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What Little We Know About the Justices on the Ballot

Posted by Chris Nguyen on November 4, 2014

GavelWell, if you’re like me, you already figured out who you’re going to vote for in most races on the ballot and which ballot measures you’re voting for and against quite some time ago.  However, you’re probably thoroughly confused about the justices on the ballot since they don’t campaign, and they don’t have ballot statements.  We’re literally staring at names on a ballot.

I realize the justices are usually retained by 70%+, but I still prefer to try to be informed with my vote, rather than blindly picking.  I also have to keep in mind, that if a “No” vote prevails for any justice, Governor Jerry Brown picks the replacement.

In my 11th hour research, I tried to learn more about the justices, so I figured since I had the info, I might as well share with our readers Election Morning:

Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court

  • Goodwin Liu
    Official Biography
    Law School Biography
    Wikipedia Biography
    Judgepedia Biography
    California Supreme Court Justice Since 2011, Appointed by Governor Jerry Brown (D)
    U.S. Senate Republicans filibustered his nomination to the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals by President Barack Obama (D)
    Professor of Law at UC Berkeley, 2003-2011
    Private Practice, O’Melveny & Meyers, 2001-2003
    Law Clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 2000-2001
    Special Assistant to the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education, 1999-2000
    Law Clerk for U.S. D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge David Tatel, 1998-1999
    Juris Doctor, Yale University
    Master’s in Philosophy and Physiology, Oxford University
    Bachelor’s in Biology, Stanford University
    Registered Democrat
  • Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar
    Law School Biography
    Wikipedia Biography
    Judgepedia Biography
    California Supreme Court Justice Appointed by Governor Jerry Brown (D), Will Take Office in 2015 if Approved by Voters
    Professor of Law at Stanford since 2001
    Special Assistant to the President for Justice and Regulatory Policy, 2009-2010
    Co-Chair, Immigration Policy Working Group for Obama-Biden Transition Team, 2008-2009
    Law Clerk for U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Judge Mary Schroeder, 2000-2001
    Senior Advisor to the U.S. Undersecretary of the Treasury, 1997-1999
    Bachelor’s in Government and Political Psychology, Harvard University
    Master’s in Political Science, Stanford University
    Juris Doctor, Yale University
    Ph.D. in Political Science, Stanford University
    Registered Democrat
  • Kathryn Mickle Werdegar
    Official Biography
    Wikipedia Biography
    Judgepedia Biography
    California Supreme Court Justice Since 1994, Appointed by Governor Pete Wilson (R)
    California First Circuit Court of Appeal Justice, 1988-1994, Appointed by Governor George Deukmejian (R)
    Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco
    Senior Staff Attorney, California Courts of Appeal and California Supreme Court
    Director of Criminal Law Division for Continuing Education at the California State Bar
    United States Department of Justice
    Bachelor’s, University of California, Berkeley
    Juris Doctor, George Washington University (Began Law Work at UC Berkeley)
    Registered Republican

There’s a lot less info out there about the appellate justices than the Supreme Court justices.

Associate Justices of the California 4th District Court of Appeal, Division 1

  • Terry B. O’Rourke
    Official Biography
    Judgepedia Biography
    California Fourth District Court of Appeal Associate Justice Since 1998, Appointed by Governor Pete Wilson (R)
    San Diego County Superior Court Judge, 1987-1998, Appointed by Governor George Deukmejian (R)
    Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge, 1984-1987, Appointed by Governor George Deukmejian (R)
    Private Practice, 1973-1984
    Bachelor’s, Claremont McKenna College
    Juris Doctor, Harvard University
    Registered Republican
  • Gilbert Nares
    Official Biography
    Judgepedia Biography
    California Fourth District Court of Appeal Justice Since 1988, Appointed by Governor George Deukmejian (R)
    San Diego County Superior Court Judge, 1978-1998, Appointed by Governor Jerry Brown (D)
    San Diego County Municipal Court Judge, 1976-1978, Appointed by Governor Jerry Brown (D)
    Private Practice, Daubney, Banche, Patterson & Nares, 1968-1976
    Bachelor’s in Economics and Philosophy, University of San Diego
    Juris Doctor, University of San Diego
    Registered Republican
  • Alex C. McDonald
    Official Biography
    Judgepedia Biography
    California Fourth District Court of Appeal Associate Justice Since 1995, Appointed by Governor Pete Wilson (R)
    Private Practice, 1963-1995
    Law Clerk for California Supreme Court Justice Raymond Peters
    Bachelor’s in Industrial Engineering, Stanford University
    Bachelor of Laws, University of California, Berkeley
    Master of Laws, University of Virginia
    Registered Republican
  • James A. McIntyre
    Official Biography
    Wikipedia Biography
    Judgepedia Biography
    California Fourth District Court of Appeal Justice Since 1996, Appointed by Governor Pete Wilson (R)
    San Diego County Superior Court Judge, 1993-1996, Appointed by Governor Pete Wilson (R)
    Private Practice, McInnis, Fitzgerald, Rees, Sharkey & McIntyre, 1963-1993
    Bachelor’s in Philosophy, Brown University
    Bachelor of Laws, Stanford University
    Registered Republican

Associate Justice of the California 4th District Court of Appeal, Division 2

  • Thomas E. Hollenhorst
    Official Biography
    Judgepedia Biography
    California Fourth District Court of Appeal Associate Justice Since 1988, Appointed by Governor George Deukmejian (R)
    Riverside County Superior Court Judge, 1981-1988, Appointed by Governor Jerry Brown (D)
    Riverside County Municipal Court Judge, 1981-1981, Appointed by Governor Jerry Brown (D)
    Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, 1972-1981
    Bachelor’s, San Jose State University
    Juris Doctor, University of California, Hastings
    Master of Laws, University of Virginia
    Registered Democrat

Presiding Justice of the California 4th District Court of Appeal, Division 3

  • Kathleen E. O’Leary
    Official Biography
    Judgepedia Biography
    California Fourth District Court of Appeal Presiding Justice Since 2012, Appointed by Governor Jerry Brown (D)
    California Fourth District Court of Appeal Associate Justice, 2000-2012, Appointed by Governor Gray Davis (D)
    Orange County Superior Court Judge, 1986-2000, Appointed by Governor George Deukmejian (R)
    Orange County Municipal Court Judge, 1981-1986, Appointed by Governor Jerry Brown (D)
    Private Practice, 1975-1981
    Bachelor’s, Loyola Marymount University
    Juris Doctor, Southwestern University
    Registered Democrat

Associate Justices of the California 4th District Court of Appeal, Division 3

  • William F. Rylaarsdam
    Official Biography
    Wikipedia Biography
    Judgepedia Biography
    California Fourth District Court of Appeal Associate Justice Since 1995, Appointed by Governor Pete Wilson (R)
    California Fourth District Court of Appeal Acting Presiding Justice, 2011-2012, Appointed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye
    Orange County Superior Court Judge, 1986-1995, Appointed by Governor George Deukmejian (R)
    Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge, 1985-1986, Appointed by Governor George Deukmejian (R)
    Private Practice, 1964-1985
    Bachelor’s, University of California, Berkeley
    Juris Doctor, Loyola Law School
    Master of Laws, University of Virginia
    Registered Republican
  • Richard M. Aronson
    Official Biography
    Judgepedia Biography
    California Fourth District Court of Appeal Associate Justice Since 2001, Appointed by Governor Gray Davis (D)
    California Fourth District Court of Appeal Associate Justice Pro Tempore, 2000-2001
    Orange County Superior Court Judge, 1996-2000, Appointed by Governor Pete Wilson (R)
    Superior Court Commissioner, 1989-1996
    Senior Staff Attorney, California Courts of Appeal, 1988-1989
    Supervisor of Writs and Appeals, Orange County Public Defender’s Office, 1980-1988
    Deputy District Attorney, San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, 1976-1979
    Private Practice, 1964-1985
    Bachelor’s, University of San Diego
    Juris Doctor, University of San Diego
    Master of Laws, University of Virginia
    Registered Republican
  • David A. Thompson
    Official Biography
    Judgepedia Biography
    California Fourth District Court of Appeal Associate Justice Since 2012, Appointed by Governor Jerry Brown (D)
    Orange County Superior Court Judge, 1998-2012, Appointed by Governor Pete Wilson (R)
    Private Practice, Morrison and Foerster, 1988-1997
    Private Practice, Rutan and Tucker, 1984-1988
    Staff Attorney, California Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Three, 1983
    Superior Court Commissioner, 1989-1996
    Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Georgetown University
    Juris Doctor, University of California, Los Angeles
    Registered Republican
  • Richard D. Fybel
    Official Biography
    Judgepedia Biography
    California Fourth District Court of Appeal Associate Justice Since 2002, Appointed by Governor Gray Davis (D)
    Orange County Superior Court Judge, 2000-2002, Appointed by Governor Gray Davis (D)
    Private Practice, Morrison and Foerster, 1981-2000
    Private Practice, Nossaman, Guthner, Knox & Elliot, 1971-1981
    Bachelor’s in Business Administration, University of California, Los Angeles
    Juris Doctor, University of California, Los Angeles
    Registered Democrat

Posted in California | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

OC GOP Sends Out Mailer Condemning Katherine Daigle for Use of Party Logo

Posted by Chris Nguyen on October 30, 2014

For years, candidates who did not have the Republican Party endorsement have used creative ways of implying that they’re endorsed by the party, sometimes through creative wording, other times with creative logos.

This year, the Republican Party of Orange County has been more aggressive in trying to curb these inaccurate implied endorsements and has been sending cease-and-desist letters to various candidates who have attempted to imply endorsements from the Republican Party despite not actually being endorsed.

It seems Irvine Mayoral Candidate Katherine Daigle went too far this time.  She has been using the official Republican Party logo for her campaign.  She too received a cease-and-desist letter.

Among the items mentioned in the cease-and-desist letter sent to several candidates is a threat that the party will “communicate this information to the citizens” of the area where the candidate is running.

The warning to Daigle reads in full: “Any further unauthorized use of our logo, including any further use of the mailers or signs in question, or any other attempt to falsely imply that you have been endorsed by the Republican Party will cause us to seek legal remedies and communicate this information to the citizens of Irvine to expose this deception.”

Apparently, Daigle didn’t heed the warning, and so today, a mailer landed in the mailboxes of Irvine Republicans blasting Daigle for “attempting to fool Republican voters” and blasting her using terms like “deceit,” “dishonest,” “trademark infringement,” “unethical,” and “illegal.”

The mailer even noted, “In Irvine’s last city election, Daigle tried to play the role of spoiler to get Larry Agran elected.  She was exposed as a plant candidate and both she and her friend Agran were thoroughly rejected at the polls.”

The OC GOP showed the threat has bite, and by making an example out of Katherine Daigle, other OC candidates may think twice before attempting to falsely imply a Republican Party endorsement in the future.  (Granted Irvine is a high priority for the OC GOP, so Daigle was a more tempting-than-average target, but what future candidate wants to gamble that they won’t get hit?)

Here’s the mailer for those interested in seeing it in its full glory, including a copy of the cease-and-desist letter from OC GOP Chairman Scott Baugh:

OCGOP Mailer Re Daigle Logo (Front)

OCGOP Mailer Re Daigle Letter (Back)

 

Posted in Irvine, Republican Central Committee | Tagged: , | 5 Comments »

Live from OC GOP Central Committee: Final Round of Endorsements

Posted by Chris Nguyen on October 20, 2014

We’re live from OC GOP Central Committee for the final round of endorsements to decide on the recommendations of the Endorsements Committee, which we covered here. Please recall that the OC GOP Central Committee already made official early endorsements in August and regular endorsements in September. Tonight are late endorsements.

With the Legislature out of session, several legislators are present, including Diane Harkey and Don Wagner. Despite this, it’s a thin crowd tonight with few controversial items and campaigns underway.

In addition to Harkey and Wagner, other elected officials present are Gene Hernandez, Craig Young, Diane Harkey, Don Wagner, Fred Whitaker, Jeff Lalloway, Mark McCurdy, Sandra Crandall, David Bass, Robert Ming, Mike Munzing, Tony Beall, Todd Spitzer, Greg Sebourn, and Scott Voigts.

The Central Committee hears from Youth Associates Mason Sayer and Laura Hall about the children’s book they helped put together, Sophie Votes Republican.

Chairman Scott Baugh speaks about the US House of Representatives, including key seats in California. He also speaks about the US Senate.

Baugh speaks about Janet Nguyen’s Senate race and Young Kim’s Assembly race. He briefly mentions local races and there is guffawing when Baugh speaks about David Shawver being “a bad boy” in Stanton.

Assemblywoman Diane Harkey expresses her confidence in Supervisor Janet Nguyen’s victory in her Senate race and makes a plea to defend Senator Andy Vidak’s seat. Assemblyman Don Wagner speaks about Mayor Mario Guerra’s bid to defeat former Assemblyman Tony Mendoza in Ron Calderon’s Senate seat.

Rebecca Friedrichs, lead plaintiff in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association (CTA), speaks to the Central Committee. She discusses union warchests and how they’re acquired by payroll deduction of forced dues.

Friedrichs discusses her experience as a teacher in a unionized school. She spoke of incompetent teachers who had tenure and union backing. She speaks of being forced to be in a union that uses her dues to fight for political causes she opposes.

Friedrichs states union claims of being allowed to opt out of the union are only a 35% rebate of overtly campaign spending but is still forced as an agency fee payer to pay for politically oriented conferences, collective bargaining, etc. She notes that teachers who opt out are harassed, lose liability insurance, and can’t vote on contracts. Friedrichs says the opt out has to be filed every year under union rules.

Friedrichs rejoined the CTA at one point and became a local CTA representative in an effort to change CTA from the inside. She speaks of CTA leaders forcing all local representatives to tow the line.

Friedrichs speaks about the 10 plaintiffs, including herself, who filed a federal lawsuit against the CTA. She says they want to allow individual employees to opt out of their union and end forced dues. The case is now pending before the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Friedrichs and her fellow plaintiffs intend to lose at the Ninth Circuit in order to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Abood v. Detroit Board of Education. She urges people to visit cir-usa.org to learn about the case and donate to defray the legal expenses.

Central Commitee Chairman Baugh passes the floor to Endorsements Committee Chairman Mark Bucher.

On tonight’s docket are:
*David Bass – Lake Forest City Council
*William L. (Bill) Green – South Coast Water District
*Miguel A. Gonzalez – Santa Ana City Council, Ward 6
*Rene Gomez – Santa Ana City Council, Ward 2
*Bryan Palomares – Stanton City Council
*Annette Gibson – Laguna Beach Unified School District
*Jon Peat – Cypress City Council

Bucher notes Palomares’s efforts to fight the Measure GG sales tax increase in Stanton.

Jennifer Beall pulls Palomares from the endorsement list because she would like him to respond to a few questions.

ALL BUT PALOMARES ENDORSED.

Scott Peotter moves and Mary Young seconds an endorsement for Bryan Palomares for Stanton City Council.

Beall asks if Palomares is running with a Democrat named Keith Carr.

Bucher says the Endorsements Committee vetted this. He said Democrat Carr also opposes Measure GG but Palomares is not running with him. Bucher says pro-GG Republicans are spreading mistruths about Palomares.

Beall appreciates the response and supports the endorsement.

PALOMARES ENDORSED UNANIMOUSLY FOR STANTON CITY COUNCIL.

State Treasurer Candidate Greg Conlon speaks to the Central Committee. He speaks about California’s credit rating. He speaks about jobs. He wants to lower corporate taxes. He says he won his debate against John Chiang. He says Chiang opposes term limits and wants to undo Prop 13. Conlon says he needs 4.5 million votes to win in 2014. He notes 4 million Republicans voted in 2012.

Second Vice Chair Mary Young uses her report to thank every volunteer.

Treasurer Mark Bucher says the bills are paid.

Assistant Treasurer TJ Fuentes says all dues are paid, except for some of the ex officio members (ex officio members are members of Congress, Board of Equalization members, state legislators, and Republican nominees for those offices).

Parliamentarian Kermit Marsh notes the Ethics Committee has not yet needed to meet because no one has filed an ethics complaint.

Meeting adjourns at 8:18 PM.

Posted in Republican Central Committee | Leave a Comment »

Yorba Linda Recall Recap: 17% Margin Against Recall, Rikel Loses Replacement Race, Palmer Shows Weakness for November

Posted by Chris Nguyen on October 8, 2014

With all precincts reporting and 11,374 ballots counted of the estimated 12,500 ballots cast, the Yorba Linda recall of October 7, 2014, is clearly over – ironically on the 11th anniversary of the day that Governor Gray Davis was recalled on October 7, 2003.  Republican Yorba Linda Councilmen Craig Young and Tom Lindsey have handily defeated their recalls 59%-41%, becoming the first Orange County officeholders to defeat a recall at the ballot box since Mission Viejo Councilman Robert Curtis beat back a recall on February 27, 1990 (and Mission Viejo was incorporated in 1988).  Even if all ~1,100 outstanding ballots were cast in favor of the recall (which is impossible), Young and Lindsey are already beating their recalls by 2,000 ballots as it is.  It was a resounding victory against the first recall election in Yorba Linda’s 47-year history.

Recall proponents in the group Yorba Linda Residents for Responsible Representation (YLRRR) under the efforts of recall candidate Nancy Rikel submitted 9,000 signatures to qualify the recall, but could barely get half that number of people to vote in favor of the recall.

As the numbers were counted through the course of the night, the numbers continued to grow stronger against the recall and against both YLRRR-backed candidates, showing poll voters even more strongly against the recall and the YLRRR-backed candidates than early absentee voters.  As the campaigns for and against the recall wore on, the more the voters turned against the recall and its supporters.

Shall Thomas H. Lindsey be recalled (removed) from the office of City Council Member?
Completed Precincts: 22 of 22
Vote Count Percentage
Yes 4,684 41.3%
No 6,648 58.7%
Shall Craig Young be recalled (removed) from the office of City Council Member?
Completed Precincts: 22 of 22
Vote Count Percentage
Yes 4,691 41.5%
No 6,601 58.5%

To add insult to injury for Rikel, early absentee voters had her leading in the race to replace Young 53%-47%.  When all poll voters were accounted for, she was losing to anti-recall candidate J. Minton Brown, Jr., a complete political unknown until this recall election.  As the campaign wore on, more and more Yorba Linda voters turned on Rikel.

Candidates to succeed Craig Young if he is recalled.
Completed Precincts: 22 of 22
Vote Count Percentage
J. MINTON BROWN JR. 4,412 50.1%
NANCY RIKEL 4,400 49.9%

The one bright spot for YLRRR and the only minor dark cloud for anti-recall forces was in the election for the replacement candidate if Lindsey were recalled.  YLRRR-backed Jeff Decker handily beat anti-recall Matt Palmer.  While neither Brown nor Rikel is on the November ballot, both Decker and Palmer are running for Council seats in November.  Lindsey is also running for re-election in November; if the recall had succeeded, Lindsey would have only missed out on the final weeks of his current term, which expires in November.

With Palmer unable to capitalize on the anti-recall wave in October against Decker, this does not bode well for him in November when he won’t even have the coattails against the recall available to him.  YLRRR will likely continue to support Decker, but those who are anti-YLRRR will have to unite behind a different candidate with a better chance of beating Decker.

Candidates to succeed Thomas H. Lindsey if he is recalled.
Completed Precincts: 22 of 22
Vote Count Percentage
JEFFREY N. DECKER 4,574 52.3%
MATT PALMER 4,167 47.7%

While the percentages seem to show Rikel and Decker outperforming the recall, that’s not true when you look at the actual votes cast.  More people voted for either recall than voted for Rikel or Decker.  The numbers bare out one clear conclusion when looking at the anti-recall votes, a significant number of Yorba Lindans voted “No” on the Recall and refused to vote for any of the replacement candidates.  Clearly, voters heeded the “No on the Recall” campaign’s clear message (avoiding the infamous and schizophrenic message of “No on the Recall, Yes on Bustamante” that confused anti-recall Democrats 11 years ago).

Posted in Yorba Linda | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

BREAKING NEWS: Yorba Linda Recall Going Down in Flames

Posted by Chris Nguyen on October 7, 2014

For the first time in nearly a quarter-century, a recall in Orange County has been defeated at the ballot box.

In early returns, Yorba Linda voters have overwhelmingly defeated the recall attempts against Mayor Craig Young and Councilman Tom Lindsey by a 58%-42% margin.

In the now-moot replacement candidate race, pro-recall candidates Nancy Rikel and Jeff Decker led anti-recall candidates J. Minton Brown and Matt Palmer by 53%-47% margins.  However, Rikel and Decker got fewer votes than Yes on the Recall did, so it’s quite likely a significant number of voters who opposed the recall refused to vote for replacement candidates.

Young will be able to serve out his term until it expires in 2016. Lindsey will be able to serve out his term until it expires in November. Lindsey is seeking reelection on the November ballot.

Posted in Yorba Linda | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

OC GOP Endorsements Committee: Round 3 of 3

Posted by Chris Nguyen on October 7, 2014

We’re here for the third and final meeting of the OC GOP Endorsements Committee who will make recommendations to the OC GOP Central Committee.

The Endorsements Committee is chaired by Mark Bucher. Members include Jerry Jackson, Jeff Matthews, Peggy Huang, Mary Young, and Thomas Gordon. Gordon arrives after the second candidate, Bill Green.

On tonight’s docket are:

  • David Bass – Lake Forest City Council
  • William L. (Bill) Green – South Coast Water District
  • Miguel A. Gonzalez – Santa Ana City Council, Ward 6
  • Rene Gomez – Santa Ana City Council, Ward 2
  • Bryan Palomares – Stanton City Council
  • Annette Gibson – Laguna Beach Unified School District
  • Jon Peat – Cypress City Council

Dave Bass was appointed to the Lake Forest City Council in 2013 to replace Peter Herzog. He speaks about his extensive background in municipal government finance. He was brought in to help Bell recover money from its indicted City Council, City Manager, and Assistant City Manager.

Scott Voigts speaks on behalf of Bass. He speaks about his conservative credentials and council qualifications.

Jeff Matthews asks if there are still enough spots for endorsement available.

Mark Bucher confirms there are.

Peggy Huang asks about eminent domain.

Bass says he would support eminent domain for public purposes such as a park.

Mary Young asks if he’d support eminent domain for a park if several homes were seized.

Bass says he would not.

BASS RECOMMENDED UNANIMOUSLY FOR ENDORSEMENT FOR LAKE FOREST CITY COUNCIL.

Bill Green is permitted to conference call in from Hawaii. He served in the military, and in his first election, he volunteered for Richard Nixon. He worked in private industry for 35 years. He speaks about his son who worked for Darrell Issa. He speaks about his campaign team. He was Dennis Hollingsworth’s alternate on the Riverside County Central Committee and headed the Riverside County Lincoln Club.

Peggy Huang asks about Green’s position on Proposition 1, the state water bond.

He states he is generally opposed to bonds but supports the water bond especially with the current drought.

Huang asks him about his statements on his questionnaire about fiscal health of the district.

He speaks about increasing efficiency, recycled water, and various other water policy issues.

Huang asks about the Bay Delta peripheral canal or the Governor’s tunnel.

Green would be open to either one. His goal is ensuring water flow. He will be on a Metropolitan Water District inspection tour later in October.

Mark Bucher expresses his awe at Huang’s water knowledge.

Huang explains her experience working on state water legislation.

Green’s phone disconnects.

GREEN RECOMMENDED UNANIMOUSLY FOR ENDORSEMENT FOR SOUTH COAST WATER DISTRICT.

Mike Gonzalez speaks about being a businessman in Santa Ana. He speaks about his community volunteerism.

Maribel Marroquin speaks about Gonzalez’s contributions of time, money, and food to her Maribel’s volunteers.

Clare Venegas of the Lincoln Club speaks about Gonzalez being endorsed by the Lincoln Club. She speaks about the help he has provided to Latino outreach efforts for Republicans.

Candidate Rene Gomez speaks about immigrating to the United States at age 14. He went to Santa Ana High School. He joined the army during the Persian Gulf War though he was deployed to Germany. He served in the National Guard afterward for six years. He earned his degree and entered business. He speaks of burdensome government regulations and taxation.

Jerry Jackson asks Gonzalez and Gomez about why they support Obamacare. The committee clarifies the question says they support the repeal of Obamacare. Jackson misread the question.

Young moves and Gordon seconds as Robert Hammond jokingly heckles in support.

GONZALEZ AND GOMEZ RECOMMENDED UNANIMOUSLY FOR ENDORSEMENT FOR SANTA ANA CITY COUNCIL.

Bryan Palomares is a 10-year Stanton homeowner and son of a single mother. He speaks about his wife and children. He went back to school in his late 20s and earned his MBA in his 30s.

Clare Venegas of the Lincoln Club speaks citing the club’s opposition to Measure GG, the sales tax increase in Stanton. She met Palomares who told her of his life story, his community efforts, and his opposition to sales tax increases while there have been significant pay raises for City employees.

Alexandria Coronado speaks against Palomares. She cites his protests in front of the Stanton Republican Headquarters.

Bucher and Venegas state they were both at the protest which opposed Measure GG – the same position the party has taken. However, Bucher notes David Shawver is in charge of the Stanton Headquarters. Shawver strongly supports Measure GG.

Coronado says Shawver’s wife and another woman are the ones running it day to day even though Shawver’s name is on the lease.

Young expresses outrage that Yes on GG walks are being run out of the Stanton Republican headquarters when the party endorsed No on GG.

Venegas the passes out photos of the Yes on GG walk at the Stanton Republican headquarters despite the OC GOP endorsing No on GG.

Venegas posted No on GG signs on the headquarters which were removed within an hour.

Huang asks Palomares about his answer on the city’s fiscal health on the questionnaire.

Palomares says he would pay employees commensurate with the market and education levels. He notes salary.com shows salaries of $35K-$40K on average for secretaries versus Stanton secretaries making nearly double. He cites various pieces of land purchased needlessly by Stanton and the city’s unwillingness to sell them.

Gordon asks about Kevin Carr adding Palomares on his flyers.

Palomares says he did not authorize that. He states that Carr has been a thorn in Shawver’s side. Palomares and Carr do agree in their opposition to both Measure GG and Shawver.

The Endorsements Committee criticizes Shawver as they have documents showing Shawver criticizing Palomares.

Palomares disputes Shawver’s claims of cronyism by pointing out that of the five incumbent Stanton City Council members, they live in two neighborhoods.

Bucher reminds the committee that Shawver ran with extensive union backing against John Moorlach for Supervisor. He warns that Shawver will likely launch a behind the scenes campaign to derail the endorsement of Palomares.

PALOMARES RECOMMENDED UNANIMOUSLY FOR ENDORSEMENT FOR STANTON CITY COUNCIL.

Annette Gibson rattles off a lot of information about the Laguna Beach Unified School District. She criticizes the district’s consultant contracts. She calls for greater fiscal accountability in the district. She speaks against Common Core.

Robert Hammond supports her under questioning from Mark Bucher.

Clare Venegas of the Lincoln Club says the club has endorsed Gibson.

Bucher asks Gibson about charter schools.

Gibson says she supports charter schools and the free market.

Peggy Huang asks about the consultants.

Gibson rattles off a number of high-dollar value consulting contracts from the district.

Thomas Gordon asks about the field of candidates.

Gibson says there are four candidates running for three seats. There are only two incumbents running.

GIBSON RECOMMENDED UNANIMOUSLY FOR ENDORSEMENT FOR LAGUNA BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT.

Alexandria Coronado says Jon Peat is absent due to needing to stay late on a work project at Raytheon. She says he is a great conservative and is the best candidate for Cypress City Council and is endorsed by the 2010 Republican-endorsed Councilman Rob Johnson.

The Endorsements Committee makes more jokes about David Shawver during their discussion of Peat’s endorsement request.

PEAT RECOMMENDED UNANIMOUSLY FOR ENDORSEMENT FOR CYPRESS CITY COUNCIL.

Endorsements Committee adjourns at 6:55 PM. The Central Committee will vote on the recommendation on October 20.

Posted in Cypress, Laguna Beach Unified School District, Lake Forest, Republican Central Committee, Santa Ana, South Coast Water District | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Protest Underway at Stanton GOP HQ Over Measure GG Sales Tax Increase

Posted by Chris Nguyen on September 20, 2014

A small protest is underway at the OC GOP Headquarters in Stanton against the Measure GG Sales Tax Increase on the November ballot.  While the OC GOP has officially endorsed against Measure GG, the headquarters is being run by Stanton Councilman David Shawver, who has vocally advocated the Measure GG Sales Tax Increase.

Shawver is hosting a meeting for some delegates of the California Republican Party, as the state party convention is underway this weekend.

The protesters are objecting to an atmosphere of tax-and-spend by Republicans, led by Shawver.  The protesters are also objecting to Measure GG’s sales tax increase that is 12.5% higher than the existing sales tax.

Additionally, the protesters have raised concerns that City resources are being used to promote the ballot measure, as can be seen on this page on the City of Stanton web site (in case the page gets taken down, OC Political has taken the liberty of archiving the page here) or this City press release.

The City of Stanton has argued that it has been cutting its budget to the bone since 2011, cutting $9 million from its general fund since then.  The protesters have raised concerns about the adequacy of these cuts, citing the levels of salaries of City employees and citing pay raises granted during since 2011, when the City is asking the voters to increase the sales tax:

  • $162,504: City Manager (15% pay raise in 2012)
  • $141,312: Community Development Director (5% pay raises in 2011 and 2012)
  • $134,580: Public Works Director/City Engineer
  • $128,172: Administrative Services Director
  • $122,076: Community Services Director (5% pay raise on August 12, 2014, just six months after becoming Community Services Director)
  • $97,572: Accounting Manager
  • $78,132: Code Enforcement/Parking Control Supervisor
  • $78,132: Facilities Maintenance Supervisor (5% pay raise on April 22, 2014)
  • $78,132: Associate Planner (5% pay raises in 2011, 2012, and 2013)

The full text of Measure GG is available from the Registrar of Voters (it’s the first 3.5 pages of the PDF).  The City Attorney’s impartial analysis is on page 4.  While the proponents of the Measure GG sales tax increase have dubbed it the “9-1-1/Public Safety and Essential City Services Protection Measure,” the impartial analysis notes, “The City would not be required to use the revenues raised by Measure GG for any special purpose or for any particular program or service.”

Pages 5-6 of the PDF from the Registrar has the argument in favor of GG, argument against GG, and the rebuttals to those two arguments.

Posted in Stanton | Tagged: , | 13 Comments »

Live from the Costa Mesa City Council Feet to the Fire Candidate Forum

Posted by Chris Nguyen on September 18, 2014

We’re live from the Costa Mesa City Council candidate forum sponsored by the Feet to the Fire Forum, a lively debate sponsored by the Daily Pilot and Voice of OC.

Your intrepid blogger walked in late due to having never been on the Orange Coast College campus before, and having to search for the right building.

All the candidates are present except for Katrina Foley.

Daily Pilot Editor John Canalis asks about density. Two loud women scream from the audience.

Jim Righeimer says no changes have been made to any zoning. No variance has allowed people to place more units than permitted under zoning. The two loud women object again when Righeimer points out Foley voted for variances that allow more units than zoning allowed for certain areas.

Jay Humphrey complains about density in an unincorporated area that Costa Mesa is about to annex (Colleen island).

Rita Simpson says each project needs to be mitigated but she supports the annexation of the expensive apartments in the Colleen island.

Alicia Perez of the Daily Pilot asks about lot sizes. Barbara Venezia of the Daily Pilot asks about LAFCO processes and maintaining prior zoning like in Santa Ana Heights.

Tony Capitelli suggests adding bike loans and public transportation.

Norberto Santana of the Voice of OC asks Righeimer about the Costa Mesa City birthday party and a legal settlement involving Dan Joyce, who oversaw the party.

Jim Righeimer says he is not allowed to answer personnel issues, but he does note that some people involved violated city procurement policies.

Jay Humphrey called it a mismanagement of the process.

An obnoxious group of about 20 people out of an audience of 100 keep cheering for every word that Humphrey says and booing everything Righeimer says, sometimes before he even finish his sentence.

Al Melone expresses concern about debating a personnel issue in public.

Lee Ramos says this is beating a dead horse. He says the party was done irresponsibly, but the Council by a 5-0 vote has resolved the issue.

Barbara Venezia of the Daily Pilot asks about a sports park at Fairview Park.

Lee Ramos says he reveres Fairview Park the way it is. He calls for a study. He has spoken with Parks Commissioners and the school district. He speaks about asking community members and stakeholders for their perspectives.

Alicia Lopez of the Daily Pilot asks about community input.

Jim Righeimer says listening is not trying to be all things to all people and doing what each public commenter says.

Tony Capitelli says perception is reality in politics. He says Righeimer is unable to build consensus on important issues like homelessness. He wishes to revert to the old public comment policy. He says the Council has executive, legislative, and judicial functions.

John Canalis of the Daily Pilot asks about the old public comment system where all public commenters spoke at the beginning of Council meetings while the new policy has part of public comment at the beginning of the meeting and the remainder at the end.

Chris Bunyan blasts the new policy stating that Righeimer implemented it because he didn’t like being criticized.

Jay Humphrey says they didn’t have this problem in the past.

Chris Bunyan interjects that Righeimer caused public uproar about the Council.

Barbara Venezia of the Daily Pilot asks about why Costa Mesa didn’t join Newport Beach on group homes.

Jim Righeimer points out that a judge ruled against Newport Beach. He states it is important to follow state and federal law.

Chris Bunyan criticizes the structure of a task force on rehabilitation homes. He says no data is being collected. He points to an ordinance in the City of Orange that limits distances between rehabilitation homes. Bunyan blames the rehabilitation homes and the bed count for increasing crime on the east side.

Al Melone says the city is on the right track. He says the City cannot endure multimillion lawsuits for violating state law.

Rits Simpson expresses her agreement with Melone.

Barbara Venezia of the Daily Pilot asks about campaign contributions from rehabilitation homes.

Jim Righeimer says he returned the sole contribution he received from rehabilitation homes while the other candidates indicated that they did not receive any.

Jay Humphrey says Wendy Leece introduced the city’s rehabilitation home ordinance.

Lee Ramos expresses concern about the city’s political fracturing. He says Costa Mesa has to work together. He points to a local community group who is working on the rehabilitation home issue. He says it doesn’t matter who gets credit as long as the right thing is done (pointing to Humphrey crediting Leece on an ordinance).

John Canalis of the Daily Pilot asks about the Costa Mesa Police Department’s staffing levels.

Jim Righeimer notes crime rates dropped in 2013. (I’ve never heard audience members boo dropping crime rates until I came to this candidate forum.) He says all cities cut police during the 2008-09 financial crisis, which he notes was a decision the Costa Mesa Council made before Righeimer was elected. He notes changes to city HR policies to more efficiently hire additional personnel to restore former police staffing levels.

Norberto Santana of the Voice of OC questions if Righeimer is consistent with his prior statements about changing policing methods.

Jim Righeimer says it makes sense to utilize police helicopters in partnership with neighboring cities rather than having one helicopter for a single city.

Jay Humphrey expresses concern about having new police officers instead of lateral transfers. He says Costa Mesa is not getting the top quality people applying for police jobs, just the bottom people.

Chris Bunyan says code enforcement is part of public safety, not just police and fire. He again refers to group homes. He says police have no reason to come to Righeimer’s city.

Tony Capitelli speaks about good friends who left the Costa Mesa Police Department for other cities. He says the City needs to come together.

Lee Ramos says he met with the City Manager. He says the new police chief came in and had a decrease in staffing levels. Ramos would like to increase police staffing levels over 18 months.

Al Melone wants to recruit police officers from cold states using the weather to attract top quality experienced police officers rather than local rookies.

Chris Bunyan points to vice squads and K9 units needing experienced police.

John Canalis of the Daily Pilot asks about Righeimer dropping his lawsuit against the police union.

Jim Righeimer says he would be willing to drop the suit if the union, its law firm, and its private investigator would come clean. He expresses concern about the law firm extorting city councils on behalf of police unions.

Jay Humphrey says the suit needs to be dropped to bring calm to the city, which would attract lateral transfers to the police department.

Norberto Santana of the Voice of OC asks Righeimer if he’s really going after the police system.

Jim Righeimer says the police union and the police department are separate entities. He says there are a lot of police officers who didn’t like what the police union did. He says unions have done this in other cities.

Alicia Perez of the Daily Pilot suggests that Righeimer’s attitude has been anti-union and that’s a non-local issue that gives the perception of not caring about the city. She asks if he’s interested in higher office.

Jim Righeimer says he has young children and doesn’t want to go to Sacramento. Righeimer says there is a massive pension liability.

Norberto Santana of the Voice of OV asks if 65% of Costa Mesa’s budget is the appropriate amount to spend on police and fire. He asks if it’s sustainable.

Jay Humphrey says the level is correct and has been the level for years. He calls public safety the app

Tony Capitelli says 65% is sustainable but not with 19% for pensions.

Lee Ramos says 80% is more appropriate for sustainability.

Al Melone is fine with 65%-80% but calls for increasing the retirement age for pensions.

Rita Simpson says CalPERS is demanding greater payments for unsustainable pensions.

John Canalis of the Daily Pilot asks Bunyan about how he would deal with unfunded pension liabilities.

Chris Bunyan says CalPERS hasn’t followed all of Jerry Brown’s recommendations for pension reform. He says fat pensions are gone. He says Costa Mesa needs to tighten its belts.

Jim Righeimer says there is no silver bullet. He says cities will go bankrupt which will force change. He criticizes the structure of the CalPERS board. He says Costa Mesa will be fine because they monitor their budget but other cities will go bankrupt.

Jay Humphrey says the City pension committee has called for increased contributions from both employer and employees to deal with the pension liability. Humphrey cites a single year’s returns as proof that investments are reducing the pension liability.

Tony Capitelli says employees need to pay the entire employee pension contribution and should replicate the federal pension plan. He expresses concern that new employees and his generation are forced to pay for the largesse of older generations.

Jim Righeimer says the State prevents cities and employees from contributing more to the pension. He wants to establish a balance where police are not paying 25% of their salaries to pensions.

Lee Ramos is concerned that the only ways to fix the liability problem is via sales tax, Sacramento changes, bonds, or property taxes.

Al Melone calls for placing money in the bank from higher contributions as insurance against future liabilities rather than paying CalPERS more.

Alicia Perez of the Daily Pilot asks about building supportive housing.

Tony Capitelli says Civic Center Park was thr wrong location, and that Mercy House had applied for a number of other locations, some of which are in industrial/commercial areas rather than residential areas.

Jay Humphrey says Costa Mesa should provide housing for the homeless. He wants to convert motels into SROs. He says the City did this in the 1990s and was a model for the County.

Lee Ramos questions where these places were.

Jay Humphrey gives locations.

Several people shout that these are affordable homes for seniors not the homeless.

Tony Capitelli says there needs to be more collaboration with the community.

Chris Bunyan says hotels should start to take on more homeless as the hotels age. He calls Righeimer anti-hotel.

Al Melone asks where will the funding for all of this come from. He says Santa Monica and LA have much worse homeless problems.

Jim Righeimer says Costa Mesa has attracted homeless by providing numerous services. He says all cities need to provide these services so every city has its fair share. He says some hotel slumlords are overcharging the homeless for tiny spaces, like five people on 180 square feet.

Tony Capitelli says nonprofits, state, and federal funding pays for these. He says they should encourage community development rather than shelters.

Lee Ramos asks where the money is that Capitelli is referring to.

Tony Capitelli points to one grant the City Council voted against.

Barbara Venezia of the Daily Pilot asks yes or no on medical marijuana:
Jay Humphrey says Yes.
Tony Capitelli says Yes.
Lee Ramos says Yes.
Al Melone says No.
Rita Simpson says No.
Jim Righeimer says No if not medical.
Chris Bunyan says Yes.

Barbara Venezia of the Daily Pilot asks Yes or No on messages on toilet seats:
Jay Humphrey says Yes.
Tony Capitelli says Yes.
Lee Ramos says No.
Al Melone says No.
Rita Simpson says No.
Jim Righeimer says No.
Chris Bunyan says Yes.

Norberto Santana of the Voice of OC asks about taking four years with all of Righeimer’s promises and only outsourcing trash.

Jim Righeimer says they can’t outsource the city. He says general employee average total compensation is $105,000. He says the City worked with city employees to cap cash outs of employee vacation pay when they separate from employment.

John Canalis of the Daily Pilot asks about Banning Ranch.

Chris Bunyan says he has fought developing Banning Ranch. He criticizes Righeimer.

Jim Righeimer says it’s Newport Beach’s decision.

Rita Simpson says it’s the Coastal Commission’s decision.

Lee Ramos says there needs to be tighter control of the project.

Tony Capitelli calls for mitigation.

Jay Humphrey opposes the project.

Your blogger missed the final Yes or No question, but here are the answers (if someone recalls the answer please comment below or click on contact us above):
Jay Humphrey says No.
Tony Capitelli says says Yes.
Lee Ramos says Yes.
Al Melone says Yes.
Rita Simpson says Yes.
Jim Righeimer says Yes.
Chris Bunyan says No.

This blogger apologizes for any errors and omissions. Feet to the Fire debates are always the most difficult events to live blog due to their quick and lively pace.  Additionally, tonight’s extremely disruptive audience made it difficult to hear the candidates and panelists at times.

Posted in Costa Mesa | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Live from OC GOP Central Committee: Endorsements Round 2

Posted by Chris Nguyen on September 15, 2014

We’re live from OC GOP Central Committee for the second round of endorsements to decide on the recommendations of the Endorsements Committee, which we covered here and here. Please recall that the OC GOP Central Committee already made official early endorsements in August.

As is usual for an endorsements meeting, several new alternates are sworn in.

There are too many candidates and elected officials here to list them all.

The party is honoring Scott Loenhorst, who flew down from Silicon Valley tonight for the Central Committee meeting. Loenhorst left his position as OC GOP Executive Director three weeks ago to join Google.

On the docket tonight are:

Recommended for Endorsement
Angie Cano – Santa Ana Unified School District
Tim Surridge – Orange Unified School District, Trustee Area 5
Jim Cunneen – Fountain Valley School District
Sandra Crandall – Fountain Valley School District
Rick Ledesma – Orange Unified School District, Trustee Area 7   
John Briscoe – Ocean View School District
Andrew Hamilton – Lake Forest City Council
Elaine Gennawey – Laguna Niguel City Council
John Jennings – Laguna Niguel City Council
Shawn Dewane – Orange County Water District, Division 7
Chuck Perry – Costa Mesa Sanitary District
Ron Amburgey – Mesa Water District, Division 4
Duffy Duffield – Newport Beach City Council, District 3
Scott Peotter – Newport Beach City Council, District 6
Kevin Muldoon – Newport Beach City Council, District 4
MJ Noor – Fullerton Joint Union High School District
Tracy Pellman – Ocean View School District
Ed Sachs – Mission Viejo City Council
Rhonda Reardon – Mission Viejo City Council
Wendy Bucknum – Mission Viejo City Council
Kerry Ferguson – San Juan Capistrano City Council
Greg Sebourn – Fullerton City Council
Steve Vargas – Brea City Council
Cecilia Hupp – Brea City Council
John Tomlinson – Dana Point City Council
David Yang – Tustin Unified School District
Baron Night – Buena Park City Council

Recommended Endorsement Against
Measure I – Fullerton Joint Union High School District Bond
Measure H – Anaheim Union High School District Bond
Measure J – North Orange County Community College District Bond
Measure K – Orange Unified School District Bond

Recommended Neutral/Not Endorsed
Measure Z – Rancho Santa Margarita
Brad McGirr – Rancho Santa Margarita City Council
Michael Vaughn – Rancho Santa Margarita City Council
Jesse Petrilla – Rancho Santa Margarita City Council
Laurie Biehl – Rancho Santa Margarita City Council
Don Chadd – Rancho Santa Margarita City Council
Jerry Holloway – Rancho Santa Margarita City Council
Sean Paden – Fullerton City Council
Larry Bennett – Fullerton City Council
Michael Vo – Fountain Valley City Council
Barbara Delgleize – Huntington Beach City Council

No Vote
Tony Capitelli – Costa Mesa City Council
Leslie Daigle – Orange County Water District, Division 5

Additions
Tim Brown – San Clemente City Council

No Longer Being Considered
Doug Pettibone – Anaheim City Council
James Vanderbilt – Anaheim City Council
Kris Murray – Anaheim City Council
Gail Eastman – Anaheim City Council

Fred Whitaker moves and Brett Barbre seconds the above list in their entirety.

Newport Beach City Council is pulled for further discussion.

Tim Brown will be considered for San Clemente City Council on the floor of Central Committee.

Tracy Pellman and John Briscoe in Ocean View School District are pulled for discussion.

Tim Surridge and Rick Ledesma in Orange Unified School District are pulled for discussion.

Sean Paden running for Fullerton City Council is pulled for discussion.

Michael Vo running for Fountain Valley City Council is pulled for discussion.

Fred Whitaker moves and Denis Bilodeau seconds to endorse Tim Surridge and Rick Ledesma for Orange Unified School District.

Whitaker says that Surridge and Ledesma are both good Republicans. He speaks about their conservative voting records. Whitaker warns that Surridge’s opponent is Florice Hoffman, a liberal union lawyer who ran against Ed Royce. Ledesma’s opponent is also a liberal Democrat, Tim Perez.

Deborah Pauly speaks about Surridge and Ledesma voting for the bond. She said they both promised her they would not vote for a bond.

The vote sounds like 50/50, thereby falling short of the 2/3 vote needed.

NO ENDORSEMENT FOR ORANGE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT.

Kermit Marsh moves to endorse both Tracy Pellman and John Briscoe for Ocean View School District. Scott Voigts seconds.

Marsh states that the two have slung mud at each other, and he is moving them together to force them to be considered together. Marsh lives in the district and his children attend Ocean View schools. He says the teachers union supported Pellman and opposed Briscoe in 2010. He says the teachers unions now oppose Pellman and quietly support Briscoe in 2014; he has had five teachers confirm this.

BRISCOE AND PELLMAN ENDORSED FOR OCEAN VIEW SCHOOL DISTRICT.

Steve Baric moves and Brett Barbre seconds the endorsement of Duffy Duffield.

Baric says these three candidates took the time to apply. He calls them reformers who oppose the dock tax. He says their principles are consistent with Republican Party principles.

Mary Young wants all candidates considered, including Duffield’s opponent, Rush Hill.

DUFFIELD ENDORSED FOR NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL

Brett Barbre moves and John Warner seconds the endorsement of Scott Peotter.

PEOTTER ENDORSED FOR NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL

Lee Lowery moves and Zonya Townsend seconds the endorsement of Kevin Muldoon.

MULDOON ENDORSED FOR NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL

Brett Barbre moves and Mary Young seconds the endorsement of Wendy Bucknum.

Barbre speaks of Bucknum’s volunteerism on behalf of Republicans and her conservative principles.

Steve Sarkis asks about the he-said-she-said emails in Mission Viejo. Sarkis asks Bucher if the Endorsements Committee reviewed the issues raised. Bucher confirms they did.

BUCKNUM ENDORSED FOR MISSION VIEJO CITY COUNCIL.

Mary Young moves and Steve Nagel seconds the endorsement of Rhonda Reardon.

REARDON ENDORSED FOR MISSION VIEJO CITY COUNCIL.

Mark McCurdy speaks about Sean Paden’s city service and conservative principles.

Fred Whitaker states that the Endorsements Committee made a decision to not recommend Sean Paden or Larry Bennett since there are more Republicans than seats.

Thomas Gordon says the Republican team of Bruce Whitaker and Greg Sebourn have endorsed Sean Paden and that the Republican Party needs to send Whitaker and Sebourn a teammate in Paden.

Shawn Nelson says he agrees with Fred Whitaker. He says he has not endorsed either candidate. He says neither have been in the trenches.

TJ Fuentes moves and John W. Briscoe seconds to endorse no one (other than Greg Sebourn who was endorsed on the consent calendar).

NO SECOND ENDORSEMENT FOR FULLERTON CITY COUNCIL.

Steve Nagel moves and Peggy Huang seconds the endorsement of Michael Vo for Fountain Valley City Council. He notes that the OC GOP endorsed McCurdy, Vo, and John Collins four years ago.

Scott Peotter notes that Vo supported evergreen contracts and likes various Democrats on his Facebook page.

NO SECOND ENDORSEMENT FOR FOUNTAIN VALLEY CITY COUNCIL.

Amazingly, endorsements completed less than one hour after it began.

Scott Baugh speaks about the various Republican headquarters.

Meeting Adjourned.

Posted in Republican Central Committee | 6 Comments »

OC GOP Endorsements: Who Has Them? Who Doesn’t?

Posted by Chris Nguyen on September 8, 2014

Republican Party of Orange CountyThere’s been some confusion as to what OC GOP has and has not endorsed so far.  For an OC GOP endorsement to be official, it must be approved by the Central Committee.

A number of early endorsements were approved by the Central Committee on August 18 (which I dubbed Round 1 in my live blog.) I should note there were also two endorsements made during the primary that carried over to the general election (Claude Parrish for Orange County Assessor and Kevin Haskins for Superior Court Judge) and one really early endorsement made during the primary for the general election (Michael Gates for Huntington Beach City Attorney).

The Endorsements Committee met on September 2 and September 3 (which I dubbed Round 2A and Round 2B respectively in my live blogs).  The Endorsements Committee votes are only recommendations for the Central Committee to consider at its meeting next week on September 15.  The Central Committee must ratify the recommendations of the Endorsements Committee before any endorsement can be official.

For our readers’ edification, I’m going to consolidate the lists of endorsements and recommendations here, so people don’t need to scroll through each live blog to figure out what the status is for each endorsement or proposed endorsement.

All of these have been approved by Central Committee, so these (so far) are the official endorsements of the Republican Party of Orange County:

  • Orange County Supervisor, 5th District: Robert Ming
  • Orange County Assessor: Claude Parrish
  • Superior Court Judge, Office No. 14: Kevin Haskins
  • Aliso Viejo City Council: Dave Harrington
  • Anaheim Mayor: Tom Tait
  • Costa Mesa City Council: Jim Righeimer, Lee Ramos
  • Fountain Valley City Council: Mark McCurdy
  • Huntington Beach City Council: Erik Peterson, Mike Posey, Lynn Semeta
  • Huntington Beach City Attorney: Michael Gates
  • Irvine Mayor: Steven Choi
  • Irvine City Council: Jeff Lalloway, Lynn Schott
  • Lake Forest City Council: Scott Voigts
  • Newport Beach City Council, District 1: Diane Dixon
  • Orange City Council: Ray Grangoff, Fred Whitaker
  • San Juan Capistrano City Council: Pam Patterson, Derek Reeve
  • Westminster City Council: Tyler Diep
  • Yorba Linda City Council (November): Peggy Huang, Tom Lindsey
  • No on the Yorba Linda Recall (October)
  • Rancho Santiago Community College District, Trustee Area 6: Phil Yarbrough
  • Capistrano Unified School District, Trustee Area 4: Craig Alexander
  • Capistrano Unified School District, Trustee Area 6: Ellen Addonizio
  • Capistrano Unified School District, Trustee Area 7: Julie Collier
  • Lowell Joint School District: William Hinz
  • Municipal Water District of Orange County, Division 1: Brett Barbre
  • Municipal Water District of Orange County, Division 5: Dave Ellis
  • Orange County Water District, Division 5: Steve Sheldon
  • Yes on Measure E – County Contracting with FPPC
  • Yes on Measure G – County Supervisorial Vacancy
  • Yes on Measure O – Costa Mesa Charter
  • Yes on Measure W – Irvine Great Park Transparency
  • Yes on Measure V – Irvine Term Limits
  • Yes on Measure Y – Newport Beach General Plan Update
  • No on Measure AA – Santa Ana Utility Tax
  • No on Measure GG – Stanton Sales Tax Increase
  • Yes on Measure JJ – Yorba Linda City Council Pension & Healthcare Elimination

The following have been recommended by the Endorsements Committee, but all of the recommendations of the Endorsements Committee below must be ratified by the Central Committee on September 15 (the Central Committee can and does overturn recommendations from the Endorsements Committee):

  • Brea City Council: Steve Vargas, Cecilia Hupp
  • Buena Park City Council: Baron Night
  • Dana Point City Council: John Tomlinson
  • Fullerton City Council: Greg Sebourn
  • Lake Forest City Council: Andrew Hamilton
  • Laguna Niguel City Council: Elaine Gennawey, John Jennings
  • Mission Viejo City Council: Wendy Bucknum, Rhonda Reardon, Ed Sachs
  • Newport Beach City Council, District 3: Duffy Duffield
  • Newport Beach City Council, District 4: Kevin Muldoon
  • Newport Beach City Council, District 6: Scott Peotter
  • San Juan Capistrano City Council: Kerry Ferguson
  • Fountain Valley School District: Jim Cunneen, Sandra Crandall
  • Fullerton Joint Union High School District: M.J. Noor
  • Ocean View School District: John Briscoe, Tracy Pellman
  • Orange Unified School District, Trustee Area 5: Timothy Surridge
  • Orange Unified School District, Trustee Area 7: Rick Ledesma
  • Santa Ana Unified School District: Angie Cano
  • Tustin Unified School District: David Yang
  • Orange County Water District, Division 7: Shawn Dewane
  • Mesa Water District, Division 4: Ron Amburgey
  • Costa Mesa Sanitary District: Chuck Perry
  • No on Measure H – Anaheim Union High School District Bond
  • No on Measure I – Fullerton Joint Union High School District Bond
  • No on Measure J – North Orange County Community College District Bond
  • No on Measure K – Orange Unified School District Bond

The Endorsements Committee recommended neutrality on the following (however, the Central Committee could overturn the Endorsements Committee and vote to endorse any of them):

  • Anaheim City Council: Gail Eastman, Kris Murray, Douglas Pettibone, James Vanderbilt
  • Fountain Valley City Council: Michael Vo
  • Fullerton City Council: Sean Paden (Endorsement Motion for Paden Failed 3-3), Larry Bennett
  • Huntington Beach City Council: Barbara Delgleize (Endorsement Motion for Delgleize Failed 3-3)
  • Rancho Santa Margarita City Council: Laurie Biehl, Don Chadd, Jerry Holloway, Brad McGirr, Jesse Petrilla, Michael Vaughn
  • Measure Z – Rancho Santa Margarita Zoning

The Endorsements Committee was prohibited from considering the following applicants because the Central Committee had already endorsed the number of seats available (however, these candidates can appeal to the full Central Committee, who can choose to dual-endorse by adding these candidates to the existing endorsements or they can undo a prior endorsement in favor of one of these candidates):

  • Costa Mesa City Council: Tony Capitelli (Jim Righeimer and Lee Ramos already endorsed for the two seats)
  • Orange County Water District, Division 5: Leslie Daigle (Steve Sheldon already endorsed for the seat)

The Endorsements Committee did not consider the application of one candidate, who somehow missed the Endorsements Committee meeting:

  • San Clemente City Council: Tim Brown

There are a handful of late endorsement applications that are still floating out there, having missed the August deadline to submit an application, so these will be considered in Round 3, with Central Committee voting on October 20, just 15 days before the election.  These would most definitely be considered late endorsements.  Because it’s endorsements, there’s one more caveat: a late applicant could appeal to the full Central Committee at its September 15 meeting to try to get a September endorsement, but that’d be tough to pull off.

Posted in Republican Central Committee | 1 Comment »

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