Who's Impressed with Diane Harkey?

I attended the protest because I want people in my city government, even more in the state assembly, to act in a way which puts their constituents' interests first, and not their own. [...] The people she is supposed to represent play no role at all in her game plan for power. Tonight's fundraiser was her attempt to shoulder the cost of what she herself wants in life, as she wants others to pay for her personal egotistical ambitions. In return she will have promised the donors anything and whatever it takes to get their support. It's all about playing the game, and I hoped to be a small part in derailing that game.

If [Diane] Harkey is under recall in her own district, how can she run for higher office with any credibility whatsoever? If the people who know her best think she is worthless, we want others to know her just as well as we do. We have been subject to all of her blatant opportunism and disregard of the best interests of her constituents. And now, her recent actions seem to show she thinks that she even is above the law.

That was Tony, a Dana Point resident who was a part of last night's protest of Diane Harkey's big fundraiser in Newport Beach. He is someone who has seen Diane Harkey in action, and he is not particularly impressed with what he has seen. And guess what? He's not the only one.

Follow me after the flip for more...

(Cross-posted at The Liberal OC)



Why should Robert be impressed with Diane Harkey? What has she done to address the affordable housing crunch in Dana Point? Look at this letter that the city received from the State Housing and Community Development Department. So far, the city has done nothing to provide any realistic solution to this very real problem. While the city has been busy adding new luxury developments like St. Regis and The Strand, they have ignored the needs of real people living on real fixed incomes. What's so impressive about that?



Why would Jim Lacy be impressed with Diane Harkey? He actually served with her on the city council from 2005 to 2006, and he has had a front-row seat to Harkey's brand of pay-to-play politics, as well as her overall lack of ethical standards. Oh yes, and as someone who helped formulate city policy on the city seal, he had to watch in horror this year to see Diane Harkey violate it in order to produce a campaign mailer masquerading as a "newsletter" to dupe Dana Point voters into feeling good about her. Oh yes, and as a conservative Republican himself, he doesn't just "dislike" her because she is a Republican. He's someone interested in good government, and he's someone who's not impressed by Harkey's lack of interest in practicing that.



Why should any of these good citizens of Dana Point be impressed by Diane Harkey? (OK, and yes, I was there with them!) What has she done to serve them and their needs? What has she done that's in the best interest of the city, and not just in the best interest of herself? What has she done to show that she cares more about the concerns of local residents than her own desire to run for higher office? What has she done to follow through on her duty to work for the residents of Dana Point? They made the choice to hire her, and they can make the choice to fire her.





Maybe these uber-wealthy GOP Machine donors are impressed with Harkey. I guess that's why this small group of power players decided to go to Newport Beach to give Harkey money for her Assembly Campaign. But still, it seemed like the power players inside were outnumbered by the concerned citizens outside who are ready to begin a grassroots effort to take back their city government. And no matter how much money Harkey can raise from her well-heeled friends, it may not be enough to withstand this effort of, by, and for Dana Point citizens, to take back their city.