A Palm Springs Day of Shame?
Palm Springs, California. Will future Palm Springs residents recall Thursday, January 26, 2012, in their city as a Day of Shame and one associated with a time of political corruption?
On November 8th, 2011 Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet, City Manager David Ready and developer John Wessman celebrated the victory of their Measure J campaign to hike the local sales tax rate and hand over millions of dollars to Mr. Wessman. That campaign, born of greed and self-interest, proved that vast amounts of money can buy an election. More than $250 thousand was spent on a propaganda smokescreen of unenforceable promises, half-truths, fake statistics and demonstrations that included massive amounts of television, radio, newspaper, billboards and other signs, along with email and direct mail advertising, all designed to bury the truth and convince voters that a meaningless term, "Downtown Revitalization", would somehow result from their support of the new tax. "Downtown Revitalization" is an undefined concept, without a time line, that fitted neatly into a propaganda campaign that saw more than $40 spent for each of the votes it received. In winning that election, Mssrs Pougnet, Wessman and Ready definitely had reason to celebrate, for they too proved "you can fool ... some of the people all of the time..."
The City Council has since authorized expenditure of $500 thousand from the General Fund to allow developer John Wessman to immediately begin demolition work on his Desert Fashion Plaza property. A well-funded propaganda campaign has been mounted seeking community support for the start of the demolition work on Thursday, January 26th. According to a City press release the following will be part of the spectacle.
- "A champagne toast and free block party celebration sponsored by Wessman Development, featuring finger foods from LULU California Bistro, Kaiser Grille, Matchbox, Las Casuelas Terraza and dessert donated by local realtor Brady Sandahl is slated for about 2 p.m. in the parking lot behind the old Bank of America."
When city officials join with affluent interests who pool their funds to buy an election intended for their benefit, does that qualify as political corruption? When city officials offer champagne toasts to celebrate their successful fleecing of the taxpaying community, does that not represent a Day of Shame? And is the undefined "Downtown Revitalization" phrase little different than the search for the proverbial "Fountain of Youth"? It is probably too early for these and similar questions to find definitive answers. It may require the passage of considerable time before full realization becomes apparent and voters learn the extent of how they were fooled into voting gifts of public funds for the sole benefit of private interests.
Thursday's demolition party spectacle should remind us that money buys elections and Measure J proved that to be true. The sight of the elections' beneficiaries orchestrating community champagne toasts memorializing their success should be remembered as a Day of Shame. And each time those beneficiaries of taxpayer funds take additional victory laps, such events should also be remembered as Days of Shame.
Bond Shands
Palm Springs
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Posted by Desert Observer at 1/25/2012 10:54 AM 
Categories: Opinion, Politics, City Council, Desert Fashion Plaza
Tags: Desert Fashion Plaza Palm Springs City Council Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet John Wessman David Ready
Categories: Opinion, Politics, City Council, Desert Fashion Plaza
Tags: Desert Fashion Plaza Palm Springs City Council Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet John Wessman David Ready
Bitter! Party of one.
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During last week's Palm Springs city council session Mayor Steve Pougnet singled me out by name for public criticism (during a time when public response is not permitted). He concluded by saying I would probably post a blog "but that's okay".
So, not only did the Mayor signal his approval of my blogging but it might well be concluded that he was offering me encouragement. I hope this most recent blog adequately addresses his expectations.
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Bond, maybe most people really liked Measure J and have faith in the process?
That is the simple explanation.
The shame is that if there really was something sinister behind Measure J you were very passive and lazy in fighting it. You only did what was simple and threw up your hands.
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Wessman handed out $95,000 to get it passed while passing on making repairs for tenants in a building that had mold and many serious problems while Wessman's friend restaurateur Harold Matzner, who is chairman of the Palm Springs International Film Festival, gave $52,000 to the pro-Measure J effort. Why is Wessman allowed to donate to his own cause? Isn't that conflict of interest? Why is a city allowed to accept donations like that? It's THE VERY DEFINITION of conflict of interest! I suggest "MEASURE K" on the next ballot which will make such conflicts completely illegal and provide jail time to those who break the law. City council has recused themselves on things that "could" be a conflict on the smallest of matters that are only possible conflicts yet we have a developer spending money he's supposed to not have, not on desperately needed repairs on his building for his prior tenants of late, rather, spending it on getting tax hikes slammed on the public because THAT'S where the big return on investment is at, that's wrong. I went to those meetings last year and became sickened by it all after realizing that the whole thing was a big show. It all looked so good at first, but then it sank in. Wessman appeared all slicked DOWN looking like a poor old man was bull crap, one of many ways used to deceive the public. That man's filthy rich and put on the show of "oh poor me" and "poor Palm Springs". Granted it will be an improvement to raze that building, and is long overdue, but I agree with Bond that the whole thing stinks and is really way beyond a shameful of greed and manipulation that would have in the short and longer terms been much better had they used a different approach, even if it took just a few more years to accomplish. The 13% hike in sales taxes is hardly a blip for these rich dudes who donated, and will get at least ten fold back for their investment, but for the many retired residents that are not so wealthy it really makes a dent in their ability to spend. Each new purchase and that next new car is going to suck 13% more in taxes and hand it to these guys for the next 25 years or in Wessman's case, right now. For most residents of Palm Springs that take of their money towards rebuilding that dinosaur downtown actually could do the exact reverse of what is intended. It can mean they will not be going to downtown Palm Springs those extra few times every year for a nice dinner out at those fine restaurants! Think about that. Think about that long and hard and see who's bitter after a few years when all the hype dies down and downtown stalls out. If someone has a way to explain how that 13% taken from residents is going to help them have MORE MONEY to visit downtown MORE please let us know! We all know Wessman will have it as well as Matzner but how much will the spending of these guys having dinners out downtown actually make for revitalization? I mean really, who wants to go downtown to see these guys lavishly eat our tax dollars?
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