TUSTIN : Irvine Co. Paper on Council Docket

A new weekly newspaper in town is expected to be the subject of debate at tonight’s City Council meeting.

The debate was set at the last council meeting after Mark Petracca, a political science professor at UC Irvine, criticized Tustin Today, a 2-month-old weekly newspaper owned by the Irvine Co. Petracca demanded that the council protect its use of the name “Tustin Today,” which for years has been the name of the city’s quarterly recreation brochure.

Petracca suggested that the City Council file a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission because he said the new newspaper “is an attempt by the Irvine Co. to build community support for its development and land-use agenda in Tustin.” As such, he said, it should be disclosed as a political expenditure under the Political Reform Act.

Councilman Earl J. Prescott suggested that the council discuss the matter tonight. Councilwoman Ursula E. Kennedy proposed placing the city’s other weekly newspaper, the Tustin News, on the agenda as well.

“It seemed to me that it was an unfair attack on a new newspaper in town,” Kennedy said. “I’m pretty much of a free enterpriser, so I just thought that I’d make sure everybody got represented in this little discussion.”

The issue of name protection has become moot, however, because the Irvine Co. changed the name of its newspaper to Tustin Weekly in its March 30 edition.

“We certainly did not want to usurp any good will or reader franchise from the city’s publication,” said Brien Manning, publisher of Tustin Weekly. Manning said Petracca’s statements had nothing to do with the decision to change the paper’s name.

Though the old name is gone, the controversy remains.

“They are in violation of campaign reporting laws,” Prescott said. “It’s sophisticated political pamphleteering.”