. Krom and Kang are in their 60s. Is this old? Or is Kim’s inexperience and immaturity preventing her from learning how to govern? There’s one thing I know about “old” people — they vote. They have money to give to candidates they support. And Irvine is growing — in population, in diverse communities, and in age. And most people who might consider themselves seniors are happy to work with much younger people, to learn new things and share the benefit of institutional knowledge (a.k.a experience).
Kim owes Agran an apology. She owes Phyllis Agran an apology too. Her hashtag should change to #MeIsIrvine.
*****
A story worth telling….
Shortly after Kim was elected, the Albertson’s Store in Northwood closed to make way for an HMart — an awesome Korean supermarket know for fresh produce and a great selection of fish. It’s still not open and it’s been 14 months, and no one seems to know why. But back in 2003, a disturbed employee came into the store wearing a raincoat to hide a real samurai sword. The blade was three feet long and he man attacked several customers and killed two employees: Judy Fleming and John G. Nutting. The employee was held at bay by customers throwing canned goods at him until police arrived, and he was shot dead when he would not drop the blade.
Albertson’s put up a plaque on the wall outside the store to honor Judy and John. The employees set up a table with a huge bouquet of flowers on the anniversary of the attack every year. Neighbors would stop and pay respects to these people we shared moments with as they helped with our grocery purchases.
With the store about to become HMart, I contacted Kim to ask her to contact the management of HMart. They were about to remodel the store. My neighbors and I wanted to make sure they did not remove the plaque honoring Judy and John. Her response to me is “I don’t know anyone at the Irvine company or the chain.” She suggested I call Mr. Agran. I told her as the vice mayor of our city, what a perfect way to introduce yourself. She declined. I think she was unaware of the 2003 incident.
So I called Agran and explained the issue. He called me two days later to say that plaque was staying. I don’t know if he called the Irvine company or Hmart. But I reached out to who I thought was someone who could act on this and she punted. The council member responsive to me and my neighbors in Northwood was Agran. Does that phone call make him powerful? Not at all. Just someone who understands what a city council member is supposed to do.
It appears Tammy Kim is living in an alternate reality. Her spin and framing of the issues with Agran and the rule of two are laughable. The public sees what is going on.
I dare her to ask Beth Krom if she had to kiss Larry’s ring
This sentence from Tammy Kim really stands out to me: He’s not used to a younger, fresher, more progressive, and more diverse Irvine.
Agran has been an active progressive for decades. Here are some excerpts from an NBC article on Buttigieg that compares his run as a progressive to Larry- the original progressive mayor who ran for president: But his party was desperate to reclaim the presidency and he was convinced that once they took a look at him, Democrats would see a winner — a progressive military veteran from a deeply conservative area running on a message of generational transformation… He could point to a record, six years as mayor battling developers and implementing landmark environmental ordinances in a city exploding with growth. That Irvine was a Republican town (and part of famously conservative Orange County) and that Agran had won elections there anyway might be another selling point.
He drew up a platform. The centerpiece was a “peace dividend” — radically slashing defense spending and using the money to deliver large payments directly to American cities. SOURCE: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/not-your-father-s-campaign-trail-what-might-have-happened-n989201 Don’t try to out progressive an OG progressive. It isn’t a good look.
Just for the record. I go to Council meetings on my own and Larry Agran has never asked me to speak. I speak because I am a life long Democrat and can’t believe what I see Kim saying and doing. She does not even come close to representing Democratic principles. She is an embarrassment to these principles. I will continue to speak at Council meetings against the rule of two because I believe it is flat out wrong and undemocratic.
Tammy Kim is as toxic to Irvine as that drunk guy and his crazy wife in Anaheim. The oly difference is is she has managed to to stay out of Prison and thus was able to run for office.
Other than that. two peas in a pod: lying, manipulative, illicit behavior and when shit goes South play the Victim. Right out of John Horners (err…I mean Mike Foxes playbook)playback! How’s that for an odd couple.