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[Editor’s Note: This post contains two different stories in one package — which are themselves part of a larger single set. Go ahead and read just one story within this post at a time, if you prefer. That way it may not seem as overwhelming. Or you can read all of the stories in all of the posts right after another all at once, once they’re up, if you enjoy being overwhelmed!]
1. Roll, Jordan, Roll
That was fast!
Sharon Quirk-Silva had been agonizing for weeks (if not longer) about whether to pull her endorsement of Jordan Brandman for Congress, where she was his most prominent endorser. Vern has been regularly in touch with her, as I have not, holding the story of her imminent withdrawal of her endorsement until she finally and absolutely decided to pull the trigger. After Jordan’s tragicbetrayal of her good-natured sympathy for him and her confidence in his word at Tuesday night’s Council meeting, she had given him all of the second chances she could give. She decided to go ahead and tell him of her decision.
It was first reported on Wednesday morning. Before the light was done fading from Wednesday night’s sky, he had departed the race to succeed Loretta Sanchez for the 46th Congressional District seat.
The Liberal OC opined of Quirk-Silva that “[I]t’s believed that she was under intense pressure to yank the endorsement from activists upset with Brandman’s motion to restart districting maps in Anaheim.” Oh, please. Such pressure existed, but it was not intense — nor was it even really lobbying. She got feedback from people (the person who was most open about it was our own Chairman Vern) who really do care about her and her political fortune and told her that she was hitching her wagon to a yak headed straight for a cliff. That’s not a threat, it was a justified warning of impending political disaster to be imposed by others.
Sharon gave Jordan every opportunity to justify his actions and follow through on his promises to “do the right thing.” What she probably learned on Tuesday night, more than anything else, was a lesson about Jordan’s character.
He’s a taker, not a giver. And he had no compunction about dragging her over a cliff with him. (Imagine if Sharon had waited too long to pull her endorsement until after he had withdrawn!) After all, he had a safe place to land — and he didn’t really care whether she did or not.
In pulling her endorsement, Sharon risked the wrath of the county Democratic Party’s “Old Guard” — I like to call them the “O.G.s” — who care approximately one-million-and-three more times about Jordan’s future electoral success than Sharon’s. (A guy with Jordan’s lack of apparent qualifications doesn’t get to be then-County Clerk-Recorder Tom Daly’s communications guy (allowing him lavish pay for meeting and charming the County’s power brokers — or the District Director for Ian Calderon, the friendly second generation of the Gateway Cities “Business Democratic” family business — without important people greasing his skids and giving him lots of gentle-but-firm pushes.) The O.G.s care much more about J0rdan even than they do Loretta — without whose leading around by his belt Jordan would not even supported districting in the first place — who needs their help right now as their choice to take down liberal Democratic Attorney General Kamala Harris in the race to succeed U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer. Jordan’s the guy who, in their plans, they could call upon to do anything they wanted, following plans designed by some of the brightest advisors around, once he got into Congress.
But, unless he finds another Congressional race somewhere in the state — and beware the conservative Democrat + Republican coalition that was going to throw Ron Calderon at you before all that previous unpleasantness began in 2012, Linda Sanchez! — that’s not going to happen this year. So whither — “to where,” for those of you who don’t know or like the King’s English — now, Jordan?
Jordan has for years had some of the best political thinkers around making his decisions for him and cutting through the thickets through which other candidates must crawl. (I have great respect for his devoted advisor and guide Melahat Rafiei’s intellect, experience, shrewdness, and perseverance, for example. That is, obviously, only a partial compliment.) Lifting him by the elbows and racing aside him, they often make him look like he’s floating forward on air at tremendous speed. Politicking isn’t my profession, so I can’t pretend to be their equal — less so that of all of them at once — but I do know the lay of the land pretty well and so I believe that I can anticipate what they may be thinking now. (And no, asking them directly is pointless; it would generate only bullsnot.) This short series represents my best guess of their thinking. And it will include pictures.
2. Another Council Race Under the Judges’ Recommended (aka “People’s”) Map?
The most obvious course for Jordan would be to seek another term on Anaheim’s City Council. The prospect that he’s thinking along those lines may explain why he reversed not only his former support for “The People’s Map,” but also his intention to try to push through a change that would leave the man whom he hates and fears the most, Dr. Jose Moreno, unable to run for election to Council until 2018.
(Does that sound petty? It is, as you’ll see from evidence in Part 2, that personal with him. Dr. Moreno doesn’t actually seem to hate Jordan; he just wants him to shape up. But, with Gollum-like force, Jordan hates Dr. Moreno.)
“Moreno in 2018” is too soon for Jordan (as well as whoever’s pushing him): the prospect of their sharing a Council dais for two years, with Jordan possibly in the minority, must make him sick.)
(An aside on that last note: lots of people who were inside the room, which I was not, have noted that Jordan did look quite sick and haggard on Tuesday night — the phrase I kept hearing independently from people was that “he looks like he’s lost ten pounds this past week.” (Could this be a delayed aftereffect of strep throat?) As a lefty softie, I hope that he isn’t sick — although if he is, and if it’s due to stress, he would have brought it on himself. But if that’s the case, then at least if might be curable! I’ve said in print as well as to his face years ago that I considered myself to be “fighting for his soul” — and if stress is harming him then I hope that he’ll enjoy watching some seasonal stories on TV, like maybe A Christmas Carol? “Watch and heal!“)
If the “People’s Map” remained in force, and if Jordan stayed put, Jordan could expect to run against both Dr. Moreno and Gail Eastman. If that happened in 2018, he might have a shot (especially if Eastman faded away), but that could mean two years entirely out of office. Unacceptable! If he caved and went along with the “1, 3, 4, 5” plan that almost every speaker before the Council has favored, then (1) he’d have caved, and (2) Dr. Moreno would probably kick his butt back to the City of Orange.
So, the likelihood has long been that Jordan would not stay put. He’s said that to too many people for him to credibly deny it now. (Not that “credibly” is a huge concern of his.) Where on the People’s Map would he go?
The strong suspicion has been that he’d go to either District 1 or District 2. District 1 includes the residence of his protege Connor Traut, who recently took over the West Anaheim Neighborhood Council in a well-executed partisan putsch that left many longtime activists there quite angry. Connor said after that that he would not run for District 1; prior to that he had been privately telling people that he would not run if Jordan runs. At this point, we just don’t know. Anyway, that’s safe territory for Jordan to land.
The smart money back in November was on District 2 — but that was before James Vanderbilt’s announcement that he would be moving to District 2 (where he works) to give it representation in the upcoming year. (It also better suits him politically.) Vanderbilt — if he were willing to give up two years of Council eligibility — would probably beat him there (especially given that he is now beloved in the Latino and Arab communities. for his strong stands in the past month’s fights, as well as in his own party.) My own guess is that Jordan would move to the more Democratic District 4, where second-tier Pringle Ring member Lucille Kring lives (uneasily eyeing her electorate), allowing her to move to the more favorable territory of District 2. And then he could have been the City Council Representative for Disneyland! That doesn’t seem like the sort of title that Jordan would want to pass up!
Jordan could also move to District 5 — a pretty suitable one for him, although our sources tell us that Steven Albert “Chavez” Lodge has now moved to the area in the Reyes Map between Lewis and State College that belongs to that District, and Jordan wouldn’t run against his friend and Pringle Ring stablemate Lodge — or even District 6 if he doubts Tom Tait’s power to destroy him there. (Hey, go for it, Jordan!)
But as Jordan himself said on December 8, following the condemnation of his vote by the Democratic Party, “the problem is the map.” And the problem with the map is not that it leaves District 2 unrepresented — at least not after James Vanderbilt announced that he had moved there. The problem is that, under that map, (1) Jordan doesn’t have a really great district to run in, and more importantly (2) Latinos in Central Anaheim — the main “community of interest” in the City — are kept undivided within the same district. And, as they have shown, an undivided district of Latinos is unacceptably likely to elect Dr. Moreno, who cleaned up among District 3’s voters in 2014.
They would elect him, that is, IF his home is within that district.
Unlike other political figures in the county, Dr. Moreno is not likely to cheat on that sort of thing, or anything else. (District Attorney Tony Rackauckas may look toothless regarding political wrongdoing in our county, but he still does have ravenous — though highly selective — tastes.) So Moreno can be evaded. And that brings us to the December 8 meeting, in which Brandman (illegally) tried to narrow down the maps that the Council could consider to a small number of mostly lousy maps — of which the most serious ones shared one striking characteristic.
You just might be able to guess what that characteristic is. We’ll discuss that in Part 2.
Wither Jordan? Depends if “whither” is a noun or an adverb (“politicians are like plants..”). My vote is well-deserved obscurity, perhaps as a mascot for a weather – vane manufacturer.
At this point there doesn’t seem to be any point in talking about the map that the City Council has already voted on – then abandoned. Unless, of course somebody sues the City.
By the time Jordie is done fixing our political infrastructure we may find that there are no district at all in the 2016 election. Now wouldn’t that be a shame?
The Lodge barnacle is back, faking an address in the Platinum Triangle?
That would be (IF we managed to get back the people’s map) District 5 right? Latino plurality for Mr. Chavez Lodge, facing off possibly with the unions’ John Leos, a pretty honest guy.
According to my sources, whom you know, yes. Supposedly, he signed the leave; not sure whether he moved in and everything.
A lawsuit is likely, by the way. Don’t give up on the Recommended Plan map.
Leos is not a given to run. Also in that area, as I understand it: Brandman ally D.R. Heywood and Oscar Reyes.
Reyes told me he’s not running, and I think he said he’s not in that district. He did say there’s a lotta people more qualified than him.
I just can’t see an honest person who sees Brandman as anything other than an opportunity – however slender than may be.
With enough dough the opportunity becomes pregnant with possibilities. But that dough has only one spigot and poor little Wonder Boy doesn’t control the tap.
All this time I thought that ” his devoted advisor and guide” was Curt Pringle.
According to the OCW link below, Melahat Rafiei’s, was considered a progressive… How much intellect and shrewdness take to create an amorphous business democrat?…on a second thought, he is a very definitive piece of the business and government crony machine.
http://www.ocweekly.com/best-of/2010/people-and-places/best-political-player-6436191
OCW doesn’t always know what the hell they’re talking about.
I’m trying to remember if there was a reason to count her as progressive back in 2010. She’s certainly moved way off to the right from her old DFA friends and doesn’t come around anymore.
Vern: We know what we’re talking about all the time. You, on the other hand…well, we all know about your pal Lucille haha. And here comes the 15,000-word Bloviator apologia…
LOL, it’s flattering how you don’t miss a word on this blog.
And yes, whoever wrote that 2010 Melahat blurb gave her way too much credit for being progressive.
I’m slow, but I can still run a 5K in less than 45 minutes; can you say the same? I’m also 54 and I’m not that bad. I’m one of the oldest people at bootcamp
Oh. Did he say that since I ragged him a few hours ago? LOL I go look…
JAJAJA verbatim! You can’t parody this stuff…
I signed a new contract today and have 15 pies at my house.
I’ll remind you I’ve fathered 2 kids, Greg has not. My wife of 32 years looked pretty damn good on Dancing with the Stars back in 2009 (and still does) and I have no qualms about eating meat (in small portions). Greg demonstrates 40 defecations a day in his prolix posts that generally say nothing. I’m also considerably more active physically than he dreams of being. Knock yourself out sport. You can always join me at bootcamp at 5:30
As you may know, I’m on moderation, so I don’t know if he’s going to print my retort to that one.
I don’t think that I spend as much time thinking about him as he does of me.
It IS Pringle, Ricardo, who directs Jordan’s important policy decisions. Melahat is just a very competent Democratic campaign manager who doesn’t seem to have much ideology. She also helped Bao win GG Mayor, and kudos on that.
She’s just very pragmatic about what she believes that a person in politics has to do to make the sort of money that she wants to make. She is often helpful to progressive candidates, and from what I can tell is inclined that way personally — but she recognizes that it is developers and other business interests, rather than lefty activists, that butter her bread. I doubt that she would be so devoted to Jordan if that weren’t what the O.G.s demanded of her.
Here is a thought. The only thing scarier to the Kleptocracy than Councilman Moreno is Mayor Moreno. We are only 2 years away from Tom Tait being termed out (I try not to think about it.) If they force Dr. Moreno to wait for 2018, he has to choose between representing his own District 3 or running in an At Large seat to become Mayor. If he runs for Mayor and wins it negates the argument that the Latino candidate CANNOT win At Large (a hollow victory for them but one of sorts, none the less) and perhaps they HOPE he runs for Mayor as they have already swapped his District 3 win to a City-wide loss when the At Large votes of the city as a whole were applied. There is more to this than merely Jordan being too weenie to face Moreno (although that is part.) There is more long term strategy here and I can’t help thinking EVERYTHING about 2018, from the candidates running to the money available to candidates is going to be impacted by the Mayor’s race and the death struggle for that seat!
So.
When can Jordan’s campaign donors expect their refund?
Or, is Jordan just going to keep all that money now that he’s changed his mind?
The bulk of his donations are a loan from himself and a loan from his mom and dad. Thats what Im told.
Oh. There are quite a few. 95 donors for $83,038, $91147 with non reportable.
$2700 from Connor Traut? Good for him. I didn’t have $2700 to blow when I was 21.
No freaking way he’s spent that money.
Im told Connors brothers all maxed out to JB. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if the helped lil bro get to the max amount.
Well, if anyone helped him, that’s campaign finance fraud . . .
My understanding is that they can give him money and tell him that he can do whatever he wants with it — knowing that he’ll donate it to Brandman. At that point it has become “his” money, so no fraud. That’s the theory, anyway!
Yeah good luck with that one. Look what it took to catch the guy who was bundling and reimbursing donations from unemployed and disabled people. And the net result is a misdemeanor. So yeah,………….
Well, he’s just a kid. I’m not interested in busting him for anything.
But I’ll definitely admit to some jealousy to having that kind of disposable cash at his age.
Meh, I thin k he is going be quite damaged by his close alliance with JB and the Pringle machine. So, that may be a moot point.
If the brothers maxed out in their own names and then gave money to little brother to max out in addition to what they already donated it is indeed illegal. But yeah, good luck proving it. EXCEPT…Little Connor is now a PUBLIC OFFICIAL at Centralia, meaning he has to declare gifts of cash from his brothers on his Form 700 in order to claim they simply gave him money without any direction to direct it on a specific expenditure. And how do his BROTHERS (assuming not much older than young Connor) have that kind of scratch?
Yeah, again, not looking to throw the kid under the bus, I was just shocked he had that to throw around.
Say what you will about the kid, he has giant feet.
So does Jordan.
Yeah, Cynthia. there is that. (But it was supposed to be a surprise!)
Alas, I vaguely recall that Form 700 has an exception (or an extra allowance or something) for gifts from family members. Parents, at least; I’m not sure about siblings. It doesn’t come up much for me….
Could it be from his campaign fund rather than his personal funds?
What is Brandman’s father’s connection with Disney??
If I remember correctly, his firm produced the cut-and-paste swiss-cheese of an EIR for the Disney Expansion. Anaheim H.O.M.E. at that time had to slog through it page by page (4 or 5 books totaling 1 ft high) and call the errors/omissions to the City’s attention, (besides disputing the content!) There may be other connections ?
So copy/paste runs in the family? Bet they got paid handsomely. too.
Brandman and Associates was sold off a few years ago while retaining the rights to the name because Brandman is a big deal in the enviro gig. I think Papa still “consults” as some form of “emeritus” but don’t know that or details. They did indeed do the EIR for the expansion of Disney in the 1990s. Claimed no impact to housing because the expansion would make use of current Anaheim residents as workforce and they are already here so what’s the problem? In fact if you look at how they word it you would swear this “workforce” is sitting at home collecting welfare and we will be ahead of the game to have the deadbeats on the payroll for such a generous company instead of on the public dole. They completely fail to address that poverty wages ensure that the workforce ends up on the public dole to backfill what they are not making at work, because hey we don’t stop getting cancer or appendicitis just because Disney cut their benefits to cast members. They said what they were told to say, and the City Council that wanted to do this ate it up and approved it without question.
I believe this document also reflects the first time that Disney was stuck dealing with CEQA for their pyrotechnics (could be wrong but it seems like this is the first expansion they did big enough to demand Enviro, so would be the first time forced to address it) the EIR addresses the NOISE impact of fireworks, and it seems like it addressed some limitations on how many times they could do them come to think of it, I suspect every day twice a day unlimited cart blanche to rain crap on the heads of Anaheim’s citizenry was not in the documents, need to check) but the EIR by Brandman fails to address air quality or soils or water related to the pyrotechnics or their fall-out, and then the SCAQMD exempted ALL pyrotechnics displays from study!! While I cheer that we have new business friendly officials on that board trying to lift more draconian rules off the necks of the small business community, it also means no way in Hell are we going to get them to reverse themselves on pyrotechnics for the “economic engine.” Does anyone want to make the case that a laser light show would not draw at least as many people? Are visitors really going to skip Disney if the fireworks go away? You know what WOULD make people skip Disney? If they knew what was in the usual and customary contents of pyrotechnics shows. (we don’t know for certain what is in Disney’s as it is “proprietary” but the nations that outlawed them until cleaner ones could be developed still don’t have them so one can guess the cleaner ones are not yet developed, and why bother when you get official to let you shoot off anything you want without accountability? But guests might give a damn.
If Disney screws over their own workforce it’s not the problem of Joe Everyday who saved up for 2 years and did NOT buy the bass boat he really wanted so he could get the wife and 3 kids onto a plane and into a motel or STR, so they don’t care about union protests on property and actually end up siding with Disney because those selfish worker drones are letting their reality intrude on Joe’s magical vacation. Nor is it the problem of Joe Everyday that Disney screws over the citizens who host the Happiest Place on Earth. But Joe Everyday is not draining off his savings account and cashing in his remaining sick pay so his kids can return to Elks Knuckle Grammar School glowing in the dark or whatever happens to exposure to black powder and heavy metals. So there is accountability for Disney eventually, it is simply a matter of messaging and separating that from whackadoodle Fitzgerald nobody wants to listen to or being associated with in any way shape or form!
Look up Michael Brandman and Associates. That’s the name of the company.
Sorry Ryan, but if Connor Traut is grown up enough to scam himself a seat in the Centralia School Board, where I understand his big reform of what he characterized as a poorly run district, was to consider paper seat covers for the kids restrooms, he is big enough to take heat if he doesn’t properly follow the political reform act. Connor is big boy enough to file that bogus complaint against Tom Tait, hopefully he only signed what someone else wrote, given they accused Tait of voting for items in nights without any council meetings. The little weasel committed a hostile takeover of the West Anaheim Neighborhood council, becoming Chair of something he had not previously been involved in, by showing up with a bunch of other people who had not previously been involved, and his use of that seat for political grandstanding and resume building is likely to do serious harm to the citizens of West Anaheim in genuine need of resources that only a committed leader can get for them. Btw the buzz is out that a connor denied he will use the political mileage of pretending to be a “community leader” to run for City Council, including snowing some potential candidates into backing his play for the WA NC seat, and if he does run he used those people and I hope they string him from the political yardarm for it!
In short, if the punk is old enough to do some damage to my beloved community for his own self serving crap, he is old enough to take the damage when the mirror of rules and regulations is held up for him to look into.
Greg, the law provides an exemption for relationships of long standing in which mutual gift giving is a natural act. I do not have to report the jewelry my husband is getting me for Christmas (right honey?) so if Connor and his brothers routinely give each other thousands of dollars for no reason, then I guess they could show some record of that, like deposit slips etc to explain to FPPC about this odd Traut family tradition.
Wedding gifts are generally exempt, which made it handy when Ian Calderon and his stunningly perfect bride asked for MONEY on their gift registry, specifically “help us buy our first home.” Like the taxpayers aren’t going to end up doing that in some form, right? But this is the perfect chance to scoop up some lobbyist bucks without violation, as a legit wedding gift. What a great group of young people, really warms the heart and gives you hope that the future is in good hands with this up and coming generation, doesn’t it?
So help me someone pulled the magnet out of the moral compass just about the time this batch was born, and if this is the future, someone put a pillow over my face and push down until I stop struggling because I don’t want to be a little old lady in a world run by these self serving bastards.
Other than that I have no opinion really.
Hey lady, why dont you just tel us what you really think? :o)
If somebody had sat down with Brandman 15 years ago and told him to become a productive member of society we’d all be better off today. This troutling looks to be cut out of the same piece of delicate satin.
Last line cracked me up.
What exactly is the West Anaheim Neighborhood Council anyway? Is that like a CRA unit or a Democratic club? Do they have any jurisdiction over anything, save for being a platform for residents of the area to voice their views?
Paul, the Neighborhood Council system distributes CDBG Fed money. Not a whole lot left these days but enough to get streetlights for a long darkened cul de sac or something the General Fund doesn’t stretch for. Now why Anaheim’s General Fund doesn’t stretch to cover basics is another story but that is the answer for Neighborhood Council. Anaheim has four, west, central, south, and east. Supposed to get local input for spending priorities. Chair is only supposed to facilitate the wishes of the locals but taking control of the district means he can also show up with his same cronies and hijack the spending priorities on vote night and suddenly a project locals have waited for years to get ends up on the shelf so their buddies get a make work project. It is a big deal. It extends crony capitalism to the most grassroots element of local government, and frankly it sucks and left me with raw hate for the little punk. I wish I had the gracious level of compassion Mr. Cantor is able to extend. I ain’t got it.
Holy shit Cynthia I didn’t know about that. please keep me abreast of that body’s actions because if he is going the route of the Pringle crony capitalism, then we can take action at the DPOC to nip it in the bud.
Incorporated 1982, Filed BK Sept 1993, Acquired by FirstCarbon Solutions April 2012. Jason(?) Brandman is VP Bus Development. $5-10 M Revenue, 100+ employees. Private, no info on current ownership.
“Put Neidermeyer on it….he’s a sneaky little shit!” from Animal House! “Toga, Toga…Toga!…John Beluishi said that! Hey, it’s the holidays…can’t you folks
relax until after the 1st of the year?