Who Really Controls Murrieta’s Development?

By Ed Faunce (posted by request)

Now that the Recall Election dust has settled and the campaign contribution statements have been filed, it is informative to see who and what really financed the recall election.

In one corner of the recall ring was Rescue Murrieta (RM), a grassroots Murrieta City residents’ organization. In the other corner was the Southwest County Taxpayers for Responsible Government (SWCTRG). At first glance, it might appear that this was a recall contest between two groups of citizens with differing views regarding Murrieta's development.

The recall petitions and election occurred during 2004 and 2005. RM charged that the City Council was run by a voting block consisting of van Haaster, Seyarto and McAllister. That voting block seemed always to side with business and developer interests over that of ordinary Murrieta residents. When the voting block tried to cover for van Haaster's secret meetings with
the Planning Commissioners to ram through a multi-million dollar day-care center, the recall movement exploded.

Rescue Murrieta's recall contribution statements showed that it raised $12,412 all of it from local Murrieta residents.

The SWCTRG reported total contributions of $593,585 from 180 separate persons and business entities.

But who are these Southwest Riverside County taxpayers who were $600,000 concerned about insuring responsible government for the City of Murrieta? As it turns out, SWCTRG is not a "Taxpayers" group, in the traditional sense of the word, nor is it a Southwest Riverside County group, much less a Murrieta City group.

On close inspection, it is revealed that the recall was actually a contest between Murrieta residents and a cabal of powerful business interests mostly from outside of Riverside County. The money contribution numbers tell the story.



A. How many SWCTRG contributors were individual Murrieta City residents?

Only eleven, who gave $2,400. But even then, it is clear that these individual contributors were actually representing their business interests.
Those individuals are:
Delzompo, Francis A.
Diago, Jodi (Real Estate Rancon)
Johnson, O. (Realtor Westmar)
Newman, David A., MD
O'Donnell, Michael (Rancon Real Estate)
Piper-Mutz, Mary (Real Estate Lee & Associates)
Powers, Sheila M. (Planning Consultant)
Rose, Patrick (Loan Officer Preferred Lenders)
Shoemaker, Sheri L. (Real Estate Lee & Associates)
Sparkman, Joan F. (VP Temecula Valley Bank)
Wikert, Karen C., (Bank Representative Arrowhead Credit Union)
Unlike SWCTRG, RM was supported by hundreds of individual Murrietans. In truth, the only money raised from residents in the recall was that raised by RM.

B. How many SWCTRG contributors were Murrieta City Businesses?

Fifteen, reporting contributions of $50,870, of which those associated with Dan Stephenson (Rancon) gave $37,500.
They are:
Stephenson, Dan (Rancon Realty)
AA Photography
Bob and Gary's field Fresh Berries
Craig Advertising specialties
Doyle, Robert G. (Riverside Co. Sheriff)
Jefferson 38 LLC (Rawlings)
McKinnon Family Trust
NUEVO DRK 370 LLC (Dan Stephenson)
O'Donnell, Donna J. (Rancon Real Estate)
Southwest Realty
Temecula Vineyard Estates, LLC (Dan Stephenson)
Transportable Case Supply Center
Village Walk, L.P. (Dan Stepheson)
Villiage Walk, LLC (Dan Stepheson)
Wood Realty Group, Inc.

C. Where did the remaining, over $500,000 non-Murrieta contributions, originate?

Riverside County - Outside of Murrieta - contributions were $209,565. (Temecula businesses gave $86,534) Orange County contributions were $176,550. San Diego County contributions were $80,600. Los Angeles County contributions were $50,300, out of State contributions were $16,250.

Irvine, Dionne R. (Ashland, Oregon) $5,000
Oak Valley Partners, LP (Dallas, Texas) $2,000
D. R. Horton, Inc. (Fort Worth, Texas) $5,000
Sunland Development Co., Inc (Henderson, Nevada) $4,250
San Bernardino County contributions were $2,700.
Sacramento County contributions were $1,000.
Alameda County contributions were $250

All of this non-Murrieta money came from businesses with an interest in the unfettered development of Murrieta land. Clearly, they had no interest in “responsible” Murrieta City Government.

D. These dollar figures allow the following observations:

1. The political group entitled "Southwest County Taxpayers for Responsible Government" is NOT a southwest Riverside County group. Nor is it a Taxpayors’ group equivalent to ordinary residents. Its primary goal is to secure a favorable business environment rather than responsible local government. In short, the SWCTRG name is a cynical attempt to mislead ordinary citizens and, as such, is a lie.

2. The business community identified van Haaster, Seyarto and McAllister as essential to their continued business interests.

3. Seyarto and McAllister owe their continued presence on the City Council to the business interests which funded the opposition to their recalls.

4. All of Seyarto and McAllister's City Council statements and votes since the recall election must be examined carefully to see whether they represent "pay back" to the business community.

5. If Murrieta City residents want a City Council that represents residents, then, at the next election, they should remove any
council member supported by SWCTRG and should be very skeptical of any person running for the Council supported by the Murrieta Chamber of Commerce.

E. A personal observation.
I would say that the Murrieta City Chamber of Commerce needs to re-invent itself. In my opinion, the existing Chamber has behaved shamefully. Of course, the fact that the Chamber is dominated by the Dan Stephenson business interests, along with many Temecula businesses, explains why the Chamber joined the political opposition to the recall. Is this really the proper role of a Chamber of Commerce? I think not.

The Chamber, following the retention of Seyarto and McAllister, voted Dan Stephenson as "Citizen of the Year." That is simply a finger-in-the-eye to the thousands of City residents who worked for the recall.

The Chamber’s“Citizen of the Year” vote proves that it joins in the lie that the recall opposition was ordinary taxpayers from this Riverside County area. In effect, the Chamber lied to Murrietans as well. That's why I believe that any future Council candidates, who are either members of the Chamber or supported by the Chamber, must be carefully screened before any
resident votes to add such individual to our City Council.

A postscript.
For those who are interested, here are the SWCTRG contributors from outside Murrieta:

Orange County:
Frost, Sean (Pres. Frost Communities)
Cohen, Alan H.
Lennar Homes
Alexander Communities, Inc.
Elsinore Home, Inc.
Silverhawk Land and Acquisitions, LLC
Pacific Soils Engineering, Inc.
Helgar, Larry, W. (Pulte Homes)
Civic Partners Inc.
Granite Homes, Inc. ($5K)
Including Granite Equities LLC ($2K)
Hall & Foreman, Inc
Hunsaker & Associates
MDS Consulting
Meritage Homes
RBF Consulting
Springbrook Investments, LP
SSC/Murrieta Valley, LLC
The Makena Great American Vermont Company, LLC
TSG Cherry Valley, LP
TSG Little Valley, LP
Wasson Canyon Investments, LP
White Rock Aquistion Co., LP
Stonegate Development I, LLC
Brown, Ian H. (Real Estate Grubb & Ellis)
Home Center Murrieta, LLC
Wynfield LLC
Cameo Homes
Fieldstone Communities Inc.
Frye Family Partnership
Laing/Sequoia Partners, LLC
Murrieta 144 LP
Murrieta 180, LP
Murrieta 492, LLC
Murrieta Brook LLC
Murrieta Village Walk, LP
Sheldon Group
Mesa Contracting Company
Woodside Home of California, Inc.
NAIOP PAC
Kadakia, Rajesh J., MD
The Batavia Land Company
Emerson, Ralph E. (Real Estate Developer
J.P. Rhoades Development
JL Hare Associates, Inc.
T&B Planning Consultants
Davis, Allan L. (Real Estate Developer)
Retail Development Advisors

San Diego County:
Votapka, Gary M. (CEO Mission Oaks Bank)
Engel, Richard C., M.D.
Williams, Thomas G. (Williams Investments)
Baratt American Incorporated
Benchmark Pacific Management, Inc.
BREHM Communities
Carltas Development co.
D. R. Horton
GMS Realty, LLc
NORCO II, LLC
Brookfield California Land Holdings, LLC
Avis, Douglas M.
Meadow Vista Holdings LLC
Sierra Linda Development, LLC
Crisell Commercial Advisors, Inc.
Lopardo, Stephen V. (attorney)
McMillin Mangement Services, LP
Lotzof, P., MD, Inc
Alhadeff & Solar, LLP
Cornerstone Communities Corporation
KB Home Coastal, Inc.
Ross, Dixon & Bell, LLP
Starck Architecture & Planning
Stonewood, Inc.
Temecula Creek Inn (DL)
Whitaker Facilities Corp.
William Lyon Homes, Inc.
Lynch, Gilbert G. (Construction K.I.P. Inc.)

Los Angeles County:
Womble, Albert B. (The Womble Group)
Buchalter, Barton L.
Crescent heights Development, LP
B.I.A. of Southern California Political Action Committee
Western Pacific Housing
Global Investment & Development, LLC
Marquis Property Company, LTD
Triple M Development

San Bernardino County:
Landmark Fence Co., Inc.
Tanamera Residential, LLC
Sacramento County:
Apartment Association Greater Inland Empire
California Business Properties Association Issues PAC
Alameda County:
Murrieta Medical Company, LLC

And here are the Riverside County contributors outside of Murrieta:
AJR Investment LLC
All American Asphalt All American Aggregates
American Contracting, Inc.
Austin, Nancy (Real Estate Grubb & Ellis)
Calloway 220 LLC
Capitol Pacific Homes, Inc.
CDM Group, Inc.
Chicago title Company
Clinton Keith Real Estate Partners, LLC
Committee to Elect Greg Morrison
D.L. Phares & Associates
Domenigoni-Barton Properties
Edwards, Maryann P. (Temecula City Council)
Entrepreneurial Properties Corporation
Fairway Landscape & Irrigation, Inc.
First American Title Company
Francis Domenigoni Trust
Giese, Richard J. (Supt. Mt. S.J. College)
Grasberger, Jeffrey W.
Green, William L. (Engineer RMF Associates)
Hall & Bailey
Hancock Properties, LLC
HK&A Harley Knox and Associates, Inc.
JAFCO Accounting & Administration
Johson, John J. (VP Rancon Group)
Jones, Kelli M. (Realtor Dendy Real Estate)
Kuebler, Joseph J. (Kuebler, Prudhomme & Co.)
Larson, Robert L.
Lytle Team Real Estate
Markham Development Management Group, Inc. (Larry Markham)
MLA Partners C/O Westmar Property Mgmt, Inc.
Moramarco, Sr., John A.
Morrison, Michelle s.
Murrieta Spectrum, LP
Murrieta Village Partners, LLC
Oak Grove Equities
O'Neal, Paul L.
O'Reilly Public Relations
Pacific Century Home, Inc.
Perea, Ernest (Pres. EPC Land Consultants)
Prudhomme, Gregory J. (Owner Kuebler, Prudhomme & Co.)
Rancon Opportunity Fund, LLC (Dan Stephenson)
Riverside County Region Building Industry Association
Rodriguez, Adriana (Transaction coordinator Park Place GMAC)
RSD, LLC
Santa Rosa Developers Limited
Schierberl, Michelle D. (Real Estate Grubb & Ellis)
SHEA Homes Inland Empire Div.
Standard Pacific of Inland Empire
Stone-Rubin, Laurene
Swenson Advisors, LLP
The Garrett Group, Inc.
Thompson, David (Pool Design and Construction)
Trans-Pacific Consultants
Westmar Commercial Brokerage, Inc.
Yoo, Insook (Trans-Pacific Consultants)
Yoo,Won S. (Trans-Pacific Consultants)
Ziemer, Roger C.

The Great American Debate

Scanning through the plethora of posts by RHolmgren and Jeff, I have realized that both of their fundamental positions, being very similar to fundamentalist positions elsewhere on the globe, have every appearance of being irreconcilable. However, having read through these sometimes heated exchanges, certain common threads have emerged that I won't mention in this post.

That said, what I have seen in these exchanges, sometimes abusive, sometimes profound, are two very different viewpoints regarding the same set of criterion, i.e., who is responsible for the apparently sorry state of the U.S., the liberals, or the conservatives, the democratic party philosophy, or the republican?

I believe this question to be important, and I would like to see a debate between these two titans of polarity.

I feel such a debate could possibly do two things:

1. It could define the fundamental differences between the conservative thought process and the liberal thought process. (Is it different than the media representation, or as has been indicated elsewhere on this blog, are these polarized positions an actual result of social engineering by the media?)

2. Through focused debate, these two polar opposites might come to realize certain common grounds and hence to open up a meaningful dialog, devoid of personal attacks and sound-bite rhetoric?

I invite these two contestants to pull out all the stops, and tackle this issue head on. I, for one, am very interested in the outcome, whatever it may be.

Appeals of Planning Commission decisions.

An article by L. Mitchell on the front page of the Californian today, "Murrieta Appeals Process Challenged" (12 Nov), has got me a little concerned. Apparently, Seyarto and McAllister are trying to make it so that council members are required to pay a fee when appealing a Planning Commission decision. They (or their real employers) are upset that some council members are willing to do this on behalf of Murrieta citizens in order to spare them from paying the $885 fee required for a private party to file an appeal.

Seyarto and McAllister's power base has always depended on hard cash to forward their objectives, and this is clearly a case where the council is attempting to insulate themselves from public oversight through economic segregation.

And with regards to the Planning Commission, if they are looking at all facets of the impact of their decisions, they would likely not experience the high amount of appeals they have had to address, and because they can't seem to do their job right is no reason to try and pin responsibility for it on the council.

This right for the city council to appeal possibly flawed Planning Commission actions without being charged should not be changed. I think that our duly elected councilmembers, including Mayor Enochs, are competent to decide whether to investigate the choices made by the (unelected) Planning Commission, and that this attempt to remove a check on the already underregulated development process in Murrieta is the latest volley in an ongoing war between the City of Murrieta, and the citizens of Murrieta.

So the question I ask is, who's working for who here?