OC Political

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

OC’s Top 10 Election Stories

Posted by Chris Nguyen on November 5, 2014

Last night was definitely a big night in OC politics.  Here are the top 10 stories:

#1. “Year of the Asian Woman” for OC Republicans – Republican Asian women dominated the electoral landscape last night.  I can demonstrate that with one simple photostrip of winners:

Year of the Asian Woman - 2014

The women in that photostrip are:

  • State Senator-Elect Janet Nguyen
  • State Assemblywoman-Elect Young Kim
  • State Assemblywoman-Elect Ling-Ling Chang
  • OC Supervisor-Elect Michelle Steel
  • OC Supervisor-Elect Lisa Bartlett
  • Yorba Linda Councilwoman-Elect Peggy Huang
  • Cypress School Board Member-Elect Sandra Lee
  • OC Water District Director-Elect Dina Nguyen

These candidates not only won their elections, but seven of the eight won in commanding fashion:

  • Janet Nguyen won 60% of the vote against former Assemblyman Jose Solorio in the most competitive Senate seat in the state.
  • Young Kim defeated incumbent Sharon Quirk-Silva 56%-44% in one of the most competitive Assembly seats in the state.
  • Ling-Ling Chang won 64% of the vote after coming through a grueling primary.
  • Michelle Steel won 62% of the vote in a Supervisorial runoff against Assemblyman Allan Mansoor.
  • Lisa Bartlett won 55% of the vote in a Supervisorial runoff against Laguna Niguel Councilman Robert Ming.
  • Peggy Huang came in first in a six-person field, even coming in ahead of her re-elected incumbent running mate, Tom Lindsey.
  • Sandra Lee came in first in a four-person field, far outpacing three other candidates, who consisted of two incumbents and a former Mayor.
  • Dina Nguyen was the only one with a close race, winning by 45.8%-42.1% in a three-way race for Orange County Water District.

The only Republican Asian woman who lost in Orange County last night was Westminster School Board candidate Bao Anh “Samantha” Nguyen.  (Garden Grove City Council candidate Ruhina Khan is a Democrat.  Laguna Woods City Council candidate Rae Tso and Fullerton Joint Union High School Board candidate Ho Jeong Lim are both NPP.  Republican Cypress School Board Member-Elect Lydia Sondhi is not Asian; Sondhi is her married name.)

#1A. Janet Nguyen and Young Kim Capture OC Swing Seats to Break Democratic Supermajorities – Of the Republican Asian women who won last night, clearly Janet Nguyen and Young Kim’s victories were the biggest stories, as they each struck a blow to the supermajorities held by Democrats in the Senate and in the Assembly.

Janet Nguyen’s 60%-40% victory was so sweeping that she won 8 of the 10 cities in SD-34, losing only Anaheim and Santa Ana (she even won Long Beach).

Young Kim’s 56%-44% victory was so sweeping that she won 5 of the 6 cities in AD-65, losing only Stanton.  Kim is the first Republican challenger to unseat an incumbent Democrat in a legislative race in 20 years.

#1B. Michelle Steel and Lisa Bartlett to Join Board of Supervisors – Board of Equalization Member Michelle Steel was widely expected to win the 2nd District Supervisor’s race after crushing Assemblyman Allan Mansoor by 25% in June and almost avoiding a run-off.  She ended up beating Mansoor by 24% in the November run-off yesterday.  Steel’s landslide victory was so strong that she carried every city in the district, including Costa Mesa, where Mansoor had served on City Council and as Mayor; she also won Mansoor’s 74th Assembly District.

Dana Point Mayor Lisa Bartlett was in the toss-up in the 5th District Supervisor’s race after coming in just 2% behind Laguna Niguel Councilman Robert Ming in June.  She ended up beating Ming by 10% in the November run-off yesterday.  Bartlett’s victory was so sweeping that she won every city in the district, except Lyndon Johnson Laguna Niguel (I have no idea why I typed Lyndon Johnson; it was clearly a long election night).

This marks the second time two women will be serving on the Board of Supervisors concurrently (the first time is actually the present day wherein Supervisors Janet Nguyen and Pat Bates are serving concurrently).  This is the first time two Asian Americans will serve concurrently on the Board of Supervisors.

#2 AD-74: Matt Harper Defeats Keith Curry, Even Winning Newport Beach – With independent expenditures helping Huntington Beach Mayor Matt Harper overcome Newport Beach Councilman Keith Curry’s massive fundraising advantage, Harper won by 18% yesterday after coming in 3% behind Curry in June.  Harper’s victory was so sweeping that he won 5 of the 6 cities in AD-74, losing only Laguna Woods. To add insult to injury for Curry, Harper even won 55% of the vote in Newport Beach.

#3 Major Changes in Anaheim – Voters in the County’s biggest city cast their ballots on a number of meaty issues.  First, 68% of Anaheim voters approved switching from the current at-large Council election system to a vote-by-district system.  53% of Anaheim voters approved increasing the size of the Council from 5 to 7 (Mayor and 6 Council members).

Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait was easily re-elected, with 54.1% of the vote in a four-way race, outpacing the nearest candidate. Tait ally James Vanderbilt appears to have defeated Anaheim Councilwoman Gail Eastman, thereby shrinking the 4-1 majority against Tait to a 3-2 majority instead.

#4 Irvine Forms Republican Supermajority, Ousting Larry Agran – In a sweeping victory, Republicans won every seat on yesterday’s ballot for Irvine City Council.  Mayor Steven Choi was re-elected.  Council candidate Lynn Schott came in first, and Councilman Jeff Lalloway came in second place to win re-election.  Democrat Larry Agran, who lost control of the Council majority in 2012, found himself in fourth place, falling behind even his own ally Melissa Fox, who fell 0.4% short of winning a Council seat.  Republicans now wield a 4-1 supermajority in Irvine.

#5 Republicans Take Huntington Beach – In another sweeping victory, Republicans swept all four seats available on the Huntington Beach City Council, unseating incumbent Democrats Joe Shaw and Connie Boardman.  (The other two seats are held by termed-out Republican Joe Carchio and Assemblyman-Elect Matt Harper.)  This sweep replaces the liberal majority with a conservative majority on the Huntington Beach City Council.

In the Huntington Beach City Attorney’s race, conservative Republican Michael Gates unseated Republican incumbent Jennifer McGrath.

#6 Yorba Linda Supermajority Against YLRRR – In yet another sweeping victory, the slate of Peggy Huang and Tom Lindsey won both seats on the ballot in Yorba Linda.  For the first time since it began fielding candidates in 2006, Yorba Linda Residents for Responsible Representation failed to win any Council seats in an election.  YLRRR held a Council majority from 2008-2012 and even held a supermajority from 2010-2012.  YLRRR has a pesky habit of turning on the people they formerly supported (no fewer than three Councilmembers backed by YLRRR over the past eight years found themselves targeted for defeat by YLRRR).

With YLRRR-backed Councilmen Mark Schwing and John Anderson, YLRRR found themselves one seat short of a majority this year.  They launched an ambitious recall bid to try to gain a Council supermajority.  With the October recall defeated by the voters, the November re-election of Tom Lindsey, and the November election of Peggy Huang (see story 1 above) to replace the retiring John Anderson, YLRRR’s ambitious bid for a 4-1 supermajority in 2014 has ended with them on the losing end of a 4-1 supermajority, with only Schwing in office.  This could well spell the beginning of the end for YLRRR.

#7 Newport Beach Clean Sweep – In one more sweeping victory (anyone notice a recurring theme in these stories?), the slate of Duffy Duffield (of Duffy Boat fame), Kevin Muldoon, and Scott Peotter captured the three contested Newport Beach City Council seats (Diane Dixon won the uncontested District 1 seat).  In the District 3 seat, Duffield even managed to unseat Mayor Rush Hill by a stunning 2-1 margin.  Duffield, Muldoon, and Peotter pledged to bring fiscal responsibility to Newport Beach City government, opposing the dock tax and expensive new City Hall.

#8 Rancho Santa Margarita Eliminates Council Minority – In possibly the County’s most sweeping victory, the two-man Rancho Santa Margarita Council minority has been eliminated.  Majority Councilmembers Tony Beall and Carol Gamble were not on the ballot this year.  Three seats were on the ballot this year.  Majority Councilmember Brad McGirr was re-elected.  Candidates Jerry Holloway (himself a former Councilmember) and Mike Vaughn were elected to replace minority Councilmembers Steve Baric and Jesse Petrilla.  Baric was simply retiring and was not seeking a second term.  Petrilla (who had run unsuccessfully for the Assembly in June, coming in second among Republicans to Beall-backed Bill Brough) was running for re-election but ended up 3.7% behind third-place Vaughn who captured the last Council seat.  Additionally, voters rejected Measure Z, an initiative to change the zoning classification of Rancho Santa Margarita’s former Nissan site, by a margin of 54%-46%.  The Council minority had supported Measure Z while the Council majority opposed it.  The newly elected candidates both opposed Measure Z.  As with Anaheim, Newport Beach, and Yorba Linda, the majority and minority members on this year’s ballot are all Republicans.

#9 Unions Strengthen Grip on Capistrano Unified School District and Ocean View School District – In a rare liberal sweeping victory in Orange County, the teachers’ union won all three seats on the ballot in the Capistrano Unified School District, growing their 5-2 supermajority into a 6-1 supermajority, leaving Jim Reardon as the sole trustee to oppose the teachers’ union.  Union-backed Martha McNicholas defeated OC Political blogger Craig Alexander for the Trustee Area 4 seat being vacated by the retiring Anna Bryson.  Union-backed incumbent Lynn Hatton beat back a challenge by Julie Collier in Trustee Area 7.  Most surprisingly, in Trustee Area 6, union-backed Gila Jones unseated incumbent Ellen Addonizio, and Jones won by a larger margin than McNicholas or Hatton did.  (Jones was the Democrat who ran against Republican State Senator Mark Wyland in 2010.)

In the Ocean View School District, union-backed Jack Souders and Joseph Gaglione won two of the three seats up for election this year, unseating incumbents Tracy Pellman and John Ortiz.  While Souders and Gaglione were openly backed by the union, Pellman and incumbent John Briscoe (who won the other seat up for election) each accused the other of being secretly backed by the union.

#10 Claude Parrish Unseats Assessor Webster Guillory – In only the second time in the last half-century, a sitting Countywide elected official has been defeated for re-election.  With controversies over his nomination signature collection and three felony charges from the District Attorney related to the nomination signature collection, incumbent Webster Guillory was unable to survive a challenge from former Board of Equalization Member Claude Parrish.  Guillory had defeated Parrish 53%-47% in 2010.  In this 2014 rematch, Parrish defeated Guillory by the same 53%-47% margin.  (The last time a Countywide elected official lost a re-election bid was when John Dean unseated six-term incumbent County Superintendent of Schools Robert Peterson in 1990.  No one else has lost since at least the mid-1960s.)  With Republican Parrish replacing NPP Guillory as Assessor and Republican Eric Woolery replacing Democrat Jan Grimes as Auditor-Controller, Republicans will hold every Countywide office for the first time in recent memory.

Honorable Mention: Special Elections on the Way – With the elections of Supervisor Janet Nguyen to the State Senate and State Senator Mimi Walters to Congress, there will now be a flurry of special elections.  Early in 2015, special elections will need to be held to fill the remaining two years on Nguyen’s Supervisorial term and Walters’s Senate term.  In the likely event that an Assemblymember wins the race to replace Walters, another special election will be triggered in mid-2015 to fill the Assembly seat.

Honorable Mention: City Treasurers and Board of Equalization – Two Secret Paths to Power – It’s quite interesting what useful platforms City Treasurer’s seats and Board of Equalization seats can be for gaining other elected offices:

  • November 2010: Huntington Beach City Treasurer Shari Freidenrich elected Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector, defeating Deputy Treasurer
  • June 2014: Orange City Treasurer Eric Woolery elected Orange County Auditor-Controller, defeating Deputy Auditor-Controller
  • November 2014
    • Board of Equalization Member Michelle Steel elected an Orange County Supervisor, defeating Assemblyman
    • Former Board of Equalization Member Claude Parrish elected Orange County Assessor, defeating incumbent
    • Brea City Treasurer Glenn Parker elected a Brea City Councilman, defeating incumbent
    • Placentia City Treasurer Craig Green elected a Placentia City Councilman, defeating incumbent

On a related note, State Controller-Elect Betty Yee is the second consecutive Board of Equalization Member to be elected State Controller. Eight years ago, Board of Equalization Member John Chiang was elected State Controller, and last night, he has been elected State Treasurer.

Honorable Mention: Mimi Walters Elected to Congress – This doesn’t merit reaching the top 10 because it was a foregone conclusion that Senator Mimi Walters would crush Democrat Drew Leavens in the 45th Congressional District.  The real contest was in June when Walters managed to be the top Republican vote-getter and ensured a Democrat made the top two.  The only reason this gets an honorable mention is because of how rare it is to have a new Member of Congress.

Posted in 2nd Supervisorial District, 34th Senate District, 45th Congressional District, 55th Assembly District, 5th Supervisorial District, 65th Assembly District, 74th Assembly District, Board of Equalization, Capistrano Unified School District, Cypress School District, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Newport Beach, Ocean View School District, Orange County, Orange County Assessor, Orange County Water District, Rancho Santa Margarita, Yorba Linda | 5 Comments »

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 »

MY RECOMMENDATION FOR ASSEMBLY: MATTHEW HARPER by Kurt English

Posted by Craig P. Alexander on November 3, 2014

My friend Kurt English requested that I post his recommendation and reasons for those recommendations for the 74th Assembly District race between Newport Beach City Councilman Keith Curry and Huntington Beach Mayor Matthew Harper. Kurt’s article is printed below:

I have researched the candidates and I recommend MATTHEW HARPER for California State Assembly.

I have known both Keith Curry and Matthew Harper for a number of years. But my recommendation is based on their track records and stands on issues, not on personalities.

UNION MONEY & KEEPING PROMISES

Keith Curry is a member and a board member of Lincoln Club, a Republican donor group. The Lincoln Club requires candidates to sign a pledge not to take money from unions prior to getting their endorsement. Curry signed that pledge. Before the June 2014 primary, the Lincoln Club endorsed Curry.

Later I was shocked to hear that the Lincoln Club rescinded Curry’s endorsement for violating his pledge not to take union money. As a board member, Curry knew the rules.

Curry’s willingness to sign a pledge to get an endorsement and then ignore his commitment reveals a troubling integrity issue. This is especially disappointing for someone who teaches at a Christian college.

Curry’s willingness to break his pledge is another worrisome indication that Curry would vote for big compensation and pensions for government workers. Under Curry’s watch as a council member, Newport Beach had two lifeguards making over $200,000 a year.

BIG SPENDING ON CITY COUNCIL

I have written extensively in the Newport Beach Independent about the gross overspending on the Newport Beach City Hall totaling $297 million of costs, including interest. Keith Curry voted for that spending binge.

405 TOLL ROADS

Curry supported converting lanes in the over-crowded 405 freeway into toll lanes, while Harper wants to keep all 405 lanes free.

BEACH FIRE RINGS

Fire rings have been part of Orange County’s beach life style for decades. Curry voted to restrict the use of Newport Beach’s iconic beach fire rings. Harper opposes any bans on beach fire rings.

TAX PER MILE DRIVEN

Keith Curry supported a tax on every mile we drive our cars. Harper opposes that tax.

DOCK TAX

Keith Curry voted for the infamous Newport Beach dock tax as a council member.

PRESERVING PROPOSITION 13

Newport’s dock tax violates Proposition 13’s limitation on property taxes. Curry’s support of the dock tax undermines his campaign promises to preserve Proposition 13. I believe Harper would be more reliable in defending Proposition 13.

SUMMARY

Keith Curry supports too many new taxes and has voted to spend irresponsibly on the council. Curry has been involved in too many mismanaged problems like the rescinded endorsement and the overpriced city hall,.

Matt Harper’s record shows more support for lower taxes, less government spending and regulation, and more personal freedom than does Keith Curry’s record. Matt Harper is the better choice for Assembly Election Day November 4, next Tuesday.

Links:

AD74 Watch: OC Lincoln Club Yanks Endorsement of Keith Curry

BREAKING NEWS: Keith Curry Jumps Into AD 74 Race


http://www.ocregister.com/orangepunch/lifeguards-490717-beach-newport.html
http://www.dailypilot.com/opinion/tn-dpt-me-0726-commentary-20140725,0,4482849.story http://www.ocregister.com/articles/curry-638840-beach-harper.html
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/curry-638840-beach-harper.html

Newport Council’s New Tax Violates Prop13

Posted in 74th Assembly District | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

MY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEWPORT BEACH CITY COUNCIL by Kurt English

Posted by Craig P. Alexander on November 3, 2014

My good friend Kurt English asked me to publish his recommendations (and reasons for them) on the Newport Beach City Council race. Kurt’s article about this is printed below without any editing on my part. It is my hope that Newport Beach residents will find Kurt’s information helpful in making their voting determinations:

I have researched the candidates and here are my recommendations for Newport Beach City Council:

DISTRICT 1: DIANE DIXON
DISTRICT 3: MARSHALL “DUFFY” DUFFIELD
DISTRICT 4: KEVIN MULDOON
DISTRICT 6: SCOTT PEOTTER

DISTRICT 3 RECOMMENDATION: “DUFFY” DUFFIELD

http://www.duffyfornewport.com/issues

Mayor Rush Hill was one of the primary drivers of the overpriced city hall. This blunder cost Newport Beach taxpayers about $297 million. Those costs are over $3,000 per man, woman and child in Newport Beach.

At a recent Orange County Republican Party Central Committee meeting, Hill was practically begging the members for their endorsement claiming to be a strong (albeit big-spending) Republican. Hill’s opponent Duffy was endorsed overwhelmingly with the other reform candidates. At a recent candidate forum, Hill claimed to be “nonpartisan” while accusing the candidates that I and the Orange County Republican Party have endorsed of being partisan. That’s two-faced.

In December 2012, I attended the dock tax city council meeting. Many speakers criticized the excessive spending on the new city hall and the dock tax.

Apparently, Hill took it personally. He responded angrily by swearing at us, using the S***-word and insulted citizens who disagreed with him in immature, mindless and petty ways.

I was embarrassed for Hill that night. In my opinion, Hill is unfit for any leadership position.

Marshall “Duffy” Duffield is an American entrepreneur. He founded and grew Duffy Electric Boat Company, located in Newport Beach, based on his clever invention. Those of us who enjoy cruising Newport Harbor in Duffy boats appreciate and benefit from his life’s work.

Duffy would be a big civility upgrade over Mayor Rush Hill. Duffy wants to mitigate Rush Hill’s debt anchor, saying, “I don’t like excessive debt in my business or my city government.”

DISTRICT 4 RECOMMENDATION: KEVIN MULDOON

Kevin Muldoon is a lawyer and served as a prosecutor in the DA’s office. But Muldoon has moved into a business role.

Muldoon has been a Republican activist and would be influential as a council member to the benefit of Newport Beach with state legislators, county officials and business leaders.

In spite of using the title “Businessman” as part of his ballot designation, it appears Tim Brown’s primary income comes from being a junior college reading teacher in Riverside. I benefited greatly from taking junior college classes in 11th and 12th grade. It was a helpful transition on the way to college. Brown should embrace his long time profession.

I have found Brown to be temperamental. Brown could be another volatile Rush Hill. I’m also concerned that as a long time government employee Brown would continue the big spending past of Newport Beach, rather than launch its fiscally responsible future. Muldoon would be more diplomatic than Brown or Hill.

I predict Roy Englebrecht will finish last of the three candidates.

DISTRICT 6 RECOMMENDATION: SCOTT PEOTTER

http://www.peotter.com

Scott Peotter is one of the reform candidates and Mike Toerge is the status quo candidate in this race. Although both candidates have served on Newport Beach’s Planning Commission, only Scott Peotter aggressively supports property rights and fiscal responsibility.

Toerge has encouraged property owners appearing before him on the planning commission to make expensive and time consuming changes to their projects, and then voted against the projects after they made the changes he suggested. I have asked Toerge for information on various issues, but he’s hiding from me. Toerge’s unwillingness to be forthcoming before the election indicates he won’t be transparent if elected.

Peotter supports reducing city debt like Duffy and Muldoon. Potter wants to explore ways to reduce the city’s irresponsible debt, including selling the old city hall property, the new city hall’s bad art graveyard and bunny-henge.

DISTRICT 1 RECOMMENDATION: DIANE DIXON

Diane Dixon is running unopposed. Dixon has a long background in corporate public relations. She is the least likely candidate to unleash the S***-word at a city council meeting (unlike Mayor Rush Hill) and supports more responsible fiscal policies.

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

Hiding of Solorio Backed Union Deal Likely To End in Lawsuit

Posted by Dave Everett on November 1, 2014

Recent campaign mail sent by the Associated Builders and Contractors highlighting Jose Solorio's forced union agreement (PLA) at Santa Ana College in the RSCCD.

Recent campaign mail sent by the Associated Builders and Contractors highlighting Jose Solorio’s forced union agreement (PLA) at Santa Ana College in the RSCCD.

A behind-the-scenes deal, pushed by 34th State Senate candidate Jose Solorio, to limit construction at Santa Ana College to union members is likely to end with a lawsuit against the college district. So says a recent letter (attached below) sent to the district by a law firm representing the Associated Builders and Contractors of Southern California.  ABC SoCal will seek a judicial determination that the practice of meeting in closed session, hidden from the public, violates the Brown Act.

The letter threatening legal action was sent to the RSCCD clerk on October 10, 2014 and gave the legally prescribed deadline of 30 days to admit the action was illegal and to basically promise to never do it again.

According to the letter, “this letter concerns the Board of Trustees of the Rancho Santiago Community College District practice of holding closed session meetings to discuss and negotiate the terms of project labor agreements.  Pursuant to Government Code section 54960.2 this letter constitutes ABC So. Cal’s demand that the Rancho Board cease and desist from holding closed door sessions to discuss the terms of project labor agreements.”

It wraps up with the summary, “Rancho Board’s closed sessions to discuss CSWPA terms violated the letter and spirit of the law…”

The term CSWPA is the made-up name that the Trustees gave the forced union deal to disguise from the public what is traditionally referred to as a Project Labor Agreement. CSWPA stands for the “Community and Student Workforce Project Agreement.”

The letter from ABC SoCal ends with the statement that, “…If the Rancho Board does not make an unconditional commitment to cease the practice of holding closed session meetings to discuss the terms of project labor agreements, ABC So. Cal. will seek a judicial determination that the practice violates the Brown Act.”  CLICK HERE for the full article.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

The Union In CUSD Repeats Lie About Candidate Craig Alexander In A Shameful Attempt To Smear Him As The Election Nears

Posted by Greg Woodard on October 31, 2014

I previously wrote about the Capistrano Unified Education Association’s (CUEA) lies about Craig Alexander and Julie Collier, but this is beyond the pale.  After the union falsely claimed that Alexander previously sued the school district, Alexander sent Sally White, CUEA President, a letter informing her that he had never sued the school district.  Sadly, the union does not care about the truth, as evidenced by a recent call sheet from the CUEA that again lies and says that Alexander represented Ellen Addonizio and Sue Palazzo in a lawsuit against the district.

Alexander was too nice in his attempt to reason with White, but her willingness to perpetuate lies for the sake of keeping power tells me that she deserves no respect.  No one should tolerate these shameful acts by the union, and I would encourage everyone in the Capistrano Valley Unified School District to vote for Alexander (Area 4), Addonizio (Area 6) and Collier (Area 7) and tell the unions that you are not putting up with their lies anymore.  And to the union members, I would ask you to do the honorable thing and contact the CUEA and tell them to stop lying and start addressing the only important thing – the education of the students in the district.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

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 »

Lisa Bartlett, The Union-Backed Candidate In The Fifth District Supervisor Race

Posted by Greg Woodard on October 23, 2014

Robert Ming and Lisa Bartlett, both Republicans, emerged from the June open primary as the top-two vote getters for the Orange County Board of Supervisors race in the Fifth District.  Ming (who I am supporting) and Bartlett will face off on November 4 for the privilege of representing most of south Orange County on the Board.  I have known Ming for several years, and I can attest to his conservative credentials, and his character as a man.  I do not know Bartlett, so I can only form an opinion based on her actions on the campaign trail, and, in my opinion, they do not reflect well on her.

In June, Bartlett issued a press release called “Ming’s Dings” that was an attack on Ming and his supposed policies “dinging the taxpayer.”  However, as I previously reported, the release was riddled with false facts and errors.  Despite being called out on those false assertions, I have not seen any retraction from Bartlett.  In addition, while that first installment of “Ming’s Dings” promised subsequent regular reports of how Ming was supposedly dinging the taxpayer, I have not seen another installment.  Apparently, Bartlett could only muster that one attack on Ming’s policies, and even that attack contained false facts.

On September 2, Bartlett issued a press release, again using false facts to erroneously claim that she was fundraising at a 2-1 clip against Ming.  In fact, the true fundraising numbers showed a small difference between the two.

I know that candidates often embellish their mailers and take liberties with the way they portray their opponents.  But what should not be tolerated is outright lies, and Bartlett has twice shown that she apparently cares more about smearing Ming than getting the facts right.

Equally troubling is that the public employee unions seem to be spending a lot of time and effort on Bartlett.  I recently received a mailer from a local PAC in support of Bartlett that smeared Ming with the same false facts that Bartlett used in her “Ming’s Dings” hit piece.  The PAC has received $18,000 from the Orange County Employees Association and the Orange County Professional Firefighters Association, both public employee unions.  I reached out to Bartlett’s campaign for comment on whether her campaign had coordinated with the PAC on the mailer, or provided the PAC with the erroneous information, but she did not respond.

I recently learned that another public employee union, the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs has endorsed Bartlett.

As a conservative, all the union money and the endorsement thrown at Bartlett concern me.  Public employee salaries and benefits are a huge County expenditure, and the unfunded pension liability threatens not only the current financial stability of Orange County, but also the future for my kids.  Ming has a plan to reduce the unfunded liability by benchmarking public employee salaries to those earned in the private sector.  Ming also is an advocate of transparency in the labor negotiation process.  Ming also wants to solicit private-sector bids for services that are not core government functions.

Bartlett claims to be concerned with government spending, but her campaign website is short on any specifics about crushing salary and pension debt.  Maybe that is why the Orange County Register recently endorsed Ming over Bartlett, stating “we found many of [Bartlett’s] responses to our questions more vague.”

The Register feels that Ming’s knowledge of fiscal management makes him the best-suited to the Board, and I would encourage the readers to vote for Ming in November.

Posted in 5th Supervisorial District, Orange County Board of Supervisors | Tagged: , , , , , , | 39 Comments »

Illegal Immigration: What do Latinos Want? What do Democrats Want?

Posted by Walter Myers III on October 21, 2014

10-21-14-Immigration-rally_full_600Before I get into the meat of this post, I want to first dispel any notion that I am prejudiced against “brown people.” I am “brown” myself, and while growing up in the south was on the receiving end of many ethnic slurs, slights, and threats of physical harm. I lived in Monterrey, Mexico in the early 1990s for a year and a half, and have made numerous visits there, most recently to do some consulting work for the Mexican government in Mexico City. So my love and respect for the Mexican people is unquestioned and enormously deep. I only want the best for the people who embraced me as one of their own showing me great hospitality and love during my days living in Monterrey. But I cannot ignore the utter lawlessness that many American born Latino and legal Latino immigrants are promoting, who are encouraged by Democrat politicians who have supposedly sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution.

At this moment, it is anticipated that president Obama will sign an executive order after the November midterm elections that would provide some sort of amnesty for possibly tens of millions of illegal immigrants, which could include work permits and green cards. This is clearly above his constitutional authority, as in the U.S. Constitution, Article 1, Section 8, it states only Congress has the authority “To establish a uniform rule of naturalization.” Yet pro-illegal immigration groups, the Mexican government, a number of Latino leaders and even Democrats in the U.S. Congress are stridently lobbying for Obama to do something about illegal immigration if Congress won’t act on their timetable. Now it is one thing for citizens to ask for a President to break the law, and another matter for a foreign government to ask for the same, but it is the height of lawlessness for members of Congress (specifically, Democrats) to encourage the president to wantonly and openly break the laws he is also charged to uphold and protect (but of course, we know, this has never stopped Obama from breaking the law so why should it now?).

Now as to citizens, primarily Latino citizens, asking the president to break our immigration and naturalization laws, I have to ask what they expect to gain, and if they have thought the ramifications of this through. If Latino citizens are asking the president to openly break the law, then what is to stop the next president from openly breaking law, which may not be in their favor? Moreover, isn’t the reason most Latinos who have immigrated to the U.S. because they are from countries that have widespread corruption and tyrannical dictators? Would any of these Latinos be willing to move to Argentina, a country in economic shambles?  Or Venezuela, a tyrannical socialist state where people don’t have basic needs met such as toilet paper, cooking oil, or powdered milk? Or do they wish for the grinding poverty of Honduras, Guatemala, or El Salvador? And Mexico, though better off than these countries, is one of astounding income inequality and corruption at the highest levels of government, forcing millions to flee to the U.S. for better economic opportunity and to escape drug violence.

So I ask my fellow citizens calling for Obama to break the law how they can possibly believe something good is going to come of this. If Obama legalizes millions of illegal immigrants by fiat, then this will only encourage the next wave of millions looking not only for opportunity but for benefits such as healthcare, food, and schooling for their children (which includes sending children here unaccompanied which is extremely dangerous). Clearly, Obama and Democrat members of Congress are motivated to do this because they believe when (and if) these illegal immigrants become citizens, they will vote Democrat. But what will be left of America after they have played the most cynical and dishonest of political ploys? Are they expecting to create a permanent Democrat majority by unbounded growth of the Latino population? And if that is the case, what will Latinos expect in return? Certainly, they will continue to demand more resources in a country where we have weak economic growth, fifty million people on food stamps, and we can’t even take care of the veterans who have fought for our country and returned with horrific injuries that demand ongoing treatment for the rest of their lives. You can’t indefinitely import low-wage workers into an economy where so many native-born citizens are struggling to simply make ends meet.

In essence, the demand that Obama break the law by American citizens of a particular ethnic group and liberal sympathizers, aided and abetted by congressional Democrats will only set America on the same path as many Latin countries that have abrogated rule of law for purely selfish and self-serving political ends. What happens in every case is that these countries who deceive their people into placing all of their faith in central government devolve into social democratic welfare states and eventually into tyrannical socialist or communist regimes because of the breakdown of the rule of law and the concentration of power into the hands of a few. I know, many don’t think it can happen in America. But don’t believe it can’t. It starts with lawlessness at the top and an uninformed public that would give up its liberties due to willful ignorance, until they eventually find out their fate is sealed and it is then too late to turn back the clock. Just ask the people of Venezuela and Argentina what happened to their republics. So I ask what is it really that Latinos want? What is it really that Democrats want? Is that the future they want?

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Robert Ming for 5th District Supervisor!

Posted by Craig P. Alexander on October 21, 2014

There are a lot of reasons I have been supporting Robert Ming to be our next Supervisor from the 5th District of Orange County. Robert is a true leader that has proven himself in both the private sector and the public sector (as an eight year member of Laguna Niguel’s City Council – being its Mayor twice).

The Flashreport has just published an article by Robert about the new statewide plastic bag ban.  I will not re-print the entire article here, just the first paragraph with a link so the reader can go over to the Flashreport and review the entire article.

“Governor Brown just made single-use plastic grocery bags a thing of the past in California, maybe. Opponents of the ban have already started collecting signatures for a referendum to overturn it. While several people close to me, my wife included, would love to give you an earful about paper vs. plastic, the law is troubling for a bigger reason. It illustrates one of California’s biggest problems: government regulates too much.” – See more at: Not Just A Plastic Bag Ban

In addition, Robert has taken the no union pledge meaning he will not seek endorsements or campaign contributions from public employee unions.  Robert’s opponent is being carried by government employee unions as noted by my friend Greg Woodard in his recent post Union Money Invades Mission Viejo. Robert will not be beholden to any public employee union for his election to the Board of Supervisors when he sits across the table with them for contract negotiations.

For more about Robert and his campaign go to www.robertming.com

Disclosure: I am a long supporter of Robert Ming and his campaign for County Supervisor, 5th District.  I am also a candidate for Capistrano Unified School District, Trustee Area 4 (Craig for CUSD).  In addition, I am not a political consultant or on any candidate’s payroll.

Posted in 5th Supervisorial District, Capistrano Unified School District, Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , | 9 Comments »

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