Lisa Bartlett, The Union-Backed Candidate In The Fifth District Supervisor Race
Posted by Greg Woodard on October 23, 2014
Robert Ming and Lisa Bartlett, both Republicans, emerged from the June open primary as the top-two vote getters for the Orange County Board of Supervisors race in the Fifth District. Ming (who I am supporting) and Bartlett will face off on November 4 for the privilege of representing most of south Orange County on the Board. I have known Ming for several years, and I can attest to his conservative credentials, and his character as a man. I do not know Bartlett, so I can only form an opinion based on her actions on the campaign trail, and, in my opinion, they do not reflect well on her.
In June, Bartlett issued a press release called “Ming’s Dings” that was an attack on Ming and his supposed policies “dinging the taxpayer.” However, as I previously reported, the release was riddled with false facts and errors. Despite being called out on those false assertions, I have not seen any retraction from Bartlett. In addition, while that first installment of “Ming’s Dings” promised subsequent regular reports of how Ming was supposedly dinging the taxpayer, I have not seen another installment. Apparently, Bartlett could only muster that one attack on Ming’s policies, and even that attack contained false facts.
On September 2, Bartlett issued a press release, again using false facts to erroneously claim that she was fundraising at a 2-1 clip against Ming. In fact, the true fundraising numbers showed a small difference between the two.
I know that candidates often embellish their mailers and take liberties with the way they portray their opponents. But what should not be tolerated is outright lies, and Bartlett has twice shown that she apparently cares more about smearing Ming than getting the facts right.
Equally troubling is that the public employee unions seem to be spending a lot of time and effort on Bartlett. I recently received a mailer from a local PAC in support of Bartlett that smeared Ming with the same false facts that Bartlett used in her “Ming’s Dings” hit piece. The PAC has received $18,000 from the Orange County Employees Association and the Orange County Professional Firefighters Association, both public employee unions. I reached out to Bartlett’s campaign for comment on whether her campaign had coordinated with the PAC on the mailer, or provided the PAC with the erroneous information, but she did not respond.
I recently learned that another public employee union, the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs has endorsed Bartlett.
As a conservative, all the union money and the endorsement thrown at Bartlett concern me. Public employee salaries and benefits are a huge County expenditure, and the unfunded pension liability threatens not only the current financial stability of Orange County, but also the future for my kids. Ming has a plan to reduce the unfunded liability by benchmarking public employee salaries to those earned in the private sector. Ming also is an advocate of transparency in the labor negotiation process. Ming also wants to solicit private-sector bids for services that are not core government functions.
Bartlett claims to be concerned with government spending, but her campaign website is short on any specifics about crushing salary and pension debt. Maybe that is why the Orange County Register recently endorsed Ming over Bartlett, stating “we found many of [Bartlett’s] responses to our questions more vague.”
The Register feels that Ming’s knowledge of fiscal management makes him the best-suited to the Board, and I would encourage the readers to vote for Ming in November.
This entry was posted on October 23, 2014 at 3:39 PM and is filed under 5th Supervisorial District, Orange County Board of Supervisors. Tagged: AOCDS, Fifth District, Lisa Bartlett, OCEA, Orange County Board of Supervisors, Robert Ming, unions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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Joe said
Bartlett has learned very quickly to whore herself to the unions not only will she do it for a nickel and dime, but she will lie all the time.
Lisa joins windy Bucknum and Dave Leckness as prime selling of their integrity – –to the unions.😣
OCInsider#33 said
Joe, your misogynistic tendencies with the use of the word “whore” are offensive.
Joe said
It is mean to be–truth hurts doesn’t it !
OCInsider#33 said
Wow, Robert must be so proud of your support. I know that Mr Ming’s campaign people are regulars on this site, I would appreciate if someone official from his campaign would disavow the use of the word “whore” to describe his female opponent. If not the 5th district race has a controversy headed its way.
Joe said
Supporter??– who are you kidding I’m just against idiots and I guess I classify you as one. If you had any knowledge of our representatives of the fifth district you’d realize for the past 20 years we’ve had morons and thieves has our representatives – – –
danavery said
so in other words, it doesn’t matter to Francis who wins and he’s just never matured past the point of hanging out at playgrounds and trying to pick fights.
Joe said
Then you never got past your freshman in high school Phys ed course
danavery said
Wow I didn’t realize you were really a troglodyte. I thought they disappeared, you know, with Somalia, but here you are. Like I said, wow. So do you breath through your mouth? I mean to say these are academic questions now. And your buddy Larry “NAMBLA” Gilbert, has he been helping you try to learn modern ways? So tell me…how many troglodyte’s were named “Francis” anyway? Was it a common name?
Joe said
Dan again you’ve demonstrated you can’t state anything clear or concise – –it must be that jumbled mass of blubber between your ears. Your air relevant Dan face it.
Joe said
As usual Avery proves he is a moron !
danavery said
Greg,
One of the best pieces of rhetoric ever written was “A Modest Proposal…” By Jonathan Swift. It is classic argumentation and the best piece of irony one can hold up to students as an example of how to think and win arguments. I held it up every semester. In that piece Swift establishes his ethos with the following: “I profess in the sincereity of my heart that I have not the least personal interest in endeavoring to promote this necessary work having no other motive than the public good of my country, by advancing our trade, providing for infants, relieving the poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich. I have no children by which I can propose to get a single penny; the youngest being nine years old, and my wife past child-bearing.” He is, in short, an honest man looking out for the good of Ireland by proposing that the rich British eat the Irish children of less than one year of age, and he won’t profit a single penny. So, why shouldn’t we trust him? Indeed. Swift establishes his ethos in the last paragraph, which is the strongest place to make a point, but it takes a highly skilled writer to pull it off.
You establish your ethos in the the first paragraph; the weakest point in the essay to make such a move. You go about establishing your authority to speak on this matter thusly: “Robert Ming and Lisa Bartlett, both Republicans, emerged from the June open primary as the top-two vote getters for the Orange County Board of Supervisors race in the Fifth District. Ming (who I am supporting) and Bartlett will face off on November 4 for the privilege of representing most of south Orange County on the Board. I have known Ming for several years, and I can attest to his conservative credentials, and his character as a man. I do not know Bartlett, so I can only form an opinion based on her actions on the campaign trail, and, in my opinion, they do not reflect well on her.”
Your first sentence is nicely factual, and it lulls us into wanting to trust you. However, the second sentence has a parenthetical thought that flat out tells us where your loyalties lie, and it’s surrounded by parenthesis which call undo attention to themselves. In fact, it screams at us that you support Ming no ifs ands or buts. You, in other words, unlike Reverend Swift, are not impartial. You do have something to gain. The third sentence tells us that you are a long time friend of Mr. Ming and then you go about describing him in the most general of terms: “conservative credentials” and “his character5 as a man.” Both statements could mean many things, so, in the end, they are meaningless. One begins to wonder what you are hiding about this long-term friend. And then, lo and behold, we find out you don’t know Lisa Bartlett at all so you will give us your flights of fancy based on your perceptions, which, by the way, you’ve given us ample reason to doubt. You? Interpret actions of someone you haven’t met? And we should trust you? Ho ho. That’s rich. Who the hell taught you how to write?
Look, let me be plain: the rest is musing, ungrounded at best, disrespectful and distorted at the worst. There’s just no way for the reader to know, since we already know you’re Robert Ming’s boy. You told us that much. That much we can trust. And holy cow, guess what? You come down on the side of Ming and against Bartlett. As Gomer Pyle used to say “Surprise, surprise, surprise…”
Joe said
As usual Dan you have some useless mad ramblings that I had absolutely no value! Stay on topic!
danavery said
Wow, Francis, I was actually commenting on Greg’s piece and not even addressing you. Clearly you don’t read and I’ve crawled way under your skin. But there I go again stating the obvious.
Joe said
Danny Boy–stay on topic. Or do we all have to endure more of your tripe ?
Joe said
Dan–all you state is nonsense. That acid soaked brain is in retrograde!
danavery said
Oh I am sorry Francis, I forget that actual intelligent discourse confuses you because of all the big words adults use. My bad.
Larry Gilbert said
What a dumb move by the MV PAC of co-mingling their city of Mission Vieo council race mailer with a compare and contrast in favor of Lisa Bartlett with Robert Ming for BOS on the same flyer. Beyond that fact is the issue of Lisa indirectly accepting money from organized labor after pledging not to accept any union contributions in her request for the GOP endorsement that was awarded to Robert.. OH, but she had no knowledge that the union was funding a mailer on her behalf. Sure. Right. Put that “stuff” in a plastic bag. It smells.
Joe said
Sorry Larry–Lisa does not like plastic bags. So wrap it up in the Saddleback Valley News and send it to Dan Avery !
danavery said
Said the man who spearheaded Measure D. And who backs Ming and his penchant for taking tax dollars and turning them into Jumbo loans with below-market terms like 5% down to city employees. Seems to me people should do the opposite of what you think Lar. Oh, and Lar, not everyone is a deviant as you. Some play it right off he top of the deck and don’t immediately resort to distorted facts, outright lies, and NAMBLA pranks. Hard for you to grasp I know. You think everyone has your political playbook.
Joe said
Dan–as usual you lie !
danavery said
Lighten up, Francis.
Joe said
Tell the truth Fat Boy !
Frank Ury said
Here you go Joe
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/foster-507714-city-loan.html
danavery said
Oh man, this guy thinks an $850,000 home is a fixer upper? Who in the heck did Ming crawl into bed with? Unbelievable. Hey, Frank, his name is Francis. And maybe you can explain the ad hominem argument to him and how when he uses it relentlessly he loses. Of course, that’s the only card he has to play, and I guess we all know what Francis is because of that.
Frank said
Avery for a person who has leached his whole life you best shut up and sit down !
Joe said
Dan–you are so full of shit it is not even funny anymore !
danavery said
Way to keep it clean and classy there, Francis.
Joe said
Cry me a river Dannyboy
Foster F. said
Dan is drinking his own Bong water ! He has quite a dissertation about it.
Joe said
Frank you are a loser ! Realize it you got your ass kicked in the Primary–just go away !
KenCoop said
Is it true that Robert Ming is being an endorsed by the former Executive Director of the Dem Party of OC?
Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?
Joe said
Bartlett it is known to take money from the Darkside. That is most likely coming from the advice that Frank Ury is giving her. She should realize that F. Ury got his Keister kicked in the primary and has little to offer.
KenCoop said
Joe, I didn’t ask about her supporters. I asked if it is true that Ming was endorsed by a former Exec Director of the DPOC?
Is that true? Does that mean Robert supports gay marriage and a woman’s right to choose? Those are two significant democratic issues.
danavery said
Ken, yes it is true. Why a dem would endorse him is beyond me, but we live in weird times. As for the two social issues you’ve mentioned, I have no idea of where Ming stands, but just because a Democrat endorses someone doesn’t mean that person believes what the Democrat believes. Sometimes, in order to save Democracy one has to work with people of different beliefs. That is especially true today. Ever since the last recall in M.V. I have been working along with conservatives to help preserve our high quality of life in Mission Viejo, our spectacular services, and our high home values. There is a group in town that would love to fire the School Resource officers, read higher crime, fire the school crossing guards, read lower safety, privatize the library, read ghettoize city services, and the list goes on. My home value would drop. It makes sense to team up. See what i mean?
KenCoop said
Dan, I totally understand your perspective.
I’d like to know where Ming stands on those issues amongst many others that would be considered liberal. Arguably one of the planks of liberalism is the support of organized labor. Something GOP did support back when I was a kid in the 50’s. IMO, it is what made the middle class strong and was part of the reason the US was a pre-eminent power in the 50’s thru the 80’s.
I have no problem with Ming being supported by an individual that actively supports the middle class.
Though I’m sure that endorsement arched a couple of eyebrows amongst the Ming supporters on the Lincoln Club.
Dan Avery said
KenCoop, thank you for the considered reply. They are rare online it seems. I think you’re correct in that the unions helped to make a strong middle class and a strong nation. I think the CEO’s back then also loved their country and wanted to do right by it and its citizens. And thing did change quickly after 1980; the middle class began to disappear. I have no problem with any politician who actively supports people and puts them ahead of the corporate elite and profits. I am am sure his endorsements raised a few Lincoln club eyebrows; it’s a shame his reckless home loan scheme didn’t do the same thing. One would think a true fiscal conservative would have problems taking tax dollars and turning them into a jumbo loan at below market rates for a city employee. I do wish people would quit moving the goal posts to suit their own whims.
KenCoop said
Dan, I totally agree. Why isn’t that benefit being afforded other city employees. I’m sure they would also like the opportunity to live in the city that employs them.
KenCoop said
Congratulations to Lisa.
Joe said
And thank the Unions too Ken !