Naming names – those who ripped off the people of Orange County

Earlier this week the O.C. Register reported that the O.C. Fair Directors were under scrutiny by the State of California, for blowing thousands of dollars on free concert tickets for their friends and political associates.

The problem with this practice is two-fold. It drives up ticket prices for the rest of us and it limits the number of tickets available to the general public. Even worse, the politicians often took the best seats available. No fair!

I took several hours and transcribed the names of the recipients of these tickets below. Note that I included their party affiliation whenever possible. I found their names on a page set up by the O.C. Register. There were some very familiar names, including:

  • OC GOP Chairman Scott Baugh
  • OC Democratic Party Chairman Frank Barbaro
  • State Senator Lou Correa
  • Red County Magazine Editor Scott Graves
  • State Assemblyman Chuck DeVore
  • OC Supervisor Bill Campbell
  • and Janet Nguyen, back when she was on the Garden Grove City Council

Here’s the deal. I think the OC Fair Directors who participated in these actions should resign, now, from the OC Fair Board. Secondly, all the politicians who took these free tickets should break out their checkbooks and pay back the people of Orange County.

Name

Title/Organization

Party

Adam Probolsky

OC GOP Consultant

Republican

Anthony Zamarron

Assemblyman Chuck Devore, Staff

Republican

Ashley Rodriguez

CCN TV

N/A

Bernadette Medrano

Santa Ana Education Foundation

N/A

Bill Campbell

O.C. Supervisor

Republican

Bob Pacheco

Former State Assemblyman

Republican

Brad Roberts

Avalon South Coast

N/A

Brenda Anaya

Latino Coalition

Republican

Brenda St. Hilarie

4M Strategies

N/A

Carlos Rodriguez

Building Industry Association

Republican

Chris Gonzalez, Esq.

Attorney

N/A

Chris Palmer

Congressman John

Campbell’s staff

Republican

Chuck Devore

State Assemblyman

Republican

Dale Dykema

OC Fair Board Chairman

Republican

Daniel B. McNerney

O.C. Superior Court

N/A

David Ellis

OC Fair Director

Republican

David Padilla

OC Fair Director

Republican

Debbie Carona

OC Fair Director

Republican

Debbie McCall

Cardinal Communications

N/A

David Sparks

OC GOP Volunteer

Republican

Dick Ackerman

State Senator

Republican

Enrique Perez

Orange County Center for International Trade Development

N/A

Erik Weigand

OC GOP

Republican

Frank Barbaro

OC Dem Chairman

Democrat

Fred Armendariz

Associate Deputy Administrator

U.S. Small Business Admin.

Republican

Gary Hayakawa

OC Fair Director

N/A

Gussie Fields

Congressman John

Campbell’s staff

Republican

Homer Bludau

City of Newport Beach

N/A

Janelle Godges

Congressman John

Campbell’s staff

Republican

Janet Nguyen

Garden Grove City Council

Republican

Jason Anderson

Ontario City Council

N/A

Jay Ware

Ware Disposal

N/A

Jeff Ericson

Rancho Santiago Community College District

N/A

Jennifer Cowan

Gov. Arnold

Schwarzenegger’s Staff

Republican

Jennifer Fitzgerald

CLZ Communications

Republican

Jeremy Riley

Lewis Group LLC

Republican

Jim Bieber

OC GOP Consultant

Republican

John Lewis

Ex-State Senator

Republican

Jon Fleischman

CA GOP Vice Chair

Republican

Julie Vandermost

California Women’s

Leadership Association

Republican

Julio Gudino

OC Business Council

N/A

Leslie Duvall

Congressman John

Campbell’s staff

Republican

Lou Correa

State Senator

Democrat

Lou Penrose

Congressman John

Campbell’s staff

Republican

Lucille Kring

City of Anaheim

Republican

Manny Padilla

Lincoln Juarez Opportunity Center

Republican

Mario Rodriguez

Hispanic 100

Republican

Martin Corrales

OC Probation Department

N/A

Mary Jean Duran

Duran Alvarez Solutions

Republican

Mary Johnson

US Postal Service

N/A

Matt Holder

Lewis Group LLC

Republican

Micah Rinaldi

Community Trade & Development Center

N/A

Mike Carona

Ex-Sheriff

Republican

Pat Velasquez

Ex-OC Fair Director

N/A

Paul Garza

Garza Consulting

Democrat

Peggy Haidl

Ex-OC Fair Director

Republican

Phil Yarborough

Rancho Santiago

Community College

District Board of Trustees

Republican

Renato Mora

Disneyland

N/A

Rito Corrales

OC Hispanic Bar Association

N/A

Ruben Franco

O.C. Hispanic Chamber

N/A

Ruben Smith

Ex – OC Fair Director

Democrat

Sarah Franklin

Congressman John

Campbell’s staff

Republican

Scott Baugh

OC GOP Chairman

Republican

Scott Graves

Editor, Red

County Magazine

Republican

Suzanne Ekerling

Gilmore Associates

N/A

Theresa Ynzunza

Natl. Lat. Bus. Women Assoc.

N/A

Todd Spitzer *

Assemblyman

Republican

Todd Theodora

Republicans for a New Majority

Republican

* Spitzer says he repaid the OC Fair for the tickets he received

UPDATE:  Red County Editor Matt “Jubal” Cunningham says these politicians did not do anything wrong – and he admits he went to three concerts at the OC Fair last year. Readers, what do YOU think?


About Admin

"Admin" is just editors Vern Nelson, Greg Diamond, or Ryan Cantor sharing something that they mostly didn't write themselves, but think you should see. Before December 2010, "Admin" may have been former blog owner Art Pedroza.