Publisher's Perspective - Irvine Community News and Views

Looking Back on 2025, Looking Ahead to 2026

For most of us, the beginning of the year brings a renewed sense of hope and optimism.

As I reflect on all that was accomplished in 2025, I am hopeful that the new year will bring even more good things to our Irvine community.

During his State of the City address early last year, Mayor Larry Agran proposed ambitious plans to make Irvine the Safest, Smartest, Greenest, Healthiest, and Kindest city in America.

While lofty goals are often expressed by elected leaders, the City was able to establish a number of new and expanded programs last year to implement the Mayor’s stated agenda.

Publisher’s Perspective: Four Irvine Councilmembers Betray Veterans … Again!

I wrote an article in May regarding four Irvine City Councilmembers — William Go, James Mai, Melinda Liu, and Kathleen Treseder — who voted to break a promise that the City of Irvine made 11 years ago to veterans and their families to build a Veterans Memorial Park & Cemetery on the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station at the Great Park.

That has become the most-read article Irvine Community News & Views has ever published, with more than 75,000 residents having read the article and 1,293 Irvine residents (so far) sharing it on their own social media platforms.

On December 9th, City staff proposed a compromise, suggesting the City build a beautifully sculpted “columbarium” structure within a Wall of Honor & Remembrance as part of the Veterans Memorial Park & Gardens. But once again Councilmembers Go, Mai, Liu, and Treseder voted NO!

Happy New Year to Our Readers

As we head into the new year, we want to thank our readers for your continued support.

Over the past ten years, our community newspaper has become a trusted source of information. Thousands of Irvine residents read our twice-weekly email messages and more than 70,000 follow us on social media.

We also want to express our gratitude to our readers for your input. Every week, Irvine Community News & Views (ICNV) receives messages from residents asking us to investigate stories that impact our City or to spotlight an event taking place in town.

Our goal for 2026 here at ICNV is to continue to inform our readers regarding policies coming out of City Hall while also spotlighting events and human interest stories from within our wonderful Irvine community.

Happy Holidays from Irvine Community News & Views

Here at Irvine Community News & Views, we want to take this opportunity to thank our readers who rely on our publication to stay informed about the latest news and events happening here in Irvine.

To allow our staff to enjoy quality time with their families, we will not be releasing our usual twice-weekly email newsletters over the holidays.

In the menatime, be sure to check out Joel Smith’s article, Things to Do in Irvine Over the Holidays.

Our twice-weekly email schedule will resume on January 4th.

Happy Holidays to all of our Irvine neighbors!

Publisher’s Perspective: OCPA Continues to Break Its Promises

Three years ago, the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) became our City’s electricity provider — promising Irvine customers greener electricity at lower monthly rates. OCPA also promised to create green programs to boost our local economy. None of those promises have been kept!

Broken Promise #1: Greener Electricity

During the November 12th Irvine City Council meeting, it was revealed that OCPA has been purchasing dirtier energy than SCE for two of the agency’s three energy tiers — including the “Basic Choice” tier in which Irvine ratepayers are enrolled.

Broken Promise #2: Lower Monthly Rates

For two years, OCPA charged Irvine customers the highest monthly electricity rates in all of Orange County!

Broken Promise #3: Green Programs

OCPA’s promise to boost the local economy through the establishment of green programs (and green jobs) never materialized.

City Councilmember Tammy Kim Leads 3-to-2 Vote Directing Council to Ignore Hate Incidents in Our Local Irvine Schools

There are a variety of reasons why families plant roots here in Irvine. We have won countless...

Has the Mayor Become a Problem for Democrats?

Although City Council elections here in Irvine are nonpartisan by law, Mayor Farrah Khan runs her campaigns as a partisan Democrat.

However, it appears that Khan is facing increasing opposition from local Democrats. In fact, just last month the local Democratic club in Irvine overwhelmingly voted not to provide an early endorsement for her November Mayoral re-election campaign. (Khan received less than 25% support from Democratic club members in Irvine.)

Before the vote was taken, Irvine Democratic activists — who had campaigned, donated and voted for Khan in 2020 — rattled off a number of instances where the Mayor had defied the Democratic Party’s core values.

Khan also appointed a notorious Armenian Genocide denier to her Mayor’s Advisory Council. And, she was caught on video telling members of the Turkish community that she stood with them “no matter what,” and then went on to participate in a joke about making Armenians “disappear.”

Khan and Kuo Team-Up for the 2022 City Council Election

Last December, Mayor Farrah Khan appointed Anthony Kuo to be her Vice Mayor. That appointment signaled the beginning of the 2022 City election campaign — with Khan and Kuo now running together for re-election to the Irvine City Council.

Since Kuo’s appointment as Vice Mayor, he and Khan have begun hosting joint meetings, posting selfies on social media together, and making sure that Irvine voters see them as a “team.”

Khan orchestrated the same political maneuver back in 2020 when she voted to appoint Mike Carroll as Vice Mayor. In the run-up to that election, Khan and Carroll appeared at numerous events together and were sold as a team to voters in campaign TV ads and mailings worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Khan’s new political partnership with Kuo may look good on social media but it can’t mask the fact that they stand together — against the people — on a number of key issues of concern to Irvine voters.

The City of Irvine and Its Residents Need an Immediate Audit of the Orange County Power Authority

The City of Irvine has advanced $7.7 million to OCPA with no oversight as to how, and how wisely, those taxpayer dollars are being spent.

Turmoil Engulfs Embattled Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan

As publisher of Irvine Community News & Views, from time to time I feel the need to weigh-in personally on important community matters.

Recently, the Voice of OC and Irvine Watchdog have reported on a disturbing 2020 video that has surfaced showing Mayor Farrah Khan attending an event with members of the Turkish community.

In the video, Mayor Khan is seen joking with Ergun Kirlikovali — a notorious Armenian Genocide denier — about making Armenians “disappear.”

Not only did Khan joke with Kirlikovali about making Armenians disappear, the video shows her telling the group that she stands with the Turkish community “no matter what.”

Khan then appointed Kirlikovali to her newly-formed Mayor’s Advisory Council and has been seen at a number of events with Kirlikovali by her side.

First 100 Days in 2022: Issues that Will Impact Irvine Residents

In addition to dealing with the latest surge in COVID cases, there are three important issues that the Irvine City Council should address in the first 100 days of 2022: All American Asphalt Plant, the Veterans Memorial Park, and the Orange County Power Authority.

Five-Part Series: Irvine Through the Decades — The Beginning of Our Planned Community in the 1970s

On December 28th, Irvine will commemorate its 50th anniversary! To mark the occasion, I sat down with two of our City’s longtime leaders — Mary Ann Gaido, former Councilmember and current Planning Commissioner and Larry Agran, former Mayor and current Councilmember to discuss highlights from the past five decades.

Both Gaido and Agran were integral in crafting and implementing policies that have made Irvine one of the greenest cities in the nation.

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Category: Publisher’s Perspective

Looking Back on 2025, Looking Ahead to 2026

Publisher’s Perspective: Four Irvine Councilmembers Betray Veterans … Again!

Happy New Year to Our Readers

Happy Holidays from Irvine Community News & Views

Publisher’s Perspective: OCPA Continues to Break Its Promises

City Councilmember Tammy Kim Leads 3-to-2 Vote Directing Council to Ignore Hate Incidents in Our Local Irvine Schools

Has the Mayor Become a Problem for Democrats?

Khan and Kuo Team-Up for the 2022 City Council Election

The City of Irvine and Its Residents Need an Immediate Audit of the Orange County Power Authority

Turmoil Engulfs Embattled Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan

First 100 Days in 2022: Issues that Will Impact Irvine Residents

Five-Part Series: Irvine Through the Decades — The Beginning of Our Planned Community in the 1970s

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