OC Blog

Red County/OC Blog News Roundup -- Sept. 30, 2007

Today's top stories from behind the Orange Curtain:

O.C. deputies accuse county of 'bad-faith bargaining' -- LAT
Both sides say they're far apart in negotiating a new contract. Pensions continue to be a point of bitter disagreement.

Ayn Rand fans mark the 50th anniversary of 'Atlas Shrugged' -- OCR
The hefty tome about the individual's battle with society was derided by critics but has developed a loyal following.

Housing slows O.C. economy -- OCR
Big Orange Index grows for 23rd straight quarter thanks to non-housing factors.

ACLU, Mansoor contend in court -- DP
Nearly two years after the Costa Mesa City Council took a controversial vote to have police enforce immigration law, the issue has cooled significantly, mainly because the city never took on enforcement duties.

Brown accuser talks about his past -- OCR
A man goes public with an allegation of abuse. Church officials decry attack on a 'good and decent' bishop.

The changing classroom -- OCR
Five years after No Child Left Behind, teachers are redefining instruction.

Suspect in case of missing student is back in L.A. -- OCR and LAT
John Steven Burgess, a convicted sex offender, arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday evening.

Brea goes electric -- OCR
South Brea Lofts offer NEVs as move-in perk.

Santa Ana launches "Most Wanted" Web site -- OCR
Police hope the online list will help draw information from the public.

Santa Ana considering medical-marijuana ban -- OCR
The City Council is scheduled to vote on a new law that would permanently block dispensaries.

Van Tran Waives The OC Flag at RWSLC

Last weekend, the 2007 Republican Western States Leadership Conference was held in San Diego and I wanted to give our readers a local Orange County update on this convention.

A reliable OC source sent me this photo of our own Assemblyman Van Tran from Saturday morning debating surrogates from the Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani campaigns.  Tran was originally scheduled to debate Curt Pringle for Giuliani, Ron Kaufman for Romney, Bob Wickers for Huckabee and an unknown representative for Thompson.

It ended up with Tran outshining two mid-level staffers, which is tough when you’re representing a candidate as battered as Sen. McCain has been recently.  Tran spoke of his admiration for the Senator’s military service, fight to cut “pork barrel” spending and defense of the war on terrorism.

Former CRP Communications Director Patrick Dorinson moderated the panel on “How Republicans can win the changing west in 2008.”

CRA Sponsored 71st Assembly District Candidate Debate

Below is a press release regarding the first public debate between the candidates for the 71st Assembly Seat currently held by Todd Spitzer.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The California Republican Assembly is proud to sponsor the first public debate between the Republican candidates for the 71st Assembly District primary race on Thursday, October 4, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. CRA is the largest and oldest grassroots volunteer Republican organization in the State of California. Mike Spence, President of the California Republican Assembly, will serve as moderator of the debate.

The 71st Assembly District includes cities in Orange as far south as Rancho Santa Margarita, as far north as Villa Park and into western Riverside. This seat is currently held by Assemblyman Todd Spitzer who is termed out in 2008.

The debate will be held at the Orange County Republican Party Headquarters located at 1800 W. Katella Ave., Suite 210, Orange, CA; 714-453-0900. All current candidates for the Republican primary have confirmed that they will participate in the debate. All Republicans are welcome to attend this free event.

For more information contact Craig Alexander at 949-636-1003 or George Andrews at 714-453-0900.

Newt Gingrich will not Seek the White House

Through his spokesman Rick Tyler, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich announced today he will not run for president in 2008, ending a long speculation about his possible candidacy for the GOP presidential nomination.

"It is legally impermissible for him to continue on as chairman of American Solutions for Winning the Future and to explore a campaign for president," said Rick Tyler.

Opening an exploratory committee would force him to relinquish his chairmanship of American Solutions, an organization that he started last year which pays for his travel, a pollster and a fundraiser.

Recently Gingrich has been flirting with the possibility of a run, saying he would be a candidate if his supporters are committed to raising $30 million over the next three weeks.

"Children are bad for the planet..." And these people want to run our lives?

Today’s nuclear power news comes from North San Diego County, the home of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (see article from the North County Times below). 

San Onofre used to have three operating reactors, but the older reactor was decommissioned a few years ago.  A few days ago I proposed a bill in the special session on water, ABX2 5, that would lift the state’s ban on new nuclear power plants to allow a third reactor on the site of San Onofre if 20 percent of its power was dedicated to water desalination.  This could provide about two-thirds of San Diego County’s current water needs. 

Very illuminating web comments on the idea from California’s environmental left clarify the ideology we are up against.  A post on the WiLD Blog (below) blames our lack of water on development.  This, of course, is like blaming our traffic congestion on development.  (You can almost hear them intone, “The traffic was fine until all you people moved here and got jobs…”)  Governor Jerry Brown shut down freeway construction in the late 1970s thinking it would deter growth (Don’t built it and they won’t come…).  History shows that we didn’t build and they came anyway.

WiLD Blog (http://wildcoast.blog.com/2129120/)
“Desalinization projects are the newest hope for the developer lobby in Southern California to find new ways to provide water for all the new construction projects they want to build in our increasingly dry desert…  Chuck--our dwindling water supplies are due to the massive development boom in Southern California…”

Of course, if people move to California or have children and we don’t add more water capacity or build more roads, the infrastructure that supports modern life will begin to get overworked. 

Perhaps what is really at work here is the more honestly and openly stated goal of simply eliminating people.  In an article headlined, “Children ‘bad for planet,’” dated May 7, 2007 in The Sunday Times, the Optimum Population Trust (http://www.optimumpopulation.org/) said having large families should be frowned upon as an environmental misdemeanor in the same way as frequent long-haul flights, driving a big car and failing to reuse plastic bags. 

We see these last two concepts in all their glaring clarity in the California State Legislature where SUV taxes (AB 493 in 2007) get proposed every year and plastic bag recycling requirements (AB 2449 in 2006) become increasingly onerous.   

Now, I’m all for conservation – but I am even more in favor of liberty and the free market.  Further, I remain deeply skeptical of an environmental left that is at its core hostile to people while constantly demanding that we give up our inalienable rights in service of the greater environmental good which only they, of course, may define.

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

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/09/29/news/top_stories/21_02_799_28_07.txt

Red County/OC Blog News Roundup -- Sept. 29, 2007

Today's top stories from behind the Orange Curtain:

Rape reports up countywide -- OCR
Some cities, including Anaheim, Orange and Brea, saw big spike from 2005 to 2006.

Panel recommends against toll road extension -- OCR and LAT
Potential harm to endangered species, surfing and scenic views are cited as reasons the agency should disapprove the highway in October.

GOP-backed bid to reform California's electoral process collapsing -- OCR
Lack of support, funding doomed effort to divvy up electoral votes instead of awarding all to top candidate.

91 closures at Green River Road this weekend -- OCR
Ramps to be closed over weekend.

Sundance winner, world flicks highlight UCI series -- DP
The UCI Film and Video Center presents a series on independent films.

Local Muslims offer prayers for Ramadan -- OCR
A local imam devotes his sermon to a message of peace, harmony.

O.C. deputies accuse county of 'bad-faith bargaining' -- LAT
Both sides say they're far apart in negotiating a new contract. Pensions continue to be a point of bitter disagreement.

Anaheim wins marijuana challenge -- OCR
A judge rules that the city can enforce its ban on medical-marijuana dispensaries for now.

Man pleads not guilty in elder scam case -- OCR
Douglas Scott Milne faces a maximum of nearly nine years in prison on charges of stealing $300,000 from an Seal Beach woman, 90

Ejection defused situation, cop says -- DP
Attorneys for Orange Coast College student Benito Acosta continued to argue in court Friday that Acosta’s arrest at a January 2006 Costa Mesa City Council meeting was political because he was treated differently than other speakers and that he was not being disruptive when he was arrested.

What John Manly Is All About

John Manly just commented on a previous post regarding his using Msgr. Urell as a pinata to brow-beat the Diocese into a settlement rather than risk losing his case in a trial. I think this comment from Manly sums up what this is all about for him:

Speaking of Church, why don't you just give me the money you're going to put in the collection basket this weekend? It would be quicker.

You mean "give it to the victims," don't you John?

Janet Stiffed Again

Martin Wisckol posts about Supervisor Janet Nguyen being left off a bipartisan letter from Vietnamese electeds to Senator Barbara Boxer. This is starting to get a bit old.

Martin also points to it as proof of the triumph of ethnicity over party affiliation. In that vein, readers might recall this anecdote from OCEA chief Nick Berardino about their experiencing running a pro-Tom Umberg phone bank manned by Vietnamese OCEA members.

Shocker! Coastal Commission Staff Opposes Toll Road

Why do reporters always use this passive style in lead paragraphs?:

The proposed Foothill South toll road would likely drive an endangered mouse to extinction, wipe out vital habitat, shatter the peace of a popular campground and even worsen global warming, according to a report by the staff of the California Coastal Commission released today.

It leads the reader to believe what they are reading is a fact, rather than an opinion. I've never understood why journalists can't simply reverse the order and use the active voice:

The Coastal Commission staff claimed today that the proposed Foothill South toll road...

That's a more honest, accurate presentation, in my opinion.

Vietnamese American Electeds Urge U.S. Senate to Pass Human Rights Legislation

A reliable source sent over this letter a few minutes ago on behalf of the 13 Vietnamese American elected officials in California.  They are urging the United States Senate to pass the Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2007, a legislation authored by Republican Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey.  Congressmen Ed Royce and Dana Rohrabacher also co-sponsored the bill in the House of Representatives.  Here is a part of that letter:

The most recent arrests and imprisonment of Father Nguyen Van Ly, attorneys Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan have exposed to the international community Vietnam's abysmal record on human rights violation.  Also, in the latest act of violence against its people, Vietnam's security forces have suppressed thousands of innocent farmers, who peacefully protested against the unfair seizures of their lands.

The public condemnation against the Most Venerable Thich Quang Do of Vietnam's Unified Buddhist Church and the picture of Father Nguyen Van Ly being muzzled at his own trial epitomizes Vietnam's policy of political and religious repression.

You can read the full letter by clicking on the link above and click here to read Martin Wisckol's angle on this story.