Headlands Controversy
Who Owns Harold Kaufman?



The following two letters are reprinted from the Dana Point News, 28 May, 1998,and the response was published 4 June, 1998.

Jack Roberts, the ex-rental baron, should stick with patting himself on the back and devote less energy to perpetuating fairy tales about councilman Harold Kaufman. To say that the "Headlands owner financed his campaign in the last election" is outrageously false! As a Kaufman committee member at the time, I was familiar with all contributions made to the campaign and not one dime came from the Headlands owner or anyone related to him. We might be foolish at times but stupid we are not!

-Jim Davy

RESPONSE:

Jim Davy's sarcastic letter attacking Jack Roberts and claiming the Headlands owner didn't finance Kaufman's election is as slippery as a greased pig on an icy road. State records show that the Headlands owners spent more money in that election than all the residents of Dana Point, Monarch Beach and Capistrano Beach put together! And, according to their own statements, the Headlands owner spent it to put Kaufman and Lloreda on the City Council.

If you want to check on Davy's deceptive claim, ask the California Secretary of State's office for a copy of Form 420 (Recipient Committee Campaign Statement, Long Form) by the "Concerned Taxpayers of Dana Point Including M.H. Sherman Company and Chandis Securities Company" for the period from May 22, 1994 through June 30, 1994. Sherman and Chandis were the Headlands owners (Sherman still is). Kaufman and Lloreda were to be their secret weapons on the Council (they still are). Object? Approval of Headlands overdevelopment [is at issue].

I think Dana Point residents probably know that big-money interests want their own stooges on city councils and can circumvent laws on campaign contributions. So, I doubt that many of us will quibble with Robert's statement that the Headlands owner financed Kaufman's campaign.

-Ed Gallagher

(DANA POINT ON-LINE EDITOR: Chandis was a holding company that owned the interest of the Headlands that was owned by the Chandler family, owners and publishers of the Los Angeles Times. Dorothy Chandler was known to occupy a home at Strand beach for years. The Chandler family has always regarded Dana Point as a village of which they were the lords of the manor. )


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