Strange times in Garden Grove. Apparently Councilman Mark Rosen tried to push through a pay raise for the council members at their last city council meeting. What’s up with that? I am surprised by that move. Rosen doesn’t generally make such mistakes. To make matters worse, all of the council members, except for Janet Nguyen and outgoing member Harry Krebs, went on a junket to Atlanta recently to visit some kind of rollercoaster conference pertaining to an amusement park association. Huh? Even councilman Mark Leyes went on the trip – even though he will be termed off the council in December. I didn’t realize there was an amusement park in Garden Grove.
I also heard this week that Assemblyman Van Tran is interested in running for Lou Correa’s seat on the OC Board of Supervisors. We have been down this road before. Tran was going to run for the 34th State Senate District earlier this year until he suddenly pulled out, even though he accepted thousands of dollars from contributors who wanted to back his State Senate campaign. I wish he would just make up his mind and either announce a campaign or back one of the already announced candidates. I also think he owes it to the voters who just elected him to represent them in the 68th Assembly District to finish his term.
Perhaps there is something in the water in Garden Grove…time to switch to bottled water. I wonder if Al Snook and Benny Diaz will be joining Rosen, Nguyen and perhaps Tran in announcing for Correa’s seat?
I doubt that Van will run. I also doubt that he will back one of the announced candidates. I have no doubt that there will be more candidates – better candidates.
Funny, I haven’t heard Van Tran say anything about the BOS. He would make a great candidate. Just because you here a rumor or gossip doesn’t mean the candidate is involved in that rumor.
Why would Van Tran run for BOS? He just ran a campaign to be re-elected to the Assembly. The BOS job pays about the same as does the Assembly position. However, Van gets $153 per day per diem to live in his house in Elk Grove. He couldn
The Mark Leyes thing pisses me off. These are the same folks that brag about their “hiring freeze” that would make the jobs of hardworking Garden Grove City employees more difficult by not immediately replacing employees that have retired, quit, or have been fired. “We have to pinch pennies,” they tell us.
And then the next week they give the most generous Golden Handshake that I’ve ever seen to City Manager George Tindall.
They like headlines that say “Garden Grove Council is frugal” but they don’t like being frugal.
Leyes is happy to boast his disapproval of the Council raise, but then he’s sitting in first-class on his way to this convention.
Hypocrisy.
For the record, Janet and Krebs were not part of the council when they made the Tindall decision.
Paul,
You are forgetting about some important facts. The Supervisors also make $$$ on regional boards. OCTA, Sanitation District, 2 Toll Road Boards, AQMD, and others. The San district gig pays $2,000 per month. But most importantly it keeps Van in Sanchez
Mark Leyes is gonna need a lot of food stamps to keep that fiscally conservative figure of his.
Anonymous 11/19/2006 9:05 PM:
Good points. Maybe Van Tran will run for BOS. That should make for an interesting race. Mark Rosen and Van Tran former council mates running against eachother for BOS along with Bustamante and who knows who else. I bet Long Pham Van’s primary opponent may mull a run for BOS just to be a thorn in Tran’s side. Dont count out Bruce Broadwater either. I heard from a pajarito some time ago that Bruce was mulling for a leap from council to BOS. But I also heard from another credible source he wants to take Bill Dalton’s seat as Mayor. Very fun city to watch and live in Garden Grove is.