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The mechanics of government often fly under the radar screen of most voters because they are tedious, boring and time-consuming. Drawing new boundaries for the five Supervisors in Orange County is one such exercise. However, upon close examination there is a lot of intrigue and paranoia that would make for a good movie script.
The California Elections Code (Sections 21500-21506) requires the Supervisors to address any significant imbalance in the number of residents in Orange County by adjusting the boundaries of the five Supervisor Districts in the county so that the population of each is about the same. The law requires this redistricting be accomplished by November 1 of the year following the census. If it is not done by then a County Commission chaired by the District Attorney must do it by December 31.
Redistricting opens the door to people finding that the Supervisor who has been their Supervisor no longer is – a boundary shift has moved them to a different Supervisor. It opens another door too – you guessed it – gerrymandering. Taken to the extreme, some people believe that a currently sitting Supervisor preparing to run for re-election could find that his or her colleagues have approved new District boundaries that results in his/her home no longer being in the District they represent.
Even more exciting is the attention the Supervisors usually give during this process to where potential political foes live. If a Supervisor, or a political party favoring one future candidate over another, sees a potential candidate for a Supervisor office as someone they do not want to have a chance, simply get the supervisorial boundary drawn to put that person’s residence in a different Supervisorial district. As we have seen, living outside a Supervisorial district does not make it impossible to find a way to run for that office anyway, but it sure is clumsy and fraught with fraud potential when that happens.
Another technique that can be used to the advantage of disadvantage of a current or potential Supervisorial office holder is to focus a District on a particular ethnic or cultural group. Or, if the desire is to reduce the perceived voting clout of any such group, to split it among two or more Districts.
There are to be public meetings of the Redistricting Committee the Supervisors have established to come up with a new redistricting plan. According to the County’s web site, the committee will meet at 2 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors hearing room, 333 W. Santa Ana Blvd., 10 Civic Center Plaza in Santa Ana on the second Thursday of each month through July 14. The web site states that one of the purposes of the Committee is to consider public input.
So with the launching of the redistricting process expect the incumbents, both major political parties, and potential future candidates and other “special interests” to try to influence the process. Observers may even have the chance to watch dirty tricks in the making!
will it be televied, or do you have to be present to see the show?
I wonder if the other Supes will be interested in trying to protect Janet Nguyen.
I was at the last supes meeting (to witness the downfall of John Williams.) Haven’t been following the redistricting issue, but Moorlach did say something like, he wasn’t sure that very much change needed to be made, as the populations of each district have grown at pretty much the same rates – with the exception of District 3 (Campbell’s) which has grown more than the others – so maybe he would lose a little territory to neighboring districts?
I like when they draw district lines around potential candidates streets or neighborhoods! Maybe your readers can chime in with examples.
“I was at the last supes meeting (to witness the downfall of John Williams”
Can you run an updated post on this situation with Williams and the D.A.- Roocockass’s girlfriend who works for him? Is she going to get another job with the County? I hear she’s a former Life Guard. Is that what she will be doing?
I’m still trying to get used to the fact that me & Jon Fleischman agree on something. (That Williams shouldn’t be getting paid jack for being fired for cause.)
And right when I’m on the verge of a full frontal assault on Fleischman over budgetary matters.
I’m tempted to try & determine when Fleischman first took notice of the Williams problem. Some of us have been sounding the alarm for years, I would guess Flesichman was either ignoring the problem or excusing it (but I don’t know for sure.) Obviously Williams is fair game now, and Fleischman is the kick-a-guy-when-he’s-down type.
But we agree – Fleischman, Grindle, Moorlach & Vern – no good money after bad in the PA/PG office. I’ll let readers know when I have any more news…
Flesh wouldn’t be piling on unless the whistle had already blown.
“Williams shouldn’t be getting paid jack for being fired for cause.”
What about Tony’s main squeeze? Why should the D.A.’s girlfriend be given another high paying job at the County when she may not even be a college grad?
You’re right, I hear you. So many dragons to slay. P-Buff should have to work her way up from the bottom like anyone else.
I am so sick and tired of hearing all of the gossip and innuendo regarding our District Attorney’s fiancé and her jobs at the County. The idea that she lied on her job application and said she graduated from San Diego State when she really just attended a Community College is just political payback. Anyone who has ever known someone who has lived in San Diego knows that San Diego State is an extension of the community college system and students who have attended a San Diego Community College often write down San Diego State on resumes and job applications if they intend on going there someday in the future or have ever partied with students there. Why don’t you just ask Frank Mickadiet since I believe he is an Aztec! I suggest that those who oppose Mr. Williams back off and allow a smooth transition as everyone involved find new positions and go on with their lives.
I don’t know much about Ms Buff except what I hear, BUT one of the most wasteful things Williams did in his time at PA-PG was to create all these unnecessary 6-figure managerial positions as favors. That’s pretty much an accepted fact.
So if the Board of Supes are looking for other equally high paying jobs for the lucky folks who got those (as nice as the blue-elephant-headed ladies might be) it just seems like more continued waste, no?
The Buffoon is the biggest issue with the Williams downfall.
Williams, though paid full-time (X2), spent the majority of his time working on project for his part-time job at the South Orange County Community College District as Trustee. He went to seminars frequently in Orlando, Tampa, San Francisco, San Diego (though mostly Orlando 3-4 weeks per year). This has been going on for over a decade.
Buffoon and her minion the HR Director (the Dark Lord) Ann Barlow, ran that agency into the ground while Williams watched from afar and was completely clueless or didn’t care. His Chief Deputy Tim Beason, also a medically retired cop like Williams, took the lead in going after these high profile cases because he got a kick out of it. They hired a paralegal from the D.A.’s office and within six months promoted her to a manager (remember Buffoon is the D.A.’s fiancee).
The BOS and CEO had better understand this, because removing Williams means little unless they clean house! Edds at the Register is going to be all over this when they relocate Buffoon somewhere else. She is not qualified for an executive job and it is only because of political favors she has one now. She is damaged goods and for the sake of her soon to be husband’s political career, she should just retire (I think she is over 55).
“The idea that she lied on her job application and said she graduated from San Diego State when she really just attended a Community College ”
Vern,
If that is true, how would it impact the D.A. or his ability to investigate County crimes?
What do you think the political fall out will be if it is proven that one of Tony’s goddesses lied on her resume and application and he pimped her out to Williams and the County to get her a job?
“Why don’t you just ask Frank Mickadiet?”
Don’t look for Mic to write about it because Frank is praying that he can get one of those no-work/high-pay jobs from the D.A. when he finishes Law School!!!
I’m still trying to think of Mickadeit as an AZTEC, when I always considered him a gay, Jewish, cigar-chomping courtier-columnist.
(OK, I’m gathering Aztec is some SD mascot?)
Could Frank be the basis for the character “Doug Danger” on the World-Famous Phil Hendrie show?
Doug, a reporter for the fictitious “Orange County Courier,” a right-leaning local paper. Doug begins each sentence rather facetiously by announcing:
“As a gay man and a gay journalist”……..Perhaps one of the best parodies Hendrie does.
Last night’s episode Had Frank, I mean Doug complaining that Charlie Sheen wasn’t getting as much coverage as he deserved. “I’M WINNING!”
“They hired a paralegal from the D.A.’s office and within six months promoted her to a manager (remember Buffoon is the D.A.’s fiancee). ”
Who says she is not qualified? She is a former San Clemente life guard with an AA degree from San Diego.
David H. The D.A.’s girlfriend is not the Paralegal in question, though I read elsewhere that Buff was a dental assistant making $12.00 per hour, so apparently she has vast experience in menial jobs.
The D.A.’s girlfriend hired this paralegal allegedly from the D.A.’s office then promptly promoted her to another unneeded manager position probably as a political favor. They have County Counsel to provide all their necessary legal work, but nonetheless, they hire a paralegal who is immediately placed on the fast track to managerial promotion.
I don’t think it would take the CEO’s appointee long to figure this one out. http://www.fearnotlaw.com/articles/article1773.html look down about 10 paragraphs under heading Trial Testimony. It shows how the DA hired Buff as a fundraiser, then Buff possibly leaks confidential personnel info to the press. Do we really want this person working in an executive management position?
Why won’t Buff release her job application and resume where she claims to have gone to San Diego State? When you lie on a job application, and your Boo is the D.A., who looks into the crime?
How about email and phone records showing the D.A. made LOTS of calls to try to get and more recently keep her job?