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Union Member Videoed Stealing Campaign Signs Supporting “3M” Candidates In Costa Mesa

Posted by Greg Woodard on October 31, 2012

Anyone who has been involved in local politics even for the briefest of time knows that campaign sign stealing is typical fare for a city council election.  However, the practice recently has been raised to an art form in Costa Mesa, with candidates on both sides (the “3Ms” – Steve Mensinger, Gary Monahan, and Colin McCarthy vs. John Stephens, Harold Weitzberg, and Sandy Genis) claiming to be victims.  This year, the thieves have gotten out-of-hand.  While both sides have reported theft of signs from residential yards and commercial buildings, Mensinger and Monahan have pointed to the theft and destruction of large and expensive banners.  In at least one instance, someone scaled a private residence fence and slashed a banner that was placed up between two large poles.  Other 3M banners and signs have been cut and defaced with paint.  The thefts have become so prevalent that Mensinger and Monahan have put up $500 each for any information leading to the arrest of someone stealing banners (an anonymous donor put up another $100 bringing the total to $1,100.)

At least one vandal has been caught red-handed.  A video, taken by a Mensinger supporter, shows a bearded man pulling up signs for the 3Ms and supporting the proposed city charter, tearing them apart, and tossing them in the bushes.  At a candidates’ forum for Atlas PAC last week, McCarthy identified the man as Steve White, a Costa Mesa city employee and member of the Costa Mesa City Employees Association, the union that has sued Costa Mesa over its attempt to outsource union jobs to private companies to save the city money and reduce the city’s unfunded liability for skyrocketing employee compensation and benefits.  As the OC Register reported, White has been placed on paid administrative leave and is under investigation, though the city did not say the reason for the investigation.  White, classified as a Senior Maintenance Worker, earns approximately $86,000 per year in compensation and benefits (see #382 in the link).  Interestingly, though White has a prominent beard in the video, the Register reported that White’s Facebook page showed a recently shaven profile picture.

The union has deflected comment about White’s purported actions, stating “Sign damaging is something that has happened in every election,” said Orange County Employee Association spokeswoman Jennifer Muir, who added all sides’ signs have been defaced. “It’s not a good thing. It’s silly. It should stop.”  Muir would not comment about White specifically because city administrators have not officially linked him to the signs (don’t hold your breath for any comment after they do link him).  However, she did not waste a chance to again attack Mensinger and the council majority, stating “Now they can’t stand the scrutiny to their plan,” she said, “so they’re trying to drum up a political diversion.”  Muir apparently was not asked how a union member, making nearly $90,000 a year from the city, destroying the property of the 3Ms – something which the union-supported candidates have also complained about – is a “political diversion” rather than simply a petty act of vandalism.  It begs the question of how the union would have responded if one of the 3M’s supporters had been filmed destroying Stephens’, Weitzberg’s, and Genis’ signs.  Yes, that was a rhetorical question.

Just a couple of the signs on private property supporting the 3Ms and Measure V that were defaced

Posted in Costa Mesa | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Atlas PAC Endorsed Candidates Make Their Final Push

Posted by Greg Woodard on October 30, 2012

The Atlas PAC, a conservative group that believes in the ideals of limited government, free market enterprise, low taxation, and individual liberty, held a forum on October 24 for its endorsed candidates.  A veritable who’s who of Orange County state legislators arrived, with 5 current or prospective members of the Assembly and State Senator Mimi Walters making a brief appearance.  Director Ben Pugh hosted the event, and he urged those in attendance to support the endorsed candidates, both financially and by walking or otherwise getting involved.  Each candidate was given a chance to speak and, with less than two weeks before the election, the following made their pitch:

State Assembly

  • Allan Mansoor – Allan said that the June primary was tough and that because of the support of Atlas PAC and others, he is likely to win in November.  He highlighted the need to fight for pension reform, particularly with the passage of Proposition 32, the fight for the 3Ms in Costa Mesa (Steve Mensinger, Gary Monahan, and Colin McCarthy), the need to pass the charter in Costa Mesa (Yes on V), the pension fight in Huntington Beach, and the need for conservatives to take control of the City Council in Irvine.
  • Chris Norby – Chris said that there was one seat in Orange County that could flip from Republican to Democrat – his.  He noted that Republicans only hold a 1% registered voter edge in his district, and that he has been outspent 3-1 in the last few weeks, with most of the money for his challenger coming from unions.  He said there were 5,000 bills proposed in the last legislative session, and 1,000 of those became laws, which he believes is far too many.  He wants at least 1,000 bad laws to be repealed and he promised to fight for common sense and personal responsibility if re-elected.
  • Eric Linder – Eric is running in the Inland Empire, but has many long-lasting relationships in Orange County and he said he would not be in position to win his seat if not for Atlas PAC.  Eric thanked many in the room for supporting him in the tough June primary.  Eric touted his experience as a business owner and said he hopes to serve with those elected officials who were present that night.
  • Don Wagner – Don noted that Republicans currently have only a one seat cushion in the Assembly that is preventing the Democrats from imposing unlimited taxes on California residents.  Also, one Republican member recently recanted her no taxes pledge.  Despite this, he said it will get better – he expects the party to take back one seat recently lost, and that Eric Linder needs to take Jeff Miller’s old seat.  He also said that there are 3-4 real possible pickups in the Assembly and that conservatives need to focus their time and resources on these seats in the next couple of weeks.
  • Travis Allen- Travis is running in the 72nd District against another Republican, Troy Edgar (this is as a result of Prop. 14, passed in 2010).  Travis said that he is a life-long Republican who has been an investment advisor for 16 years.  He believes that his race is about no new taxes – and he signed the no new taxes pledge, but his opponent has not.  He said that Edgar has raised taxes as a City Council member 12 times and he was a registered Democrat until 2006.  Travis thinks we have too many bench warmers in the Sacramento with no core principles who do nothing.  He believes he has the ability, desire, and educational background to make a difference.  He will not raise taxes and he will make the voters proud.

Irvine City Council

  • Steven Choi – Steven said this is the year that Democrat Larry Agran is going to be beat, and the Republicans will win 3 seats between his race, and the two other Republican council candidates – Christina Shea and Lynn Schott.  Steven said the Atlas PAC endorsement helps him a lot, and that the voters he is meeting say that they have or will vote for him.
  • Lynn Schott – Lynn previously ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 2010 and she has spent the last two years building up name recognition in the city.  She emphasized kitchen table issues for the city – Irvine was ground-zero for the subprime collapse and many residents lost their jobs and homes (she noted that there are 100 homeless students in the city).  She said the current council majority is tone-deaf to the residents’ struggle to pay for gas, school supplies, and groceries.  She gave the example of the majority giving an across-the-board 6% raise to city employees, at a cost of $2.5 million.  She is a 27-year resident of the city and Larry Agran has been in power during that entire time.  Lynn wants to give Agran a retirement party on November 6.

Aliso Viejo City Council

  • Mike Munzing – Mike said running has been an educational experience.  His city is 7.5 square miles and he said that no one has run and won against the original council members, but he plans on being the first.  Mike said he is loud, visible, and everywhere (those of us who know Mike will attest to that).  Mike said he has hit the city once, but he wants to hit it again.  So, on the Saturday before the election, Mike is trying to get 30 volunteers to walk every district.  He also has 44,000 mail pieces going out to the residents.

Anaheim City Council

  • Brian Chuchua – Brian said the city’s educational system needs help.  He believes that Curt Pringle runs the city with two other council members (who he called the “Giveaway 3”).  He noted that the council gave away $158 million in bed taxes, which he said is 43% of the General Fund.  He also said that the city recently approved a $368 million streetcar system for 10 streetcars when buses would have cost only $58 million.  He believes the system is for Disney employees.  He also mentioned a $170 million train station that is to be built that is not adequate for high-speed rail (it will cost another $120 million for that).  He is running because he sees what is wrong with the city and he wants to correct it.  He said that he is self-funded and he needs help.

Costa Mesa City Council

  • Colin McCarthy – Colin painted a picture of the rancorous campaign, and expressed outrage over the tactics of his opponents’ supporters.  He described a recent video that was taken of a man picking up campaign signs supporting him, Steve Mensinger, Gary Monahan, and Measure V (charter) and ripping them up.  Colin identified the man as a highly paid city employee (nearly $87,000 in annual compensation and benefits).  He said he recently attended a public forum where he was booed and hissed by members of the public.  A member of the Planning Commission, Colin said he sees how the “sausage is made” and how dysfunctional government is.  Colin has kids and he is interested in making the city a better place for them.

Costa Mesa Sanitation District

  • Jeff Mathews – Jeff believes Republicans will have big wins this year.  He wants to see the power of the unions cut.  He has looked at where the problems in his city are, and he found them in small districts like the sanitation district.  He wants to get real changes made.  Jeff mentioned that his opponents have served on the district for over 20 years, they are complacent, and he does not believe that politicians should use the same position in government as a career choice.  He said the district has a $5 million surplus, due in part to higher rates, and he wants to look into all of the small-scale issues that, cumulatively, have a large impact on the city’s residents.
  • Don Harper – Don said he was inspired by the 3Ms in Costa Mesa and their efforts to change the current environment.  He is a businessman who founded a very successful business and he thinks he can use that experience to help change the government from the bottom up.

Lake Forest City Council

  • Dwight Robinson – Dwight said the Orange County Register (which has endorsed him), published a quote from him – “If you can find it in the phone book, government shouldn’t do it.”  He believes the private sector can do things much better than government can.  Dwight noted that the current council members do not work in business, but he does.  He runs several private businesses, his largest being an agricultural commodities exporting business, and he employs over 100 people.  Dwight said that government does not create jobs, the private sector does.  He noted his endorsement by the Orange County Republican Party and said that he wants to be the business owner on the City Council.
  • Adam Nick – Adam said he has been an accountant and auditor for over 20 years.  He owns a successful Lake Forest business and he has lived in the city for 30+ years.  Adam believes his time and experience qualifies him for council service.  Adam believes in small government, less regulation, and lower taxes.  He said the United States Constitution sets America apart from the rest of the world in that it states that the government derives its power from the people, not the other way around; the government works for us.  Adam believes he can make a difference and do good things for the city.

Mission Viejo City Council

  • Ed Sachs – Ed said that he has been in business since he was 8 years old, concluding his career with 30-plus years at Pioneer Electronics where he was President of the United States Mobile Electronics division for 5 years.  During his time at Pioneer, he presided over a division with a $500 million budget with $20+ million in profits.  Ed said he recently challenged the city’s mayor over the city’s reserves (which have been reduced significantly over the past 5+ years) and did not receive a good answer in return.  Ed also mentioned that the council has debating a dog park for the past 10 years and he wants to get in and make the tough decisions without arguing for over a decade.
  • Cathy Schlicht – Larry Gilbert spoke on behalf of Cathy.  He said that Cathy has opposed the city’s plans for a dog park because the first phase alone is estimated to cost $850,000.  He also mentioned that Cathy opposes the Kaleidoscope property owner’s plan to put up large electronic billboards to advertise out-of-town businesses.  Larry said if Ed and Cathy are not elected. the billboards will be approved.

Orange City Council

  • Jon Dumitru – Jon said his race is unique because he is running against a nice person, but she is a liberal Democrat.  He said that the union has spent $40,000 against him and the police union has spent $67,000.  Jon helped end firefighter overtime issues that cost the city over $2 million last year.  He also noted that the city just implemented a huge pension roll back, and he led the effort to eliminate compensation for City Council members.  Jon also said that, even though the city recently had a $23 million deficit that it had to close with reserves, his opponent wanted to give $1 million from the city’s catastrophic reserves to give city employees a bonus to deal with a city employee’s death – in Costa Mesa.

Santa Ana City Council

  • George Collins – George is running for Mayor of Santa Ana.  He said that the City Manager, who also serves as the Chief of Police, makes $330,000 per year.  He said that the city has no parks.  George got into politics because of city corruption.  He believes that the city defers things too often, which leads to debt.  He also thinks that the council is a conduit for liberals to move on to higher positions like the Board of Supervisors and state Assembly.  George wants to change the culture and make a difference.  George said he needs feet to walk and help him get elected.

Santa Ana Unified School District

  • Cecilia Iglesias – Cecilia said that 70% of Santa Ana are Latinos, and most of them have conservative values.  She urged Latinos to vote their values and to contribute to society.  Cecilia wants to make changes by starting locally and moving to the state and national level.  She ran against Loretta Sanchez two years ago as an independent and now wants to make a difference through her conservative values.  Cecilia is the founder of a non-profit for deaf kids and she wants educational opportunities for all.

Posted in Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Costa Mesa Sanitary District, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Orange, Orange County, Santa Ana, Santa Ana Unified School District | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments »

Introducing Aliso Viejo City Council Candidates Mike Munzing And Greg Ficke

Posted by Greg Woodard on October 30, 2012

We next go to Aliso Viejo which I’m not sure is known for anything in particular, but that may be because it is a relatively new city.  It does have Soka University which touts itself as “[p]roudly founded upon the Buddhist principles of peace, human rights and the sanctity of life, SUA offers a non-sectarian curriculum that is open to top students of all nationalities and beliefs.”  Mike Munzing and current City Council member Greg Ficke are running.

Mike Munzing

Mike said he is running because the current City Council has adopted and embraced liberal environmental ideologies and policies that have negatively impacted the city, and he wants to reverse that course.

Mike believes that the current council has adopted radical green city initiatives that far exceed even the state requirements.  For example, he said that the city is trying to remove parking spaces from the Town Center to force people to find other alternatives rather than cars.  He said they also want to install roundabouts to make driving more difficult for residents.  Mike wants to roll back those policies to protect the quality of life the residents currently enjoy.

Mike also wants to address and correct the city’s restrictive signage policies for the real estate and business communities.  Mike said that city staff takes Open House signs down soon after they are put up by realtors which restricts the ability of home owners to sell their homes.  He wants to roll back those and other anti-business regulations and promote a business-friendly environment for the city.

Mike said that the city is largely a contract city, which means it has a very small number of direct employees, and saves the city a lot of money.  He is willing to look at employee compensation and benefits to see if they are reasonable for a city the size of Aliso Viejo.

Mike said that the city is only 7.5 square miles, and it is master-planned and nearly built out.  As a result, there are only a few parcels remaining for development.  Mike believes that future projects need to be addressed on a case-by-case basis, and he wants to make sure that any project fits within the quality of life that current residents have come to enjoy.

Mike is endorsed by, among others, the Orange County Republican Party, the Family Action PAC, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, State Senator Mimi Walters, and Assembly member Diane Harkey.

You can find out more about Mike at www.voteformikemunzing.com.

Greg Ficke

Greg is running for re-election to the City Council because he said the job is not done.  Greg was contacted by dozens of residents and business owners who told him to run for re-election, and he wants to continue to make a difference for the community at large.

Greg believes in fiscally responsible and balanced budgets.  Greg noted that the city is a contract city, meaning that it contracts out most of the services it provides, and he said it is important to go through the city’s budget line item by line item to see if the city is getting the best value for what it is paying for.

Greg also has been pushing for the city to be transparent with its residents.  Since the first day he became a council member, he has advocated for the city to broadcast City Council meetings online or by local cable television.  If re-elected, Greg will continue to push for maximum council transparency.

Greg also wants to be responsive to the needs of all the city’s residents.  Greg is open and approachable and willing to listen to issues from any resident, whether it is in the City Council chambers, on the baseball or soccer fields, or at the grocery store.

Greg said that, as a contract city, Aliso Viejo has very few direct employees (only 14).  The small number allows the council to better evaluate their performance and compensation, and also provides the city with more flexibility and cost savings in the contracts it enters into with service providers.  Greg also said that compensation for its employees is annually validated against compensation with comparable cities by size, function, and position.  As a result, Greg believes that employee compensation is adequate.

Greg does not believe there will be much future development in the city as it is mostly built out, particularly on the residential side.  He said that the city population will only increase in small increments in the future.  Also, redevelopment does not appear to be a direction the city is headed towards in the future.  Greg thinks that there is a good balance in the city between the size of the community, and the services the city provides.

While Greg has not actively solicited endorsements, he is endorsed by the Orange County Republican Party and the South Orange County Chamber of Commerce.

Posted in Aliso Viejo | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Republican? Democrat? Independent? The Partisan Affiliations of Everyone Running for Everything in Orange County

Posted by Chris Nguyen on October 30, 2012

There’s been a lot of talk and mail about the partisan affiliations of candidates, so I’m providing the definitive guide of partisan affiliations for every candidate running for everything in Orange County in the November 6, 2012, general election.  Whether they’re running for President of the United States or Director of the Silverado-Modjeska Canyon Recreation and Park District, we’ve got it all:

FEDERAL OFFICES

President and Vice President
Roseanne Barr/Cindy Sheehan – Peace and Freedom
Thomas Hoefling/Robert Ornelas – American Independent
Gary Johnson/James P. Gray – Libertarian
Barack Obama/Joe Biden – Democrat
Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan – Republican
Jill Stein/Cheri Honkala – Green

United States Senator
Elizabeth Emken – Republican
Dianne Feinstein – Democrat

United States Representative, 38th District
Linda T. Sánchez – Democrat
Benjamin Campos – Republican

United States Representative, 39th District
Jay Chen – Democrat
Ed Royce – Republican

United States Representative, 45th District
John Campbell – Republican
Sukhee Kang – Democrat

United States Representative, 46th District
Jerry Hayden – Republican
Loretta Sanchez – Democrat

United States Representative, 47th District
Gary DeLong – Republican
Alan Lowenthal – Democrat

United States Representative, 48th District
Dana Rohrabacher – Republican
Ron Varasteh – Democrat

United States Representative, 49th District
Darrell Issa – Republican
Jerry Tetalman – Democrat

STATE LEGISLATURE

State Senator, 29th District
Greg Diamond – Democrat
Robert “Bob” Huff – Republican

State Senator, 37th District
Mimi Walters – Republican
Steve Young – Democrat

Member of the State Assembly, 55th District
Gregg D. Fritchle – Democrat
Curt Hagman – Republican

Member of the State Assembly, 65th District
Chris Norby – Republican
Sharon Quirk-Silva – Democrat

Member of the State Assembly, 68th District
Christina Avalos – Democrat
Donald P. “Don” Wagner – Republican

Member of the State Assembly, 69th District
Tom Daly – Democrat
Jose “Joe” Moreno – Republican

Member of the State Assembly, 72nd District
Travis Allen – Republican
Troy Edgar – Republican

Member of the State Assembly, 73rd District
James Corbett – Democrat
Diane L. Harkey – Republican

Member of the State Assembly, 74th District
Allan R. Mansoor – Republican
Robert Rush – Democrat

MUNICIPAL OFFICES

Aliso Viejo City Council
Ross Chun – Democrat
Greg Ficke – Republican
Donald A. Garcia – No Party Preference
Mike Munzing – Republican
William A. “Bill” Phillips – Republican

Anaheim City Council
Jordan Brandman – Democrat
Brian Neil Chuchua – Republican
Rodolfo “Rudy” Gaona – Democrat
Lucille Kring – Republican
John Leos – Republican
Linda Linder – Republican
Steven Albert Chavez Lodge – Republican
Jennifer Rivera – Republican
Duane Roberts – Green

Brea City Council
Christine Marick – No Party Preference
Chris Parkin – Republican
Marty Simonoff – Republican
Tory Stone – Republican
Steven Vargas – Republican

Brea City Treasurer
Glenn G. Parker – Democrat

Buena Park City Council
Art Brown – Democrat
Paul D. Gonzales – Republican
Baron Night – Republican
Al Salehi – No Party Preference
Fred R. Smith – Republican
Michael Sohn – No Party Preference
Rod P. Williams – Democrat
Cristi Woodward – No Party Preference

Costa Mesa City Council
Sandra L. “Sandy” Genis – Republican
Colin McCarthy – Republican
Al Melone – No Party Preference
Steve Mensinger – Republican
Gary Monahan – Republican
James Rader – No Party Preference
John Stephens – Democrat
Harold Weitzberg – Democrat

Cypress City Council
Rob Johnson – Republican
Bijan Mohseni – Republican
Jay Sondhi – Republican
Mariellen Yarc – No Party Preference

Dana Point City Council
Norm Denton – Republican
Carlos N. Olvera – Republican
J. Scott Schoeffel – Republican
Ed Stevenson – Republican

Fountain Valley City Council
Cheryl Brothers – Republican
Steve A. Nagel – Republican
Duy T. Nguyen – Republican
Bryan J. Tice – American Independent
Patrick Tucker – Republican

Fullerton City Council
Rick Alvarez – Republican
Don Bankhead – Republican
Brian Bartholomew – No Party Preference
Jennifer Fitzgerald – Republican
Jan M. Flory – Democrat
Matthew Hakim – Democrat
Kitty Jaramillo – Democrat
Travis Kiger – Republican
Barry Levinson – Republican
Jane Rands – Green
Roberta Reid – No Party Preference
Bruce Whitaker – Republican

Mayor of Garden Grove
Bruce A. Broadwater – Democrat
Myke Cossota – Republican
Sherry Runnells Williams – Republican
James Torres Ybarra – Republican

Garden Grove City Council
Zack Barrett – Republican
Kris Beard – Democrat
Phat Bui – Republican
Steve Jones – Republican
Josh McIntosh – No Party Preference
Jenny Nguyen – No Party Preference
John R. O’Neill – Republican
Chris Phan – Republican

Huntington Beach City Council
Bruce J. Brandt – Republican
Tony James Carter – No Party Preference
Barbara Delgleize – Republican
Devin Dwyer – Republican
Jill Hardy – Democrat
Jim Katapodis – Republican
William “Billy” O’Connell – Republican
Erik Peterson – Republican
Alexander S. Polsky – Democrat
Tim Ryan – No Party Preference
Dave Sullivan – Republican
Bob Wentzel – Republican

Huntington Beach City Clerk
Joan L. Flynn – Republican

Huntington Beach City Treasurer
Alisa Cutchen – Republican

Mayor of Irvine
Larry Agran – Democrat
Steven S. Choi – Republican
Katherine Daigle – Republican

Irvine City Council
Evan Chemers – Republican
Gavin Huntley-Fenner – No Party Preference
Beth Krom – Democrat
Lynn Schott – Republican
Christina L. Shea – Republican
PK Wong – No Party Preference

Laguna Beach City Council
Steve Dicterow – Republican
Jane Egly – Democrat
Verna Rollinger – Democrat
Robert M. Ross – No Party Preference
Bob Whalen – Democrat

Laguna Beach City Clerk
Lisette Chel-Walker – Democrat

Laguna Beach City Treasurer
Laura Parisi – No Party Preference

Laguna Hills City Council
Raghu P. Mathur – Republican
Aj Djowharzadeh – Republican
Andrew Blount – Republican
Dore Gilbert – Republican
Bill Hunt – Republican

Laguna Niguel City Council
Laurie Davies – Republican
Tony English – Republican
Jerry McCloskey – Republican
Jerry Slusiewicz – Republican
Brad Barber – Republican

Laguna Woods City Council
Mara G. Hodgkins – Republican
Shari L. Horne – No Party Preference
Milton W. Robbins – Democrat
David Russell Ohrn – No Party Preference
Cynthia S. Conners – Democrat
Noel Hatch – Republican

Lake Forest City Council
Marcia Rudolph – Republican
Ken Carrell – Democrat
Kathy “Kathyz” Zechmeister – Republican
Adam Nick – Republican
Jim Gardner – Republican
Dwight Robinson – Republican
Terry D. Anderson – Republican

La Palma City Council
Robert Carruth – No Party Preference
Patricia “Pat” Craig – Republican
Sylvia Colannino Smith – Republican
Steve Shanahan – Democrat
Gerard Goedhart – Republican
Christine Barnes – Republican
Peter Kim – Republican

Los Alamitos City Council
Ken Stephens – Republican
Dean Grose – Republican
Demi Devaney – Democrat
Richard D. Murphy – Republican

Mission Viejo City Council
Richard W. Coleman – American Independent
Wendy Bucknum – Republican
Frank Ury – Republican
Desi J. Kiss – Republican
Cathy Schlicht – Republican
Ed Sachs – Republican

Newport Beach City Council, District 2
Anthony Petros – Republican

Newport Beach City Council, District 5
Edward D. Selich – Republican

Newport Beach City Council, District 7
Keith D. Curry – Republican

Mayor of Orange
Teresa “Tita” Smith – Democrat
Jon Dumitru – Republican

Orange City Council
Lawrence R. “Larry” Labrado – Democrat
Robert L. Douglas – Democrat
Ray Grangoff – Republican
Mike Alvarez – Republican
Brian A. Del Vecchio – Republican
Mark A. Murphy – Republican
Josh Nothom – Democrat
Richard Callahan – Republican

Orange City Clerk
Mary E. Murphy – Republican

Orange City Treasurer
George Small – Republican
Helen Y. Walker – Republican

Placentia City Council
Jeremy Yamaguchi – Republican
Alan D. Frank – Republican
Scott William Nelson – Republican
Constance “Connie” Underhill – Republican

Placentia City Treasurer
Greg Sowards – Republican
Craig Green – Republican

Rancho Santa Margarita City Council, 4-Year Full Term (2 Seats)
Kenney Hrabik – Republican
Carol Gamble – Republican
Tony Beall – Republican

Rancho Santa Margarita City Council, 2-Year Short Term (1 Seat)
Lawrence McCook – Republican
Glenn Acosta – Republican
Brad McGirr – Republican

San Clemente City Council
0 Robert “Bob” Baker – Democrat
1 Robert “Bob” Baker – Republican
Jim Dahl – Republican
Chris Hamm – Republican
David Clegg – Republican
Mike Mortenson – Republican

San Clemente City Clerk
Joanne Baade – Democrat

San Clemente City Treasurer
T. Pall Gudgeirsson – Republican

San Juan Capistrano City Council
Kim McCarthy – Republican
Roy L. Byrnes – Republican
Sam Allevato – Republican
Ginny Kerr – Republican
Melissa Abbott-Kaffen – Republican
Tom Marantz – Republican

Mayor of Santa Ana
Roy Alvarado
George M. Collins – Republican
Lupe Moreno – Republican
Miguel Angel Briseno – No Party Preference
Miguel A. Pulido – Democrat
P. David Benavides – Democrat

Santa Ana City Council, Ward 1
Estela Amezcua – Democrat
Vincent F. Sarmiento – Democrat

Santa Ana City Council, Ward 3
Angelica Amezcua – Democrat
Shane Ramon Barrows – Democrat
Eric M. Alderete – Democrat
Brett Elliott Franklin – Republican
Charles Hart – Republican
Stefano “Steve” Rocco – No Party Preference

Santa Ana City Council, Ward 5
Karina Onofre – Republican
Roman A. Reyna – Democrat

Stanton City Council
Andrew N. Marques – No Party Preference
Sou Moua – Republican
Bryan Palomares – Republican
Carol Warren – Democrat
Al Ethans – Republican

Tustin City Council
John Nielsen – Republican
Tracy Worley Hagen – Republican
Charles E. “Chuck” Puckett – Republican
David Waldram – Republican
Allan Bernstein – Republican

Mayor of Westminster
Ha Mach – Republican
Tri Ta – Republican
Penny Loomer – Democrat
Al Hamade – Republican
Tamara Sue Pennington – Republican

Westminster City Council
Tyler Diep – Republican
Charlie Nguyen Manh Chi – Republican
Helena Rutkowski – Republican
Sergio Contreras – Democrat
Khai Dao – Libertarian
Diana Carey – Democrat
Al P. Krippner – Republican

Yorba Linda City Council
Kennith L. Peterson – Republican
Mark Schwing – Republican
Nancy Rikel – Republican
Eugene J. “Gene” Hernandez – Republican
Louis Lee Knappenberger, Jr. – Democrat
Craig Young – Republican
Todd P. Cooper – Republican

COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARDS

North Orange County Community College District, Trustee Area 7
M. Tony Ontiveros – Republican
Monika Koos – Republican

Rancho Santiago Community College District, Trustee Area 3
Nelida M. Yanez – Democrat
Thomas Anthony Gordon – Republican
Antonio Jesus “Tony” Tapia – Democrat

Rancho Santiago Community College District, Trustee Area 5
Claudia Alvarez – Democrat
Mark McLoughlin – Democrat
R. David Chapel – No Party Preference

South Orange County Community College District, Trustee Area 1
Dave Lang – Republican
David L. Martin – No Party Preference

South Orange County Community College District, Trustee Area 3
William “Bill” Jay – Republican
Arlene C. Greer – Republican
Jennifer J. Long – Democrat

South Orange County Community College District, Trustee Area 7
John S. Williams – Republican
Mike Moodian – No Party Preference
Jan Serrantino Cox – No Party Preference
Timothy “Tim” Jemal – No Party Preference

SCHOOL BOARDS

Anaheim City School District
John Santoianni – Democrat
Bob Gardner – Democrat
Al Jabbar – Democrat
James Derek Vanderbilt – Republican
Jerry Silverman – Democrat

Anaheim Union High School District, 4-Year Full Term (2 Seats)
Katherine H. Smith – Republican
Gerald C. Adams – Republican
Brian O’Neal – Republican
Thomas “Hoagy” Holguin – Republican

Anaheim Union High School District, 2-Year Short Term (1 Seat)
Annemarie Randle-Trejo – Democrat
Vernon F. Beckett – Republican
Thomas Peters – Republican

Capistrano Unified School District, Trustee Area 1
Karin Schnell – Democrat
Amy Hanacek – Democrat

Capistrano Unified School District, Trustee Area 2
Jim Reardon – Republican
Carol L. McCormick – Republican
Don Franklin Richardson – Republican
Michele Taylor-Bible – No Party Preference

Capistrano Unified School District, Trustee Area 3
Yolanda McNamara – Democrat
Steve R. Lang – Republican
John Alpay – Republican

Capistrano Unified School District, Trustee Area 5
Gary Pritchard – Democrat
William “Bill” Perkins – Republican

Centralia School District
Ashi Kothary – Republican
Dennis Salts – Republican
Steve Harris – Democrat
Art Montez – Democrat

Cypress School District
Alexandria Coronado – Republican
Candi Kern – Democrat
Jimmy Fuller – Republican
Brian Nakamura – Democrat

Fountain Valley School District
Jeanne Galindo – Republican
Thomas Hobbs – No Party Preference
Jim Cunneen – Republican
Ian Collins – Democrat

Fullerton Joint Union High School District
William E. “Bill” Dunton – Republican
James A. Najera – Democrat
Andy Montoya – Republican
Barbara R. Kilponen – Republican

Garden Grove Unified School District
Linda Zamora – Democrat
Linda Paulsen-Reed – Republican
Bao Quoc Nguyen – Democrat
George West – Democrat

Huntington Beach City School District
Rob Fishel – No Party Preference
Brian Rechsteiner – Republican
Bridget Kaub – Republican

Huntington Beach Union High School District, 4-Year Full Term (2 Seats)
Edward C. Pinchiff – Republican
Tom Dern – Republican
Susan Henry – Republican
Michael H. Simons – Republican
John Briscoe – Republican

Huntington Beach Union High School District, 2-Year Short Term (1 Seat)
Cathey Ryder – Republican
Duane Dishno – Republican

Irvine Unified School District
Michelle Ollada Alipio – Republican
Margaret Brown – Republican
Michael Parham – Republican
Bob Vu – Republican
Paul Bokota – Democrat
Omar Ezzeldine – No Party Preference
Lauren Brooks – Republican
Carolyn Inmon – No Party Preference
Cyril Yu – Democrat

La Habra City School District
John Dobson – Republican
Elizabeth “Liz” Steves – No Party Preference
Kevin Jacobson – Republican
Susan M. Hango – Republican

Laguna Beach Unified School District
Dee Namba Perry – Democrat
Tammy Keces – Democrat
Jan Vickers – Democrat
Bill Landsiedel – Democrat

Lowell Joint School District
Martha Leonard – Democrat
Fred W. Schambeck
Brandon R. Jones – Republican

Magnolia School District
Nathan Zug – Republican
Gary Shields – Republican
Barbara J. Clendineng – Republican

Ocean View School District
Debbie Cotton – Republican
Gina Clayton-Tarvin – Democrat
Norm Westwell – Libertarian

Orange Unified School District, Trustee Area 3
Robert “Bob” Ausmus – Republican
Alexia L. Deligianni – Republican
Michele Gabbard – No Party Preference

Orange Unified School District, Trustee Area 6
Mark Wayland – Republican
Tracey L. Colombo Curtis – No Party Preference

Saddleback Valley Unified School District
Suzie R. Swartz – Republican
Don Sedgwick – Republican
Ginny Fay Aitkens – Democrat
Earl H. Carraway – Republican

Santa Ana Unified School District
Cecilia “Ceci” Iglesias – Republican
Robert Allen – Republican
Rob Richardson – Republican
Jose Alfredo Hernandez – Democrat
Myriam Tinajero – Democrat
Valerie Amezcua – Democrat

Tustin Unified School District
Tammie Bullard – Republican
Monique Ketteringham – Democrat
Elias Teferi – Democrat
James H. Laird – Republican
Francine Pace Scinto – Republican

Westminster School District
Jamison Power – Democrat
Jo-Ann W. Purcell – Democrat
Amy Walsh – Republican

WATER BOARDS

East Orange County Water District
Bill Vanderwerff – Republican
Douglas M. Chapman – Republican
Douglass S. Davert – Republican

El Toro Water District
Ralph Sogliuzzo – Republican
Ted F. Martin – Republican
Carol Moore – Republican
Edward Fern – Libertarian
Jose Vergara – Republican
Scott Goldman – Democrat

Mesa Consolidated Water District, Division 1
Eric Bever – Republican
Fred R. Bockmiller – Republican

Mesa Consolidated Water District, Division 2
Dan Worthington – Republican
James R. Fisler – Republican

Mesa Consolidated Water District, Division 3
Ethan Temianka – Republican
Trudy Ohlig-Hall – Republican

Moulton-Niguel Water District, Division 6
Wayne Posey – Republican
Larry McKenney – Republican

Moulton-Niguel Water District, Division 7
Michael Kogus – Republican
Gary R. Kurtz – Republican

Municipal Water District of Orange County, Division 3
David Vu Pham – Republican
Wayne Osborne – Republican
Larry R. Crandall – Republican
Joel M. Rattner – Democrat

Municipal Water District of Orange County, Division 4
Joan Finnegan – Republican
Dwayne Smith – No Party Preference
Daniel “Skip” Marshall – Republican

Municipal Water District of Orange County, Division 6
Don Chadd – Republican
Jeffery Thomas – Republican

Municipal Water District of Orange County, Division 7
Vanessa A. Mathews – Republican
Susan Hinman – Republican

Orange County Water District, Division 2
Douglas M. Chapman – Republican
Denis R. Bilodeau – Republican

Orange County Water District; Division 3
Roger C. Yoh – Republican
Frank Alonzo – Republican

Santa Margarita Water District
Stan Dziecielski – Democrat
Betty H. Olson – No Party Preference
Charley Wilson – Republican
Fred Carr – Republican
Charles “Chuck” Gibson – Republican

Serrano Water District, Division 3
Jim Fasbender – Republican
Robert “Woody” Rickerl – Republican

South Coast Water District
Rick Erkeneff – Republican
Joel Bishop – Republican
Gary “Water Watch Dog” Langdale – Republican
Richard Gardner – Democrat
Dick Dietmeier – No Party Preference
Wayne Rayfield – Democrat

OTHER SPECIAL DISTRICTS

Costa Mesa Sanitary District
Art Perry – Republican
James Ferryman – Republican
Jeff R. Mathews – Republican
Don Harper – Republican

Midway City Sanitary District
Jerry Vilander – Republican
Frank Fry – Republican
Joy L. Neugebauer – Republican
Al P. Krippner – Republican

Placentia Library District
Richard DeVecchio – No Party Preference
Diane Cunningham – Democrat
Gayle Carline – Democrat
Joann Sowards – Republican
Elizabeth Minter – Republican

Rossmoor/Los Alamitos Area Sewer District
William C. Poe – Republican
Van M. Jew – No Party Preference
Jim Bell – Republican
Carolyn T. Sylvia – Republican
Eric Frankenberg – Democrat

Silverado-Modjeska Recreation and Park District
Chalynn “Chay” Peterson – No Party Preference
Lisa Collins – Republican
Steve Kerrigan – Liberatrian
Timothy Janca – Democrat
Jane Bove – Democrat

Posted in 29th Senate District, 37th Senate District, 38th Congressional District, 39th Congressional District, 45th Congressional District, 46th Congressional District, 47th Congressional District, 48th Congressional District, 49th Congressional District, 55th Assembly District, 65th Assembly District, 68th Assembly District, 69th Assembly District, 72nd Assembly District, 73rd Assembly District, 74th Assembly District, Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Anaheim City School District, Anaheim Union High School District, Brea, Buena Park, Capistrano Unified School District, Centralia School District, Costa Mesa, Costa Mesa Sanitary District, Cypress, Cypress School District, Dana Point, East Orange County Water District, El Toro Water District, Fountain Valley, Fountain Valley School District, Fullerton, Fullerton Joint Union High School District, Garden Grove, Garden Grove Unified School District, Huntington Beach, Huntington Beach City School District, Huntington Beach Union High School District, Irvine, Irvine Unified School District, La Habra City School District, La Palma, Laguna Beach, Laguna Beach Unified School District, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Lake Forest, Los Alamitos, Lowell Joint School District, Magnolia School District, Mesa Consolidated Water District, Midway City Sanitary District, Mission Viejo, Moulton-Niguel Water District, Municipal Water District of Orange County, Newport Beach, North Orange County Community College District, Ocean View School District, Orange, Orange Unified School District, Placentia, Placentia Library District, Rancho Santa Margarita, Rancho Santiago Community College District, Rossmoor/Los Alamitos Area Sewer District, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Santa Ana Unified School District, Santa Margarita Water District, Seal Beach, Serrano Water District, Silverado-Modjeska Recreation and Park District, South Coast Water District, South Orange County Community College District, Stanton, Tustin, Tustin Unified School District, Westminster, Westminster School District, Yorba Linda | 7 Comments »

Irvine Unified School District: Meet the Candidates – Agran’s Hostile Takeover vs. the School Board’s Picks

Posted by Brenda Higgins on October 29, 2012

Everything in Irvine seems to be about slates of candidates battling for control of the City. The Democrats’ slate consists of Councilman Larry Agran for Mayor with Beth Krom and PK Wong for Council. The Republicans’ slate consists of Councilman Steven Choi for Mayor with Christina Shea and Lynn Schott for Council. Agran’s slate has governed Irvine for years, and it seems Agran wishes to gain control of Irvine’s schools.

Agran is attempting to gain control of the Irvine Unified School District Board. Many big-city mayors have tried this such as when Richard Riordan and Antonio Villaraigosa each attempted to gain control of the Los Angeles Unified School District Board. But the one major difference is these mayors have only attempted to gain control of failing school districts. Irvine Unified schools are some of the best in the country. It makes no sense for a councilman to try to gain control of a successful school district.

Regardless of whether you support or oppose Agran’s governance of the City of Irvine, it doesn’t make any sense to try to give him control of the Irvine Unified School District, which by all accounts is running quite well under the current school board. After all, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

There’s two major slates of three candidates each, plus three more minor candidates. One slate is part of Agran’s hostile takeover while the other slate is the one backed by all five IUSD school board members and seeks to continue doing what Irvine schools have done for years.

So here’s a run-down of the IUSD candidates:

Agran’s Hostile Takeover Candidates

  • Omar Ezzeldine – He is Agran’s biggest puppet. Ezzeldine is Agran’s appointee to the City of Irvine Finance Commission, and recently began serving as its Chair – when he’s actually there. The man misses a significant percentage of the Commission’s meetings. He is repeatedly quoted on Agran’s campaign literature. He claims eight years of involvement in the Irvine Public Schools Foundation, yet several active board members had never even met him before the school board race began, and they’ve never seen him at a foundation event. I guess that could be the saving grace for those opposed to Agran’s attempt to seize control of Irvine public schools: Ezzeldine will probably miss half the meetings thereby making it harder to implement the seizure. Interestingly, his children don’t even attend the Irvine public schools, but attend a private school.
  • Carolyn Inmon – She seems to be searching for an office she can win. When she ran for Republican Central Committee in June 2008, she came in ninth. In November 2008, she unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Republican College Board Member Dave Lang.
  • Cyril Yu – He’s a prosecutor with one daughter in an IUSD school, but has only lived in the Irvine School District for 3 years.

School Board’s Irvine Education First Candidates

  • Paul Bokota – Bokota’s qualifications for IUSD are impressive and directly applicable to the Irvine School Board position. He’s a Harvard-educated business attorney who spends countless hours volunteering in IUSD. His Irvine public school service includes: IUSD Finance Committee (for 6 years), IUSD Revenue Enhancement Committee Chairman, PTA President, School Site Council, Irvine Public Schools Foundation Legacy Partner, three-school PTA Member, and Harvard Alumni Admissions Interviewer for Irvine high school students.
  • Lauren Brooks – Brooks is similarly committed. She’s been an international business executive and a teacher in Hong Kong. An Irvine resident for over a quarter of a century, she’s was named IUSD’s Volunteer of the Year and awarded the California PTA’s Golden Oak Award, the PTA’s Highest Honor. She’s served on School Site Council, Irvine Unified PTA Council Executive Board for a decade, PTA President at two schools, PTA Parliamentarian, PTA Legislative Action Chair, PTA Grad Night Chair, Irvine Public Schools Foundation Executive Board Member, Irvine Public Schools Foundation Community Relation Co- Chair, Irvine Public Schools Foundation Legacy Partner, IUSD Accreditation Committee, IUSD Principal Selection Committee, IUSD Curriculum/Homework Committee, IUSD Health & Wellness Committee, and Irvine Children’s Fund Board. On top of that, she’s gone to Sacramento for the last decade as an IUSD volunteer advocate, and she co-founded and co-led the IUSD PTA’s annual high school student advocacy trip to Sacramento.
  • Michael Parham – An Ivy League-educated business executive, former PTA President, and the only incumbent running, Parham is currently the President of the Irvine Unified School District Board and has served two terms on the School Board. Considering how happy Irvine voters are about their schools, surely Parham comes in first. Parham serves as the IUSD Board Representative to the Emergency Response committee, the City/District Liaison Committee, and the California Association of Suburban School Districts.

Minor Candidates

  • Michelle Ollada Alipio – A school nurse, she’s seemed very nervous and ill-prepared at candidate forums. She was the only candidate to seek the OC GOP endorsement. Several OC GOP Central Committee Members admitted that they only voted to support her out of deep respect for her sister, Yvette. They indicated they weren’t particularly impressed by Michelle and wish it had been Yvette running instead.
  • Bob Vu – His ballot designation is Educator/Scientist/Entrepreneuer. He’s clearly a brilliant man, but he doesn’t seem to have any IUSD experience. In most districts and cities, it would be no big deal if he had no district experience, but in IUSD, voters love the status quo and want people with direct district experience.
  • Margaret Brown – Um, yikes:

Brown’s exit marks the second time in three years she has left a school district while helping to process a large bond-funded construction schedule. In 2010, she resigned from a similar position at the San Ramon Valley Unified School District amid complaints of sexual harassment lodged by four male colleagues.

Brown received a $200,000 payout from the Northern California school district when she left after five years on the job, according to a lawsuit filed by one of the plaintiffs in July 2010.

http://articles.glendalenewspress.com/2012-01-24/news/tn-gnp-0125-lead-planner-out-at-gusd_1_bond-funds-citizens-bond-oversight-committee-margaret-brown

Here’s a relatively dry story: http://www.sanramonexpress.com/news/show_story.php?id=2296

This story, wow, don’t read this one near your children: http://sanramon.patch.com/articles/alleged-rogue-randy-employee-prompts-sex-harassment-lawsuit-against-school-district

One complainant could be a frivolous lawsuit by one disgruntled employee. Four complainants is a lot.

So that’s the choice IUSD voters face: Agran’s Hostile Takeover vs. the School Board’s picks, plus a trio of minor candidates.

Posted in Irvine Unified School District | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Anaheim Mailbox: &@#$%$

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on October 29, 2012

Really? I cannot believe how much mail rolled in this weekend from the Anaheim City Council race. The one interesting thing that I have been able to deduct is that we are down to 4 serious contenders for the 2 seats. Lucille Kring, John Leos, Jordan Brandman, and Steve Chavez-Lodge.

4 pieces came in this weekend. 1) Kring positive piece, 2) Leos positive piece 3) Leos hit piece 4)Kring hit piece.

Here is the first piece from Lucille Kring that not only will have a positive impact on her campaign but also will hurt the candidacy of OUSD Area 3 candidate Bob Ausmus (Retired Inglewood Policeman).

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Anaheim, Mail | Tagged: , , , , | 11 Comments »

California Mailbox: Awesome Job CRP

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on October 29, 2012

The CRP sent me a huge disappointment this weekend. I will note that this was sent to Anaheim Hills. Please  review before I go any further:

Did you spot the problem with the mailer because I am still trying to figure out why Don Wagner and Mimi Walters are not on here. Let me get this straight, you want me to, “Take this with you to the polls.” I am not going to take this to the polls because none of the candidates on this live within 200 miles of me, am I also supposed to vote in the Nevada Presidential race.

After some investigating it appears that this slate mailer directs you to a website http://www.cagop.yourvoterguide.com/ which is where you can get your personalized ballot. The problem is that 90% of people who get this slate are not going to read it that closely and of the 10% that do only 50% of them will actually go to the website (who wants to do the math on that).

After testing the website a bit I also noticed that apparently they have no clue how to include local candidates that cross over into multiple cities.

The good news is that none of my Democrat friends have received anything from the CA Democratic Party or the DPOC but if you are going to do a slate mailer you might as well do it right.

Posted in California, Mail | Leave a Comment »

Anaheim Mailbox: More Brandman & More Leos

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on October 28, 2012

11 days until the election and I am already sick of the mail. The following 2 mailers arrived yesterday in the Anaheim race.

The first one is from the Brandman campaign targeting Democrats:

The second piece was another OCEA piece sent out on behalf of John Leos:

Posted in Anaheim, Mail | 1 Comment »

Proposition Mailbox: Yes On 32/No On 30 & Yes On 37

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on October 28, 2012

I am starting to combine the mail pieces that go up in posts because so much stuff is going out. Chris Nguyen has the misfortune of being spammed by both the Chen and Royce campaigns in his household. At my house it has been pretty quite in the Campbell vs. Kang race.

The first piece was a folded up Yes on 32/No on 30 mailer:

Here is the No on 37 piece. The messaging is pretty strong:

Posted in California, Mail | 2 Comments »

Santa Ana Mailbox: Pulido Gets Hit

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on October 28, 2012

This was sent to us from a reader in Santa Ana. It is a mail piece hitting Miguel Pulido pretty hard on his voting record and lack of support. The problem that exists is that Pulido is still the clear front-runner and unless something earth shattering happens in the next 8 days will remain Mayor in Santa Ana. Take a look at the hit piece below:

Posted in Mail, Santa Ana | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

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