In the previous two articles we took a look at the recent record of honesty for City Councilwoman McCullough who is up for re-election this year. The purpose of these articles is not to embarrass Mrs. McCullough but rather to put before the people the veracity of her claims. If her multiple deviations from the truth are not due to characterological defects and merely to a failing memory or a propensity to open her mouth before putting her brain in gear, it’s still an issue for concerned citizens. Members of the City Council have control over our lives. It’s our right, indeed our duty, to carefully scrutinize their behavior.
Let’s summarize McCullough’s record, bearing in mind this is a sample and not an exhaustive list.
McCullough claimed she never accepted money from “vested interests” when in fact she accepted more than $10,000 from companies/people who came before the Council requesting contracts, ordinances, or some type of favor, which she voted for.
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McCullough claimed she never spent more than $27,000 on campaign expenses in her entire career, when in fact we could trace at least $30,000 in expenses and there is probably more that can’t be traced due to poor bookkeeping.
McCullough claimed she only accepted money from her family and “little friends”, when in fact it was not uncommon for her to accept $1,000 or more from businesses.
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McCullough claimed that all the information people needed to assess the ethical conduct of City Council members was contained in the FPPC forms on file with the City Clerk, when in fact, using the FPPC forms alone is practically meaningless.
McCullough claimed Lake Forest is “one of the safest cities in the U.S.” when in fact we are not even one of the safest cities in South Orange County.
McCullough claimed Lake Forest received “flying colors” on a report from the Grand Jury, when in fact the City received poor scores and came in 9th out of 11 cities in South Orange County.
Are these merely the addled mis-remembrances of a long time public official, or the pernicious lies of a self-serving politician? Are there no real consequences to these statements? Let’s look a little more closely. McCullough is the champion of doing nothing. It’s one of the reasons our City has such few amenities compared to every other City like ours. So when she says that there’s no need to worry about website transparency because the Grand Jury thinks we’re terrific, or no need to look more closely at Police services because we are “one of the best in the U.S.”, these statements are not merely untrue, but intended to continue her policy of doing nothing, and the cumulative consequences for us as citizens are no senior center, no civic center, no local animal shelter, no synchronized lights, no dog park, etc. When she talks about her “little friends” and assures everyone that everything they are looking for can be found in the Clerk’s office, and tells us not to worry because the City has a code of ethics with teeth, all of this subterfuge allows her to gather thousands of dollars from vested interests and keep herself in power where she can continue her “do nothing” votes. From my analysis, these are not random mistakes made in the course of the day, but specific distortions of the truth shaped to promulgate her own agenda.
To my mind this is not an enviable record. Mrs. McCullough has shown not merely a propensity for stretching the truth beyond recognition, she’s shown an annoying habit of denying her actions after being confronted with the evidence. She’s earned her place as the second resident in Lake Forest’s “House of Lies”.
EPILOG
Right now you’re wonder who is the “Biggest Liar”? Voigts or McCullough? But let’s not jump the gun. The “House of Lies” isn’t ready to put up a “no vacancy” sign, so let’s not give out any medals yet.
MORE DEVELOPMENT
The focus on the misdeeds of our public officials can get a little depressing, so we're going to open up a new development in Lake Forest where we can praise people who are doing a good job. We'll call it "The House on the Hill" to contrast it from the "House of Lies" and the "House of Ill Repute". Please use the comment section to highlight positive actions by our public officials or you can e-mail me at DrJGardner@gmail.com
