Who are the ethical politicians in the OC?
Tim Whitacre’s latest move – starting an organization committed to ethical government – has been the talk of the town this week, and it got me thinking about the elected officials in the OC. Who are the electeds that are for good government – those who will stand up against their respective political machines? Who are the elected men and women that we can trust to do what is good for the public, not necessarily what is right for themselves?
We know who the bad guys are. Just look at this week’s headlines! Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido coerced his peers on the City Council to drop a proposed charter change that would have at last brought term limits to Santa Ana, as reported by the OC Register. Larry Agran and his clueless ally, Irvine Mayor Beth Krom, sold their city out to the Chicoms in order to bring more dinero to the Great Pork, as reported in the OC Weekly. Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle recently opted for the Earthlink wi-fi program that will cost his residents $22 each per month, instead of the google.com ad-supported service that would have provided free limited access to those without means, as reported in the OC Register. Coincidentally, Pringle’s compadre, Jeff Flint, just so happens to be a consultant for Earthlink. And Assemblymember Van Tran is mired in a scandal involving his wife.
So who are the OC politicos that we can trust? A few come to mind right away. On the GOP side of the aisle, OC Supervisor John Moorlach stands above all his peers. I would have said the same about his fellow supervisor Chris Norby a year ago, but he endorsed pro-eminent domainers Marty Simonoff and Lynn Daucher in the June primary. I forgive you Chris – but cut it out! Mike McGill, the Cypress Council member who took on pro-union squish Jim Silva for the 67th Assembly District, and Allan Mansoor, the Costa Mesa Council member, braved the OC GOP machine’s wrath by backing Lt. Bill Hunt against the unethical mendigo OC Sheriff Mike Carona. And Assemblymember Bob Huff appears to be on the right track – but I cannot think of any of his peers in the OC GOP legislative delegation that I trust entirely. I had high hopes for Chuck DeVore, but he tanked them by joining Norby on the Daucher bandwagon in the June primary. Norby I’ll forgive due to his long track record and Libertarian leanings; DeVore I won’t.
Any other ethical, inspired OC Republican elected officials? I respect Jim Lacy, of the Dana Point City Council, and Frank Ury, of the Mission Viejo City Council. But they each sipped from the Kool Aid by endorsing Carona this year. They remain however principled electeds who hopefully will learn from their mistake after Carona crashes and burns, presumably when the Jaramillo trial starts. Former Santa Ana City Council member, and current Santa Ana School Board member, Rob Richardson has always been respected by both Republicans and Democrats, and with the exception of his support for fellow Santa Ana School Board member Audrey Noji, he continues to hover above the fray.
What about the Democrats in the OC? The Liberal OC Blog asked who the Democrats are in Whitacre’s new group. That is a good question – but what about the electeds? Sergio Contreras of the Westminster School Board comes to mind. He is a union guy, but he bucked the Westminster Teacher’s Association by backing Kimoanh Nguyen-Lam for the superintendent position at the Westminster School District. That took guts! Tom Daly has never impressed me, but he hired Jean Pasco recently. You have to respect that move! I have crossed swords with Garden Grove City Councilman Mark Rosen in days of yore, but he has excelled as a councilman and he is now a solid candidate to take Lou Correa’s seat on the OC Board of Supervisors. Can anyone think of any other decent elected OC Democrats? I hope our readers will post their thoughts on this.
One Democrat I used to respect, OC Supervisor and soon to be OC State Senator Lou Correa, joined the ranks of the Carona Kool Aid drinkers by accepting a gun and a PSR badge from the Little Sheriff. Say it ain’t so Lou! At least Correa questioned Carona’s actions after the primary, when he went after Lt. Bill Hunt and his allies in the Sheriff’s department. There may be hope for him yet – but he ought to turn in his gun and PSR badge and renounce Carona once and for all.
There have to be more names to add to this list! Post away Orange Juice readers…
Art,
You raise a very important and interesting thread here on ethical behavior of our local elected. I look forward to reading your follow-up comments, however, I have an issue with the limitus test you use here. Most of your judgements hinge on endorsements and who associates with who. This troubles me because the you overlook voting records trends. I am hoping Tim Whitacre develops some sort of voting index that can more evenly measure ethical behavior instead of dividing the ethical local politicians between those that endorsed Carona and that opposed him. Again, thank you for raising this issue and congratulations on your fine work in publishing this blog!
Sorry for the gramatical errors in the previous post.
Thanks for the kind words. I am also hoping that Whitacre will put together something online that will keep us posted on the actions of our electeds. I will be pushing for that at today’s meeting.
I did note a lot of endorsements in my post, but I also cited specific actions that took place this week – involving Pulido, Pringle, Tran, etc. In assessing our electeds we need to look at the whole package – their votes, their endorsements and who gives them dinero.
The bottom line is that we need to hold our electeds accountable. I will not support ANYONE who is in politics to advance himself or herself. Their job is the public good – period. It is time to hold their feet to the fire!
Partisanship serves no good, but scrutiny sheds light on these cucarachas. Time to upgrade our flashlights to those new high-powered LEDs…
Art, I just posted my own list here.
I would add Rudy Bermudez, Joe Dunn, and Loretta Sanchez to the list.
Art,
I appreciate the plug. Modesty prevents me from commenting further(although I may quote you in an election brochure for supervisor!)
At the risk of offending people I don’t mention, one person you should look at is Carolyn Cavecche of the city of Orange. Carolyn is in line to become the next chair of OCTA if she wins her campaign for mayor this year. Carolyn regularly asks tough questions of staff at OCTA meetings, and she’s bright, friendly, and an independent thinker (even if she is a conservative Republican). She’d be a good candidate for Bill Campbell’s seat for supervisor in six years if she hangs around that long.
Mark Rosen
G.G. City Council
Art,
You are such a hypocrite. You cite Rosen but he sold out to the Unions when he opposed Wal Mart and gave his cops a raise without a ceiling.
Wendy Pham
Norby lost his credibility to me when he seconded a motion that put three initiatives on last November’s ballot. He then went on to campaign against all three of them.
If he had integrity he has long since lost it.
Art,
You made some valid points. I think everyone should hold the elected officials accountable. Both Democrat and Republican. There are some Dems out there that need to be put in check just as much as some Reps.
Mike,
Nice follow-up post at your blog! It is indeed frustrating that we cannot think of more decent politicos. This is something we need to spend some time on.
When this country was founded, there were so many great leaders – where are the great leaders now? It seems like most of today’s politicos are out to enrich themselves and their amigos. Public servants should serve the public, period.
Ethics in government?
What is that and does it have any meaning?
Maybe what is needed is an out of country commission to try lapses of integrity.
Are there any Birchers around, or free masons?
Well, I have to say I really can have no respect for anyone who backed Sheriff Carona in this last election after what he has done to Lt.Bill Hunt and the Deputies who endorsed him.
I know for one huge fact that John Moorlach, OC Treasurer did endorse Sheriff Carona. If Moorlach was to come out and say something against what the Sheriff is doing then maybe I would think twice but he has not. So no respect from me yet Moorlach until you do come out against what Sheriff Carona is doing to the office of our Sheriff/Coroner office
Art,
Ethical Poltician??
Now thats an Oxymoron!
Art:
Like the forst commenter said, this is an exceedingly shallow and subjective definition of “ethical” politicians.
The post would be more accurately titled “local politicians who endorsed Carona and are ipso facto unethical” or “local politicians I don’t like and are ipso facto unethical.”
And how do you square blasting Jim Silva as a “pro-union squish” with your gushing over Mark Rosen, who just voted to require that Garden Grove PD always be one of the county’s top six paid departments — regardless?
Actually, the first commenter didn’t call your post an exceedingly shallow and subjective definition of what an “ethical” politician is.
And one more thing, Art:
Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle recently opted for the Earthlink wi-fi program that will cost his residents $22 each per month, instead of the google.com ad-supported service that would have provided free limited access to those without means, as reported in the OC Register.
You maydisagree with the agreement Anaheim negotiated with Earthlink, but “unethicla”? It causes me to wonder if you have any idea what the word even means. It’s a pretty serious chartge to throw at someone, yet you toss it around like a darts in a pub tournament.
I know what unethical means, and if Curt Pringle has buddies that are going to profit from the earthlink relationship, I think that’s pretty unethical.
Anaheim had the opportunity to give residents a more affordable wi-fi, but went with earthlink. That sounds shady to me.
Mike,
Thanks for answering one of Jubal’s questions. You are exactly right. Earthlink hires Pringles right-hand guy, Jeff Flint, and surprise, Anaheim goes with Earthlink for their wi-fi service. Ignoring the google.com free alternative in the process. That is what appears to be unethical.
Do not be surprised now if you see this earthlink deal shopped to Santa Ana and Irvine, where Pringle’s allies Pulido and Agran reside. It will be criminal if Santa Ana does not at least consider the google.com offering. Free access to the Internet would be incredible for the poor people in my city.
Jubal.
I am not unaware of Rosen’s vote re the Garden Grove P.D. but it is ridiculous to compare that to Silva’s pension vote, or his PLA vote. The city of Garden Grove has a real problem in terms of recruiting police officers, and they have a crime problem as well. That is a bad mix.
I am not sure that I would have made the same decision as Rosen, but he had access to information that you and I don’t.
The point I am making about Rosen is that I don’t think he is in public office to serve his own needs or to give jobs to his friends.
I have been told repeatedly by many GOP insiders that they like Silva because he does what he is told to do, for the most part. Perhaps his problem is less one of ethics and more one of being an unintelligent acolyte to the OC GOP machine…
Jubal,
Lastly, you have focused on the endorsement issue while ignoring the specific examples I cited of unethical behavior, save for the Earthlink issue, where you succeeded completely in missing my point.
Rather than go over all those examples again, let me instead summarize what I believe to be unethical behavior in politicians.
They are public servants, but the unethical politicos serve themselves instead of serving the public. They hire their friends and enrich them by giving them contracts. They endorse unsavory unethical people like the Little Sheriff, when there are better candidates available. They lie to us about their intentions. They accept campaign contributions with major strings attached. Need I go on?
The problem is a systemic one. Because of term limits in Sacramento, there is an endless churn of new legislators developed from the ranks of local office-holders. Their ranks are in turn replenished from the masses of city commissioners. That is where the problem begins.
Crooked people buy their way into commissions, and then become council members when their patrons move on to Sacramento. Once seated on the councils, they go about collecting favors and money, and paying back the people that got them elected. They become thoroughly unethical and then go to Sacramento. There they get even worse as they mingle with lobbyists and consultants and then it is off to DC to continue the entire sordid chain of unethical behavior.
The Duke Cunninghams of the world are not the exception Jubal – they are just the top of the iceberg…why do you think they are all angry about the investigation of the Democrat in Louisiana who hid his ill-gotten money in a freezer? There but for the grace of God goes most of them!
Man, I see Jubal’S prints all over the place. Is that not the guy who ran Mike Carona so called Election? I sure know for a fact that Mike (Jubal) is running Ed Royce in my 40th District Campaign also. So that makes me wonder just how Ethical Ed Royce is. I sure know Mike Carona campaign manager was not ethical at all.
At least anyone that went to the Republican endorsing meeting saw just how nasty Mike really is. What is wrong with paying First Responders what that are owed? I sure do not see you putting your rear end out there Jubal!
I guess everyone who is so big on the war must have forgotten what you like to push down our throats all the time huh? You go on it every election. Our Freedom? Get them first on their own soil?
Jubal you want to touch on First Responders sit back and remember who ran into those building first POLICE!!!! & FIRE!!!!!!!!!
Then I want to see you go fight the war and maybe then, and only then, can you have a say so on how much anyone one of Military, Police, Fire, can get paid!
Karen A Finn
I am a First Responders Wife you were slaming.
Art, Mike:
For two guys who know absolutely nothing about how the Earthlink agreement came about, you both show no compunction about jumping to conclusions aqnd smearing people.
And you two are pontificating about who’s unethical?
Mike is a liberal, so I expect he’d want government to force a private company to provide a service to the poor for free — but when did you become a socialist , Art?
And who is going to buy the poor the lap tops, so they can enjoy the citywide WiFi? Force another mandate on Earthlink, who can pass it on to their non-poor customers? Make Anaheim taxpayers foot the bill?
I am not sure that I would have made the same decision as Rosen, but he had access to information that you and I don’t.
Art, Yoiu are soooo understanding about Rosen and a government union, yet you blast Curt Pringle and Jeff Flint as unethical despite the fact they have “access to information you don’t.”
Face it, Art: your animus toward Curt Pringle is so trong you would lambaste the Ten Commandments if Curt had been the one to bring them down from Sinai.
Karen:
Man, I see Jubal’S prints all over the place. Is that not the guy who ran Mike Carona so called Election?
No, I was not.
I sure know for a fact that Mike (Jubal) is running Ed Royce in my 40th District Campaign also.
That’s news to me, because my name is Matt, not Mike, and I have nothing to to with Ed’s campaign.
As for the rest of your post, Karen: police and fire perform a job that is necessary and proper — it is one of local government most fundamental functions. The possibility of being maimed or killed is inherent in the job, and I respect those who do the job knowing that, and their willingness to risk their lives on the public’s behalf.
At the same time, they volunteered for those jobs. People line up to get a firefighters job because it offers a combination of pay, time off and pension/retirement benefits they can’t find in the private sector.
What is wrong with paying First Responders what that are owed?
Nowadays, it seems as if that amount is determined by the public safety unions. And to assert that only active or retired public safety personnel should be allowed to criticize union demands is unAmerican.
All government employees work for the taxpayers, and taxpayers have every right to make judgments on their compensation packages without being shouted down by a “we save your liuves so you have to give us anything we want” attitude.
Jubal,
Perhaps your coffee this morning was too weak. Let’s try again. Earthlink hired Flint. Who used to work for Pringle. Then Anaheim went with Earthlink when Google had a better idea. Tell me again how that appears ethical?
By the way, the Wall Street Journal published an article about the Google wi-fi deal and surprise, is is two-tiered. You can pay for faster service that is not ad-driven. But the beauty of it is that the poor get to go online for free.
Now the issue of computers is a real one, but you can buy a laptop from Dell for less than $30 a month. Problem solved. Many businesses also are eager to get rid of old computers, which cost a lot to dispose of. How about refurbishing them and giving them to the poor?
I am no socialist Jubal, but helping the poor to get online access will make a huge difference for their children. I know that my kids have a big advantage because they can use the Internet for research on their school projects. (I have software that blocks porn and myspace.com, so I don’t worry about that problem).
Jubal,
Now you are comparing Pringle to Moses? Give me a break! Pringle and his ilk remind me of some Biblical characters, but I am thinking of the money changers and merchants that Jesus tossed out of a temple…or Nero and Pontius Pilate.
Art:
I’m disappointed in you — you are deliberately missing the point I was making with that illustration: you are reflexively critical of anything Curt Pringle is involved in because it is Curt Pringle.
And FYI, Art — I wasn’t comparing Curt to Moses. What’s more, you’re smart enought o know that.
On the other hand, you are glibly and wrongly comparing Curt Pringle to some pretty despicable individuals — and that is despicable in itself. So to have to read you pontificate about who is unethical and who isn’t is too much to stomach.
And the personal poisonous of your last comment, Art, simply rpoves my point.
Jubal,
Too much to stomach? Now you know how I feel about Pringle. I suppose he has some redeeming qualities, but none that I am aware of.
By the way, the point of this discussion is not whom I think is ethical, but rather starting a conversation about whom we all, respectively, find to be ethical, in the realm of the OC electeds. I just got the ball rolling, but my real interest lies in reading what others have to say about this.
Art:
Are you incapable of responding to my points? And so quick to smear the characters of others (and on the basisi of little or no information)?
And if this posts is not about who is unethical/ethicla, then why did you title it so?
Jubal,
It would appear that we are attempting to communicate in two vastly different strains of English. This post is about ethical/unethical politicos in the OC, but I am less interested in what I think about this and eager instead to read what others think. I think it is a conversation worth having.
As for Pringle, I apologize for yanking your chain and getting you so worked up. Of course I don’t think he is a despot, but by the same token I think that the democracy established by our Founding Fathers bears very little resemblance to that practiced by Pringle.
Art:
That’s a dodge. You have filled the comments section with your opinions. Now, when aksed to back them up or defend them, you’re trying to pivot the discussion in a different direction.
And as long as you’re dragging the Founding Fathers into this, how does the GG PD pay packahe Rosen agreed to square with how the Founders practiced democracy?
Jubal,
Didn’t George Washington spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to pay the soldiers he recruited during the Revolutionary War? And as our first President he had to figure out how to maintain a military.
I am not going to waste time defending Rosen – I’ll let him do that, but if we are to err when talking about government employees, we should do so when it comes to our policemen and fire fighters. Yes, their unions get greedy from time to time, but that means we need expert politicos to deal with them.
BTW, I am trying to figure out what points I have dodged, but I am coming up empty.
Finally, I am always happy to present my own opinions, and have done so in this thread, but I remain more interested in hearing from our readers. Perhaps we will on Monday, when we average three times as many readers as we do on Sunday.
As for now, I am off to the Long Beach Aquarium with my family. Have a good Sunday Jubal, with yours.
Have fun, Art.
When you get back, try re-reading my comments and your responses, and you might see what you haven’t answered.
But pleeease don’t compare Goe. Washington tryiong to find a way to pay his troops to how public safety unions wield their influence to induce councilmembers to raid the public treasury on their behalf. They are not even remotely the same thing.
And as our first President he had to figure out how to maintain a military.
If you remember your history, we barely had a military in those days. Standing armies were regarded with great suspicion, to put it mildly. And I doubt it would have occurred to Pres. Washington to ask Congress to require that the U.S. military always be among the top six in the world in terms of pay.
OK – Art & Jubal need a time out.
You wanted some ethical local politicians? I can start with Rose Espinoza in La Habra and KimOanh Nguyen-Lam of GG USD. They are true public servants. My biases extend to John Hanna and Larry Labrado at Rancho Santiago, Bonnie Castry in HBUHSD and others who I hope won’t get their knickers in a knot for not being mentioned.
denmother,
Thanks! That’s what I was looking for. I would add Phil Yarbrough from the Rancho Santiago Community College Board of Trustees.
what do you know about Phillip yarbrough?
he stole $20,000 from my Mom
Jubal,
I have read over your comments. I believe I have responded to each one. If not, please be more specific.
And let us remember that George Washington railed against the political parties, calling them the “worst enemy” of popular government. Now I know what he was talking about. However, today’s problems go beyond our political parties. Our public servants no longer serve the public first, and that is the root of the issue…
I would also add to the names of ethical elected leaders Mr. Larry Dick of the MWD of OC water board. Larry is a gentleman and a scholar.
How the heck did I forget Rosie Espinoza???
You got me thinking, and I’ve got nothing but good things to say about Larry Caballaro who ran unsuccesfully for Harman’s State Senate seat. If you never serve a day in office but you ran, are you still a politician?
Mike,
I think that we do need to consider candidates – more importantly we need to encourage ethical candidates to run for office.
Currently most candidates are recruited by special interests, partisan machines, or by their own selfish natures. Too few run for the right reasons.
Jubal,
Yes. You are right I meant to say MARK!!!!! But you do serve at the pleasure of Ed Royce now. I never heard you deny Skippy either!
But can you spare me the cut and paste of your words Jubal.. 🙂
Can you type Jubal? Is there anything you can do without cutting and pasting Jubal?
It seems to me since I read your blogs and you kick people off all the time for speaking their first amendment rights, why do you kick people off?
I know for a fact that you are one of those unethical people, since you dish it out here but surely cannot take it on your own turf there. Jubal if you want to answer this First responder Wife then you better think long and hard because when I come back, I come back fast and without cut pasting..
PS You have no clue what Pers means or what it means to lay your life on the line everyday so spare me Jubal. If you used to serve in the Military then you should be ashamed of even wanting to touch pensions on Police or Fire, or better than that the men and women over seas RIGHT NOW!
First Responders Wife.
Love your Blog, Art
Karen:
Are you OK?
Wi-Fi is access to the gateway. People still need a computer or Internet machine, the know-how and most importantly, the interest.
Art – I took my brother-in-law’s three kids and my newborn daughter to the LB Aquarium on Sat. It was hot and crowded but the kids had a blast touching the rays and sharks in the outdoors pools.
[The Duke Cunninghams of the world are not the exception…] I first met Duke Cunningham–the ace pilot/Congressman–in 1987 while he commanded the Navy’s Top Gun squadron. He was selling his self-published memoirs at an airshow which was unethical since he was on duty and wearing his uniform (a flight suit). He was cheesy then…
[And I doubt it would have occurred to Pres. Washington to ask Congress to require that the U.S. military always be among the top six in the world in terms of pay.] The U.S. military pay scale is #1 the world, bar none. No other country has a vast retirement system or VA to match. Yet military pay and retirement aren’t even close to those of “first responders.”
Let’s include former OC rep. Darryl Issa. He was only charged with grand theft 15 times but never convicted. He was even charged when he was 35 with GT. No convictions mean he is and was an innocent man set up by the cops. I support Con. Issa as the OC’s most honest pol.