OCFPS | Orange County Fair Preservation Society

Orange County Fairgrounds Preservation Society
on Vigilant Watch for Last Minute Trickery Regarding Sale of the OC Fairgrounds

“There is NO SAFE SALE” – Sandy Genis, OCFPS President

COSTA MESA, CA (September 14, 2010) – Assemblymen Jose Solorio (D) and Van Tran (R) are on different sides of the aisle in Sacramento, but both legislators publicly agreed that the sale of the Orange County Fairgrounds is a bad idea.  In a statement, Assemblyman Solorio said, “I am now recommending to the Governor that he drop the sale altogether.”  Assemblyman Tran concurs saying, “I’m concerned with the entire package right now, frankly.” 

A broad cross-section of community leaders at the city, county and state level are vocally opposed to the sale of the fairgrounds.  Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach wrote to his constituents, “I just have concerns about the long-term viability of this arrangement.”  Costa Mesa Councilwoman Katrina Foley is opposed to the sale of the fairgrounds.  Foley said, “The whole point of this whole process was to hold the ground in public ownership. It [the deal] is a private property-owner model, it’s not a public property model.”

Still, Facilities Management West (FMW) has no plans to quietly fade away.  FMW has hired Gary Hunt, the Governor’s campaign finance chair, to be their hammer in Sacramento in an effort to obtain this valuable public asset by any means necessary. 

Remember, a year ago the OC Fair Board was able to slip a “rider” onto the state budget bill during the wee hours of the morning that started this whole fairgrounds sale fiasco rolling.  One year later, the FMW team might try to capitalize on the chaos in the same way.

“In the hours and minutes before the deadline to pass new laws, there is a flurry of activity that does not allow for bills to be scrutinized or vetted by the media or the public,” said Sandy Genis, President of the Orange County Fairgrounds Preservation Society.  “Lobbyists use this flood of legislation, tight timeframe and exhausted legislators to their advantage in an effort to jam through bad or unpopular legislation.  This year, however, with the awareness of our Orange County delegation we believe we can stop the lobbyists from selling off our fairgrounds in the dark of night.  Unlike the budget situation and other issues in Sacramento, this isn’t an issue of right vs. left, it’s an issue of right vs. wrong.”
 
Even if the Orange County delegation are able to vigilantly protect Orange County against the sale of the fairgrounds, the Governor has promised to put the fairgrounds up for sale on a quick and dirty 27-day escrow beginning September 30.  Even an escrow on a one-bedroom condo would take longer to close. This calculated scheme is clearly the work of FMW and its Sacramento advocates to ensure there is only one serious bidder for the property. 

“It’s time for Sacramento to stop playing politics with our fairgrounds and simply take this valuable public asset off the market for good,” said Genis.