Response to Governor Schwarzenegger's decision to move forward with the sale of the OC Fairgrounds with Facility Management West.

CONTACT:  Brian Lochrie
Faubel Public Affairs
(949) 294-8269 (cell)                                                

State Bureaucracy Ignores Pleas of more than 50,000 OC Residents, Legislators and Cities by recommending sale of OC Fairgrounds.

The Department of General Services (DGS) recommends that sweetheart deal be given to Facilities Management West (FMW) to sell OC Fairgrounds for 25% of its value. 

COSTA MESA, CA (October 20, 2010) – Faceless bureaucrats in Sacramento’s Department of General Services (DGS) office ignored the direct impassioned plea of tens of thousands of residents and recommended that the Governor sell off the Orange County Fairgrounds for 25 cents on the dollar.  For the past year the Governor has been inundated with phone calls, letters and resolutions opposing the sale from thousands of residents as well as 26 Orange County cities and nearly every state legislator in Orange County – Republican and Democrat.  It remains to be seen if the Governor will listen to the people of Orange County – once considered his base of support.

Facilities Management West (FMW) hired Gary Hunt, the Governor’s campaign finance chair, to “assist” in their effort to wrest control of this valuable public asset away from the people of the State of California.  The Orange County Fairgrounds Preservation Society (OCFPS) says now is the time to ramp up the public pressure to stop the Governor from selling off the Fairgrounds at a deep discount in what may be political payback to one of his biggest fundraisers.

“The Governor is a lame duck, but should remain very concerned about his legacy,” said OCFPS President Sandy Genis.  “Orange County needs to shout in a loud unified voice, ’DON’T SELL OUR FAIRGROUNDS!’ ”

Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach (R) wrote to his constituents, “I just have concerns about the long-term viability of this arrangement.”  Costa Mesa Councilwoman Katrina Foley (D) is also opposed to the sale of the fairgrounds.  Foley said, “The whole point of this whole process was to hold the ground in public ownership.”

Tel Phil Enterprises, which operates the highly successful Orange County Market Place, submitted a letter of protest to DGS in September noting the biased nature of the RFP as well as its unconstitutionality.  The Orange County Fair Board has subsequently indicated that the state may not even be legally allowed to sell the fairgrounds.

 “Serious questions remain as to property title and constitutional issues, yet the Governor continues to push forward with the sale and thwart the will of the people. It thus seems increasingly likely the proposed sale would be wrapped up in litigation for years to come, further depleting state resources due to attorneys’ fees,” said Genis, noting that the City of Costa Mesa had already voted to send a legal protest to the State.

OCFPS urges all residents throughout the state to call the Governor’s office and tell him to reject the bids and stop the sale of the Orange County Fairgrounds.  You can reach the Governor by phone at 916-445-2841 or by fax at 916-558-3160.