Congressman Ed Royce, (R-Fullerton), took a victory lap last week before an OC Forum lunch crowd in Irvine … 36 years in office, 10 Sacto, 26 D.C. “When I was 40, putting term limits on committee chairs seemed like a good idea,” Royce joked. True, he’s termed out as chair of powerful House Foreign Affairs. I’ll take the former business owner at his word. “My interest in political office is ending.” Yes, former business owner. Before and during his early political years, the CSUF accounting and finance major was tax manager for a cement co. and an IE developer. Asked for the biggest issues confronting the U.S., he didn’t hesitate: “Create an environment for capital formation.” He lauded the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Changed the dynamic that led companies like Allergan to leave. Will impact wages, hiring, growth.” Once a businessman …
Speaking of growth, “Lawrence of America,” new top WH economic adviser Larry Kudlow, says U.S. growth will hit 5%. Commerce Dept. pegged Q4 at 2.5%, just above 2% average since 2009 …
Speaking of Titans and private-to-public sector transition, Framroze “Fram” Virjee is settling in as the president of the largest CSU after 30 years in the “real economy” as an employment lawyer in O’Melveny & Meyers LA office. “I was retiring well when I got conned to come over here,” Virjee deadpanned. Also, he’d clerked for O’Melveny’s Newport office and “fulfilled a promise to return to Orange County.” Londoner Virjee came here at age 7 on Queen Mary in ’66 …
He was a Gaucho at University of California-Santa Barbara before he was a law partner or a Titan; he was general counsel and executive vice chancellor at California State University-Fullerton before Cal State. Chancellor Timothy White picked him to succeed Mildred García as president. Under him, CSUF launched its first “comprehensive capital campaign,” announced at $175 million. It gets 50% of its $500M budget from the state. “We just got a 1.4% increase,” Virjee said. “Inflation is 3%. You do the math.” He wants it known that Titan Nation is an economic force: “For every dollar the state puts in, we develop $13 to put into OC.” Once a businessman …
Inspiration Point: Among the cooler people I’ve met in 28 years of reporting here is Greg MacGillivray, co-founder of MacGillivray-Freeman Films in Laguna Beach. On Tuesday the New York Festivals Television & Film Awards honors the king of IMAX and immersive films with its Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual NAB confab in Las Vegas. The producer/director of “Everest,” and 50 other films, has worked with everyone from Stanley Kubrick to Paul McCartney—better, he’s managed to live the professional dream 50-plus years AND impact humanity …
