OC Blog

Bill Hunt Airs TV Ads

According to Tin Star, the Bill Hunt for Sheriff campaign has began airing this TV ad "in select cable markets":

The 30-second ad reminds voters that Sheriff Carona has given us one scandal after another and his law enforcement record is a failure, introduces voters to Lt. Bill Hunt's background and experience, and outlines the Hunt reform plan.

Carona, Hunt And Martin Appearing At Irvine Republican Council Forum

This came over the transom yesterday from the Irvine Republican Council:

SHERIFF MIKE CORONA AND TWO CHALLENGERS TO SPEAK TO IRVINE REPUBLICAN GRASSROOTS

When:          Thursday, April 20, 2006                   
                    7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Where:         Irvine Ranch Water District Building                   
                   15600 Sand Canyon Avenue                   
                    Irvine, CA 92618

Guests:       Three Republican candidates for Orange County Sheriff:                   

Incumbent Sheriff Mike Corona                   
Lt. Bill Hunt                   
Cmdr. Ralph Martin

Topic:        The three will discuss their campaigns for the Office of the Sheriff of Orange County, an office of roughly 4,500 employees with a budget of $600 million dollars. 

Host:        The Irvine Republican Council (IRC) is the premier Republican grassroots political organization in the City of Irvine. Its registration and get-out-the-vote efforts were so successful in the November 2004 general election, the Orange County Republican Party has sought to apply its methods countywide.  Charlene Hatakeyama serves as the IRC’s Chairwoman.

State Law Enforcement Coalition Refuses To Endorse Hunt

While this is relatively old news to hard-core Sheriff's race junkies, Tin Star posted a few days ago about last Thursday's vote by the California Coalition of Law Enforcement Agencies (CCLEA) not to endorse Bill Hunt.

Ordinarily, the CCLEA would routinely endorse the candidate endorsed by a member union -- in this case the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs (AOCDS) -- but in this instance Hunt was undone by his support for last November's paycheck protection initiative, Prop. 75.

Here are the OC members of CCLEA that opposed a Hunt endorsement:

• Anaheim Police Association
• Huntington Beach Police Officers Association
• Irvine Police Association
• Orange County Employees Association - POPL
• Santa Ana Police Officers Association
• Southern California Alliance of Law Enforcement

I agree with Hunt's (and Mike Carona's) support for Prop. 75, but unions are unions and supporting paycheck protection isn't the best way to gain a union endorsement.

Carona Consultant Files Complaint Against Tim Whitacre

Matt Holder, a partner in Lewis Consulting Group, has filed a complaint with the Republican Party of Orange County against Hunt consigliere Tim Whitacre (h/t to Peggy Lowe at Total Buzz).

You can read the complaint here.

Whitacre sent the complain to Lowe because "he wants this "kangaroo court" to be tranparent (sic)."

If Whitacre is already dismissing the proceeding as a "kangaroo court," then why does he care if it is transparent? Why not welcome the proceeding as an opportunity to refute the charges and expose his accusers?

It looks like classic smash-mouth tactics of the kind employed by Clintonistas Mark Fabiani and Chris Lehane: attack the proceeding in order to make it -- rather than the charges -- the topic of discuss. Assualt the character of your oppoentns, rather than debate the issue.

Mickadeit On Ralph Martin

One consequence of the OC Register's misbegotten website re-design is I often miss Frank Mickadeit's column while putting together the News Roundup.

Frank had two recent columns on OC Sheriff's candidate Ralph Martin which I have meant to weave into subsequent New Roundups, but have forgotten to do so. You can read them here and here.

I have been and remain a supporter of Mike Carona and his re-election (which declaration will doubtless spark a long string of holier-than-thou comments from the usual suspects). In my opinion, Martin is Mike Carona is only credible challenger. He's dignified, experienced and has conducted his campaign with grace and assurance -- in contrast to the Bill Hunt effort, which is like watching the Little Rascals' evil twins run a campaign.

OC Sheriff's Race Update

You know, it been a long time (in blog time) since I've posted anything about the OC Sheriff's race.

Luckily, Tim Whitacre -- Bill Hunt consigliere and OC Blog's most polarizing commenter -- sent me a news release from the Hunt campaign:

Dear Fellow Republican:

Below is a copy of the press release that went out last week announcing the fact that Lt. Bill Hunt won the coveted endorsement of AOCDS by a plurality vote.

Since then, the AOCDS PAC met and gave Lt. Hunt a UNANIMOUS ENDORSEMENT

(Please see the attached PDF document).  We anticipate various Police Officer Associations (POA's) to endorse Lt. Hunt as well in the next week or so, now that he has the backing of AOCDS.

Additionally, financial contributions are now pouring in daily through the mail and via on line.  It truly is exciting to see so many people coming on board with hopes of changing "business as usual" in Orange County politics.

On behalf of Lt. Bill Hunt, I want to express my thanks to all of you who have been calling with words of encouragement and congratulations for some hard-fought victories.

Semper Fi,

Tim Whitacre

And here is the Whitacre-esque press release:

Moxley Pounds Carona Again

R. Scott Moxley's at it again at the OC Weekly: Laughing His Way to Victory?  But this Blog's too family oriented <g> to post those kinds of pictures.  Settle for a selected quotes,

Carona is guaranteed controversy, usually involving the three key elements of a successful news story—sex, money and power. His departure would rob us [journalists and bloggers] of future stories about bribery, hookers, porn stars, incest, Vegas mob characters, guns and badges for friends, FBI raids, fake charities, gang rapes, illegal contributions, breakfasts with felons, bail-bond schemes, political spying, falsified records, money laundering, media intimidation, convoluted lies, patronage, secret financial deals, and unstable reserve deputies who go crazy on golf courses with handguns.

Moxley goes on to list 87 bullets -- headline stories from the LAT and Register on our Sheriff.  Hard to ignore this guy.  And you've got to hand it to RSM -- he didn't pick on that poor helicopter even once.

Jim Lacy dumps Hunt - Endorses Carona

While I was not at the the now infamous Orange County GOP meeting, I got this .pdf file that is making the e-mail rounds.  I guess this letter from Dana Point Councilman Jim Lacy, switching his endorsement from Hunt to Carona, was distributed there.  Seemed like it would start a fun commenting chain.  Perhaps someone can help me out - I heard a while back that Lacy was the emcee of Bill Hunt's campaign kickoff event?  Anyone able to confirm that?  If so, then this switcharoo is pretty notable indeed...

Handel on Jaramillo

KFI's Bill Handel, right in the middle of drivetime on his highly rated program, discussed the Sheriff's Department growing issues this morning with the Jaramillo indictments.  Listen here.

Hunt's Reform Plan

Bill Hunt's sent out his ambitious reform plan for the Sheriff's office:

HUNT UNVEILS REFORM PLAN

Detailed Plan Addresses Department Shortfalls, Eliminates Wasteful Programs and Spending and Implements Innovative Law Enforcement Approaches

 

 

Lt. Bill Hunt, candidate for Orange County Sheriff, today released his reform plan as Orange County's next Sheriff. "My plan for the department's future isn't a poll driven election year gimmick. It is the result of more than two decades of experience with the department and addresses real problems by offering real solutions," said Hunt.

 

The Hunt reform plan is titled, "A blueprint for a professional Sheriff's Department and a safer Orange County." The following are highlights of the Hunt plan - click here to download it now.

 

Institute a Sheriff's Total Accountability Reform (STAR) program
Eliminate the current sheriff's PSR program, personal protection detail costing taxpayers over $1 million per year and taxpayer funded contract with private attorneys. Go "in service" once a month with front line personnel, Improve communication with the public and Media

Make Orange County safer by implementing Zero Tolerance Crime Program
More deputies on the streets, Fully staff gang enforcement the current sheriff cut almost 50%, New Identity Theft unit, Institute long overdue jail reform: No early releases, Correct 30-1 inmate to officer ratio in our jails, Feed inmates in cells and Eliminate current sheriff's failed and mismanaged "Best Choice" drug treatment program

Enhance and provide local Homeland Security solutions
Develop tsunami, earthquake, and natural disaster plan, seek additional Homeland Security funding, Expand Terrorist Early Warning Group, and change SWAT from part to full-time

Address the illegal immigration problem
Immigration approach supported by Allan Mansoor, Jim Gilchrest and Carlos Olamendi. Identify and articulate role, Develop plan for enforcement, commission to construct policy, Restore screening policy of everyone in our jails, lobby Congressional delegation for taxpayers' reimbursement

Institute Officers Investment Program
Eliminate cronyism as a means of promotion, Raise standards, Increased Compensation, Less Jail Duty, Crisis Intervention Training, State-of-the-Art-Equipment, Reform Reserve Program, Institute a Code of Ethics