The CotoBuzz Journal, Community Journalism

Arguably Laguna Woods City Council has been occupied by former Golden Rain Foundation (GRF) board members since the city started. There seems to be a symbiotic relationship between the city council and the GRF board and it is important to GRF that the city lean toward their wishes in order for them to go through with plans GRF has for the Village, as in re-development.

This year, 3 seats are up for election and Ten candidates have qualified for the November 2008 municipal election: Ronald Beldner, Margo Bouer, Jim Kane, Martin Rhodes, Milton Robbins (incumbent), Brenda Ross (incumbent), Arlene Sontag, Marilynn Sortino, Mark Stein and Robert Tucker.

Two of those seats are being sought again by the incumbents, Milt Robbins and Brenda Ross. The third seat is occupied by Dr. Robert Bouer and while he is not seeking re-election his wife, Margo, is running. All three are GRF sympathizers. Also running with GRF backing are Mark Stein, and Marty Rhodes. Other candidates include Marilyn Sortino - with no chance of winning - , Bob Tucker, Arlene Sontag, James Kane. Ron Beldner is a candidate for city council.

Recently, according to sources familiar with the issue, Mr. Beldner was knocking on doors in the Gate 10 area of Third Mutual, talking to residents and leaving his literature if they accepted it. According to reports, he was leaving nothing without resident permission and he was hanging no literature in laundry or mail rooms. He offered them the choice of taking it or not. He had covered “a couple buildings” and went back to his car for more material. At that point, a security car came up and parked right next to him - according to same reports, his car was legally parked parallel to the curb. A second security vehicle came up to block him from the front and another to block him from the back. He was completely boxed in and interrogated by PCM security personnel.

Sources tell us that a security person identified as Martin, told Mr. Beldner he could not pass out his literature and began to give him grief about what he was doing. They told him he needed some kind of “permit”. In turn, Mr. Beldnar told the security personnel that he had every right to do so and if they cared to call the Sheriff they were more than welcome to do so. The Sheriff would tell them that it was legal. He also apparently told them that if he chose to file charges for unlawful detainment and kidnapping, both felonies, he could do that and they would have to deal with the consequences. At some point in the conversation he agreed to accompany the security personnel back to the Community Center and the second floor where PCM has their administrative offices. They all went to talk to Cristine Trapp, legal affairs manager for PCM. Allegedly, Ms. Trapp told Mr. Beldner he was allowed to pass out his literature because he is a resident. She then said she would call counsel for PCM and GRF to get a firm legal opinion - According to the State Bar of California, she is a member of the bar.

Should Ms Trapp have known that Mr. Beldner had the right to campaign whether he was a resident or not? By the way, Mr. Beldner is a deputy country registrar of voters - perhaps he does know how this works?

The story goes that Ms Trapp told Mr. Beldner the next day, when she called him with the results of her call to corporate counsel that he had the right to distribute his literature and put it inside the screen door, on the door step or even in the mail slot if it goes directly into the house although not into mailboxes that are separate from the door slots.

Sources tell us that Mr. Beldner estimates it cost $700 for GRF to get the legal opinion - in essence, all the attorneys involved agreed that he has a right to distribute the literature. The $700 for that little consult will come out of the pockets of residents and was completely unnecessary. Certain residents suggest that Security, headed by Jerry Storage, should have to pay that bill themselves without reimbursement by resident assessments.

Reportedly, Mr. Beldner did not stop with his visit to the second floor. He called the OC Registrar/Clerk and the California Fair Political Practices Commission to ask if what he had done was legal. Everybody he spoke with said it was legal to distribute his campaign literature and to be knocking on doors to talk to residents.

We have no evidence that to date an apology has been issued by PCM, Ms.Trapp or GRF.

Sources tell us other candidates have been campaigning with literature including Rhodes and Stein. According to these sources, unlike Mr. Beldner, they have not been stopped and interrogated Unconfirmed reports indicate that Marty Rhodes has been doing a lot of copying in the PCM copy center and the question Beldner had was: Is Rhodes paying for this or is PCM helping him out?

It is widely accepted that PCM security does not assist residents in need - quite the contrary: residents have been told to call the Sheriff if they have any problems and that the “security” patrols only write tickets for speeding and stop sign violations. They will do “welfare checks” but they have no authority to do anything else. Why did they act as police in Mr. Beldner’s case? Turns out, according to sources familiar with the issue, this is not the first encounter Beldner has had with security. He has had them watching and shadowing him before. He was walking his dogs, in allowed areas and on the required 6 foot leash and had them following him and observing him from across the street from his home. It was enough to have him rattled by the activity.

For Beldner this is settled for the moment. For some Laguna Woods Village residents, it is still an open question. Why is security harassing people who seem to be doing nothing wrong and fully within their rights, as per the aforementioned legal opinion? Why is PCM’s legal affairs manager calling GRF and PCM attorneys to get a “legal opinion” ? Why has no apology been issued? Why does PCM “security” selectively behave as police or law enforcement when it is not within their apparently new job description?

This morning, we discussed the issues presented herein with Mr. Beldner, who confirmed certain details. Refer to Clarification note.

Attempts to reach representatives from GRF and PCM for comments on this story have yet to yield fruit.

The only thing Running Scared are the residents! Sounds like there's something in the water over there at not-so-leisure Leisure World Laguna Woods. Don't people buy in there to "retire"? I mean what gives? A management company that by all accounts sounds like 'big brother' watching everything everybody does and then going after them. Rabid attorneys foaming at the mouth at the thought of billing for services and then again with a double froathing once the invoice is actually delivered to these stupid brain-dead moron boards who sign off without knowing what the heck they're doing. They probably don't care they'll likely croak before they are sued for breach of fiduciary duty. These board directors knees shake and pampers wet at the very thought of a prissy management company employee looking at them crosseyed at a meeting or calling them on the phone or questioning them at a meeting. A development filled with sabateurs and police and law suits and restraining orders, fines, penalties, liens, foreclosure. Expenditures that sort of well, disappear into the wild blue yonder, never to be explained again. It's only money. That sounds like a great advertisement for buying a house in a prison yard. Come on ya'll wanna buy a house and give us your money so we can bankrupt you and waste your precious golden years? The message sent to the outside world is: DON'T MOVE HERE. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY HERE. DON'T BUY HERE. Because it seems that the minute you buy in here, you are buying a major ongoing liability. Even a bull dozer won't be able to get you outta there in one piece, and certainly you won't get out with all your money. Its cheaper to live elsewhere, ANYWHERE-elsewhere. here's an idea, why not rename Leisure World to HELL HOLE IN THE WOODS. Anon

Stay Tuned....we are working on a follow up story, seemingly supporting your argument.

Seems like Mr. Beldner's experience is a shared one:

This is our source:

City of Laguna Woods
The HistorianSeptember-October, 2008

A ten-year lawsuit ended when GRF agreed to pay Laguna Publishing Co. a $1.85 million settlement.At issue was the publisher’s right to deliver his newspaper free, door-to-door.

This decision caused the Boards to adopt a policy that newspapers could only be delivered to subscribers. The Leisure WorldNews was no longer a free publication. The policy reflected the desire of the vast majority of residents,at that time, who did not want their doorsteps cluttered with advertising literature nor did they want a myriad of vendors delivering material that the resident did not request.

How is that for a spin? - Buzz

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