OC ENDORSEMENTS #1: ALL of Orange Juice’s PICKS!

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[Originally published Oct. 5]  This list will be updated often as we do additional research.  If your vote depends on what we recommend, don’t send in your ballot yet!  (Let us know where you are and maybe we’ll get to your race sooner.)  Everyone else: this isn’t the year to wait!  Either vote early at a ballot drop box — a REAL one, not a fake insecure one set up and false branded as “official” by our suddenly feloniously insane state Republican Party — mail it in early, or go early to a voting center!

STATUS REPORT, 10/16, 6 a.m.!  All that’s left to do are:

    • Cypress Council
    • Dana Point Council 4 and 5
    • Irvine Council
    • Laguna Beach Council 
    • La Palma (2 chosen, 1 left)
    • RSM
    • San Clemente (long and short-term races
    • Santa Ana 3 (Villegas’s seat, waiting to check financial statements)
    • Seal Beach 2
    • Stanton 4

Note: We know that this post is huge and laden with chatty analysis.  If you want just our picks, go to our faster-loading list of picks, and just return to this page just when you want our detailed analysis!  (But you can also stay here and enjoy our repartee!)

If the first batch of ballots were mailed today [Oct. 5], they should start arriving on Tuesday Oct. 6.  (No, the Sample ballots in the voter guides are not ballots.)

When you get them, vote early in person (they won’t be crowded most of the time), early in a drop box, or mail it in as early as you can!  This post, a list of our picks that, when completed will answer most all of your questions, will help!

 

TOP ROW, left to right: Denise Barnes (Anaheim Council 1), Susan Sonne (Buena Park Council 3) above Fred Jung (Fullerton Council 1), Richard Hurt (Aliso Viejo Council), Adam Ereth (Mesa Water District 2, vs. Jim Fisler), Michael Elliott (OC Water District 6, vs. Cathy Green), Karl Seckel (Muni Water District 4 vs. Allan Mansoor); MIDDLE ROW: Beckie Gomez (Tustin City Council), Kenneth Batiste (Anaheim Council 5), Megan Woo Schneider (Muni Water District 7, vs. a Poseidon shill), Samantha Bao Anh Nguyen (endorsements retracted), Robert McVicker (Muni Water District 3, vs. Tyler Diep), Nathan Searles (Rossmoor Services District, against Mad Dr. Jeffrey Barke) above Martin Varona (Orange City Council 2); BOTTOM ROW: Dan Kalmick & Oscar Rodriguez, &Natalie Moser (slate for Huntington Beach City Council) Danett Abbott-Wicker (Orange City Council 3), Eugene Fields (Orange City Council 1, against Arianna Barrios), and Jose Paolo Magcalas (against Lucille Kring!)  We’re sorry that we had to leave off so many good people, but you’ll probably be profiled in our in-depth posts about individual races.

[These are OJB’s endorsements for all of the fall election contests on your ballot.  (It may not be “all” quite yet — partly because some judges races haven’t been posted, partly because we’re not entirely decided — but all will be covered eventually. And, in some contests, no one will be endorsed or we may actually recommend abstaining.)

The way we do this is for at least Vern and Greg to give our separate opinions in these races.  Vern’s endorsements are in Violet; Greg’s are in Green; Ryan’s are in Red   (Get the secret code?)  We also hope to include endorsements from some of our Buddies residing in various areas; their comments will appear in Brown.  We’re adding some of the Lavender Dems Club endorsements (in, what else?) where they inform races where we’re not fixed or united in our endorsements.

There are NO State Supreme Court Justices and local-ish District Appellate judges up for a retention vote this year, and I cannot explain to you why.

FEDERAL

President & (Vice President)

  • Joe Biden (Kamala Harris) (D)
  • Donald Trump (Mike Pence) (R) (inc.)
  • Jo Jorgensen (Spike Cohen) (L)
  • Howie Hawkins (Angela Nicole Walker) (G)
  • Gloria de la Riva (Sunil Freeman) (P&F)
  • “Rocky” De La Fuente Guerra (Kanye West*) (*apparently hasn’t accepted) (AI)

Vern: I’m voting Biden/Harris, but I can understand being unenthusiastic about either of them. In California you can really pick whoever you like best – just NOT TRUMP!!!
Greg: If you can get a swing state voter who wants to vote Green to switch to Biden, vote Green  If not, Biden.  (Be honorable: only get one such voter to agree.)
Ryan: Biden. No option to not vote for Harris, so it is what it is.  Trump has destroyed any principles the GOP had left.  It’s now a cult of personality and loyalty, which is inherently unAmerican.

TOP TWO RUNOFFS

Congress

38th District: Linda Sanchez (i) (D) and Michael Tolar (D)

Greg: I’d vote for the further-left Tolar, who won’t (and because he won’t) win, for reasons to be explained at the (upcoming) link for more complete discussion on these issue.
Vern: Sure, Tolar sounds good, nothing special against Linda…
Ryan: Tolar

39th District: Gil Cisneros (i) (D) and Young Kim (R)

Vern: Gil. Young Kim bad.
Greg: Gil Cisneros all the way.  Young Kim is a pathetic Trumpian liar.
Ryan: Cisneros. CA-39 has gone completely wacky, but the OCGOP needs to stop running Kim.  Nice in person, but she lacks everything the next generation of GOP leaders need but money.

45th District: Katie Porter (i) (D) and Greg Raths (R)

Vern: Katie is the best OC has!!! And Ryan, a whimsical sense of humor and theatricality is NO disqualifier.
Greg: Porter’s unnecessarily acting against accountability in intra-party races tempts me to abstain.  But she’s great — even essential — on financial sector accountability.
Ryan: Raths, Porter lacks seriousness required for a member of Congress. If she wants to be a flapping head pundit, be a flapping head pundit.

46th District: Lou Correa (i) (D) and James Waters (R)

Vern: Skip it. They don’t even give you space to write anyone in. I keep waiting for Lou to not piss me off, and he’s done a few slightly good things this term, but NOW he’s endorsed the unqualified Savrina just to split the Dem vote, deny Batiste the Dem endorsement, help his Repug buddy Faessel win, and stick it to me and Jose. So skip this race and sleep better.
Greg: I would skip this race.  Correa’s bad, but Waters — who will lose — is worse.  A lower margin for Correa, signaling future vulnerability, is a good enough goal to be worth the very very minuscule chance of Waters getting a single term.  (Vern, there’s no write-in because it’s “Top Two” race, what they call “voter nominated.”)

47th District: Alan Lowenthal (i) D and John Briscoe (R)

Vern: I like Briscoe! HB’s eccentric good-hearted Republican, akin to Denis Fitzgerald without the verbal nastiness. Briscoe taught us how to pay resented fines with all pennies. He deserves Republicans’ votes, and Alan deserves Democrats’ votes.
Greg: Lowenthal.  They’be both good people, but we need Lowenthal in Congress.
Ryan: John Briscoe played a critical role in the ethics crisis at the Anaheim Republican Assembly a few years ago. He did the right thing and is an ethical person.

48th District: Harley Rouda (i) (D) and Michelle Steel (R)

Vern: Ugh, Steel is the worst the OC GOP has to offer, and can’t form a sentence to boot. Harley’s really good if you think of him as a reasonable Republican and the best HB and Newport can do for now. I WISH there would be a debate, but they won’t let Steel make a spectacle of herself that way. 🙁
Greg: Rouda.  Steel’s an awful dimwit puppet who appointed Mad Doctor Barke to help mangle our Covid response.
Ryan: Michelle Steel’s gross contempt for her constituents while on the Board of Supervisors, including her illegal constraining of public comment, disqualifies her for Congress.
Lavender Dems like Rouda — their sole Congressional race endorsement.

49th District: Mike Levin (i) (D) and Brian Maryott (R)

Vern: Yeah, Mike has been better than we expected, but he still won’t talk to me because us Applegaters were so rough on him in 2018. Hey though, didn’t he promise his constituents to put the TCA on a leash? What happened with that?
Greg: Levin.  He has been a surprisingly pleasant surprise.  But we Applegaters can’t forget his sitting around doing nothing while Doug lost in 2016.  So if we can shunt that aside, he should be able to as well.
Ryan: No comment.

State Senator 

29th District: Ling-Ling Chang (i) (R) and Josh Newman (D)

Vern: We need Democrat Senators like Josh, he’s more honest than the vast majority of ’em. Ling Ling is pretty worthless.
Greg: Newman. Chang is no Moorlach: she’s a shameless liar and a puppet for wealthy interests.
Ryan: Newman will/can get things done for his constituents when he wins. I hope he appreciates the consequences of putting his party first. 

37th District: John Moorlach (i) (R) and Dave Min (D)

Vern: John is my good buddy (who always takes my calls) and I haven’t met Min.  John has embraced a few goofy-ass causes lately, like anti-vax and Covid conspiracies… but he’s the best of the Republicans, and, not believing in a one-party state, I’d hate to lose him.
Greg: I’d sit this out unless Min convinced me he’s not another Daly.  I’m not scared of Moorlach remaining in the seat; he’s no Ling-Ling, and in the Senate he’s in semi-isolation.
Ryan: Moorlach.  If the OCGOP had 12 more of this guy, it might actually have a future.  Currently the best thing the party has going.

55th District: Phillip Chen (i) (R) and Andrew Rodriguez (D)

Greg:   Rodriguez.  Chen’s campaign has been disingenuous and disgusting.
Vern: No pinche idea. I assume I’d agree more with the Democrat. Especially if Chen has been “disingenuous and disgusting.”
Ryan: Chen.  Fellow Friar, sorry Greg.
Lavender Dems like Rodriguez, despite Chen being a Friar.

65th District: Sharon Quirk-Silva (i) (D) and Cynthia Thacker (R)

Vern: Big SQS fan here, another good, old friend who listens. The GOP is down to throwing sacrificial lambs at her like they did to Loretta. Agree with Ryan she should take on POBAR, and it’d be nice if she finally spoke out clearly against Poseidon (which IS a Fullerton/Anaheim issue, Sharon!) She really went the extra mile for Rancho La Paz seniors this year. Who was the other one again?
Greg: Overly Cautious Quirk-Silva has now become a bolder leader.  She’ll win without overtime this year.
Ryan: SQS.  Knows her district, moderate, brings home the bacon.  Really hope, perhaps false hope, that she’ll finally take on POBAR during her next term.

68th District: Steven Choi (i) (R) and Melissa Fox (D)

Vern: Fox and her hubby are old friends of ours, and I admire their independence, progressive bent, good sense, and good sense of humor. Time to retire the mumbling klepto Choi.
Greg: Fox, based on her legislative record.  Much more at the link (to come).
Ryan: Choi, but I have a lot of respect for Fox taking on her own party.  If she wins, I hope the trend of doing what’s right continues. (Edit after a conversation with a close friend, who I trust implicitly.)
Lavender Dems like Fox.

69th District: Tom Daly (i) (D) and Jon Paul White (R)

Greg: I’d sit it out.  Daly is worse than nothing, but White is worse than Daly.
Vern: Daly HAS been worse than nothing, but he has been pretty outspoken and eloquent against the Angels deal. This principled position would mean a lot more if he withdrew his endorsement for the crooked Steve Faessel and strongly endorsed Kenneth Batiste. If he does THAT… I’ll vote for him and tell everyone else to. (Not that it matters to him, his seat is as safe as Lou’s.)
Ryan: Daly’s strong opposition to Anaheim’s stadium sale earned some respect — but he put all those people in office. Culpability isn’t absolved based on one issue.

72nd District: Diedre Nguyen (D) and Janet Nguyen (R)

Vern: Diedre rocks – HELL YEAH! Ugh, Janet? I’d forgotten she was back. DOUBLE THE DIEDRE!
Greg: Diedre Nguyen is among the brightest new faces of this cycle.  Janet, one of the bleakest of any cycle. 
Ryan: I know nothing about Diedre.  Vote Diedre.

73rd District: Laurie Davies (R) and Scott Rhinehart (D)

Greg: If I voted, it would be for Rhinehart — but I’m not sure I’d vote.  (Wait for the longer piece, Vern!)
Vern: I like Scott, what I know of him… why the lack of enthusiasm, Greg?
Ryan: No comment.
Lavender Dems, unsurprisingly, like Rhinehart.

74th District: Cottie Petrie-Norris (D) and Diane Dixon (R)

Vern: Have yet to see Cottie do anything impressive. Does that come in the second term?
Greg: Cottie.  She gets crap for not being a leftie, but frankly her district doesn’t allow it.
Ryan: No comment

COUNTY EXECUTIVE 

County Supervisor Runoff 

District 1: Andrew Do (i) vs. Sergio Contreras

Vern: I’m afraid Sergio is a captive of the worst unions, the building trades and teamsters, which is why he loves Poseidon. This conflictedness and bad judgment will follow him onto the Board regarding many issues. The Dem’s not so great and Do’s not the worst either, although Ryan makes a good point.  It’s impossible to get excited about this race. It’s sad how bad our choices generally have been in the Supe races. And… shit, I guess that’s it for Supes.
Greg: I’m conflicted, but the activists in this district say to vote Sergio, so OK.  If he approves Poseidon, he’ll have a short career there.
Ryan: Contreras.  Do lacks the ethical spine required to check the rest of the board.  His support of the Supervisors pissing on the Brown Act is abhorrent.

EDUCATION

Community College Districts

North Orange County Community College District

Trustee Area 2

Incumbent Ed Lopez won without opposition.  Vern: And yay for Ed!

Trustee Area 4

  • Miguel Alvarez, Businessman/Education Administrator
  • Evangelina Rea Rosales, Community College Professor

Greg: Alvarez.  I’m deferring here to the hard work of the Berniecrat delegates who vetted him.
Vern: Sounds good!

Trustee Area 5

  • Dave Garcia-Gomez. Analyst/Professor/SBO
  • Jacqueline Rodarte. Incumbent

Greg: Rodarte deserves another term.  NOCCCD is a well-run system.
Vern: Jackie’s good, and helping with the Batiste campaign and the Sidhu recall.  Though I wish she’d answer her phone more.
Ryan: Rodarte does not deserve another term.  The constant stream of bonds and stadium building from NOCCCD is a giant flipping of the bird to taxpayers.

Trustee Area 7

  • Ryan Bent (i)
  • Keri Kropke

Greg: Kropke.  Kropke was bravely and controversially pro-BLM while on the Brea-Olinda School Board. I trust her to protect and promote student welfare.

Coast Community College District

Trustee Area 2

  • Tony Bui, Engineer
  • Jerry Patterson (i)
  • Long Pham, Retired Nuclear Engineer

Greg: Long Pham.  He was on OCBOE, while Patterson’s been here far too long.
Vern: I like that idea! Long’s a good guy who helped with the noble  but unsuccessful Westminster recall, and Jerry is way too old and union-controlled. Oh shit I probably made a buncha friends mad, oh well.

Trustee Area 3

Incumbent Lorraine Prinsky won unopposed.  Vern: Yay Lorraine!

Trustee Area 4

  • Mary L Hornbuckle (i)
  • Michael B Collier, Business Manager

Greg: Hornbuckle has done a good job and works well with Prinsky.
Vern: I guess I’ll buckle to the pressure and toot the horn for Mary.

Rancho Santiago Community College District

Trustee Area 1

Incumbent Zeke Hernandez won unopposed. Vern: Ugh. The dude is bad news.

Trustee Area 3

(Became vacant after Nelida Mendoza resigned.)

  • Sal Tinajero, Educator/Businessowner
  • Mike Gonzalez, Public Safety Consultant

Greg: Tinajero, who had long been the most impressive Santa Ana Council member.
Vern: Agree, adelante con Sal!

Trustee Area 5

(Incumbent Claudia Alvarez did not run)

  • Brett Elliott Franklin, Orange County Businessman
  • David Crockett, Affordable Healthcare Manager
  • Samuel Ulloa, Business Owner

Greg:  I’m still reviewing whether Crockett or Ulloa has the better chance to win.  DPOC endorsed Crockett, so while I like Ulloa too, he’s probably the better bet.
Vern: I’ll say Ulloa because the candidates who hold forth intelligently and entertainingly on our blog comments are the candidates who deserve to win!

Trustee Area 7

(Incumbent Arianna Barrios did not run)  Vern: And good riddance to that professional klepto shill and Kris Murray associate. Oh whoops I probably made her husband Brian mad, who used to sorta be my friend.

  • Tina Arias Miller, Community College Director
  • Loretta Sanchez, University Educator/Businesswoman

Greg: Arias Miller is highly qualified.  Loretta, in contrast, is just highly thirsty.  (Run against Rep. Devin Nunes, Loretta!  We’ll endorse you there!  But here, it’s  Miller time!)
Vern: Bottoms up!

South Orange County Community College District

Trustee Area 1

  • Helen Locke, Retired Administrative Manager
  • Carolyn Inmon, Retired Teacher
  • Aarti Kaushal, Teacher/City Commissioner
  • Matt Waid, Student Conduct Investigator

Vern: And I’m supposed to know something about this?
Greg: Well, that’s why we do research!  According to Roy Bauer at Dissent, Locke is a crony of a poisonous charter school advocate named Mathur, so she’s out.  Inmon did a good job on Irvine’s School Board and is DPOC and (Roy guesses) teacher’s union endorsed.  Kaushal talks about over two decades as an activist promoting student interests.  Waid was a little weaker, but still seemed acceptable.  Inmon’s more likely to win, but personally I think Kaushal new things to the table.  But, I’ve finally settled on Inmon.  So: Inmon > Kaushal > Waid > Kaushal >Locke.  UPDATED 10/25:  Oof!  Just received a photo where Aarti proudly displays an endorsement by Harry Sidhu.  I have duly demoted her one rank.  Make it simple: vote for Inmon.

Trustee Area 3

Incumbent Barbara Jay won without opposition. Vern: Golf clap.

Trustee Area 6

  • Ryan Dack, Educator
  • James Wright, Incumbent

Greg: I endorse Dack.  He didn’t put in a candidate statement, but what he wrote in a comment below after I challenged him on his qualifications was quite satisfying.

Trustee Area 7

  • Mo Entezampour, College Professor
  • Sean Gawne, Retired Training Manager
  • Tim Jemal, Incumbent

Greg: Tim Jemal’s record seems solid.  The other two seem, respectively, liquid and gas.  Go with the incumbent.  (Gawne in particular sounds weird.)

Union High School Districts

Anaheim Union High School District

Trustee Area 3

Incumbent Katherine Smith won without opposition.
Vern: Wow, I assume she’s back in good health? Good for that eccentric, lovable old warhorse.

Greg: Dunno, but I hope so.  Nice lady.

Trustee Area 4

Incumbent Brian O’Neal won without opposition

Fullerton Joint Union High School District

Trustee Area 2

Incumbent Joanne Fawley won without opposition.

Trustee Area 3

Vicki Calhoun won without opposition.
Vern: Now THAT is good news – our education boards have been severely lacking in Red Hot Chili Peppers backup vocalists!

Huntington Beach Union High School District

  • Saul Lankster, Criminal Justice Professor
  • Spencer Hagaman, Small Business Owner
  • Susan Henry (i)
  • Christine Hernandez, Student Engagement Director
  • Michael Simons (i)
  • Claudia Ramos, Community Volunteer

Greg: The first two are the most impressive: Hagaman and Lankster.

Unified (K-12) School Districts

Brea Olinda Unified School District

Trustee Area 2

Deana Miller won without opposition.

Trustee Area 3

Paul Ruiz won my district without opposition.

Trustee Area 5

  • Lauren Barnes
  • Gail Lyons (i)

Greg: Barnes.  I compared Barnes’s candidate statement with Lyons’s district site biography.  Lyons seems fine, but Barnes seemed dynamic and focused on STEM education, which I like.  

Ryan: From what I understand, parents are happy with BOUSD.  Parent satisfaction is usually a good indicator for incumbents, but I could be wrong.

Capistrano Unified School District

Trustee Area 1

Incumbent Amy Hanacek won without opposition.

Trustee Area 2

Pamela Braunstein, Small Business Owner

Jim Reardon (i)

Greg: Braunstein, because Reardon is the guy Vern hates.  And he has some really bad endorsements.
Vern: Yeah I just remember bad things about him vaguely… a voter from down there has been urging me to write another piece about him like I apparently did four years ago. There’s always a slate of crazed anti-public-education zealots down there; they were pretty much defeated 10 years ago (with my help!) and he is part of that crowd.

Trustee Area 3

  • Sue Hill, Retired Realty Salesperson
  • Adrienne Silva, Businessowner/Behavior Analyst
  • Lisa Davis, Businessowner/Parent

Greg: I liked them all, but found each slightly troubling, and even after most of an hour’s research, I couldn’t even rule anyone out.  So read their candidate statements on the ROV’s site yourself and look for endorsements elsewhere.  Sorry.

Trustee Area 5

  • Paul Hebbard, Certified Public Accountant
  • Jasmine Funes, Adjunct Professor
  • Krista Castellanos, Appointed Incumbent

Greg: I like both Castellanos and Funes, but Castellanos seems more effective of a reformer.  Hebberd does not seem like a good choice for a school board.

Garden Grove Unified School District

Trustee Area 1

  • Nicholas Dibs, Teacher/Non-Profit CEO
  • Terri Rocco, (i)

Greg: I am conflicted out of commenting on this race.  Read their candidate statements.

Trustee Area 3

Incumbent Walter Muneton won without opposition. Vern: Great, good guy, I understand!

Trustee Area 5

  • Samantha Bao Anh Nguyen, City Commisioner/Businesswoman
  • Dina Nguyen, School Boardmember/Attorney
  • Patrick Cahill, Martial-Arts Instructor

Greg: First of all, not Dina…
Vern: I recently met Cahill, very young, energetic, idealistic, an eager supporter and organizer of OC’s BLM protests. Not sure what his expertise is in education.
Greg: Hmmm.  Well, he has the DPOC endorsement, and I still can’t get over Samantha running for OC Water District Board without knowing what Poseidon is, so … Cahill!

Irvine Unified School District

Trustee Area 1

Incumbent Laura Brooks won without opposition.

Trustee Area 3

  • Douglas Euper, Teacher/Parent
  • Bethany Huang, Student/Tutor
  • Cyril Yu, Deputy District Attorney
  • Sidney Wu, City of Irvine Commissioner/Parent

Greg: I’d love to recommend Yu, but I can’t.  I see no good alternative to Yu — certainly not Sidney Wu –but I can’t endorse him due to his role in the unethical disqualifications of Judge Thomas Goethals from handling any criminal cases after the “snitch scandal,” which he has never adequately addressed.  Yu presumably did what he did — including not contradicting Rackauckas henchwoman Susan Kang Schoeder’s implausible assertion that there was no guidance for Deputy DAs about whether to reject Goethals as their trial judge — for the benefits Racky’s support could provide him in his future political career (as so many did.)  So I can’t support him for any office until he lives up to what I believe is his own natural inclination and comes clean.  Maybe students suffer for that.  Sometimes accountability hurts.  

Trustee Area 4

Newcomer Scott Fayette was elected without opposition.

Trustee Area 5

  • Paul Bokota (i)
  • Demetra Arvanitidis, Pediatrician/Parent

Greg: Bokota.  He’s served well and Arvanitidis has some bad associations. 

Laguna Beach Unified School District (3 seats)

  • Howard Hills, Constitutional Lawyer/author
  • Kelly Osborne, Community Volunteer
  • Sheri Morgan, Business Owner
  • Jan Vickers (i)
  • Amy Kramer, Business Owner

Greg:  After checking everyone out, I’ll go along with DPOC’s choices Vickers and Osborne.  NOT loony Howard Hills.  Literally flip a coin re Morgan and Kramer.

Los Alamitos Unified School District

Trustee Area 2

  • Paurvi Trivedi, Parent/Project Manager
  • Chris Forehan, Retired School Principal
  • Jody Roubanis, Professor

Greg: Trivedi seems best.

Trustee Area 4

No one filed for this seat, leading to an appointment.  Voters dodged a bullet here.

Trustee Area 5

  • Meg Cutuli (i)
  • Matt Filler, Retired Systems Engineer

Greg: Cutuli is experienced, moderate, and deserves to be retained.  Not sure what Filler brings to this position besides inexperience and a Cornell MBA.

Newport-Mesa Unified School District

Trustee Area 1

  • Leah Ersoylu, Business Owner/Parent
  • Vicki Snell (i)

Greg: Ersolyu.  Snell looks fine, but Ersolyu looks very impressive. 

Trustee Area 3

  • Charles Kent Booker, Business Owner
  • Carol Crane, Retired Educator

Greg: Crane’s a longtime teacher with good ideas.  Booker is a longtime coach.  Coaching is cool, but….

Trustee Area 6

  • Alexis Zavouris, Communications Engagement Associate
  • Amy Peters, Businesswoman/Parent
  • Xeno Ralf Muller II, Private Music Instructor
  • Krista Weigand, Businesswoman/Parent/Coach

Greg: Amy Peters looks best by quite a bit.  Zavouris is a distant second.

Orange Unified School District

Trustee Area 2

  • John Ortega (i)
  • Tiger Kennedy Cosmos, Technology Instructor/Parent

Greg: Tiger seems good.
Vern: Didn’t he piss you off when he commented here, and you thought it was a fake name? Yeah Tiger seems good.
Greg: As if I’d remember a specific incident of being pissed off by something someone wrote in comments….  No, he does seem good.  Plus, Ortega seems not-good.

Trustee Area 3

  • Ana Page, Educator/Non-Profit Director
  • Alexia Deligianni-Brydges (i)

Greg: Research completed.  I’m for Ana Page.

Trustee Area 6

  • Angie Schlueter-Rumsey, Orange County Teacher/Parent
  • Alex Muñoz, Website Designer
  • April Braswell, Business Consultant/Instructor
  • Carrie Lundell, Parent/Business Owner

(Greg: I’m supporting Carrie Lundell, with a maximum level of approval, but I happened to read her material last, and if you need more than just my say so, then keep reading for my account as I went through each of the above in order.  Let’s just say that this was an hour well-spent.)

OK: Democrats didn’t endorse; Republicans endorsed Angie Schlueter-Rumsey, but I won’t hold that against her.  She has endorsements from right-wingers and is clearly shilling for the charter school industry, calling to “provide educational options for students” and “allow parents more choices when it comes to the education of their children” without ever using the word “Charter.”  (And I will hold that against her!)  She says that she’s taught in OC schools for 20 years, so I looked her up: she’s taught at Salem Lutheran School since 1997.  Not mentioning that little fact is beyond not candid, when running for a public school officer — it’s bordering on dishonest.  I came across a letter in a Foothills paper by Michelle Weisenberg of Orange that was disturbing; I’ll put the whole thing here for now and then move it and link to it when we finish our page for contests in Orange:

Angie Schlueter-Rumsey claimed to be a “teacher in Orange County” who sent her children to “local Orange County schools” and herself graduated from “local Orange County schools.” Voters need to scrutinize these statements. Schlueter-Rumsey fails to tell voters that her experience is exclusively limited to local private schools. She attended private schools, sent her kids to private schools, and has only ever taught in private schools. While voters are free to choose that experience over a public school experience, it is critical that voters know what they are voting for. In addition, Schlueter-Rumsey is endorsed by the current OUSD board members whose votes were clearly pre-determined by substantial donations from an outside political action committee (and persons associated with it) who are committed to defunding our public schools by diverting funds to private schools. Their December vote will potentially drain OUSD of nearly $15 million over the next five years.

I believe that to be a trustee of a public school district, you should be a solid supporter of public schools, which this candidate shows no evidence of doing. 

This November, let’s make sure the people we elect to our OUSD public school board actually support public schools and their students, not those supported or funded by radicals trying to push a political agenda. 

So who if anyone can beat this Angie?  Alex Muñoz didn’t even put up a ballot statement.  April Braswell is a well-educated life coach who teaches some community college classes and — since we’re apparently getting parochial about things — is involved with both Mariner’s Church and the Trinity of Orange Episcopal Church.  She wants to teach children cursive and focus on top-college admissions, so conservatives who actually favor public schools may prefer her to Angie S-R.  Finally, I moved on with muted hopes to Carrie Lundell — whose statement — which I’ll also move to our Orange page is up — reads thusly:

Quality public education directly contributes to the economic and cultural health of our community. For 13 years, this belief has driven me to volunteer in Orange Unified schools, serving as a PTA and PTO president, running coach, classroom assistant, and art teacher.  At the district level, I have served with teachers, parents, and other stakeholders to review curriculum and have regularly engaged in school board meetings. My work has earned me the formal endorsement of our teachers and the support of many community
organizations, volunteers, and families.

As a parent to three current OUSD students and one recent graduate, I believe parents must have a voice in their children’s education. As your board member, I will welcome the voices of parents, students, and community members as we work together to ensure every OUSD student has access to a quality education in a safe, equitable, and innovative learning environment.

I will bring what I have learned as the co-founder of a successful business to the Orange Unified School Board. We built our business on the concepts of community, collaboration, and creativity. Investing in our local community yields countless benefits, collaborating with others leverages our strengths, and creativity is the ultimate problem solver. OUSD needs leadership committed to building community trust, collaborating without partisanship, and finding creative solutions in our ever-changing circumstances.

As a small-business owner, I know fiscal responsibility is crucial to the success of any organization. I will work to ensure our district funds are used in ways that directly contribute to the success of our students and that the budget reflects our community values.

As we work to permanently return our kids to the classroom, we must address their emotional and physical health, the lost learning and friendship opportunities, and the growing educational gaps that have been exacerbated by a global health crisis. As your board member, these concerns will inform the decisions I make for our children.

It’s more important than ever for the Orange Unified community to embody the word unified.” I am committed to being a bridgebuilder, bringing our community together to give our kids a brighter future.

It would be an honor to have your vote for our kids, our community,
and the future of OUSD.

Oh my God — that’s amazing, beautiful, compelling!  I think that I want Carrie Lundell (link is to her campaign site) to win this race so badly that I may have just ruptured my spleen.  And her endorsements, which I read after deciding to endorse her, include mainstream Democrats like Lou Correa and John Hanna to the existing (at least one Republican, if I recall correctly) Trustees Kathy Moffett, Kris Erickson, and Andrea Yamasaki, and many more.  So I guess that this is a race between her and the “hide the fact that I want to sack the public schools” candidate; I hope that the public school district’s voters choose wisely!

Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District

Trustee Area 1

  • Paoling Guo, Public School Principal
  • Eric Padget (i)
  • Shawn Youngblood, Firefighter/Educator

Greg: Padget deserves re-election.  Guo seems nice, but she’s not going to beat the unpleasant seeming Youngblood, while Padget can.

Trustee Area 2

  1. Marilyn Anderson, Community Volunteer
  2. Joshua Correa, Community Advocate/Minister
  3. Lashé Rodriguez, Supervisor’s Chief

Greg: It turns out that there’s quite a story here.  Marilyn Anderson is a hard-core social conservative — as in, I don’t think that Ryan would like her — and is the GOP pick.  Correa is a mild-mannered minister who seems nice and involved in supporting public education — but he includes some language at the end of his ballot statement that sounds like it could be dog-whistles to impede state curriculum requirements on cultural diversity and inclusion … but it might not be. Rodriguez is the Chief of Staff for Supervisor Doug Chaffee and has institutional support from Democrats who wouldn’t want to fail to support his interests, but her “qualifications” for a school board position seem to be that she’s was the oldest of four in a Black/Latino household and she taught her sibs a lot.  So her pitch is essentially that she’s a woman of color with connections, which doesn’t portend well, but if she can handle the sort of job she has she’ll probably do ok. 

I’ve been thinking about supporting Correa for one main reason, though: his candidate statement says that he has the endorsement of Board President Carrie Buck, who is excellent, and who I would not think would steer us wrong.  But I still wanted to see whether these were dog whistles, so I reached out through an intermediary — and was told that Buck has not endorsed anyone.  What she had done was to wish Correa good luck with his campaign, which he took as an endorsement, and by the time he discovered that it wasn’t it was impossible for him to change the statement.  (To his credit, he apparently did try.)

So at this point — without rancor towards Correa — it doesn’t look like he has what I’d consider a legitimate claim on the race.  It looks like a race between the party endorsed candidates, Rodriguez and Anderson — and I’ll go for Rodriguez.  But, like Buck, I wish Correa well — and I hope that he clarifies his positions on the sort of issues implicitly raised at the end of his statement, so that he can either own them or not be plagued by readers’ misinterpretation of them.  If you are conservative but not aggressively nasty about it, or antagonistic to public schools, Correa might well suit you. 

Trustee Area 3

  • Leandra Blades, Retired Police Officer
  • Mike Nicosia, Software Engineer
  • Susan Metcalf, Educator
  • Misty Janssen, Marine Corps Reservist

Greg: Janssen, who has amazing amounts of support from all over the map.  Damn, I’d meant to put her into the cover photo!  And the more I learn about Blades, the worse she sounds.

Saddleback Valley Unified School District

Trustee Area 2

  • Tricia Yee, Businesswoman
  • Edward Wong, (i)

Greg: Research complete.  Stick with Wong.

Trustee Area 3

Incumbent Suzie Swartz won without opposition.

Trustee Area 4

  • Amanda Morrell (i)
  • Benjamin Yu, Businessman

Greg: Research complete.  Stick with Morrell.

Santa Ana Unified School District

  • Alfonso Alvarez (i)
  • Cecilia Aguinaga, Housing Commissioner/Businessowner
  • Carolyn Torres (i)
  • Judith Carrillo, Health Education Advocate
  • Oscar Reyes, Businessman/Coach
  • Rigo Rodriguez (i)

Greg: All three incumbents deserve re-election.
Vern: BIG TORRES FAN, and SHE says Torres, Rigo & Alfonso.  OK I guess that is the three incumbents.

Tustin Unified School District

Trustee Area 1

  • Tammie Bullard (i)
  • Kirk Hahn, Research Scientist/Endocrinologist
  • Allyson Damilolas, Parent/Non-Profit Boardmember

Damilolas looks best.

Trustee Area 2

  • James Laird (i)
  • Susan Stocks, Retired Educational Administrator

Stocks look best.  Not impressed with the TUSD incumbents.

Trustee Area 4

Jonathan Stone won without opposition.

Elementary School Districts

Anaheim Elementary School District

Trustee Area 1

Incumbent Jackie Filbeck won without opposition. Vern: Yay Jackie – a friend of the blog!

Trustee Area 3

  • Jose Paolo Magcalas, Incumbent and University Professor
  • Lucille Kring, Anaheim Councilwoman/Businesswoman

Greg: Magcalas, absolutely, without a doubt, over the anti-masker kleptocrat.
Vern: Bury Kring. Then we’re gonna need Paolo to bury Jordan next.
Ryan: Lucille Kring makes poor decisions, unethical decisions, and has a long track record of spite, ignorance, and stupidity.  If that’s what you want for your child, by all means, vote for her.

Buena Park School District

Trustee Area 3

Incumbent Tharwa Ahmad won without opposition

Trustee Area 4

  • Irene Castaneda, Incumbent
  • Carole Jensen, Community Volunteer

Greg: No ballot statements, no endorsements, but the incumbent seems nice.  Here’s one of the few hits I got on her name:

“This was the right decision at the right time for Buena Park School District,” Board of Education President Irene Castaneda said. “We are so grateful to the community for sharing their concerns and ideas and their understanding of the critical need to make these adjustments, which ensures we can continue to provide the best possible education to the children of Buena Park.”

If you want to oust an incumbent, Ms. Jensen, you’ve got to give people a reason!

Centralia School District

Trustee Area 3

Incumbent Liz Gonzalez won without opposition.

Trustee Area 4

Lamiya Hoque won without opposition.

Cypress School District

Trustee Area A

Incumbent Brian Nakamura won without opposition.

Trustee Area E

Incumbent Candi Kern won without opposition.

Fountain Valley School District  (2 seats open)

  • Jeanne Galindo, Incumbent
  • Steve Schultz, Teacher/Author/Coach
  • Tom Nguyen, Businessman
  • Ian Collins, Incumbent

Greg: I read their statements (as I usually do) before checking partisan endorsements.  All of them were good, but Schultz was the stand-out.  And then I found that he was the sole DPOC endorsed candidate.  For my second choice, Collins seems next best.

Fullerton School District

Trustee Area 2

Incumbent Hilda Sugarman won without opposition.

Trustee Area 5

Leonel Talavera won without opposition.

Huntington Beach City School District

Trustee Area 1

  • Roger Noor, Environmental Consultant
  • Bridget Kaub, Incumbent

Going with Noor.

Trustee Area 3

Incumbent Ann Sullivan won without opposition.

La Habra City School District, Full Term (2 seats open)

  • Ofelia Corona Hanson, Youth Development Director
  • Susan Pritchard, Retired Science Teacher
  • John Dobson, Incumbent

Greg:  Dobson deserves re-election and Hanson would be the better addition to the board.

La Habra City School District, Short Term

Emily Pruitt won without opposition

Lowell Joint School District

Trustee Area 1

Incumbent Melissa Salinas won without opposition.

Magnolia School District

Trustee Area 2, Short Term

Incumbent Connie Martin won without opposition.

Trustee Area 3

Incumbent Barbara Clendineng won without opposition.

Trustee Area 4

Incumbent Nathan Zug won without opposition.
Vern: The Love Anaheim guy! My wife says he’s too close to cops, but there ya go.

Ocean View School District

Incumbents Norm Westwell and Gina Clayton Tarvin both won without opposition
Vern: SATAN AND THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL LIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER EON.

Savanna School District

Incumbents Christie Brown and Christina Karanick both won without opposition.

Westminster School District

Trustee Area 1

  • Angel Ramirez, Information Technology Professional
  • David Johnson, City Commissioner/Businessman

Vern: Well I don’t know anything about Angel, but David is definitely a good guy, the mastermind of the Westminster Recall, and he asked for the OJ endorsement long ago because he knows what KINGMAKERS we are! I’ll do him the favor of linking to his site here, since he’s been advising us on the Sidhu Recall… https://www.vote-david.com/
Greg:  Oh, that David Johnson!  Yeah, let’s endorse him.

Trustee Area 4

Semi-incumbent Frances “The-Thuy” Nguyen wins unopposed.

SPECIAL DISTRICT CONTESTS

Unincorporated Governance

Capistrano Bay Community Services District

  • Yuri Cramer, Housewife/Property Manager
  • William Wiersig, No Ballot Designation
  • Brad Jenkins, Entrepreneur

Greg: No candidate statements.  No paper trail of any kind.  No recommendation.

Emerald Bay Service District

Incumbents John Marconi and Phil De Carion won unopposed.  

Rossmoor Community Services District , Full Term

  • Jeffrey Barke, Appointed Director, Rossmoor Community Services District
  • Joyce Bloom, No Ballot Designation
  • Nathan Searles, Attorney
  • Michael Maynard, Incumbent
  • Tony DeMarco, Incumbent

Greg: Maynard, DeMarco — and Nathan Searles.  NOT Barke!
Vern: BOTH BARKES SUCK!!!!!!

Rossmoor Community Services District , Short Term

Jeffrey Rips won without opposition.

Surfside Colony Community Services District

Incumbent Rudy Lalonde won without opposition.

Three Arch Bay Community Services District

Incumbent Gary Rubel and newcomers Alan Anderson  and Judy Yorke all won without opposition.

Serrano Water District

Division 2

Incumbent Larry Pharris won without opposition.

Division 3

Incumbent Greg Mills won without opposition.

Division 5

Incumbent Jerry Haight won without opposition.

Silverado-Modjeska Recreation and Park District

(Two open seats)

  • Michele Grace Agopian, Silverado Small Businesswoman
  • Julie Morris, Retired Teacher
  • Celeste Goff Veerkamp, Medical Staff Director

Greg: All of their ballot statements sound credible — and similar.  I don’t find any institutional endorsements to rely upon.  Take advantage of the small size of your communities and ask around. 

Sanitary Districts

Costa Mesa Sanitary District

Division 2

  • Brett Eckles, Businessman/Costa Mesa Parent
  • James Ferryman, incumbent

Greg: “A Bubbling Cauldron’s” Geoff West says to stick with Ferryman.  I trust him on this.  (Ferryman appears to be the victim of sabotage in a video that was edited him to look foolish.  Don’t fall for it.)

Division 4

  • Art Perry, incumbent
  • Michelle Figueredo-Wilson, Realtor/Businesswoman

Greg: Art Perry has a good reputation.  Endorsed.

Midway City Sanitary District (Vote for 2)

  • Jamison Power, Westminster School Board Member
  • Chi Charlie Nguyen, Incumbent
  • Tai Do, Councilman/Police Officer
  • Tyler Diep, California State Assemblyman
  • Ashton Roger Kauwe, Corporate Assistant Administrator

Ryan: Not Tyler Diep.
Vern: JAMISON ROCKS!  NOT Tyler “Tomahawk” Diep!
Greg: Two open seats, guys!  Not Chi Charlie, either.  So: Jamison and Tai Do?  Or Jamison and Kauwe?  Or Jamison only and let the other voters figure out the rest?  I’ll go with Power and Do, the easiest to elect.

As this is one of the two Diep races, I’ll leave this campaign finance research here:

02/05/2020 CALIFORNIA LABOR AND BUSINESS ALLIANCE (CLAB), SPONSORED BY BUILDING TRADES, CORRECTIONAL PEACE OFFICERS AND APARTMENT RENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND ENERGY PROVIDERS SUPPORT $78,447.57 PRINTING, DESIGN, DATA AND MAILHOUSE SERVICES FOR MAILERS
02/05/2020 HEALTHCARE AND HOUSING BUSINESS COALITION SUPPORTING TYLER DIEP FOR ASSEMBLY 2020 SUPPORT $77,103.81 WEB

It was the Lyft people spending against him — over a rare good vote — who beat him.  But just look who’s in these two coalitions … with the Building Trades smack in the middle!  One might think that these are strange bedfellows — but not with OC’s Trade Unions!

Sunset Beach Sanitary District, Full Term (3 seats?)

  • David Evans, Appointed Director
  • Graham Hoad, Listed as Director, designation is “Sales Tax Consultant”
  • Jon Regnier, Incumbent
  • John Woods, Incumbent

Re-elect the incumbents.  Are there really four incumbents?

Sunset Beach Sanitary District, Short Term

No one appears to have filed.  Whichever one of the above isn’t the real incumbent could have walked into this seat.  Oh well.

Surfside Colony Storm Water Protection District (2 seats open)

  • Linda Garofalo, Incumbent Appointed-in-Lieu
  • Dave Chamberlin, Real Estate Broker
  • Victor Kriss, Appointed Incumbent

Vern: Wow, I know Linda G… she was the secretary for the church I played, and felonious mayor Dave G.’s first ex-wife. Not sure about her politics OR expertise in Storm Water Protection, but I was always impressed with the way she rolled her eyes whenever her felonious ex-husband was mentioned.
Greg: OK, let’s go with her and Kriss.

Water Districts — Local & Regional

El Toro Water District

Incumbents Jose VergaraMark Monin, and Kay Havens all won without opposition.

Irvine Ranch Water District

Vern: The BEST Water District!

Division 1

Incumbent John Withers has won without opposition.

Division 4

  • Mary Matheis, Incumbent
  • Karen McLaughlin, Water Quality Scientist
  • Aarti Kaushal, Teacher/City Commissioner

John Earl says: McLaughlin!  Greg accepts the recommendation!

Moulton Niguel Water District

Incumbents Richard Fiore, Duane Cave, and Brian Probolsky,  and newcomer Sherry Wanninger, all won without opposition.
Vern: I don’t trust no darn Probolsky.  Greg: Too late, boss….

Santa Margarita Water District

  • Charles Gibson, Incumbent
  • Betty Olson, Incumbent
  • Warren Martin, Environmental Non-Profit Director
  • Frank Ury, Incumbent

Greg:  Bottom line is: 100% of you should vote for Martin, 75% of you should vote for Olson, and 0% of you should vote for Ury or Gibson.  (Follow the procedure found in the section for the South Coast Water District, below.)

Challenger Warren Martin sounds good.  Incumbent Betty Olson sounds impressive. with academic water research credentials.  Incumbent Frank Ury has some reasonable ideas about improving water storage.  But Charles Gibson slips into the very end of the penultimate paragraph of his candidate statement that “I am also working with other water districts and private enterprise in search of new sources of supply, including groundwater recharge and ocean desalination.”  Either he means Poseidon, or if he means Doheny he is too dim to explicitly say that he doesn’t.  (I strongly suspect the former.)  So he’s got to go.  (Some of us can hear dog whistles, Chuck, and you get extra demerits for trying to hide it!)

East Orange County Water District  (Two seats open)

  • John Sears, Incumbent
  • Julio Morales, Municipal Financial Advisor
  • Douglass Davert, Incumbent
  • Noble Alejandro Drakoln, Business Owner/Father

Greg: John Earl endorses Julio Morales.  Vote only for him; let the others fight it out.

Rossmoor/Los Alamitos Area Sewer District, Full Term

Incumbents Van Jew, Jim Bell, and William Poe won their three seats without opposition.

Rossmoor/Los Alamitos Area Sewer District, Short Term

This short-term seat went unfilled; the Board will appoint to the vacancy

Mesa Water District

Division 1

Fred Bockmiller has been re-elected without opposition.

Division 2

  • Adam Ereth, Non-Profit Programs Director
  • Jim Fisler, Incumbent

Greg: Ereth! Then FINALLY we can say: Fisler’s out!
Vern: Down the drain with Fisler! (He used to be a really nasty commenter here called “deadwhitemale” – obsessed with race and gender – until he got ganged up on and outed by a bipartisan gang here.)  John Earl agrees, Ereth.
Ryan: Ereth

Division 3

Marice DePasquale has been re-elected without opposition.

South Coast Water District

  • Douglas Erdman, Incumbent
  • Rick Erkeneff, Incumbent
  • Markus Lenger, Water Innovator
  • Scott Goldman, Environmental Engineer
  • Wayne Rayfield, Incumbent

Greg: Bottom line: Lenger, Erkeneff, and Erdman, in that order — and with weighting: 100%, 75%, 50%. You definitely vote for Lenger.  Then you flip a coin twice.  Also vote for Erkeneff unless you get two tails in a row.  Then also vote for Erdman unless the two coin flips match.  (Or you can use your own judgment, based on what’s written below.  That’s fine too.)

This is the rare district where desalination does not primarily mean Poseidon.  A local site reports: “SCWD is currently pursuing the proposed Doheny Desalination Project in Dana Point. The project would cost $120 million, and the agency is currently struggling to garner partnerships to absorb the costs. If implemented, the Doheny Ocean Desalination Project would provide locally controlled water supply. Currently, SCWD imports 85-100% of its drinking water, causing vulnerability during droughts, supply shortages and potentially during natural disasters.”

Lenger is wary of this desal project and proposes many interesting and innovating alternatives.  He’s in, even if he only ends up being a devil’s advocate on the board.

Scott Goldman — who emphasizes his “established relationships with management and directors of surrounding agencies” is endorsed — in order on his site — by Debbie Neev, Michael Hogan, Brian S. Probolsky, Justin McCusker, Mark Monin, Stephen Dopudja, Richard Gardner, Doug Reinhart, and John Withers.”  Neev is first on the list of people John Earl warned us about! He’s out

Now to the three incumbents.

Erdman never mentions desal at all.  He says that “SCWD has several ongoing projects that would require a significant investment, and directly impact the amount you pay for water & sewer services. Some of these projects may have alternatives that could accomplish the same goals more efficiently with reduced costs. I’ll make sure that SCWD continues to maintain their infrastructure and deliver quality water and sewer services while remaining sensitive to the customer’s pocketbook.  Sounds pretty good to me.

Erkeneff will “support the continued study of the viability of environmentally sensitive, responsible ocean desalination.”  This sounded touchy: I agree with him in principle — which I believe that John Earl does not, at least for now — but it rang warning bells in the present fraught political environment, where Poseidon is still in town and desperately throwing around money to protect its planned ripoff of most of OC.  Then I found out that he’s “vice chairman of the South Orange County Chapter of Surfrider Foundation” — so ok, he’s in, but not with the priority of Lenger.  And you should definitely read this story about why Surfrider is strongly opposed to Poseidon and a plant in LA, but neutral for now on the Doheny plant.

Rayfield wants to continue to “foster cost-saving partnerships with other agencies in developing new local, reliable and cost-effective water sources” and also values environmental protection; if that’s a dog whistle, it’s a subtle one — but it’s probably about Doheny rather than Poseidon.  Still, I’ve soured on people hot to build desal projects, and prefer Erkeneff’s more measured approach

Trabuco Canyon Water District

Incumbents Don Chadd and Stephen Dopudja won unopposed.

Yorba Linda Water District

Incumbent John Wayne Miller and newcomer Trudi Kew Desroches  were elected unopposed.

Water Districts — Larger Ones

Orange County Water District

Division 2

Denis Bilodeau won without opposition, sad to say.

Vern: Will the following reasonably intelligent OCWD members ever do what they know is right and inevitable and give Poseidon their walking papers? Bilodeau, Sarmiento, Zahra.

Division 3

Roger Yoh won without opposition
Vern: And this is GREAT news. (Even though I won’t forget the fact that I had his number years ago and wanted to interview him about Poseidon, and then he cracked during a meeting, “Vern Nelson calls me so often my wife thinks I’m having an affair with him!”)

Division 4

  • Kris Beard, Retired Administrative Manager
  • Tri Ta, Appointed Incumbent
  • Samantha Bao Anh Nguyen, City Commissioner/Businesswoman
  • Tai Do, Councilman/Police Officer
  • Jasmin Carmadella, Small Business Owner

Ryan: Not Ta, unless Ta is anti-Poseidon

Vern: He’s NOT, and he’s corrupt – Vern) 

Greg:  Would Tri Ta be OK?

Vern: No, Greg, TRI TA IS NOT OKAY!  He was installed there by the Poseidon majority! 

Greg: Do we like Samantha Bao Anh Nguyen?  She ran in the recall, which is good, but didn’t do that well, which is bad on a purely practical level.  Is Beard a reliable opponent of a wealthy fire-spitting beast like Poseidon?

John Earl (from off-screen): Kris Beard!

Vern: John Earl says KRIS BEARD!!  

Greg: OK, OK!  Kris Beard.  [Later] OMG, read this: Wisckol says that Samantha said she had never even heard of PoseidonDEFINITELY KRIS BEARD!

Division 6

  • Michael Elliott, Computer Systems Engineer
  • Cathy Green, Incumbent

Greg: Michael Elliot, no matter what!
Vern: GREEN HAS TO GO!  Onward with Elliott!

Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC)

Division 1, Short Term

  • Scott Hupp, Business Owner
  • Fred Smith, Mayor/Business Owner
  • Al Nederhood, Director, Yorba Linda Water District

Vern:  For now John Earl is just saying, NOT NEDERHOOD!

Greg: They all suck.  I’m hoping for a write-in here.  Lacking that, I suspect that Fred Smith probably is the best of the lot. 

Division 3

  • Kathy-Nguyet Pham, Registered Nurse
  • Linda Moulton-Patterson, Businesswoman/Mother
  • Robert McVicker, Water Resources Engineer/Incumbent
  • Tyler Diep, California State Assemblyman

Ryan: Not Diep
Vern: John Earl says LINDA MOULTON-PATTERSON. RETIRE DIEP.
Greg: Yeah, none of us want Diep — but who can beat him?  None of them have filed reports for this race, so I can’t base a decision on the financials.  None of them list endorsements in their candidate statements.  But I think that the candidate statements do mean something.  Here is what McVickers wrote and here is what Linda Moulton-Patterson wrote.  Pham tries to turn this into a position where a medical background is a useful requirement — and it just isn’t.  Diep tries to take credit for wastewater treatment and vector control successes — which is laughable — and says that he wants to “restore some common sense” to MWDOC; I have no idea what he means, unless it is support for Poseidon.  Moulton-Patterson has a nice background, including a stint on the Coast Commission  — though her being union connected Jerry Patterson’s wife and business partner leaves me worried about her truly being anti-Poseidon.  She also says that she can bring “fresh new leadership” to MWDOC — without explaining why that is needed.  The statement by McVicker — whom I believe to be anti-Poseidon shows expertise and an appreciation for what the job requires.  And as the incumbent, he seems like a much better bet to beat Diep.  (But read the linked statements yourself and decide!)

Division 4

  • Stacy Lynne Taylor, Water Policy Manager
  • Christopher Ganiere, Architect
  • Karl Seckel, Water District Engineer
  • Allan Mansoor, Councilmember/Orange County Parent
  • Dana Reed, No Ballot Designation

Vern: SECKEL IS GREAT FOR SURE. Vouched for by John Earl  https://www.facebook.com/karlforwater
Greg: Seckel, no doubt.  More good engineers in the Kelly Rowe mode!  (Taylor seems nice, but Poseidon is using her to split the vote against their guy, Mansoor.)

Division 6

Incumbent Jeffrey Thomas won reelection without challenge.

Division 7

  • Megan Yoo Schneider, Incumbent
  • Debbie Neev, Laguna Beach Water Commissioner

Greg: Schneider, without a doubt!  Neev is a Poseidon shill.

Vern: John Earl agrees:  MEGAN YOO SCHNEIDER.

Library Districts

Buena Park Library District

  • Patricia Ganer, Incumbent
  • Dennis Salts, Incumbent
  • Irene Castaneda, Incumbent
  • L. Carole Jensen, Community Volunteer

Greg:  

Ryan: From what I understand, this is a well run District. Incumbents should be fine, but I’m not positive. Fullerton residents should look to create their own district or merge with either BPL or Placentia (preferably the latter). This is the last resort for local libraries and Fullerton’s is in trouble thanks to one horrible current and one horrible former member of council.

Placentia Library District

Incumbent Gayle Carline and newcomers Hilaire Shioura and  Sharon Dahl were elected without opposition.

Santiago Geologic Hazard Abatement District, Full-Term

(Two seats open.)

  • Employee Rights Attorney James Guziak
  • Business Owner Bhavin Patel
  • Appointed Incumbent Craig Schill.

Greg: Guziak is the only one who turned in a candidate statement.  His statement is outstanding, as are his qualifications.  Vote only for Guziak and let the other two battle it out for second place. 

Santiago Geologic Hazard Abatement District, Short Term

Nobody seems to have run.

JUDGES

State Supreme Court Justices

THERE ARE NONE THIS YEAR!

State Intermediate Appellate Court Judges

THERE ARE NONE THIS YEAR!

District Judges

Everything was finalized in March.

BALLOT MEASURES

State Ballot Measures

Proposition 14

Bond measure to increased state stem-cell research funding

Greg: Yes.  See the companion page for this, which is page #2!

Ryan: No. Not a priority given the current state of the budget.

Proposition 15

Removing Prop 13 tax privilege for commercially held office buildings

Greg: Yes.  En garde, Ryan!

Vern YES.

Ryan: No. Prop 13 needs wholesale reform. This is a bad prop, a bad idea, and will torpedo any attempt at realistic and necessary reforms to property tax collection and distribution to cities.

Proposition 16

Reverse ban on affirmative action in State-funded programs

Greg: Yes.  This allows for affirmative action within the scope of U.S. Supreme Court precedent barring hard quotas.  It’s important in contracting — if we can stop giving support to firms with only token or fronting minority/women owners, and diversity truly is critical to good higher education. 

Ryan: No.  Hard no.  There’s a reason quotas are illegal.  Passing this takes a dump on progress and will only inspire massive legal bills to overturn it by SCOTUS.  There are many things we can do to address racial, gender, and socio-economic issues with equity.  This ain’t the way.

Proposition 17

Allow paroled felons to vote 

Greg: Yes

Vern: YES

Ryan: Yes. If you’ve paid your debt to society, then you’ve paid your debt to society.  If you haven’t, then you should be in prison.

Proposition 18

Allow 17-year-olds who will be 18 by general election day to votes in primaries

Greg: Yes.  Competitive primaries don’t elect people, they narrow the choices.  If you’ll get to vote on a final choice, you should be involved in narrowing them down.

Ryan: No.  Either birthdays matter or they don’t.  They do, so this is stupid.

Proposition 19

Changing rules for resetting inheritance taxation of home values

Greg: UPDATE: I’m now a BIG NO.  Heard an ad this morning on KNX-AM while driving and avoiding a KPCC-FM fund drive.  All of the realtor and development interests are pushing it with the pitch that it will help seniors who are displaced by the fires and must fine new homes.  THAT’S NOT THOSE MISCREANTS’ REAL RATIONALE!  Protecting fire victims can easily done by legislation, or possibly even executive order, which would be quite popular. (Was: needs more study; at first blush it seemed reasonable)

Ryan: Agree with Greg, deserves a closer look, but the current rule on property tax base inheritance is way too lopsided and unfair to new homebuyers.

Proposition 20

Re-imposing harsher rules for criminal procedure and punishment

Greg: No

Vern: NO

Ryan: No.

Proposition 21

Increasing the power of cities to impose rent control

Greg: Yes.  En garde again, Ryan!

Vern YES

Ryan: No. If you’re pro-idiocy, that’s a great way to govern.

Proposition 22

Eliminating state law under which app drivers become employees rather than independent contractors

Greg: I like the law that was enacted, not excusing some employees from having to pull their share of the weight — including when it comes to Disability Insurance. Vote NO! (Note, this comment has been corrected.)

Vern:  “Yes on 22” reverts to what the law was BEFORE the controversial 2019 law was passed making gig workers employees.  You vote NO if you APPROVE of that 2019 law as I think Greg does, or if like Ryan you don’t think it’s fair for Uber and Lyft to buy their way out of a “stupid law,” and our friend Ivan who’s a gig worker is also a NO.  Everybody on both sides is mad at me for skipping that one because I was confused.  Now I guess I’m a NO.

Ryan: Absolutely NO. This is just a carve-out to exempt classes of people from a stupid law.  Repeal the stupid law, don’t leave good people without big pockets to defend themselves behind.  

Proposition 23

Requiring kidney dialysis clinics to have supervising medical doctors present

Greg: I’m leaning yes.  These private clinics are immensely profitable — but often not up to grade.  It won’t bankrupt companies to better ensure patient safely.  And the “NO” campaign’s scare tactics are disgusting.  

Vern:  Yes, the ads against it are exactly the kind I don’t trust.

Ryan: I dunno, with teledocs so prevalent now, this deserves another look.  No opinion.

Proposition 24

Expanding power and funding of the state consumer protection agency

Greg: yes   Vern: yes

Ryan: No, doesn’t do its job, don’t give it more power or money.

Proposition 25

Ending use of cash bail in favor of threat assessment

Vern: NO!  I rarely pull out this hoary cliche, but this is a perfect case: “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.”  The ACLU has turned against it, and so have most of my friends who work in justice causes.  As things are, a judge can let you out OR charge bail, and that gives you two possibilities.  This just takes away one of the two possibilities and leaves you at the mercy of one judge, many of whom are DRACONIAN.

Greg: Yes.  Draconian judges can already deny bail.  From an article in The Guardian:

“Senator Bob Hertzberg, co-author of the law, said there would be reviews to ensure the algorithms weren’t biased and noted that the risk assessments were just one tool in determining detention.  Eliminating bail was the “first step” of reform, he added. “We are going to make any and all adjustments to the system to continue to make sure that it’s fair.”

Ryan: For the love of God, yes.  This is a question of reasonableness and data.  If you believe to any degree that Civil Liberties are important, this is a critical “yes” vote.

Local Ballot Measures

(Clicking on the links will give you the full text and a summary of each measure, as well as potentially arguments for and against each

We encourage members of each affected community to offer opinions on these! 

P City of Cypress, Amend City Charter to Update Noticing, Election Procedures, and Process for Filling a Council Vacancy

Greg: Seems OK, though I’m a little leery of the change in public notice requirements.

Q City of Costa Mesa Retail Cannabis Tax and Regulation Measure

Greg: Yes.  The whole Council favors it except for Genis and Mansoor.

S City of Fullerton Community Services, Street Repair, and Emergency Response Measure

Ryan: No. This tax has nothing to do with community services, street repair, or emergency response AND WILL NOT FIX THE ROADS.  Sit down, look at the math, and understand this just kicks the can at your expense.  This is a pension tax and will just make that problem worse.

Greg: Anyone from the yes side is welcome to send a response to me — but then Ryan gets a chance to refute it….

U City of Fullerton Fireworks Ballot Measure

Ryan: No. The idea that Fullerton needs to send police and fire out on patrol for sparklers is stupid. If you like wasting time and money, a yes vote is for you.  

Greg: Leaning no.  I’d want to know more about whether these really cause fires in areas like Fullerton.  Go after the harder-to-pick fruit: cherry bombs and mortars.

V City of Laguna Woods Advisory Measure on Marijuana Dispensaries

Greg: Yes.  This is good news for retirees!

W City of La Habra Cannabis Business Tax/Regulation Ordinance of 2020

Greg: Yes, and I hope that they will deliver east of Palm Dr.

X City of La Habra Citizens Initiative for Preservation of Open Space in La Habra

Greg: Yes.  Coyote Hills advocates like it.

Y City of Los Alamitos Quality of Life, 911 Police Response, Business/Job Protection Measure

Greg: Yes, I’ll trust Tanya Doby’s assessment of Los Al’s situation.

Z City of Newport Beach Addition of Harbor Commission to the Newport Beach City Charter

Greg: No.  The “no” argument to this measure, at the link, seems sound.  How much do I trust Duffy and O’Neil not to be up to something underhanded here?  Not enough to endorse it.

AA City of Orange, The Trails at Santiago Creek Open Space and Residential Project

Greg: I don’t feel strongly about this, but: on balance, Yes.  A developer wants to convert 40 acres of a gravel pit into 128 new low-density homes, in return for which the city gets 52 new acres of open space, completion of a missing section of the Santiago Creek trailway; $3 million for improvements to existing city parks, trails and recreational areas; $4 million to improve the trail and revegetate the greenway onsite; and provide $1 million in traffic improvements by adding a westbound lane at Santiago Canyon Road and a northbound lane on Cannon Street.  Opponents argue that this will increase traffic and perhaps imperil additional lives in an evacuation.  Once this area of the hills opened up, despite the wildfire risk, I don’t see why those who got into a place where people probably shouldn’t live should get to keep others from doing likewise.  (“Forest management,” folks — amirite?)  This is a good package of benefits for the city and at least spreads the wealth of the area to more non-owners.  And, once the houses burn down, it can revert to sand and gravel extraction.    Maybe the residents should buy this land jointly and offer the city and community as good as a deal as the developer has!

BB City of San Clemente, City Council Term Limits

Greg: No recommendation.  I’m not usually fans of term limits, but in some cases (Anaheim, Pulido), I’ve seen why they were necessary.  The problem is that term limits often increase the power of staff, which is already often very high, while eliminating those with the expertise to provide a check on them.  I don’t feel strongly about the issue in this case — and you already know how you feel about term limits.

CC City of Tustin Limited Council Compensation

Yes.  Per state policy for a city of its size, this would be $600/month — or $3000 for the whole batch — for an estimated 80 hours of work apiece per month, starting with those elected in or after 2022.  We do not want a government where only those of ample means can afford to serve. let alone serve diligently.  This is literally a small price for Tustin to pay for better government.  

DD City of Westminster Term Limits

Yes.  I’m not usually fans of term limits — see my comment above on Orange’s BB — but in some cases (Anaheim, Pulido), I’ve seen why they were necessary.  This is another such case.  Westminster’s staff has not been too powerful, and some of the people need to be tossed out of power.

CITY COUNCIL & EXECUTIVES

Aliso Viejo

  • Michael Brown, Business Attorney
  • David Zero, Software Engineer
  • Richard Hurt, Business Owner
  • Mike Munzing, Mayor
  • Max Duncan, Disaster Recovery Professional 949-357-5000
  • Ross Chun, Incumbent
  • Greg J. Williams, Business Owner/Educator
  • Michael Winger, Business Owner

Greg: Richard Hurt and I guess Ross Chun.  I’d be tempted to vote only for Hurt, since Munzing will be strongly favored.  Lavender Dems like Hurt.

Anaheim

District 1

Greg: Barnes.
Ryan: Barnes.
Vern:  At the risk of redunancy, BARNES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (Diaz turns out to be the Klepto Choice here… lotsa stories to tell.  We will be protesting his big Brewery X fundraiser Wednesday.)

District 4

Greg: Republicans who don’t mind kleptocracy should go with Brunette.  I’d go with Randle-Trejo, on electability, but Robbins would be just about as good.  Your ball, Vern!

Vern: Annemarie is my friend & singer, and a fine school board member. She is convinced that she is the most electable, or she would have bowed out. She and Greg have no idea of the bipartisan love of Jeanine in that district dating back to MANY struggles, the width and depth of the Robbins’ grass-roots campaign, and the number of her enthusiastic volunteers. And Jeanine will be by far best on Council as well – she is a walking encyclopedia of Anaheim issues, and she’s TOUGH AS NAILS which is what’s needed now.

NO MENTION OF HOW BAD AVELINO “VENDIDO” VALENCIA WOULD BE? Shit I’ll need to get back here. I could do paragraphs.  Avelino is the KLEPTO candidate for sure. He’s the next Jordan. And if Batiste beats Faessel and Denise stays in office, Avelino is the guy the kleptocracy will be depending on!

District 5

Greg: Batiste.  Quezada shouldn’t be in the race.
Vern: BATISTE of course! Working 24-7 to elect Batiste and recall Sidhu is why I haven’t been on this blog much lately. https://www.facebook.com/batiste4council
Ryan: Not Faessel, so Batiste.  Literally getting told how to vote from the dais by the mayor during a meeting is a disqualifying embarrassment.

BONUS POINT 1: When Kenneth went to the DPOC for endorsement, Dan Chemical Lewisnky said “only if you dissasociate yourself from Vern Nelson.” And did Kenneth tell Dan to pound sand? You know it!
Greg: He must be riled by the competition and criticism.

BONUS POINT 2: The reason Kenneth didn’t get the DPOC endorsement is because spoiler candidate Savrina “Amazeballs” Quezada showed up with the endorsements of Lou Correa and his henchman Claudio Gallegos, both of whom hate me and Jose Moreno. That along with the building trades unions who appear to be taking over the DPOC. This slimy DINOs really want Faessel to win – he supports all their boondoggles that’re good for short-term union jobs but bad for the world.
Greg: That score will eventually be settled.

Brea

Councilmember (2 seats)

  • Tyler Baugh
  • Marty Simonoff, Incumbent
  • Robyn Neufeld
  • Christine Marick, Incumbent

Greg: Definitely Marick.  Probably Neufeld.  If you flip tails three times in a row, then only Marick.

Treasurer (1 seat)

  • Denise Eby
  • Bev Perry

Greg: Brea should stop electing its Treasurer.  Well-connected Perry could prevent that from happening.  I’ll choose Eby and hope that she lacks the clout to prevent it.

Buena Park

District 3

  • Sharon Smith, Small Business Owner
  • Susan Sonne, Buena Park Nonprofit Director
  • Paul Rodriguez, Staff Specialist/Businessman

Greg: Susan Sonne comes highly recommended.
Vern: Susan is great!
Lavender Dems agree!

District 4

  • Donna Varona Sipl, Global Compliance Manager
  • Art Brown (i)

Greg: Donna Varona Sipl.  Art Brown is regressive as Democrats come. He’ll win easily, which makes this a protest vote; I’m fine with that.  If Sipl somehow wins — well, then it must have been time for the changing of the guard.

Costa Mesa

Mayor

  • Wendy Leece, Educator
  • Sandy Genis, Land Planner/Councilwoman
  • Katrina Foley, Incumbent
  • Quentin Pullen, Small Business Owner
  • Al Melone, Retired CPA

I’d vote for Foley.  I still think that she came off as high-handed in her dealings with Genis, and therefore brought much of the grief she has faced upon herself.  But Foley is the most clearly impervious to ever being successfully wooed by the Righeimer faction, which lurks like the spirit of Baron Harkkonen waiting for resurrection.  Leece is a nice person, but I think that this is a two-woman race.
Lavender Dems also like Foley.

District 1  (Has 3 incumbents!)

  • Don Harper, Orange County Business Owner
  • John Stephens, Incumbent
  • Jason Komala, Organizational Change Consultant

Vern: Stephens seems good, but some of my more conservative friends whom I trust say that under Katrina’s Democrat majority Goat Hill is careening toward bankruptcy, with their over-generosity to public employee unions

Greg: John Stephens is good.  If Vern’s concerns are correct, Tom Tait will have to visit and explain the problem to the Council.  

Vern:  They’ll just roll their eyes and call him a Republican.  And then they’ll say “We heard all that from Moorlach already.”  And then they’ll shout, “VOTE MIN!” and start to do some sort of pep squad dance which will include a lot of public employee union people running lights and designing costumes.

Greg I don’t think that Stephens himself is the big problem here, and I don’t see a better alternative.  (If you do, you haven’t suggested it.)  Public employee unions have got to understand that cities can go bankrupt, and the pension obligations are one of the things most likely to make them go bankrupt.  Wealthy interests will enjoy the resulting fire sale of city assets, and THEIR OWN PENSIONER EMPLOYEES are the ones that will suffer.  All their dancing wouldn’t change that.

Lavender Dems like Stephens.

District 2

  • Loren Gameros, Project Coordinator/Parent
  • Gary Parkin, Retired Electrical Engineer
  • Ben Chapman, Property Management Consultant

Greg: Chapman is the GOP endorsed candidate.  Gameros is the Democratic endorsed candidate.  Don’t know much about Parkin, but I think that Costa Mesa could use a Project Coordinator in government more than a Property Management Consultant.  So I lean Gameros, but will come back to this.
Lavender Dems like Gameros.

District 6

  • Hengameh Abraham, Businesswoman/Wellness Coach
  • Jeffrey Harlan, Attorney/Planning Commissioner
  • Jeff Pettis, Nurse Manager
  • Lee Ramos, Retired Businessman

Greg: Turns out to be an easy call: Harlan.
Vern: Not Lee Ramos, I know that much. An acolyte of Riggy and Mansoor. Which is bad.

Cypress (2 seats)

  • Blaze Bhence, Entrepreneur/Business Owner
  • Cole Johnson, College Student
  • David Gersten, Engagement Manager/Father
  • Carrie Katsumata Hayashida, Businesswoman/Educator/Philanthropist
  • Anne Hertz, Non-Profit Executive/Educator
  • Rachel Strong, Business Owner
  • Steve Mauss, Business Executive
  • Frances Marquez, College Professor
  • Jimmy Fuller, Office Manager

Greg: Needs research.  Any Cypriots out there with ideas?  Tentatively, I’d pick Hertz and Marquez

Dana Point

District 4

  • Gary Newkirk, Media Sales/Photographer
  • Mike Frost, Small Business Owner

Greg: Needs research.  Leaning towards Newkirk

District 5

  • Benjamin Tyler Bebee, Insurance Agent
  • Michael Villar, Businessman/Retired Marine

Greg: Needs research.  Villar has the DPOC endorsement.

Fountain Valley (2 seats)

  • Ted Bui, Small Business Owner
  • Cheryl Brothers, Incumbent
  • Mai Khanh Tran, Doctor/Businesswoman
  • Glenn Grandis, Businessman
  • Mary Pham, Retired Medical Worker
  • Tom Nguyen, Fountain Valley Businessman
  • Jim Cunneen, Civil Engineer/Trustee

Vern: Cheryl Brothers was GUS AYERS’ BEST REPUBLICAN FRIEND (in Fountain Valley at least.) So if I still lived there, Brothers it’d be!
Greg: I presume that Brothers will be re-elected even without the OJB vote, but for Gus’s sake I’ll leave a spot open for her.   For the other, I’ll go with that obstinate arrogant jerk Dr. Tran, who needs some political experience.  (She wasn’t that bad, but she should’ve dropped out and run for Supervisor.) 

Fullerton

District 1

  • Andrew Cho, Fullerton Parent/Businessowner
  • Fred Jung, Businessowner/Nonprofit Director

Greg: Jung comes highly recommended.
Vern: Yes, Jung comes highly recommended, from Democrat friends and Green friends to Tony Bushala!
Ryan: Mostly a tossup, but I lean Jung.

District 2

  • Chuck Sargeant, Businessman
  • Nick Dunlap, Fullerton Businessman/Parent
  • Faisal Qazi, Neurologist/Businessman/Parent
  • Mackenzie Chang, Asylum Officer/Teacher

Greg: I like Qazi, who is a great, compassionate, and brilliant guy.
Ryan: Qazi has been nowhere on anything concerning Fullerton and seems to think he can earn a spot on Council by spending other people’s money while not doing any actual work for the community he lives in. Nick Dunlap has a record of a strong and collaborative Commissioner, who is well connected to his community with long-standing ties, and who genuinely cares about the neighborhood he lives in.  His children attend Fullerton Public Schools and he wants his community to succeed.  Nick is a good person who deserves your vote.
Vern: No opinion

District 4

  • Aaruni Thakur, School Boardmember/Attorney
  • Bruce Whitaker, Incumbent

Greg: Thakur is one of our best Dems.  I don’t mind Whitaker on the Council, but Aaruni is great.
Vern: Bruce is a nice guy, but not the conservative/liberatian rebel he used to be;  mostly just sleepy. Aaruni is good, I know him from way back.
Ryan: Thakur should complete the term he was elected to serve and not betray his commitment to the voters and the children’s lives he originally sought to improve.  His willingness to abandon his post for the sake of furthering his career as a politician is embarrassing, dishonest, and emblematic of everything wrong with Fullerton politics. Whitaker has taken heat for his stances that always bias the community’s benefit and never political expediency.  If anyone on the ballot has actually earned a vote based on his incumbency, it’s Bruce Whitaker.  He shouldn’t be forced out of office because a ladder climber showed up waiving a different colored flag.
Lavender Dems like Aaruni

Garden Grove

Mayor

  • Phat Bui, Garden Grove Councilmember/Businessman
  • Donald Taylor, Retired
  • Duy Nguyen, Small Businessman/Banker
  • Steve Jones, Incumbent

Greg: We need to confer with people!  Ask your recall buddies!  One of our commenters recommends Jones.  Is Bui OK, or just his sense of humor?  Is this the Duy with VROC?  Who’s Taylor? 
Vern: I always liked Bui, could be wrong. He helped out with the noble Westminster Recall, and makes hilarious music videos.

District 2

  • John O’Neill, Mayor Pro Tem
  • Julie Diep, Business Owner/Therapist

Greg: I need to know if Diep is related to Tyler.  If so, does she repudiate him?  If No and Yes, I’ll choose her.
Lavendar Dems like this Diep, so until further notice we’ll lean towards her. 

District 5

  • Robert Tucker, Retired Union Representative
  • Stephanie Klopfenstein, Incumbent

Greg: Klopfenstein is deeply conservative.  I remember Tucker from years ago, and from what I can remember he was a decent guy.  So Tucker, pending more investigation.
Vern:  The huge, Little-Saigon-sized KLOPFENSTEIN signs all over Garden Grove are truly disturbing.
Lavender Dems like Tucker.  Or maybe they just hate Klopf.

District 6

  • Huan Nguyen, Retired Engineer
  • Kim Bernice Nguyen, Incumbent

Vern: FUCKIN A KIM BERNICE! I sure wish she was Supervisor.
Greg:  Yah.

Huntington Beach  (3 seats open)

  • Brian Burley, Businessowner/IT Analyst
  • John Briscoe, Governing Board Member Ocean View School District of Orange County
  • Thomas Matthew Laparne, Businessman/Eagle Scout
  • Sonya Green, Small Business Owner
  • Amory Hanson, Historic Resources Boardman
  • Matthew Harper, Huntington Beach Businessman
  • Billy O’Connell, Businessowner/Orange County Commissioner
  • Tito Ortiz, Entrepreneur/Businessman
  • Eric “Silk” Silkenson, Teacher
  • Natalie Moser, Small Business Owner
  • Jeff Morin, Huntington Beach Businessowner/Commissioner
  • Casey McKeon, Businessowner/Finance Commissioner
  • Gracey Van Der Mark, Businessowner/Finance Commissioner
  • Dan Kalmick, Businessowner/City of Huntington Beach Commissioner
  • Oscar Rodriguez, Asset Manager

Greg: Moser, Kalmick, and Rodriguez.  (Was I being too obvious there?)  Tito and Gracey are worst; Harper, Morin, and McKeon next worst (but not “makes the front page!” worst.)  If you’re Republican, you can vote for Briscoe if you must, but you should also vote for two from our endorsed trio!
Vern: Ditto. AND OSCAR IS BEST!
Ryan: Is this Bill O’Connell the Bill O’Connell?  I say Tito Ortiz, because Huntington Beach deserves him.
Vern: This is snark, correct? Like the people who told me they voted for Trump because they hate America and America deserves him.
Greg: Ryan’s too smart for it not to be snark.
PS feom Vern: Ryan Billy O’Connell of HB is not Bill O’Connell the Anaheim hotelier.  Billy is a likeable, rough, kleptocrat and ex-cop hailing from Ireland, but he falls into the klepto crowd too easy and loves Poseidon.  (“Tell me a better solution to our water problems then, Vern, my wee friend!” he has said.)  Also he runs the abused-women-and-children shelter Collette’s House, named after his daughter, which seems to be a good thing.

Irvine (3 Council seats open)

Mayor

  • Luis Huang, Electrical Engineer/Entrepreneur
  • Christina Shea, Appointed Irvine Mayor
  • Katherine Daigle, Nonprofit Director/Businesswoman
  • Farrah Khan, Irvine Councilmember/Businesswoman

Greg: Absent a public comprehensive apology to me from Farrah, I’ll tell Democrats to vote for Huang and Republicans to vote for Daigle; who I think is smarter than my colleagues do.  And very polite!
Vern: I’m a stay out of this, I feel clean not getting too involved in Irvine infighting. But agree with Ryan on Daigle. And Shea is still an illiterate homophobic racist bitch.
Ryan: Katherine Daigle is not mentally qualified for elected office. Not everything Shea does is fantastic, but she takes her job seriously and is a necessary check against the zombie-Agran takeover.
Greg: You keep saying that, but in talking to her about the vets’ cemetery I did not notice mental deficits.  The big mental power she needs is to recognize bnllshit and oppose it.  And even if she were a moron, that should at least make Chumley feel comfortable there.
Lavender Dems are Dems. 

City Council

  • Laura Bratton, Family Manager
  • Larry Agran, Public Interest Attorney
  • Hai Yang Liang, Census Field Manager
  • Anshul Garg, Entrepreneur/Businessman
  • Dylan Green, Graduate Student Researcher
  • John Park, Irvine Commissioner/Businessman
  • Abigail Pole, University Undergraduate Researcher
  • Carrie O’Malley, California District Director
  • Mark Newgent, Retired Army Captain
  • Christina Dillard, Mother/Paralegal Student
  • Mike Carroll, Vice Mayor
  • Tammy Kim, Irvine Commissioner/Educator
  • Lauren Johnson-Norris, Irvine Commissioner/Businesswoman
  • Diana Jiang, Irvine Commissioner/Businesswoman

Vern: DEFINITELY JOHNSON-NORRIS! She’s as good as Melissa, maybe even better. I’d add to the “definitely not,” that Newgent clown. I’ll check with Melissa and Mike who’s next best…
Ryan: I kinda want to see Larry Agran back on Council because that’ll be fun to watch.  That said, if Irvine elects Agran, it deserves every clownish moment that results.
Greg: Definitely Johnson-Norris, probably Tammy Kim — and someone who isn’t Agran, O’Malley, Park, or Carroll.  I need to research more, but so far Hai Yang Liang is intriguing.  I like Newgent and think that he’s not a clown, but the cemetery has receded as an issue and race-relations have grown in importance, so I don’t feel comfortable endorsing him.
Lavender Dems agreed with my two choices.  Then … smh

Laguna Beach

City Council (2 seats open)

  • Larry Nokes, Lawyer
  • Steve Dicterow, Incumbent
  • Ruben Flores, Entrepreneur/Designer/Businessman
  • George Weiss, Retired Business Owner
  • Bob Whalen, Incumbent/Finance Attorney

Greg: Needs research: Probably Whalen and either Nokes or Florez.  Not Dicterow, who needs to go.
Vern: Who the hell knows, haven’t been there in years. (I miss it now I think of it.)
Lavender Dems like George Weiss, who seems 2nd-least liberal.  So there’s that.

City Clerk

  • Mariann Tracy, Executive Assistant
  • Ann Marie McKay, Law Office Manager

Lavender Dems like McKay.  Greg: ok, folks, you can have this one.

Laguna Hills (2 seats open)

  • Janine Heft, Mayor
  • Bill Hunt, Small Business Owner
  • Nick Wood, Business Technology Contractor

Vern: That can’t be THE Bill Hunt, former Sheriff candidate, private investigator, and Arpaio lover? Bushala used to love him (and employ him) I even liked him when he was first rebelling against his boss Sheriff Carona, but he’s too Arpaio-ish for me!
Greg: If he is that Hunt, he’s certainly the one to leave out.    (LATER):  Definitely Wood.  Still checking out the others. (STILL LATER): Yes, it’s that Bill Hunt.  And Heft is, if anything, worse.  We need a write-in to team up with Wood.  Who do we know?  For now, just vote for Wood!

Laguna Niguel (3 seats open)

  • Sherry Astrella, Retired Business Manager
  • Stephanie Oddo, PPE Provider/Mother
  • Rischi Paul Sharma, Laguna Niguel Commissioner/Businessowner
  • Shani Moslehi, Businesswoman/Entrepreneur/Parent
  • John Dhaniwal, Small Business Owner
  • Michael Harvey Fair, Event Security Supervisor
  • Sandy Rains, City Councilwoman/Businessowner
  • Kelly Jennings, Director, Moulton Niguel Water District

Greg: I’ve read all the statements, looked at the endorsements listed there, and made up my mind.

  1. If you are willing to vote for only one candidate, make it Moslehi.
  2. If you want to vote for two, then Moslehi and Oddo
  3. If you want to vote for three, then Moslehi, Oddo and (if you’re anti-development and anti-Air BnB) Astrella.  Lacking preference voting, our system counts your top choice the same as your bottom one, so I’d suggest voting for two.

Laguna Woods (3 seats open)

  • Judith Troutman, Community Volunteer
  • Noel Hatch, Incumbent/Mayor
  • Shari Horne, Incumbent/Mayor Pro Tem
  • Cynthia Conners, Incumbent
  • Kathryn Robbins, Businesswoman

Greg: Retain the incumbents.

La Habra (3 seats open)

  • Rose Espinoza, Councilmember/Executive Director
  • Tim Shaw, Incumbent
  • Steve Simonian, Retired Police Chief
  • Michael Navarro, Life Skills Coach
  • Peter Cruz, Family Engagement Specialist

Greg: Vote only for Espinoza and Cruz.  Haven’t forgiven Shaw, but I presume that he’ll win, and I don’t care much between the others.
Ryan: Tim made a big mistake with his vote on the OC Board of Ed.  Don’t make dumb decisions, Tim.  You’re better than that.
Vern: He’s a loyal Party man. Not good.
Lavender Dems support only Cruz.  Huh?

Lake Forest

District 1

  • Lori Berger, Businesswoman/Traffic Commissioner
  • Nick Tanner, Business Manager
  • Richa Sharma, Businesswoman/Educator
  • Chris McDonald, College Administrator
  • Dough Cirbo, Regional Sales Manager
  • Louise Robertson, Community Volunteer

Greg: Needs research.

District 5

  • Robert Pequeño, Retired Sheriff’s Sergeant
  • Jeannette Nadal, Historian/Writer
  • Larissa Clark, Administrative Assistant
  • Frank Wagoner, Small Business Owner
  • Shane Jones, Parent/Business Owner

Greg: Needs research.

La Palma (3 seats open)

  • April Kamilah Bagasao Bautista, Community Volunteer
  • Debbie Baker, Retired Administrative Assistant
  • Emanuel Aparicio, Accountant
  • Marshall Goodman, Incumbent
  • Taylor H.W. Quan, Resident
  • Mark Waldman, Small Business Owner

Vern: Former Mayor MARSHALL GOODMAN FOR SURE! Great Democrat, young black man and drummer who formerly played with Sublime! I was gonna do a piece about him a while back but … always so busy…
Greg: OK, Goodman.  I’ll add April Kamilah. Then, either Aparicio or Quan.  I’ll do research.
Lavender Dems like April Kamilah &c.   OK, we’ll give this one to them.

Los Alamitos

District 1

  • Dean Grose, Incumbent/Semiretired
  • Tanya Doby, Appointed Incumbent

Vern: GROSE is still around? Dean “Obama loves watermelons” Grose? Gross! He is the worst the OC GOP has to offer. Why don’t some of these fucks just fade away?
Greg: Tanya Doby
Ryan: Tanya Doby.  Too much grandstanding in Los Al, too much division.

District 2

  • Ron Bates, Retired City Manager
  • Kate Hallman, Businesswoman

Greg: Hallman

District 3

Jordan Nefulda was apparently elected unopposed.

Mission Viejo (2 seats open)

  • Ryan Tworek, Business Owner
  • Brian Goodell, Incumbent
  • Jessica Gilbert, VP IT Department
  • Pauline Hale, Real Estate Advisor
  • Steve Sipe, Retired Technology Executive
  • Cathy Schlicht, Businesswoman
  • Michael McConnell, Business Attorney
  • Trish Kelley, Incumbent

Greg: I’ll go with Hale and McConnell
Lavender Dems like Hale

Newport Beach

District 2

  • Brad Avery, Incumbent
  • Nancy Scarbrough, Small Business Owner

Greg: Scarborough

District 5

  • Noah Blom, Newport Beach Business Owner
  • Jeff Herdman, Incumbent

Greg: Herdman

District 7

Incumbent Will O’Neill was elected without opposition.

City of Orange

Mayor

  • Adrienne Gladson, Businesswoman/City Planner
  • Mark Murphy, Incumbent

Vern: I can’t imagine Gladson is any worse than the abysmal Murphy. Probably much better.
Lavender Dems prefer Gladson.
Greg: Yeah, clearly Gladson.

District 1

  • Arianna Barrios, Governing Board Member,
    Rancho Santiago Community College District
  • Eugene Fields, Non-profit Businessman/Educator
  • David Vazquez, City of Orange Commissioner/Educator
  • Christian Vaughan, Detective/Commissioner/Educator

Greg: Eugene Fields; not Barrios, not Vazquez (whom I think may have been Fake Vasquez!)
Vern: Yeah, Fields is really good. Arianna a card-carrying klepto whom I already insulted earlier. These people already have enough money and power.

District 2

  • Caroline Alatorre, Counselor
  • Joe Dumitru, Orange County Firefighter Coordinator
  • Daniel Correa, Planning Consultant
  • Martin Varona, Civil Engineer

Greg: Varona, without question.
Lavender Dems support Varona.

Vern: Yes, Varona is as good as Dumitru is bad. Dumitru, Dean Grose, Lucille Kring… when are these old Republican racists gonna just retire???

District 3

  • Danett Abbott-Wicker, Executive Assistant
  • Mike Alvarez, Mayor Pro Tem
  • John Russo, Businessman/OUSD Employee

Greg: Danett, without question.
Vern: LOVE, LOVE LOVE DANETT! Got to know her when we were working for Thorburn for OCBOE (no, that didn’t go well.)
Lavender Dems concur.

District 5

  • Rick Ledesma, Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District
  • Ana Gutierrez, Educator

Greg prefers Gutierrez

Clerk

Pamela Coleman, Appointed Incumbent

Greg: No opinion; seems foregone.

Treasurer

Richard A Rohm, Incumbent

Greg: No opinion, seems foregone.

Placentia

District 1

  • Devon Gray, Governor’s Policy Advisor
  • Rhonda Shader, Placentia Councilwoman/Businessowner

Greg: probably Gray.
Lavender Dems like Gray
Ryan: Rhonda Shader.  Placentia is the only city in Orange County to actively take a step towards pension reform.  We should reward this necessary boldness, not shy away from it.

District 3

Jeremy B Yamaguchi, Councilmember/Business Owner

Greg: No opinion, seems foregone.

District 5

  • Hilaire Fuji Shioura, Educational Technology Advocate
  • Ward Smith, Placentia City Councilmember

Greg: Probably Shioura

Ryan: Ward Smith.  Placentia is the only city in Orange County to actively take a step towards pension reform.  We should reward this necessary boldness, not shy away from it.

City Clerk

Robert McKinnell, Appointed Incumbent

Greg: No opinion, seems foregone

City Treasurer

Kevin Larson, Incumbent

Greg: No opinion, seems foregone

Rancho Santa Margarita (2 open seats)

  • Tony Beall, Incumbent
  • Julia Bendis, Businesswoman/Author
  • Wendy Braun, Homemaker
  • Glenn Acosta, Director, Trabuco Canyon Water District
  • Carol Gamble, Councilmember/Business Owner
  • Beth Schwartz, Professor/Pastor/Nurse
  • Andrea Machuca, Chef
  • Chris McLaughlin, Technical Support Supervisor
  • John Christopoulos, Planning Commissioner/Businessman

Vern: Not Beall. Even though we apparently went to high school together (he remembers me, he was a year younger so I didn’t notice him.) At a Spitzer party he said “Why did you turn out so mean?” I think HE and his wife are mean. He’s a religious-conservative rightwing extremist.  Also could be categorized as klepto.

PS Is that not enough?  I just remembered he was more recently on the TCA, trying to push the 241 extension into the heart of San Clemente.  NO NO NO BEALL!  Or, here’s easier to remember:  BEALL = ENDALL.
Greg: Needs research, beyond that I agree with no Beall.  If you’re voting before this is updated, support Christopoulos, Machuca, & Schwartz.
Lavender Dems like Christopoulos

San Clemente

City Council, Full-Term (2 seats open)

  • Bill Hart, Software Sales Director
  • Jeff Provance Jr, Small Business Owner
  • Charlie Smith, Corporate Banker
  • Patrick Minnehan, Chief Information Officer
  • Chris Duncan, Homeland Security Prosecutor
  • Joseph Kenney, Small Business Owner
  • Aaron Washington, San Clemente Businessman
  • Jeff Wellman, Healthcare Sales Director
  • Gene James, Incumbent
  • Thor Johnson, Small Business Owner

Greg: Needs research.  Not Fran Sdao’s boy Duncan
Vern: I got plenty of friends down there, I’ll find out. Mayor Ward???

City Council, Short-Term, 1 Seat open

  • Tyler Boden, Local Business Owner
  • George Gregory, Contractor/Businessman
  • Jim Dahl, Retired Fire Captain
  • Jerry Quinlan, Property Manager
  • Donna Vidrine, Nurse/Business Owner
  • Steven Knoblock, Businessman/Hearing Officer
  • Zhen Wu, Architect/Land Planner
  • Laron Rush, Musician/Businessman

Greg: Needs research, though I’ve seen some good things about Vidrine

City Clerk

Joanne Baade, Incumbent

Greg: No opinion, seems foregone

City Treasurer

Mark Taylor, Incumbent

Greg: No opinion, seems foregone

San Juan Capistrano

District 1

Incumbent Sergio Farias won without opposition

District 5

  • John Alpay, Businessman/Educator
  • Howard Hart, Homeland Security Administrator

Vern: I like Alpay, did a good interview with him ten years ago. He used to live in the Talega section of San Clemente back then, musta moved. http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2010/09/capo-recall-the-john-alpay-interview/
Greg: OK, Alpay you the courtesy of agreeing.

Santa Ana

Mayor

  • Claudia Alvarez, Prosecutor/College Trustee
  • Mark I. Lopez, Business Owner
  • Vicente Sarmiento, Santa Ana Councilmember/Businessman
  • Jose Solorio, Council Member/Father
  • Cecilia Iglesias, Educator
  • George Collins, Business Owner

Vern: Sarmiento seems the best of this bunch and a lot of my SA friends are supporting him. Still his wishy-washy Poseidon stance (he now leads the OCWD board) makes me distrustful in two ways: 1) Any politician or policy maker who is both smart and honest would be 100% opposed to this boondoggle and do everything they can to stop it, especially if they’re leading the water board that’s enabling it. And 2) they way he says different things about it depending who he’s talking to. (Supposedly he’s got a secret “poison pill” that’ll keep it from ever happening, bla bla bla…) Still apparently better than the other candidates to be THE FIRST NON-PULIDO SANTA ANA MAYOR THIS MILLENIUM!!!!
Ryan: No one receiving funding from SAPD.  This particular public safety union has serious leadership problems.  [G: That rules out Solorio]
Greg: Despite every activist telling me to endorse Sarmiento.  I’ve said that I wouldn’t until he talks to us directly about Poseidon, so I can judge whether I believe that his pill is really poison.  But now I’ve seen all of the independent expenditures for Solorio — and to hell with it:  I unequivocally endorse Sarmiento — and hope he doesn’t create a horrific legacy for himself by allowing Poseidon through.  (Personally, I live in one of the few areas outside of South County that won’t be stuck with the overpriced bill for it.)
Lavender Dems like Vince

Ward 1

  • Antonio Adame, Entrepreneur/CFO
  • Thomas Anthony Gordon, School Facilities Manager
  • Thai Viet Phan, Planning Commissioner/Attorney
  • Cynthia Contreras, Orange County Probation Coordinator

Greg: Thai Viet Phan.  Gordon is the worst choice.
Vern: Yes, Thai Viet Pham. Though I might come back to this. My friends say she’s very clever and smooth and may have just given me all the answers she knew I wanted to hear, back when she was running to replace Ceci.  (My friend Ivan likes Adame.)
Lavender Dems like Thai Viet

Ryan: No one receiving funding from SAPD.  This particular public safety union has serious leadership problems.  [G: That rules out Contreras]

Ward 3

  • Jessie Lopez, Diversity Development Coordinator
  • Mark McLoughlin, Santa Ana Planning Commissioner
  • Danny Vega, Electrical Engineer
  • Jeffrey Katz, Santa Ana Business Owner
  • Jannelle Welker, Supervisor’s Policy Advisor

Greg: Jessie Lopez.  I’d go grudgingly along with Chaffee’s assistant Welker otherwise, but with Lopez in the race this is a real opportunity.
Vern: Jessie kicks butt, literally and figuratively.  And all my SA friends agree.
Ryan: No one receiving funding from SAPD.  This particular public safety union has serious leadership problems.  [G: That rules out McLoughlin.]

Ward 5

  • Johnathan Ryan Hernandez, Community Health Worker
  • Laura Perez, Property Management Coordinator
  • Vic Mendez, Businessman
  • Juan Villegas, Incumbent/Sheriff Officer

Greg: Needs more research — whoever can beat Villegas.
Ryan: No one receiving funding from SAPD.  This particular public safety union has serious leadership problems.
Greg: Doesn’t look like anyone is, in this race.
Vern: The folks I trust in SA all say Laura Perez.  Except for Ivan who really likes Hernandez.  But Ivan is shouted down mightily on this choice.  There will be a “Zorro” post coming soon about Santa Ana.
Greg: This race has been the topic of a huge desmadre online, where Perez’s proponents make (somewhat perfunctory) accusations that  Hernandez engaged in violent abuse of women and minorities — except I haven’t seen clear evidence of it, and I’ve read the whole “Chicanxs Unidxs” letter that was publishes.  I was prepared to either write this race off — Villegas would be hard to beat in the best of times, or else endorse Mendez, whose website makes him seem quite good.  The guy who we don’t know who posted a link to his choices in our comments said “Hernandez.”  Tentatively, go with that — if you have to vote today!  I’ll look at the financials to make my final choice.
Adding: Before it was taken down from FB, I saw all but the last text exchange offered (against the author’s wishes) as proof that Hernandez had threatened.  I did not see any threat in those first four — and the supposedly damning Chicanx Unidxs letter was underwhelming. We’re gonna lose this race anyway given the split anti-Villegas vote — and I’ve started wondering if one of the candidates is complicit in that result.

Seal Beach

District 2

  • Thomas Moore, Incumbent
  • Carole Damoci, Retired Warehouse Manager

Greg: Needs research.  Probably Damoci

District 4

Schelly Sustarsic, Incumbent, Unopposed but on ballot.

Greg: Seems foregone

Stanton

District 2

  • Hong Alyce Van, Incumbent
  • Dewayne Allen Normand, City of Stanton Commissioner

Greg: Van, no question about it

District 4

  • Josh Estrada Businessman
  • Carole Warren, Incumbent
  • Jeff Jones, Retired Deputy Sheriff

Greg: Not Warren.  Probably Estrada.  Will continue research.
(Note: Vern has received a phone call from a friend disagreeing and supporting Warren.)

Yeah – not a friend, but first Warren’s son called me and then Warren herself, strongly disputing the accusation that she had ever “lied about being a Democrat.”  She sent me all kinds of proof that she’s been an active Democrat at least since Obama’s first election.  She admits she’s friends with the Republican mayor Shawver, but that’s okay.  She seems to be suffering from a lotta shit-talking by former Democrat Kevin Carr, who used to be a friend of this blog but has pretty much gone off the deep end.  I don’t know why Carole’s Democratitude is so important, except that she was accused of lying and we don’t want to endorse a liar.  Doesn’t look like she was lying.  So not having heard anything remarkable about Estrada or Jones, and knowing that Carole Warren is an assiduous OJB reader…

Vern endorses Carole Warren!

Tustin (3 open seats)

  • Kurt Bensworth, Entrepreneur
  • Ryan Gallagher, Tustin Commissioner/Engineer
  • Rebecca “Beckie” Gomez, Orange County Board of Education Trustee
  • Jaime “James” Perez, Real Estate Broker
  • Lee Fink, Businessman/Consumer Advocate
  • Letitia Clark, Incumbent
  • Cristian Cusac, Businessman
  • Jorge Valdes, Business Owner/Attorney
  • Aj Jha, Businessman/Planning Commissioner

Greg: Beckie Gomez, Letitia Clark and Lee Fink.  They need all three to have a Council majority (and maybe to avenge Betty Valencia!)
Vern: concurs and is glad to learn they are all endorsing each other!
Lavender Dems endorse only Beckie.  (Beckie needs to talk to them.)

Villa Park

City Council

Incumbents Vincent Rossini and Robbie Pitts won unopposed.

Vern: Can Rossini compose?
Greg: That’s not a composer, it’s a conductor!  And a politician waving around their outstretched means something very different.

Westminster

District 2

  • Trung Ta, Retired Project Manager
  • Namquan Nguyen, Traffic Commissioner/Businessman
  • Carlos Manzo, Westminster Planning Commissioner

Greg: Needs research and consultation.
Vern: NO IT DOES NOT. MANZO, MANZO, MANZO!
Greg: OK, that counts as consultation!  MannnnZO!

District 3

  • Kimberly Ho, Vice Mayor/Businesswoman
  • Tai Do, Councilman/Police Office

Vern: TAI DO HANDS DOWN. Complete the recall in November!
Greg: I don’t know if Tai Do is OK, but Kim Ho is not.  Do what Vern says.

Yorba Linda

City Council

Incumbents Tara Campbell, Gene Hernandez, and Beth Haney were reelected without opposition

Vern: And thus, not with a bang but a quiet North County whimper, doth our coverage conclude. 

(Greg: Or rather, it will end here, once it’s fully completed!)


About Greg Diamond

Somewhat verbose attorney, semi-disabled and semi-retired, residing in northwest Brea. Occasionally ran for office against jerks who otherwise would have gonr unopposed. Got 45% of the vote against Bob Huff for State Senate in 2012; Josh Newman then won the seat in 2016. In 2014 became the first attorney to challenge OCDA Tony Rackauckas since 2002; Todd Spitzer then won that seat in 2018. Every time he's run against some rotten incumbent, the *next* person to challenge them wins! He's OK with that. Corrupt party hacks hate him. He's OK with that too. He does advise some local campaigns informally and (so far) without compensation. (If that last bit changes, he will declare the interest.) His daughter is a professional campaign treasurer. He doesn't usually know whom she and her firm represent. Whether they do so never influences his endorsements or coverage. (He does have his own strong opinions.) But when he does check campaign finance forms, he is often happily surprised to learn that good candidates he respects often DO hire her firm. (Maybe bad ones are scared off by his relationship with her, but they needn't be.)