OC Politics Blog | Tag Archives: Giveaways

Disney rigging the Anaheim Council elections so they can get more tax money

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Editor Posted in 2012 Elections, Anaheim, Disney, Jordan Brandman, Taxes Leave a comment

Disney President George Kalogridis and Jordan Brandman

It isn’t enough that Disney and their minions at SOAR, OCTAX, OCBC, and The Anaheim Chamber of Commerce pushed thru the GIVEAWAY of $158 million in future tax revenue to build 2 luxury hotels at the GardenWalk Ghost Town. Hotels that were, and I believe still are, slated to be operated and branded as Disney properties.

To jog your memory, read this portion of a City of Anaheim staff report and then watch SOAR aka Disney members vocally supporting the $158 million giveaway:

click to enlarge

Now Disney wants Anaheim and federal/state tax dollars to fund a ridiculous rail system to shuttle its guests between ARTIC, their future 4 star Disney branded and operated GardenWalk hotels, and the Anaheim Convention Center.

Click here to read the rest of this post.

The O’Connell brothers get tax loot from both Anaheim and Garden Grove

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Editor Posted in 2012 Elections, Anaheim, Bill O'Connell, Garden Grove, Jerry O'Connell, Taxes Leave a comment

Turns out that the rich Anaheim hotel developer who got millions of hotel tax dollars in a massive giveaway by the Anaheim City Council, Bill O’Connell has a brother, named Jerry O’Connell, who invested in the Crowne Plaza in Garden Grove and is now its co-owner.

What did the city of Garden Grove give Jerry O’Connell and his fellow investors? Free land that the City of Garden Grove purchased utilizing $17.7 million in federal housing funds and a TOT subsidy. Continue reading→

Anaheim has been giving away millions to special interests for years

Posted on August 30, 2012 by Editor Posted in 2012 Elections, Anaheim, Taxes Leave a comment

From the Save Anaheim Blog

While our neighborhoods have been crumbling, the city has been giving away our TOT to special interests for years. The $158 million TOT subsidy that Kris Murray, Gail Eastman, and Harry Sidhu approved is just the largest in our history.

THE HONDA CENTER

The City of Anaheim raised the TOT 1% to cover site acquisition. If the venue doesn’t make over $12 million in a given year, the city gets nothing in terms of revenue. Since 2007 the city budget states the city has received no revenue from the Honda Center. Why can’t we raise the TOT again to improve our neighborhoods? Continue reading→