Live! Dirty! Your County Clerk-Recorder Special Coverage. (Update – It’s Hugh!)

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Keep checking back, this is the day you’ve all been waiting for! The Orange Juice Blog has its crack team of live-bloggers reporting blow-by-blow from the Hall of Administration in beautiful Santa Ana, all day today, to let YOU know before anyone else WHICH lucky career politician or nerdy drone will land the plum position of Orange County Clerk Recorder, as they are grilled throughout the day by the charismatic but cruel Board of Supervisors:

You KNOW we are rooting for Hieu!  Hieu!  Hieu!  And if and when he wins that will show the awesome power of the Orange Juice Blog.  As will the spectacle of Dick Ackerman being raked over the coals for his illegal lobbying for the Fairgrounds Swindle, and Renee Ramirez’ getting grief for covering for the crooked dealings of Tom Daly and Jordan Brandman.  Keep checking back, here’s the schedule…

9:00 AM

Met Emami.  I said “Are you my Emami?” but the pun went past him.  Friendly guy though.

9 AM, The Moorlach Prays for Wisdom AND for “a fun time” as they interview the Big Eleven.  Spitzer leads the pledge.  An old fella who uses the C-R office a lot comes up to speak on behalf of Hieu.  “He’s not a politician” and did a great job when he was in the office.  Amen, that’s what I hear.  And Darlene Bloom, very popular retired Clerk Recorder, ALSO speaks for Hieu.  Wow, my guy is well-thought-of.  Here come the  Voice of OC guys photographer, always fashionably late.

9:10 – Larry Bales

The Supes each pick their favorite general questions they’d like to be in charge of asking.  Then they ask, who is in charge of escorting in the candidates?  Someone responds, “Larry Bales is in the audience already.”  LARRY BALES SITS AMONGST US!  And who knew?  The Supes didn’t, even though he was in the front center, ready to go.  He is an old bald gentleman.  The only thing I know about him at this point is he MIGHT run into the Nelson-Moorlach hurdle of already enjoying a public pension.  He is a proud Vietnam vet.  He’s going through his bio.  I’ll try to make this not boring.

Sounds like at one point Larry was a whistleblower – at the Assessor’s office, blowing the whistle on bribery!  42 individuals were convicted – including OC Supervisors, Assessors, and Congressmen – ???  How did I not know about this?   Andrew J Hinshaw?  Henshaw?  He’s saying this was the first Congressman to be removed since the Civil War, or something.  Now he’s talking up Howard Jarvis. 

Shawn asks what I’m guessing will be a regular question – are you planning to run for further political office, would this be just a placeholder position for you?  Larry says no and I believe him.  Actually he sounds pretty old and mumbly.  Seems like a real honest guy though.

Todd remembers Larry from the 90’s.  An episode when Larry ran against his boss, Brad Jacobs.  Tell us more about that, please, says Todd, it’s important to get along with politicians you work with but ALSO to stick up for what you think is right.  Shawn wants to know more too.  He explains slowly, I learn little.  Sounds like he was doing the right thing.  He also assures Todd that he has management experience.

Moorlach drops the benefit bombshell, Larry say yes he gets it but he would forfeit it.  Have you been investigated?  “Yes, the FBI recently did a background check on me… and they didn’t catch me.”  Laughter.  “How many times have you run for office?”  Not sure.  “Eight, nine?”  No idea, laughter.  Larry is not sure if the CR needs satellite offices, doesn’t think we can afford it.  Larry had written that his impact on the County is “legionary,” which amuses Moorlach – Larry meant “legendary.”  “It is STILL REVERBERATING,” he insists.  Wow – no deficit of self-regard, eh?

Not sure I will remain as detailed on all these fellows…

WOW.  Spitzer just asked “what’s your philosophy on marriage, since you will perform them,” and Larry proudly answered “I have married gay couples, and I’m sure the Supreme Court is going to overturn Prop 8.”  My opinion of Larry just shot up.  What is Todd after?  I have been trying to erase from my mind that Spitzer was a Prop 8 supporter.

Norberto just walked in.  Late as always.

9:45 – Chris Norby

And HERE COMES the other Norb.  Spitzer, alone among the other Supes who have all been his collegue, was moved to come out to the audience and pat him on the back and chat.  We learn that the CR office only uses 1/3 of 1% of the County budget… but IS very important.  A teacher, he explains to (whom?  Us?  The Supes?)  that Clerk-Recorder is a hyphenated office with two different sources of funding.  Oh – he has a slideshow!  He’s talking now about the homeless problem around the County offices.  I think he is doing himself no favor with Shawn (or John) as he rattles on about the homeless problem without even making a nod toward Shawn’s big Fullerton project.  [Okay – finally a little aside.]  He is mostly pissed that there are so many homeless RIGHT HERE and nothing’s being done about it.

He would keep the two satellite offices, try to make sure they get more usage (only 1/3 of marrying couples go to those other offices, he wants to get it to 1/2.)  He would keep all staff.  HE WOULD HIRE A CPA, he is adamant the office needs one.  (Did CPA Moorlach smile?)  Tom Daly’s purchase of that Building 433 was wrong.  “County Archives” is NOT a legal use of that building.  It’s being used for storage, and is mostly still empty.  He will NOT stonewall the internal auditor, as his predecessors have. 

He shows a photo of young Richard Nixon playing violin at his old high school.  WHAT IS BEING DONE TO HONOR THE CENTENARY OF NIXON’S BIRTH?  Nothing!  Nothing!  This is wrong!  [Scattered, hushed laughter.]

He wryly refers to “things taking an unexpected turn” in the Assembly, and refers to himself as “either part retired or part unemployed depending how you look at it.”  He DOES have a public pension, which, like Bales, he’ll forgo if and while he gets this post.

Todd does not want to appoint a “caretaker” who will not run if appointed;  Chris agrees.  (But he would not run for the office if he’s not picked, because it’s “practically impossible” to mount a campaign against a sitting clerk-recorder who’s doing a decent job, and he trusts that whoever they pick will do a decent job.)

When the possibility of a West branch comes up, Chris says “I know there’s been a report done on that, I’m not sure how credible it was…”  And much laughter ensues – it’s a reference of course to Jordan Brandman’s notorious piece of “work.”

A lot of laughter ensues when Todd asks Chris about his philosophy of marriage.  Chris with his, what, FOUR marriage?  Chris will follow state law whatever it is.  Is Todd really trying to get people to come out anti-gay?  Chris:  “Marriage definitions can and do change, and I will follow the directions of California’s Attorney General.”  Good.

10:20 – Hieu Nguyen

Hieu was born in Vietnam, and his father was an American soldier he never met because he was killed in action – I did NOT know that!  That’s why he looks only half-Asian.  He speaks, as many others do, with great nostalgia of Gary Granville, under whom he first worked in the 90’s, as the best Clerk-Recorder in recent memory. 

He talks as he has in the past, as we’ve quoted before, of the reforms he would bring, and of the technical innovations he previously brought to the office. He would START with figuring out what to do with that damn Daly building.   Shawn asks, and he re-assures, that he does not intend to go for higher or other political office – but DOES intend to run for re-election if he’s appointed – and NOT if he’s not appointed.  All the correct answers.

Spitzer wants to know WHY he wouldn’t run in 2014 if not appointed, since he seems to want the post so badly.  Hieu responds it is just too hard, and time-consuming, to run for that office with the disadvantage against an incumbent.  Todd got bored and asked about marriage.  Hieu would follow what the Court orders on marriage, but throws Todd a cookie (I presume) with “my personal belief is *husband and wife* but I will follow the instructions of the Court.”  If Todd is looking for some anti-gay activist, he still hasn’t found one.

Geez, Granville, really IS a “legend,” Todd said so too.  “Mr. Granville had a vision” was how a Hieu sentence just started.  Thanks to Granville, we were the first county in the state to have electronic filing.  Did you know that?  Hieu wants to follow in that tradition, and “continue to automate.”  He is not sure if the satellite offices are worth the cost, he would have to look at it.

Todd brings up Brandman-gate.  Would you commission some outside “consultant” to do something like that, as Daly did?  No, Hieu would have kept it “in-house.”  Do you think the signing authority is too high, should it be lowered?  He would report to the Board on contracts signed.  Basically he wouldn’t sign big contracts like that.  Todd seems to think the office has been spending too much on floral arrangements, Hieu’s unaware of that.  It’s funny how Todd’s major concerns shift through the day.  Moorlach gets back to Jordan’s shitty report, which doesn’t even discuss what the COSTS might be of a West County office.  Not even the new “final” version.  Hieu, do you know how much staff is used in the existing satellite offices?  Hieu thinks five in the South one.

10:55 – Dick Ackerman

Ugh… first time I see this character in person…  He sounds like he’s from the Midwest somewhere.  He bitches about the famous backlog for business filing UP IN SACRAMENTO at the Secretary of State’s office.  Huh?  He says he is uniquely qualified for this post.  Why?  Because of his experience as a “business lawyer” he knows what it’s like to be on the OTHER side of the counter.  He brags about working with both sides up in Sacramento, working with the League of Cities (the redevelopment folks.)

Janet is breastfeeding.  And nobody had mentioned Harvey Milk.  So this will proceed without her.  Dick WOULD seek re-election for C-R if appointed, and claims to have no intention of again running for any other office, although he’s learned to “never say never.”  He jokes that he’d love to be on the Supreme Court, and Shawn says that when HE becomes President of the US, Dick would be at the top of his list.  Remind me not to vote for my cousin Shawn for President.

Todd on marriage again.  “How much of an activist would you be?”  Dick’s been married 45 years.  He is OPPOSED to gay marriage as his record will attest.   He tries to promote “regular marriage” in his personal life.  He wouldn’t be active about it as Clerk-Recorder unless directed to by the Board.  If the Supremes don’t rule decisively he’ll continue to be active promoting his belief that “marriage is between a man and a woman.”  Fucking dinosaurs here, Todd is embarrassing me.

Pat wants to hear about his “first 100 days.”  I bet we’ll find out that this self-satisfied coot is unaware of any recent controversies.  Not the Archives Building, not Brandman-gate, let’s see.  I bet he thinks he can just sleepwalk into this.

No pension.  Government-related investigation?  YES!  Illegal lobbying for Sale of Fair.  Let’s see.  Of course he says he was exonerated by T-Rack.  Moorlach’s not following up, will Todd or Shawn?  He doesn’t have the slightest idea about satellite offices.  That’s it?  For the second time he jokes about sports to make the Board chuckle.  No more questions on the Fairgrounds Swindle.  I hope enough of these guys are already aware of how sleazy this guy is.

11:30 – Bruce Peotter

Peotter gets to start a little early!  So lunch will be early.  Great, I need some coffee.  Jeez.  This guy is tall.  And boring.  He ran for this office once, when Daly first ran, and was beat by Daly.  He jokes that it was bad luck to run against an Anaheim mayor on the one year that the Anaheim Angels won some series.  Sadly, no laughter.  OH – HE JUST BRAGGED THAT HE’S A LIFELONG REPUBLICAN!  Is that supposed to impress this all-Republican Board?  I hope not.  That’s pretty much like saying “I have two arms and two legs just like you,” around here.  But it SHOULD be totally irrelevant.  (After all, they are specifically NOT looking for a politician.)

Todd properly objects to the mention of political Party.  Officially they are unaware of any of the applicants’ Party, except for the applicants they know personally (which, granted, is probably most of them.)  Party is at least SUPPOSED to be irrelevant here.  Bruce won’t drop it.  He says that he will agree not to run against whoever the Board appoints today … IF they’re a Republican!  So that Republicans don’t have to waste precious resources on this race.  He really thinks he’s at a fucking OC GOP meeting.

Bruce would want to eliminate the two existing satellite offices.  Bruce worked alongside John Williams in the PA/PG office and is now telling the story;  Todd can’t sit still, is rolling his eyes, muttering under his breath – hates him some John Williams!  Bruce is smartly criticizing a lot of what Williams did, which he knows is music to most of these Supes.  Moorlach just asked “Would you like to be both C-R and PA if we ever combine those?”  Shawn had told me that would be a non-question.

He’s bringing up various technical things they do in Maracopa County AZ, and places in Texas, that are more innovative than we have here.  He’s starting to get more animated and interested.

Todd asks about marriage of course.  What’s your position, and how would you use your FEELINGS about marriage as Clerk-Recorder to effectuate what you believe?  Bruce says he’s a VERY STRONG SUPPORTER OF MARRIAGE.  He wants to celebrate them and keep them together.  Huh?  Is he pretending not to know this is a gay question?  Haha…  Now he’s talking about pre-marital counseling.  Is he playing dumb?  Todd’s brow is furrowed.  “I probably didn’t phrase it properly.”  Right.  Bigots now have to skate about talking in code.  He rephrases.  Now Bruce says he’s in favor of Prop 8 voted for it.  He hopes the Supremes don’t rule against it, but of course he’ll have to follow their lead.

In his wrap-up, he again emphasizes the importance of his Republicanism, and how he’s better able than anyone else to win re-election in 2014 if appointed, since he already DID get several tens of thousands of votes when running for the same post over a decade ago (not that a single voter would remember.)  Hence he’s the most able to beat off some unnamed electoral threat – presumably some evil Democrat who might pop up to try dislodging him!  I can see why one of the other candidates told me that Bruce is “very political.”

(lunch)


1pm – Harry Sidhu

Um… okay, I need to get into this cat’s heavy accent.  He is actually talking about his Pollo Locos, and how the “skill sets” he has shown running those are SURPRISINGLY like those needed for the Clerk-Recorder position.  After all, Harry thinks the Supes will all agree that government agencies should be run like businesses, and not like bloated bureaucracies (those being presumably the only two possibilities.)  And the service required from the C-R office is “MORE than just ‘service with a smile'” – it needs efficiency!  He says that Clerk-Recorder is “a role that I would really RELISH!”   How come everything he says sounds like fast food?

He will NOT re-assure Janet that he won’t run against whoever they pick today if it’s not him – “It all depends on their performance.”  He assures Shawn that he’ll never run for another office if he gets this gig – or, at least, “I have no intention to.”  Ha – this guy’s addicted to running for office.  Todd is interested in the scenario of Harry perhaps running against someone the Board appoints.  Harry responds, “Well, what if the guy you pick turns out to need your constant guidance like a babysitter?” 

“The customers are looking for the person who will make the customers happy” – LOL… His experience in fast food, real estate, and engineering has “well-equipped me to run this BEAUTIFUL OFFICE.”

“Should the Clerk Recorder have Satellite offices?”  “As long as we have an imagination, let’s try anything if we can afford it!”  (I think he is picturing satellites in space.)  “How many do you think we need?”  “We’ll study and see.”  HARRY has not studied this office enough to be aware that there are two satellite offices and one more is being considered.

Has Todd wearied of the gay marriage issue?  Did someone talk him out of it over lunch?  Did he just find out his son was gay?

No, here it comes.  And he’s being more clear about it.  “I believe in traditional marriage,” says Harry.  He knows the Supremes’ decision is coming.  Whatever decision is made is the law of the land and he will follow it.  Really, what more can anyone else say? I hope Todd isn’t finding someone to fight against a ruling for equality.

Ah – grilling Harry on Jordan Brandman – hadn’t thought of that – they’re from the same sleazy clique.  Harry vaguely blames a “lack of guidelines” and next time we need to “bring in an expert!”  We are looking ultimately for the “customer’s satisfaction.”  Again, he would “relish this role.”

1:35 – Michael J. Fox

Seriously, this is the best I can do – there’s NOTHING on the web.

He’s just a regular guy, he says.  In his law practice he’s had a lot of experience with things that aren’t filed correctly.  Gee, is this fellow diffident.  He’s not sure exactly what challenges might be involved in this job.  Janet, understandably, wonders what has prepared him for this position, as he hasn’t really explained it.  “The skill set of lawyering.”  Yes he would run again if he were appointed.  Would he run against someone else they might appoint?  Wow, hadn’t occurred to him.  “I’m not a politician, I don’t generally just run for things.”  LOL. 

This guy has got to be the one who’s trying the least hard of all.  He really isn’t aware of any recent controversies in the office. 

Spitzer admits to having been initially unimpressed with this guy until he studied his resume – “what you’ve done in real esate, in law, you could run circles around any of these others!”  Okay, Todd smoothly segues to “marriage.”  “The clerk recorder as an elected official can file amicus briefs, protest on the Courthouse steps … you can do any of that, without our approval…”  Shit, Todd really IS a zealot on this.  Michael SAYS HE HAS NO PROBLEM WITH GAY MARRIAGE!  That makes him and Larry Bales.

I wonder what any of these other four Supes think about Todd’s jihad.  I’m pretty sure at least Shawn is embarrassed by it.  I think.

Just met Todd’s aide, something Johnson.  He says Todd’s just asking that question to check on people’s critical thinking.  Hm…

2:10 – Steven Madoff

Again, no picture, sorry.  He actually does look like Bernie the Crook, but he pronounces his name differently, like Rachel Maddow with an f.  So I’ll do him the favor of not putting up a Bernie pic. 

The former Paramount Pictures VP saw this opening and felt that his legal and business background qualified him pretty well.  He was surprised to be selected – as one of ELEVEN out of 800 – when most of the eleven selected had experience in OC government.  He decided to observe the offices – all three of them – Fullerton, El Toro, and Civic Center.  The website is very user-friendly and he congratulates whoever made it.  When he went to the Fullerton office, there were four clerks chatting away and no customers for a long time, but they were very good when customers finally showed up.  At Civic Center, again, there wasn’t much traffic, six clerks, prepared to help, but nobody to help.  But around lunchtime there WAS a lot of traffic.  The clerks were all very helpful.  His conclusion is that there’s some inefficiency.  Maybe there could be a better re-alignment of resources.

This guy helped run Paramount Pictures for twenty years, wow.  That must have impressed the Supes, and got him up in the top eleven.  Todd finds amusement looking at this guy’s resume going back to 1975… he studied creative writing, political science, and more, I didn’t get it all down.  “WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE?”  He was lower middle class, but his parents were “laissez-faire parents” that told him to go for whatever he liked.  He kinda wanted to be a journalist when he was young.  His brother at Syracuse accidentally sent him the wrong application and he ended up applying for TV, radio and film.  He got a nice fellowship at Syracuse, but it was too cold… he ended up going to law school in Miami – with the intent of not being a lawyer but working on production.  Etc, etc…

This guy’s fun, he’s not gonna get it.  I can’t wait for the marriage question.  Okay, here it comes.  Oh, actually Todd really wants to know how this guy can want to go from Hollywood to supervising government employees.  “You’re looking at me like I’m crazy… ” says Todd… “No, that’s not a look like you’re crazy,” protests Steven.  “I’ve always been a humble person.  I don’t consider it any kind of demotion to be of service to 3 million Orange County citizens… Fortunately the salary isn’t important to me….  I think as highly of the person at the help desk as any studio head.”  They tease him over his name.  “It’s a common name back east.”

NO gay marriage question for this Hollywood cat, that’s actually disappointing.

2:45 – Steve Rosansky

Business, law experience, real estate experience, Newport Beach Councilman and Mayor.  Interim President and CEO of Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce.

(I hadn’t mentioned before, but the late Gus Ayer wrote a couple pieces about this guy here;  apparently the fortunately failed Banning Street Bridge in Costa Mesa / Newport was Steve’s baby.)

He can’t honestly re-assure the Board that he won’t later run for another office, using this as a springboard.

This comment got some laughs:  “People only get married two or three times in their lives, these days, so [we probably have enough offices.]”

Steve is also an applicant for Public Administrator, provoking The Moorlach to again run his office-combining idea with a candidate – it’s not something Steve had thought of.

Back to marriage, for Spitzer.  “How would you handle the outcome, if the Supremes threw out Prop 8?”  “Personally I AM married.  I believe in it, haven’t been divorced. My wife is here in the audience.”  (Sure enough, she was sitting in front of me – what a tall blonde lady!  Taller than Bruce Peotter for Christ’s sake, in her heels!)

“We’re both attorneys, Todd, we both understand we need to follow the law.  Should we overturn Prop 8?  I’ve seen some cities, they rush to the steps of city hall, they chant and yell… That sure wouldn’t be my style.  We’ll follow whatever they say.”  Good, he stayed neutral, and didn’t say any bullshit like “it’s man and woman.”  Not good enough for Todd!  “I know you’re not an activist type…  but how WOULD you utilize the CR office as a place to institute societal change?”  “I DON’T SEE IT AS A PLACE TO MAKE SOCIETAL CHANGE!”  Good.  “I mean, you could use an office to push all kinds of stuff that has nothing to DO with it!  It’s just a government office, for service!”  Well said.

3:20 – Roy Reynolds

The cranky pod car enthusiast, elderly “tea partier” and “anonymous” Pedroza blogger…  Ah… THERE’S the sourpuss that hates me and my blog and the late Gus Ayer, and used to always attack us anonymously.  Let’s see what he says.  OH.  He wants to OUTSOURCE the whole department.  Or threaten to, so that the agency gets scared into getting even more lean and efficient.  “I’m not a career politician.”  That’s for sure.  He boasts of being an entrepeneur with IT experience.  He brings up the “oft-heard but rarely-followed maxim that government should work as a business.”  He takes that SERIOUSLY, to an extreme.

AA in business and bachelor’s in journalism.  Yeah, actually I do like a lot of what he writes over at Pedroza’s, his stuff about OCTA and Anaheim, I don’t care if he hates us.

Along with outsourcing the whole department, he would prefer to have his position changed from an elected to an appointed one.  Of course that would need to be approved by a vote of the people, and we don’t tend to like to vote not to be allowed to vote on something, even if it sometimes MIGHT be a good idea.  Remember, this was tried unsuccessfully with the Public Administrator office last year.

Roy keeps bringing up the “infamous Brandman report,” LOL.

Moorlach, who seems friendly with Roy, asks why he has “so much job movement” on is resume.  “Is there a simple explanation for that?”  “No there isn’t but I’ll give you one anyway.”  He claims to “change jobs frequently” because he’s in IT and that’s how you move up the ladder.  REALLY – it’s a voluntary thing?  Okay, if you say so.  He goes back to the “infamous Brandman report,” that kind of thing would never happen with him, and he brings up the other big useless thing Daly did, shoveling money to his other pal Brett Barbre to make a Sports Hall of Fame.

Todd says “You’ve held more jobs than anyone I’ve ever known, for such short periods of time.”  “Do I play well with others?  I do.”  LOL.  “Early in my career I was very opportunistic.” 

“If you got the position, and you tried to outsource, and it wasn’t successful, would you run?”  “NO.”

Hm… the gay marriage question.  I’m in suspense…   He would follow the law.  “I don’t take a strong position on traditional marriage.  I don’t have that large an issue with legally binding two people together no matter what their gender is.”  Nice.  He’s not the worst.  “Gay people should have the same right to what I had long ago.”  Oh, I’m sure that one was blissful.  Good response though.

3:55 – Renee Ramirez

The only woman, the acting Clerk Recorder, and the center of recent controversies.  How strongly, and pro-actively, will she distance herself from Tom Daly’s cronyism and waste?

Her first priority will be a relationship with the Board, which Tom famously did not have.  One problem under him was “alleged favoritism” in hiring and promotion.  Another was “sole-source contracting,” which she will eliminate.  She’s going to co-operate with the 12-D audit.  (Norby’s sitting near me;  he really looks nervous, but maybe that’s how he always looks.  I just made a bet with Nick Berardino, who’s sure that Chris will get it;  I bet him that it would be Hieu or Bruce.  We forgot to name an amount.  Now Norby is wincing.  Does he have a facial tic?)

Our North and South County branches are very popular, serving 40,000 people each year.

How ’bout that building?  433 Civic Center.  The intent was to store archives.  Last year the building came under scrutiny, for being under-utilized, and for the use of 12-D funds in purchasing it.  County ruled that the purchase was permissible. 

Please explain the Brandman report.  He was hired by Daly to write a report on whether we could use a West office.  Everything was decided between Tom and Jordan.  She has no idea why it took Jordan so long.

Renee has used Mr Granville’s widow as a reference, which surprised the Supervisors who would have expected her to back Hieu.  Renee insists Mrs. Granville said she could use her as a “reference.”

Was it a mistake to buy the 433 building?  I do not believe it was a mistake.  It was an investment.  We are not in the business of flipping property quickly.  There’s county property on either side, which makes it possibly useful for expansion.

Janet wants more communication;  she was blindsided when she heard about a Vietnamese museum in her district.  Renee pledges better communication.

At the beginning Renee was Todd’s number-one choice, hands down for the job.  This must have been heartbreaking to her, it was to him.  TODD:  I got fired for being OUTSPOKEN.  You on the other hand are on the hot seat for not saying anything.  (My paraphrase.)  YOU signed the contract with Jordan, not Tom.  Why did Jordan keep getting more money while doing no work?

Response:  Look at how the department is organized.  (Basically, after her initial signature it was no longer under her purview.)  “I can’t say WHY I signed the contract other than Mr Daly told me to.”

Todd:  I read your interview in the Voice of OC today, why did it take you so long to say those things?  I really need to know how you deal with crises.”

Shawn:  I’m not getting it.  It was YOU who kept getting those incomplete drafts from Jordan, those requests for more payments, and you kept okaying these payments.”  She just invented the term “completed sections of drafts.”  It was Daly who extended the contract as well, right before he left.  In January.

Shawn:  Where is the evidence – maybe there is some – that you were concerned about this before it broke in the press?  “Prior to Mr Daly leaving, he had an agreement with Mr Jordan (sic) that there would be an extension.  I wasn’t going to just end the contract and be out 22,000 dollars.  I believe I gave him ten days to have it finished.”  Wait, that WAS after it hit the press.

Todd:  I agree with Shawn, I saw the e-mails between you and Jordan, and he admitted it was just drafts that he had.  Todd starts asking about some other sole-source contracts.  Coloring books, employee shirts… “These shirts are not mandantory [sic]”  The shirt maker who got over $3000 each year from the office is an old high school friend of Daly’s.  Maintenance of a wall fountain – ongoing, in 2010 it was $6500.  What’s your philosophy going forward in terms of running this department? 

Nobody seems very happy with this interview.

SELECTION!

Ah… Shawn wants each supe to pick the top four or five, for a “natural break”…
Moorlach complains.  Shawn says “I sometimes fantasize that one of these days you people will think I had a good idea.”  Moorlach says “Just leave me alone.”  People laugh.

Janet – Norby, Hieu, Ack, Sidh
Norby, fuck I can’t keep up
Sounds like Norby, Hieu, Ackerman, and Ramirez got the most so far… no surprise.  Rosansky ate into Peotter.
Norby 3, Hieu 5, Ackerman 4, Peotter 3, Ramirez 3!

Now, they will each pick THREE OF THOSE FIVE.

Janet -Norby, Hieu, Ack
Todd -Hieu, Peotter, RR
John -Hieu, Peotter, RR
Shawn -Norby, Hieu, Peotter
Pat – Hieu, Norby, Ack
Hieu 5, Norby 3, Peotter 3.

Now they’re arguing about whether the final decision should be made NOW.  At least Ackerman and Renee are out.

Janet wants to put this off and meet with the top three.  Everyone else want to do it now.  GREAT!

Now they are fucking going to pick their top two out of that.
Shawn – Hieu, Norby
Janet – Hieu!
Moorlach – Hieu, Bruce
Todd – Hieu, Bruce
Pat – Hieu, Bruce
Hieu 5, Bruce 3, Norby 1

It’s HIEU NGUYEN!!

(actually they approved him and now have to go thru some dumb technicalities)

About Vern Nelson

Greatest pianist/composer in Orange County, and official political troubadour of Anaheim and most other OC towns. Regularly makes solo performances, sometimes with his savage-jazz band The Vern Nelson Problem. Reach at vernpnelson@gmail.com, or 714-235-VERN.