Red County/OC Blog News Roundup -- December 6, 2006

Today's top stories from behind the Orange Curtain:

Clouds Hang Over New Councilman -- OCR
As Denis Bilodeau joins the Orange board, he faces theft charges and a group that publicly doubts his integrity.

OC Supervisors Set Feb. 6 Special Election To Fill Lou Correa Seat -- LAT
The election will be winner-take-all, and among early entrants are council members from Santa Ana and Garden Grove.

Sheriff Keeps Attorney -- OCR
The Board of Supervisors also sets the date for a special election to fill Lou Correa's seat.

D.A.'s Office Defends Jaramillo Case -- OCR
Flurry of motions filed before Friday pre-trial hearing

High School In Irvine Drops Plan To Scan Fingerprints -- LAT and OCR
Proposal was supposed to speed food lines and deter theft at University High, but school district officials scrap the idea after privacy issues are raised.

Police Drop Questionable Tactic -- LAT
After a complaint, Huntington Beach officers no longer test rookies by hiding guns in cars they stop.

Cypress Votes To Be Recounted -- OCR
City Council candidate Del Davis lost by 55 votes and is puzzled by a discrepancy between in-person and absentee ballots.

Mansoor Will Serve Second Term As Mayor -- DP
Costa Mesa residents can expect two more years of the same political direction, after the City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to give Allan Mansoor another two-year term as mayor and Eric Bever two more years as mayor pro tempore.

Local Senator's Immigration Bill Is Likely Doomed -- DP
Newport-Mesa Sen. Tom Harman wants to make it a state crime for people who enter the country illegally to come to California.

Community Commentary: Hints Of Eminent Domain -- DP
Two NB Country Club members warn the city government to not even think about an eminent domain action.

Comments

[Stupid Harman Bill]

Anyone with half a brain can see right through this legislation. The only reason why Senator Tom Harman is even proposing this bill is because he nearly got burned in his election bid for having a soft stance on illegal immigration (in state illegal alien tuition and day labor camps in Huntington Beach).

A 235 vote difference keeps Tom Harman up at night. But Tom, please don’t use taxpayer money in floating bills that have NO SHOT IN BEING PASSED. I am happy to see Assemblyman DeVore call B.S on this leg.

[Chuck DeVore]

Most GOP proposed legislation is doomed from the start in Sacramento. I support the intent of Senator Harman's bill and hope it will at least be debated in an open manner.

All the best,

Chuck DeVore
State Assemblyman, 70th District
www.ChuckDeVore.com

[venting]

Well then Assemblyman Devore …why even show up? (aside from the votes that require 2/3rd)

Why can’t we have every member in the caucus focused on fundraising to pick off the few marginal seats that are out there? Forget wasting everyone’s time with “legislation”….send your leg aides out on “group building missions” in regions of the state that happen to have targeted races.

I get soooooooooooo annoyed when Republicans in the Senate and Assembly propose legislation. I would have more results playing solitaire on my computer than running through the token drills of carrying the bill.

Why isn’t there a life or death mentality with members and leaders of the caucus when it comes to being a MAJORITY?

[The Truth?]

Denis Bilodea is looking forward to the truth coming out? Why? Like that wasn't him on the video? Yeah, I can't wait for the truth to come out.

[I saw the video too]

Now I don't care about anybody in Orange. However, I saw the video, and it is clear that Bilodeau takes down a sign, but clearly leaves the Rudat signs alone. It is funny that she is saying he took her signs down, the cheif piece on evidence, shows the opposite.

[Martin Wisckol]

From what I've heard, Bilodeau's defense may have to do with whether the sign -- I think it said "Dump Bilodeau" noted who paid for them and whether the land owner had given permission for it to be placed there.

[Chuck DeVore]

Because, Venting, introducing legislation, even a bill with no chance, shows the public in a concrete manner how the other side stands. This is useful and must be done in conjunction with what you recommend.

All the best,

Chuck DeVore
State Assemblyman, 70th District

[Ilegal hate signs are Ilegal to Post]

I think Martin hit the nail on the head. If those signs were unmaked negative hate signs posted without the owners permission then they are not legal to be posted. For example, in this last election where Irvine's Jewish Mayor Beth Krom was running for re-election, had someone put up unmarked signs on private property that said "down with the Jewish takeover of Irvine-vote no on krom" , Beth would have been within her rights to remove them. If anyone broke a law it was the Rudat family, Mama Rudat, Papa Rudat thier little hide in the bushes daughter, baby Rudat.

[Chuck DeVore]

I had not heard of the anti-Krom signs in Irvine. Was it reported in the press? That is disgusting and wrong. Did you see the sign(s) yourself?

All the best,
Chuck DeVore

[redperegrine]

Chuck, I think it was a "what if."

[Shawn Fago]

Aren’t the negative signs still someone else’s property? If I had a bumper sticker on my car that said DeVore Heart Marijuana, would that give the Assemblyman the right to rip the sticker off of my window, or tow my car away? It’s my property and my speech whether it is legal or not. Bildeau does not have the right to take the law into his own hands. If something was unlawfully posted then he should have reported it to the authorities.

[Keeping Orange Clean]

So he took down a sign that was in violation of campaign laws. He shouldn't have "taken the law in his own hands," but it's not like he was gunning down a shoplifter.

Just put it in perspective. He didn't touch Carol Rudat's campaign sign, only the illegal "Dump Denis" sign. The Rudats are just as guilty for putting up illegal campaign signs. They can't hide behind a PAC or anything else as there is video of Dave Rudat putting up a ladder to post the signs himself.

The way I see it... Denis was just beautifying my hometown by taking that sign down.

I mean if Ted Kennedy can drive into the drink killing Mary Jo Kopechne and get re-elected, how significant is removing an illegal sign? Time to move on.

"Well then Assemblyman Devore …why even show up? (aside from the votes that require 2/3rd)" - venting

Dear venting,
There are plenty of reasons for them to show up aside from votes that require 2/3rds. They might not be able to get their legislations through the way they originally want it, but some are successful in getting through a moderate version of their legislation. They also have the opportunity to amend some of the waaaaaayyyy too liberal legislations out there. I highly doubt all the legislations that someone like Mark Leno or Gloria Romero propose pass in their original form.

[One Who Knows]

All this hocus-pocus about "illegal signs" in the City of Orange is making me dizzy.

Could someone please cite any law or ordinance which requires a disclaimer on a sign which merely says "Dump Biloudeu?"

As far as I know, such a law does not exist unless someone is spending $50,000 or more.