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[Originally published Oct. 5]  This list will be updated often as we do additional research.  If your vote depends on what we recommend, don’t send in your ballot yet!  (Let us know where you are and maybe we’ll get to your race sooner.)  Everyone else: this isn’t the year to wait!  Either vote early at a ballot drop box — a REAL one, not a fake insecure one set up and false branded as “official” by our suddenly feloniously insane state Republican Party — mail it in early, or go early to a voting center!

STATUS REPORT, 10/16, 6 a.m.!  All that’s left to do are:

• • Cypress Council
  • Dana Point Council 4 and 5
  • Irvine Council
  • Laguna Beach Council 
  • La Palma (2 chosen, 1 left)
  • RSM
  • San Clemente (long and short-term races
  • Santa Ana 3 (Villegas’s seat, waiting to check financial statements)
  • Seal Beach 2
  • Stanton 4

Note: We know that this post is huge and laden with chatty analysis.  If you want just our picks, go to our faster-loading list of picks, and just return to this page just when you want our detailed analysis!  (But you can also stay here and enjoy our repartee!)

If the first batch of ballots were mailed today [Oct. 5], they should start arriving on Tuesday Oct. 6.  (No, the Sample ballots in the voter guides are not ballots.)

When you get them, vote early in person (they won’t be crowded most of the time), early in a drop box, or mail it in as early as you can!  This post, a list of our picks that, when completed will answer most all of your questions, will help!

TOP ROW, left to right: Denise Barnes (Anaheim Council 1), Susan Sonne (Buena Park Council 3) above Fred Jung (Fullerton Council 1), Richard Hurt (Aliso Viejo Council), Adam Ereth (Mesa Water District 2, vs. Jim Fisler), Michael Elliott (OC Water District 6, vs. Cathy Green), Karl Seckel (Muni Water District 4 vs. Allan Mansoor); MIDDLE ROW: Beckie Gomez (Tustin City Council), Kenneth Batiste (Anaheim Council 5), Megan Woo Schneider (Muni Water District 7, vs. a Poseidon shill), Samantha Bao Anh Nguyen (endorsements retracted), Robert McVicker (Muni Water District 3, vs. Tyler Diep), Nathan Searles (Rossmoor Services District, against Mad Dr. Jeffrey Barke) above Martin Varona (Orange City Council 2); BOTTOM ROW: Dan Kalmick & Oscar Rodriguez, &Natalie Moser (slate for Huntington Beach City Council) Danett Abbott-Wicker (Orange City Council 3), Eugene Fields (Orange City Council 1, against Arianna Barrios), and Jose Paolo Magcalas (against Lucille Kring!)  We’re sorry that we had to leave off so many good people, but you’ll probably be profiled in our in-depth posts about individual races.

[These are OJB’s endorsements for all of the fall election contests on your ballot.  (It may not be “all” quite yet — partly because some judges races haven’t been posted, partly because we’re not entirely decided — but all will be covered eventually. And, in some contests, no one will be endorsed or we may actually recommend abstaining.)

The way we do this is for at least Vern and Greg to give our separate opinions in these races.  Vern’s endorsements are in Violet; Greg’s are in Green; Ryan’s are in Red   (Get the secret code?)  We also hope to include endorsements from some of our Buddies residing in various areas; their comments will appear in Brown.  We’re adding some of the Lavender Dems Club endorsements (in, what else?) where they inform races where we’re not fixed or united in our endorsements.

There are NO State Supreme Court Justices and local-ish District Appellate judges up for a retention vote this year, and I cannot explain to you why.

FEDERAL

President & (Vice President)

• Joe Biden (Kamala Harris) (D)
• Donald Trump (Mike Pence) (R) (inc.)
• Jo Jorgensen (Spike Cohen) (L)
• Howie Hawkins (Angela Nicole Walker) (G)
• Gloria de la Riva (Sunil Freeman) (P&F)
• “Rocky” De La Fuente Guerra (Kanye West*) (*apparently hasn’t accepted) (AI)

Vern: I’m voting Biden/Harris, but I can understand being unenthusiastic about either of them. In California you can really pick whoever you like best – just NOT TRUMP!!!
Greg: If you can get a swing state voter who wants to vote Green to switch to Biden, vote Green  If not, Biden.  (Be honorable: only get one such voter to agree.)
Ryan: Biden. No option to not vote for Harris, so it is what it is.  Trump has destroyed any principles the GOP had left.  It’s now a cult of personality and loyalty, which is inherently unAmerican.

TOP TWO RUNOFFS

Congress

COUNTY EXECUTIVE 

County Supervisor Runoff 

District 1: Andrew Do (i) vs. Sergio Contreras

Vern: I’m afraid Sergio is a captive of the worst unions, the building trades and teamsters, which is why he loves Poseidon. This conflictedness and bad judgment will follow him onto the Board regarding many issues. The Dem’s not so great and Do’s not the worst either, although Ryan makes a good point.  It’s impossible to get excited about this race. It’s sad how bad our choices generally have been in the Supe races. And… shit, I guess that’s it for Supes.
Greg: I’m conflicted, but the activists in this district say to vote Sergio, so OK.  If he approves Poseidon, he’ll have a short career there.
Ryan: Contreras.  Do lacks the ethical spine required to check the rest of the board.  His support of the Supervisors pissing on the Brown Act is abhorrent.

EDUCATION

Community College Districts

North Orange County Community College District

Trustee Area 2

Incumbent Ed Lopez won without opposition.  Vern: And yay for Ed!

Trustee Area 4

• Miguel Alvarez, Businessman/Education Administrator
• Evangelina Rea Rosales, Community College Professor

Greg: Alvarez.  I’m deferring here to the hard work of the Berniecrat delegates who vetted him.
Vern: Sounds good!

Trustee Area 5

• Dave Garcia-Gomez. Analyst/Professor/SBO
• Jacqueline Rodarte. Incumbent

Greg: Rodarte deserves another term.  NOCCCD is a well-run system.
Vern: Jackie’s good, and helping with the Batiste campaign and the Sidhu recall.  Though I wish she’d answer her phone more.
Ryan: Rodarte does not deserve another term.  The constant stream of bonds and stadium building from NOCCCD is a giant flipping of the bird to taxpayers.

Trustee Area 7

• Ryan Bent (i)
• Keri Kropke

Greg: Kropke.  Kropke was bravely and controversially pro-BLM while on the Brea-Olinda School Board. I trust her to protect and promote student welfare.

Coast Community College District

Trustee Area 2

• Tony Bui, Engineer
• Jerry Patterson (i)
• Long Pham, Retired Nuclear Engineer

Greg: Long Pham.  He was on OCBOE, while Patterson’s been here far too long.
Vern: I like that idea! Long’s a good guy who helped with the noble  but unsuccessful Westminster recall, and Jerry is way too old and union-controlled. Oh shit I probably made a buncha friends mad, oh well.

Trustee Area 3

Incumbent Lorraine Prinsky won unopposed.  Vern: Yay Lorraine!

Trustee Area 4

• Mary L Hornbuckle (i)
• Michael B Collier, Business Manager

Greg: Hornbuckle has done a good job and works well with Prinsky.
Vern: I guess I’ll buckle to the pressure and toot the horn for Mary.

Rancho Santiago Community College District

Trustee Area 1

Incumbent Zeke Hernandez won unopposed. Vern: Ugh. The dude is bad news.

Trustee Area 3

(Became vacant after Nelida Mendoza resigned.)

• Sal Tinajero, Educator/Businessowner
• Mike Gonzalez, Public Safety Consultant

Greg: Tinajero, who had long been the most impressive Santa Ana Council member.
Vern: Agree, adelante con Sal!

Trustee Area 5

(Incumbent Claudia Alvarez did not run)

• Brett Elliott Franklin, Orange County Businessman
• David Crockett, Affordable Healthcare Manager
• Samuel Ulloa, Business Owner

Greg:  I’m still reviewing whether Crockett or Ulloa has the better chance to win.  DPOC endorsed Crockett, so while I like Ulloa too, he’s probably the better bet.
Vern: I’ll say Ulloa because the candidates who hold forth intelligently and entertainingly on our blog comments are the candidates who deserve to win!

Trustee Area 7

(Incumbent Arianna Barrios did not run)  Vern: And good riddance to that professional klepto shill and Kris Murray associate. Oh whoops I probably made her husband Brian mad, who used to sorta be my friend.

• Tina Arias Miller, Community College Director
• Loretta Sanchez, University Educator/Businesswoman

Greg: Arias Miller is highly qualified.  Loretta, in contrast, is just highly thirsty.  (Run against Rep. Devin Nunes, Loretta!  We’ll endorse you there!  But here, it’s  Miller time!)
Vern: Bottoms up!

South Orange County Community College District

Trustee Area 1

• Helen Locke, Retired Administrative Manager
• Carolyn Inmon, Retired Teacher
• Aarti Kaushal, Teacher/City Commissioner
• Matt Waid, Student Conduct Investigator

Vern: And I’m supposed to know something about this?
Greg: Well, that’s why we do research!  According to Roy Bauer at Dissent, Locke is a crony of a poisonous charter school advocate named Mathur, so she’s out.  Inmon did a good job on Irvine’s School Board and is DPOC and (Roy guesses) teacher’s union endorsed.  Kaushal talks about over two decades as an activist promoting student interests.  Waid was a little weaker, but still seemed acceptable.  Inmon’s more likely to win, but personally I think Kaushal new things to the table.  But, I’ve finally settled on Inmon.  So: Inmon > Kaushal > Waid > Kaushal >Locke.  UPDATED 10/25:  Oof!  Just received a photo where Aarti proudly displays an endorsement by Harry Sidhu.  I have duly demoted her one rank.  Make it simple: vote for Inmon.

Trustee Area 3

Incumbent Barbara Jay won without opposition. Vern: Golf clap.

Trustee Area 6

• Ryan Dack, Educator
• James Wright, Incumbent

Greg: I endorse Dack.  He didn’t put in a candidate statement, but what he wrote in a comment below after I challenged him on his qualifications was quite satisfying.

Trustee Area 7

• Mo Entezampour, College Professor
• Sean Gawne, Retired Training Manager
• Tim Jemal, Incumbent

Greg: Tim Jemal’s record seems solid.  The other two seem, respectively, liquid and gas.  Go with the incumbent.  (Gawne in particular sounds weird.)

Union High School Districts

Anaheim Union High School District

Trustee Area 3

Incumbent Katherine Smith won without opposition.
Vern: Wow, I assume she’s back in good health? Good for that eccentric, lovable old warhorse.
Greg: Dunno, but I hope so.  Nice lady.

Trustee Area 4

Incumbent Brian O’Neal won without opposition

Fullerton Joint Union High School District

Trustee Area 2

Incumbent Joanne Fawley won without opposition.

Trustee Area 3

Vicki Calhoun won without opposition.
Vern: Now THAT is good news – our education boards have been severely lacking in Red Hot Chili Peppers backup vocalists!

Huntington Beach Union High School District

• Saul Lankster, Criminal Justice Professor
• Spencer Hagaman, Small Business Owner
• Susan Henry (i)
• Christine Hernandez, Student Engagement Director
• Michael Simons (i)
• Claudia Ramos, Community Volunteer

Greg: The first two are the most impressive: Hagaman and Lankster.

Unified (K-12) School Districts

Brea Olinda Unified School District

Trustee Area 2

Deana Miller won without opposition.

Trustee Area 3

Paul Ruiz won my district without opposition.

Trustee Area 5

• Lauren Barnes
• Gail Lyons (i)

Greg: Barnes.  I compared Barnes’s candidate statement with Lyons’s district site biography.  Lyons seems fine, but Barnes seemed dynamic and focused on STEM education, which I like.  

Ryan: From what I understand, parents are happy with BOUSD.  Parent satisfaction is usually a good indicator for incumbents, but I could be wrong.

Capistrano Unified School District

Trustee Area 1

Incumbent Amy Hanacek won without opposition.

Trustee Area 2

Pamela Braunstein, Small Business Owner

Jim Reardon (i)

Greg: Braunstein, because Reardon is the guy Vern hates.  And he has some really bad endorsements.
Vern: Yeah I just remember bad things about him vaguely… a voter from down there has been urging me to write another piece about him like I apparently did four years ago. There’s always a slate of crazed anti-public-education zealots down there; they were pretty much defeated 10 years ago (with my help!) and he is part of that crowd.

Trustee Area 3

• Sue Hill, Retired Realty Salesperson
• Adrienne Silva, Businessowner/Behavior Analyst
• Lisa Davis, Businessowner/Parent

Greg: I liked them all, but found each slightly troubling, and even after most of an hour’s research, I couldn’t even rule anyone out.  So read their candidate statements on the ROV’s site yourself and look for endorsements elsewhere.  Sorry.

Trustee Area 5

• Paul Hebbard, Certified Public Accountant
• Jasmine Funes, Adjunct Professor
• Krista Castellanos, Appointed Incumbent

Greg: I like both Castellanos and Funes, but Castellanos seems more effective of a reformer.  Hebberd does not seem like a good choice for a school board.

Garden Grove Unified School District

Trustee Area 1

• Nicholas Dibs, Teacher/Non-Profit CEO
• Terri Rocco, (i)

Greg: I am conflicted out of commenting on this race.  Read their candidate statements.

Trustee Area 3

Incumbent Walter Muneton won without opposition. Vern: Great, good guy, I understand!

Trustee Area 5

• Samantha Bao Anh Nguyen, City Commisioner/Businesswoman
• Dina Nguyen, School Boardmember/Attorney
• Patrick Cahill, Martial-Arts Instructor

Greg: First of all, not Dina…
Vern: I recently met Cahill, very young, energetic, idealistic, an eager supporter and organizer of OC’s BLM protests. Not sure what his expertise is in education.
Greg: Hmmm.  Well, he has the DPOC endorsement, and I still can’t get over Samantha running for OC Water District Board without knowing what Poseidon is, so … Cahill!

Irvine Unified School District

Trustee Area 1

Incumbent Laura Brooks won without opposition.

Trustee Area 3

• Douglas Euper, Teacher/Parent
• Bethany Huang, Student/Tutor
• Cyril Yu, Deputy District Attorney
• Sidney Wu, City of Irvine Commissioner/Parent

Greg: I’d love to recommend Yu, but I can’t.  I see no good alternative to Yu — certainly not Sidney Wu –but I can’t endorse him due to his role in the unethical disqualifications of Judge Thomas Goethals from handling any criminal cases after the “snitch scandal,” which he has never adequately addressed.  Yu presumably did what he did — including not contradicting Rackauckas henchwoman Susan Kang Schoeder’s implausible assertion that there was no guidance for Deputy DAs about whether to reject Goethals as their trial judge — for the benefits Racky’s support could provide him in his future political career (as so many did.)  So I can’t support him for any office until he lives up to what I believe is his own natural inclination and comes clean.  Maybe students suffer for that.  Sometimes accountability hurts.  

Trustee Area 4

Newcomer Scott Fayette was elected without opposition.

Trustee Area 5

• Paul Bokota (i)
• Demetra Arvanitidis, Pediatrician/Parent

Greg: Bokota.  He’s served well and Arvanitidis has some bad associations. 

Laguna Beach Unified School District (3 seats)

• Howard Hills, Constitutional Lawyer/author
• Kelly Osborne, Community Volunteer
• Sheri Morgan, Business Owner
• Jan Vickers (i)
• Amy Kramer, Business Owner

Greg:  After checking everyone out, I’ll go along with DPOC’s choices Vickers and Osborne.  NOT loony Howard Hills.  Literally flip a coin re Morgan and Kramer.

Los Alamitos Unified School District

Trustee Area 2

• Paurvi Trivedi, Parent/Project Manager
• Chris Forehan, Retired School Principal
• Jody Roubanis, Professor

Greg: Trivedi seems best.

Trustee Area 4

No one filed for this seat, leading to an appointment.  Voters dodged a bullet here.

Trustee Area 5

• Meg Cutuli (i)
• Matt Filler, Retired Systems Engineer

Greg: Cutuli is experienced, moderate, and deserves to be retained.  Not sure what Filler brings to this position besides inexperience and a Cornell MBA.

Newport-Mesa Unified School District

Trustee Area 1

• Leah Ersoylu, Business Owner/Parent
• Vicki Snell (i)

Greg: Ersolyu.  Snell looks fine, but Ersolyu looks very impressive. 

Trustee Area 3

• Charles Kent Booker, Business Owner
• Carol Crane, Retired Educator

Greg: Crane’s a longtime teacher with good ideas.  Booker is a longtime coach.  Coaching is cool, but….

Trustee Area 6

• Alexis Zavouris, Communications Engagement Associate
• Amy Peters, Businesswoman/Parent
• Xeno Ralf Muller II, Private Music Instructor
• Krista Weigand, Businesswoman/Parent/Coach

Greg: Amy Peters looks best by quite a bit.  Zavouris is a distant second.

Orange Unified School District

Trustee Area 2

• John Ortega (i)
• Tiger Kennedy Cosmos, Technology Instructor/Parent

Greg: Tiger seems good.
Vern: Didn’t he piss you off when he commented here, and you thought it was a fake name? Yeah Tiger seems good.
Greg: As if I’d remember a specific incident of being pissed off by something someone wrote in comments….  No, he does seem good.  Plus, Ortega seems not-good.

Trustee Area 3

• Ana Page, Educator/Non-Profit Director
• Alexia Deligianni-Brydges (i)

Greg: Research completed.  I’m for Ana Page.

Trustee Area 6

• Angie Schlueter-Rumsey, Orange County Teacher/Parent
• Alex Muñoz, Website Designer
• April Braswell, Business Consultant/Instructor
• Carrie Lundell, Parent/Business Owner

(Greg: I’m supporting Carrie Lundell, with a maximum level of approval, but I happened to read her material last, and if you need more than just my say so, then keep reading for my account as I went through each of the above in order.  Let’s just say that this was an hour well-spent.)

OK: Democrats didn’t endorse; Republicans endorsed Angie Schlueter-Rumsey, but I won’t hold that against her.  She has endorsements from right-wingers and is clearly shilling for the charter school industry, calling to “provide educational options for students” and “allow parents more choices when it comes to the education of their children” without ever using the word “Charter.”  (And I will hold that against her!)  She says that she’s taught in OC schools for 20 years, so I looked her up: she’s taught at Salem Lutheran School since 1997.  Not mentioning that little fact is beyond not candid, when running for a public school officer — it’s bordering on dishonest.  I came across a letter in a Foothills paper by Michelle Weisenberg of Orange that was disturbing; I’ll put the whole thing here for now and then move it and link to it when we finish our page for contests in Orange:

Angie Schlueter-Rumsey claimed to be a “teacher in Orange County” who sent her children to “local Orange County schools” and herself graduated from “local Orange County schools.” Voters need to scrutinize these statements. Schlueter-Rumsey fails to tell voters that her experience is exclusively limited to local private schools. She attended private schools, sent her kids to private schools, and has only ever taught in private schools. While voters are free to choose that experience over a public school experience, it is critical that voters know what they are voting for. In addition, Schlueter-Rumsey is endorsed by the current OUSD board members whose votes were clearly pre-determined by substantial donations from an outside political action committee (and persons associated with it) who are committed to defunding our public schools by diverting funds to private schools. Their December vote will potentially drain OUSD of nearly $15 million over the next five years.

I believe that to be a trustee of a public school district, you should be a solid supporter of public schools, which this candidate shows no evidence of doing. 

This November, let’s make sure the people we elect to our OUSD public school board actually support public schools and their students, not those supported or funded by radicals trying to push a political agenda. 

So who if anyone can beat this Angie?  Alex Muñoz didn’t even put up a ballot statement.  April Braswell is a well-educated life coach who teaches some community college classes and — since we’re apparently getting parochial about things — is involved with both Mariner’s Church and the Trinity of Orange Episcopal Church.  She wants to teach children cursive and focus on top-college admissions, so conservatives who actually favor public schools may prefer her to Angie S-R.  Finally, I moved on with muted hopes to Carrie Lundell — whose statement — which I’ll also move to our Orange page is up — reads thusly:

Quality public education directly contributes to the economic and cultural health of our community. For 13 years, this belief has driven me to volunteer in Orange Unified schools, serving as a PTA and PTO president, running coach, classroom assistant, and art teacher.  At the district level, I have served with teachers, parents, and other stakeholders to review curriculum and have regularly engaged in school board meetings. My work has earned me the formal endorsement of our teachers and the support of many community
organizations, volunteers, and families.

As a parent to three current OUSD students and one recent graduate, I believe parents must have a voice in their children’s education. As your board member, I will welcome the voices of parents, students, and community members as we work together to ensure every OUSD student has access to a quality education in a safe, equitable, and innovative learning environment.

I will bring what I have learned as the co-founder of a successful business to the Orange Unified School Board. We built our business on the concepts of community, collaboration, and creativity. Investing in our local community yields countless benefits, collaborating with others leverages our strengths, and creativity is the ultimate problem solver. OUSD needs leadership committed to building community trust, collaborating without partisanship, and finding creative solutions in our ever-changing circumstances.

As a small-business owner, I know fiscal responsibility is crucial to the success of any organization. I will work to ensure our district funds are used in ways that directly contribute to the success of our students and that the budget reflects our community values.

As we work to permanently return our kids to the classroom, we must address their emotional and physical health, the lost learning and friendship opportunities, and the growing educational gaps that have been exacerbated by a global health crisis. As your board member, these concerns will inform the decisions I make for our children.

It’s more important than ever for the Orange Unified community to embody the word unified.” I am committed to being a bridgebuilder, bringing our community together to give our kids a brighter future.

It would be an honor to have your vote for our kids, our community,
and the future of OUSD.

Oh my God — that’s amazing, beautiful, compelling!  I think that I want Carrie Lundell (link is to her campaign site) to win this race so badly that I may have just ruptured my spleen.  And her endorsements, which I read after deciding to endorse her, include mainstream Democrats like Lou Correa and John Hanna to the existing (at least one Republican, if I recall correctly) Trustees Kathy Moffett, Kris Erickson, and Andrea Yamasaki, and many more.  So I guess that this is a race between her and the “hide the fact that I want to sack the public schools” candidate; I hope that the public school district’s voters choose wisely!

Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District

Trustee Area 1

• Paoling Guo, Public School Principal
• Eric Padget (i)
• Shawn Youngblood, Firefighter/Educator

Greg: Padget deserves re-election.  Guo seems nice, but she’s not going to beat the unpleasant seeming Youngblood, while Padget can.

Trustee Area 2

1. Marilyn Anderson, Community Volunteer
2. Joshua Correa, Community Advocate/Minister
3. Lashé Rodriguez, Supervisor’s Chief

Greg: It turns out that there’s quite a story here.  Marilyn Anderson is a hard-core social conservative — as in, I don’t think that Ryan would like her — and is the GOP pick.  Correa is a mild-mannered minister who seems nice and involved in supporting public education — but he includes some language at the end of his ballot statement that sounds like it could be dog-whistles to impede state curriculum requirements on cultural diversity and inclusion … but it might not be. Rodriguez is the Chief of Staff for Supervisor Doug Chaffee and has institutional support from Democrats who wouldn’t want to fail to support his interests, but her “qualifications” for a school board position seem to be that she’s was the oldest of four in a Black/Latino household and she taught her sibs a lot.  So her pitch is essentially that she’s a woman of color with connections, which doesn’t portend well, but if she can handle the sort of job she has she’ll probably do ok. 

I’ve been thinking about supporting Correa for one main reason, though: his candidate statement says that he has the endorsement of Board President Carrie Buck, who is excellent, and who I would not think would steer us wrong.  But I still wanted to see whether these were dog whistles, so I reached out through an intermediary — and was told that Buck has not endorsed anyone.  What she had done was to wish Correa good luck with his campaign, which he took as an endorsement, and by the time he discovered that it wasn’t it was impossible for him to change the statement.  (To his credit, he apparently did try.)

So at this point — without rancor towards Correa — it doesn’t look like he has what I’d consider a legitimate claim on the race.  It looks like a race between the party endorsed candidates, Rodriguez and Anderson — and I’ll go for Rodriguez.  But, like Buck, I wish Correa well — and I hope that he clarifies his positions on the sort of issues implicitly raised at the end of his statement, so that he can either own them or not be plagued by readers’ misinterpretation of them.  If you are conservative but not aggressively nasty about it, or antagonistic to public schools, Correa might well suit you. 

Trustee Area 3

• Leandra Blades, Retired Police Officer
• Mike Nicosia, Software Engineer
• Susan Metcalf, Educator
• Misty Janssen, Marine Corps Reservist

Greg: Janssen, who has amazing amounts of support from all over the map.  Damn, I’d meant to put her into the cover photo!  And the more I learn about Blades, the worse she sounds.

Saddleback Valley Unified School District

Trustee Area 2

• Tricia Yee, Businesswoman
• Edward Wong, (i)

Greg: Research complete.  Stick with Wong.

Trustee Area 3

Incumbent Suzie Swartz won without opposition.

Trustee Area 4

• Amanda Morrell (i)
• Benjamin Yu, Businessman

Greg: Research complete.  Stick with Morrell.

Santa Ana Unified School District

• Alfonso Alvarez (i)
• Cecilia Aguinaga, Housing Commissioner/Businessowner
• Carolyn Torres (i)
• Judith Carrillo, Health Education Advocate
• Oscar Reyes, Businessman/Coach
• Rigo Rodriguez (i)

Greg: All three incumbents deserve re-election.
Vern: BIG TORRES FAN, and SHE says Torres, Rigo & Alfonso.  OK I guess that is the three incumbents.

Tustin Unified School District

Trustee Area 1

• Tammie Bullard (i)
• Kirk Hahn, Research Scientist/Endocrinologist
• Allyson Damilolas, Parent/Non-Profit Boardmember

Damilolas looks best.

Trustee Area 2

• James Laird (i)
• Susan Stocks, Retired Educational Administrator

Stocks look best.  Not impressed with the TUSD incumbents.

Trustee Area 4

Jonathan Stone won without opposition.

Elementary School Districts

Anaheim Elementary School District

Trustee Area 1

Incumbent Jackie Filbeck won without opposition. Vern: Yay Jackie – a friend of the blog!

Trustee Area 3

• Jose Paolo Magcalas, Incumbent and University Professor
• Lucille Kring, Anaheim Councilwoman/Businesswoman

Greg: Magcalas, absolutely, without a doubt, over the anti-masker kleptocrat.
Vern: Bury Kring. Then we’re gonna need Paolo to bury Jordan next.
Ryan: Lucille Kring makes poor decisions, unethical decisions, and has a long track record of spite, ignorance, and stupidity.  If that’s what you want for your child, by all means, vote for her.

Buena Park School District

Trustee Area 3

Incumbent Tharwa Ahmad won without opposition

Trustee Area 4

• Irene Castaneda, Incumbent
• Carole Jensen, Community Volunteer

Greg: No ballot statements, no endorsements, but the incumbent seems nice.  Here’s one of the few hits I got on her name:

“This was the right decision at the right time for Buena Park School District,” Board of Education President Irene Castaneda said. “We are so grateful to the community for sharing their concerns and ideas and their understanding of the critical need to make these adjustments, which ensures we can continue to provide the best possible education to the children of Buena Park.”

If you want to oust an incumbent, Ms. Jensen, you’ve got to give people a reason!

Centralia School District

Trustee Area 3

Incumbent Liz Gonzalez won without opposition.

Trustee Area 4

Lamiya Hoque won without opposition.

Cypress School District

Trustee Area A

Incumbent Brian Nakamura won without opposition.

Trustee Area E

Incumbent Candi Kern won without opposition.

Fountain Valley School District  (2 seats open)

• Jeanne Galindo, Incumbent
• Steve Schultz, Teacher/Author/Coach
• Tom Nguyen, Businessman
• Ian Collins, Incumbent

Greg: I read their statements (as I usually do) before checking partisan endorsements.  All of them were good, but Schultz was the stand-out.  And then I found that he was the sole DPOC endorsed candidate.  For my second choice, Collins seems next best.

Fullerton School District

Trustee Area 2

Incumbent Hilda Sugarman won without opposition.

Trustee Area 5

Leonel Talavera won without opposition.

Huntington Beach City School District

Trustee Area 1

• Roger Noor, Environmental Consultant
• Bridget Kaub, Incumbent

Going with Noor.

Trustee Area 3

Incumbent Ann Sullivan won without opposition.

La Habra City School District, Full Term (2 seats open)

• Ofelia Corona Hanson, Youth Development Director
• Susan Pritchard, Retired Science Teacher
• John Dobson, Incumbent

Greg:  Dobson deserves re-election and Hanson would be the better addition to the board.

La Habra City School District, Short Term

Emily Pruitt won without opposition

Lowell Joint School District

Trustee Area 1

Incumbent Melissa Salinas won without opposition.

Magnolia School District

Trustee Area 2, Short Term

Incumbent Connie Martin won without opposition.

Trustee Area 3

Incumbent Barbara Clendineng won without opposition.

Trustee Area 4

Incumbent Nathan Zug won without opposition.
Vern: The Love Anaheim guy! My wife says he’s too close to cops, but there ya go.

Ocean View School District

Incumbents Norm Westwell and Gina Clayton Tarvin both won without opposition
Vern: SATAN AND THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL LIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER EON.

Savanna School District

Incumbents Christie Brown and Christina Karanick both won without opposition.

Westminster School District

Trustee Area 1

• Angel Ramirez, Information Technology Professional
• David Johnson, City Commissioner/Businessman

Vern: Well I don’t know anything about Angel, but David is definitely a good guy, the mastermind of the Westminster Recall, and he asked for the OJ endorsement long ago because he knows what KINGMAKERS we are! I’ll do him the favor of linking to his site here, since he’s been advising us on the Sidhu Recall… https://www.vote-david.com/
Greg:  Oh, that David Johnson!  Yeah, let’s endorse him.

Trustee Area 4

Semi-incumbent Frances “The-Thuy” Nguyen wins unopposed.

SPECIAL DISTRICT CONTESTS

Unincorporated Governance

Capistrano Bay Community Services District

• Yuri Cramer, Housewife/Property Manager
• William Wiersig, No Ballot Designation
• Brad Jenkins, Entrepreneur

Greg: No candidate statements.  No paper trail of any kind.  No recommendation.

Emerald Bay Service District

Incumbents John Marconi and Phil De Carion won unopposed.  

Rossmoor Community Services District , Full Term

• Jeffrey Barke, Appointed Director, Rossmoor Community Services District
• Joyce Bloom, No Ballot Designation
• Nathan Searles, Attorney
• Michael Maynard, Incumbent
• Tony DeMarco, Incumbent

Greg: Maynard, DeMarco — and Nathan Searles.  NOT Barke!
Vern: BOTH BARKES SUCK!!!!!!

Rossmoor Community Services District , Short Term

Jeffrey Rips won without opposition.

Surfside Colony Community Services District

Incumbent Rudy Lalonde won without opposition.

Three Arch Bay Community Services District

Incumbent Gary Rubel and newcomers Alan Anderson  and Judy Yorke all won without opposition.

Serrano Water District

Division 2

Incumbent Larry Pharris won without opposition.

Division 3

Incumbent Greg Mills won without opposition.

Division 5

Incumbent Jerry Haight won without opposition.

Silverado-Modjeska Recreation and Park District

(Two open seats)

• Michele Grace Agopian, Silverado Small Businesswoman
• Julie Morris, Retired Teacher
• Celeste Goff Veerkamp, Medical Staff Director

Greg: All of their ballot statements sound credible — and similar.  I don’t find any institutional endorsements to rely upon.  Take advantage of the small size of your communities and ask around. 

Sanitary Districts

Costa Mesa Sanitary District

Division 2

• Brett Eckles, Businessman/Costa Mesa Parent
• James Ferryman, incumbent

Greg: “A Bubbling Cauldron’s” Geoff West says to stick with Ferryman.  I trust him on this.  (Ferryman appears to be the victim of sabotage in a video that was edited him to look foolish.  Don’t fall for it.)

Division 4

• Art Perry, incumbent
• Michelle Figueredo-Wilson, Realtor/Businesswoman

Greg: Art Perry has a good reputation.  Endorsed.

Midway City Sanitary District (Vote for 2)

• Jamison Power, Westminster School Board Member
• Chi Charlie Nguyen, Incumbent
• Tai Do, Councilman/Police Officer
• Tyler Diep, California State Assemblyman
• Ashton Roger Kauwe, Corporate Assistant Administrator

Ryan: Not Tyler Diep.
Vern: JAMISON ROCKS!  NOT Tyler “Tomahawk” Diep!
Greg: Two open seats, guys!  Not Chi Charlie, either.  So: Jamison and Tai Do?  Or Jamison and Kauwe?  Or Jamison only and let the other voters figure out the rest?  I’ll go with Power and Do, the easiest to elect.

As this is one of the two Diep races, I’ll leave this campaign finance research here:

02/05/2020	CALIFORNIA LABOR AND BUSINESS ALLIANCE (CLAB), SPONSORED BY BUILDING TRADES, CORRECTIONAL PEACE OFFICERS AND APARTMENT RENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND ENERGY PROVIDERS	SUPPORT	$78,447.57	PRINTING, DESIGN, DATA AND MAILHOUSE SERVICES FOR MAILERS
02/05/2020	HEALTHCARE AND HOUSING BUSINESS COALITION SUPPORTING TYLER DIEP FOR ASSEMBLY 2020	SUPPORT	$77,103.81	WEB

It was the Lyft people spending against him — over a rare good vote — who beat him.  But just look who’s in these two coalitions … with the Building Trades smack in the middle!  One might think that these are strange bedfellows — but not with OC’s Trade Unions!

Sunset Beach Sanitary District, Full Term (3 seats?)

• David Evans, Appointed Director
• Graham Hoad, Listed as Director, designation is “Sales Tax Consultant”
• Jon Regnier, Incumbent
• John Woods, Incumbent

Re-elect the incumbents.  Are there really four incumbents?

Sunset Beach Sanitary District, Short Term

No one appears to have filed.  Whichever one of the above isn’t the real incumbent could have walked into this seat.  Oh well.

Surfside Colony Storm Water Protection District (2 seats open)

• Linda Garofalo, Incumbent Appointed-in-Lieu
• Dave Chamberlin, Real Estate Broker
• Victor Kriss, Appointed Incumbent

Vern: Wow, I know Linda G… she was the secretary for the church I played, and felonious mayor Dave G.’s first ex-wife. Not sure about her politics OR expertise in Storm Water Protection, but I was always impressed with the way she rolled her eyes whenever her felonious ex-husband was mentioned.
Greg: OK, let’s go with her and Kriss.

Water Districts — Local & Regional

El Toro Water District

Incumbents Jose Vergara, Mark Monin, and Kay Havens all won without opposition.

Irvine Ranch Water District

Vern: The BEST Water District!

Division 1

Incumbent John Withers has won without opposition.

Division 4

• Mary Matheis, Incumbent
• Karen McLaughlin, Water Quality Scientist
• Aarti Kaushal, Teacher/City Commissioner

John Earl says: McLaughlin!  Greg accepts the recommendation!

Moulton Niguel Water District

Incumbents Richard Fiore, Duane Cave, and Brian Probolsky,  and newcomer Sherry Wanninger, all won without opposition.
Vern: I don’t trust no darn Probolsky.  Greg: Too late, boss….

Santa Margarita Water District

• Charles Gibson, Incumbent
• Betty Olson, Incumbent
• Warren Martin, Environmental Non-Profit Director
• Frank Ury, Incumbent

Greg:  Bottom line is: 100% of you should vote for Martin, 75% of you should vote for Olson, and 0% of you should vote for Ury or Gibson.  (Follow the procedure found in the section for the South Coast Water District, below.)

Challenger Warren Martin sounds good.  Incumbent Betty Olson sounds impressive. with academic water research credentials.  Incumbent Frank Ury has some reasonable ideas about improving water storage.  But Charles Gibson slips into the very end of the penultimate paragraph of his candidate statement that “I am also working with other water districts and private enterprise in search of new sources of supply, including groundwater recharge and ocean desalination.”  Either he means Poseidon, or if he means Doheny he is too dim to explicitly say that he doesn’t.  (I strongly suspect the former.)  So he’s got to go.  (Some of us can hear dog whistles, Chuck, and you get extra demerits for trying to hide it!)

East Orange County Water District  (Two seats open)

• John Sears, Incumbent
• Julio Morales, Municipal Financial Advisor
• Douglass Davert, Incumbent
• Noble Alejandro Drakoln, Business Owner/Father

Greg: John Earl endorses Julio Morales.  Vote only for him; let the others fight it out.

Rossmoor/Los Alamitos Area Sewer District, Full Term

Incumbents Van Jew, Jim Bell, and William Poe won their three seats without opposition.

Rossmoor/Los Alamitos Area Sewer District, Short Term

This short-term seat went unfilled; the Board will appoint to the vacancy

Mesa Water District

Division 1

Fred Bockmiller has been re-elected without opposition.

Division 2

• Adam Ereth, Non-Profit Programs Director
• Jim Fisler, Incumbent

Greg: Ereth! Then FINALLY we can say: Fisler’s out!
Vern: Down the drain with Fisler! (He used to be a really nasty commenter here called “deadwhitemale” – obsessed with race and gender – until he got ganged up on and outed by a bipartisan gang here.)  John Earl agrees, Ereth.
Ryan: Ereth

Division 3

Marice DePasquale has been re-elected without opposition.

South Coast Water District

• Douglas Erdman, Incumbent
• Rick Erkeneff, Incumbent
• Markus Lenger, Water Innovator
• Scott Goldman, Environmental Engineer
• Wayne Rayfield, Incumbent

Greg: Bottom line: Lenger, Erkeneff, and Erdman, in that order — and with weighting: 100%, 75%, 50%. You definitely vote for Lenger.  Then you flip a coin twice.  Also vote for Erkeneff unless you get two tails in a row.  Then also vote for Erdman unless the two coin flips match.  (Or you can use your own judgment, based on what’s written below.  That’s fine too.)

This is the rare district where desalination does not primarily mean Poseidon.  A local site reports: “SCWD is currently pursuing the proposed Doheny Desalination Project in Dana Point. The project would cost $120 million, and the agency is currently struggling to garner partnerships to absorb the costs. If implemented, the Doheny Ocean Desalination Project would provide locally controlled water supply. Currently, SCWD imports 85-100% of its drinking water, causing vulnerability during droughts, supply shortages and potentially during natural disasters.”

Lenger is wary of this desal project and proposes many interesting and innovating alternatives.  He’s in, even if he only ends up being a devil’s advocate on the board.

Scott Goldman — who emphasizes his “established relationships with management and directors of surrounding agencies” is endorsed — in order on his site — by Debbie Neev, Michael Hogan, Brian S. Probolsky, Justin McCusker, Mark Monin, Stephen Dopudja, Richard Gardner, Doug Reinhart, and John Withers.”  Neev is first on the list of people John Earl warned us about! He’s out. 

Now to the three incumbents.

Erdman never mentions desal at all.  He says that “SCWD has several ongoing projects that would require a significant investment, and directly impact the amount you pay for water & sewer services. Some of these projects may have alternatives that could accomplish the same goals more efficiently with reduced costs. I’ll make sure that SCWD continues to maintain their infrastructure and deliver quality water and sewer services while remaining sensitive to the customer’s pocketbook.  Sounds pretty good to me.

Erkeneff will “support the continued study of the viability of environmentally sensitive, responsible ocean desalination.”  This sounded touchy: I agree with him in principle — which I believe that John Earl does not, at least for now — but it rang warning bells in the present fraught political environment, where Poseidon is still in town and desperately throwing around money to protect its planned ripoff of most of OC.  Then I found out that he’s “vice chairman of the South Orange County Chapter of Surfrider Foundation” — so ok, he’s in, but not with the priority of Lenger.  And you should definitely read this story about why Surfrider is strongly opposed to Poseidon and a plant in LA, but neutral for now on the Doheny plant.

Rayfield wants to continue to “foster cost-saving partnerships with other agencies in developing new local, reliable and cost-effective water sources” and also values environmental protection; if that’s a dog whistle, it’s a subtle one — but it’s probably about Doheny rather than Poseidon.  Still, I’ve soured on people hot to build desal projects, and prefer Erkeneff’s more measured approach

Trabuco Canyon Water District

Incumbents Don Chadd and Stephen Dopudja won unopposed.

Yorba Linda Water District

Incumbent John Wayne Miller and newcomer Trudi Kew Desroches  were elected unopposed.

Water Districts — Larger Ones

Orange County Water District

Division 2

Denis Bilodeau won without opposition, sad to say.

Vern: Will the following reasonably intelligent OCWD members ever do what they know is right and inevitable and give Poseidon their walking papers? Bilodeau, Sarmiento, Zahra.

Division 3

Roger Yoh won without opposition
Vern: And this is GREAT news. (Even though I won’t forget the fact that I had his number years ago and wanted to interview him about Poseidon, and then he cracked during a meeting, “Vern Nelson calls me so often my wife thinks I’m having an affair with him!”)

Division 4

• Kris Beard, Retired Administrative Manager
• Tri Ta, Appointed Incumbent
• Samantha Bao Anh Nguyen, City Commissioner/Businesswoman
• Tai Do, Councilman/Police Officer
• Jasmin Carmadella, Small Business Owner

Ryan: Not Ta, unless Ta is anti-Poseidon

Vern: He’s NOT, and he’s corrupt – Vern) 

Greg:  Would Tri Ta be OK?

Vern: No, Greg, TRI TA IS NOT OKAY!  He was installed there by the Poseidon majority! 

Greg: Do we like Samantha Bao Anh Nguyen?  She ran in the recall, which is good, but didn’t do that well, which is bad on a purely practical level.  Is Beard a reliable opponent of a wealthy fire-spitting beast like Poseidon?

John Earl (from off-screen): Kris Beard!

Vern: John Earl says KRIS BEARD!!  

Greg: OK, OK!  Kris Beard.  [Later] OMG, read this: Wisckol says that Samantha said she had never even heard of Poseidon!  DEFINITELY KRIS BEARD!

Division 6

• Michael Elliott, Computer Systems Engineer
• Cathy Green, Incumbent

Greg: Michael Elliot, no matter what!
Vern: GREEN HAS TO GO!  Onward with Elliott!

Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC)

Division 1, Short Term

• Scott Hupp, Business Owner
• Fred Smith, Mayor/Business Owner
• Al Nederhood, Director, Yorba Linda Water District

Vern:  For now John Earl is just saying, NOT NEDERHOOD!

Greg: They all suck.  I’m hoping for a write-in here.  Lacking that, I suspect that Fred Smith probably is the best of the lot. 

Division 3

• Kathy-Nguyet Pham, Registered Nurse
• Linda Moulton-Patterson, Businesswoman/Mother
• Robert McVicker, Water Resources Engineer/Incumbent
• Tyler Diep, California State Assemblyman

Ryan: Not Diep
Vern: John Earl says LINDA MOULTON-PATTERSON. RETIRE DIEP.
Greg: Yeah, none of us want Diep — but who can beat him?  None of them have filed reports for this race, so I can’t base a decision on the financials.  None of them list endorsements in their candidate statements.  But I think that the candidate statements do mean something.  Here is what McVickers wrote and here is what Linda Moulton-Patterson wrote.  Pham tries to turn this into a position where a medical background is a useful requirement — and it just isn’t.  Diep tries to take credit for wastewater treatment and vector control successes — which is laughable — and says that he wants to “restore some common sense” to MWDOC; I have no idea what he means, unless it is support for Poseidon.  Moulton-Patterson has a nice background, including a stint on the Coast Commission  — though her being union connected Jerry Patterson’s wife and business partner leaves me worried about her truly being anti-Poseidon.  She also says that she can bring “fresh new leadership” to MWDOC — without explaining why that is needed.  The statement by McVicker — whom I believe to be anti-Poseidon shows expertise and an appreciation for what the job requires.  And as the incumbent, he seems like a much better bet to beat Diep.  (But read the linked statements yourself and decide!)

Division 4

• Stacy Lynne Taylor, Water Policy Manager
• Christopher Ganiere, Architect
• Karl Seckel, Water District Engineer
• Allan Mansoor, Councilmember/Orange County Parent
• Dana Reed, No Ballot Designation

Vern: SECKEL IS GREAT FOR SURE. Vouched for by John Earl  https://www.facebook.com/karlforwater
Greg: Seckel, no doubt.  More good engineers in the Kelly Rowe mode!  (Taylor seems nice, but Poseidon is using her to split the vote against their guy, Mansoor.)

Division 6

Incumbent Jeffrey Thomas won reelection without challenge.

Division 7

• Megan Yoo Schneider, Incumbent
• Debbie Neev, Laguna Beach Water Commissioner

Greg: Schneider, without a doubt!  Neev is a Poseidon shill.

Vern: John Earl agrees:  MEGAN YOO SCHNEIDER.

Library Districts

Buena Park Library District

• Patricia Ganer, Incumbent
• Dennis Salts, Incumbent
• Irene Castaneda, Incumbent
• L. Carole Jensen, Community Volunteer

Greg:  

Ryan: From what I understand, this is a well run District. Incumbents should be fine, but I’m not positive. Fullerton residents should look to create their own district or merge with either BPL or Placentia (preferably the latter). This is the last resort for local libraries and Fullerton’s is in trouble thanks to one horrible current and one horrible former member of council.

Placentia Library District

Incumbent Gayle Carline and newcomers Hilaire Shioura and  Sharon Dahl were elected without opposition.

Santiago Geologic Hazard Abatement District, Full-Term

(Two seats open.)

• Employee Rights Attorney James Guziak
• Business Owner Bhavin Patel
• Appointed Incumbent Craig Schill.

Greg: Guziak is the only one who turned in a candidate statement.  His statement is outstanding, as are his qualifications.  Vote only for Guziak and let the other two battle it out for second place. 

Santiago Geologic Hazard Abatement District, Short Term

Nobody seems to have run.

JUDGES

State Supreme Court Justices

THERE ARE NONE THIS YEAR!

State Intermediate Appellate Court Judges

THERE ARE NONE THIS YEAR!

District Judges

Everything was finalized in March.

BALLOT MEASURES

State Ballot Measures

Proposition 14

Bond measure to increased state stem-cell research funding

Greg: Yes.  See the companion page for this, which is page #2!

Ryan: No. Not a priority given the current state of the budget.

Proposition 15

Removing Prop 13 tax privilege for commercially held office buildings

Greg: Yes.  En garde, Ryan!

Vern YES.

Ryan: No. Prop 13 needs wholesale reform. This is a bad prop, a bad idea, and will torpedo any attempt at realistic and necessary reforms to property tax collection and distribution to cities.

Proposition 16

Reverse ban on affirmative action in State-funded programs

Greg: Yes.  This allows for affirmative action within the scope of U.S. Supreme Court precedent barring hard quotas.  It’s important in contracting — if we can stop giving support to firms with only token or fronting minority/women owners, and diversity truly is critical to good higher education. 

Ryan: No.  Hard no.  There’s a reason quotas are illegal.  Passing this takes a dump on progress and will only inspire massive legal bills to overturn it by SCOTUS.  There are many things we can do to address racial, gender, and socio-economic issues with equity.  This ain’t the way.

Proposition 17

Allow paroled felons to vote 

Greg: Yes

Vern: YES

Ryan: Yes. If you’ve paid your debt to society, then you’ve paid your debt to society.  If you haven’t, then you should be in prison.

Proposition 18

Allow 17-year-olds who will be 18 by general election day to votes in primaries

Greg: Yes.  Competitive primaries don’t elect people, they narrow the choices.  If you’ll get to vote on a final choice, you should be involved in narrowing them down.

Ryan: No.  Either birthdays matter or they don’t.  They do, so this is stupid.

Proposition 19

Changing rules for resetting inheritance taxation of home values

Greg: UPDATE: I’m now a BIG NO.  Heard an ad this morning on KNX-AM while driving and avoiding a KPCC-FM fund drive.  All of the realtor and development interests are pushing it with the pitch that it will help seniors who are displaced by the fires and must fine new homes.  THAT’S NOT THOSE MISCREANTS’ REAL RATIONALE!  Protecting fire victims can easily done by legislation, or possibly even executive order, which would be quite popular. (Was: needs more study; at first blush it seemed reasonable)

Ryan: Agree with Greg, deserves a closer look, but the current rule on property tax base inheritance is way too lopsided and unfair to new homebuyers.

Proposition 20

Re-imposing harsher rules for criminal procedure and punishment

Greg: No

Vern: NO

Ryan: No.

Proposition 21

Increasing the power of cities to impose rent control

Greg: Yes.  En garde again, Ryan!

Vern YES

Ryan: No. If you’re pro-idiocy, that’s a great way to govern.

Proposition 22

Eliminating state law under which app drivers become employees rather than independent contractors

Greg: I like the law that was enacted, not excusing some employees from having to pull their share of the weight — including when it comes to Disability Insurance. Vote NO! (Note, this comment has been corrected.)

Vern:  “Yes on 22” reverts to what the law was BEFORE the controversial 2019 law was passed making gig workers employees.  You vote NO if you APPROVE of that 2019 law as I think Greg does, or if like Ryan you don’t think it’s fair for Uber and Lyft to buy their way out of a “stupid law,” and our friend Ivan who’s a gig worker is also a NO.  Everybody on both sides is mad at me for skipping that one because I was confused.  Now I guess I’m a NO.

Ryan: Absolutely NO. This is just a carve-out to exempt classes of people from a stupid law.  Repeal the stupid law, don’t leave good people without big pockets to defend themselves behind.  

Proposition 23

Requiring kidney dialysis clinics to have supervising medical doctors present

Greg: I’m leaning yes.  These private clinics are immensely profitable — but often not up to grade.  It won’t bankrupt companies to better ensure patient safely.  And the “NO” campaign’s scare tactics are disgusting.  

Vern:  Yes, the ads against it are exactly the kind I don’t trust.

Ryan: I dunno, with teledocs so prevalent now, this deserves another look.  No opinion.

Proposition 24

Expanding power and funding of the state consumer protection agency

Greg: yes   Vern: yes

Ryan: No, doesn’t do its job, don’t give it more power or money.

Proposition 25

Ending use of cash bail in favor of threat assessment

Vern: NO!  I rarely pull out this hoary cliche, but this is a perfect case: “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.”  The ACLU has turned against it, and so have most of my friends who work in justice causes.  As things are, a judge can let you out OR charge bail, and that gives you two possibilities.  This just takes away one of the two possibilities and leaves you at the mercy of one judge, many of whom are DRACONIAN.

Greg: Yes.  Draconian judges can already deny bail.  From an article in The Guardian:

“Senator Bob Hertzberg, co-author of the law, said there would be reviews to ensure the algorithms weren’t biased and noted that the risk assessments were just one tool in determining detention.  Eliminating bail was the “first step” of reform, he added. “We are going to make any and all adjustments to the system to continue to make sure that it’s fair.”

Ryan: For the love of God, yes.  This is a question of reasonableness and data.  If you believe to any degree that Civil Liberties are important, this is a critical “yes” vote.

Local Ballot Measures

(Clicking on the links will give you the full text and a summary of each measure, as well as potentially arguments for and against each

We encourage members of each affected community to offer opinions on these! 

P – City of Cypress, Amend City Charter to Update Noticing, Election Procedures, and Process for Filling a Council Vacancy

Greg: Seems OK, though I’m a little leery of the change in public notice requirements.

Q – City of Costa Mesa Retail Cannabis Tax and Regulation Measure

Greg: Yes.  The whole Council favors it except for Genis and Mansoor.

S – City of Fullerton Community Services, Street Repair, and Emergency Response Measure

Ryan: No. This tax has nothing to do with community services, street repair, or emergency response AND WILL NOT FIX THE ROADS.  Sit down, look at the math, and understand this just kicks the can at your expense.  This is a pension tax and will just make that problem worse.

Greg: Anyone from the yes side is welcome to send a response to me — but then Ryan gets a chance to refute it….

U – City of Fullerton Fireworks Ballot Measure

Ryan: No. The idea that Fullerton needs to send police and fire out on patrol for sparklers is stupid. If you like wasting time and money, a yes vote is for you.  

Greg: Leaning no.  I’d want to know more about whether these really cause fires in areas like Fullerton.  Go after the harder-to-pick fruit: cherry bombs and mortars.

V – City of Laguna Woods Advisory Measure on Marijuana Dispensaries

Greg: Yes.  This is good news for retirees!

W – City of La Habra Cannabis Business Tax/Regulation Ordinance of 2020

Greg: Yes, and I hope that they will deliver east of Palm Dr.

X – City of La Habra Citizens Initiative for Preservation of Open Space in La Habra

Greg: Yes.  Coyote Hills advocates like it.

Y – City of Los Alamitos Quality of Life, 911 Police Response, Business/Job Protection Measure

Greg: Yes, I’ll trust Tanya Doby’s assessment of Los Al’s situation.

Z – City of Newport Beach Addition of Harbor Commission to the Newport Beach City Charter

Greg: No.  The “no” argument to this measure, at the link, seems sound.  How much do I trust Duffy and O’Neil not to be up to something underhanded here?  Not enough to endorse it.

AA – City of Orange, The Trails at Santiago Creek Open Space and Residential Project

Greg: I don’t feel strongly about this, but: on balance, Yes.  A developer wants to convert 40 acres of a gravel pit into 128 new low-density homes, in return for which the city gets 52 new acres of open space, completion of a missing section of the Santiago Creek trailway; $3 million for improvements to existing city parks, trails and recreational areas; $4 million to improve the trail and revegetate the greenway onsite; and provide $1 million in traffic improvements by adding a westbound lane at Santiago Canyon Road and a northbound lane on Cannon Street.  Opponents argue that this will increase traffic and perhaps imperil additional lives in an evacuation.  Once this area of the hills opened up, despite the wildfire risk, I don’t see why those who got into a place where people probably shouldn’t live should get to keep others from doing likewise.  (“Forest management,” folks — amirite?)  This is a good package of benefits for the city and at least spreads the wealth of the area to more non-owners.  And, once the houses burn down, it can revert to sand and gravel extraction.    Maybe the residents should buy this land jointly and offer the city and community as good as a deal as the developer has!

BB – City of San Clemente, City Council Term Limits

Greg: No recommendation.  I’m not usually fans of term limits, but in some cases (Anaheim, Pulido), I’ve seen why they were necessary.  The problem is that term limits often increase the power of staff, which is already often very high, while eliminating those with the expertise to provide a check on them.  I don’t feel strongly about the issue in this case — and you already know how you feel about term limits.

CC – City of Tustin Limited Council Compensation

Yes.  Per state policy for a city of its size, this would be $600/month — or $3000 for the whole batch — for an estimated 80 hours of work apiece per month, starting with those elected in or after 2022.  We do not want a government where only those of ample means can afford to serve. let alone serve diligently.  This is literally a small price for Tustin to pay for better government.  

DD – City of Westminster Term Limits

Yes.  I’m not usually fans of term limits — see my comment above on Orange’s BB — but in some cases (Anaheim, Pulido), I’ve seen why they were necessary.  This is another such case.  Westminster’s staff has not been too powerful, and some of the people need to be tossed out of power.

CITY COUNCIL & EXECUTIVES

Aliso Viejo

• Michael Brown, Business Attorney
• David Zero, Software Engineer
• Richard Hurt, Business Owner
• Mike Munzing, Mayor
• Max Duncan, Disaster Recovery Professional 949-357-5000
• Ross Chun, Incumbent
• Greg J. Williams, Business Owner/Educator
• Michael Winger, Business Owner

Greg: Richard Hurt and I guess Ross Chun.  I’d be tempted to vote only for Hurt, since Munzing will be strongly favored.  Lavender Dems like Hurt.

Anaheim

District 1

• Ryan Balius, Information Technician/Businessman
• Denise Barnes, Incumbent/Businesswoman
• Jose Diaz, Municipal Water Administrator

Greg: Barnes.
Ryan: Barnes.
Vern:  At the risk of redunancy, BARNES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (Diaz turns out to be the Klepto Choice here… lotsa stories to tell.  We will be protesting his big Brewery X fundraiser Wednesday.)

District 4

• Julie Brunette, no ballot designation
• Avelino Valencia, Anaheim Commissioner/Policymaker
• Annemarie Randle-Trejo,  Anaheim Union High School District
  Governing Board Member
• Jeanine A. Robbins, Community Volunteer

Greg: Republicans who don’t mind kleptocracy should go with Brunette.  I’d go with Randle-Trejo, on electability, but Robbins would be just about as good.  Your ball, Vern!

Vern: Annemarie is my friend & singer, and a fine school board member. She is convinced that she is the most electable, or she would have bowed out. She and Greg have no idea of the bipartisan love of Jeanine in that district dating back to MANY struggles, the width and depth of the Robbins’ grass-roots campaign, and the number of her enthusiastic volunteers. And Jeanine will be by far best on Council as well – she is a walking encyclopedia of Anaheim issues, and she’s TOUGH AS NAILS which is what’s needed now.

NO MENTION OF HOW BAD AVELINO “VENDIDO” VALENCIA WOULD BE? Shit I’ll need to get back here. I could do paragraphs.  Avelino is the KLEPTO candidate for sure. He’s the next Jordan. And if Batiste beats Faessel and Denise stays in office, Avelino is the guy the kleptocracy will be depending on!

District 5

District 4

• Aaruni Thakur, School Boardmember/Attorney
• Bruce Whitaker, Incumbent

Greg: Thakur is one of our best Dems.  I don’t mind Whitaker on the Council, but Aaruni is great.
Vern: Bruce is a nice guy, but not the conservative/liberatian rebel he used to be;  mostly just sleepy. Aaruni is good, I know him from way back.
Ryan: Thakur should complete the term he was elected to serve and not betray his commitment to the voters and the children’s lives he originally sought to improve.  His willingness to abandon his post for the sake of furthering his career as a politician is embarrassing, dishonest, and emblematic of everything wrong with Fullerton politics. Whitaker has taken heat for his stances that always bias the community’s benefit and never political expediency.  If anyone on the ballot has actually earned a vote based on his incumbency, it’s Bruce Whitaker.  He shouldn’t be forced out of office because a ladder climber showed up waiving a different colored flag.
Lavender Dems like Aaruni

Garden Grove

Mayor

• Phat Bui, Garden Grove Councilmember/Businessman
• Donald Taylor, Retired
• Duy Nguyen, Small Businessman/Banker
• Steve Jones, Incumbent

Greg: We need to confer with people!  Ask your recall buddies!  One of our commenters recommends Jones.  Is Bui OK, or just his sense of humor?  Is this the Duy with VROC?  Who’s Taylor? 
Vern: I always liked Bui, could be wrong. He helped out with the noble Westminster Recall, and makes hilarious music videos.

District 2

• John O’Neill, Mayor Pro Tem
• Julie Diep, Business Owner/Therapist

Greg: I need to know if Diep is related to Tyler.  If so, does she repudiate him?  If No and Yes, I’ll choose her.
Lavendar Dems like this Diep, so until further notice we’ll lean towards her. 

District 5

• Robert Tucker, Retired Union Representative
• Stephanie Klopfenstein, Incumbent

Greg: Klopfenstein is deeply conservative.  I remember Tucker from years ago, and from what I can remember he was a decent guy.  So Tucker, pending more investigation.
Vern:  The huge, Little-Saigon-sized KLOPFENSTEIN signs all over Garden Grove are truly disturbing.
Lavender Dems like Tucker.  Or maybe they just hate Klopf.

District 6

• Huan Nguyen, Retired Engineer
• Kim Bernice Nguyen, Incumbent

Vern: FUCKIN A KIM BERNICE! I sure wish she was Supervisor.
Greg:  Yah.

Huntington Beach  (3 seats open)

• Brian Burley, Businessowner/IT Analyst
• John Briscoe, Governing Board Member Ocean View School District of Orange County
• Thomas Matthew Laparne, Businessman/Eagle Scout
• Sonya Green, Small Business Owner
• Amory Hanson, Historic Resources Boardman
• Matthew Harper, Huntington Beach Businessman
• Billy O’Connell, Businessowner/Orange County Commissioner
• Tito Ortiz, Entrepreneur/Businessman
• Eric “Silk” Silkenson, Teacher
• Natalie Moser, Small Business Owner
• Jeff Morin, Huntington Beach Businessowner/Commissioner
• Casey McKeon, Businessowner/Finance Commissioner
• Gracey Van Der Mark, Businessowner/Finance Commissioner
• Dan Kalmick, Businessowner/City of Huntington Beach Commissioner
• Oscar Rodriguez, Asset Manager

Greg: Moser, Kalmick, and Rodriguez.  (Was I being too obvious there?)  Tito and Gracey are worst; Harper, Morin, and McKeon next worst (but not “makes the front page!” worst.)  If you’re Republican, you can vote for Briscoe if you must, but you should also vote for two from our endorsed trio!
Vern: Ditto. AND OSCAR IS BEST!
Ryan: Is this Bill O’Connell the Bill O’Connell?  I say Tito Ortiz, because Huntington Beach deserves him.
Vern: This is snark, correct? Like the people who told me they voted for Trump because they hate America and America deserves him.
Greg: Ryan’s too smart for it not to be snark.
PS feom Vern: Ryan Billy O’Connell of HB is not Bill O’Connell the Anaheim hotelier.  Billy is a likeable, rough, kleptocrat and ex-cop hailing from Ireland, but he falls into the klepto crowd too easy and loves Poseidon.  (“Tell me a better solution to our water problems then, Vern, my wee friend!” he has said.)  Also he runs the abused-women-and-children shelter Collette’s House, named after his daughter, which seems to be a good thing.

Irvine (3 Council seats open)

Mayor

• Luis Huang, Electrical Engineer/Entrepreneur
• Christina Shea, Appointed Irvine Mayor
• Katherine Daigle, Nonprofit Director/Businesswoman
• Farrah Khan, Irvine Councilmember/Businesswoman

Greg: Absent a public comprehensive apology to me from Farrah, I’ll tell Democrats to vote for Huang and Republicans to vote for Daigle; who I think is smarter than my colleagues do.  And very polite!
Vern: I’m a stay out of this, I feel clean not getting too involved in Irvine infighting. But agree with Ryan on Daigle. And Shea is still an illiterate homophobic racist bitch.
Ryan: Katherine Daigle is not mentally qualified for elected office. Not everything Shea does is fantastic, but she takes her job seriously and is a necessary check against the zombie-Agran takeover.
Greg: You keep saying that, but in talking to her about the vets’ cemetery I did not notice mental deficits.  The big mental power she needs is to recognize bnllshit and oppose it.  And even if she were a moron, that should at least make Chumley feel comfortable there.
Lavender Dems are Dems. 

City Council

• Laura Bratton, Family Manager
• Larry Agran, Public Interest Attorney
• Hai Yang Liang, Census Field Manager
• Anshul Garg, Entrepreneur/Businessman
• Dylan Green, Graduate Student Researcher
• John Park, Irvine Commissioner/Businessman
• Abigail Pole, University Undergraduate Researcher
• Carrie O’Malley, California District Director
• Mark Newgent, Retired Army Captain
• Christina Dillard, Mother/Paralegal Student
• Mike Carroll, Vice Mayor
• Tammy Kim, Irvine Commissioner/Educator
• Lauren Johnson-Norris, Irvine Commissioner/Businesswoman
• Diana Jiang, Irvine Commissioner/Businesswoman

Vern: DEFINITELY JOHNSON-NORRIS! She’s as good as Melissa, maybe even better. I’d add to the “definitely not,” that Newgent clown. I’ll check with Melissa and Mike who’s next best…
Ryan: I kinda want to see Larry Agran back on Council because that’ll be fun to watch.  That said, if Irvine elects Agran, it deserves every clownish moment that results.
Greg: Definitely Johnson-Norris, probably Tammy Kim — and someone who isn’t Agran, O’Malley, Park, or Carroll.  I need to research more, but so far Hai Yang Liang is intriguing.  I like Newgent and think that he’s not a clown, but the cemetery has receded as an issue and race-relations have grown in importance, so I don’t feel comfortable endorsing him.
Lavender Dems agreed with my two choices.  Then … smh

Laguna Beach

City Council (2 seats open)

• Larry Nokes, Lawyer
• Steve Dicterow, Incumbent
• Ruben Flores, Entrepreneur/Designer/Businessman
• George Weiss, Retired Business Owner
• Bob Whalen, Incumbent/Finance Attorney

Greg: Needs research: Probably Whalen and either Nokes or Florez.  Not Dicterow, who needs to go.
Vern: Who the hell knows, haven’t been there in years. (I miss it now I think of it.)
Lavender Dems like George Weiss, who seems 2nd-least liberal.  So there’s that.

City Clerk

• Mariann Tracy, Executive Assistant
• Ann Marie McKay, Law Office Manager

Lavender Dems like McKay.  Greg: ok, folks, you can have this one.

Laguna Hills (2 seats open)

• Janine Heft, Mayor
• Bill Hunt, Small Business Owner
• Nick Wood, Business Technology Contractor

Vern: That can’t be THE Bill Hunt, former Sheriff candidate, private investigator, and Arpaio lover? Bushala used to love him (and employ him) I even liked him when he was first rebelling against his boss Sheriff Carona, but he’s too Arpaio-ish for me!
Greg: If he is that Hunt, he’s certainly the one to leave out.    (LATER):  Definitely Wood.  Still checking out the others. (STILL LATER): Yes, it’s that Bill Hunt.  And Heft is, if anything, worse.  We need a write-in to team up with Wood.  Who do we know?  For now, just vote for Wood!

Laguna Niguel (3 seats open)

• Sherry Astrella, Retired Business Manager
• Stephanie Oddo, PPE Provider/Mother
• Rischi Paul Sharma, Laguna Niguel Commissioner/Businessowner
• Shani Moslehi, Businesswoman/Entrepreneur/Parent
• John Dhaniwal, Small Business Owner
• Michael Harvey Fair, Event Security Supervisor
• Sandy Rains, City Councilwoman/Businessowner
• Kelly Jennings, Director, Moulton Niguel Water District

Greg: I’ve read all the statements, looked at the endorsements listed there, and made up my mind.

1. If you are willing to vote for only one candidate, make it Moslehi.
2. If you want to vote for two, then Moslehi and Oddo
3. If you want to vote for three, then Moslehi, Oddo and (if you’re anti-development and anti-Air BnB) Astrella.  Lacking preference voting, our system counts your top choice the same as your bottom one, so I’d suggest voting for two.

Laguna Woods (3 seats open)

• Judith Troutman, Community Volunteer
• Noel Hatch, Incumbent/Mayor
• Shari Horne, Incumbent/Mayor Pro Tem
• Cynthia Conners, Incumbent
• Kathryn Robbins, Businesswoman

Greg: Retain the incumbents.

La Habra (3 seats open)

• Rose Espinoza, Councilmember/Executive Director
• Tim Shaw, Incumbent
• Steve Simonian, Retired Police Chief
• Michael Navarro, Life Skills Coach
• Peter Cruz, Family Engagement Specialist

Greg: Vote only for Espinoza and Cruz.  Haven’t forgiven Shaw, but I presume that he’ll win, and I don’t care much between the others.
Ryan: Tim made a big mistake with his vote on the OC Board of Ed.  Don’t make dumb decisions, Tim.  You’re better than that.
Vern: He’s a loyal Party man. Not good.
Lavender Dems support only Cruz.  Huh?

Lake Forest

District 1

• Lori Berger, Businesswoman/Traffic Commissioner
• Nick Tanner, Business Manager
• Richa Sharma, Businesswoman/Educator
• Chris McDonald, College Administrator
• Dough Cirbo, Regional Sales Manager
• Louise Robertson, Community Volunteer

Greg: Needs research.

District 5

• Robert Pequeño, Retired Sheriff’s Sergeant
• Jeannette Nadal, Historian/Writer
• Larissa Clark, Administrative Assistant
• Frank Wagoner, Small Business Owner
• Shane Jones, Parent/Business Owner

Greg: Needs research.

La Palma (3 seats open)

• April Kamilah Bagasao Bautista, Community Volunteer
• Debbie Baker, Retired Administrative Assistant
• Emanuel Aparicio, Accountant
• Marshall Goodman, Incumbent
• Taylor H.W. Quan, Resident
• Mark Waldman, Small Business Owner

Vern: Former Mayor MARSHALL GOODMAN FOR SURE! Great Democrat, young black man and drummer who formerly played with Sublime! I was gonna do a piece about him a while back but … always so busy…
Greg: OK, Goodman.  I’ll add April Kamilah. Then, either Aparicio or Quan.  I’ll do research.
Lavender Dems like April Kamilah &c.   OK, we’ll give this one to them.

Los Alamitos

District 1

• Dean Grose, Incumbent/Semiretired
• Tanya Doby, Appointed Incumbent

Vern: GROSE is still around? Dean “Obama loves watermelons” Grose? Gross! He is the worst the OC GOP has to offer. Why don’t some of these fucks just fade away?
Greg: Tanya Doby
Ryan: Tanya Doby.  Too much grandstanding in Los Al, too much division.

District 2

• Ron Bates, Retired City Manager
• Kate Hallman, Businesswoman

Greg: Hallman

District 3

Jordan Nefulda was apparently elected unopposed.

Mission Viejo (2 seats open)

• Ryan Tworek, Business Owner
• Brian Goodell, Incumbent
• Jessica Gilbert, VP IT Department
• Pauline Hale, Real Estate Advisor
• Steve Sipe, Retired Technology Executive
• Cathy Schlicht, Businesswoman
• Michael McConnell, Business Attorney
• Trish Kelley, Incumbent

Greg: I’ll go with Hale and McConnell
Lavender Dems like Hale

Newport Beach

District 2

• Brad Avery, Incumbent
• Nancy Scarbrough, Small Business Owner

Greg: Scarborough

District 5

• Noah Blom, Newport Beach Business Owner
• Jeff Herdman, Incumbent

Greg: Herdman

District 7

Incumbent Will O’Neill was elected without opposition.

City of Orange

Mayor

• Adrienne Gladson, Businesswoman/City Planner
• Mark Murphy, Incumbent

Vern: I can’t imagine Gladson is any worse than the abysmal Murphy. Probably much better.
Lavender Dems prefer Gladson.
Greg: Yeah, clearly Gladson.

District 1

• Arianna Barrios, Governing Board Member,
  Rancho Santiago Community College District
• Eugene Fields, Non-profit Businessman/Educator
• David Vazquez, City of Orange Commissioner/Educator
• Christian Vaughan, Detective/Commissioner/Educator

Greg: Eugene Fields; not Barrios, not Vazquez (whom I think may have been Fake Vasquez!)
Vern: Yeah, Fields is really good. Arianna a card-carrying klepto whom I already insulted earlier. These people already have enough money and power.

District 2

• Caroline Alatorre, Counselor
• Joe Dumitru, Orange County Firefighter Coordinator
• Daniel Correa, Planning Consultant
• Martin Varona, Civil Engineer

Greg: Varona, without question.
Lavender Dems support Varona.
Vern: Yes, Varona is as good as Dumitru is bad. Dumitru, Dean Grose, Lucille Kring… when are these old Republican racists gonna just retire???

District 3

• Danett Abbott-Wicker, Executive Assistant
• Mike Alvarez, Mayor Pro Tem
• John Russo, Businessman/OUSD Employee

Greg: Danett, without question.
Vern: LOVE, LOVE LOVE DANETT! Got to know her when we were working for Thorburn for OCBOE (no, that didn’t go well.)
Lavender Dems concur.

District 5

• Rick Ledesma, Governing Board Member, Orange Unified School District
• Ana Gutierrez, Educator

Greg prefers Gutierrez

Clerk

Pamela Coleman, Appointed Incumbent

Greg: No opinion; seems foregone.

Treasurer

Richard A Rohm, Incumbent

Greg: No opinion, seems foregone.

Placentia

District 1

• Devon Gray, Governor’s Policy Advisor
• Rhonda Shader, Placentia Councilwoman/Businessowner

Greg: probably Gray.
Lavender Dems like Gray
Ryan: Rhonda Shader.  Placentia is the only city in Orange County to actively take a step towards pension reform.  We should reward this necessary boldness, not shy away from it.

District 3

Jeremy B Yamaguchi, Councilmember/Business Owner

Greg: No opinion, seems foregone.

District 5

• Hilaire Fuji Shioura, Educational Technology Advocate
• Ward Smith, Placentia City Councilmember

Greg: Probably Shioura

Ryan: Ward Smith.  Placentia is the only city in Orange County to actively take a step towards pension reform.  We should reward this necessary boldness, not shy away from it.

City Clerk

Robert McKinnell, Appointed Incumbent

Greg: No opinion, seems foregone

City Treasurer

Kevin Larson, Incumbent

Greg: No opinion, seems foregone

Rancho Santa Margarita (2 open seats)

• Tony Beall, Incumbent
• Julia Bendis, Businesswoman/Author
• Wendy Braun, Homemaker
• Glenn Acosta, Director, Trabuco Canyon Water District
• Carol Gamble, Councilmember/Business Owner
• Beth Schwartz, Professor/Pastor/Nurse
• Andrea Machuca, Chef
• Chris McLaughlin, Technical Support Supervisor
• John Christopoulos, Planning Commissioner/Businessman

Vern: Not Beall. Even though we apparently went to high school together (he remembers me, he was a year younger so I didn’t notice him.) At a Spitzer party he said “Why did you turn out so mean?” I think HE and his wife are mean. He’s a religious-conservative rightwing extremist.  Also could be categorized as klepto.

PS Is that not enough?  I just remembered he was more recently on the TCA, trying to push the 241 extension into the heart of San Clemente.  NO NO NO BEALL!  Or, here’s easier to remember:  BEALL = ENDALL.
Greg: Needs research, beyond that I agree with no Beall.  If you’re voting before this is updated, support Christopoulos, Machuca, & Schwartz.
Lavender Dems like Christopoulos

San Clemente

City Council, Full-Term (2 seats open)

• Bill Hart, Software Sales Director
• Jeff Provance Jr, Small Business Owner
• Charlie Smith, Corporate Banker
• Patrick Minnehan, Chief Information Officer
• Chris Duncan, Homeland Security Prosecutor
• Joseph Kenney, Small Business Owner
• Aaron Washington, San Clemente Businessman
• Jeff Wellman, Healthcare Sales Director
• Gene James, Incumbent
• Thor Johnson, Small Business Owner

Greg: Needs research.  Not Fran Sdao’s boy Duncan
Vern: I got plenty of friends down there, I’ll find out. Mayor Ward???

City Council, Short-Term, 1 Seat open

• Tyler Boden, Local Business Owner
• George Gregory, Contractor/Businessman
• Jim Dahl, Retired Fire Captain
• Jerry Quinlan, Property Manager
• Donna Vidrine, Nurse/Business Owner
• Steven Knoblock, Businessman/Hearing Officer
• Zhen Wu, Architect/Land Planner
• Laron Rush, Musician/Businessman

Greg: Needs research, though I’ve seen some good things about Vidrine

City Clerk

Joanne Baade, Incumbent

Greg: No opinion, seems foregone

City Treasurer

Mark Taylor, Incumbent

Greg: No opinion, seems foregone

San Juan Capistrano

District 1

Incumbent Sergio Farias won without opposition

District 5

• John Alpay, Businessman/Educator
• Howard Hart, Homeland Security Administrator

Vern: I like Alpay, did a good interview with him ten years ago. He used to live in the Talega section of San Clemente back then, musta moved. http://www.orangejuiceblog.com/2010/09/capo-recall-the-john-alpay-interview/
Greg: OK, Alpay you the courtesy of agreeing.

Santa Ana

Mayor

• Claudia Alvarez, Prosecutor/College Trustee
• Mark I. Lopez, Business Owner
• Vicente Sarmiento, Santa Ana Councilmember/Businessman
• Jose Solorio, Council Member/Father
• Cecilia Iglesias, Educator
• George Collins, Business Owner

Vern: Sarmiento seems the best of this bunch and a lot of my SA friends are supporting him. Still his wishy-washy Poseidon stance (he now leads the OCWD board) makes me distrustful in two ways: 1) Any politician or policy maker who is both smart and honest would be 100% opposed to this boondoggle and do everything they can to stop it, especially if they’re leading the water board that’s enabling it. And 2) they way he says different things about it depending who he’s talking to. (Supposedly he’s got a secret “poison pill” that’ll keep it from ever happening, bla bla bla…) Still apparently better than the other candidates to be THE FIRST NON-PULIDO SANTA ANA MAYOR THIS MILLENIUM!!!!
Ryan: No one receiving funding from SAPD.  This particular public safety union has serious leadership problems.  [G: That rules out Solorio]
Greg: Despite every activist telling me to endorse Sarmiento.  I’ve said that I wouldn’t until he talks to us directly about Poseidon, so I can judge whether I believe that his pill is really poison.  But now I’ve seen all of the independent expenditures for Solorio — and to hell with it:  I unequivocally endorse Sarmiento — and hope he doesn’t create a horrific legacy for himself by allowing Poseidon through.  (Personally, I live in one of the few areas outside of South County that won’t be stuck with the overpriced bill for it.)
Lavender Dems like Vince

Ward 1

• Antonio Adame, Entrepreneur/CFO
• Thomas Anthony Gordon, School Facilities Manager
• Thai Viet Phan, Planning Commissioner/Attorney
• Cynthia Contreras, Orange County Probation Coordinator

Greg: Thai Viet Phan.  Gordon is the worst choice.
Vern: Yes, Thai Viet Pham. Though I might come back to this. My friends say she’s very clever and smooth and may have just given me all the answers she knew I wanted to hear, back when she was running to replace Ceci.  (My friend Ivan likes Adame.)
Lavender Dems like Thai Viet
Ryan: No one receiving funding from SAPD.  This particular public safety union has serious leadership problems.  [G: That rules out Contreras]

Ward 3

• Jessie Lopez, Diversity Development Coordinator
• Mark McLoughlin, Santa Ana Planning Commissioner
• Danny Vega, Electrical Engineer
• Jeffrey Katz, Santa Ana Business Owner
• Jannelle Welker, Supervisor’s Policy Advisor

Greg: Jessie Lopez.  I’d go grudgingly along with Chaffee’s assistant Welker otherwise, but with Lopez in the race this is a real opportunity.
Vern: Jessie kicks butt, literally and figuratively.  And all my SA friends agree.
Ryan: No one receiving funding from SAPD.  This particular public safety union has serious leadership problems.  [G: That rules out McLoughlin.]

Ward 5

• Johnathan Ryan Hernandez, Community Health Worker
• Laura Perez, Property Management Coordinator
• Vic Mendez, Businessman
• Juan Villegas, Incumbent/Sheriff Officer

Greg: Needs more research — whoever can beat Villegas.
Ryan: No one receiving funding from SAPD.  This particular public safety union has serious leadership problems.
Greg: Doesn’t look like anyone is, in this race.
Vern: The folks I trust in SA all say Laura Perez.  Except for Ivan who really likes Hernandez.  But Ivan is shouted down mightily on this choice.  There will be a “Zorro” post coming soon about Santa Ana.
Greg: This race has been the topic of a huge desmadre online, where Perez’s proponents make (somewhat perfunctory) accusations that  Hernandez engaged in violent abuse of women and minorities — except I haven’t seen clear evidence of it, and I’ve read the whole “Chicanxs Unidxs” letter that was publishes.  I was prepared to either write this race off — Villegas would be hard to beat in the best of times, or else endorse Mendez, whose website makes him seem quite good.  The guy who we don’t know who posted a link to his choices in our comments said “Hernandez.”  Tentatively, go with that — if you have to vote today!  I’ll look at the financials to make my final choice.
Adding: Before it was taken down from FB, I saw all but the last text exchange offered (against the author’s wishes) as proof that Hernandez had threatened.  I did not see any threat in those first four — and the supposedly damning Chicanx Unidxs letter was underwhelming. We’re gonna lose this race anyway given the split anti-Villegas vote — and I’ve started wondering if one of the candidates is complicit in that result.

Seal Beach

District 2

• Thomas Moore, Incumbent
• Carole Damoci, Retired Warehouse Manager

Greg: Needs research.  Probably Damoci

District 4

Schelly Sustarsic, Incumbent, Unopposed but on ballot.

Greg: Seems foregone

Stanton

District 2

• Hong Alyce Van, Incumbent
• Dewayne Allen Normand, City of Stanton Commissioner

Greg: Van, no question about it

District 4

• Josh Estrada Businessman
• Carole Warren, Incumbent
• Jeff Jones, Retired Deputy Sheriff

Greg: Not Warren.  Probably Estrada.  Will continue research.
(Note: Vern has received a phone call from a friend disagreeing and supporting Warren.)

Yeah – not a friend, but first Warren’s son called me and then Warren herself, strongly disputing the accusation that she had ever “lied about being a Democrat.”  She sent me all kinds of proof that she’s been an active Democrat at least since Obama’s first election.  She admits she’s friends with the Republican mayor Shawver, but that’s okay.  She seems to be suffering from a lotta shit-talking by former Democrat Kevin Carr, who used to be a friend of this blog but has pretty much gone off the deep end.  I don’t know why Carole’s Democratitude is so important, except that she was accused of lying and we don’t want to endorse a liar.  Doesn’t look like she was lying.  So not having heard anything remarkable about Estrada or Jones, and knowing that Carole Warren is an assiduous OJB reader…

Vern endorses Carole Warren!

Tustin (3 open seats)

• Kurt Bensworth, Entrepreneur
• Ryan Gallagher, Tustin Commissioner/Engineer
• Rebecca “Beckie” Gomez, Orange County Board of Education Trustee
• Jaime “James” Perez, Real Estate Broker
• Lee Fink, Businessman/Consumer Advocate
• Letitia Clark, Incumbent
• Cristian Cusac, Businessman
• Jorge Valdes, Business Owner/Attorney
• Aj Jha, Businessman/Planning Commissioner

Greg: Beckie Gomez, Letitia Clark and Lee Fink.  They need all three to have a Council majority (and maybe to avenge Betty Valencia!)
Vern: concurs and is glad to learn they are all endorsing each other!
Lavender Dems endorse only Beckie.  (Beckie needs to talk to them.)

Villa Park

City Council

Incumbents Vincent Rossini and Robbie Pitts won unopposed.

Vern: Can Rossini compose?
Greg: That’s not a composer, it’s a conductor!  And a politician waving around their outstretched means something very different.

Westminster

District 2

• Trung Ta, Retired Project Manager
• Namquan Nguyen, Traffic Commissioner/Businessman
• Carlos Manzo, Westminster Planning Commissioner

Greg: Needs research and consultation.
Vern: NO IT DOES NOT. MANZO, MANZO, MANZO!
Greg: OK, that counts as consultation!  MannnnZO!

District 3

• Kimberly Ho, Vice Mayor/Businesswoman
• Tai Do, Councilman/Police Office

Vern: TAI DO HANDS DOWN. Complete the recall in November!
Greg: I don’t know if Tai Do is OK, but Kim Ho is not.  Do what Vern says.

Yorba Linda

City Council

Incumbents Tara Campbell, Gene Hernandez, and Beth Haney were reelected without opposition

Vern: And thus, not with a bang but a quiet North County whimper, doth our coverage conclude. 

(Greg: Or rather, it will end here, once it’s fully completed!)