OC Blog

Jan Walden Update

The excellent Local Liberty Blog turned up this nugget on Jan Walden: a press release from PERSONeM HR Solutions trumpeting their retention of Walden to "champion the PERSONeM  HR system to local municipalities [are there any other kind? -- ed.] and state government in California."

Get a load of this quote:

During her tenure with the County of Orange, Jan Walden and her team streamlined, modernized and improved human resources programs to improve speed and quality in addition to reducing costs, Jan Walden was also instrumental in establishing strong, positive relationships with labor unions and instituted labor/management partnerships that helped to improved productivity, commitment and efficiency.

Where does one even to begin to ridicule that gem of PR puffery!

You almost have to admire Walden nerve: a triple-dip (with a double gainer and a half-barrel).

OC Political Races

Calraces.com posted a quick take on Orange County political races. Methinks Mr. Rexroad forgot to replace "XXXX: with John Moorlach before he clicked the "publish" button. It happens to the best of us.

Rexroad calls Todd Spitzer's decision to challenge Tony Rackauckas "gutsy." You can probably guess my reaction to that. It can be a thin line between guts and ego. I'm not sure what Rexroad meant by "Congressional delegation take note."

In any case, Calraces.com is a good site to visit for snapshots of races around California, without having to buy the California TargetBook or subscribe to Calpeek or Political Pulse.

That Elephant's Back in the Room

The Register set out their editorial agenda yesterday for the rest of the year in  2005: Our agenda.  In this lead piece, they said "we will pay special attention to the matters of transportation, water, jobs, housing and the overall state of liberty in this county."

All well and good, I guess, but as we've previously blogged in The Elephant in the Room, the OCR might acknowledge or at least mention that all of these individual issues are severely and negatively impacted by the plague of illegal immigration.

According to FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform), "Current Census Bureau data indicate that California's illegal immigrant population is costing the state's taxpayers more than $10 billion per year in 2004. This analysis looks specifically at the costs of education, medical care and incarceration, which are the major cost categories. Even without accounting for all of the other areas in which costs are being incurred by California's taxpayers, this study indicates that the burden is substantial — nearly $1,200 per native-headed household — and that the costs are rapidly increasing." 

Other sources believe this $10 billion figure is low, perhaps by as much as half.  Still, Orange County is about 8% of the population of California, and a simple calculation suggests that the impact of illegal aliens here is then $800,000,000 ANNUALLY.  FAIR also noted that "Santa Ana, which is more densely populated than New York or Los Angeles and has the nation’s second highest percentage of immigrant residents, 20 percent of housing falls below city codes."  Santa Ana couldn't be more central to the County, the issue and the Register's coverage area  -- and, oh yeah, THEIR OFFICE.

For the Register to plan to have nothing to say about this issue is, at least, disappointing.  Love him or just like him, Rush covered it this morning in one of his best ever monologues: The Immigration Problem.  Can anyone of us go to work, go to a Home Depot, go to SCHOOL and not be confronted with the consequences of years of an undefended, porous southern border and the negligence of both major parties who ignore the employers who hire this alien horde?  How naive of both parties to think this buys long-term loyalty and support.  We've heard it before: what part of ILLEGAL don't they understand?

Does the OCR agree with the Libertarian Party's ludicrous position on immigration in The benefits of open immigration?  I can't believe their Editorial Board would concur on this stance.  Illegal immigration is a serious threat to our liberties, our economy and our future.  It's right out there, folks, just past the elephant.

Santa Ana's Website Is Still Mui Feo -- But At Least Now It Is Up-To-Date

The section of the City of Santa Ana's website devoted to the city council has finally caught up the results of the November elections (and I didn't think any governmental entity could be slower than the Orange County Registrar of Voters, which also has an embarassingly gruesome website) -- Carlos Bustamante has now taken the baton from Brett Franklin as councilman for Ward 3.

And as you can see from this picture, Bustamante (far left) is also apparently the tallest member of the All-America City's diminutive council (an honor previously held by the aforementioned Brett Franklin).

Outrage with a small o

The Register comes up short this morning in Walden case is fresh reason for outrage.  If they're editorially outraged at this malfeasance, this outright theft, then why aren't they calling for the return of the money?  And any accompanying benefits and pension contributions?

Given County CEO Mauk's very weak explanation of leaving a departing manager (apparently for some pretty good reasons) in place and then lavishing her with six figures of severance when it was first reported last week, maybe the Register should also be calling for him to join Ms. Walden in working elsewhere. 

We need to hear more on this at tomorrow's Supervisor's meeting.  The Fab Five need to start asking some harder questions re. how an apparently incompetent manager can 1) stay in the system after "three critical Grand Jury reports" and 2) then get a year's pay.  The City of Irvine might also be asking who they've hired and, especially since Walden is in an HR position, what happened to their reference checking protocol (if it exists).

You bet, Cathy Taylor, we're getting "getting tired of the waste and abuse."  A little more editorial backbone on the Register's part would also be in order.  Some more spine on Mauk's part in dealing with the unions wouldn't hurt either.

CenterLine Name Change

How about the Los Angeles CenterLine of Orange County?  That should turn the tide for it -- after all, this is OUR debacle.

OC Blog News Roundup - Jan. 31, 2005

Today's top stories behind the Orange Curtain:

The Buzz: Ross Johnson for Secretary of State? Plus the Lincoln-Juarez Center!-- OCR
Cool! Ross totally rocks. Also, Lincoln-Juarez Center helped 800 Latinos find jobs last year -- but do they have any idea they were helped by Republicans?

Frank Mickadeit: CenterLine Incognito? -- OCR
OCTA may be considering renaming CenterLine in hopes OC voters are so stupid they won't see-thru the name-switch and will re-authorize Measure M. [shake head slowly in stunned amazement]

'You Have To Be Afraid': Steve Rocco Unveils The Partnership -- OC Weekly
The Weekly has, hands down, the best coverage of our local elected oddity, Steve Rocco. Read the latest installment in their "The Rocco Files" series.

I know - a little thin today. I'll update later if I come across something I missed.

UPDATE: Walden Case Is Fresh Reason For Outrage-- OCR Editorial
For some reason, OCR can be real slow to upload the day's editorials to the website. I read this editorial in the paper this morning, but was unable to include it in my news roundup (mainly because I was too lazy to input it manually).

Shelley Game

The indispensable Michelle Malkin has more to say about the Kevin Shelley mess than the L.A. Times:  ANOTHER SMELLY DEMOCRAT VOTE SCANDAL.  This guy's more crooked than a Huntington Beach condo deal.

Iowahawk Nails Ted Kennedy

One of the funniest bloggers out there, Iowahawk, nails that old windbag Ted Kennedy with this parody letter from Sen. Kennedy lampooning the old man's Iraq critique:

Like all Americans, I had high hoipes for the future of the Oldsmobile and its passengers, as we struggle against the onrushing water and its poorly-designed shoulder belts. But as claustrophobia sets in we must being to sober up and face the truth: hope is no longer an option.

It is time for us to recognize that our continued presence in this volatile region is a hinderance to the Oldsmobile and its people. Rather than helping the situation, we are further weighing down the Oldsmobile, causing it to sink faster and faster into the quagmire of Chappaquiddick Bay, creating a dangerous situation for both ourselves as well as its passengers who are desperately seeking an air pocket in which to start a better life.

That is why I believe we have reached the point where we must take a deep breath and immiediately depart the Oldsmobile. We must seek through the watery darkness and release the belt latch of madness that has kept us here, and reach out for a sane and honorable window crank.

Onbviously there will be passengers in the Oldsmobile who do not want us to leave, and will likely try to grasp and grab at our feet as we depart. While we wish them success, it is critical that these passengers quickly learn independence and self-determination. The most effective way to teach them is through example, and with a vigorous kick-off. Let us hope they will cherish our shoes as a lasting legacy of our commitment to liberty,

And, after we return to the safety of the shore and phone our lawyer, we must begin to ask the hard questions. How did we get here? The sad answer is that we were sold a lie by Gene Quinlan of Hyannisport Oldsmobile-Buick-GMC. We were told that this Oldsmobile had the Delta 88 Royale option package with 6-way electric seats. We were told that they were sold out of the new '69 Toronado. We were given a choice of a burgundy vinyl roof, but never given an exit strategy. We were told, repeatedly, that the Oldsmobile was waterproof and had an automatic pilot system. In short, Gene Quinlan sold us a lie.

There will be ample time for us to reflect on the mistakes and lies of the Oldsmobile misadventure, and hold those who were responsible to account. But that is for another day. Now we must focus our energy on getting out before it is too late.

Come home, America. Come home.

Common Sense Prevails

Kudos to whoever finally found a something useful to do with the El Toro:  Iraqis voting at El Toro.  Since we can't generate any revenue from it, reduce pollution and traffic from auto trips to LAX, expand the tax base, promote the attractiveness of our business community, enhance our national stature and create a few thousand jobs, at least we can put a ballot box on it.