What Does Adam Nick Want for His Money?

Adam Nick is not on the Lake Forest City Council, but he loves the city he served as a councilman from 2012-16. He supports the recall of Andrew Hamilton in the special election scheduled for Jan. 2, 2018. Because Nick has been the vendor to the recall committee, he has been made out as a scapegoat by anti-recall forces who are unable to successfully defend Hamilton's record in office and want to paint Nick's financial risk as proof that he wants to gain control of the council.

Nick has been painted as the "special interest" that will benefit from the recall; financially, that's not true. If the recall fails, Nick will make many thousands of dollars by owning a gas station near the proposed site of 800-plus homes on the Nakase Brothers Nursery property. However, if the developer Toll Brothers has its way, its return on investment (ROI) for opposing the recall will be Hamilton's vote of approval for those 800 homes; Toll Brothers will make millions of dollars and then disappear to its next project in its next town and its next big campaign contribution to ensure it's approved by the local government. The only "special interests" who will win financially in this special election are backing the opposition to the recall.

What does Adam Nick want for his money, what is his ROI? He wants a government that:

• Is open and transparent.
• Is empathetic and responds to resident needs quickly.
• Protect its youngest residents and the education they receive from a school district that has practically no relationship with the City.
• Gives emergency services every resource it needs to protect residents and businesses.
• Makes decisions that improve the quality of life of residents rather than councilmen's political careers.
• Doesn't conduct backroom deals favoring one business over another; an even playing field.
• Is comprised of independent thinkers.
• Is absent cronyism, collusion and corruption.
• Isn't beholden to special interests, including political.
• Is efficient, both in work and cost.
• Recognizes ways to save money; treats taxpayer funds as if it came from their own pocket.
• Is solution-oriented for issues such as traffic.
• Controls growth responsibly.
• Sees a bigger picture rather than one focused on the here and now.
• Has real term limits (two four-year terms).
• Can be believed when it says something, and can be believed in when it does something.
• Is of the people, for the people and by the people.

This is the payback Nick wants for the cost of putting his money where his mouth is. If you don't believe me, call him at 949-812-0920; he usually picks up.

Nick brought many of these concepts before the City Council when he was in office, but in most cases, was not supported by a council that instead wanted to protect its own best interests (e.g., Nick wanted two 4-year terms as a term limit but the council majority instead passed a term limit of three 4-year terms not exceeding 24 in a 26-year span – a joke!). You can see Nick's voting record here.

DUMB LOGIC

Clearly, the ROI that's the subject of this article by candidate Frank Wagoner/Jake Walsh is groundless. Let's spell this out so that even Wagoner can understand it: If the recall fails, Adam Nick stands to make thousands and thousands of dollars month after month, year after year, by having a gas station two blocks from where 800-plus homes will be built on the Nakase Brothers Nursery property. By supporting the recall, Nick is working against his best financial interests at the expense of development in the City.

In various articles and mailers, including those from Fred Whitaker, the chairman of the Republican Party of Orange County, Nick's financial risk as a vendor providing services to facilitate the recall are used as support that Nick wants to control the City Council (as if Whitaker and the various developers, including Toll Brothers, do not). In other words, Nick is the "special interest" that's going to get something out of a successful recall -- and if you disagree with those bullet points listed above, then don't support the recall. But if you do, vote Yes on Jan. 2.

It's good that Frank Wagoner is learning how to read a Form 460, but his big picture skills leave a bit to be desired. Same with Whitaker, who is once again sticking his nose where it doesn't belong, trying to manipulate opinion for a non-partisan seat on a local city council.

Wagoner points out that only three people can control the City's $43 million annual budget “to their benefit resulting in more taxes paid by residents.” That's true, except that Nick had proposed that any raising of taxes require a super-majority of four votes instead of three, but it did not pass; that means Nick wants even more stringent measures in place than the ones Wagoner is attempting to use to paint Nick as someone who's going to raise taxes.

Wagoner asks the question, “Are we just trading one vote benefiting someone for one vote benefiting someone else?”

Yes, we are trading the vote of Hamilton that benefits special interests for the vote that benefits residents. That's why it's important to vote Yes to the recall of Hamilton on Jan. 2.

Wagoner, once again, shows that he's not ready for prime time. However, his spell-check has improved.

About the Author: Martin Henderson won several Los Angeles and Orange County press club awards while an editor at Patch in 2012-13.