O.C. supervisors, in reversal, ask governor to cancel fairgrounds sale

The Orange County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution today asking Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to "immediately cancel the proposed sale of the Orange County Fairgrounds."

The 4-0 vote marks a reversal from July, when the board approved a resolution in favor of selling the fairgrounds to a local government agency or nonprofit. Supervisor Chris Norby was absent for today's action.

The governor earlier this year proposed liquidating half a dozen state properties to raise funds to help ease California's budget crisis, and the state put the 150-acre Costa Mesa site on the auction block last month, giving bidders a deadline of Jan. 8.

Supervisor John Moorlach said the board initially supported the sale because they thought the terms would allow it to be sold to a local nonprofit or government.

But since then, state officials have indicated through auction documents and letters that they want to maximize profit, possibly by selling the land as something other than a fairgrounds, and that has fueled speculation that it could be sold into private hands and developed.

"It's creating so much aggravation that the easiest way to keep the fairgrounds a fairgrounds — which was our overarching goal — is just to cancel the sale," Moorlach said.

But that doesn't mean the county doesn't have a Plan B: Like the city of Costa Mesa and a nonprofit formed by the governor-appointed fair board, the county is exploring making a bid of its own for the property.

After all, quipped Moorlach, "The governor doesn't always do what we ask."

--Tony Barboza in Orange County

Comments

[Gericault]

The OC Fair Board started this by authorizing this sale in a special meeting July 15th. Unlike every other Fair Board in the state.Then they formed a non profit foundation to buy it themselves.The entire Costa Mesa City Council voted to Stop this Sale. The power point presentation they prepared showed exactly why this was a rigged game from the start. The Costa Mesa planning commissioner, Jim Righeimer has been pushing for this sale since June. Well before this was lobbied into the budget by Fair board hired gun richarDick Ackerman.This 115 year ,Orange County treasure, is about to be "ripped ' from the hands of the public, and put under the control of a few political insiders. Righeimer has not supported one effort to actually stop the sale of "our" fairgrounds.He has orchestrated an effort to plummet the value with zoning restrictions.Supported and backed this Fairboards attempted takeover, and now that the foundations murky activities aren't holding up to public scrutiny, he starts a "Save the Fair" organization that supports the sale. That only opens the door for a "local' private takeover. Just because they live here, doesn't mean I want them to "own" our fairgrounds. The sharks aren't just in Sacramento...

[Elward]

Arnold is braindead goes along with unconstitutional laws and is such a hypoocrit Bannish him like the rest!
Arnold incase you read this liberty and justice is for all and not just some!! and Everyone has unalienable rights not give by you or any gov so f off all you traitors!!

[Ethan Temianka]

'Gericault' are you serious? You could not be more wrong. Do you even realize what would happen if we hadn't pushed for the citizen-passed ballot initiative to lock in the zoning via a General Plan amendment?
Developers would be swimming all around this property and have several bids in at such a high price that it would be impossible to 'derail the sale' because of the states dire need of cash.
Please stop insinuating negative things about Jim or 'Save the Fair' because your logic doesn't even come close to being sound. We are the only group that is not paid directly by a hired consultant (Sorry, but your 'Derail the Sale' is), so that should tell you something about our intentions - we have no financial interest in this whatsoever and are only doing what is in Costa Mesa's best interest; Saving the Fair.

[Angryrepublican]

" Governor - Stop The Sale! You can smell the corruption a mile away. Please represent the citizens, not the influence peddlers in Orange County. We voted for you in Orange County in good times and bad.. True Republicans never hurt small business - they help them grow and prosper. This is going to go down in history as one of California's biggest financial scandals. The bad news my own kind the "Republicans" were behind all this. The Fair Board Christina Dodge, Dave Ellis and hired gun Dick Ackerman plotted the biggest heist we can imagine. Stop the Sale! " "

[Angryrepublican]

My family and I have been Republicans for three generations. “The Free Market” is the cornerstone for all Republicans. In saying that lets review what that concepts truly means; Both parties undertake the exchange because each expects to gain from it. But exchanges are not necessarily free. Many are coerced. If a robber threatens you with "Your money or your life," your payment to him is coerced and not voluntary, and he benefits at your expense. Slavery was also argued in its day to be the “Free Market”. Republican History has taught us that we abolished “Slavery” and “Incarcerated Robbers”, Republicans saw through those individuals that misused the “Spirit of The Free Market”.
That brings us to the Orange County Fair Grounds. A group of Fair Board members violated the rules by hiring Dick Ackerman with tax payer dollars to lobby legislators to sell the Fair Grounds. Reason, they could purchase the property, below market value, remove union employees and manage the facility without oversight. They used the economic down turn and “California Budget Catastrophes” to perpetuate their own gain. The Attorney General's office also took unprecedented action in December, cutting their ties to the OC Fair Board, which they normally represent. In a letter to Kristina Dodge, Fair Board Chair, the Attorney general cited conflict of interest by the Fair Board in forming a private foundation to purchase the fairgrounds.
From all the “Visible Bids” it looked like none of the Fair Board or any of its family or business colleagues bid for the property. As I indicated “Currently Visible” but instead this property that has been estimated to be worth well over 180 Million dollars was purchased for 56.6 million dollars. I am happy to report “True Republicans” in Orange County have found this to be a violation of the “Free Market”. We have stood up to those that used slavery and robbery as justifications of the “Free Market” and we can see through those that are currently trying to use it to let a developer steal property from the State of California.