.
One has to ask why would the Riverside County Board of Supervisors vote to approve a project that will eventually lead to the construction of 11,150 homes, with an ongoing major recession not likely to end anytime soon?
Yes, I wrote 11,150.
This very approval happened last Tuesday. The beneficiary of course was the Lewis Group of Companies.
Lewis will be the master developer for the development known as the Villages of Lakeview.
What InlandPolitics discovered when examining campaign contributions to county supervisors was a peppering of contributions by two different entities within the Lewis organization.
Supervisor Marion Ashley, the supervisor for the area where the project is to be located has been the most ardent supporter for approval.
The supervisors approved the massive project on 3-1 vote. Supervisors Marion Ashley, John Benoit, and Jeff Stone voted to approve. Supervisor Bob Buster voted against. Supervisor John Tavaglione was absent.
In the two years prior to the approval by county supervisors, Lewis entities made 27 separate contributions totaling $36,000.00.
Interestingly, Supervisor Ashley received 49.3% of the total.
Here is the contribution breakdown by supervisor.
.
Marion Ashley
12/18/09 Lewis Investment Company $ 1,250.00
10/20/09 Lewis Investment Company $ 1,200.00
10/06/09 Lewis Investment Company $ 2,000.00
09/29/09 Lewis Investment Company $ 300.00
07/16/09 Lewis Investment Company $ 2,500.00
05/05/09 Lewis Investment Company $ 2,500.00
02/18/09 Lewis Investment Company $ 2,500.00
06/26/08 Lewis Investment Company $ 1,500.00
06/18/08 Lewis Investment Company $ 1,500.00
03/05/08 Lewis Investment Company $ 2,500.00
Total (Ashley) $ 17,750.00
Jeff Stone
12/09/09 Lewis Investment Company $ 300.00
10/06/08 Lewis Investment Company $ 1,250.00
04/22/08 Lewis Investment Company $ 1,500.00
03/18/08 Lewis Investment Company $ 1,200.00
Total (Stone) $ 4,250.00
John Tavaglione
04/30/09 Lewis Pacific Partners $ 2,000.00
08/07/08 Lewis Pacific Partners $ 3,000.00
07/09/08 Lewis Pacific Partners $ 1,000.00
06/06/08 Lewis Pacific Partners $ 1,000.00
Total (Tavaglione) $ 7,000.00
Bob Buster
06/30/09 Lewis Investment Company/ $ 1,000.00
Lewis Pacific Partners
11/13/08 Lewis Investment Company/ $ 500.00
Lewis Pacific Partners
04/24/08 Lewis Investment Company/ $ 1,000.00
Lewis Pacific Partners
03/04/08 Lewis Investment Company/ $ 1,000.00
Lewis Pacific Partners
01/29/08 Lewis Investment Company/ $ 500.00
Lewis Pacific Partners
01/25/08 Lewis Investment Company/ $ 500.00
Lewis Pacific Partners
01/13/08 Lewis Investment Company/ $ 500.00
Lewis Pacific Partners
Total (Buster) $ 5,000.00
John Benoit*
11/19/09 Lewis Investment Company $ 1,000.00
Total (Benoit) $ 1,000.00
Roy Wilson*
04/28/09 Lewis Pacific Partners $ 1,000.00
Total (Wilson) $ 1,000.00
Grand Total $ 36,000.00
.
.
*Note John Benoit was appointed to replace the late Supervisor Roy Wilson
who passed away suddenly last year.
Hey Administrator, do the same thing for S.B. Co. Supervisors also. I betcha it’s the same???
Hey Fed-Up: I’ll take that bet since I bet it’s more.
The Lewis’ try and play like they are altruistic and good sumaritans in the community. The truth is they throw $$$ everywhere and expect to get their way without exception.
I know them well.
Randall Lewis is the only one normal in that family. Richard and his son David are freaks and sexual deviants.
Having a woman in every country is their father-son goal.
Ask to see the passports please.
This family believes that others can only be successful if they say so.
I thought one has to recuse themselves from voting on a matter that financially impacts the donor to the politician. That donation had to take place in last 12 months. If that is the law then how could any of these folks vote on this project?
I live two miles from this proposed new city, and it will effect me greatly. Negatively in regard to environmental impacts and positively economically.
It is true that these large developers have impressive amounts of money to spread around. Some have been known to fly people on cross country trips and to buy them rolex watches.
In regard to the approval of the project during a ressession that has no end in sight, keep in mind that this proposal was already envisioned during the 2003 Riverside county general plan revision and buildout will probably take 20 years. Modern planning of this magnitude is a generational undertaking and the current economic conditions dictate the actual progress of the plan.
I am sure that Lewis will not actually build homes that they do not believe they can sell.
Randall is no better than his brother Richard, he stands by and pretends to not know what is brother does but actually encourages it. The Lewis family writes more checks and gets more approvals than all the other top 5 developers combined. If Ramos was clean he would be investigating all the free land their family gets in areas where they contibute the most. If Ramos wants to clean up corruption he better start looking at the Lewis family or the FBI will start looking at him.
The Lewis family only donates money where they have taken advantage of the community and want to look like they are giving back but what they are giving back is what they have already digested. Janice Rutherford wants to be their second tin woman on the BOS, but Davey is concerned her current husband will find out that he was sleeping with her when they were dating, can you say major conflict of interests.
Isn’t Ashley the Riverside Sup that bailed off of Biane’s not-for-profit housing venture? And the BOS still says they represent RivCo. interests? Larry S. w/ Arrowhead has enough sense to bail on that one too, talking about conflicting financial interests with SBCo. Biane is a fool (and Mitzy goes along for the ride).
Hmmmm … to be honest, I think I would sleep with Janice too. Sorry!
Sex freaks! What man isn’t? The richer the weaker for all those gold diggers. Was everyone really surprised about Tiger? It makes the news and they all keep repeating history.