LA Times Gives Jerry Brown Credit for Saving Sriracha Hot Sauce

The Los Angeles Times has claimed that Huy Fong Foods, the maker of Sriracha hot sauce, and Siracha Chief Executive David Tran, were convinced to stay in California as a result of Governor Jerry Brown’s intercession. The city of Irwindale filed a public nuisance resolution against Huy Fong Foods for the fumes created by its factory that was making local residents ill, but on Wednesday the city withdrew the resolution.

According to the LA Times, “officials with Gov. Jerry Brown’s Office of Business and Economic Development helped broker a meeting Tuesday between Irwindale officials and Tran that ultimately brought the conflict to an end, sources said.”

That statement dovetailed nicely with a statement from Kish Rajan, director of the business and development office, who said:

I am pleased the city of Irwindale agreed to drop the lawsuit against Huy Fong Foods and work with CEO David Tran on a resolution. This week (governor’s office) staff was glad to take part in positive conversations among city officials and Mr. Tran that ultimately we expect will balance the public interest and keep the Sriracha plant in California.

Brown’s director of public relations, Lawren Markel, trumpeted that the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. asked Brown to get involved in the dispute several months ago. The Times also quoted an unnamed source saying Irwindale officials had asked for Brown’s help to find a way out of the impasse. The unnamed source added that the city of Irwindale and Brown’s office scheduled a visit to the factory, toured through it, and the governor’s representatives joined a meeting between Irwindale Mayor Mark Breceda, Councilman Julian Miranda, and Huy Fong Foods.

But the Times gives the whole show away with two relevant sentences:

1. “But the governor’s office did not offer any special incentives.”
2. “It’s still not clear why the city relaxed its position on the smell of Sriracha, and Irwindale officials did not return calls for comment Thursday, the source said.”