OC Blog

Pix from Gilchrist/Mansoor/Leese Fundraiser

Cruising Craig's List, I stumbled over a set of pictures from yesterday's picnic: http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/pol/188341308.html.

Villa Park May Place Repeal Of Fireworks Ban On Ballot

Villa Park residents may get a chance to repeal their city's firework's ban, put in place in 1987:

Villa Park city staff will prepare documents for City Council to decide whether residents can vote to repeal the firework ban in the November elections.

This comes after Council member Rich Freschi brought it to the attention of the Council, which voted 3-2 Tuesday to allow staff to move forward.

Freschi said he was prompted to advocate it because of the fundraising benefits fireworks stands will bring to the city and because of the fond memories he had with his children.

"I am not asking for the city to repeal it but to allow the residents a chance to vote on the matter," Freschi said.

Kudos to Councilman Freschi. It's nice to see a councilman trying to expand the frontiers of freedom rather than those of government control.

People forget that the wave of municipal fireworks bans passed in Orange County in the late 1980s was fueled in large part by public backlash against the corruption scandal surrounding fireworks mogul Patrick Moriarty. The Moriarty scandal was playing out at the same time as the Orange County Jury issued a report calling for a ban on "safe-and-sane" fireworks. It's debatable whether the Grandy Jury report would have resulted in the wave of fireworks bans absent the combustible Moriarty scandal.

Just a little history for the sake of context.

M.V. Mayor Pro Tem Frank Calls On CUSD Trustees Not To Seek Re-Election

Mission Viejo Mayor Pro Tem Frank Ury posted this on his blog on Saturday:

CUSD Rehab Phase II: Incumbents do not seek reelection

Now that the OCR has reported that CUSD’s Fleming will leave on August 31, the time has come for phase 2 in the Capo Leadership Rehabilitation Plan: The current trustees up for reelection must not run this fall.

The reasons are clear.

And you can read them here on Frank's blog.

Frank's recommendation is a kindness to CUSD Trustees Crystal Kochendorfer, John Casabianca and Sheila Henness -- especially Henness, who has never faced a competitive election. They are almost certainly going to be turned out by the voters. I generally admire elected officials of any party who choose to go down fighting for their principles -- but there is no principle at stake here, only the chickens of years of rubber-stamp trusteeism coming home to roost.

Jim Rogan Appointed To OC Judgeship

Total Buzz and FlashReport are reporting that former Congressman Jim Rogan is being appointed by Gov. Schwarzenegger to the Orange County Superior Court -- a move that I'd first heard about earlier this month.

It's nice to finally hear some news out of the Schwarzenegger Administration that actually makes me happy.

Congratulations, Jim!

Jim Lacy, Allan Hoffenblum Join Forces

This came over the transom last week:

Lacy and Hoffenblum Announce Joint Marketing Agreement

(Irvine, CA) – Jim Lacy and Allan Hoffenblum have announced a joint marketing agreement between the two well-known conservative slate mail operators. 

Landslide Communications has joined with Allan Hoffenblum, who since 1984 stands as the longest continuous publisher of a GOP vote guide in California to help candidates and campaign consultants ensure better coordination and delivery.

Landslide Communications, run by Lacy, is best known for its Save Prop 13 slate, which bears and owns rights to the famous copyrighted Time magazine cover photo of legend Howard Jarvis, and which reached over 1.4 million voting households in the June Primary.  The Save Prop 13 slate continues to be the largest anti-tax slate in California.  In all, Landslide Communications publishes four slates, including the Orange County Republican Leadership Voter Guide, San Diego County Republican Leadership Voter Guide and the Orange County Firefighters Voter Guide, and now adds its association with Allan Hoffenblum’s “Citizens for Representative Government” slate.

“This is a great way for candidates and measures to handle the maze of choices on slates,” Lacy said.  “We’re offering a one-stop shop that produces the very best list selection and high impact designs.”

Hoffenblum, who now publishes the Citizens for Representative Government vote guide, shares with Lacy a record of setting the bar for high credibility, only highlighting candidates that meet a conservative agenda, ensuring that appearance on the slate is not determined on a “first come, first on” basis.

“Our main goal is to get conservative candidates elected, and with this new marketing alliance we will be able to do just that,” said Hoffenblum.

Phil Paule Running For Water District Board

Going through items that came over the transom while I was south of the border in Baja, I came across this one:

Phil Paule Enters Race for Eastern Municipal Water District Division #1

French Valley Resident Will Represent Residential Rate Payers

(Winchester, CA)- Phil Paule, a French Valley resident and District Director to Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA 49th) has entered the campaign for Eastern Municipal Water District Division One Director’s seat.  Paule has work closely with EMWD Board Members and senior staff on water policy issues for the past few years in his role with the Congressman’s office.  He is well versed in the issues facing the water district.

“I want to champion the issues of residential rate payers and I want to be their voice on the Board.  I pledge not to raise residential water rates and I am committed to serving the full four year term. I am not looking to climb the political ladder or increase my PERS retirement.” stated Paule.

Paule plans to run a simple campaign of knocking on the doors rate payers and asking for their vote. In contrast, Paule’s opponent’s campaign is being run by a large Riverside County lobbyist firm using highly-paid political operatives.

Paule is 43 years old. He and his wife Julie are residents of French Valley and they have a seven-month old son, Miller. Paule’s family has longtime roots in this area; his grandfather was a pastor in Hemet and his mother attended Hemet High School. Paule has worked on grassroots political campaigns for 20 years throughout California.

Phil's opponent has no idea he's about to become political roadkill. Click here If you want to contact the Phil Paule.

I realize this isn't an OC news item, but I thought our readership would be interested nonetheless.

Jeff Flint, John Lewis And Measure M

I saw this item in Martin Wisckol's Buzz column this morning:

Last year's battle over Proposition 172 funds found consultant Jeff Flint guiding county firefighters' effort to get some of that sales tax money and former Sen.John Lewis leading the county's campaign to keep the money flowing primarily to the Sheriff's Department.

In November, voters will decide whether to continue a half-cent sales tax to fund transportation projects. Flint is lead consultant on that and the former state senator for whom he once served as chief of staff – Lewis – is working for him.

Actually, the role reversal goes further. When John was elected to the state Senate in 1991, Jeff served as his first district director (although we didn't use that title in legislative D.O.s back then).

OCTA can be incredibly tone-deaf politically. With the notable exception of Monte Ward, the senior OCTA staff hasn't shown much grasp of Orange County's political dynamics or the fact that OC is a conservative county.

This is more than made up for in a Measure M renewal campaign team composed of Jeff Flint, John Lewis and Matt Holder. For starters, they are thinking political conservatives and have been active in the conservative movement for many years (in John Lewis' case, since the late 1960s) -- so they understand the conservative OC voter mind. That is crucial, since the effort to renew Measure M will be won or lost among conservative voters.

Just as importantly, they are committed conservatives who possess top-shelf campaign skills and experience  (the former often lack the latter). They understand Orange County and know how to win. I still think acheiving the two-thirds majority necessary for Measure M's renewal is a tall mountain to climb, but but if any consultant team can do it, it's this one.

OC Blog News Roundup -- July 31, 2006

Today's top stories from behind the Orange Curtain:

Martin Wisckol's Total Buzz: Bates Drops Suit Over Mexican ID Mailer -- OCR
It remains to be seen whether opponent DeYoung will continue using the controversial image. OC Blog reported this item on June 21 -- but better late than never from the OCR.

Fleming's Son Hired By District Contractor -- OCR
Plumbing firm with $7.3 million in CUSD work gave superintendent’s son a job.

Mosquitoes Test Positive For West Nile Virus -- OCR
Officials urge caution after the discovery is confirmed in Orange County.

Fair Camping Ban Could Keep Farmers, Animals At Home -- OCR
Goat and sheep farmers feeling pinch of off-site motel prices.

Gilchrist Angels Back Mansoor For Re-Election -- OCR
Mansoor, Leece also get endorsement from Rohrabacher in council bids

On A Wave Of Excitement -- OCR
Crowd of 105,000 lines shore, Huntington Beach Pier on Surfing Open's final day.

Neighbors Pitch In For Homecoming -- OCR
San Clemente house is being renovated to accommodate Carol Daniel, who is confined to a wheelchair after being struck by a hit-and-run driver.

AVCA Baord Member Ready To Resign -- OCR
Ataa Elnaccash expects to leave when escrow is closed on his home in August.

Head Of Freedom Communications Lays Plans -- OCBJ
Scott Flanders, chief executive of Irvine-based Freedom Communications Inc., is getting to know Orange County well. And not from behind a desk in an air-conditioned office.

OC Wetlands Finally To Reunite With The Sea -- LAT
For Bolsa Chica's advocates, it's a dream decades in the making. Large home developments were once planned for the site.

OC Supervisors Take Aim AT Term Limits -- LAT
A proposed ballot measure would ask voters to allow them the possibility of serving three four-year terms instead of two.

Former Mayor Seeks A Return To Reason -- DP
There is life after politics for former Costa Mesa Mayor Joe Erickson.

Condo Projects Work Begun -- DP
Construction has begun for a 145-unit condominium project, the first in Costa Mesa's downtown redevelopment area to combine upscale units with affordable housing.

A Home On The Range Just Got More Expensive -- DP (7/30/06)

Chuck DeVore's new bill ensures state employees will have to pay private-sector home, rent prices.

Cramer Names OC Firms as Takeover Targets

Mad Money Megamouth Jim Cramer has named Orange County tech firms Broadcom, Western Digital and FileNet as potential takeover targets.  From TheStreet.com: Cramer's Top 10 Takeover Candidates.

Score one for accountability and fairness in state government

Less than two weeks after being sworn in back in late 2004, I began the research that would lead to AB 1708, a bill signed into law last week that aims to bring fairness and consistency to the use of 1,188 state-owned housing units used by about 1,800 state employees. 

     Along the way to seeing this bill passed, environmental groups attacked me, newspapers editorialized against my idea, and a state employee anonymously faxed the press a “draft” of a letter on official letterhead accusing me of violating state law (of course, the letter turned into a story with the accusation the very next day – the actual letter was never sent to me since the accusation was false). 

     The nub of all this action was summarized in a State Auditor’s report that came out about nine months after I started my effort.  It said that the state was missing out on $8 million a year in rent from employees and that $3 million a year in state and federal taxes on the low rent fringe benefits were going unpaid. 

     The local nexus of this issue is Crystal Cove State Park where some state employees live in new homes on the beach for less than $200 a month leaving other employees angry and bitter at the apparent cronyism.  (A short while ago I got an anonymous letter from a state park ranger who pointed out the unfairness of allowing some rangers a life of luxury while others commute hours daily or pay top dollar to rent a nearby apartment.)

     AB 1708 should bring fairness and consistency to a situation where the true cost of housing is not being considered when deciding how to allocate scarce resources.  The Daily Pilot writes about this issue in today’s edition in a piece entitled, “A home on the range just got more expensive:
Chuck DeVore's new bill ensures state employees will have to pay private-sector home, rent prices.”

     All the best,

     Chuck DeVore

     State Assemblyman, 70th District

     www.ChuckDeVore.com