I was disappointed to see your columnist, Michael Ray, use his “Musings on the Coast” column last week to promote the Liberate Laguna PAC that is supporting two pro-development city council candidates.
Ray is on the board of this PAC, which has funneled more than $100,000 so far to the city council campaigns of Peter Blake and Sue Kempf.
It’s outrageous that this type of pro-development money is influencing our local election.
Even though Ray states that these candidates didn’t solicit or want the PAC’s endorsement, Blake and Ray are longtime close friends. And one of the other PAC board members, developer Sam Goldstein, is also a longtime friend of Blake.
One major contributor to this PAC, Mohammad “Mo” Honarkar, has two hotel development projects before the city, and recently bought large parcels in the canyon, downtown and North Laguna.
This PAC money is the main reason Blake and Kempf have been promoted by large ads in this same newspaper, and glossy mailers and slick social media campaigns. It even paid for a smear mailer campaign targeting Toni Iseman.
It’s pretty clear what this PAC of developers wants from our town—and would expect from their chosen candidates.
Why else would they support gutting our historical preservation ordinance, relaxing the requirements of Design Review and building more parking structures downtown?
To me, this is a classic and brazen political power grab.
Did they really think we wouldn’t notice?
Even though many of us are frustrated with our complex local challenges (the homeless, housing, empty storefronts, traffic, etc.), I would rather elect candidates who will work hard to solve them—and also fight to keep Laguna Beach a beach town with character and charm.
Janine Robinson, Laguna Beach
“Joe, Greg, and Walky are big developers, all of whom are supporting and contributing to Toni’s campaign! Why the double standard? ” Kelly Boyd Mayor of Laguna Beach
Not sure why people in a village can’t be friends with each other, maybe Janine has been through the DRB process and hates her neighbors? Iseman is friends with Sam Goldstein and many others supporters of the PAC, she’s just bashing and misleading them to keep power remember she supported her own parking structure. Iseman has no new ideas and has only been fearfully responding to Peter Blake who’s been leading the dialog. The issues of “homeless, housing, empty storefronts, traffic, etc.” as you said Janine are all reasons Toni Iseman must go 20 years is too long. Voting for Blake, Kempf, Kinsman!
Janine, thanks for voicing what so many local Lagunans are feeling regarding this election right now. With the stakes now up at the Cleo Street project (the old Holoday Inn) we are at a crossroads with huge developments in our future. We need candidates who will fight for resident rights, so these developments don’t negatively impact tax paying locals.