OC Political

A right-of-center blog covering local, statewide, and national politics

Archive for March, 2013

Lake Forest Approves Invocations At Meetings

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on March 19, 2013

I just finished watching the Lake Forest City Council meeting and watched them approve invocations at their meetings. The thing that struck me was how civil the speakers were on both sides of the argument. Usually I see the meetings where the “In God We Trust” and “Invocation” discussions can get extremely heated. Kudos to Lake Forest residents for not making viewers uncomfortable. I will cut to the Councilmember comments noting that the public was split on the issue although I would say a majority off individuals were in support of invocations at meetings. Speakers were passionate but respectful of each other.

100px-LakeForestCitySeal
Dwight Robinson talked about how he did his homework on this issue before hand and came to the meeting prepared to listen to speakers from the community to help him make his final decision on this issue. He did note that he was supportive of an invocation at meetings at the previous City Council meeting.

Peter Herzog in my opinion was definitely the most negative of all the speakers both in the public and Councilmembers. He appeared to attack the public speakers that were from churches, claiming that they obviously support invocations at meetings. He also decided that the “In God We Trust” slogan behind the dais should be taken down based on the fact that faith was never a part of the discussion when the Council approved the placement of that slogan. I guess he is a bit grouchy still with his pending legal issues after being arrested recently. Just as a reminder of what the DA released recently:

LAKE FOREST CITY COUNCIL MEMBER TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL

NEWPORT BEACH – A Lake Forest City Council member is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow for driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol content of .18 percent, more than twice the legal limit. Peter Alan Herzog, 57, Lake Forest, is charged with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of alcohol and one misdemeanor count of driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 percent or more with a sentencing enhancement allegation for having a blood alcohol level of .15 percent. If convicted, Herzog faces a sentence ranging from probation up to six months in jail. He is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow, Thursday, March 14, 2013, at 8:30 a.m. in Department H-8, Harbor Justice Center, Newport Beach.

At approximately 8:15 p.m. on Nov. 17, 2012, Herzog is accused of making a left turn from Portola Parkway onto Lake Forest Drive and driving on the wrong side of the road. The defendant is accused of driving over the center median to get back on to the westbound lanes. Herzog is then accused of making a wide left turn from Lake Forest Drive on to Regency Lane and hitting the right side of the curb. The defendant is accused of crossing into the opposing lane of traffic swerving back and forth across lanes until he arrived at his home.

Motorists reported the driving to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, who investigated this case, and arrested the defendant at his home. The defendant is accused of displaying objective signs of intoxication including bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech, strong odor of alcohol, and unsteady balance. At approximately 10:30 p.m., the defendant is accused of having a blood alcohol content of .18 percent.

Deputy District Attorney Joe Koller is prosecuting this case.

###

Adam Nick talked about his experiences with religion and government do not mix very well citing mass executions that took place at 6:00 sharp everyday. He mentioned that people do care because the council chamber is full. He claimed that he “thought it would be a cold day in hell before he agreed with Peter Herzog on anything.” He said that he researched the word invocation on a couple of online dictionaries and was somewhat unclear as to what he learned from this. He talked about his love for the people of Lake Forest and wanted to stress that he felt it was important to find common ground.

Scott Voigts explained that he was a man of faith and was very proud of his faith. He stated that he supports all residents that have a faith of any kind along with those that have no faith. He talked about the use of invocations in Congress among other places. He notes that he does not support putting any faith in front of any other kind of faith. He noted that only 8 other Cities in Orange County currently do not have an invocation at their meetings.

Kathryn McCullough who was the obvious swing vote and talked about the diversity of opinions from members of the audience. She talked about concerns she had with the item because she has remembered 2 things that happened to her personally. 1) The pledge of allegiance at another City Council meeting where 75% of the people refused to participate. 2) At another meeting they were honoring some of the officers that had died and during the National Anthem certain Councilmembers/Mayors at the event were chatting. She did state that she did not support the actions of those individuals but discussed the rights of those individuals. The overall point she is making is that by supporting invocations at the meetings it is not forcing people to pray. She does not support staff being involved in policing the issue. She passed around a peace coin to her  colleagues on the City Council. She stated that the initial motion made by Scott Voigts and Dwight Robinson would not garner her support the way it was stated.

Scott Voigts made a motion to support alternative #2 a choice that would allow invocations at council meetings that rotate and do not adhere to any particular faith. The motion was seconded by Adam Nick I believe. Watching the meeting was extremely difficult because the camera did not zoom in on the Councilmembers, I was literally watching the meeting from the top corner of the room.

The final vote as stated before was 4-1 (I think) with Herzog dissenting. I might be wrong on the vote margin because they went through the roll call vote very quickly and it was very hard to hear whether Herzog said aye or no.

Posted in Lake Forest | Tagged: , , , , | 7 Comments »

OC Board of Supes: Live Blogging 3-19-2013

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on March 19, 2013

I am back at it again today watching a meeting that is not supposed to have anything discussed about OC Clerk-Recorder but I see some potential fireworks over the County CEO, Auditor-Controller procedure, and Cal-Optima.

10:16 AM- Moorlach is questioning the internal audit with regards to the OC Clerk-Recorders office. It is early in the conversation but this could get interesting.

10:21 AM- This conversation appears to be going nowhere, unless Moorlach steps up his questioning a bit. The speaker is telling him that information will become more readily available about the OC Clerk-Recorders office once the audit is complete.

10:25 AM- John Moorlach is pretty heated and is accusing people of telling him half-truths and is blasting an unnamed elected official (guess who). In a twist of irony Moorlach still made a motion to approve the item.

10:28 AM- Supervisor Todd Spitzer is trying to get a reason as to why Tom Daly has his name on a response letter despite the fact that he had apparently already left the office.

10:30 AM- The speaker has said that Tom Daly wanted to have his response included and it was approved by Renee Ramirez to include a scathing letter from Daly.

10:37 AM- They are now approving the Treasurer-Tax Collector Oversight Committee Annual Report. John Moorlach requested to hear from Shari Friedenrich the current Treasurer in order for her to introduce the committee members.

10:39 AM- Shawn Nelson seems frustrated that they are being forced to listen to the report and tried to see if the other Supervisors would agree not to hear the item.

10:48 AM- We are now on item #27 and closing in on some of the more juicy stuff which starts with item #31.

11:01 AM- We are 1 item away from some of the more interesting items in this meeting.

11:04 AM- It appears that each Supervisor will be providing 3 names for interviews in the case of Orange County Auditor-Controller. We have 1 public speaker on this item.

11:06 AM- Rob Richardson is explaining that of the 30 applications that were received only 10 were found to meet the qualifications necessary to hold the office. Todd Spitzer calls out Richard Arrow, Maryhou Amerage (spelling?), and Tony Siberian as unqualified based on either being “double dippers” or having no management experience.

11:09 AM- Spitzer recommends interviewing the other 7 on the list of qualified names.

11:10 AM- John Moorlach recommended that only Jan Grimes be interviewed for the position. I am surprised since she claimed she had no interest in the position based on my recollection.

11:11 AM- Supervisor Spitzer read my mind and also brings up the concern he has with somebody choosing to not finish their term if they get appointed. He is concerned about a candidate being really interested in the position instead of a caretaker.

11:13 AM- Janet Nguyen brings up the fact that Jan Grimes made the statement that she does not want to be elected in 2014 which is why she was not originally appointed.

11:14 AM- We might hear from Jan Grimes as she is in the room. It is up to her according to Supervisor Nelson.

11:15 AM- Supervisor Bates agrees to the idea of interviewing multiple candidates for the position.

11:16 AM- John Moorlach is really pushing Jan Grimes for whatever reason??? He admits that she is only interested in the term ending in 2014.

11:18 AM- Moorlach is concerned that the person appointed will have an advantage in the election and supports a caretaker in order to create an open election for the seat in 2014. I am very confused by this logic???

11:20 AM- Supervisor Nelson agrees with the 3 other Supes that  the remaining 7 candidates should be interviewed.

11:21 AM- If I recall correctly John Moorlach is being a hypocrite. He was appointed to the Treasurer Tax-Collector to fill an unexpired term and then ran for it with the incumbent title.

11:22 AM- FYI I just realized I did not type the 7 names earlier but here they are: George Beck, Jim Benoozi, Jan Grimes, Nick Pham, Gustavo Rodriguez, Eric Woolery, and Alexander Yoo.

11:25 AM- Supervisors Spitzer and Nguyen bring up examples of candidates claiming that they will or will not run and then changing their mind when the time comes to file for office. It is clear that they are both opposed to having a caretaker in the office.

11:26 AM- The item passes 4-1 with Moorlach dissenting to interview the 7 candidates mentioned above.

11:27 AM- I am going to take a quick snack break during the Cal-Optima item and will try to be back before the public speakers are done.

11:54 AM- I am back and have clearly missed more time than I expected. It will be useless for me to blog on this item. Stand by while I wait for the CEO discussion.

12:37 PM- We are into the discussion for the County CEO appointment.

12:42 PM- It appears that the appointment of the County CEO will be discussed in closed session.

12:43 PM- Supervisor Nguyen tried and get an extra public comment session prior to going into closed session due to numerous members of the audience wishing to speak regarding “Latino Health Access.”

12:50 PM- I am calling it a day. Be on the lookout for my starting to follow the OC Auditor-Controller in more detail.

Posted in Orange County, Orange County Board of Supervisors | 2 Comments »

Research Report on Anaheim

Posted by OC Insider on March 19, 2013

I have been hired to create a research report on the City of Anaheim and have decided to share it here before I turn it in to my employers.

Anaheim, California

Anaheim (pronounced /ˈænəhaɪm/) is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 336,265, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California,[2] and ranked 54th in the United States. The city anticipates that the population will surpass 400,000 by 2014 because of rapid development in its Platinum Triangle area as well as in Anaheim Hills. The Platinum Triangle is the fastest growing area in Orange County.[3] Anaheim is the second largest city in Orange County in terms of land area (after Irvine), and is known for its theme parks, sports teams and convention center.

Founded by fifty German families in 1857 and incorporated as the second city in Los Angeles County on February 10, 1870, Anaheim developed into an industrial center, producing electronics, aircraft parts and canned fruit. It is the site of the Disneyland Resort, a world-famous grouping of theme parks and hotels which opened in 1955, Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Honda Center and Anaheim Convention Center, the largest convention center on the West Coast.

Anaheim’s city limits stretch from Cypress in the west to the Riverside County line in the east and encompass a diverse collection of neighborhoods and communities. Anaheim Hills is a master-planned community located in the city’s eastern stretches that is home to many sports stars and executives. Downtown Anaheim has three mixed-use historic districts, the largest of which is the Anaheim Colony. The Anaheim Resort, a commercial district, includes Disneyland and numerous hotels and retail complexes. The Platinum Triangle, a neo-urban redevelopment district surrounding Angel Stadium, is planned to be populated with mixed-use streets and high-rises. Finally, The Canyon is an industrial district north of SR 91 and east of SR 57.

Etymology

Anaheim’s name is a blend of “Ana”, after the nearby Santa Ana River, and “heim”, a common German language place name compound originally meaning “home”.[4]

History

Aerial view of Anaheim and Disneyland in 1965

The city of Anaheim was founded in 1857 by grape farmers and wine makers from the region around Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Franconia in Bavaria. The first such settler was Daniel Kraemer. The colony was situated on 1,165 acres (4.71 km2).

Anaheim in 1879

Settlers voted to call the community Annaheim, meaning “home by the Santa Anna River” in German. The name later was changed slightly, to Anaheim. To the Spanish-speaking neighbors, the settlement was known as Campo Alemán (Spanish for German Field). The grape industry was destroyed in the 1880s by an insect pest. Other crops – walnuts, lemons and, of course oranges – soon filled the void, fruits and vegetables having become viable cash crops when the Los Angeles – Orange County region was connected to the continental railroad network in 1886.

Aerial Of Disneyland Resort in 2004

The famous Polish actress Helena Modjeska settled in Anaheim with her husband and various friends, among them Henryk Sienkiewicz, Julian Sypniewski and Łucjan Paprocki. While living in Anaheim, Helena Modjeska became good friends with Clementine Langenberger, the second wife of August Langenberger.[5] Helena Street[6] and Clementine Street[6] are named after these two ladies, and the streets are located adjacent to each other as a symbol of the strong friendship which Helena Modjeska and Clementine Lagenberger shared. Modjeska Park[7] in West Anaheim, is also named after Helena Modjeska.

Anaheim in 1922

During the first half of the 20th century, before Disneyland opened its doors to the public, Anaheim was a massive rural community inhabited by orange groves, and the landowners who farmed them. One of the landowners was a man by the name of Bennett Payne Baxter. He owned much land in northeast Anaheim that today is the location of Angel Stadium,[8] He came up with many new ideas for irrigating orange groves and shared his ideas with other landowners. He was not only successful, he helped other landowners and businesspeople succeed as well. Ben Baxter and other landowners helped to make Anaheim a thriving rural community before Disneyland changed the city forever. Today, a street runs along Edison Park[8] which is named Baxter Street. Also during this time, Rudolph Boysen served as Anaheim’s first Park Superintendent from 1921 to 1950. Boysen created a hybrid berry which Walter Knott later named the boysenberry, after Rudy Boysen. Boysen Park[9] in East Anaheim was also named after him.

The Disneyland theme park was constructed in Anaheim from July 16, 1954 to July 17, 1955, and opened to the public on July 17, 1955, and has since become one of the world’s most visited tourist attractions. The location was formerly 160 acres (0.65 km2) of orange and walnut trees, some of which remain inside Disneyland property. Hotels and motels began to spread and residential districts soon followed, with increasing property values. In 2001, Disney’s California Adventure, since renamed Disney California Adventure Park in 2010, the most expansive project in the theme park’s history, opened to the public.

In 1970, the Census Bureau reported Anaheim’s population as 9.3% Hispanic and 89.2% non-Hispanic white.[10] In the late 20th century, Anaheim grew rapidly in population. Today, Anaheim has a diverse ethnic and racial composition.[10]

During the large expansion of the Disneyland resort in the 1990s, the city of Anaheim then recognized itself as a resort epicenter, thus creating the Anaheim Resort. It includes the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, the Honda Center—home of the NHL Anaheim Ducks (formerly known as the “Mighty Ducks”), and Angel Stadium, home to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The city has undergone a rigorous transformation in creating metropolitan beautification to attract tourism. In 2007, the city celebrated its sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) by opening the Anaheim Walk of Fame near the Harbor Boulevard entrance to the Disneyland Resort. The first star to be placed on the Anaheim Walk of Fame was Walt Disney, the man most responsible for making Anaheim the hugely popular tourist destination it is today.

In 2012, fatal police shooting in Anaheim sparked violent protests.[11]

Anaheim in 1890

Geography

Anaheim is located at

 WikiMiniAtlas

33°50′10″N 117°53′23″W / 33.836165°N 117.889769°W / 33.836165; -117.889769.[12] and is approximately 25 miles (40 km) south east of Downtown Los Angeles.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 50.8 square miles (132 km2). 49.8 square miles (129 km2) of it is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) of it (1.92%) is water.

The current federal Office of Management and Budget metropolitan designation for Anaheim and the Orange County Area is “Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA”.

Cityscape

The city recognizes several districts, including the Anaheim Resort (the area surrounding Disneyland), The Canyon (an industrial area north of the Riverside Freeway and east of the Orange Freeway) and the Platinum Triangle (the area surrounding Angel Stadium). Anaheim Hills also maintains a distinct identity.

Panorama of Anaheim

Communities and neighborhoods

The Anaheim Convention Center

Downtown Anaheim is located in the heart of the Colonial District. Downtown is the administrative heart of the city where you find City Hall, Anaheim West Tower, Anaheim Police Headquarters, the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce and the Main Library. Anaheim Ice (formerly Disney Ice), the Downtown Anaheim Farmer’s Market and the Center Street Promenade are also located in Downtown Anaheim. In the Fall of 2007, The Muzeo,[13] the newest major museum in Orange County, opened its doors for the first time and is located next to Anaheim West Tower. Pearson Park[14] is also located in Downtown Anaheim, and is named after Charles Pearson,[6] who was Mayor of Anaheim during the time Walt Disney opened Disneyland in Anaheim. One of the major attractions located in Pearson Park is the Pearson Park Amphitheater.[15] In the Colonial District just west of Downtown Anaheim is the Mother Colony House,[16] which was built by George Hanson],[17] the Founder of Anaheim. Today, it is Anaheim’s and Orange County’s oldest museum still open to the public. The Stoffel House[18] is a Victorian Mansion located next door to the Mother Colony House. Originally the Victorian Home was occupied by the Stoffel Family,[19] early pioneer residents of Anaheim. The home served as headquarters for the local Red Cross until the early 1990s. In 2010-2011, the Woelke-Stoeffel house became refurnished and is now part of the Founder’s Park complex. Founder’s Park includes the Mother Colony house and a carriage house, which serves as a museum of Anaheim’s agricultural history. These three buildings are open every first Saturday from 9 to 12 pm.

The bulk of the Hispanic population of Anaheim, and other less prosperous portions of the population, lives in the western portion of Anaheim, “the flatlands”. Much of the more prosperous portion of the population, and most city council members, live in Anaheim Hills, a planned community in the eastern portion of the city with a median household income of $123,000 a year as of 2010.[20][21][22]

Climate

Like many other South Coast cities, Anaheim maintains a Mediterranean climate, enjoying warm winters and hot summers.[23]

[hide]Climate data for Anaheim, California
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 65 (18) 67 (19) 68 (20) 73 (23) 75 (24) 79 (26) 84 (29) 86 (30) 80 (27) 75 (24) 70 (21) 66 (19) 74 (23.3)
Average low °F (°C) 45 (7) 47 (8) 48 (9) 51 (11) 56 (13) 60 (16) 61 (16) 63 (17) 61 (16) 56 (13) 48 (9) 45 (7) 53.4 (11.8)
Precipitation inches (mm) 2.4 (61) 2.8 (71) 2.5 (64) 0.6 (15) 0.1 (3) 0.1 (3) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0.1 (3) 0.2 (5) 0.8 (20) 1.3 (33) 11.3 (287)
Source: U.S. Climate Data[24]

Law and government

City government

Under its city charter, Anaheim operates under a council-manager government. Legislative authority is vested in a city council of five nonpartisan members, who hire a professional city manager to oversee day-to-day operations. The mayor serves as the presiding officer of the city council in a first among equals role. All council seats are elected at large. Voters elect the mayor and four other members of the city council to serve four-year staggered terms. Elections for two council seats are held in years divisible by four while elections for the mayor and the two other council seats are held during the intervening even-numbered years. Under the city’s term limits, an individual may serve a maximum of two terms as a city council member and two terms as the mayor.

Anaheim City Hall.

  • Mayor: Tom Tait (since 2010)
  • City Council
    • Jordan Brandman (since 2012)
    • Gail Eastman (since 2010)
    • Lucille Kring (since 2012)
    • Kris Murray (since 2010)
See also: List of mayors of Anaheim, California

Emergency services

Anaheim Police Department’s MD500E helicopter, “Angel”

Fire protection is provided by the Anaheim Fire Department, Disneyland Resort has its own Fire Department, though it does rely on the Anaheim Fire Department for support, and for Paramedic Services. Law enforcement is provided by the Anaheim Police Department. Ambulance service is provided by Care Ambulance Service.

Anaheim Public Utilities

Anaheim Public Utilities is the only municipal owned water and electric utility in Orange County, providing residential and business customers with water and electric services. The utility is regulated and governed locally by the City Council. A Public Utilities Board, made up of Anaheim residents, advises the City Council on major utility issues.[25]

Anaheim is the only city in the United States that has decided to bury power lines along their major transportation corridors, converting its electricity system for aesthetic and reliability reasons.[26] To minimize the impact on customer bills, undergrounding is taking place slowly over a period of 50 years, funded by a 4% surcharge on electric bills.[27]

Federal, state and county representation

In the United States House of Representatives, Anaheim is split among three Congressional districts:

  • 39th, represented by Ed Royce (R) since 1993
  • 45th, represented by John Campbell (R) since 2005
  • 46th, represented by Loretta Sanchez (D) since 1997

In the California State Senate, Anaheim is split among three districts:

  • 29th, represented by Bob Huff (R) since 2008
  • 34th, represented by Lou Correa (D) since 2006
  • 37th, represented by Mimi Walters (R) since 2008

In the California State Assembly, Anaheim is split among three districts:

  • 65th, represented by Sharon Quirk-Silva (D) since 2012
  • 68th, represented by Don Wagner (R) since 2010
  • 69th, represented by Tom Daly (D) since 2012

On the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Anaheim is divided between two districts, with Anaheim Hills lying in the 3rd District and the remainder of Anaheim lying in the 4th District:

  • 3rd, represented by Todd Spitzer since 2013
  • 4th, represented by Shawn Nelson since 2010

Economy

Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland

Anaheim’s largest and most important industry is tourism. Its Anaheim Convention Center is home to many national conferences, and The Walt Disney Company is the city’s largest employer. Many hotels, especially in the city’s Resort district, serve theme park tourists and conventiongoers.

The Anaheim Canyon business park makes up 63% of Anaheim’s industrial space and is the largest industrial district in Orange County. Anaheim Canyon is also home to the second largest business park in Orange County.[28][29] Anaheim Canyon houses 2,600 businesses, which employ over 55,000 workers.[citation needed]

Several notable companies have corporate offices and/or headquarters within Anaheim.

  • Anaheim Memorial Medical Center
  • AT&T
  • Banco Popular, a bank based in Puerto Rico, has a North American headquarters in Anaheim.
  • Bridgford Foods, develops, produces, sells and distributor of food products
  • CKE Restaurants, the parent company of the Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s, Green Burrito, and Red Burrito restaurant chains
  • Extron Electronics, designs, manufactures, and services A/V electronics worldwide
  • Fisker Automotive[30]
  • Fujitsu, computer & peripheral manufacturer
  • Ganahl Lumber, oldest lumberyard in California
  • General Dynamics
  • Hewlett Packard[31]
  • Isuzu[32] North American headquarters
  • Kaiser Foundation
  • L-3 Communications
  • Pacific Sunwear
  • Panasonic[33]
  • Pendarvis Manufacturing[34]
  • Raytheon
  • Seagate[35]
  • Sunny Delight[36]
  • Taormina Industries
  • Targus, a computer peripheral manufacturer
  • Tenet Healthcare
  • Universal Alloy
  • YKK Corporation,[37] world’s largest zipper manufacturing firm
  • Yogurtland
  • Zyxel, maker of routers, switches and other networking products

Top employers

According to the City’s 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[38] the top employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Disneyland Resort 22,660
2 Kaiser Foundation Hospitals 3,660
3 Northgate González Markets 1,900
4 Extron Electronics 1,724
5 Anaheim Memorial Medical Center 1,185
6 AT&T 1,000
7 Honda Center 1,000
8 Hilton Anaheim 920
9 West Anaheim Medical Center 774
10 Anaheim Marriott Hotel 730

Retail

Larger retail centers include the power centers Anaheim Plaza in western Anaheim (347,000 ft2),[39] and Anaheim Town Square in East Anaheim (374,000 ft2),[40] as well as the Anaheim GardenWalk lifestyle center (440,000 ft2 of retail, dining and entertainment located in the Anaheim Resort).

Crime

In 2003, Anaheim reported nine murders, this rate was one-third of the national average. Rape within the city is relatively low as well, but has been increasing, along with the national average. Robbery (410 reported incidents) and aggravated assault (824 incidents) rank among the highest violent crimes in the city, but robbery rates are still only half of the national average, and aggravated assaults are at 68% of the average. 1,971 burglaries were reported, as well as 6,708 thefts, 1,767 car thefts, and 654 car accidents. All three types of crime were below average. There were 43 cases of arson reported in 2003, 43% of the national average.[41]

Despite the 1992 Los Angeles Riots reaching almost all of Los Angeles county, Anaheim, and other cities of Orange County, were spared from violence and the city was mostly calm.

 July, 2012 protests

Main article: Anaheim police shooting and protests

In July 2012, political protests by Hispanic residents occurred following the fatal shooting of two Latino men. Other issues included significant gang activity, failure of the city to provide appropriate services to residents, domination of the city by commercial interests, and lack of political representation of Hispanic residents in the city government.[20][21][42]

Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1880 833
1890 1,273 52.8%
1900 1,456 14.4%
1910 2,628 80.5%
1920 5,526 110.3%
1930 10,995 99.0%
1940 11,031 0.3%
1950 14,556 32.0%
1960 104,184 615.7%
1970 166,408 59.7%
1980 219,494 31.9%
1990 266,406 21.4%
2000 328,014 23.1%
2010 336,265 2.5%

2010

The 2010 United States Census[43] reported that Anaheim had a population of 336,265. The population density was 6,618.0 people per square mile (2,555.2/km²). The racial makeup of Anaheim was 177,237 (52.7%) White (27.5% non-Hispanic White alone), 9,347 (2.8%) African American, 2,648 (0.8%) Native American, 49,857 (14.8%) Asian (4.4% Vietnamese, 3.6% Filipino, 2.0% Korean, 1.4% Chinese, 1.3% Indian, 0.6% Japanese, 0.2% Pakistani, 0.2% Cambodian, 0.2% Laotian, 0.1% Thai), 1,607 (0.5%) Pacific Islander, 80,705 (24.0%) from other races, and 14,864 (4.4%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 177,467 persons (52.8%); 46.0% of Anaheim’s population is Mexican, 1.2% Salvadoran, 1.0% Guatemalan, 0.4% Puerto Rican, 0.4% Peruvian, 0.3% Cuban, 0.3% Colombian, 0.2% Honduran, 0.2% Nicaraguan, and 0.2% Argentinean.[44]

Anaheim has historically been predominantly white.[10] The city’s formerly most populous ethnic group, non-Hispanic white,[10] has declined from 89.2% in 1970 to 27.5% in 2010.[45]

The Census reported that 332,708 people (98.9% of the population) lived in households, 2,020 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 1,537 (0.5%) were institutionalized.

There were 98,294 households, out of which 44,045 (44.8%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 52,518 (53.4%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 14,553 (14.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 7,223 (7.3%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 6,173 (6.3%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 733 (0.7%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 17,448 households (17.8%) were made up of individuals and 6,396 (6.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.38. There were 74,294 families (75.6% of all households); the average family size was 3.79.

The population was spread out with 91,917 people (27.3%) under the age of 18, 36,506 people (10.9%) aged 18 to 24, 101,110 people (30.1%) aged 25 to 44, 75,510 people (22.5%) aged 45 to 64, and 31,222 people (9.3%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.4 years. For every 100 females there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.

There were 104,237 housing units at an average density of 2,051.5 per square mile (792.1/km²), of which 47,677 (48.5%) were owner-occupied, and 50,617 (51.5%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%. 160,843 people (47.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 171,865 people (51.1%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the census[46] of 2000, there were 328,014 people, 96,969 households, and 73,502 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,842.7 inhabitants per square mile (2,587.8/km²). There were 99,719 housing units at an average density of 2,037.5 per square mile (786.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 55% White, 3% Black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 12% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 24% from other races, and 5% from two or more races. 46% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.

Of Anaheim’s 96,969 households, 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.34 and the average family size was 3.75.

In the city the population was spread out with 30.2% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.

The median income household income was $47,122, and the median family income was $49,969. Males had a median income of $33,870 versus $28,837 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,266. About 10.4% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Schools

As of May 2006, Anaheim is served by eight public school districts:[47]

  • Anaheim City School District
  • Anaheim Union High School District
  • Centralia School District
  • Magnolia School District
  • North Orange County Community College District
  • Orange Unified School District
  • Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District
  • Savanna School District

Furthermore, Anaheim is home to 84 public schools:[48]

  • Elementary 46
  • Junior High 9
  • High School 14
  • Alternative Education 6

Private schools in the city include Acaciawood Preparatory Academy, Cornelia Connelly High School, Fairmont Preparatory Academy and Servite High School.

[edit] Higher education

The City of Anaheim hosts two private universities: Anaheim University and Southern California Institute of Technology (SCIT).

[edit] Libraries

Anaheim has eight public library branches.

Transportation

In the western portion of the city (not including Anaheim Hills), the major surface streets run east to west, starting with the northernmost, Orangethorpe Avenue, La Palma Avenue, Lincoln Avenue, Ball Road and Katella Avenue. The major surface streets running north-south, starting with the westernmost, are Knott Avenue, Beach Boulevard (SR 39), Magnolia Avenue, Brookhurst Street, Euclid Street, Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim Boulevard and State College Boulevard.

The Santa Ana Freeway (I-5), the Orange Freeway (SR 57) and the Riverside Freeway (SR 91) all pass through Anaheim. The Costa Mesa Freeway (SR 55), and the Eastern Transportation Corridor (SR 241) also have short stretches within the city limits.

Anaheim is served by two major railroads, the Union Pacific Railroad and the BNSF Railway. In addition, the Anaheim Amtrak station, a major regional train station near Angel Stadium, serves both Amtrak and Metrolink rail lines, and the Anaheim Canyon Metrolink station serves Metrolink’s IEOC Line.

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) provides bus service for Anaheim with local and county-wide routes, and both the OCTA and the Los Angeles County Metro offer routes connecting Anaheim to Los Angeles County. Also, the not-for-profit Anaheim Resort Transit (ART) provides local shuttle service in the Disneyland Resort area serving local hotels and both the California Adventure and Disneyland theme parks, and Disney GOALS, operates daily free bus service for low-income youth in the central Anaheim area.

Anaheim is equidistant from both John Wayne Airport and Long Beach Airport (15 miles), but is also accessible from nearby Los Angeles International (30 miles), and Ontario (35 miles) airports.[48]

The city will also be the home to the ARTIC transportation center, which will connect bus, rail including the California High-Speed Rail Network and the proposed Anaheim Fixed-Guideway Transit Corridor.[49][50]

Attractions

  • Adventure City
  • Anaheim GardenWalk, 440,000 s.f. of retail, dining and entertainment located in the Anaheim Resort
  • Anaheim Convention Center, Largest convention center on West Coast
  • Angel Stadium of Anaheim
  • Battle of the Dance dinner theater (closed in 2012)
  • Disneyland Resort
    • Disneyland
    • Disney California Adventure Park
    • Downtown Disney
      • ESPN Zone
      • House of Blues
  • The Grove of Anaheim, formerly the Sun Theater, formerly Tinseltown Studios
  • Honda Center, formerly the “Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim”
  • Anaheim Ice, Public rink for 6,000+ skaters per week
  • American Sports Centers, Home of U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team
  • Anaheim Hills Golf Course
  • Dad Miller Golf Course
  • Oak Canyon Nature Center
  • MUZEO, Art Museum located in Downtown Anaheim
  • Anaheim/OC Walk of Stars[48]

Sports teams

Street banners promoting the Mighty Ducks, now the Ducks and Angels.

Current teams

  • NHL team: Anaheim Ducks – 2007 Stanley Cup Champions
  • MLB team: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – 2002 World Series Champions
  • PASL-Pro team: Anaheim Bolts

Defunct teams

  • NLL team: Anaheim Storm (Folded after 2004–2005 season because of low attendance)
  • NFL team: Los Angeles Rams played in Anaheim from 1980 through 1994 before moving to their current home of St. Louis.
  • World Football League team: The Southern California Sun played at Anaheim Stadium from 1974–1975.
  • Arena Football League team: Anaheim Piranhas played at the Arrowhead Pond from 1994 to 1997.
  • Roller Hockey International team: Anaheim Bullfrogs played in the RHI from 1993 to 1997 and 1999, winning the Murphy Cup Championship twice.
  • American Basketball Association team: Anaheim Amigos played at the Anaheim Convention Center during the 1967–68 Season, then moved to Los Angeles.
  • ABA2000 team: Southern California Surf played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2001–2002.
  • NBADL team: Anaheim Arsenal played at the Anaheim Convention Center from 2006–2009. The team is moving to Springfield, Massachusetts and being renamed for the 2009–2010 season.
  • World Team Tennis: The Anaheim Oranges[51] played in 1978.
  • Continental Indoor Soccer League Team: The Anaheim Splash, played from 1994 to 1997.
  • California Surf of the now defunct North American Soccer League played from 1978 to 1981.

Court battle against the Angels

Main article: City of Anaheim v. Angels Baseball LP

Angel Stadium of Anaheim in 2003.

On January 3, 2005, Angels Baseball LP, the ownership group for the Anaheim Angels, announced that it would change the name of the club to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Arturo Moreno believed Team spokesmen pointed out that from its inception, the Angels had been granted territorial rights by Major League Baseball to the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside, and San Bernardino in addition to Orange County. The new owner knew the name would help him market the team to the entire Southern California region rather than just Orange County. The “of Anaheim” was included in the official name to comply with a provision of the team’s lease at Angel Stadium which requires that “Anaheim” be included in the team’s name.

Mayor Curt Pringle and other city officials countered that the name change violated the spirit of the lease clause, even if it were in technical compliance. They argued that a name change was a major bargaining chip in negotiations between the city and Disney Baseball Enterprises, Inc., then the ownership group for the Angels. They further argued that the city would never have agreed to the new lease without the name change, because the new lease required that the city partially fund the stadium’s renovation but provided very little revenue for the city. Anaheim sued Angels Baseball LP in Orange County Superior Court, and a jury trial was completed in early February 2006, resulting in a victory for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim franchise.

Anaheim appealed the court decision with the California Court of Appeal in May 2006. The case was tied up in the Appeals Court for over two years. In December 2008, the Appeals Court upheld the February 2006 Decision and ruled in favor of The Angels Organization. In January 2009, The Anaheim City Council voted not to appeal the court case any further, bringing an end to the four year legal dispute between the City of Anaheim and the Angels Organization.

Notable people

  • Joseph M. Acaba – NASA astronaut[52]
  • Rebecca Black – Singer who rose to controversial fame after uploading the now much maligned video to the popular video network YouTube, “Friday”
  • Amanda Babin – 4th-placer on Cycle 7 of America’s Next Top Model[53]
  • Michelle Babin – 5th-placer on Cycle 7 of America’s Next Top Model[54]
  • Angela Perez Baraquio, former Miss America (2001)[55]
  • Larry Beckett – poet and songwriter[56]
  • Moon Bloodgood – actress[57]
  • Rudolph Boysen – horticulturist who created the boysenberry[58]
  • Jeff Buckley – singer-songwriter and guitarist[59]
  • Tim Buckley – singer-songwriter, experimental vocalist, and musician[60]
  • Austin Butler – actor[61]
  • Mark William Calaway – professional wrestler known as The Undertaker in the WWE.
  • Rod Carew – former Major League Baseball player[62]
  • Carlos Cavazo – former guitarist for the heavy metal, glam metal and hard rock band Quiet Riot[63]
  • Milorad Čavić – Serbian swimmer[64]
  • Rosalind Chao – actress[65]
  • Lou Correa – politician and California State Legislator[66]
  • Don Davis – film score composer, conductor, and orchestrator[67]
  • Joe DeRenzo – jazz musician[68]
  • Reuben Droughns – National Football League player[69]
  • Rob Dyrdek – Professional skater
  • Eden Espinosa – singer and stage actress[70]
  • Jim Fassel – head coach of the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League[71]
  • Jeff Feagles – Former National Football League player[72]
  • Daniel Fells – National Football League player[73]
  • Jim Fielder – bassist for rock group Blood, Sweat & Tears[74]
  • Jorge Flores – professional soccer player[75]
  • Lori Harrigan – Olympic softball player[76]
  • Bobby Hatfield – singer, one half of the musical duo the Righteous Brothers[77]
  • Stephen Hillenburg – creator of SpongeBob SquarePants
  • John Huarte – former National Football League player[78]
  • Tommy John – former Major League Baseball player[79]
  • Carl and Margaret Karcher – founders of the Carl’s Jr. hamburger chain[80][81]
  • Frankie Kazarian – professional wrestler[citation needed]
  • Samuel Kraemer – rancher, oilman, and businessman[citation needed]
  • Thomas H. Kuchel – United States Senator and Republican Party whip[82]
  • Mark Langston – former Major League Baseball player[83]
  • Crystal Lewis – Singer
  • Rob Liefeld – comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher[84]
  • Mike Lockwood – professional wrestler, best known as Crash Holly[85]
  • Chris Manderino – National Football League player[86]
  • Alli Mauzey – Actress/Singer
  • Donnie Moore – former Major League Baseball player[87]
  • Marcus Mumford – Lead singer of Grammy-nominated folk band Mumford and Sons.[88]
  • Bill Murphy – Major League Baseball player[89]
  • Naomi Nari Nam – figure skater[90]
  • Connie Needham – actress[91]
  • Augie Nieto – entrepreneur and founder of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis charity Augie’s Quest[92]
  • Brian Noble – former National Football League player[93]
  • No Doubt – Grammy Award-winning rock group[94]
  • Curt Pringle – politician, Mayor of Anaheim, and Speaker of the California State Assembly[95]
  • Alyson Reed – dancer and actress[96]
  • Linda Sánchez – U.S. Congresswoman[97]
  • Loretta Sanchez – U.S. Congresswoman[97]
  • Steve Scarsone – former Major League Baseball player[98]
  • John F. Seymour – United States Senator and Mayor of Anaheim[99]
  • Dana Schoenfield – 1972 Olympic Games Silver Medalist in Swimming[100]
  • Teemu Selänne – National Hockey League player
  • Harry Sidhu – politician and Anaheim City Councilman[101]
  • Steve Soto – punk musician and bassist for Agent Orange and The Adolescents[citation needed]
  • Stacey Q – synthpop and dance-pop singer, dancer, and actress[102]
  • Gwen Stefani – singer, songwriter, fashion designer, and frontwoman of the rock band No Doubt[94]
  • Tairrie B – former rapper and later alternative metal frontwoman for Tura Satana and My Ruin[citation needed]
  • Chris Tillman, Baseball player: Baltimore Orioles pitcher [103]
  • Kenneth Michael Trentadue[citation needed]
  • Mark Trumbo – Major League Baseball player[104]
  • Lisa Tucker – singer and finalist on the fifth season of American Idol[105]
  • Milo Ventimiglia – actor[106]
  • Jennifer Warnes, Oscar-winning singer of “I Had The Time Of My Life” from Dirty Dancing.
  • Tiger Woods, professional golfer.
  • Jaret Wright – former Major League Baseball player[107]

Sister cities

  • Japan Mito, Japan
  • Spain Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
  • Eritrea Asmara, Eritrea

Twin Sister cities

  • Eritrea Asmara, Eritrea

Posted in Anaheim | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

OC Political March Madness Pool

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on March 18, 2013

It is that time of year again. Much Madness is upon us and OC Political is offering a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card to the winner of our free pool. All we ask is that people use their real names in order to make it easier for us to reward the winner with the prize.

Congrats go out to last years winner Sean Mill. Can he pull a repeat again this year or will the champion be someone different. This year I am told that despite Stanford and USC not being in the tourney Chris Nguyen will bless us with his presence.

Here are the instructions to enter the pool which we have set up through Yahoo!

Go to http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1/register/joingroup
Our Group ID # is 100002
Our Password is reagan

Let me know if you have any issues. We are looking forward to another fun filled contest.

20130318-141716.jpg

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Clerk-Recorder Bios, Statistics, and Occupations Oh My!

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on March 18, 2013

Thanks to Orange Juice blogger Vern Nelson for the idea of grouping the finalists by number of nominees.

Five nominations:
Hieu Nguyen, Santa Ana Republican, 45 years old
Bruce Peotter, Irvine Republican, 54 years old
Renee Ramirez, Orange Republican, 40 years old

Four nominations:
Dick Ackerman (Moorlach, Spitzer, Nelson, Bates), Irvine Republican, 70 years old
Chris Norby (Nguyen, Spitzer, Nelson, Bates), Fullerton Republican, 63 years old

Three nominations:
Larry Bales (Spitzer, Nelson, Bates), Tustin Republican, 70 years old
Steve Rosansky (Moorlach, Spitzer, Bates), Newport Beach Republican, 53 years old

Two nominations:
Michael J. Fox (Nguyen, Spitzer), Lake Forest Democrat, 60 years old
Steven Madoff (Moorlach, Bates), Huntington Beach Democrat, 60 years old
Roy Reynolds (Nguyen, Spitzer), Fountain Valley Republican, 65 years old
Harry Sidhu (Nguyen, Bates), Anaheim Republican, 55 years old

How successful Supervisors’ finalist nominations were:
Nelson: 6 of 6 (100%)
Spitzer: 9 of 10 (90%)
Bates: 9 of 10 (90%)
Nguyen: 7 of 8 (87.5%)
Moorlach: 6 of 10 (60%)

Here they are listed with their occupations:

Dick Ackerman (attorney, former state senator and assemblyman)

Larry Bales (FDIC settlement agent)

Michael J. Fox (attorney)

Steve Madoff (consultant, former executive vice president of Paramount Pictures)

Hieu Nguyen (assistant clerk of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, former OC chief deputy recorder)

Chris Norby (retired teacher, former state assemblyman and county supervisor)

Bruce Peotter (attorney, former assistant public administrator/public guardian)

Renee Ramirez (assistant clerk-recorder)

Roy Reynolds (personal rapid transit consultant)

Steve Rosansky (real estate company president, former Newport Beach councilman and mayor)

Harry Sidhu (business owner, former Anaheim councilman)

Credit goes to the newsletter of Supervisor Todd Spitzer for providing the occupations of all the applicants.

I have finally taken the time to do a bit of research on each of the remaining applicants and am going to provide those bios for our readers:

Hieu Nguyen– Hieu Nguyen along with Bruce Peotter is one of my personal 330px-Seal_of_Orange_County,_California_svgtwo favorites for this appointment. The great thing about Hieu is that he has experience working in the OC Clerk-Recorders office (before Daly) and knows the way things operate from the inside. Nguyen ran for the seat in 2010 (I voted for him) and lost in a landslide the size of which I have not seen very often. He must have gotten some bad campaign advice because that was ugly. He currently works for the County and would be an excellent choice for the position.

Bruce Peotter– I like Bruce a lot and think that he would be an excellent 330px-Seal_of_Orange_County,_California_svgchoice for this position. He has experience working in County Government and was the best chance Republicans have ever had to beat Tom Daly. He is currently an attorney and you can click the link if you want to read more info about his law firm.

He first ran for office in 1998 when he ran for the open Orange County Assessor seat where he ended up coming I fourth place. He ran for office again in 2002 against Tom Daly for the vacant Orange County Clerk-Recorder seat where he finished in the top two thus advancing to the run-off against then Anaheim Mayor Tom Daly. In the run-off he came up a bit short losing the seat to the Democrat Daly who held it for ten years.

Larry Bales– I don’t know much about Larry Bales but must admit that I am SHARP_ELSIMATE_EL-W221surprised to see that he applied for this position. My thought was that he would try to wait out Webster Guillory for Assessor. I say this because he has run for Assessor three times. In 1998 when he first ran for the seat it was an open seat, Webster Guillory won for the first time and Larry Bales came in fifth place. In 2002 he tried for a second time and lost again. This time he came in second place, but only two candidates were on the ballot. He ran a third time in 2006 for what I think might have been just to do it out of spite (maybe?) and the result was no different, unless you consider that he did worse and came in third place.

Renee Ramirez– She is the acting Orange County Clerk-Recorder and has the advantage over all other applicants because if she gets chosen she holds the 330px-Seal_of_Orange_County,_California_svgposition and if nobody can get to three votes she is the de facto incumbent. She has gotten a lot of negative press lately from our friends over at the “Voice of OC” who are looking into a contract that previous OC Clerk-Recorder Tom Daly gave to Current Anaheim Councilmember Jordan Brandman (he was not a Councilmember at the time of the contract).

Ramirez was not involved in the handling of any contracts handed out to Brandman, however, according to the articles I read she apparently claims to have cleared all of the data that was attached to Brandman including hard drive, e-mails, etc… I do find it a bit ironic that the current keeper of County records destroyed County records. This could very well cost her the appointment in my opinion.

You can read the two voice of OC articles by clicking here for the first one or here for the second one.

If destroying any data or records is standard policy for this department the OC Board of Supervisors should take a long look at revising this flawed policy.

Michael J. Fox– I was extremely sad when I learned that this was not the 300px-CourtGavelMichael J. Fox that could take me “Back to the Future” with him. He is an attorney based in Irvine that appears to specialize in business and real estate matters. Here is some biographical information from his law firm website:

Michael J. Fox has a diverse background in addition to private practice. Mr. Fox previously served as in-house counsel to H.K. Realty, J.K Properties and their subsidiaries, entities that owned and managed over 16,000 apartment units in the greater Los Angeles area. Mr. Fox later served as Vice President and Associate Counsel for Fidelity National Title and as an Associate for the firm of Pite Duncan, LLP.

Mr. Fox has hands on real estate and business transactional experience with the negotiation and preparation of real estate purchase and sale agreements, formation and maintenance of corporations, limited liability companies, joint ventures and partnerships. He is proficient in all aspects of real estate transactions and knows how to avoid the pitfalls that can arise during the various phases of a transaction including the due diligence period, analysis, negotiations and preparation of contracts, financing, zoning, permits, title matters and escrow issues. Having litigated numerous cases that evolved from transactional errors, Mr. Fox has assisted clients avoid potential pitfalls and successfully complete both residential and commercial purchase, sale and section 1031 real estate transactions.

Feel free to browse his website if you want to see more.

Roy Reynolds– I met Roy at. California Republican Assembly endorsing kpk7l6-podslargeconvention last year and believe he is a member of the Fountain Valley Republican Assembly. The business card he gave me was for a polling company that he owns and through some research I found out at he is also an advocate for a personal rapid transit system which I understand very little about. If you want to learn more about PRST feel free to do so by clicking here.

Roy also wrote an article on another Orange County blog advocating for the outsourcing of the OC Clerk-Recorder position and he pushed for the Supes to strongly consider going that direction. I like the thought he had from the cost saving perspective but think that he is way off. When voters were presented the opportunity to make the OC Public Administrator an appointed position through Measure A in June 2012 it was rejected by the voters with over 60% of the opposition.

I support saving money, but something can be said for the will of the electorate on any issue.

Steven Madoff– This guy totally got screwed by Bernie Madoff who tarnished300px-CourtGavel the last name of all people named Madoff. All joking aside he is quite qualified for this position with a lot of business experience. His background with Paramount Pictures actually intrigues me and I would rank him as the applicant I would most want to have lunch with. I found an article about him on Billboard that gave a lot more information about specifics on his occupation.

Steve Rosansky– He was a member of the Newport Beach City Council up 100px-NB_SEALuntil this last election where he did not run. In a slight amount of irony he was appointed to the Newport Beach City Council in 2003. He ran for re-election in 2004 and 2008 winning both times. Again, I do find it Interesting that he was appointed to the City Council and now seeks the appointment to Clerk-Recorder.

I found a copy of his original Newport application on a website called Free Newport

Harry Sidhu– former Anaheim Councilman who first tried running in 2002 City_of_Anaheim_Seal_svgbut fell a bit short coming in fourth place (top two win) he ran again in 2004 and was successful in winning one of the two available slots along with Lori Galloway who also won. They were both re-elected in 2008 to their respective seats on the City Council.

Sidhu has tried to get to higher office in the past and has not had the best of luck. In 2008 he took on State Assemblywoman Mimi Walters in what turned into an extremely nasty race (I remember getting the mailers). Walter ended up defeating Sidhu by a wide margin of 74% to 26%. He tried again in 2010 to move on to higher office by making a run at the 4th Supervisorial District which was vacated by Chris Norby. He and Shawn Nelson bloodied each other during this crowded campaign and Nelson ended up winning both in the special primary and the special run-off. The run-off results were not very close, primarily because Nelson was able to run as the incumbent in the run-off, Nelson won 63% to 37%. His history with Shawn Nelson will make for an interesting interview.

Chris Norby– Norby has had a rough year after losing the 65th Assembly seat 170px-CaliforniaAssemblySealto Democrat Sharon Quirk-Silva. I will start from the beginning of his career. He was Elected to the Fullerton City Council in 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, and 2000 and served as Mayor in 1991, 1996, 1997.

He ran for the 72nd Assembly District in the 1995 special election but ended up coming in second place to rival Dick Ackerman. If you want to know more about this race take a look at the next bio (Dick Ackerman). Since Ackerman won I wanted to post the election links under his bio.

Norby was not done though as he won a seat on the Orange County Board of Supervisors (4th District) in 2002 and won re-election in 2006. The 2002 election was particularly interesting because Norby upset sitting Supervisor Cynthia Coad. I found an article about the upset that had an ironic quote from Supervisor Todd Spitzer who at the time was about to leave the Board of Supervisors.

The Norby career continued when he won a special election to the 72nd Assembly District in 2009 after a scandal drove the incumbent Assemblyman to resign (Hey Mike Duvall, how are you doing!). He easily won re-election in 2010. After the redistricting for the 2010 Census took place Norby was hit by a perfect storm that drove him out of office and Democrats into a 2/3 majority in the Assembly.

Dick Ackerman– His political career first began when he ran for and won a 170px-Seal_of_The_Senate_Of_The_State_Of_Californiaseat on the Fullerton City Council in 1980. He was re-elected to the Fullerton Council in 1984 and 1988. Twice during his tenure he served as Mayor of Fullerton (1982, 1986).

Ackerman then ran for the State Assembly in the 1995 special election against three opponents including bitter rival Chris Norby who is also applying for the OC Clerk-Recorder position. Ironically when running for the position he was the California Teachers Association endorsed candidate which I found odd. Ackerman finished in first place, Norby in second, Democrat Shirley Hafner came in third, and Republican Yorba Linda Mayor Barbara Kiley came in last place. Due to nobody garnering 50% of the vote, the top Republican and top Democrat advanced to a run-off election. Ackerman easily won in the run-off election and actually gave the Republicans a majority in the Assembly. He won re-election to the 72nd Assembly District in 1996 and 1998.

After his Assembly tenure came to an end he jumped into the State Senate by winning an election for the 33rd Senate District seat (previously held by John Lewis) in 2000 and won re-election in 2004. If I recall correctly he was the Senate Republican Leader in 2004 and held it to almost the end of his second term.

In 2002 he did lose an election for California State Attorney General where he lost to incumbent Attorney General Bill Lockyer.

Posted in Orange County, Orange County Board of Supervisors, Orange County Clerk-Recorder | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments »

Taxin’ Troy Edgar Pushing for a Massive Increase in Sewer Fees

Posted by OC Insider on March 18, 2013

Recently, news has been circulating that the Sanitation District is looking to increase rates by 15%.

If passed, this would be the 3rd increase in the last eight years.

2008: 61% increase over five years

2005: 31% increase

Taxin Troy-1I did a little investigating to find out who is pushing this new increase in fees.   I spoke with a few members of the Sanitation District Board to get their input.

Shockingly, Troy Edgar, who refused to sign the tax pledge but wanted everyone to believe he wouldn’t raise taxes, is leading the charge for a countywide tax increase.

Hopefully, this endeavor ends as bad as Edgar’s campaign for Assembly.  You would think that after embarrassingly losing a race in which he had every advantage possible, he would disappear and do some soul searching.  At the very least, after being resoundingly admonished by the the voters, he would take the hint and stop trying to squeeze every penny out of his constituents.  Instead, he is proving why he earned the name Taxin’ Troy Edgar and is  back to his old tricks.

I wonder how he plans to spin this increase in order for us common people to understand it?

Thankfully, the OC Register is again opposing Troy Edgar and his constant appetite for more of your money.

I hope that the rest of the Sanitation District Directors took note from watching Troy Edgar lose all his money and  his race for assembly by an indecently large margin.   Every elected member of the Board of Directors should know, that if he or she would like to win another election ever again,  oppose anything Troy Edgar supports.

 

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Lake Forest City Council Member To Be Arraigned For Driving Under The Influence Of Alcohol

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on March 13, 2013

The office of Orange County DA Tony Rackauckas has issued an official press release regarding Lake Forest Councilman Peter Herzog being arraigned for DUI. I first informed our readers about it here in this post.

Here is what was released from the office and for those who keep asking me I am not related to Farrah Emami who works in their office.

LAKE FOREST CITY COUNCIL MEMBER TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL

NEWPORT BEACH – A Lake Forest City Council member is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow for driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol content of .18 percent, more than twice the legal limit. Peter Alan Herzog, 57, Lake Forest, is charged with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of alcohol and one misdemeanor count of driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 percent or more with a sentencing enhancement allegation for having a blood alcohol level of .15 percent. If convicted, Herzog faces a sentence ranging from probation up to six months in jail. He is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow, Thursday, March 14, 2013, at 8:30 a.m. in Department H-8, Harbor Justice Center, Newport Beach.

At approximately 8:15 p.m. on Nov. 17, 2012, Herzog is accused of making a left turn from Portola Parkway onto Lake Forest Drive and driving on the wrong side of the road. The defendant is accused of driving over the center median to get back on to the westbound lanes. Herzog is then accused of making a wide left turn from Lake Forest Drive on to Regency Lane and hitting the right side of the curb. The defendant is accused of crossing into the opposing lane of traffic swerving back and forth across lanes until he arrived at his home.

Motorists reported the driving to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, who investigated this case, and arrested the defendant at his home. The defendant is accused of displaying objective signs of intoxication including bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech, strong odor of alcohol, and unsteady balance. At approximately 10:30 p.m., the defendant is accused of having a blood alcohol content of .18 percent.

Deputy District Attorney Joe Koller is prosecuting this case.

###

Posted in Lake Forest, Orange County, Orange County District Attorney's Office | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

OC Clerk-Recorder 3-12-2013 Live Blogging… Sort Of?

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on March 12, 2013

My computer bit the dust yesterday which makes live blogging tougher with only a pen and paper in hand. I just arrived at a location with a computer and am now able to post this:

The 11 finalists for Clerk-Recorder who will be interviewed publicly at a Board of Supervisors meeting will be:

Dick Ackerman, 4 nominations (Moorlach, Spitzer, Nelson, Bates)
Larry Bales, 3 nominations (Spitzer, Nelson, Bates)
Michael J. Fox, 2 nominations (Nguyen, Spitzer)
Steven Madoff, 2 nominations (Moorlach, Bates)
Hieu Nguyen, 5 nominations
Chris Norby, 4 nominations (Nguyen, Spitzer, Nelson, Bates)
Bruce Peotter, 5 nominations
Renee Ramirez, 5 nominations
Roy Reynolds, 2 nominations (Nguyen, Spitzer)
Steve Rosansky, 3 nominations (Moorlach, Spitzer, Bates)
Harry Sidhu, 2 nominations (Nguyen, Bates)

Janet Nguyen nominated:
Alicia Campbell
Michael J. Fox
Hieu Nguyen
Chris Norby
Bruce Peotter
Renee Ramirez
Roy Reynolds
Harry Sidhu

John Moorlach nominated:
Dick Ackerman
Ron Davidson
Stewart Davis
Linda Dixon
Lydia Lake
Steven Madoff
Hieu Nguyen
Bruce Peotter
Renee Ramirez
Steve Rosansky

Todd Spitzer nominated:
Dick Ackerman
Larry Bales
Michael J. Fox
Nora Lesnet
Hieu Nguyen
Chris Norby
Bruce Peotter
Renee Ramirez
Roy Reynolds
Steve Rosansky

Shawn Nelson nominated:
Dick Ackerman
Larry Bales
Hieu Nguyen
Chris Norby
Bruce Peotter
Renee Ramirez

Pat Bates nominated:
Dick Ackerman
Larry Bales
Steven Madoff
Hieu Nguyen
Chris Norby
Bruce Peotter
Renee Ramirez
Steve Rosansky
Harry Sidhu
Steven Waechter

Posted in Orange County, Orange County Board of Supervisors | 10 Comments »

NY Soda Ban Insanity

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on March 11, 2013

This is not an Orange County story as it originates in New York, but I felt compelled to chime in on the liberal insanity regarding the evils of soda. Let me first insert the disclaimer that I do not drink soda and as a hobby run a fitness review blog as well (shameless plug). Although I encourage people to not drink soda I believe that people can make that decision for themselves. I have tried to educate myself on the soda ban have feel that it is relevant today based on a judges decision to rule against the law.

The ban based on my reading would make it so that NY eating establishments could not sell sodas that come in a size of more than 16 ounces. This includes fast food places that have the soda fountains in them. The ban would not apply to supermarkets, convenience stores, and vending machines. Th most puzzling part on this proposed law is that it does not ban refills on 16 ounce drinks.

I find the definition of a sugary drink (the ban is technically on sugary drinks and not just soda). To be the most confusing. Certain drinks are exempt from being on the list of banned substances that are also unhealthy. If you own a bottle of fruit juice I dare you to look at what is actually in it. Although, I find this to be confusing as well and could be misinterpreting the law and fruit juices like cranberry would also be banned. Chime in down in the comment section if you have a definitive answer on this one.

Here is my favorite part, you would not be able to order 2 liter sodas with a pizza. I thought about this and realized that a major flaw existed with this part of the law. Last June I ordered the following from a local pizza place:

5 pizzas
3 bottles of soda (2 liters each)

What was I doing?

A) Being REALLY unhealthy thus proving that we should ban sodas and probably put a cap on the number of pizzas you can order.

B) Throwing an election night party with some friends and colleagues.

Earlier today a judge ruled against the sugary drink ban and decided that it was inconsistent in the way it applied to only certain beverages and also on the types of establishments that were included in the ban. Although, it would be fun to see speakeasies make a comeback.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

Moorlach: “…OC Political blog announced my intentions…”

Posted by Newsletter Reprint on March 9, 2013

This came over the wire from the office of Supervisor John Moorlach on Tuesday…

MOORLACH UPDATE — Huffington Post — March 5, 2013

Lamar Alexander, when he ran for U.S. President, would frequently say, “Aim for the top, there’s more room there.”  So, that’s what I’m doing.  If you want to get a good sense of the internal debate I’m currently enjoying, then the piece in the Huffington Post below should be of interest.  The writer does an excellent job of laying out the land. 

As you read the piece, let me clarify one thing.  I am not seeking publicity.  I had been keeping my phone calls so confidential, that when the OC Political blog announced my intentions, I had to call an emergency meeting to inform my staff of what I was considering.  And now I have to call friends with an apology that the news leaked before I had a chance to call and discuss the matter with them first.  Should someone else announce their intention to run for Governor, and it makes sense for me to support that person, then I’m out of the hunt.  And then I’ll consider other options.   After you read the piece, know that I am still moving forward with my decision process to aim for the top. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in 2nd Supervisorial District, California | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »