Quick Look: Developers Cherry-Picking Candidates in Lake Forest

Real estate developers are cherry-picking candidates in South Orange County to stack the deck for prospective projects. One example is in Lake Forest, where tens of thousands of dollars have poured through various political action committees to support former two-term councilman Mark Tettemer, who has a long history of rubber-stamping developments after such special interests funded his election.

Likewise, special interests have invested tens of thousands of dollars in unknown Neeki Moatazedi, a three-year resident whose civic resume is blank, but who is supported by developer-friendly councilmen Dwight Robinson and Scott Voigts.

At stake are nearly 125 acres of prime agricultural land off Bake Parkway that Toll Brothers needs rezoned to residential to build 800 homes even though city schools are officially designated overcrowded, Bake Parkway received in “F” rating from a county oversight agency for its throughput in 2012 when Tettemer was still in office, and about 1,500 previously approved homes (many by Tettemer) have yet to be built.

Toll Brothers contributed $68,500 to try to defeat the recall of Andrew Hamilton, the third member of the Robinson/Voigts Gang of 3. If Toll Brothers succeeds in electing Tettemer in District 4 or Neeki Moatazedi in District 2, the developer will reap the benefit of a deal worth in excess of $1 billion. Clearly, politics is big business, and handpicking favorable politicians is not a bad investment.

Tettemer is trying to remove Mayor Jim Gardner on the council, and Moatazedi is facing 40-year resident Sonny Morper.

Photo: Mark Tettemer via Facebook