Orange Juice!

Your Sunday video: Darrell Anderson

2008-05-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

Lower the Toll rates on holidays!

2008-05-11T07:21:00.000-07:00

Mothers all around the country are spending the day....primping, getting dressed up and waiting for relatives to pick them up and take them out to a wonderful Mother's Day Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner. The flower shops were all packed yesterday as the thoughtful children of all ages made the required and traditional buy of posies for Mom! The whole family today will be driving in the SUV and jumping on those various Toll Roads - on the way to Grandma's house. Even if families don't go out and make Grandma's favorite fair at the kid's house....it will still be required to go pick her up in South, North, East or West County. Because of the thrush of vehicles.....certain times of day are going to be traffic packed. In any event, Happy Mother's Day to all.

This brings us to the problem with Government owning things. Whatever Government owns..usually closes on Holidays. Saturday and Sunday are also great days for most Government Offices to be closed. National and State Holiday and even in some cases days of National or State mourning for specific personalities or groups. Most times Government never knows how much to charge for things...whether we are talking about State Parks, Museums, Historical Locations and most of all; Toll Roads! The prime trouble with Government is the people that "are charged" to set fees, rates or penalities for things haven't got a clue and wind up "asking for consensus" from others than "haven't got a clue!". You can understand that clearly when someone without a second rider is caught in the HOV or Carpool lane. $371 dollars, plus, plus, plus! Whew, a few of those bad boys....and we are talking real money. But what about the 91, the 241 and the 73 Freeways...which are all owned and operated by the County of Orange? How about those rates - and how fast do they keep going up?

Ridership is down on the Toll Roads.....Duh!!!!!!! Did anyone figure out that when gasoline goes up dramatically, like going from $2.69 to $3.79...it might eventually have a small impact on the monthly budget? Did anyone consider that eventually people at the low end of the financial spectrum might have to go back to Riding the Bus...to get places? Did anyone consider that if Government wants to taut: That Great Evil; "Congestion Pricing"...they may want to try that out on the Toll Roads and other fees and entry pricing as well. Government has a really tough time understanding how places like Knott's Berry Farm can invite Active Military and Retired Veterans to visit their park every November...free of charge! It gets people into the park at a normally very slow time of year...right after Summer and right before Christmas...which are the busy times! Even Disneyland has caught on with its Two Parks for One pricing at various times throughout the year! But the Toll Road Agency...the OCTA? Nah....Soak 'em, Soak 'em, Soak 'em! Who wants to pay $5.00 bucks every time they get on the 73 Freeway? We won't go on..with all the many sick pricing schemes "these great minds" have come up with in the last year or two...but suffice it to say: Not too imaginative!

A little history is in order:

Back in May of 2000, then OC Treasurer John Moorlach brought to everyone's attention that the Public/Private Partnership Group that operated the Toll Roads...was doing a poor job and that the county could pick up the operation for a song. Well, after two hard years of negotiations that original price they thought might be reasonable turned out to be two and half time larger; just for starters! By 2003, it was all part of "The OC"!

Hey, the prevailing thought was: "anyone can run a Toll Road....how tough can it be?" Well, instead of lowering rates...the County was quick to jump on board with the idea..that they could raise rates with the best of them! Whoops! There goes the rates on the 91 Freeway were way out of sight...but "economic times are great..and the people - virtually anyone that is; can afford it" - they thought!

Then there was the economic failure of the 73 Freeway.......a freeway when originally
built; that didn't use the right construction materials and was causing skidding and accidents on those few rainy or damp days we have in South County. The "corrective action thought" was; to combine the favorable operations of the 241 - which actually was making its way financially along with the dreaded 73....which had never penciled out. All in all, the OCTA again got it's fingers around the throats of the consumers and raised those rates on the 73, the 241 and of course the 91 in a wonderful Round Robin strategy - of too frequent rate increases!

We should not be too hard on the County of Orange, because they are not the only group that think that the public is stupid and rate increases are a right of passage for any Government endeavor. Our Governor Arnold is looking to raise rates on almost everything except leaves on the trees at State Parks and everything else...during these fast approaching, difficult economic times. What we fault the OCTA and the County on - is not being responsive to or understanding the basics of "market forces". As the price of gasoline and Diesel go up....ridership on Toll Roads is going to go down and rather quickly. Sometimes businesses have to prime the pump! How would you encourage Bus ridership? Simply, by raising the cost of a gallon of gas and making it economically infeasible to drive your car!

What does the County of Orange think will happen if indeed, gasoline goes to $6 dollars a gallon or more? Adjusting our Toll Road Rates should be part of a basic marketing strategy. "Making Commuting Affordable" should be the buzz! Those that buy the Transponders and are the base of paying customers should be treated to occasional discount rates at renewal times. Not everyone gets the Tax Write-Off for their Transportation costs. The list of "things to do" is endless; but someone in power, needs to take charge and offer leadership in these areas!

As we stated at the beginning of this discussion....Holidays are a good place to start....by reducing rates or even offering....Toll Free days! Odd or Even Toll Free Days...might be creative. Buy a Transponder for a month and get a month free! Things like that...that businesses use...to get people into the game. Staples, Best Buy and Albertsons...all use coupons to encourage patrons..the OCTA might want to follow suit...if they want more vehicles in their system. If not, they can continue - OCTA Business as usual on Mother's Day and beyond!

Art's June 3 ballot picks

2008-05-10T12:25:00.000-07:00

Absentee ballots are already arriving in Orange County households, so here are my picks for the June 3 primary:

47th Congressional District

No contest - Loretta Sanchez has my vote. Rosie Avila is nuts and I am not about to vote for the American Independent candidate. Sanchez is not perfect but at least she is not Rosie.

33rd State Senate District

There is no way I am voting in the primary for Mimi Walters or Harry Sidhu. They both have an anti-Mexican platform and Sidhu also appears to be anti gay. So I am voting for Gary Pritchard, the Democratic candidate.

69th Assembly District

Incumbent Jose Solorio has been disappointing more often than not. I am not happy that he is supporting the latest tax increase for Santa Ana voters, Measure G. So I am NOT voting for Solorio in the primary.

I cannot vote for the other candidate, Republican Cameron Mangels, because the GOP won't let decline to state voters, of which I am one, vote in their primaries. So I am not voting for anyone in the primary.

Judicial Offices

Superior Court Judge, County of Orange, Office 4

Mike Bartlett is running against Nick Thompson. Bartlett has the support of several members of the OC GOP machine, including Congressman John Campbell, Supervisor Bill Campbell, Supervisor Chris Norby, and he is married to Dana Point Mayor Pro Tem Lisa Bartlett. You can read his candidate's statement here.

Nick Thompson is a Deputy District Attorney, which means he works for the unctuous D.A., Tony Rackauckas. He has the endorsement of Judge Richard Behn, who is retiring from Office 4 of the O.C. Superior Court. He is endorsed by a gazillion judges.

Thompson is also backed by quite a few O.C. politicians, including:

Ed Royce, U.S. Congressman, 40th District
Dick Ackerman, California State Senator
Chuck DeVore, California State Assemblyman, 70th District
Todd Spitzer, California State Assemblyman, 71st District
Mike Duvall, California State Assemblyman, 72nd District
Mimi Walters, California State Assemblywoman, 73rd District
Bill Brown, Santa Barbara County Sheriff
Brett Barbre, Director - Municipal Water District of Orange County
Chris Norby, Chairman - Orange County Board of Supervisors
Dennis Bilodeau, Orange City Councilman
John Lewis, California State Senator (Ret.)
Ken Williams, M.D., Orange County Board of Education
Larry Dick, Director - Municipal Water District of Orange County
Pam Keller, Fullerton City Councilwoman
Sharon Quirk, Mayor - City of Fullerton

Norby appears to have endorsed both candidates for Office 4. Thanks Chris, that really helps.

It bothers me that Thompson has the backing of John Lewis, who is not good news, but he also has the backing of Pam Keller, whom I am a big fan of. You can read Thompson's candidate's statement here.

I guess I will go with Bartlett. I don't trust anyone that works for Rackauckas. But it is not too late to change my mind on this one...

Superior Court Judge, County of Orange, Office 8

Barry Collins is running against Jon Fish. Collins is an administrative law judge. His candidate's statement says he writes for his local paper, which I think is pretty cool. But he also wrote a children's book on biblical justice, which worries me a bit. I hope he is not some kind of holy roller. You can find out more about his endorsements here.

Jon Fish is yet another Deputy District Attorney, which means he too works for D.A. Tony Rackauckas. You can read Fish's candidate statement here. Predictably he has the support of the OC GOP, so I am not voting for him.

Barry Collins has my vote for Office 8.

Superior Court Judge, County of Orange, Office 12

Westminster Councilman Kermit Mars h is running against a large pack of candidates, including Debra Carillo, who is backed by a bunch of Republicans and Democrats, and K.C. Jones. I already wrote about this race previously. Carillo is backed by crooked waste hauler Ware Disposal. Marsh has my vote. You can read his candidate's statement here.

Superior Court Judge, County of Orange, Office 25

I already wrote about this race too. It features two Vietnamese candidates, John Nho Trung Nguyen, who has the backing of both the OC GOP and the DPOC, and Timothy Sy Nguyen, who is a Democrat. I am voting for Timothy Sy as he is NOT backed by the local parties. Good enough for me.

O.C. Board of Education, Area 1

Felix Rocha has been in office for years and I cannot think of anything he has accomplished in that time. He thinks so little of us voters that he did NOT buy a candidate's statement. So I am not voting for him. Instead I am voting for Long Pham. You can read Pham's candidate's statement here.

O.C. Supervisor, First District

Incumbent Supervisor Janet Nguyen has my vote. You can read her candidate's statement here. Two Trannies are running against her and will be vying to see who gets less votes.

O.C. Democratic Central Committee, 69th Assembly District

The only candidates for these six seats that I know are Lynette Verino, Tish Leon and Bill Spaulding. They all have my support. Do not vote for the Hoffmans! They are bad news.

O.C. Republican Party Central Committee, 69th Assembly District

Time to stop the cycle of madness that is Tim Whitacre! Vote for the candidtes who are NOT part of his coalition. The anti-Whitacre candidates are

Monica Banken, Republican
Thomas Anthony Gordon, Republican
Molly L. Doughty, Republican

The bad candidates that are allied with Whitacre include:

Lupe Moreno, Republican
Cuong Sinh Cao, Republican
Oscar Garza, Republican

The remaining candidate, Brett Elliott Franklin, used to be part of Tim's faction, but he recently broke with Tim over the endorsement of Supervisor Janet Nguyen. Tim voted against her, but Brett voted to endorse her. So feel free to vote for Brett too. But do not vote for Tim, Lupe, Cuong or Oscar.

A new Orange Juice is coming soon!

2008-05-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

First, allow me to thank all of you for making the Orange Juice one of the top political blogs in California. I have big news. We are going to try in the next few days to transition from our old blogger.com software to Wordpress software. This is a very big deal. While we do this, we will continue to host our current blog at our www.orangejuiceblog.com URL. We will however be removing the ad frames. Concurrently, we will be setting up our new blog at our other URL, www.theorangejuice.com. Once we are done, we will abandon the old format altogether and both URLs will link to the new blog.

Our new blog is going to be UNBELIEVABLE. We are going to provide RSS feeds to EVERY political blog in Orange County. And we are NOT going to play any games with the links. We are going to list EVERY OC political blog without deleting those we disagree with, or referring readers to the wrong sites. We simply won't be playing such games.

We want to make the Orange Juice THE top political blog in Orange County. Going to the Wordpress platform will only be the first step. We will also be stepping up efforts to bring on new bloggers to our team.

We already feature writers from a number of OC cities, including Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Mission Viejo, Santa Ana, and Newport Beach. If you live in other communities in Orange County and are interested in joining our blog team, please email me your bio and let me know what sort of political and/or community experience you have.

The Orange Juice blog was Orange County's first political blog, established in 2003. We were selected last year as the OC Weekly's Best Local Blog in Orange County. We recently surpassed one million page views. Now we are aiming to expand our services and our blog team in order to continue to our mission of revealing what is REALLY going on in Orange County politics, sans partisan spinnery.

The red and blue blogs in town are not very happy that we are continuing to shed light on what their pet politicians are up to. Too bad for them! We are not going to water down our content anytime soon with endless press releases touting one schmuck or another. That's not how we roll. Sure, we will put up such releases occasionally, but we will continue to be the top Orange County political blog when it comes to original content.

We will also be working harder to expand our advertising. If you are interested in finding out more about what we can do to promote your campaign, business or service, please email me your contact information.

Thanks again for reading the Orange Juice. Please be patient while we get our new blog up and running. We appreciate your support.

What Energy & Farm Bills do to America!

2008-05-10T07:46:00.000-07:00

"The 2007 Farm Bill proposals show the Administration's support of biotechnology in both industrial and agricultural applications. ... We greatly appreciate the Administration's demonstrated commitment to support companies researching and commercializing both ethanol from cellulose and biobased products from renewable agricultural resources. The proposals related to international trade illustrate the importance of internationally accepted regulatory standards, many of which affect biotech crops." Jim Greenwod, Biotechnology Industry Organization President and CEO

"Overall, we like what we hear and what we've seen, because it improves the funding for specialty crops and conservation." Leonard Blackham, Utah Agriculture Commissioner

"The industry is elated to be considered a major crop in the proposed 2007 Farm Bill... This will afford our industry more access to USDA programs, especially Phytosanitary and trade related support programs, due to the fact that 80 percent
of our packed cartons goes to off shore markets." Doug Bournique, Indian River Citrus League Executive Director

==============================================================================
A Bushel of corn weighs 56 lbs...about the size of a 50 pound bag of sand
...created from one acre of land. Currently 47% of "Field Corn" (which is
used for ethanol) is allocated to feed for animals. 27% is Mandated by the
Congress and is now dedicated to Ethanol production for Fuel. The rest of
this crop is used for Cornstarch, Corn Syrup and other corn related products
used in our food. What is not being disclosed is how much of this product
is Bio-Engineered...much like the "Starlink" debacle some time ago...we do
not know and may never know - how much of this product in our food supply
is totally "Non-Digestible".

The Farm Bill of 2007 is being considered as we speak. President Bush seems
to be on the correct side of this argument and only wants small farmers to get
the various Farm Subsidies....those making under $200,000 dollars a year. But
there are problems..even with that process. The reality is that there is only
so much Farm Land and the small Farmers once they dedicate that land to Corn
in order to get the Government Mandated Subsidy....won't plant Soy, Wheat, Rice
or anything else. With shortages of domestic crops such as these....we increase
the world demand and start killing people in foreign countries...because we
are virtually taking the food out of their mouths - at a higher price.

What seems silly is; that as we speak...we have a 51 to 54 cents per bushel Tariff on all foreign Field Corn imports.....from most every country including the Brazil. The only caveat to that is a 7% Caribbean Tariff Free Zone...which was instituted by President Reagan, back in the 80's! If we want more Corn for Ethanol...drop all the Tariffs and let countries that want to produce Corn for the US Market...do so freely and competively!

Right now we have some greedy ADM Executives and Corporate Farmers rubbing their hands with glee, hoping upon hope, that the Subsidies from the Farm and Energy Bills will go directly from the tax coffers and into their pockets. The Farm Belt States and politicians are drooling as the cost of Food spikes with those profits going directly into their fat wallets! Many will be dancing a Jig if this Farm Bill passes as presently written! The effect on consumers will be catastrophic!

The current Congress driven mandate diverts 25 to 30% of our entire Corn and Soy crops into the Fuel Supply - "Ethanol Markets". To put it into perspective..80% of the cost of Meat, Pork, Poultry and Eggs comes from feed costs! Corn feed is what makes productive Cattle markets - not to mention Chickens and Pig production!

Spiking and diverting our Corn Crops into Ethanol then drives up all Food Costs and the rich US Market will reach out and start importing more foreign food and related crops....which will raise the price of those crops in other countries. It is simply called; "Competing interests!" for land. This as we mentioned, should be "Optional Choices" for Foreign Food Producing Countries...and NOT Mandated by elevated or driven by Global pricing or manipulation!

Back to Basics:

No farmer is ever going to plant Sunflower Seeds crops...and NOT get the Federal Subsidy...when they can grow "Field Corn or Soy" and get higher prices for their products and reap the Federal Subsidy is the process. Double dipping again!

The Oil Companies are working this process through the Energy Bill...and thusly reaping even more Federal Subsidies by utilizing the "Ethanol Mandated lternative"! It is a very sweet deal....except for the consumer, foreign food producers and the poor people of the world who can't find Rice, Wheat or Corn at a reasonable price. The Oil Companies continue to rail for more supply. Considering the fact that China will be using three times what it is using now in five years...which exceeds what the United States uses annually...by way....will do nothing but spike prices even higher!

The solutions are mileage standards for Trucks, Buses, Rail and other major users of fuels. The solutions are not to use our Food Supply for Gasoline which will then - spike both markets.

A couple of web sites that you might find interesting:
Grocery Manufacturers Association: www.gma.org
National Corn Growers Association: www.ncga.com

Finally, we should realize that 30% of our entire production of Vegetable Oils have been dedicated to Fuel Production for Automobiles in the United States! Get the idea.....the price of food is going the way of a barrel of oil...."Up, Up and Away in my beautiful balloon..." Some are even projecting that $200 dollars a barrel
for oil in two years....or thusly, up to $20 dollars a gallon for gasoline! Yikes!

Maybe we all should be paying closer attention to what we might find in our
national Energy and Farm Bills. Ya think?

Who will be our next Orange County Sheriff?

2008-05-10T07:20:00.000-07:00

The Total Buzz blog has released a list of the finalists to replace disgraced former O.C. Sheriff Mike Carona. Here is the list that Total Buzz published:

They are Glendale Police Chief Randy Adams, OC Acting Sheriff Jack Anderson, Salt Lake County Undersheriff Beau Babka, San Bernardino County Undersheriff Richard Beemer, retired OC Sheriff’s Lt. Bill Hunt, Anaheim PD Deputy Chief Craig Hunter, retired LA County Sheriff’s Division Chief Sandra Hutchens, LA Sheriff’s Commander Ralph Martin, and Santa Ana Police Chief Paul Walters.

I am glad they put Walters last. That's about where he should be. I also don't think Bill Hunt has a chance in Hell, not after the way his campaign adviser Tim Whitacre went after Supervisor Janet Nguyen when she recently sought the OC GOP endorsement. For Whitacre to go after an incumbent Supervisor while his buddy Hunt needed her support was beyond retarded. Once again Whitacre destroyed Hunt's chances of being our next Sheriff.

As for the other candidates, I think Anderson has been doing a fine job as our interim Sheriff, but I also think it would be a good idea to bring in new blood to the department. I would prefer to see an outsider get the job so the heads at the OC Sheriff's Department can start rolling. The corruption in that department is astounding. Already many of Carona's handpicked assistants have had to resign in shame.

That said, I think Ralph Martin (pictured above) would be a terrific Sheriff for Orange County. He has far more experience than most of the others on the list and he has worked in a much larger department than most of the other candidates. He has my full endorsement and I hope he gets the job.

The O.C. Board of Supervisors will be meeting next Tuesday, at 9:30 a.m., to discuss the successor to Carona. You can read the meeting agenda at this link. The new Sheriff will be appointed on June 3, according to the L.A. Times.

Be sure to read the L.A. Times article to find out more about the rest of the challengers. They also published a great quote from Wayne Quint, the president of the Assn. of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs, "Whoever they select," Quint said, "I hope they put public safety ahead of politics." Amen!

Orange County Business Council endorses Supervisors Campbell & Nguyen

2008-05-10T06:47:00.000-07:00

I received notice yesterday that the Orange County Business Council has decided to endorse Supervisors Bill Campbell and Janet Nguyen for reelection. See the press release below for the details. Congratulations to both Campbell and Nguyen on receiving this important endorsement.

Orange County Business Council Endorses Supervisors Bill Campbell and Janet Nguyen for Re-election

IRVINE, CA — The Orange County Business Council (OCBC), the voice of business for the county, has endorsed Orange County Supervisors Bill Campbell and Janet Nguyen for re-election on June 3. OCBC reviewed the records of both Supervisors Nguyen and Campbell and found them solid advocates of the Business Council’s key initiatives to enhance infrastructure investment, increase supply of workforce housing and promote solid education programs to ensure a skilled 21st century workforce.

“We are pleased to endorse Supervisors Campbell and Nguyen for re-election because of their strong record of support for OCBC’s business agenda,” said Lucy Dunn, President and CEO of the Orange County Business Council.

Janet Nguyen was elected to the First District Board of Supervisors in February 2007 with a professional background in business issues. True to her experience, she has continued to support those interests during her first term as Supervisor. Additionally, in her service on the Orange County Transportation Authority board, Nguyen oversees critical mobility issues facing Orange County residents and workers.

“Her efforts on behalf of workforce development and improved infrastructure are aligned with OCBC’s own priorities, and the Business Council is proud to support her efforts to continue this good work,” added Dunn.

Formerly a member of the California legislature, Supervisor Bill Campbell has served Orange County's Third District with distinction since January 2003. Campbell was a strong leader on the campaign to renew Measure M, ensuring a 30 year commitment to transportation funding for Orange County, a top priority of the Business Council. Campbell has also advocated a responsible approach to solving key issues while taking into consideration the economic needs of the region.

“OCBC is pleased to endorse the re-election of Supervisor Campbell to continue his efforts keeping Orange County an excellent place to live, work and raise a family,” said Dunn. “He is a leader in innovation and good planning for the county’s future, including his leadership in exploring countywide wireless internet access and long range county strategic planning.”

# # #

The Orange County Business Council is the leading voice of business in Orange County, California. OCBC represents and promotes the business community, working with government and academia, to enhance Orange County’s economic development and prosperity in order to preserve a high quality of life. In providing a proactive forum for business and supporting organizations, OCBC helps assure the financial growth of America’s fifth largest county. For more information on OCBC click here.

SAUSD Measure G school bond another get richer quick scheme for supporters

2008-05-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

I recently attended a pep rally in Santa Ana for the SAUSD Measure G property tax increase/rent hike school bond ballot measure.

As you may recall I was tossed out of this public meeting by Measure G consultant Dennis DeSnoo and ill tempered book store owner Reuben Martinez of Libreria Martinez fame.

Guess those attempting to increase your property taxes and rents don't want you to know the truth about Measure G, who is funding it, or who is supporting it.

They also don't want you to know about the back room deals that have helped them garner support for Measure G.

Back room deals such as the City of Santa Ana using your tax dollars to buy books from Libreria Martinez owner Reuben Martinez.

According to a recent Los Angeles Times article, "City officials, calling the prospect of the store closing a "red flag," are instructing the public library to buy more of its Spanish-language books from Martinez" and paints Martinez with dire financial issues.

Yet according to several sources I spoke to for this story, Martinez might not be is such rough times. He may be doing very well, or may be just an extremely poor businessman looking to line his pockets at the expense of the taxpayer.

Example-

Where in the LA Times story or OC Register story did Reuben Martinez disclose his ownership of five book stores at John Wayne Airport.

According to this Nov. 27, 2006 press release, which states "He also owns five Hudson Group bookstores at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana""

I attempted to contact Mr Martinez and others for his side of the story, but as of yet have not received emails or calls back.

Have deals been cut in which Libreria Martinez received press with a sob story that tugs at your heart strings and pumps up sales for a Measure G supporter?

Has the City of Santa Ana been unethical in ordering the Library to buy books from Libreria Martinez?

Another violent night in Santa Ana

2008-05-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

Another night, another brutal crime spree.

Or so should read the water tower-welcoming people to Crimetown Orange County.

According to the OC Register, two people were shot and stabbed in two seperate incidents early Thursday morning.

In the first, a man was sleeping in a car when he was approached by two men, whereas he was shot with a pellet gun and then stabbed.

In the second incident, a short time and sveral blocks West of the first, two men were sitting on a bus bench when approached by two criminals brandishing guns and knives and demanding money. When the victims stated they had none one of the victims was stabbed.

Do you really believe any of the bullshit tales spun by Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez, Mayor Pulido or Police Chief Paul Walters about crime being at it's lowest levels in decades?

Today we read about an innocent crime victim in the paper, tommorrow that victim might just be you.

Until we have a tough on crime council and city attorney, Santa Ana will remain Crimetown Orange County.

New book chronicles anti-Mexican fervor in Costa Mesa

2008-05-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

The OC Weekly's Gustavo Arellano has written a review of a new book by Humberto Caspa, about the anti-Mexican movement in Costa Mesa. (Does anyone else see the irony in having such a movement in a city with a Spanish name?). Here is an excerpt from Gustavo's review:

If Orange County is the Mexican-hating capital of America, then Costa Mesa is its capitol—the crucible where anti-immigrant measures get debated, adopted, executed, and then mimicked nationwide. The past four years alone have seen the city introduce America to Minutemen mayors, migra agents in city jails, shuttering of day-labor centers and human-relations commissions, and arresting local activists. Couple that with xenophobic NIMBYers, and no wonder Humberto Caspa titled his book chronicling Costa Mesa’s Mexican madness Terror in the Latino Barrio: The Rise of the New Right in Local Government.

I would argue that Santa Ana's local electeds are not much better than the ones in Costa Mesa. Our Mayor, Miguel Pulido, is a Mexican immigrant, but just about everything he does is all about gentrification - getting Mexicans out of Santa Ana.

As one might expect, O.C. Register columnist Gordon Dillow doesn't agree with Caspa's assertions; he wrote this in a recent column, "There's a new book out that says the city of Costa Mesa's attempts to detain and deport illegal immigrants who commit crimes has created "terror" on that city's streets. But I would argue that the city's crackdown on criminal illegal immigrants has actually taken terror off the streets."

Dillow is, as usual, off base. Studies have shown that most of the immigrants arrested via Costa Mesa's ICE program have NOT been felons. One guy was arrested for riding his bike the wrong way - he was a part time minister and the Costa Mesa ICE cops deported him to Guatemala. Dillow even admits that "about 300 of the ICE detainees had been arrested for misdemeanors"

Check out this quote from Costa Mesa Mayor Allan Mansoor, in Dillow's column, "We just want to uphold our laws," Mansoor says. "Because lawlessness is the real terror."

Give me a break! Mansoor's boss, Mike Carona, was the SHERIFF and he was indicted for rather significant crimes. Not to mention all of Mansoor's buddies in the OC GOP who gleefully took hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of concert tickets at the OC Fair, at our expense - while eating steak and lobster on our dime too. I don't recall Dillow writing about THAT scandal.

Gustavo finished his review with these ominous words, "Hopefully, Terror in the Latino Barrio will stand as a historical document of a time when Mexicans were misunderstood—rather than a portent of what Latino USA can expect in the years to come." Let's hope Obama prevails in November. If the Republicans win the White House we can only expect four more years of pogroms against Latinos in this country.

Be sure to read the review of Caspa's book over at the Bubbling Cauldron blog too.

Claudio versus the MInutemen, the video

2008-05-08T22:14:00.000-07:00

We recently wrote about Claudio Gallegos, our former blogger, taking on the Minutemen during the recent May Day immigration protests in Santa Ana. Now you can see him in action on the video clip shown above, shot by Orange Juice amigo Mario Guerrero. Enjoy!

Tough Love: Reviewing The Events Of 4/27-5/7 2008 Part 1

2008-05-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

Better late than never, that's what I always say.

*** Let's start with Red County. The headline? 'Arnold is a Big-City Liberal (Rips on Rural CA and Endorses Prop 99).' Are you serious? I guess the righties like to label each other too. Prop 98 is nothing more than a partisan attempt by Republicans (read: the wealthy) to repeal rent control in order to take the gentrification that's going on in Santa Ana to a statewide level.

In the process they seem to be attempting to redraw the battle lines by which they want to be judged this election season, and despite their rhetoric to the contrary, they seem to always revert back to the tactics of the S.O.S. (same old...), much like they did with the 'In God We Trust' nonsense. To be fair, the story came out of mostly agricultural Placer County where the scare tactic of eminent domain abuse among farmers is running rampant, but it's not fair to go after Arnold by calling him a liberal just because he's against an unfair attack on the less affluent, most of whom live in already overpriced cities.

Oh don't be fooled, this is another Republican ploy to divide the populace and weed out those they feel aren't 'true conservatives,' but true conservatism includes the libertarian principle of smaller government and in turn dictates that referendums be simple in nature and
intended to empower the voters, not just give us a choice between bad and worse, which incidentally seems to be the way many races are shaping up this year.

Prop 98 covers more property owners from eminent domain abuse, but phases out rent control, which will lead to landlord/tenant abuses instead. Prop 99 is simple and covers strictly eminent domain, but isn't worded strongly enough and only covers owner-occupied structures. Since neither initiative covers everyone, I argue that the smarter, and easier way for Californians to finally have protection for their homes from the fallout of the Kelo decision is to vote no on 98, yes on 99, then we must work to add more eminent domain protections in the very near future. As many of us are aware, it's much easier to add something to the law than to subtract from it. Seriously though, check out the comments on the story and decide for yourself who's been using fear and division as political tactics.

*** 'The LBC' (I'm still not linking to them as they don't link to my site TheCentristOC.com) has offered us some more marshmallowy goodness from Ed Chau in the 42nd Congressional District. Riveting stuff. This week Ed has captured the endorsement (as if it were really a contest) of the Asian-American Action Fund.

It looks to me like more good news for the Ed Chau for Congress campaign. Ed’s snatched yet another good endorsement, and he’s showing us how far he can really go. Congrats, Team Chau!

I'll give you two guesses as to who offered up this drivel, but if you follow my work, you'll only need one. That's right: none other than LBC hackmeister Andrew Davey. Poor Ed needed a quarterback but he's settled for a cheerleader! Naturally, there was only a single comment to this story, and it mentioned the lack of signage in the district which is something that I've been complaining about since I started writing again.

So last night I took a drive through the district on a sign-hunt and came up with nothing! When the campaign announced that they had moved into an office, they neglected to include an address, so I didn't end up finding that either. I drove through Rowland Heights, his fundraising base, and Brea, where the supposed office is located, and if I didn't already know about this race, I would have no clue there was a primary in less than a month except for a few signs for Republican judicial candidates in the affluent foothills areas. It's simply depressing. Name recognition? What's that? Who are you again? Election day is how long from now? [Update: 'The LBC' is just now reporting that Ron Shepston has been endorsed by the communication workers union - are they going to pick a horse here or even bother to analyze this race or are they just going to reissue press releases ad nauseum? California Progress Report has a story by Ron about Ron here]

In other 42nd news, if you can really call it that, Ed's people are also announcing a rigorous public speaking schedule of three whole appearances in the month of May. Wow! I
hope he doesn't over-exert himself! Actually I take that back. If he passes out from exhaustion, it may actually be worthy of some major media news coverage.

He's also hired a young man by the name of Drew Cornick. Who's he? Why he's a former HRC staffer of course. When I asked Aaruni Thakur if I was being used as a token LGBT team member, I was told repeatedly that I wasn't. Apparently, in his hiring of a gay-rights crusader, he continues to show that he may have had an ulterior motive in asking me to join Ed's campaign after all. As soon as they realized I wanted nothing to do with it, I was quickly thrown under the bus.

In the end, it doesn't matter anyway. Aaruni lies to Ed all the time too and Ed will find out soon enough. I told him he could win his election because I actually believed in him. Aaruni Thakur and Ken Christensen told him the same because they don't want Ed to realize that he is in fact a sacrificial lamb. I wonder where the $20,000 he lent to his campaign came from, and it's going to be very difficult to pay back without the state Democratic Party's help, which does not look good for him in Dirty Gary's district. Oh, and there are no comments on this story. Seriously, why does Andrew Davey even bother?

SMS

Part 2 On The Centrist OC - Hillary, Commie Girl & Dan C. Expose Themselves, and An Ugly (Betty) Disappointment! Available now!

Solorio to hold budget crisis meeting, but he still wants to raise our taxes

2008-05-08T21:15:00.000-07:00

Assemblyman Jose Solorio and other Assemblymembers will be hosting a regional Town Hall on California’s Budget Crisis discussing its impact in Orange and Los Angeles Counties. The town hall will take place this Saturday, May 10th at 1:00 p.m. in Long Beach. See the graphic above for more details about this meeting.

Solorio's press release stated that "We hope you will be able to spread the word to your membership and will be able to attend. It is very important for Orange County’s leaders and constituents to express their concerns and discuss their experiences."

If Solorio is so worried about the Budget crisis, and its impact on Orange County, why is he supporting a new property tax in Santa Ana - Measure G, which is the latest school bond from the dysfunctional Santa Ana Unified School District?

The Register reported that a fellow jumped off a building, to his death, in Santa Ana this week. Last week another guy jumped off the Disneyland Hotel, falling fourteen stories to his death. The current Bush recession is starting to look like a Depression, with people jumping off buildings weekly. Moreover, 1,635 homes in Santa Ana are currently in foreclosure, and more and more residents are losing their jobs. Yet Solorio wants to increase our property taxes! What is he thinking?

The irony is that SAUSD has the highest dropout rates in Orange County and we already spent millions of dollars of our money on the last construction bond, even though enrollment is falling. The last thing we need is to tax ourselves more. What we really need is accountability at the SAUSD. Solorio is NOT calling for more accountability.

My guess is that Solorio will be the biggest whiner at the meeting on Saturday. And like many Democrats he probably wants to raise our taxes rather than cut the state budget. Now there is a sure way to guarantee that our state economy won't be rebounding anytime soon.

If you do go to the meeting on Saturday be sure to take a stand against more taxes. That ought to peeve Solorio, even as he cries for higher taxes, in Sacramento and in Santa Ana.

To Commie Girl With Love, Sarah, xoxo

2008-05-08T21:00:00.000-07:00

Let's see a free weekly paper do this!

Former Senate Republican Leader Jim Brulte's presentation at CWLA 4 corners luncheon

2008-05-08T18:03:00.000-07:00

Prior to making my comments on behalf of Proposition 98 at the California Women's Leadership Association, CWLA, Four Corners Chapter luncheon in Ontario today we listened to a presentation by former Senator Republican Leader Jim Brulte entitled "History of Political Parties."

In attendance at this meeting were close to 50 members of this new unit led by president Gayle Pacheco, Board Member of the California Workforce Investment Board, and her husband former Assemblyman Bob Pacheco who was appointed by President George W. Bush to the US Naval Academy Board of Visitors. Bob's role in the meeting was that of CWLA's paparazzi.

Other attendees included Chino Hills Mayor Curt Hagman, candidate for the 60th AD, his wife Grace Hagman, field representative for San Bernardino Supervisor Gary Ovitt, and Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy, candidate for the 29th SD.

Jim's PowerPoint had a sub title that reads "what we are what we are today."
He proceeded to explain how "Americans adjust their political mood through presidential elections" and shared information on the changes in selected decades of time beginning with 1932-1964 where we had "class politics. Have's Vs Have-nots"

He spoke of realignment in both major parties between 1964 and 1988. Jim shared how president Reagan united the three wings of the Republican Party calling it a "triumph of ideological realignment." He pointed out Jack Kemp supply siders, Jean Kirkpatrick and Jesse Helms representing the God and Country wing.
Jim made an interesting comment about the current campaign saying "who would have thought that Hillary would be running as a conservative Democrat."

Without divulging too much of his presentation he did cover an area that Art Pedroza, founder of the Orange Juice blog, has been stating for the past year. That is the growth in the political group labeled "decline to state" which was around eight percent in 1992 and today represents "19.31 percent"of the electorate.

Bottom line. Attending these meetings is a wonderful way to meet and fellowship with other concerned voters and be able to meet distinguished speakers such as the Honorable Jim Brulte. For information on his LLC simply go to www.calstrat.com

For information regarding CWLA membership or dates of future meetings and speakers email information@cwla.us or call (949) 632-0121

PS: I did receive an email from Gayle thanking me for my presentation stating that I did a "great job" on "a difficult subject for most."

Got to shut down now. Another event to attend.

So How do You make a Movie?

2008-05-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

The local Newport Beach Film Festival...celebrated its
9th Anniversary this year during its run - April 24th to May 1st, 2008.
We were curious and decided this year to request Press Credentials and
cover the gala extravaganza.

A larger and larger number of known movie stars have become part of this
very interesting event. Tom Berenger and Michael Biehn for example were
starring in a production callled "Stiletto". We unfortunately didn't see
any of the films but what we did do...was to talk to 15 different film
makers from all around the country that had brought either a short, a
documentary or a feature film for the approval of the public.

If you have an interest in knowing about the Newport Beach Film Festival
and didn't have the chance to get out there to Edwards/Regal Cinemas at
Fashion Island.....you might want to take a look at our one hour and 23
minute report from the front. Some very interesting people. Some that
you might even know...others that you will only see years later when they
become famous. If you want to view the Newport Beach Film Festival -
"through our eyes report" from the Cutting Edge - a talk show!
just copy and paste below:

http://www.cuttingedge-atalkshow.com
Then Click on Newport Film Fest!

You will need Microsoft Media Player...which is
available at no cost if you don't have it.

For those that don't know...the City of Newport Beach has sanctioned
this great event with the support of many "silent angels" in our community.
It was however, a not so "silent angel", legendary Sports Agent; Leigh
Steinberg that had to step up a few years back and lend not only his
name but lots of cash to make this a now superior event for the community
and for the visiting film makers.

Gregg Schwenk is currently the Executive Director of the Newport Beach
Film Festival and has had to step up large in the face of dealing with
an array of volunteers, paid staff and while still dealing with pricey
and sensitive egos! It's a tough job and Gregg deserves whatever kudos
that are more than forthcoming.

What we discovered was a group of very interesting creative types that
totally enjoyed sharing their creative fervor with the public and the
judges that gleefully awarded a variety of entrants. If you want to see
the list of usual suspects... Just go to:

http://www.newportbeachfilmfest.com/contact_us.php ...take a look at this
page and get over to where the awards are located. Our show, "So, how do
you make a movie?" at the Newport Beach Film Fest doesn't tell you the
winners or losers. Everyone we interviewed was a worthy creative type that
was willing to share lots of insider info and knowledge that you would never
hear about on the Academy Awards or Golden Globes! We even were able to
add several of the Film Makers clips and trailers..just plain informative
and fun! Especially, if you always wanted to know more about the film biz!

Don't forget: http://www.cuttingedge-atalkshow.com
Just copy and paste and click on Newport Film Fest.

"Gas-Tax Holiday" - Who's yanking your chain?

2008-05-08T17:50:00.000-07:00

NEWSFLASH: The McCain/Hillary "Gas Tax Holiday" would not lead to ANY SAVINGS at the pump for YOU!

Sorry about the bold italics, but the tendency with serious people, from Senator Obama all the way down to yours truly, is to leave the really gutpunchingly relevant fact for the end of a presentation, prefaced by "and on top of all that..." And by then nobody's paying attention any more!

We are all hurting from high gasoline prices, so two of our three Presidential candidates have found it politically advantageous to propose a "gas tax holiday," in which, for the course of this summer, the 18.4 cent per gallon federal gas tax would be suspended. There are just a few problems with this idea:

1. Like I said, most economists are in agreement that the oil companies would not pass on the savings in lower prices to you and me, because they don't have to. This would instead be a $10 billion windfall for the oil companies (who probably don't really need it) and they'll just hike the prices up drastically at the end of the summer when the tax returns. As Reuters wrote recently: "Economists said that since refineries cannot increase their supply of gasoline in the space of a few summer months, lower prices will just boost demand and the benefits will flow to oil companies, not consumers. "You are just going to push up the price of gas by almost the size of the tax cut," said Eric Toder, a senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center in Washington."

2. The loss in revenue to the federal and state governments would be about $10 billion, which, as MSNBC tells us, would usually "help pay for highway projects in nearly every town through a dedicated trust fund."

3. This "gas tax holiday" has no chance of passing Congress, mainly due to the above reasons: Congress, believe it or not, is full of many thoughtful people who are not currently running for President. The government cannot afford that loss of revenue at this time. Here I should mention that Hillary's special touch - what makes her plan a little different from McCain's (who doesn't even consider the actual effects of his plan) is that it would be balanced off by a "windfall profits tax" on the oil companies. Again, that also has no chance of passing Congress, and even less of a chance of being signed by our Oilman President.

4. Say that the oil companies somehow, either out of the goodness of their hearts or due to some clever coercion, passed on the savings to us at the pump. It's still only 18 cents a gallon, or about $2.35 each time you fill up, adding up to roughly a $30 to $40 savings over the summer for the average driver. And, assuming that did make a difference to us, we would just be motivated to drive more, exacerbating pollution and global warming, as well as adding to demand and - of course - driving up the price to what it originally was or higher.

OK, now with all the stubborn little facts out of the way, let's play a round of:
Who's yanking your chain?

Who's exploiting your pain

for political gain?

versus

Who's treating you like you have a brain?

When asked this morning by ABC News' George Stephanopoulos if she could name a single economist who backs her call for a gas tax holiday this summer, HRC said "I'm not going to put my lot in with economists.”

I know several of the economists who have been advising Senator Clinton, so I phoned them right after I heard this. I reached two of them. One hadn’t heard her remark and said he couldn’t believe she’d say it. The other had heard it and shrugged it off as “politics as usual.”

--from Robert Reich's blog

...McCain argues the holiday would mean that drivers would "have a little money left over, maybe to buy a better meal, maybe to buy something for their kids."

...he said the proposal would have a trickle-down effect, and "help to spread relief across the American economy."

"I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated."

SEN. OBAMA: You're right, Tim, this defines, I think, the difference between myself and Senator Clinton. This gas tax, which was first proposed by John McCain and then quickly adopted by Senator Clinton, is a classic Washington gimmick. It, it is a political response to a serious problem that we have neglected for decades. Now, here's, here's the upshot. You're looking at suspending a gas tax for three months. The average driver would save 30 cents per day for a grand total of $28. That's assuming that the oil companies don't step in and raise prices by the same amount that the tax has been reduced. And, by the way, I have some experience on this because in Illinois we tried this when I was in the state legislature, and that's exactly what happened. The oil companies, the retailers were the ones who ended up benefiting.
MR. RUSSERT: You voted for it, too.
SEN. OBAMA: I did. Exactly. And that...
MR. RUSSERT: When gas was only $2 a gallon.
SEN. OBAMA: And, and that's my point. I voted for it, and then six months later we took a look, and consumers had not benefited at all, but we had lost revenue.
MR. RUSSERT: So you learned from a wrong vote.
SEN. OBAMA: Yeah, I learned from a mistake. And, in addition, what happens is, is that this would come out of the Federal Highway Fund that we use to rebuild our roads and our bridges. And if we don't have that fund, then we're looking at thousands of jobs being lost...
And what I've said is, look, people do need serious relief. They are, are getting hammered. I mean, people who--can't go on job searches because they can't fill up their gas tank. And so what I've said is, let's accelerate a--the second half of a tax stimulus proposal that I had put forward that would put, immediately, hundreds of dollars into people's pockets to get through the summer; let's pass a permanent middle-class tax cut, $1,000 per family, to offset the payroll tax to deal not just with rising costs of gas, but also rising costs of food, rising costs of prescription drugs; and, most importantly, let's invest in alternative fuels, raising fuel efficiency standards on cars, and let's get serious about reducing consumption of oil, which is the only way that, over the long term, we're going to reduce, we're going to reduce gas prices.
And, you know, I have to say that if Senator Clinton or John McCain had stood up in previous years for increases in fuel efficiency standards, in getting serious about a--an energy policy that is freeing ourselves from dependence on foreign oil, then we would not be in this same situation in the first place. And I don't want, 20 years from now, to have a bunch of politicians proposing a suspension of the gas tax holiday when gas is $8 or $10 a gallon because we failed to act now. Now is the time for us to act, and I think the people of Indiana and North Carolina understand that.
MR. RUSSERT: It's a pander?
SEN. OBAMA: Yes.
video

¡Sí! ¡Se puede!

DPOC News: Judy Jones(D) For Assembly (73rd AD)To Hold Free Event

2008-05-08T17:28:00.001-07:00

Calling South County Democrats!

You know who you are Mr. 'I Make A Ton of Money And Still Care About Others!' Join Judy Jones for a free meet-and-greet in the 73rd AD! Let's take advantage of the opportunity of an open seat to make some blue gains in the Southland.

From the front page of Ms. Jones' website:

Why am I running?
To prioritize investment in our future in the 73rd AD--when solving budget, education, environment and other issues.

Sounds like my kind of candidate!

SMS

Dear Sarah,

Come out this weekend to meet the Democratic Party's endorsed candidate in the 73rd Assembly District - Judy Jones!

Judy will make an excellent addition to the Democratic delegation of the California State Assembly. She is hardworking, reliable and understands the issues that are important to Orange County residents.

Meet and Greet with Judy Jones:
Saturday, May 10th
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Home of Billie Lovmark: 328 Boca del Canon San Clemente, CA

This is not a fundraiser - just an opportunity for you to get to know one of our finest candidates.

The 73rd Assembly District includes Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente & Oceanside.

The seat is currently is open, so there is no incumbent.

I hope that you can meet this extraordinary candidate!

Sincerely,

Melahat Rafiei, Executive Director

Democratic Party of Orange County

email: info@ocdemocrats.org

phone: 714-835-5158

web: http://www.ocdemocrats.org/

Larry Gilbert's "pics" for the June 3rd Election

2008-05-08T16:05:00.000-07:00

Dear readers. Each election cycle I research and submit a voter guide on the Republican candidates. Obviously the final choice is yours to make. While some of these races are outside my District I either know the candidates, have heard them speak, or have knowledge of their conservative credentials.The following are my recommendations for the June 3rd election:

State Assembly
60th AD Curt Hagman
70th AD Chuck DeVore
71st AD Neil Blais
72nd AD Mike Duvall
73rd AD Diane Harkey

State Senate
29th SD Bob Huff
33rd SD Mimi Walters
35th SD Tom Harman

Congressional
CD 42 Gary Miller
CD 44 Ken Calvert
CD 48 Jon Campbell

Judicial
Office #4 Nick Thompson
Office #8 Jon Fish
Office #12 Kermit Marsh
Office #25 John Nho Nguyen

Republican Central Committee (vote for no more than six)

70th AD
Linda Ackerman
Dick Nichols
Allan Bartlett
Mary Young
Thomas "Tom" Fuentes
Jon Steven Fleischman

71st AD (vote for no more than six)

Jack J Anderson
Todd Spitzer
Tony Beall
Mark William Bucher
John S Williams
Marcia Gilchrist

73RD (vote for no more than six)

Alice Anderson
Craig P Alexander
Nancy Padberg
Anna Bryson
Norm Dickinson
open

Statewide Ballot Measures

Proposition 98 YES
Proposition 99 NO

Larry Gilbert

The Descent of Tom Harman, part one

2008-05-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Right around the time I started blogging here (late March) I also started writing a monthly column for the Orange Coast Voice, a progressive paper full of great investigative journalism, that covers Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, Fountain Valley, and Costa Mesa. If you live in those towns you should subscribe to it for 25 bucks a year, but until you have a chance to do that, you can check it out at www.ocvoice.com.

So, my new column for May concerns State Senator Tom Harman, who represents the 35th district, stretching along the coast from the towns I just named, all the way down to Dana Point, and including Irvine. Entitled "The Descent of Tom Harman," the article was going to examine this politician's abrupt shift to the right which seemed to happen exactly when the moderate Republican Assemblyman won a special election in June 2006 for the state senate seat vacated by John Campbell. He is still remembered by most voters in this area as a reasonable, friendly, Republican champion of the environment; when Diane Harkey ran against him in 2006 she called him the "most liberal Republican in the assembly." But since winning a seat in the Senate he has racked up an abysmal anti-environmental record and has spent most of his time bashing immigrants (a newfound obsession) and railing against healthcare reform; as we discovered at the Minuteman Rally last week, he has become one of Barbara Coe's favorite state politicians.

Like I said, I was GOING to write one article about this, but I came up with so much material on just his environmental record that it's turned into a four-part series. (I'll have to deal with immigration, healthcare and other issues in future segments.)

So, click here and read the article, it will make your skin crawl! It opens with a spooky Vonnegut epigram, and it features a creepy cameo from our friend Jubal. "The Descent of Tom Harman, part 1 of 4" (Pinche editors changed my title though.) Leave a comment and look around the rest of the OCV blog, you'll find lots of other good stuff there!

And here's something I didn't mention on the OCV: if you think maybe, after reading my series, that Senator Harman doesn't deserve another term, you should know his opponent, his ONLY opponent, is the Democrat Ginny Mayer, a Harvard doctorate in Asian studies with experience in aerospace and academia, who supports universal healthcare, protecting our environment, and a "fair and humane immigration policy."

Total Buzz and Red County lie for the Trannies

2008-05-07T22:36:00.000-07:00

I don't know why Total Buzz blogger Martin Wisckol has it in for Supervisor Janet Nguyen. He used to be a fair reporter, but consider the ridiculous headline he put up today, "Janet Nguyen’s delinquent bills." Why that sure makes it sound like Supervisor Nguyen is not paying her bills. But I found out the truth after I called a Nguyen insider. And it turns out Wisckol got the entire story wrong.

Wisckol alleged that Supervisor Nguyen failed to fully pay Jimmy Camp (pictured at left), a tattooed Republican consultant who helped her during her recount, when she prevailed against Trung Nguyen. That is a big lie.

Camp is spinning that he was promised a $10,000 bonus, after receiving a $2,500 down payment, if Nguyen prevailed in her recount. But Camp did NOT produce a copy of the contract. And Wisckol did not put up a copy of the contract. Why is that?

Moreover, my source said that Camp was told he would be paid a TOTAL of $10,000, with $2,500 paid in advance. Sure enough, he did get an additional $7,500. Never mind that Supervisor Nguyen's lawyers did all the work on the recount. What did Camp do exactly? Answer the phones and make coffee?

Consider this, why in the Hell would Supervisor Nguyen short pay this guy and risk a political firestorm, over $2,500? If she owed him that money, she would pay him and that would be that. But she doesn't owe him a dime, so kudos to her for not paying him what he isn't due.

And consider the timing of all this. Right as the absentee ballots start hitting the mail box. My source told me that it is obvious that Mike Schroeder, the consigliere to the Trannies, put Camp up to this. They have a long working relationship.

Matt/Jubal Cunningham jumped on the story as he never misses a chance to go after Supervisor Nguyen. Check out this excerpt from his post, "Following Janet's election, Jimmy Camp express to her his interest in joining her supervisor staff. It's pretty standard for victorious candidates to bring campaign staff with them into office, and if you are a young, inexperienced new Supervisor with only two years of service as an elected official, bringing a savvy politico like Jimmy Camp on board would be a smart move. IF she had done so, Janet's first months in office likely would not have been so bumpy."

According to my source, Camp wanted more money that Supervisor Nguyen is paying her Chief of Staff. Why would she overpay a guy who looks like he just crawled out of a pub? No thanks. She ended up hiring Matt Harper, who has just as much experience as Camp, but who actually looks the part of a professional. Harper has done a great job, as have all of Nguyen's staffers.

The bottom line is that neither Wisckol or Cunningham spoke to anyone at Nguyen's camp before they ran with their fraudulent stories. Camp did not produce a written contract, which essentially means his case is moot. No contract means this is a he said, she said. Who do you think the judge will find more credible? A Supervisor or a guy who would fit right in hanging out with the homeless folks at the Civic Center Plaza in Santa Ana?

By the way, why aren't Wisckol and Cunningham going after Trung Nguyen for his massive unpaid bills stemming from his supervisorial race? Nguyen is now running for the Garden Grove City Council, but I am told he is still very much in debt. Why are Wisckol and Cunningham silent about Trung? And how much are the Trannies paying Wisckol for his services? I wonder if he is reporting this income on his tax returns? I would say the Trannies are getting a pretty good return on their investment.

"Fun with Chalk" another "free admission" event in Mission Viejo

2008-05-07T08:53:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, May 17th and Sunday 18th, from 10 am to 6 pm, the U.S. Congressionally recognized Children's Creative Festival, known nationally as "Fun With Chalk," will celebrate it's 10 Anniversary at the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center in Mission Viejo. As a former member of the Advisory Board I can report that this is one annual family event that you should not miss.

Let me share some data from the 2008 brochure which should answer your questions about the history and Mission of this labor of love by over 100 volunteers who cheerfully work together every year to put on this non political activity.

"The Art of Street Painting." Street painting--using chalk as the medium, is an Italian tradition dating back to the 16th century, when painters known as "Madonnari" would transform village squares into colorful temporary galleries."

Each year the asphalt surface of the Community Center in Mission Viejo is marked off with hundreds of squares of varying sizes ranging from 2 x 2 children's squares up to 12 x 12 feet for professional artists who work on their hands and knees in 90 degree heat for hours on end creating their masterpieces. You are welcome to visit both days and watch as they begin their chalk layout to the finished paintings on Sunday.

I am sure that you have seen emails of similar chalk work from an artist in the U.K.

In addition to the Street Painting there is something for every member of the family. Popular art workshops for children, strolling performers, live music, arts and crafts booths, moderately priced food and beverages and a special performance on Saturday by the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra brass quintet/ensemble.

Included in the live entertainment is Board Member, and Maestro, Javier-Alvarez Palomar. Without giving out any secrets of his work let me suggest that you to mark your calendars to arrive early and grab a good seat before his live performance which will amaze you. If you are not impressed with Javier, I would like to hear from you!

"Mission Statement. The Children's Creative Festival inspires creativity, teaches art appreciation through participation and provides supplemental funding for quality visual and performing arts experiences for school children, thus developing creative and imaginative adults."
Fun With Chalk A 501 (C) 3 Non-Profit Organization.

"Among the many recipients of Fun With Chalk benefits have been Laura's House and Gary's Place For Kids, where youngsters who have been victims of domestic abuse/violence, or who have lost a parent use art to express their feelings. From the sale of squares and sponsorships, we are able to provide high school art scholarships, PTA art programs, and supplement fine art education--music, drama, and visual arts--in the Saddleback and Capistrano Unified School Districts."

Note: Every event volunteer, including Board Members who meet every month of the year planning this festival, work without any compensation. This is our way of giving back to the community where we live, work, or play.

Directions. From Interstate 5 exit La Paz Road and drive east. Cross Marguerite Parkway and proceed to the third signal which is Veterans Way. Turn left following the signs to the parking lot and event center.

For additional information you may call 1-877-932-4255 or simply go to the web site.

Santa Ana spends less than half the average per capita on its library budget

2008-05-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Libraries promote literacy and learning.

Libraries strengthen and stabilize communities.

Libraries open the door to civic discourse, where people learn to share opinions, ideals and values.

When people speak of education and knowledge, the value of a community library can never be debated.

Yet the Santa Ana Council members recently unanimously supported the property tax increase/rent hike ballot Measure G.

And they did so in the name of kids.

But if they care so much about kids, why do they shortchange our community with regards to libraries.

Our ancestors realized the importance of the written word. Archaeological digs in Mesopotamia revealed temples full of clay tablets in cuneiform script. Private scripts were kept at Ugarit ( Modern day Syria) and the ancient Greeks, Romans and Chinese all had extensive libraries as did the Medieval English, French and Spaniards. The Maya and Aztec kept libraries as did the Khmer of 12th Century Cambodia.

But if we look for libraries in Santa Ana, we need look far and wide.

Santa Ana lacks the libraries necessary to promote neighborhood vitality or economic competitiveness.

And it's evident in the City Council's priorities that it will remain that way for quite some time to come.

Nationwide, the average per capita operating expenditures with regards to public libraries is $ 30.49, with a high of $ 53.12 and a low of $ 13.24.

Santa Ana's public library system had a 07-08 budget of $ 5,229,900.00 in a city with a population of 353,428.

That's a dismal $14.79 per person spent on our libraries.

But it gets worse.

Only 23% of adults in Santa Ana have library cards, and only 11 % of children do.

In a City where the Mayor and Council ensure that the City Manager, as well as the Police Chief and Fire Captain are among the most highly compensated in the County, its a shame when our libraries and our children are funded at one of the lowest levels in the United States.

On a Council filled with Teachers and Lawyers and Engineers you would think they would understand the value of libraries.

You would think they would understand that libraries are the place where children can come to be themselves or to become something else, something better.

City of Vallejo declares bankruptcy

2008-05-07T06:49:00.000-07:00

The City of Vallejo, in northern California, has filed bankruptcy. Here are a few excerpts from the San Francisco Chronicle about this desperate action, which happened primarily because the Vallejo City Council overpaid its cops and firefighters:

The Vallejo City Council voted to declare bankruptcy Tuesday night after months of last-ditch wrangling failed to rescue the city from financial catastrophe.

The North Bay city of 117,000 now heads into largely uncharted territory, as no California city of this size has ever opted for this route.

After about four hours of discussion and public comment from the standing-room-only crowd, the council voted 7-0 to approve Tanner's recommendation to declare Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection as a means to reorganize its finances, which have been shattered by spiraling public employee salaries and the plummeting housing market.

The move allows the city to freeze its debts while maintaining city services. Police, fire and other unions and many in the audience were outraged at the move, accusing the council of poor leadership.

The city suffers from mismanagement and has less debt than it claims, said a union spokesman, Ken Shoemaker, a representative of the electrical union.

Vallejo faces a $16 million shortfall and no money in its reserve account for the fiscal year beginning July 1. In March, the city shaved several million dollars from its payroll, museums, public works, senior centers, libraries and other services to avoid bankruptcy, but needed to make further cuts to meet increased expenses in the next fiscal year.

The city and its police and fire unions held a final contract negotiating session Sunday but failed to reach an agreement before Tuesday's City Council meeting.

The city and its public safety unions have been at the bargaining table for about two years. The city is asking for its police and firefighters to take salary, benefit and staff cuts, while the unions say any further cuts would endanger public safety as well as the safety of the police and firefighters.

Vallejo spends 74 percent of its $80 million general fund budget on public safety salaries, significantly higher than the state average. The generous contracts are the result of deals struck in the 1970s, following a police strike that left the city in turmoil.

I wonder if the City of Santa Ana will end up in the same dire straits one day? Mayor Miguel Pulido doles out regular raises to our cops and firemen because their unions give money to his campaigns, and they walk precincts for him too. The Santa Ana City Council also recently gave out huge raises to City Manager Dave Ream and to our City Clerk. Probably to keep them from talking when they retire, potentially as soon as next year.

Sanchez, Solorio and Nguyen recognize the importance of occupational safety

2008-05-07T06:36:00.000-07:00

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, Assemblyman Jose Solorio and O.C. Supervisor Janet Nguyen have each issued certificates, and in the case of Nguyen a proclamation (pictured above), honoring the fact that this week is North American Occupational Safety & Health (NAOSH) week, which is recognized by safety organizations in Mexico, Canada and the U.S.A.

I asked each of these legislators to recognize NAOSH week on behalf of the Orange County Chapter of the ASSE (American Society of Safety Engineers). I thank them all for recognizing the importance of occupational safety! I also asked State Senator Lou Correa to recognize NAOSH week, but sadly I never heard back from his office.

In case you are wondering, I only requested certificates and proclamations from my local legislators. I suppose I could have requested them from other legislators in Orange County, but I did not have the time to do so.

Here is some more information about NAOSH week and also about Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day, which is today:

To recognize and celebrate their ongoing commitment to protecting people, property and the environment the American Society of Safety Engineers' board approved the creation of Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day (OSHP) in March of 2006 to be held every year during North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (NAOSH) on that Wednesday. This year NAOSH Week runs from May 4-10 and OSHP Day is on May 7, 2008.

The purpose of this day is to recognize the ongoing efforts of occupational safety, health and environmental professionals to protect people, property and the environment. “They are the ones that make sure you go to and come home from work safely and without injury every day,” ASSE 2005-06 President Jack H. Dobson Jr., CSP, said.

The goal of the annual North American Occupational Safety & Health (NAOSH) Week is to focus the attention of employers, employees, the general public and all partners in occupational safety, health and the environment on the importance of preventing injury and illness in the workplace.

The revised fatality total for 2006 represents a 2 percent increase over the final 2005 total. The preliminary results released in August 2007 showed a decline in the number of cases. The higher fatality rate resulting from the revision indicates that the fatal work injury rate in 2006 was unchanged from the 2005 fatality rate.
Fatal work injuries incurred by Hispanic or Latino workers rose by 53 cases from the preliminary figure, bringing the total number for that worker group to 990 fatal work injuries. The higher number of fatal work injuries among Hispanic or Latino workers also pushed the rate of fatal injury for that worker group to 5.0 per 100,000 employed workers, up from the previously reported rate of 4.7 per 100,000 employed workers for 2006. In 2005, 923 Hispanic workers were fatally injured on the job and the rate of fatal injury among Hispanic workers in 2005 was 4.9 per 100,000 employed workers.
The number of fatal work injuries involving foreign-born workers increased from 997 cases to 1,046 cases as a result of the updates. Of the 1,046 cases involving foreign-born workers, 667 involved Hispanic or Latino workers. Both the foreign-born total and the Hispanic or Latino foreign-born total were new highs for the series.
Fatal occupational injuries in California increased by 89 cases from the preliminary figure. As a result of the increase, California surpassed Texas as the State with the highest number of fatal work injuries in 2006. The totals for Oregon (up by 15), Georgia (9), and Florida (5) also increased. Overall, 15 States revised the counts upward as a result of the update process.

You can learn more about NAOSH week by clicking here.