Avocado Comm. audit sparks grower anger

A scathing audit that recently rocked the California Avocado Commission was sliced, diced and dissected by more than 300 angry growers at a Fallbrook meeting last week.

The session – the second in a pair of annual meetings staged since a state audit was released – brought calls for staff and board resignations as well as sharp criticism of “lavish” spending on professional sports tickets, luxury hotel suites, massage and spa services, meals, personal vehicle maintenance and other questionable expenses.

In response, the three-hour meeting at Pala Mesa Resort drew board apologies, explanations a...