I wrote an article in May regarding four Irvine City Councilmembers — William Go, James Mai, Melinda Liu, and Kathleen Treseder. On May 27th, these four Councilmembers voted to break a promise that the City of Irvine made 11 years ago to veterans and their families to build a Veterans Memorial Park & Cemetery on the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station at the northern edge of the Great Park.
Councilmembers Go, Mai, Liu, and Treseder said that dedicating a small portion of the Great Park to a Veterans Memorial Park & Cemetery would be “incompatible” with other amenities at the Great Park — even though the entire 1,300-acre Great Park sits on a former military airbase that was central to our nation’s defense beginning with World War II, and continuing through the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War.
Just before voting NO, Mai said: “I feel bad for the promises that were made to people, but that was 10 years ago.” James Mai apparently believes that the City’s promises have a shelf life.
My article regarding that May 27th Council vote has struck a chord with tens of thousands of Irvine residents. In fact, it has become the most-read article Irvine Community News & Views has ever published, with more than 75,000 residents having read the article and 1,293 Irvine residents (so far) sharing it on their own social media platforms…