The American Dream
THIS ISSUE’S LISTING OF OC’S RICHEST PEOPLE IS ONE OF THIS PAPER’S MOST ambitious undertakings yet. It is also a refutation of the cynical notion that in America the rich get richer while everybody else is out of luck.
Only four of the persons on our Top 20 listing inherited the bulk of their wealth. By contrast, six of those on our listing are immigrants who started with next to nothing. And most of the rest of the 20 had humble beginnings, as well.
Moreover, leftists should think twice before assailing even our four heirs, as their group includes philanthropists and two persons who have championed pro-environment, anti-growth causes.
In fact, if it wasn’t for idle riches that originated in gritty industries like oil and real estate, the arts and a lot of liberal causes, here and elsewhere, would be much poorer.
Poof!
JUST TO SHOW HOW FLEETING WEALTH CAN BE, CONSIDER JIM JANNARD, ranked seventh on our rich listing with an estimated worth of $825 million. The listing went to the printer before we could factor in Thursday’s nosedive in Oakley shares.
Suddenly, Jannard was worth only about $600 million. Oh, well.
(Also, on further last-minute review, we want to add a couple of names to our list of families worth $100 million-plus: The Kennedys of First American Financial, and the Leatherbys.)
Bush 3, Foes 0
FOR ALL THE YAMMERING ABOUT GEORGE W.’S SUPPOSED BUMBLINGS, I note his legislative victories last week on Alaska drilling, a patient’s bill of rights and stem cell research. Don’t count out a compromise on immigration, either.
Mislabeling
JUDGE JAMES GRAY’S DECISION INVALIDATING THE PROPOSED “GREAT PARK” initiative has dealt a severe blow to its chances of making the March 2002 ballot. Predictably, the judge’s ruling is being assailed by some as another example of “the people’s will” being subverted by monied interests who support an El Toro airport.
Not so. Now, anybody who reads this editorial space knows that the OCBJ favors a commercial airport at El Toro, but we also support the right of airport opponents to take their case to the voters as often as they want.
However, airport opponents ought to be held to truth in advertising, as Judge Gray has done.
You see, while the proposed initiative is being touted as a great park for the whole county, it is actually a clever attempt at a land grab by the city of Irvine. A careful reading of the initiative reveals enough loopholes to drive a truck, a mall or several hundred homes and businesses through. Consider this passage:
“Areas identified as open space are not necessarily committed to permanent open-space uses. Certain property within the open-space category is committed through public or private ownership to remain as open space; but other property, due to market pressures to serve a growing county population, may ultimately be developed in other ways.”
There’s more mischief in the fine print. For example, of the 4,700 El Toro acres, only 900 acres adjacent to Cleveland National Forest would be definitely set aside for open space,as that same space would be set aside in the county’s airport plan. The park initiative has provisions for the possible development of other acreage.
Further, if the initiative were to pass, more than 1,000 acres almost certainly would be annexed to the city of Irvine, which could pretty much do with them as it pleases. This includes some 500 to 600 acres, part of a “no development” zone in the airport plan, that the park initiative places outside of its own boundaries.
Even many airport opponents have expressed disapproval of this sneaky park initiative. Having now squandered taxpayer dollars in two ballot schemes that unraveled in court (Measure F being the other), maybe it’s time for anti-airport leaders to stop trying to be cute and instead to challenge the airport head-on.
