FPPC Charges Escondido Mobile Home Park Owner

The state Fair Political Practices Commission on Thursday charged a North County developer and mobile home park owner with failing to report nearly $30,000 contributed to two 1988 political campaigns, including one to roll back mobile home rents in Escondido.

An 11-count accusation issued by the political watchdog agency says Richard Kuebler, owner of the Moonglow Mobile Home Park in Escondido, ignored state laws requiring him to disclose $23,000 in donations to groups opposing the Escondido rent-control ordinance.

It also accused the owner of KB Enterprises of illegally paying intermediaries $6,800 in cash to prepare and send 20,000 last-minute campaign “hit pieces” against Poway City Councilman Robert Emery, a slow-growth advocate.

The charges now go to an administrative law judge, who will weigh the evidence and recommend what course the FPPC should take. Under state law, Kuebler could face a maximum fine of $22,000--or $2,000 per allegation.

Reached Thursday at his San Diego offices, Kuebler declined to respond to the FPPC action. “I have no comment at this time,” he said.

But Emery, a social studies teacher at Hidden Valley Middle School in Escondido, said that “it’s about time that the truth came out on this. Everybody knew it, but it took this long for the accusations to be brought forward by the FPPC.”

According to Poway City Manager Jim Bowersox, Kuebler has had considerable interest in city land-use decisions but has “not been at the forefront of politics.” He said Kuebler owns several contiguous parcels at the east end of Garden and Sycamore Canyon roads, and is developing a 60-unit mobile home park bounded by Midland, Poway and Community roads.

The FPPC allegation says that Kuebler reimbursed two men--Michael Galasso and Bob Guerrero--in cash for $6,800 in expenses to produce and send derogatory material to 20,000 residents about Emery, then mayor, immediately before the November, 1988, election.

One piece depicted “friends” of Emery apparently paying him off for his votes by shoving dollar bills into his pockets. The other blamed the slow-growth council member for Poway traffic jams. Emery won reelection despite the attacks.

Kuebler allegedly violated state law in three ways through the mailer: He failed to list himself as the true sponsor, he failed to list his contributions on public disclosure forms, and he paid more than $100 in cash, the FPPC said.

In addition, the FPPC said Kuebler failed to report a $10,000 contribution to Escondido Voters Against Rent Control, as well as $13,000 in donations to the Escondido Good Government Committee during the June, 1988, election. The first group opposed a mobile home rent control measure, and the latter opposed three Escondido council candidates.

Despite the opposition, the rent control ordinance passed with nearly 59% of the vote. The measure has rolled back short-term mobile home leases to 1986 prices, a move that city records show affected 87 of the 96 spaces in Kuebler’s park.

Monthly rents now average $253 at Moonglow, situated at 900 Howard Avenue, and Kuebler has yet to file for an increase since the 1988 measure passed, city records show.