OC Blog

Jose Solorio On Ethnic Politics & The Tan Nguyen Letter

Assemblyman-elect Jose Solorio has an op-ed published today on Capitol Weekly regarding the Tan Nguyen letter (h/t to Jon Fleischman):

As a foreign born Latino, I know first-hand the experience of growing up and trying to assimilate in this country. Even as an elected official there exist many subtle reminders in the way we are portrayed in the media; how our children are treated in schools, even in college; and even the way we are spoken to in professional life.

For long periods of time, things seem to be getting better, and then one day you get a letter in the mail saying that if you exercise a basic American right, you are going to be jailed or deported.

This letter, which I received less than three weeks ago, was attempting to scare and intimidate 14,000 voters in Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez' district--my family was just one of the targets.

Some would like to say this was an isolated incident, but not far from my home was a similar poster that read, in Spanish, "are you illegal or a resident? If you vote, you get booted." A whole book could be written about similar voter-suppression tactics here in Orange County, throughout the state and throughout the nation.

You can read the entire column here.

How Long Does It Take To Get A Pay Hike?

The creaky wheels of county government grind slowly.

More than two months ago, the OC Board of Supervisors approved a 5% pay increase -- retroactive to June 23, 2006 -- as part of an overall reform of county retiree medical benefits.

Apparently, actually implementing this pay increase is such a complex, difficult task that the first county employees won't recieve it until December.

This county e-mail went out on November 9:

Good Morning,

This is to advise you that the Auditor Controller has confirmed that the retroactive pay adjustments for the increases effective June 23, 2006 will be issued on Friday, December 8, 2006.  Due to the complexity related to discontinuing the retiree medical contributions and calculating retroactive pension deductions, they will be issued on paper paychecks, separate from the regular paycheck.  The Auditor Controller is anticipating that the process will run smoothly for the majority of employees, however, if there are any issues or problems that arise, they will be corrected by December 22, 2006.  If you have any questions, please call or email Shelley Carlucci.

Thanks for your patience and cooperation.

Jennifer Ramirez on behalf of Shelley Carlucci
Human Resources Department

One Team Here for You!

About two weeks later, on November 22, a second e-mail went out:

"Fire Family" Farewell

Just returned from the memorial service for Monsignor John Sammon held at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove midday today. Msgr. Sammon passed away last Friday at age 90 (see here). He served the Orange County Diocese (Catholic Church) for decades and was best known as the Chaplain for public safety services, especially Firefighters. He is credited with conceiving and spearheading the OC Firefighter memorial in Santa Ana, an impressive monument to all fire service organizations in the county.

This memorial service was an ecumenical public sendoff from law enforcement and what Monsignor coined as the "Fire Family." Dozens and dozens of uniformed police and fire personnel were on hand to hear several eulogies, see a brief video, and pay tribute to a true friend of the men and women who strive to keep us safe.

The Rev. Dr. Robert Schuller Sr. graciously hosted and kicked off the service. (It is a point of personal pride that the world-famous Cathedral is in my hometown of Garden Grove and has become a de facto countywide community church. Dr. Schuller and his congregation have generously made the church available over the years for all of us to come together for funerals and celebrations.)

Orange County Fire Authority Fire Chief Chip Prather then took over as MC. Chief Prather did a great job presiding, exhibiting a delicate balance of poignancy and humor. But it was obvious near the end that Prather did not take the occasion too lightly, as he was nearly overcome with emotion before bringing the service to a close.

In the meantime a crowd of hundreds heard tributes from Sheriff Mike Carona, OCFA Chaplain Warren Johnson and Msgr Sammon's grand-nephew Mike Tooley, himself an OC Firefighter.

Following the "Fire Family" tradition of ringing a fire bell as requiem, Monsignor's good nature infected everyone as the crowd exited the church, sharing stories and laughs in the large courtyard. Fire trucks were lined up along the driveways of the Cathedral and dozens of cadets handed out cups of chocolate and strawberry ice cream, a famous favorite of Monsignor. Flower arrangements and stuffed Snoopy dolls (he was a huge fan of the "Peanuts" comics) were everywhere.

The words that remain with me were from Bishop Tod Brown who described Msgr Sammon as "Iconic" and said his "heart was larger than this Cathedral."

For those who missed the service today, there is a viewing this evening (Thursday, Nov. 20) at Holy Family Cathedral in Orange and funeral Mass tomorrow (Friday, Dec. 1st) at 10 a.m., also at Holy Family.

R.I.P. Monsignor John Francis Sammon. Thank you for your tireless and selfless service, your friendship, your counsel, and your wit. God bless you.

Jose Solorio's Makin' A Little History

I received this e-mail invite to Assemblyman-elect Jose Solorio's Orange County oath of  office ceremony on December 11, and noticed this nugget of OC historical-political trivia:

I am honored and humbled to be the first Councilmember from the Santa Ana City Council to be elected to higher office since Mayor Jerry Patterson was elected to the United States Congress in 1974.  To commemorate this achievement, I have asked former Congressman Jerry Patterson to participate in my Orange County Oath of Office Ceremony. 

That's kind of amazing when you think about it: it's been 32 years since the largest city on central OC sent a couniclmemeber to either state or federal elective office.

Congratulations, Jose.

Lou Correa To Be Sworn In As Senator On Monday

I found out Lou Correa will go ahead and be sworn in on Monday as Orange County's newest state Senator. He had been looking into delaying that until later in December.

Under Measure V, the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors -- in this case, Bill Campbell -- can call the special election at his discretion within three days of a vacancy being created. Assuming Bill does so within the three-day window, that would put the special election on Feb. 6, 2007.

Gentlemen (and gentlewomen), start your engines!

Red County/OC Blog News Roundup -- November 30, 2006

Today's top stories from behind the Orange Curtain:

HQ Building Funds Came From Other Sources, CUSD Admits -- OCR
District's $35 million administration building wasn't built just with redevelopment money.

Alicia Robinson's The Political Landscape: Outgoing Leader Talks Legacy -- DP
What Tod Ridgeway is proud of and what he thinks he'll be remembered for are very different things.

Remodeled 22 Debuts Today -- OCR
One-way trips will be up to 12 minutes faster, officials say.

Bill Hunt To Fight Demotion Decision -- LAT
Carona election opponent was suspended after his failed attempt to unseat his boss.

Ospreys Nest At Newport Beach Construction Site -- OCR
City gets a six-figure tab stemming from building delays.

State Admonishes Judge For Courtroom Remarks -- OCR and LAT
James Brooks made sarcastic and intimidating remarks in one case and made ethnically insensitive remarks in another. The LAT web editor put the story under "Obituaries" -- although I doubt the admonishment carries a death penalty.

San Clemente Residents Make Noise About Barking Dogs -- OCR
City animal-services officials have received many calls supporting a tougher law, like the county's.

Newcomers Win Garden Grove And Westminster Elections -- OCR
A teacher, a police officer and a custodian capture seats on Westminster's school board, while a magazine editor pulls ahead for a spot on the City Council.

Destined For Development -- OCR
Anaheim officials are pondering possibilities for the region around Angel Stadium, if the NFL doesn't come.

Garden Grove OKs Plan For Amusement Park -- OCR
The city hopes to forge a separate identity by allowing development of the 150-acre site three miles south of Disneyland

Fullerton School Superintendent To Retire -- OCR
Cameron McCune is quiet on his plans once he resigns after six years as chief.

Evangelical Pastor, Obama Join Forces To Battle AIDS -- LAT and OCR
The O.C. leader of Saddleback Church has taken heat from his peers over the invitation and conference.

OC High School Writes Rules To Take "Freak" Out Of Dancing -- OCR
Aliso Niguel principal rescinds his ban, but lengthy 'contract' must be signed by parents, students.

Registrar Certifies Election Results -- DP
Newport-Mesa outcomes unchanged, but some candidates gained, lost ground.

Lou Correa Trying To Delay His Senate Swearing In?

I've heard from several very reliable sources that the victor in the 34th Senate District, Supervisor Lou Correa, is looking to see if he can delay his swearing in as a state Senator until later this next month.

My sources say there's no sinister ulterior motive related to the impending special election -- it's more like Lou isn't in a hurry to begin the cross-state commute and has some county matters he'd like to wrap up (I tried calling Lou yesterday evebing, but he hasn't gotten back to me yet). I don't blame him. Furthermore, Lou already knows his way around the legislature, so he doesn't need the extra few weeks to get oriented to how it works.

If Correa's successful in delaying his swearing-in, the only real impact is on the timing of the 1st SD special election -- since the Board can't call an election until Lou Correa resigns. Delaying the special election a couple of weeks would tend to blunt - at least somewhat -- the edge enjoyed by candidates with comparative name ID and/or fundraising advantages, and give second-tier candidates a couple more weeks to raise money and garner endorsements.

Wylie Aitken To Step Down As OC Democratic Foundation Chair

I see on Total Buzz that Wylie Aitken plans to step down as chairman of the Democratic Foundation of Orange County in 2007:

The foundation is the county's primary Democratic fundraising arm. Aitken was particularly key in Loretta Sanchez's 1996 upset of Bob Dornan. Aitken said his successor has not been selected and that he will continue on indefinitely to ensure a smooth transition.

But Aitken did indicate he hoped to step down from the position in 2007, in order to spend more time on both professional and personal activities.

"I'll continue to be active politically," he said. "I just don't want to have the administrative responsibilities (of chairman)."

I've known Wylie since I was teenager -- his son Darren is a good friend of mine and classmate from Servite High School -- and he has always been a gracious, fun and enagaging guy whose company I've always enjoyed. He's a gentleman and class act -- and best of all, a good Irishman.

OD/DC: Frist Out - Romney Rising with Help of OC and CA-based Supporters

The Washington Post political blog reports today on a statement from Senator Bill Frist (R-TN) announcing he won't run for President in 2008.  That in itself is not huge news  (or frankly really important) to many in Orange County who have received a ton of visits from Massachusetts' Mitt Romney.  Although my dad did recently see Frist leave his office building in Irvine, a building which I think is also home to Hugh Hewitt's law firm.

Digging back into the list of Romney supporters, it's clear that these early supporters, as complied by an earlier Washington Post blog, picked the right horse.  Romney also made a smart strategic move in actively and early-on courting Orange County voters (by attending 2005's Flag Day GOP Dinner as keynote and numerous other events).

McCain is also represented with supporters from California (Parsky at the top of the list); it's not clear at this point if OC-based GOP consultant Ken Khachigian will be affiliated with McCain again as he was in 2000 (along with Riverside County-based Brian Nestande) but if so, OC and So Cal could be a battleground for dollars and for prominent endorsements during the primary. 

Both McCain and Romney would also be candidates who could compete in California for a variety of reasons.  On the Romney side, his health care proposal (like it or not) resembles many of the deals recently cut by California's own governor with a Democrat-led majority in both practical terms (GOP governors cutting deals with Democrat-led legislatures) and strategic terms (issues that are designed to appeal to the broad middle of the political spectrum.  On the McCain side, although his California endorsements from 2000 were eclipsed by Bush's at the time, McCain remains popular in the state, has supported the Governor's previous initiatives and paycheck protection measures in the state, and has cultivated the image of a "maverick" Republican that may play well with the California electorate.

One thing is for sure, with the field narrowing, and with the candidates increasingly relying on So Cal and OC-based financial support, OC will continue to have a prominent role in helping select the 2008 GOP nominee.

Red County/OC Blog News Roundup -- November 29, 2006

Today's top stories from behind the Orange Curtain:

Deputies Train For Immigration Checks -- OCR and DP
Select county Sherrif's officers begin learning to check for illegal immigrants at jails.

Jaramillo Demands Prosecutors Bow Out -- OCR and LAT
The former assistant sheriff says he was a political threat to the district attorney.

Irvine Eminent Domain Rules Passes -- OCR
Irvine measure keeping private property owners' land from being seized for use by another private party wins first approval.

New,Improved 22 Freeway Ready To Open -- OCR
State and local officials, including the governor, gather to laud the project's success.

Seal Beach Building Ban Shaky -- OCR
A limit on three-story construction is held up and may be subject to a vote.

It's Good To Be A Supervisor -- OCR
Top county officials draw compensation packages that top $200,000, plus perks.

Newport Beach Drops Irvine Lawsuit -- OCR and DP
Zoning changes to which Newport had objected are no longer required by proposed project.

Movie Magic Fades Further -- OCR
Buena Park approves a development with an electronics store, other shops, restaurants and a bank that will raze the closed wax museum.

Anaheim, Orange Approve Archstone Sewer Contract -- OCR
Orange will provide service to the Anaheim units in the two-city complex.

School Dances Return Under New Rules -- OCR
Aliso Niguel High's policy requires parents and teens to sign contracts before each event.

Dana Point Boaters Want To Stay In The Harbor -- OCR
Dana Point releases the results of survey on options for when the area is redone.

Six OC Gang Members Charged With Violating Court Order -- LAT
District attorney's office is using injunctions to battle two county gangs that authorities say have terrorized their neighborhoods.

Elections Shuffle Cities' Leader Posts -- DP
New City Council members in Costa Mesa and Newport Beach will take their seats in early December, and that means two things: that each city will have a vacancy on one of its commissions and that the new councils will pick mayors for 2007.