The Insider wonders whether all of the high-rises going up in OC are intended to make George Pataki feel at home. The New York guv, oft mentioned as a 2008 prez candidate, was making the rounds here again last week with local GOP Chairman Scott Baugh. Pataki noted that OC’s tech clusters reminded him of those in his state, confided that fellow New Yorker Hillary could make a formidable Democratic presidential candidate and coyly deflected suggestions that he should run, too …
Two SoCal economists see rough days ahead for the housing market. Speaking on “Inside OC,” UCLA’s Chris Thornberg forecasted flat prices for six years, while Cal State Fullerton biz dean Anil Puri predicted a 5% to 10% correction over two years. Meanwhile, more smart real estate players,though hardly all,are telling the Insider that the housing-price surge is over …
It takes a pretty big act to stop Michael Mussallem in the middle of a slide presentation, but that’s what happened at the Hyatt Regency Irvine last week. The Edwards Lifesciences chief was addressing an audience of 225 at Octane’s biomedical forum when Arnold Schwarzenegger and his entourage crashed the event. The governor was holding a reception with the aforementioned Pataki in an adjoining room. “Hi, Mike,” Arnold said as he took over the podium and delivered a three-minute get-out-the-vote pitch to the delightfully surprised crowd …
More trouble for The Tunnel: The Laguna Beach and Lake Forest councils have come out against the proposed Riverside-OC connector through the Santa Ana Mountains. “That’s just what we need, another 100,000 people on a summer weekend,” a Laguna resident complained at a public hearing. Former assemblywoman Pat Bates, heretofore favorable toward the tunnel concept, is now “undecided” and “shares the concerns” expressed by residents. Bates’ move follows a highly-charged, anti-tunnel mailer from Laguna Niguel Mayor Pro Tem Cathryn DeYoung, who is competing against Bates for Tom Wilson’s county supervisor seat …
DeYoung goes around with three cell phones,one that’s personal, one for city business and one for her supervisor campaign: “Thank God I don’t have a Blackberry, too” …
USC’s Matt Leinart and the Angels’ Adam Kennedy can be spotted at Sutra in Costa Mesa …
What do Pimco guru Bill Gross and OC Supe Jim Silva have in common? They’re both podcasting …
Laguna Beach Mayor Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider turns runway model on tonight’s “help the landslide victims” episode of MTV’s “Laguna Beach” …
Press release: Edward Taub, who pitches his Nature’s Code Nutritional System on QVC, has joined Dana Point-based Curlew Charters as ship doctor …
It’s time for boardroom finishing school: The Forum for Corporate Directors’ second annual institute, Nov. 15 and 16 at the Hyatt Regency Irvine, features a faculty that includes Powerwave Technologies’ Bruce Edwards, Emulex’s Paul Folino and turnaround artist Sam Yau. Call (714) 744-8975 or go to www.fcdoc.org.
