Steel losing longtime supporters

Lolita Harper

COSTA MESA -- The groundswell of support that swept Councilman Chris

Steel into office is evaporating just as quickly as his once-fervent

supporters desert him after his Home Ranch project endorsement.

His surprising shift on the large development caused his most closely

aligned constituents to do the same and shift their opinion of his merits

as a leader.

Realizing the political consequence of his actions, Steel made a

late-night plea to an empty council chambers last week, hoping some of

those most angered by his vote would catch his monologue on television.

“I think I owe people an apology. I should have explained where I

stood before the final vote, Steel said.

Steel explained that he supported the Home Ranch project because he

got “good vibes” that the Segerstroms “understood the social problems in

the city.” Social problems have previously been defined by Steel as the

charities and the Job Center on the Westside, which he says attract a

slew of illegal immigrants who cannot afford to live in the city.

“They need to be at the table, and they are going to be at the table

to address these social issues,” Steel said of the Segerstroms. “I

haven’t sold out. Since I don’t have the three votes to get these goals

accomplished up here, I expect the Segerstroms -- the biggest players in

town -- will help address those problems. It’s my understanding that they

will.”

If some of his constituents realized the underlying reasons for his

vote, they would not be so upset, Steel said Tuesday. He said his

supporters will be better off in the long run -- if they could only let

it play out before they jumped to conclusions.

But Janice Davidson, one of his most loyal advocates, is leaping just

the same. Davidson said she doesn’t buy his excuse.

“It was an idiotic statement to make. Chris has been overwhelmed by

the Segerstroms. It was just a way to get out of saying the truth that he

couldn’t handle it,” Davidson said.

“It’s hard to say no to the Segerstroms. They yield all that money and

power,” she added.Speaking of money, Davidson said she will close Steel’s

defense fund, a collection started to help the councilman fight two

charges of perjury. The district attorney has accused the councilman of

allowing resident Richard Noack to sign election nomination papers on

behalf of his wife during the 2000 election and of Steel himself signing

for a legally blind woman in 1998.

Davidson said Steel would still receive about $3,100 that was

previously collected, but added that neither she nor co-chairman Ralph

Morgan have a desire to raise more money. Both Morgan and Davidson have

health concerns and cannot waste time or effort on the fund, Davidson

said. Donations gathered so far would be a drop in the bucket compared

with the $40,000 Steel has already spent.

“We said we would help him out. We can’t just say we are taking our

money back,” she said.

But they will take back their votes, she said, when Steel is up for

reelection.

Paul Freeman, who negotiated the Home Ranch project for C.J.

Segerstrom & Sons, defended Steel by saying he believed the councilman

faithfully represented the issues he promised to take on during his

campaign.

Those issues, however, had little or nothing to do with the Home Ranch

development, Freeman said.

The Home Ranch project consists of a flagship Ikea store, 192 homes

and a mix of industrial and commercial land use. It is located just north

of the San Diego Freeway on 93 acres of former lima bean fields owned by

the Segerstroms. C.J. Segerstrom & Sons has tried to develop that land

for 19 years but have been stalled by resident outcry.

“There was no quid pro quo of any kind with Steel. We discussed a

broad range of issues and agreed to continue conversations later,”

Freeman said.

When asked what issues he discussed with Steel, Freeman said Steel

“brought up all kinds of issues.”

Freeman went on to say that the Segerstroms, who own South Coast

Plaza, the Orange County Performing Arts Center and a large portion of

Costa Mesa, have supported various city charities over the years and plan

to continue that support.

“Those groups in Costa Mesa that are serving community needs as a

general proposition have our support,” Freeman said.

* Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 lolita.harper@latimes.comf7 .