An Orange Juice pajarito saw Red County Editor Matt “Jubal” Cunningham over at the Orange County Fair – and sure enough he had some kind of lanyard around his neck – most likely it was a free pass to the Fair. Cunningham admitted on this blog that he saw several concerts at the Fair last year for free after getting tickets from Republicans on the O.C. Fair Board. For shame!
Matt also ate for free at public expense at last year’s Fair…and I would imagine he did the same this year. The O.C. Fair Board uses Fair proceeds to put out a nice spread, sometimes including steak and lobster, for their political hack friends.
Speaking of friends, my pajarito said that Matt was hanging out with a “dweeby-looking guy.” Sounds like Jeff Flint!
Matt likes to argue for fiscal conservatism, but he also likes to get freebies at public expense. I say that is NOT cool…and I hope that Matt wears a shirt next time!
Yep, I have tweaked a nerve with old Art. Doesn’t take much to bring out Mr. Hyde.
My gawd you are especially nasty today.
Matt/Jubal,
That’s not me you’re tweaking…you might want to take another look at the picture…
Jerkbal shows what the red-faced blog is all about — lobbyists pretending to be Republicans — always on the take. They don’t care if the Or. Co. Republican Party goes down in flames as long as they get their “free” tickets, “free” meals and anything else they can grab. Boink these oinkers already.
Art,
Let’s see, I dispute your touting of flawed Alexa.com rankings, and you spend the rest of the day coming unglued and being spiteful. I’d say you letting me tweak you.
Cunningham admitted on this blog that he saw several concerts at the Fair last year for free after getting tickets from Republicans on the O.C. Fair Board. For shame!
And in another vain attempt to acquaint you with the truth, I didn’t “admit” to anything. You found int he OCR database that I went to one concert last summer. I corrected you that I, in fact, attended three. Not exactly an admission. But then again, you knew that, Art — and as usual, you don’t care that you’re being misleading.
And I did go to the Memorial Gardens on those occasions. On one of those occasions, I sat down and ate with Sup. Janet Nguyen, her husband Tom and her brother-in-law Jimmy. Her husband was very nice and even got me a couple of beers from the bar.
Will the selective sanctimony of Art The Holier-Than-Thou cry “for shame!” at that? Of course not.
Not that they deserve it: they weren’t doing anything wrong. But the sanctimony of Art operates on a double standard.
But what else is new?
Matt,
Stop trying to drag the Nguyen family into this. YOU took those tickets and ate that food. And apparently this year you are up to your old tricks again. Here is a tip – pay for your tickets and food like the rest of us do. It is the right thing to do.
And I did not write this post as a response to your rantings against Alexa.com. I wrote this post because I think it sucks that you and your GOP buddies are living it up at the Fair at public expense. It’s not right Matt.
Matt -
Don’t you make $150k a year? That’s the word on the street.
SMS
Stop trying to drag the Nguyen family into this.
I’m sorry. I wouldn’t want you to be consistent in your outrage, because we all know you are beholden to no one and unafraid to tell it like it is,blah, blah, blah.
Don’t you make $150k a year? That’s the word on the street.
Are you for real, SMS? Even if you had any idea how much I earn in a year, what business is it of yours? You need to get yourself a life — you’re becoming as vicious and obsessive as Art.
Matt -
You didn’t deny it.
And I’m not obsessive, I’m just trying to moderate the argument because you two are going around in circles because you’ve both gotten too personal.
SMS
Art, I am a Fair Board member. Where is your $1000 donation to the Centennial Farms Foundation? It would help sustain the programs that benefit over 100,000 school children for all corners of the County. Make it payable to Centennial Farms Fnd., 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Then, you can join me for dinner and a show.
Meanwhile, Matt hasn’t denied he got into the fair for free…
You didn’t deny it.
I didn’t confirm nor deny it because it’s none of your bloody business. Should we drag your various issues to the surface, Sarah — or do you play by the Art Pedroza double standard?
And I’m not obsessive, I’m just trying to moderate the argument because you two are going around in circles because you’ve both gotten too personal.
“Getting too personal”? Point that accusing finger at your buddy Art. He’s the one posting about me going to the fair. And at yourself, while you’re at it.
Dave,
You would not have to beg for donations if you and your fellow Republican board members weren’t taking all those “free” concert tickets – and if you weren’ blowing thousands of dollars wining and dining greedy politicians and hacks like Matt. The money wasted on those self-serving endeavors could otherwise be spent on those children’s programs.
I will continue to boycott the Fair until all of you are removed from the OC Fair Board.
Art, You can boycott AND send your check. That way you are a net/net to the kids. Centennial Farms is a not for profit, the Fair cannot donate to it. The funds to keep it going are donated and raised by “greedy” Fair Board members.
Heck, I’ve never thought of Matt as a hack or greedy. He might be wrong every now and then, but he ain’t a hack or greedy, in my opinion. Press on!!! Sent the check.
Dave,
Has Matt donated $1,000?
Amazing!
It sounds that you are just as secretive about your charitable contributions (if they are real-and I seriously doubt that) as you are with your statements about the ratings popularity of Red County. The word is transparency: publish the numbers and the arguement is resolved. Dont publish: you have no platform to scream at Art-and the statement that you have higher rating with any definitive credible information that supports your position continues to make your statements about the popularity of Red County ring hollow (well maybe not at the Mission San Juan Capo). Here, Red County is about as popular as the Capital Resource Institute and the Biola hack Meredith Turney. In other words, not very.
The general train of thought amongst Reep staffers and legislators (excepting a few hard cores) is that the Flesh report and Red County are interesting reading but more akin to reading the National Enquirer. Extremely light on the policy discussion but heavy on the diatribes.
Thats the view from one side of the aisle behind closed doors.
I will continue to boycott the Fair until all of you are removed from the OC Fair Board.
It’s going to be a looooooooong time before Art goes to the OC Fair.
SCR:
So says the anonymous commenter about whom we know absolutely nothing, and who is as challenged as Art in terms of logic and reading comprehension. You might want to start at the beginning a couple of posts ago: Art raised the entire issue of numbers, not me. I challenged the reliability of his claims, and now I’m on trial?
DAve doncha know that Art does not give money his “donations” are this WONDERFUL blog lol.
Art, I have no idea if Matt has donated $1000 to Centennial Farms. If he did/does, will you match it? Remember, it’s for a great agricultural program that benefits kids — for free — from all over OC. Come by sometime and I will give you a tour.
Dave,
I am curious. What is the pupose of this program? Are you tryimg to encourage young people to pursue careers in agriculture? If so, is that really a good idea? Can they honestly expect to make the kind of money that you and Matt earn in agro?
i think it is wrong for matt cunningham to accept money from clients and then write about them favorably without admitting to his secret hidden conflicts of interest.
You might have a point, if one of my clients was involved.
With your concern for accuracy, TN, you should consider joining the OJ team.
Jubal #13 -
“Should we drag your various issues to the surface, Sarah… ‘getting too personal’? Point that accusing finger at your buddy Art. He’s the one posting about me going to the fair. And at yourself, while you’re at it.”
Drag out my issues? Well go ahead, everyone else does when I strike a nerve. You wouldn’t be the first, but I thought you were smarter than that and in fact, you’ve certainly always been nicer than that so I don’t know why you’d want go negative on me now, especially considering that what you know is what I’ve told you. Wow. I’m transsexual. Blah, blah, blah. Tell the readers something they don’t know.
I didn’t even attack you. I’m just pointing out the reality of the situation and trying to referee you two and you’re freaking out on me. Whatever.
SMS
Of course Matt takes money from people then writes puff about them–or have we already forgotten about Diane Harkey’s failed attempt to beat Tom Harman with Blog Atomic as a consultant?
My family and I were planning on attending the fair tomorrow. I think we will now pass and go to the park or the beach. Mr. Cunningham, it appears that you are more than capable for paying for the the admission price and for your food, probably much more so than some other people attending the fair. If it is true that you obtained free passes, shame on you for taking these handouts at our expense! Next year, please donate your ticket and dinner to some family who, unlike you, cannot afford to attend the fair. If you take a minute to look around you, there are many families here in Orange County who cannot afford to attend the fair or even afford to pay for their daily meals. These families would benefit from passes so much more than you would.
I didn’t even attack you. I’m just pointing out the reality of the situation and trying to referee you two and you’re freaking out on me. Whatever.
No, you stuck you nose into my private business, Sarah. At least own up to that.
wow:
You should start writing here, too, since you’re factually challenged, as well.
I was not a consultant to Diane Harkey at any time. Her campaign bought a blogad, and the check to pay for it was made out to “BlogAtomic.”
Art, take a look at the Centennial Farms tab on the OC Fair web site (www.ocfair.com). Centennial Farms exposes kids to agriculture … similar to the Santa Ana Zoo exposing kids to animals. Not a bad thing, ehh? Do you expect the kids enjoying the zoo to go into zoo management? If they do, great. If not, they can have fond memories of the animals … call it part of their educational experience. Centennial Farms is an educational tool. Many OC kids have never seen a farm animal. Many OC kids think milk comes from a carton. If a kid is inspired by Centennial Farms develops a career in agriculture, good for us. This has been fun … gotta go.
Matt -
‘No, you stuck you nose into my private business, Sarah. At least own up to that.‘
I did? My arguments were largely based on your own words; I even quoted them… much like I’m doing here, so no, I don’t feel I have anything to own up to.
I DO apologize if I hurt your feelings, but it wasn’t intentional or personal. To me, this is all just business.
SMS
SMS,
You know very well what we’re talking about here, so don’t avoid the subject. For some reason, you dragged my private business into this argument. I appreciate your generous estimation of my income, but whether its correct or not is beside the point: it is none of your business.
Thanks for the apology, but you can’t palm everything off as “just business.” That’s what Art does: he launches vicious attacks, and then asks people to believe it’s nothing persooal.
Matt,
If you got into the Fair for free again it was not personal. It was political. One of your hackish friends on the OC Fair Board hooked you up and you bit.
You are utterly without shame.
Matt -
Are you serious? I don’t know you well enough and certainly don’t dislike you enough for this to be personal. Really. Think about what you just said.
And yes I knew what you meant, but I didn’t make any statement of fact when it came to your salary. I merely asked you a question and now you’re acting as if you have a guilty conscience.
What? My apology for inadvertent consequences to my questions wasn’t enough? Seriously. Even my 5-year old knows how to accept an apology. If you like, maybe the two of you can set up a play date?
Again, just saying.
SMS