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?
and Janet Nguyen, back when she was on the Garden Grove City Council
Hate to burst your bubble, Art – but SUPERVISOR Janet Nguyen was at plenty of OC Fair concerts last summer. I went to three shows, and I think I saw her at every one of them, right up front. Andrew Do was there, and Janet’s sister.
Matt/Jubal,
I just spent several hours going through the O.C. Register’s database of people that received these tickets. They noted Janet as a Garden Grove Council Woman. Make of that what you will.
BTW, how do you know she did not buy the tickets for the shows you saw her at?
And, lastly, it is funny you would even chime in given that YOUR boss, Scott Graves, is on the list, and so is the Supervisor who put you on a County Commission, Bill Campbell. How do we know that these guys did not bring you along to a show or two? Maybe they had you park their cars?
Jay Ware?
Looks like some of Judy’s contributions are helping the family get “da kind” concert tickets.
Art:
the list only shows who tickets were given to — not who the recipients brought along.
I notice your still avoiding the issue of your idol making use of the tickets.
So what if Scott is on the list? This is a tempest in a teapot.
Matt/Jubal,
Are you engaging in some late night crack? I am not avoiding anything. I included Janet on the list. And I named her in my comments that appear before the list. How am I avoiding this?
This is no tempest in a teapot. Folks are pissed off about this. The lot of you are going to pay. I am sorry Janet is on the list. She will come to regret accepting free tickets from David Padilla.
These tickets were not free. We the taxpayers got screwed while the politicians had fun at our expense. That you don’t see this is exactly what I would expect of you.
This whole story would be a lot more interesting if you told us what concerts were attended by which politicos? Was Supervisor Janet Nguyen shaking her grove thang at a Weird Al Yankovic show or was it a Shakira concert?
#6,
Go to the Register link I provided where the data is available. There you will find that Scott Baugh is a Psychedelic Furs fan. Who knew?
This is no tempest in a teapot. Folks are pissed off about this. The lot of you are going to pay.
Oh calm down. Janet didn’t do anything wrong. Neither did any other recipient of tickets.
Keep on huffing and puffing and making threats if it makes you feel better. It’s not like anyone really cares what you think.
Matt/Jubal,
That attitude is going to get you ripped on the John and Ken show again.
These politicians drove up prices for everyone else. They took away the best seats from the public. And they hurt OC Fair profits, which likewise hurt the taxpayers. And you say they did nothing wrong?
BTW, you admit to going to three shows. Again I ask you, did you pay for those tickets?
If an employee at the ticket booth was handing out free tickets to their friends and family and was caught.
It would be jail time and restitution.
The board members take (steal?) hundreds of thousands of dollars of tickets and what do you call that? A perk?
What a bunch of bull, either indict them for theft for taking the tickets or tax evasion for not paying taxes on this compensation.
Will Ssmeone who has the governors ear say something to him so he can FIRE the entire board and start fresh.
And I agree with Art, all the politicians who took these free tickets should pay back the cost/value.
cook,
Thanks for your insight. Great point! It is amazing, and disconcerting, to read what Matt has to say. I hope the rest of this bunch is not as tone deaf. They should be sending in those checks this week!
Note that Spitzer already did so. He is not stupid. I think he saw this train wreck coming…
First off Art the “politicians” did not steal any tickets.
The Fairboard members and former fairboard members receive a certain amount of tickets to dole out to the fair and concerts. It is also the fairboards policy to give elected officials tickets. I myself have been to the fair quite a few times with these tickets and dont worry we still spend $300 in 10 minutes even though we got into the fair saving $10 per person. AND a few years ago went to the Wierd Al show…it was great.
The elected’s and others did nothing wrong, if the fairboard changes its policy – fine, but as it stands today this is/was a fairboard decision.
Sorry your gal Janet did not give you any of her tickets. Dont you remember the story last year that she gave a bunch away to kids….those were some of her FREE tickets and she was on the board my dear.
back when jubal started oc blog he was nice. now as “red county” he’s an arrogant ass. keep annoying him art!
flowerszzz,
You are mixing apples and oranges. The issue here is not tickets to get into the fair. It is concert tickets that were worth a lot of money.
BTW, I paid for my tickets to the fair last year, even though Bernadette Medrano offered me free tickets.
I wonder which one of the names on the list is you?
That attitude is going to get you ripped on the John and Ken show again.
Oooooh. Like I care what those two frauds think.
Again I ask you, did you pay for those tickets?
What do you mean, “Again I ask you?”
No, they were free. You may now return to faux populist blowhard mode.
And the key fact missing from Cook’s lame “what if” analogy is that the directors are not employees.
Be that as it may, you are being hypocritical if you are not also upset about the tickets to get into the fair free, the parking passes etc. The concert tickets are about 4 entry tickets to the fair.
Again I state the people on the list above (lol I am not on the list Arturo) did nothing wrong nor did they steal anything. This is a Fairboard policy period.
*Unreal….please people there are
really other big fish to fry…and
Concert Tickets to the Orange County Fair…..are not what you
might call “Felony Scalping at the
Super Bowl”.
First off, have any of you fine, fair people (no pun intended)…
ever attended one of the Concert
events at the Fair? They have
about three rows in front for VIP’s
so the Big Stars….know who to
pander to. Oddly enough, when I
worked at the Villa Nova back in
the 1990’s…the Creans were big
contributors and also served on the
Fair Board. As a Waiter….at the
Villa Nova….we were given two
free tickets to any of the concerts
for anyone we wanted to see. Call
us paid off? Not likely! Our belief is that “elected’s” should
go to these events and as long as
they are not “re-selling” their
complimentary tickets….”What the
hey?” “Forget about it!”
The words “elite” and “elitist” come to mind —
Ron and Anna Winship, you called this one correctly.
You know, Art loves to highlight it when he thinks the Santa Ana City Council or some other elected body tackles an issue that he doesn’t think is a “high priority”. Then he turns around and writes about this very insignificant and not illegal matter. Go figure.
According to the paper, the state sees this as a problem. It is / was state property. The board members are the ones who over step the line.
The ultimate beneficiaries will have a problem if they did not list the gift on any required reports. (The kind the politicians and lobbyist do a few times a year)
Quote from OCR article :
That’s why it isn’t as simple as saying, the (free) fair concert tickets are going away,” Bailey-Findley said. “It still would not bring us into compliance.”
SEE not incompliance!!!! That is a nice way of saying Unlawful.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/fair-board-free-2018899-tickets-state
Just another example of how normally decent people are corrupted by the trapping of an office or position.
Another one on the take said:
Our belief is that “elected’s” should
go to these events and as long as
they are not “re-selling” their
complimentary tickets….”What the
hey?” “Forget about it!”
Ever think about running for office you two? You would fit right in….
Hey Art…No S.A. councilmembers used tickets? I think you owe them some praise….Not even Bustamonte with all his GOP buddies got a single ticket? or is it that he did not report them??
Good for Todd Spitzer, a cut above the rest of his party. Not surprised the aristocrats Correa and Barbaro expect the full Republican treatment.
At one point early in the budget crisis, didn’t the Governor propose selling off the Fairgrounds? I don’t remember that going very far. But would Correa, Ackerman, DeVore have had to abstain on that issue? Just asking.
Harman, Silva, Van Tran; Loretta, Solorio; Dana, Ed Royce… honest pols or just music haters?
My issue with this is not the fact that they got free tickets (Although to hear people whine that they do all this work for FREE! Poor them.) It’s the excessiveness of the ticket give aways. People got hundreds of tickets each not just some, so for me it smacks of an abuse rather than outright stealing.
Spitzer did’nt see this trrain wreck coming he was warned!
More disgucting would be a second rate blogger whoring himself out for concert tickets in exchange for publicity.
Imagine that.
Once again, we the public, and we the bloggers, say shut up Art! This is the stupidest post and waste of time I have ever seen. If only you had went to the Big Brothers, Catholic Workers, or Santa Ana Boxing Club to wipe up sweat for the same period of time – jerk.
hahahah who ever wrote this article needs to watch themselves because you put my mother on this list!