In a year full of idiotic boondoggles, the nominating committee had a real challenge coming up with the best, or worst, depending on your point of view. The committee considered size, because it matters, but also pure, unfiltered nonsense, too.
1. The Hall of Shame. County Clerk-Recorder paid a campaign supporter named Brett Barbre $48,000 to “study” an OC Sports Hall of Fame. Forget the fact that this has nothing to do with Daly’s job, or that Barbre was nothing other than a cash conduit. Just remember that the guy didn’t do anything. As Daly succinctly put it: Barbre was paid for ideas not long reports, and of course Daly got neither. Too bad it was our money. Oh, yeah -the media snoozed.
2. The Money Pit. Chalk up another one for Tom Daly. He talked the County Supervisors into sinking $2.1 million into a tear-down derelict building in Santa Ana to house his archives and his defunct Sports Hall of Fame (see above). The Board was lied to and crucial information about the true cost of making the building habitable was withheld. To this day collective amnesia reigns, especially with John Moorlach who ordered an investigation and later went along with the cover-up. Yep, the media snoozed.
3. The Megalopolis. Yet another plan for downtown Fullerton, Der Transporation Center Meisterplan anticipates the final destruction of any remaining authenticity in Fullerton and its replacement with every master planner’s wet-dream. Albert Speer would be proud. Fortunately it will never come to fruition. But millions will be wasted and lots of damage done trying. Be sure to thank Bankhead, Jones and Keller next time you see them.
4. Pringle’s Folly. High Speed Rail – LA to Anaheim. Not needed and not wanted except by Anaheim’s ex-Mayor-for-Hire and recent tongue bath recipient Kurt Pringle; Pringle was recently busted by the Attorney General for holding incompatible offices, and Jerry B. now knows what Orange County has known all along: Pringle is in it for Pringle. Big Time. FFFF has shared the record of foreign junkets, cover-ups, faked ridership numbers, etc., etc. I don’t even have the energy to do the links. I get tired just thinking about it.
The damage done by this monster to the fabric of the cities it would pass through and to the public purse is incalculable. But hey, Kurt’s gotta pay his bills, too, right?
Well there you have it, Friends. Four embarrassing boondoggles of varying shapes and sizes. Who will the selection committee go with? Stay tuned…