OC Blog

Steve Ambriz: The Big Impact Of A Big Heart

If attendance at his funeral today is a measure of affection and esteem, then Orange Councilman Steve Ambriz is one of Orange County's most beloved and respected sons.

Holy Family Cathedral in Orange seat at least 1,200 people -- but it wasn't begin enough to contain the throng of Steve's friends and family who came to pay their respects. The pews were packed, the aisles were standing room only, and the crowd spilled out into the courtyard in front -- at least 1,500 mourners.

I'm sure there were many more who wanted to be there but couldn't, and so they can share in some way with today's funeral service I thought I'd post a PDF of the funeral program.

2nd SD Mailbox: Moorlach In the Mail Again

The John Moorlach for Supervisor campaign is in the mailbox again today, this time with an offense-is-the-best-defense response to the public employee union campaign against him.

The quality and readability of Moorlach's mail is far superior to the generic stuff the union IEs are sending out for Dave Shawver. And the despicable "John Moorlach hates widows and orphans of dead firefighters" mailer is so far over the top it will rebound against its intended beneficiary, Dave Shawver.

AOCDS and United Employee Organizations of Orange County should find themselves a new consultant for future elections -- and place their baser political instincts in check..

Dave Shawver -- Labor's Choice To Sit Across The Negotiating Table

Jean Pasco's LAT article yesterday on the Moorlach-Shawver races was a treasure chest of passages spotlighting why 2nd Supervisor District voters should confine Dave Shawver to Stanton.

He said Moorlach unnecessarily alienated the county's employee unions by blaming them for benefits approved by the board.

"How are you going to sit down with these folks and solve the problem when you've been beating them up?" Shawver asked.

Actually, a much better question is how could Dave Shawver "sit down  with these folks" as the taxpayers' representative knowing he owed his place at the table to "these folks" with whom is negotiating?

But allowing police and firefighters to retire with guaranteed pay at 50 after ending dangerous careers is the right thing to do, Shawver said.

"Aren't we obligated to take care of them when they're older because of the service they provided?" he asked.

Shawver's argument is based on a faulty premise: namely that anything other than the current public safety retirement deal is tantamount to "not taking care" of retired police officers and firefighters. They have about as sweet a retirement deal as anyone outside of corporate executive levels -- and certainly much better than the average taxpayer can look forward.

I appreciate the potential and respective dangers of their professions. Police officers especially stand between us and the lawless. Both professions are proper functions of government. But if on-the-job danger is the measure of how generous a public pension should be, why do the retirement benefits of policemen and firemen far outstrip what is offered to members of the Armed Services?

Local government employees have well-organized unions with ample political warchests who focus on protecting their interests 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week. County taxpayers who pay the bills have to rely five elected representatives whose focus on protecting taxpayers' interests varies from supervisor to supervisor -- and we can ill-afford to reduce that number from five to four.

Rick Reiff On John Moorlach and Chriss Street

Rick Reiff, executive editor of the Orange County Business Journal and creator/host of Inside OC, penned this trenchant editorial on May 29 on the critical nature of the 2nd Supervisorial District and OC Treasurer races:

TO QUOTE YOGI BERRA, IT’S LOOKING LIKE DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN.

On a June 6 ballot filled with competitive local races, none are more important for sound and fiscally responsible county government than the two contests involving the current county treasurer and the man who wants to be his successor.

Flash back to 1994. A CPA named John Moorlach was running for county treasurer. Moorlach, with assistance from a Newport Beach money manager named Chriss Street, warned that the investment practices of incumbent Robert Citron were leading the county toward financial disaster.

Political leaders rose up against Moorlach. Citron won handily and the reckless investment practices continued unabated. Within months the county, having lost $1.6 billion, filed the biggest municipal bankruptcy ever. There were cutbacks, layoffs and prosecutions. The county is still paying interest.

Fast forward to today. Moorlach, who replaced the disgraced Citron and served as treasurer with distinction for the past 11 years, is running for county supervisor. His tag-team partner again is Street, who is running to succeed Moorlach as treasurer.

They are again warning that the county is risking a billion-dollar financial debacle, this time over lavish public-employee pension benefits.

Moorlach is leaving the virtual lifetime security of his present job to seek a lower-paying, term-limited gig so he can bring financial discipline to the board of supervisors. Street, who recently retired from the investment business, wants to carry on Moorlach’s legacy while putting his own stamp on the treasurer’s office.

Chastened political leaders now are behind Moorlach. But as in 1994, he has formidable opposition—this time from the county’s powerful public employee unions.

OC Blog News Roundup -- May 31, 2006

Today's top stories from behind the Orange Curtain:

Memories, Tears Flow For Ambriz -- OCR
City councilman is remembered for devotion to Orange and his family.

Woman Accused Of Killing Steve Ambriz Had Prior Crime -- LAT
The woman accused of killing an Orange councilman in a head-on collision last week had pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter 12 years ago in connection with the death of a woman she fought with after a traffic dispute.

Frank Mickadeit: Going Negative Isn't Positively For The Best -- LAT
Great column on the DeYoung scorched-earth campaign. It highlights why reporters like Frank (and Jean Pasco) -- with longer institutional memories than most of the politicos they cover -- are so valuable.

Labor V. Moorlach -- OCR
Two county employee unions side with his rival in supervisor race, citing his opposition to increase in pension fund.

McCain In OC To Address Latino Leaders -- LAT
Senator in O.C. today to discuss immigration.

Greenlight II Initiative Submitted -- OCR and DP
Activists hope growth-limiting measure for Newport will qualify for the ballot.

Editorial: Press freedoms Correctly Extended To Bloggers -- OCR
Lauds state District Court of Appeal decision that bloggers enjoy the same Shield Law protections as traditional journalists.

22 Freeway's Harbor Entrance To Re-Open Thursday -- OCR
Yearlong closure was part of freeway widening project.

Anaheim Nightclub Gives Up Its Liquor Permit -- OCR
Boogie in Anaheim, facing other woes, agrees to give up its liquor license.

Extra Innings For Angel Lawsuit -- OCR
Anaheim council votes to appeal loss in team-name fight.

Westminster School Board Retracts Hiring Of New Superintendent -- OCR
No reason given in vote to cancel offer to new Westminster superintendent.

Dana Point Has A Vision For Downtown -- OCR
A plan to revitalize the downtown seeks to stimulate nightlife, attract tourists and provide more parking.

San Clemente Drug-Rehab Center Raided -- OCR
State and federal authorities are mum on details in criminal probe of company formerly called MedPro.

Teachers Union Uncovers Moorlach's Sinister Plot!

The California Teachers Association sent this letter out to all it's members living in the 2nd Supervisorial District, in which they detail OC Treasurer John Moolrach's sinister plan to destroy government employees by making their retirement plans just a little more like what most taxpayers have:

The county employee groups involved with the labor coaltion are very concerned about the candidacy of John Mooorlach for Orange County Supervisor, District 2. Mr. Moorlach is a very outspoken anti-labor individual. he plans to attack employee pensions as soon as he takes office.

Gasp!

He plans to change Orange County pensions into....

Into what! WHAT!!

..."defined contribution" plans.

But wait -- that's only the beginning of the Moorlach scheme to destroy the government employee union movement:

This would be the first domino to fall in our state. Mr. Moorlach wants to take this statewide and run for State Treasurer in the future. This means our pensions through STRS would come under attack once again.

How do we stop this madman?

The Orange County Employees Association, Teamster, Deputy Sheriffs, Fire Fighters, SEIU, and other have urged us to take action this June 6, 2006. They say that a vote for Republican candidate David Shawver is a NO vote to Moorlach's plans.

Proving once again that public employee unions are government organized as a special interest -- and they are specially interested in electing Dave Shawver as their new "boss."

Steve Ambriz, You'll Be Missed

I returned home a while ago from the vigil service for Orange Councilman Steve Ambriz. It was a really touching service. The pews of St. Norbert Church were filled, and a succession of Steve's family and friends told stories about Steve and paid tribute to his character.

On the back of the prayer card was this poem, which I presume was a favorite of Steve's:

            Afterglow
I'd like the memory of me to be a
                happy one,
I'd like to leave an afterglow of smiles
            when day is gone.
I'd like to leave an echo whispering
           softly down the ways,
Of happy times, and laughing times,
        and bright and sunny days.
I'd like the tears of those who grieve
        to dry before the sun,
Of happy memories that I leave when
                life is done.

I don't know who wrote that, but it captures Steve Ambriz's spirit well.

I think most of us start out with the same vibrant optimism and belief in something better that Steve possessed in such infectious quantities. But whereas for most of us time and the mileage of life can dull and wear that optimism away, it didn't make a dent in those qualities for Steve. For him, hope and optimism were a habit of mind and spirit, and we are now poorer for his passing.

But our loss is heaven's gain. And such is Steve's capacity for happiness it will certainly stand out even in Heaven, where the denizens are probably tapping each other and the shoulder and asking, "Hey, who's Mr. Happy over there?"

Anaheim WILL Appeal

From the LA Times website: Anaheim Will Appeal Ruling over 'Los Angeles' Angels.  Lead,

The Anaheim City Council voted Tuesday to appeal the city's defeat in its lawsuit against the Angels.  The vote was 4-1, with Councilman Harry Sidhu opposed. Mayor Curt Pringle and Council members Richard Chavez, Bob Hernandez and Lorri Galloway in favor.

Yea, it's worth the try.

Peggy Lowe On Public Employee Union Ugliness -- And Deep Pockets

The public employee unions are dropping some serious coin in the 2nd Supervisor District and the OC Sheriff's race, according to Peggy Lowe over at Total Buzz:

Looked in on a few of the independent expenditures today at the Registrar of Voters office. Gee golly, those union boys have been busy.

So far, it looks like the Orange County Deputy Sheriff's union has spent $84,280 for David Shawver, who's runniing against John Moorlach in the second-district supervisor race. The deputies union has also spent about $134,850 on the sheriff's race, on behalf of Lt. Bill Hunt, of course.

The Orange County employee's union, run by Nick Berardnio's group, has spent about $157,100 for Shawver.

An ugly mailer came Buzz's way this weekend. Titled "Thanks, suckers!", it blasts Moorlach for getting "caught spending taxpayer money to pay for his personal campaign literature." It was paid for by the deputies' and county workers' unions.

You can read the rest of Peggy's post here.

2nd SD Mailbox: Moorlach-Shawver Comparison Piece

Here's the latest mailer from the John Moorlach campaign, which hit late last week (I believe). Another good piece from JohnsonClark Associates, it compares the Moorlach and opponent Dave Shawver's respective qualifications, records and stances -- and making it glaringly obvious there is no comparison and the safe  course is to keep Shawver in Stanton.