Smell the campaign lilacs

Fallbrook real estate broker Paul Schumann has taken the helm of a new political committee established to run an initiative campaign on behalf of Lilac Hills Ranch. The controversial North County housing and commercial development is struggling to overcome a gauntlet of regulatory setbacks, including the forced recusal of Republican county supervisor Bill Horn, who owns land nearby.

Called “San Diegans for Housing and Jobs, a coalition of local businesses, community leaders, and sustainable energy and housing advocates,” the group, registered February 24, is funded by the Lilac Hills Ranch Investment Co., LLC, according to a disclosure filing. Says a résumé on Schumann’s LinkedIn page, “One of the things I do best is ELIMINATE problems. I am a licensed real estate broker and insurance agent in California. Through EquityKey, I also provide cash now for qualified homeowners, without a new loan or payments.”

Meanwhile, ex–city councilman and onetime community-newspaper owner Jim Madaffer is running a new political committee called Citizens for a Better San Diego, with treasurer April Boling, according to a February 25 disclosure. In April 2010, Boling drew a warning from the state’s Fair Political Practices commission regarding a committee that failed to accurately identify spending on behalf of Tony Krvaric’s bid for a spot on the Republican Central Committee. The name of that group was Citizens for a Better San Diego County.

City records show that Madaffer’s wife Robin, a registered influence-peddler, has recently lobbied city officials including councilmembers Sherri Lightner, Chris Cate, Todd Gloria, Lorie Zapf, and Mark Kersey on behalf of shopping-mall giant Westfield regarding “lease agreements for kiosks at Horton Plaza Park,” receiving $60,000.