OC Political

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

Councilman David Benavides Running For Santa Ana Mayor

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on July 30, 2012

Update 2:03 PM- The video appears to be back up and running and I have now been able to find the David Benavides for Mayor website which you can view here.

Update 10:43 AM- It appears that the video is no longer up for public viewing.

It appears that Mayor Miguel Pulido will have an extremely difficult challenge this November with David Benavides announcing that he is running for Mayor.

There is a video that just went up as of today with him confirming the announcement. We do not have a lot of information as of this minute but we will be updating it as information becomes available.

Here is the video

Posted in Santa Ana | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

An Excellent Commentary about the Chick-fil-A Controversay by Walter Myers III

Posted by Craig P. Alexander on July 29, 2012

There has been a lot of press about the comments by the President of Chick-fil-A in support of traditional marriage.  Once again it seems those who are in favor of homosexual marriage are a very tolerance people – as long as you agree 100% with their point of view.  As usual the liberals are all for the 1st Amendment’s freedom of speech – as long as it is politically correct speech!

My friend Walter Myers III does an excellent job in his commentary pointing out the extreme double standard by those that condemn and protest Chick-fil-A over Mr. Cathy’s support of traditional marriage.  I strongly recommend you read Walter’s commentary at: http://www.scientiamedia.com/?p=2684 

Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments »

Former Placentia Councilman Greg Sowards & Wife Jo Ann Pull Papers for Simultaneous Bids for Office

Posted by Chris Nguyen on July 27, 2012

Greg Sowards

Greg Sowards

Craig Green

Craig Green

In 2010, Placentia City Councilman Greg Sowards lost his re-election bid to elected City Treasurer Chad Wanke by 3.9%.  (In the race for two seats, Councilman Joe Aguirre won 23.9% of the vote, Wanke 23.3%, Sowards 19.4%, and three other candidates split the remainder of the vote.)  The Placentia Council then appointed Craig Green as Treasurer to fill the vacancy left when Wanke joined the Council.

On Monday, July 16, the first day of the filing period, Green pulled papers to run for re-election as Placentia City Treasurer.  The following day, Sowards pulled papers to challenge Green for Treasurer.  Then yesterday, Jo Ann Sowards (wife of Greg Sowards), pulled papers to run for the Placentia Library District Board of Trustees.  Incumbent Library Trustee Richard DeVecchio has already filed while recently appointed incumbent Gayle Carline has pulled papers.  Incumbent Jean Turner has not yet pulled papers.

How will Placentia voters take a husband and wife running for two offices simultaneously?  Particularly, when neither one of them is an incumbent.  If Green, DeVecchio, Carline, and Turner all file for re-election, will Placentians be willing to vote for a husband-and-wife team of challengers?  If one of the incumbents does not file, will one Sowards spouse be able to ride the coattails of the other spouse into office?  How much attention will there be for the campaigns for Placentia City Treasurer and Placentia Library Board?  How do you even campaign for City Treasurer or Library Board?  The Sowards family has just made Placentia’s November elections interesting to watch.

Posted in Placentia, Placentia Library District | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Tom Mauk Resigns Effective August 3rd

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on July 26, 2012

It appears that Orange County Executive Officer Tom Mauk has announced his resignation according to the Los Angeles Times. We here at OC Political do not have a lot of information on this as of yet but will report more when we do. For those that have been living under a rock for the past few months Mauk has come under fire after the arrest of Carlos Bustamante. Many argue that the County did not handle the situation in the best manner and with Mauk being the man at the top of the food chain he is likely to be the one to take the heat on this.

(UPDATE 8:22 PM) The Orange County Register has an article up that fills in some of the blanks on this developing story. It appears that Mauk will not be leaving without a pretty hefty severance package. He appears to be set to get a $270,000 severance.

One of the more interesting points in the Register article was this tidbit:

Mauk’s resignation agreement with county supervisors says the county won’t be on the hook for legal representation if Mauk is charged with a criminal offense arising from his employment. He will, however, be indemnified in any civil lawsuits.

The County has an acting CEO in place until September 11th where they will appoint an interim CEO while they are in the process of finding somebody to take over the post on a permanent basis.

Posted in Orange County | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

Anaheim Councilwoman Comes Across As Insensitive

Posted by Mr. Friendly on July 26, 2012

Anaheim Councilwoman Gail Eastman really stepped in it after the recent Anaheim riots. According to the Voice of OC article Eastman declared that, “In spite of how it happened, it was a big time win for all who opposed seeing that placed on the November ballot.” Regardless of how this might have been taken out of context it should not have been said. Eastman is referring to the Anaheim TOT item that was potentially going to be placed on the ballot which I will explain later.

Eastman is the one Councilmember that currently does not live in East Anaheim. Chris Nguyen and Emami constantly refer to this region as Anaheim Hills despite their being no such geographic region as Anaheim Hills. She was elected back in 2008 coming in as the top vote getter over Kris Murray who was also elected out of a field of 14 candidates.

Since I do not actually live in Anaheim I took the opportunity to watch the Council meeting online and was amazed at how much stuff was actually being discussed during public comment. The recent police shootings, Anaheim TOT, and creating districts for City Council elections. Watching the Councilmembers it felt like they were going to get whiplash from all the bouncing around of items during the public comment period.

I felt that most commenters on the Anaheim shootings were professional in the way they laid out their concerns to what is obviously a very frustrating issue for many people in the community. The real problem was the idiots outside of th meeting that were instigating violence. It helped that Tom Tait announced at the beginning of the meeting that the U.S. Attorneys office would be conducting an independent investigation into the actions by the Anaheim Police  Department (Hey Fullerton, how do you like them apples).

The second issue up for discussion was the Transient Occupancy Tax discussion over the hotel developer that got a huge subsidy to build a hotel in the Garden Walk area. It appears that a lot of organized labor came out in support of Councilmembers Sidhu, Eastman, and Murray. Due to the riots outside shortening the meeting this item was unable to be voted on (placing it on the ballot). This was the item that Eastman commented on and got herself into hot water.

Creating wards in Anaheim wat the third item that was discussed by people during public comment and it was an absolute circus. The majority of people speaking on the need for wards did not appear to actually live in Anaheim it appeared to mostly be the LULAC crowd that comes to all the meetings to speak when LULAC runs their drill. Although some speakers from Anaheim spoke in a very passionate way as to why Anaheim needed to draw wards for representation purposes others came across as for lack of a better term “Latino Supremacists.” Due to the rioting outside this item was also unable to be placed on the ballot for November.

Eastman clearly did not help her cause but in reality the rioters outside of the meeting are the ones that cost the residents of Anaheim the ability to vote on 2 items that I believe they should have had the opportunity to vote on.

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

Taxin Troy Edgar is the Real Squish in the 72nd Assembly Race

Posted by OC Insider on July 26, 2012

Let’s get real.  Since we’re down to name calling (hey, it’s politics), Taxin Troy Edgar is the REAL SQUISH in the 72nd Assembly Race  — a true weasel according to everything we know about him.  Let’s do some of Troy’s inventory:

Edgar, the self-labeled “Tax Fighter” has raised taxes at least TWELVE times while on the Los Alamitos City Council.  As Mayor, Edgar has recently proposed a massive utility tax increase. When the city of Vallejo tried this same scheme Edgar is trying, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers’ Association called it a “massive tax increase.”

November is all about taxes — who might raise them (and screw the Party along the way, as did Doris Allen) with a little arm twisting, or someone who’s signed Grover Norquist’s ATR Tax Pledge?  Troy Edgar can’t be trusted in this area (ask his City Council colleagues and his legion of non-fans in Los Al) as he simply won’t sign with ATR — the “gold standard” when it comes to keeping one’s commitments.  Nor will he adequately explain why.  The proof above makes it obvious — Edgar lies about taxes, he’ll raise them as he chooses — his personal pledge is proven a lie by his history in Los Alamitos.  Travis Allen signed the ATR Pledge without hesitation.

There’s more here Taxes, Lies. And Troy Edgar, and here where the Flash Report’s Jon Fleischman also discusses “the importance to taxpayers of being able to vote for candidates for office that are willing to pledge, in writing, that they will oppose tax increases” before Allen even entered the race.  The Allen campaign won its place in the General Election with a set of very successful mailers: Travis Allen Sends Out Brutal Hit Piece On Troy Edgar, nailing the Edgar campaign with truths about its candidate and his ability to raise taxes in his small, struggling city.

It’s believed that Travis Allen wants this job, in part, to “give back” and use his significant financial skills (he owns a successful wealth management firm) to concentrate on the State’s financial mess.  Troy Edgar appears to need this job — it looks like he’s “all in” with his personal funding of his campaign, and NO ONE can tell if his two businesses, Global Conductor and Global Conductor Construction (web site recently taken down) are generating any revenue.  As these are both private businesses, no one can determine if Edgar’s really making what he needs to support himself and his latest family, much less fund a competitive political campaign that might cost a half million dollars.  Does the District need a pogue, or someone who’ll never raise taxes, and not fold the minute a Democrat approaches him with a deal?

Real Conservatives like Travis Allen don’t propose multi-million dollar elevated maglev trains to run through your town.  Troy Edgar’s resume includes his role a few years ago as Vice Chairman of the Orangeline Development Authority, a Joint Powers Authority which includes cities of notoriety like Cudahy, Bell, Vernon, Bell Gardens, Bellflower, Cerritos, Maywood and a handful of others that wanted to commandeer the extremely valuable Pacific Electric Right-of-Way in Orange County to run this overhead monstrosity to Irvine.  Maglev only succeeds as a single transportation system in Shanghai, China, and is costing them a fortune to operate.  Other implementations have failed, or worse,killed dozens in recent testing.  Against Edgar’s vigorous lobbying, Los Al voted themselves out of OLDA a few years ago and denied Troy a number of trips he’d been planning for the JPA.

In a transaction that would make Tony Soprano proud, Troy Edgar is accused of taking campaign contributions from Consolidated Disposal Service, a trash hauler that would later be awarded the contract for garbage collection in Los Alamitos.  After a citizen’s lawsuit, Edgar’s malfeasance ended up costing the city $215k, yet he still manipulated his council majority into modifying the vendor selection process that awarded the can collecting and dumpster dumping to Consolidated.  Travis Allen doesn’t hang with Trash Haulers.

The 72nd Assembly District needs a honest, real Conservative candidate, not the REAL SQUISH that runs little Los Alamitos like New Jersey before Chris Christie

Posted in 72nd Assembly District, Fountain Valley, Fountain Valley School District, Huntington Beach, Huntington Beach City School District, Huntington Beach Union High School District, Los Alamitos, Los Alamitos Unified School District, North Orange County Community College District, Ocean View School District, Orange County, Rossmoor, Rossmoor Community Services District, Santa Ana, Santa Ana Unified School District, Seal Beach, Sunset Beach Sanitary District, Surfside Colony Community Services District, Westminster | 5 Comments »

Douglas Chapman’s Dual-Office Seeking Leaves Him with Two Major Opponents: Denis Bilodeau & Doug Davert

Posted by Chris Nguyen on July 25, 2012

Denis Bilodeau

Douglas M. Chapman

Doug Davert

As I wrote on Friday, Douglas M. Chapman filed to run for two offices at the same time, seeking re-election to the East Orange County Water District while simultaneously challenging Orange County Water District Director Denis Bilodeau‘s re-election bid.

Had Chapman simply sought re-election to the East Orange County Water District, he would likely have had a nice, quiet re-election campaign.  However, Chapman inexplicably decided to challenge incumbent Denis Bilodeau for the Orange County Water District while still running for re-election for the East Orange County Water District.

Needless to say, that drew attention to Chapman: running for two offices and challenging an incumbent.  (Do you really think OC Political or any other blog was going to cover an East Orange County Water District re-election campaign but for Chapman trying to run for two seats?) Yesterday, former Tustin Mayor Doug Davert pulled papers to run challenge Chapman for the East Orange County Water District.  (Davert left the Tustin Council in 2010 due to term limits.)

Now, Chapman faces a two-front war, with two very formidable, popular opponents.  In the Orange County Water District, Division 2 seat that Chapman is seeking, not only is Bilodeau the incumbent, but he is also the Mayor Pro Tem of Orange – the largest city in the division.  In the East Orange County Water District where Chapman is seeking re-election, the district consists of Tustin, slivers of Orange, and nearby unincorporated areas, but his challenger is former Tustin Mayor Doug Davert – and Tustin is the bulk of the district.  Both Bilodeau and Davert can raise substantial sums of money that Chapman will be unable to match.  To make matters worst for Chapman, their names are the rather similar “Douglas M. Chapman” and “Douglass S. Davert” on the ballot for EOCWD.  Not only that, but the Assembly Member who covers both seats is Don Wagner, whom Chapman ran against unsuccessfully for the South Orange County Community College District in 1998.

Challenging an incumbent like Bilodeau is no small task, and now Chapman faces a tough re-election bid – simultaneously.  Not only could Chapman lose his bid to unseat Bilodeau, but now he risks his own seat to Davert.  Chapman’s effort to win two water board seats in the same election could cause him to go from having one water board seat to none.

Posted in East Orange County Water District, Orange, Orange County Water District, South Orange County Community College District, Tustin | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

BREAKING: Anaheim Reaches Agreement with Federal Government for Investigation of APD

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on July 24, 2012

Over the weekend, Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait contacted the U.S. Attorney’s office and the State Attorney General’s office to ask that they launch full, independent investigations of the Anaheim Police shootings.

The federal prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney’s office told the City they would be willing to investigate.

Just moments ago, the Anaheim City Council voted unanimously to accept an offer from the U.S. Attorney’s office to conduct a “full investigation” of the Anaheim Police’s officer-involved shootings.

This is in addition to the Council’s action last month to have the City Manager hire an outside investigator to examine the Anaheim Police Department’s officer-involved shootings.

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

Orange County Young Republicans Summer Party Video Invite

Posted by OC Insider on July 23, 2012

This is a rather cleaver way for the YR’s to get the word out about their Summer Party.  I am being told they already have over 100 RSVP’s.  This means there are less than 50 tickets still available.

A $10 entrance fee will get you an open bar, a taco truck and an ice cream cart.  This is a real great deal and I am sure it will sell out soon.  You can get your ticket by clicking here.

Here is the Video Invite:


Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Travis Allen: Too Squishy for the Assembly

Posted by OC Insider on July 23, 2012

Travis Allen’s contributions to Democrats are well-documented, as reported by Jon Fleischman at the Flash ReportRoxana Kopetman at the OC Register, and even Art Pedroza at OC Politics Blog.

Allen’s explanation to Kopetman is that he has “some friends on the other side of the aisle and a family member on the other side of the aisle” who twisted his arm into going to fundraisers for Democrats.  The family member he references is his uncle, Frank Barbaro, the Chairman of the Democratic Party of Orange County.  Barbaro told the OC Register’s Frank Mickadeit that he convinced Allen to make donations to Barbara Boxer and Jerry Brown.

The question Republicans voters should be asking is, “If Travis Allen’s arm can be twisted to donate money to liberal Democrats, can his arm be twisted to vote for tax increases, higher spending, more business regulations, anti-gun laws, pro-illegal immigration policies, and high-speed rail?”

If his friends and uncle tell him to vote for liberal policies, will he fold like he has before?

In case anyone forgot, here’s the list of Allen’s donations to Democrats:

If Travis Allen can be persuaded to give thousands of his own dollars to Democrats, will it be that hard for him to give away taxpayer dollars to liberal spending programs?

Posted in 72nd Assembly District | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »