According to the California Attorney General (Rob Banta) website, “…allegations that the City violated the Surplus Land Act in its sale of land on and around Angel Stadium” and during the April 27th City Council meeting Mayor Sidhu stated: “There is no wrongdoing, no fault, no conceding of any violation by Anaheim.”
So, why then did the California State Attorney General take the time to issue a proposed judgment related to the Angel Stadium transaction? His answer is simple. According to the website of the State Attorney General, “On December 8, 2021, HCD issued a Notice of Violation finding that the City violated the noticing requirements of the Surplus Land Act following the City’s sale of Angel Stadium and surrounding lands to a management company created and owned by the owner of the Angels baseball franchise.” Finding that the city was in violation is very different from the way Mayor Sidhu’s rhetoric during the recent city council meeting gives the public the message that there was no wrongdoing, no fault, and no conceding by Anaheim.
Lying to the public is unethical, not appreciated, it’s wrong, and it’s damaging to the Anaheim residents and the public as a whole. Lying to the public also greatly lessens the level of confidence that the residents have about all of the city elected officials. When the mayor lies to the public and the other city council members remain silent about the lies, then all the city council members are complicit. The city attorney Robert Fabella, and the city manager James Vanderpool also contribute to the lies and potential actions of corruption by city officials.
What is the public to think about who else lies to them? Who else is unlawfully less than transparent? Are the lies spread throughout the city? Is the Anaheim Police Department allowed to be less than truthful and honest?
It is evident that strategic and malicious rhetoric was written for the mayor and read by the mayor in order to continue to lie to the public with mixed rhetoric by blending two separate issues and referencing the Brown Act lawsuit court case and the findings of violation by the State of California Housing and Community Development.
Here is the truth. The court, will resolve, not dissolve, not forgive, not expunge, the Notice of Violation and require Anaheim to invest approximately $123 to construct new housing in the city with the following requirements:
Specifically, the City of Anaheim will be required to:
- Deposit approximately $96 million into a local housing trust fund for the sole purpose of financing new extremely low, very low, and low-income housing in the City of Anaheim over the next five years;
- Provide the Attorney General with periodic detailed reports tracing those funds to specific affordable housing development projects, until the funds are fully disbursed;
- Commit an additional $27 million in affordable housing credits to the Angels for the development of up to 466 affordable housing units on the Angel Stadium Property Site; and
- Allow the Angels to leverage the $27 million with development incentives and public financing to ensure the timely development of these units.
So I ask you….do these findings and requirements sound like the city of Anaheim was innocent and/or without fault, or not found in violation?….. Mayor Harry Sidhu does and he wants you to drink his cool aid and believe it too!
David Duran has been an Orange County resident since 1968. He volunteers for People’s Homeless Task Force Orange County (501c3), Secretary & Board Member, Housing is a Human Right OC, Co-Founder, and People’s Budget OC, Co-Founder
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