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Just received from an Orange County colleague:
Chuck DeVore forms exploratory committee
for Orange County’s Third District Board of Supervisors
Mar 09 2011
Today I’m filing the paperwork to form an exploratory committee to run for Orange County’s Third Supervisorial District.
As with any major task, especially an effort in the public arena, it is not something to be considered lightly.
The truth is, California is in deep trouble. As I saw during my six years in Sacramento, big government grew bill after bill. And, unfortunately, this problem was often bipartisan, as a liberal Republican governor and lawmakers on both sides of aisle voted to hike taxes, borrow more money, grow government and bestow gold-plated pensions and benefits on many of our government employees – benefits long-since extinct in the private sector.
Some experts estimate that California’s unfunded government employee pension liabilities could be as high as $600 billion. For context, California’s current deficit stands at about $25 billion.
Many lawmakers talk a good game, but when government union bosses asked for these gold-plated pensions, they caved and voted to give them your money… and your children’s money.
Even in Orange County, a bastion of conservative common sense, our pension system faces a shortfall of some $41 billion.
With some 2 million taxpayers to pay for these benefits it means that every taxpayer in Orange County owes about $20,500 to their government union employees.
This is unsustainable.
We can do something about this. We must do something about this and other pressing issues regarding basic reform of government and the way it operates.
That’s why I am preparing to run for the Orange County Board of Supervisors.
Please stay in touch in the weeks ahead as we begin to roll out our campaign.
As always, I greatly appreciate your support.
All the best,
Chuck DeVore
We could see that he was a charismatic guy who jumps over the moon and is very competitive, but nobody could have predicted what he would become to our culture.
I have checked with a couple people who are familiar with the actuarial process being used to estimate the unfunded liability of the Orange County (government) pension system, and no one can figure out where Devore got the $41 billion figure. The feedback I get is that his figure is way over-stated. Perhaps someone used different assumptions on all the variables that go into these actuarial estimates to produce the most alarmist figure possible. As a FYI, I note in this morning’s Register that Tood Spitzer announced his candidacy a few hours before this Devore announcement, and Spitzer has at least 3 heavyweights on his campaign committee – Sheriff Huchens, 5th District Supervisor Pat Bates and Orange Mayor Carolyn Cavecche.
BAW. Knowing both of these potential candidates I can point out that where Chuck lacked traction in his recent campaign, Todd has told me of having $one million dollars in his coffers. As confirmed by president Obama, social networks are a very effective tool to get out your message. Chuck did a commendable job utilizing the internet. That said, one million bucks can buy a lot of TV time and fund other forms of communication to districts with 600,000 citizens.
As of now I will take a wait and see approach to whom I would recommend as Chuck is being careful with this trial balloon announcement. Each of these Republicans have local support and name recognition.
BAW, Cavecche is not a hevyweight. She is a tool of Campbell and Pringle.
The fun thing about this potential race is the way repuggery will break. It will be ugly, protracted and awfully entertaining.
Tony will support the candidate he can buy. That’s prolly DeVore. Chuck will overlook the whitepoweder on the twenties Tony will give him in a brown paper bag.
I wonder if Brea will be in the 3rd District come 2012.
I disagree completely,
The only white stuff in this race will be liquid and it will dripping from FLASHMAN, Doug Danger ( aka Frank Mikadeit) and Jubal after they are done servicing Schroeder.
I am so pleased to see my old, respected friend Chuck back in the game. He’s the only California politician I’m aware of bold and forthright enough to compare same-sex marriage, Santorum-style, to polygamy, necrophilia, and “man-on-dog.”
I rhapsodized on Chuck here, during the thick of the Proposition 8 struggle:
http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2008/11/extrapolating-on-the-devore-principle-where-will-we-draw-the-line-on-marriage-dogs-fire-hydrants/
Yep. That angle was ridickulous.
*Chuck answers e-mails…..on occasion. For this reason alone…..we will fully support his
candidacy! Tod just sends copies of his newsletter….which was never really hard hitting.
rw
Chuck answers e-mails…..on occasion. For this reason alone…..we will fully support his
candidacy!……. Hmmmm
I believe that I have answered more than your e-mail Winships but I do not recall that you have supported my Santa Ana Mayoral candidacy in 2004, 2006 nor 2008.
Wasup?…… send me more e-mails.