Author: Franklin J. Lunding

Ed was born and raised in San Francisco. After earning his bachelor’s degree, in the early 1960s he served in the United States Army where he was assigned to the Seventh U.S. Army in Germany during construction of the Berlin Wall and the Cuban Missile crisis.

Without a vote of the people, Irvine ratepayers were automatically enrolled in OCPA’s most expensive plan, forced to pay significantly higher monthly electricity rates than we paid to Southern California Edison. And, Irvine taxpayers had to pay an extra $70,000 every month just to keep the lights on and the air conditioning running at City Hall and other City facilities.

So what did Irvine ratepayers and taxpayers get for the higher monthly rate they paid to OCPA? Nothing! OCPA never provided anyone in Irvine with greener electricity, and the agency hasn’t launched a single green program in our city.

When Kathleen Treseder was running for Council in 2022, she filled out the ICNV endorsement questionnaire, stating: “I support a Veterans Memorial Park and Cemetery at the ARDA site.” But, when she had the chance to follow-through on that campaign promise, she voted NO!

During the City’s Memorial Day ceremony, Vice Mayor Mai told a number of people he would be voting in support of the Veterans Cemetery. But, the next day, Mai voted NO, saying: “I feel bad for the promises that were made to people, but this was 20 years ago.” Apparently, Mai’s perspective changes from one day to the next (literally) and he believes that the City’s promises have a shelf life.

When the air station was decommissioned and the land was transferred to the City to build the Great Park, a promise was made to preserve Irvine’s rich military history. In 2014, now-Mayor Larry Agran won unanimous support from his colleagues on the Irvine City Council to transform a small portion of the former military base — the 125-acre “ARDA” site on the northern edge of the park — into a Veterans Memorial Park & Cemetery.

After 11 years of fights with developers, the City may finally deliver on its promise.