Every election cycle, candidates for City Council talk about how much they support our local veterans. Yet seven long years after the City agreed to donate the ARDA site for a beautiful State-built and State-operated Veterans Memorial Park & Cemetery, construction still has not begun.

Since she ran for the Irvine City Council in 2018, now-Mayor Farrah Khan has insisted that she supports the proposed Veterans Memorial Park & Cemetery.  This past year, she has publicly and repeatedly endorsed the placement of the Veterans Cemetery on the 125-acre “ARDA” site at the Great Park.

However, since being elected Mayor, Khan has displayed no interest in moving forward with the project. 

The old political “bait-and-switch” seems to be alive and well in Irvine.  Say one thing to get yourself elected, and then do another thing after you’re elected.

Newly elected Mayor Farrah Khan and Councilmember Tammy Kim seem to be the latest practitioners of the bait-and-switch in our City.

The beginning of a new year offers a fresh start.  On the COVID-19 front, the challenge for 2021 will be getting life-saving vaccines into the arms of Irvine residents.  So far, Orange County and Irvine are off to a slow start.  But we look for City Council leadership in the weeks ahead to dramatically accelerate vaccinations in Irvine.

2021 promises to be the year that construction begins — by this Spring — for our long-promised Veterans Memorial Park & Cemetery on the originally-approved 125-acre “ARDA” site at the Great Park.

Building a beautiful Veterans Memorial Park & Cemetery on the ARDA site at the Great Park will not only serve to honor our veterans, but will also honor veterans’ families who have repeatedly expressed their desire to have their loved ones buried close to home.

Irvine Community News & Views will be watching the new Council to see if they are willing to work together to finally deliver on the City’s promise to our veterans and veterans’ families.

In the critically important “down-ballot” City election on November 3rd, Irvine Community News & Views (ICNV) recommends and endorses: Farrah Khan for Mayor, and Larry Agran, Tammy Kim, and Lauren Johnson-Norris for Irvine City Council.  (You have 3 votes for City Council.)

Here at Irvine Community News & Views (ICNV), we believe our mission is to both report the news in Irvine and to fearlessly take a stand regarding causes, candidates and elections important to the future of our City. 

And, make no mistake about it, the November 3rd Irvine City election is vital to the future of our City!