OC Political

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

Fountain Valley Councilmember Pulls Papers To Run Against Incumbent

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on July 17, 2012

In a bit of a surprise yesterday Fountain Valley Councilmember Larry Crandall pulled papers yesterday to run for the Municipal Water District of Orange County, Division 3 against appointed incumbent Wayne Osborn. The seat was vacated by Ed Royce Sr. former Stanton City Councilmember and father of Congressman Ed Royce. In March Osborn was appointed to fill the vacancy and it should be noted that he has also pulled papers to run.

Not to confuse our readers but it is important to clarify that this is the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC) which is different from the Orange County Water District (OCWD). For those of you that were wondering Boardmembers in MWDOC are:

Division 1- Brett Barbre
Division 2- Larry Dick
Division 3- Wayne Osborn
Division 4- Joan Finnegan
Division 5- Wayne Clark
Division 6- Jeffrey Thomas
Division 7- Susan Hinman

Boardmembers on the OCWD are:

Area 1- Kathryn Barr
Area 2- Denis Bilodeau
Area 3- Roger Yoh
Area 4- Philip Anthony
Area 5- Steve Sheldon
Area 6- Cathy Green
Area 7- Shawn Dewane
Area 8- Claudia Alvarez (Appointed Santa Ana Seat)
Area 9- Harry Sidhu (Appointed Anaheim Seat)
Area 10- Don Bankhead (Appointed Fullerton Seat)

This will be an interesting race because although incumbency is a powerful tool being a Councilmember is also a very strong position to be coming from for any seat. Larry Crandall won’t necessarily return his papers though as often officeholders will pull papers as a way to scare others out of a race i order to clear the field for someone who they are supporting.

Many people who are in Republican Party circles know Larry Crandall in his capacity as a Councilmember in Fountain Valley and his work with OC Supervisor John Moorlach. It appears that if he goes through with this run that he will be giving up his City Council seat to do so, unless he decides to run for both (Never a good idea).

Not as many insiders are as familiar with Wayne Osborn who is also a Fountain Valley Republican. Chris Nguyen will be displeased to learn that his Bachelors is from UC Berkeley but that may be offset by the fact that his Masters is from USC. Here is his full bio from the MWDOC website:

Wayne Osborne was appointed to the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC) Board of Directors in March 2012. He represents Division 3, which includes the areas of Cypress, Fountain Valley, Los Alamitos, Stanton, Westminster, the western portion of Garden Grove, and nearby portions of unincorporated Orange County.

Director Osborne has a long history of commitment to the water industry.  He worked for the City of Fountain Valley for 33 years as the Director of Public Works and City Engineer.  During that time, he developed the City’s water supply master plan, implemented long-term capital improvement programs for water supply, and oversaw the maintenance of all public works facilities, including water and wastewater systems. He was also instrumental in obtaining grant funding for construction of two wells and other key water infrastructure.

Director Osborne is a member of several water industry organizations, including the American Water Works Association and the Orange County Water Association, of which he is a Past President.  He is also an active member of professional organizations, including the American Public Works Association and the Orange County City Engineers’ Association, of which he is also a Past President.

Director Osborne received his Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and his Masters Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Southern California. A longtime resident of Fountain Valley, he is married to his wife Mary and they have four children.
This division appears to cover Westminster, Los Alamitos, Garden Grove (portion), and Fountain Valley. With these 2 candidates potentially splitting the Fountain Valley vote and the incumbent vote it will be interesting to see if somebody from Westminster (the largest city in the division).

We still have a few weeks left in filing and many of the questions we still have should be answered by August 10th when filing closes.

Posted in Fountain Valley, Municipal Water District of Orange County | Tagged: , | 5 Comments »

Assemblyman Jose Solorio Pulls Papers for Rancho Santiago Community College District

Posted by Chris Nguyen on July 16, 2012

According to the Orange County Registrar of Voters, Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Santa Ana) has pulled papers for the Rancho Santiago Community College District Trustee Area 1.  (There is no incumbent, as the RSCCD board recently switched from a multi-member three-area at-large election system to a vote-by-area system, but drew three incumbents into Area 5, with Brian Conley choosing to retire in June, leaving David Chapel and Mark McLoughlin to duke it out in Area 5.)

Solorio had been rumored for months to be interested in the RSCCD seat after the Bernie Madoff of California Democrats, Kinde Durkee, stole $700,000+ from Solorio, putting an end to his bid to challenge Supervisor Janet Nguyen (R-Garden Grove).  Between his Assembly campaign committee and a ballot measure committee, Solorio has over $200,000 cash on hand.

Due to the fact there are no contribution limits for the college board seat in Rancho Santiago, Solorio can transfer the entire $200,000 to his RSCCD account without raising another penny.

Santa Ana LULAC President Zeke Hernandez is rumored to be Solorio’s top challenger.

Will union anger at Solorio’s endorsement of Tom Daly for Assembly result in enormous contributions to Hernandez for college board?  (Remember, there are no contribution limits, so they can give all the money to Hernandez instead of doing an IE.)

Trustee Area 1’s eastern border follows Main Street in Santa Ana from 17th Street down to the 55 Freeway.  Its southern border is the Santa Ana city limit.  Its far northern border is 17th Street.  Its western border is a zig-zag involving Flower Street from 17th Street to 1st Street, Bristol Street from 1st Street to St. Andrew Place, Rene Drive from St. Andrew Place to Warner Avenue, and roughly Raitt Street from Warner Avenue to the city limit.

Posted in 69th Assembly District, Rancho Santiago Community College District | Tagged: , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Democrats for Education Reform California and Senator Gloria Romero (Ret.) Endorse Prop 32

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on July 16, 2012

It appears that the Yes on 32 Campaign is gaining some bi-partisan support based on their press release. In the effort of full disclosure Custom Campaigns is doing consulting work for Yes on 32. Here is the press release:

DEMOCRATS FOR EDUCATION REFORM CALIFORNIA AND SENATOR GLORIA ROMERO (RET.) ENDORSE PROP 32

(SACRAMENTO, CA)—Today, the Yes on Proposition 32 campaign, supporting the Stop Special Interest Money Now Act, welcomed the endorsement of Democrats for Education Reform California and its director, Gloria Romero, a former state Senator (D-East Los Angeles) and Senate Majority Leader. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in California | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

Brett Franklin enters race for Santa Ana Council

Posted by Thomas Gordon on July 16, 2012

Today is the official start to campaign filing season, both here in Santa Ana and up and down the state.

As it stood this morning Santa Ana was looking at a race between Charles Hart and Eric Aldrete. It’s not yet known if Carlos Bustamante who currently represents Ward 3 will seek re-election.

Just announced via an email that declared Santa Ana is in crisis, Former Ward 3 Council member Brett Franklin announced his entry into the race as well.

Rumors and speculation abounds about other potential candidates declaring for Ward 3 including SAUSD Trustee John Palacios and gossip blogger Art Pedroza.

We will keep you posted.

Posted in Santa Ana | 4 Comments »

Native American Republican Super PAC formed in California

Posted by Cicero on July 16, 2012

According to the latest FEC filings, a new political action committee has been formed in Sacramento named the Native American Republican Super PAC.

As the name clearly indicates, the focus of the group will be on advancing Native American interests through conservative candidates and initiatives.

When many Californians think of Tribes in California, they think of the 64 casinos currently operating throughout the state. Although for many Tribes this has been a lucrative source of financial support, the concept of gambling and casinos is in stark contrast to the conservative values of many Republicans.

But as Kilma Lattin, one of the founders of the Native American Republican Super PAC described, beyond Indian gaming, Tribes and Republicans do share a lot of common ground. Both are strong supporters of our military – Native Americans have the highest per capita enlistment rate of any minority group going back even before the Revolutionary War. Both are also staunch advocates of self-determination and preserving the traditions of the past for future generations.

Lattin, a member of the Pala Band of Mission Indians in northeast San Diego County and former member of the Tribal Council, also stated, “Republicans have the right ideas to spur growth in the economy, and Tribes should be paying attention because a strong U.S. economy will give Americans the discretionary income necessary to visit Tribal enterprises.”

Lattin, who recently graduated at the top of his class with an MBA from USC and is a former U.S. Army Aviation Officer continued, “If the U.S. economy is doing well, then Tribal economies are doing well also. Democrats continue to ‘double down’ on Keynesian Economic Theories, mainly federal spending.  This recycling of tax dollars does nothing to promote the generation of new dollars. Continued federal spending and ‘public works projects’ along with increased healthcare costs on businesses, and the possibility of new taxes on top earners do not promote a safe environment for businesses to invest.”

The Native American Republican Super PAC notes that over the last decade Tribes in California have progressed to be some of the most influential groups in politics today, but much of that influence has gone toward a wide variety of candidates to further the specific interests of the Tribe. This super PAC is unique because of its blend of a conservative agenda with the relatively new-found influence of Indian Tribes.

The Native American Republican Super PAC has said it is looking to hit the ground running and expects to be involved substantially in the election this November. Lattin and other leaders of the Native American Republican Super PAC are currently soliciting contributions from the 110 Tribes throughout the state.

Posted in California | 1 Comment »

Congressman Gary Miller’s Weekly Newsletter

Posted by Newsletter Reprint on July 14, 2012

This came over the wire from Congressman Gary Miller’s office yesterday…

July 13, 2012

Repeal of Obamacare Act Passes House

In response to the recent ruling by the Supreme Court to uphold the$1.8 trillion Democrat health care law, the House of Representatives voted on Thursday to repeal the law in its entirety. The law, which has failed to reduce the cost of health premiums as promised, poses a serious threat to the current health plans of millions of Americans as well as future job creation. As the law now stands, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that as many as twenty million Americans could lose their Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in 39th Congressional District | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

Santa Ana City Council To Discuss Term Limits Monday

Posted by Former Blogger Chris Emami on July 13, 2012

Apparently the City of Santa Ana is going to be discussing term limits at their meeting on Monday. We here at OC Political have received a tip that item 85B on the agenda will be discussed. The item was agendized by Councilwoman Michele Martinez and is titled “DISCUSSION OF POTENTIAL BALLOT MEASURE REGARDING MAYORAL AND COUNCIL TERM LIMITS.”

Information is limited at this time as to specifically what the Santa Ana City Council will be discussing with regards to term limits, but this should make for an interesting topic of conversation with all of the recent buzz.

In a recent article that I posted here on our blog, I discussed a lawsuit that was filed by Parks & Recreation Commissioner Max Madrid. The lawsuit is looking to allow Councilwoman Claudia Alvarez run for a 4th consecutive term. Chris Nguyen has speculated that the lawsuit may get thrown out due to Madrid does not have sufficient standing to bring the suit forward.

Tensions will be high at this meeting with the recent arrest of Councilman Carlos Bustamante, what looks to be a very long agenda, and Councilwoman Claudia Alvarez looking to be out of office in the very near future. My though is that discussing term limits will likely not be the most friendly part of this meeting.

We will have more information on this item as soon as it becomes available.

Posted in Santa Ana | Tagged: , , | 4 Comments »

OCYR Summer Party

Posted by Scott Carpenter on July 13, 2012

The Orange County Young Republicans are ramping up their operations for this coming November’s election.  To keep members active and recruit new member’s they’ve teamed with the Newport Harbor Republican Women and the Hispanic 100 to host a summer party for only 10 dollars.  As an OCYR board member I’m excited for this fun event, check it out at http://www.ocyr.org/ocyr_summer_party

Flyer below:

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

With Budget Cuts & Tuition Increases, Should UC & CSU Spend $169,000,000 to Subsidize D-I Athletics?

Posted by Chris Nguyen on July 13, 2012

This swimmer isn’t the only thing underwater in NCAA Division I Public Universities

USA Today has a database showing every public NCAA Division I university’s revenue, expenditures, and subsidies on athletics.

Only seven universities had athletic revenue exceed athletic expenditures without a subsidy: Texas, Purdue, Penn State, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Nebraska, and Louisiana State (LSU).

Here’s the size of subsidies received by California’s public NCAA Division I universities:

UCLA $2,587,439
Cal State Bakersfield $5,598,086
Cal State Fullerton $7,449,705
Fresno State $8,398,998
Cal State Long Beach $9,499,251
Cal State Northridge $9,529,469
UC Berkeley (Cal) $10,505,850
San Jose State $11,367,799
UC Santa Barbara $11,484,580
UC Irvine $11,833,894
UC Riverside $11,872,584
Cal State Sacramento $13,722,863
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo  $16,356,737
San Diego State $18,140,124
UC Davis $20,953,181

At a time of budget cuts, tuition increases, class reductions, and enrollment reductions, should UC & CSU really be spending this much money to subsidize athletics?  Aren’t athletic departments supposed to subsidize the universities, not the other way around?

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

Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas Joins Growing List of Dumitru Supporters

Posted by Jon Dumitru on July 12, 2012

Here is our latest press release:

Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas Joins Growing List of Dumitru Supporters

Orange, CA (July 11, 2012) – Public safety officials are starting to coalesce behind Jon Dumitru, candidate for Orange Mayor. District Attorney Tony Rackauckas has joined a growing list of supporters for the Dumitru Campaign.

“My career has been based on prosecuting criminals who have committed some of the most heinous acts. It is important to make sure that our local elected leaders are going to be tough on crime,” Rackauckas said. “Jon Dumitru is a man that will make sure that Orange has the right policies in place to make it a safer city.”

“Tony Rackauckas has been a great District Attorney in standing up to violent criminals,” Dumitru said. “I am honored to have him stand with me to make sure that Orange becomes a safer city.”

As a member of the Orange City Council, Dumitru has led Orange as the fiscally proven member of the Council. His voting record as a Councilmember reflects his pledge for “No New Taxes” and the fiscal viability of the City of Orange. 

Jon serves his constituents as their consistent voice on the board, promoting traditional family values, public safety and high academic standards in local schools.

First elected in 2004 and re-elected in 2008, Dumitru is the leading conservative on the City Council of Orange, which is one of America’s most conservative cities.  A home-grown civic leader active in numerous non-profit organizations and charities, Dumitru attended Orange public schools and currently works for the Orange County Fire Authority in the Emergency Command Center coordinating firefighters and paramedics.

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

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